Terra Satellite Sees Shadows of Solar Eclipse in the Arctic Ocean
NASA’s Terra satellite captured this view of the clouds in the Arctic Ocean during last week’s total solar eclipse. During the morning of March 20,…
Hubble Image of the Week – A Galaxy on the Edge
This newly released Hubble image shows an edge-on view of the spiral galaxy NGC 5023. Due to its orientation, we cannot appreciate its spiral arms,…
“Chemical Fingerprints” Could Help Scientists Recognize Life on the Surface of Exoplanets
A new catalog of reflectance spectra for a diverse range of pigmented microorganisms may help scientists recognize life on the surface of planets orbiting stars…
Carnufex Carolinensis – North America’s Top Predator Before Dinosaurs?
New research from North Carolina State University shows that a 9-foot-long crocodile ancestor may have been North America’s top predator before the dinosaurs arrived. A…
Astronomers Use Globular Clusters to Measure Galaxy Evolution
A new study from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics reveals that globular clusters are often gathered into distinct groupings whose shapes reflect the formation of…
SOFIA Reveals Missing Link Between Supernovae and Planet Formation
A newly published study reveals that supernovae are capable of producing enough material to form planets. Using NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), an…
2015 Arctic Sea Ice Maximum Annual Extent is the Lowest on Record
Arctic sea ice has reached its peak winter extent for the year, and new data from the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center shows…
Research Shows Billions of Planets in the Milky Way Have the Potential for Life
Astronomers reveal that billions of the stars in the Milky Way will have one to three planets in the habitable zone, where there is the…
Young Star Cluster Displays Highly Efficient Star Formation
An international team discovers a remarkable star cluster where more than a million young stars are forming in a hot, dusty cloud of molecular gases….
LRO Spacecraft Finds New Impact Craters on The Moon
By comparing pictures taken early in the mission with more recent images, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed more than two-dozen new impact craters –…
MAVEN Spacecraft Detects Aurora and Mysterious Dust Cloud around Mars
New research being presented at the 46th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference details the discovery of an unexplained high-altitude dust cloud and aurora that reaches…
New VLT Image Shows Star Cluster NGC 6193 and Nebula NGC 6188
This newly released image from the VLT Survey Telescope shows the young open cluster NGC 6193 in the center, and the emission nebula NGC 6188…
Researchers Hope To Provide New Insights Into Quantum Gravity
A new grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation will help fund experiments at Yale University that may provide new insights into quantum gravity. Yale University…
Classical Nova Explosion Could Have Big Impact
Astronomers used data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory to observe the differences in GK Persei over a span of nearly 14 years, providing clues to…
New Threat to East Antarctic Ice
New research reveals two seafloor gateways that could allow warm ocean water to reach the base of Totten Glacier, raising concerns about how it will…
NASA Begins Testing Electric Propulsion Technologies
Over the next several months, NASA researchers will perform ground testing on the electric propulsion technologies from the Leading Edge Asynchronous Propeller Technology project. The…
Chiron May Possess Saturn-Like Rings
Using data from NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, astronomers reveal features around Chiron that may signal rings, jets,…
New Surface Composition Maps of Mercury Provide Clues to the Planet’s History
Using data from the MESSENGER spacecraft, scientists reveal previously unrecognized geochemical terranes of Mercury. Two new papers from members of the MESSENGER Science Team provide…