Space and Tech News
-
Pictures: Looking Back at Visions of Life on Mars
March 1, 2013
<strong>Aliens, swords, and spacesuits feature among sometimes unearthly illustrations of what people once thought about life on Mars.</strong>
-
Black Hole Spins at Nearly the Speed of Light
March 1, 2013
A superfast black hole appears to be pushing the ultimate speed limit of the universe, a new study says.
-
Stinkbug Threat Has Farmers Worried
March 1, 2013
With Asian stinkbugs threatening to devour more crops this year, the U.S Agriculture Department is hunting for solutions.
-
Mars Rover Curiosity Has First Big Malfunction
March 1, 2013
One of Curiosity's two onboard computers became corrupted this week.
-
Mars Missions: A Time Line of Success and Failure
February 27, 2013
Dennis Tito isn't the first to propose a manned mission to Mars. Take a look back with this time line.
-
The Ultimate Relationship Test: A Trip to Mars
February 27, 2013
A new venture backed by space tourist Dennis Tito aims to send a human couple on a flyby mission to Mars in 2018.
-
Psychological Challenges of a Manned Mission to Mars
February 27, 2013
Feelings of isolation and boredom are only some of the factors crew members will have to deal with, researchers say.
-
Ancient Lost Continent Discovered in Indian Ocean
February 25, 2013
Evidence of a drowned "microcontinent" has been found in sand grains from the beaches of a small Indian Ocean island, scientists say.<p><strong></strong></p>
-
Businessman Dennis Tito Financing Manned Mission to Mars
February 22, 2013
Plans are afoot to send two people on a trip to Mars and back in 501 days.
-
Meet One of Mars Rover Curiosity’s Earthbound Twins
February 22, 2013
In suburban Maryland, scientists have created Mars-like conditions to test key equipment aboard the rover Curiosity.
-
Turbulence Ahead for Weather Satellites
February 21, 2013
Some next-generation weather satellites may not launch in time to replace aging instruments now in orbit, researchers say.
-
NASA's Mars Rover Makes Successful First Drill
February 20, 2013
The gray guts of Martian rocks, rather than the red hue of the surface, may hold clues to Mars's past.
-
The True Story of History's Only Known Meteorite Victim
February 20, 2013
The Russian meteorite isn't the first to impact people. Ann Hodges is the only confirmed person in history to have been hit by a meteorite.
-
Suitcase-size Satellite to Patrol for Dangerous Asteroids
February 20, 2013
Scientists hope their new satellite will spot dangerous asteroids before they hit Earth.
-
Meet the Meteorite Hunter
February 16, 2013
Michael Farmer is a professional meteorite hunter. Find out why he won't be heading to Russia for a piece of the action.
-
Meteorite Spurs Very Russian Reaction: Political Jokes
February 15, 2013
In the face of more than 1,100 injuries, Russians greet meteorite with humor, largely of a political variety. Does Putin ride a meteorite?
-
Meteorites: Best Places to See Them Up Close
February 15, 2013
Never seen a meteorite? Here are 5 that you can see, touch, and even climb.
-
Russian Meteorite Spotlights History's Other Crashes
February 15, 2013
The asteroid that exploded over Russia last night injured more than a thousand—but it's not the first time people have seen or been hit by space rocks.
-
From Our Vault: 1897 Meteorite Recovery
February 15, 2013
Explorer Robert Peary hauled a huge meteorite from Greenland to the American Museum of Natural History.
-
Pictures: Meteorite Hits Russia
February 15, 2013
A meteorite hit near the central Russian city of Chelyabinsk on Friday.
-
Asteroid Impacts: 10 Biggest Known Hits
February 14, 2013
The asteroid 2012 DA14 will narrowly miss Earth this Friday, but meteorites have been hitting Earth for billions of years.
-
Mars Rover Curiosity Completes First Full Drill
February 9, 2013
The Mars rover made history in completings its first drill for Martian soil samples on Friday.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Sun Dragon, Celestial Seagull
February 8, 2013
A sun "dragon" roars, London glitters from space, and a cosmic seagull spreads its "wings" in this week's best space photos.
-
Asteroid to Make Closest Flyby in History
February 7, 2013
An asteroid will fly so close to Earth, it will squeak by communications satellites.
-
Space Pictures This Week: A Space Monkey, Printing a Moon Base
February 4, 2013
Iran sends a monkey to space, Curiosity makes tracks, and Andromeda shines in the latest space pictures.
-
Sinkhole Swallows Buildings in China
January 31, 2013
A massive sinkhole in southern China opened up near a construction site in Guangzhou, consuming a group of buildings.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Martian Gas, Cloud Trails
January 28, 2013
Mercury gets a close-up, ships leave cloud trails, and the sun shines in multiple colors in the latest space pictures.
-
8 Other Nations that Send Women to Combat
January 25, 2013
As the United States prepares to officially send women into combat, it is studying the experiences of foreign militaries. So how have they fared with women on the front lines?
-
The Promise and Perils of Mining Asteroids
January 22, 2013
A new company outlines ambitious plans for near-Earth objects.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Solar Tantrum, Petroglyphs at Night
January 22, 2013
The sun throws a tantrum and Beijing is swathed in air pollution in the latest space pictures.
-
Newly Discovered Nebula Looks Like a Manatee
January 18, 2013
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory believes that a gas cloud in the constellation Aquila bears an uncanny resemblance to the endangered aquatic mammal.
-
Earliest Blooms Recorded in U.S. Due to Global Warming
January 16, 2013
In 2010 and 2012, plants in the eastern U.S. produced flowers earlier than at any point in recorded history, a new study says.
-
How Far Off Is a Better Flu Shot?
January 16, 2013
With another flu season in full swing, researchers are hot on the trail of ways to make a vaccine that's more effective for longer stretches of time.
-
Mars Rover Finds Intriguing New Evidence of Water
January 15, 2013
Curiosity's roadtrip detour yields a promising site for its first drilling efforts.
-
Space Pictures: 7 Ways You Could Blast Off by 2023
January 14, 2013
Innovative spacecraft may be ferrying tourists to and from space within the next decade.
-
Biggest Thing in Universe Found—Defies Scientific Theory
January 11, 2013
Talk about a whopper—astronomers have discovered a structure in the universe so large that science says it should not exist.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Australia Burns, Pulsars Wobble
January 11, 2013
<strong>The sun rages, Australia burns, and pulsars wobble in our roundup of the week's best space pictures. </strong>
-
See Near-Earth Asteroid Buzz Our Planet—Live
January 9, 2013
Cameras will stream images of the Apophis asteroid as it flies by Earth today.
-
Billions of Earthlike Planets Found in Milky Way
January 7, 2013
When you look up at a starry sky, nearly every star you see has a planetary system, astronomers announced today.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Planets Suck, Fissures Fume
January 7, 2013
Giant planets hoover gas, a volcano spews, and Dallas twinkles in the latest space pictures.
-
Scientists Seek Foolproof Signal to Predict Earthquakes
January 4, 2013
For centuries people have tried to predict earthquakes-with no success. Magnetic signals from rocks deep inside the earth are the latest prospect.
-
2012: A Banner Year in the Hunt for Exoplanets
January 2, 2013
We pick the most interesting alien worlds discovered in the past year.
-
First Meteor Shower of 2013 Peaks Tonight
January 2, 2013
Kick off the New Year with the annual Quadrantid meteor shower, which will peak tonight into the wee hours of January 3.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Ice “Broccoli,” Solar Storm
December 28, 2012
Star trails streak over a salt lake, ice blooms into "broccoli," and the sun sets off sparks in this week's best space pictures.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Green Lantern, Supersonic Star
December 26, 2012
A star sends out shock waves, Saturn is backlit by the sun, and the Milky Way lights up the Yosemite night in this week's best space pictures.
-
Pictures: Capturing the Beauty of Life Through a Microscope
December 24, 2012
Tiny claws and single-celled algae are among the top images in the 2012 Olympus BioScapes Microscopic Life Photo Contest.
-
Hollies Get Prickly for a Reason
December 20, 2012
When animals browse, holly trees make more spiny leaves, an example of epigenetic adaption to environmental pressure.
-
Pictures: "Beautiful" Geminid Meteor Showers Grace Skies
December 18, 2012
Sky-watchers from New Jersey to Iceland enjoyed a vibrant celestial show as the annual Geminid meteor shower peaked last weekend.
-
GRAIL Mission Goes Out With a Bang
December 17, 2012
GRAIL probes join decades of man-made debris dotting the lunar surface.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Frosty Mars, Mini Nile, More
December 14, 2012
A miniature Nile River flows on Titan, auroras "dance" and "twist," and the sun erupts in this week's best space pictures.
-
Hubble Discovers Oldest Known Galaxy
December 12, 2012
Hubble spies galaxies formed hundreds of millions of years after Big Bang.
-
Best Space Pictures of 2012: Editor's Picks
December 11, 2012
The sun "smiles," the Mars rover takes a self-portrait, and Endeavour bids farewell in our editor's picks for the year's best space pictures.
-
Sky-watchers Get Set for Cosmic Fireworks Show
December 11, 2012
More meteors than usual should light up moonless nights later this week.
-
Plants Grow Fine Without Gravity
December 7, 2012
Turns out plants grow just fine on the International Space Station.<p> </p>
-
Space Pictures This Week: Lunar Gravity, Venusian Volcano
December 6, 2012
Tortured plasma escapes from the sun, scientists map the moon’s gravity, and Venus reveals her secrets.
-
A 2020 Rover Return to Mars?
December 5, 2012
NASA eyes another rover mission to Mars.
-
Pictures: New HD View of Earth at Night
December 5, 2012
Earth's lights shine in newly released satellite images from NASA, the most detailed yet.
-
Giant Sequoias Grow Faster With Age
December 5, 2012
Older trees beat out youngsters when it comes to bulking up, a new study says.
-
Large, Peanut-Shaped Asteroid Headed Toward Earth
December 5, 2012
Scientists set to study lopsided celestial body.
-
How Curiosity Took a Self-Portrait
December 5, 2012
Filmmakers and engineers combined 55 images to produce a portrait of the iconic robot.
-
North Star Closer to Earth Than Thought
December 4, 2012
<strong>Guiding light for many a navigator, the North Star is 30 percent closer to our solar system than previously thought, a new study says.</strong>
-
Mars Rover Detects Simple Organic Compounds
December 3, 2012
It is unclear whether carbon-based compounds discovered by the Curiosity rover are entirely Martian, scientists said today.
-
Top Ten Discoveries of 2012: Nat Geo News's Most Popular
December 3, 2012
The biggest crocodile and the God particle are featured in National Geographic News's most visited coverage of 2012 discoveries.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Saturn Storm, Sun Blast
November 30, 2012
<p>Tokyo glitters in an astronaut's photo, a storm swirls on Saturn, and jets shoot out of a supermassive black hole in this week's best space pictures.</p>
-
Black Hole Blast Biggest Ever Recorded
November 28, 2012
Astronomers have witnessed a record-breaking blast of gas and dust flowing out of a monster black hole, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Space "Horse," Mars Rover, More
November 26, 2012
The Horsehead Nebula rears its pretty head, the Mars rover explores, and the Soyuz spacecraft lands in the week's best space pictures.
-
Distant Dwarf Planet Secrets Revealed
November 21, 2012
A new study reveals details of the dwarf planet’s surface and hints at why it doesn’t have a global atmosphere.
-
Giant Planet Being Blown Away Behind a Cloudy Veil
November 21, 2012
An alien world's demise is obscured by the remnants of its own atmosphere, a new study says.
-
Could Our Sun Become a "Zombie" Star?
November 20, 2012
A star that briefly sputtered back to life may offer a rare glimpse into our own solar system's fate, a new study says.
-
Solar "Tsunami": Giant Double Sun Eruption Caught on Video
November 19, 2012
Friday's back-to-back solar flares were so large that NASA’s cameras couldn’t capture the explosions in their entirety.
-
Crawling Bio-Robot Runs on Rat Heart Cells
November 19, 2012
Powered by rat heart cells, new machine could someday attack diseases inside the human body, scientists say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Eclipse, Mars Rover, More
November 16, 2012
See the sun's jewel-like vanishing act, "islands" on Mars, and more in our roundup of the week's best space pictures.
-
"Orphan Planet" Spotted, Orbits No Star
November 15, 2012
The starless new world is older, colder, and closer than other suspected "homeless" planets.
-
New Solar Eclipse Pictures: See What You Missed
November 14, 2012
See what you probably missed yesterday: a rare total solar eclipse visible from only a remote sliver of Earth.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Aurora, Sandy Fallout, More
November 12, 2012
Stars spin over an aurora, "waves" crash on a Martian shore, and superstorm Sandy splits an island—among our favorite recent space images.
-
Meteor Shower This Week: Leonids to Be Boosted by Moonless Night
November 12, 2012
Find out when and how to catch the most meteors during the 2012 Leonid sky show.
-
Total Solar Eclipse Tuesday: Among Most Remote, But Visible Online Everywhere
November 12, 2012
The moon's wide shadow will darken only one major city worldwide, but the eclipse will be visible nearly everywhere online.
-
The Last Drop? Climate Change May Raise Coffee Prices, Lower Quality
November 8, 2012
Wild Arabica coffee could go extinct within 70 years, increasing the price, and rarity, of a good cup of joe.
-
Math Can Be Truly Painful, Brain Study Shows
November 8, 2012
Think math's a pain? A new study has your number: Anticipation of arithmetic, researchers say, can activate pain centers in the brain.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Rover Closeup, Cosmic Bubble, More
November 6, 2012
The Mars rover snaps a self-portrait, a star blows a space "bubble," Sandy swirls from space, and more in this week's best space pictures.
-
Light From First Stars Detected in Cosmic "Fog"
November 1, 2012
Spied for the first time through a cosmic "fog," tell-tale rays may put us closer to illuminating the early universe's pitch-black period.
-
Daylight Saving Time 2012: Why and When Does It End?
October 31, 2012
Why do we fall back Sunday? Should daylight savings be abolished? Get the facts—and a few controversial takes on changing time.
-
Pictures: Best Micro-Photos of 2012
October 26, 2012
From baby spiderlings to a blood-brain barrier—see the best microphotos chosen in the annual Small World photo competition.
-
Saturn Storm "Almost Unbelievable"—Spawns Huge Temperature Spike, Giant Vortex
October 26, 2012
At times wider than Earth itself, a recent Saturn storm spawned an unprecedented temperature spike and vortex—and a lingering mystery.
-
Watch Rare Double-Comet Show Tuesday—Live Video Feed
October 23, 2012
Like rocket ships passing in the night, two comets will appear to whiz past other in a rare sky show Tuesday. See for yourself.
-
Aurora Pictures: Best Fall Photos of Northern Lights
October 23, 2012
See our favorite recent photos of the northern lights, and a few southern ones too—guest-starring a fireball and a passel of penguins.
-
Launch Boat to Saturn Moon, Scientists Propose
October 22, 2012
A proposed boat-like probe could propel itself across Ligeia Mare, a vast lake near Titan's north pole.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Supersonic Skydive, Starry Skies, More
October 20, 2012
Felix's fearless jump, sparkling skies, and a galactic ruby ring are among our picks for the week's best space pictures.
-
Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend: See "Postcard" From Halley's Comet
October 19, 2012
Our annual "postcard" from Halley's comet, the meteor shower should produce vibrant fireballs just before dawn.
-
New Planet Is Closest Yet: Earth-Size Lava World Is Space "Landmark"
October 17, 2012
They're calling it the planet next door, but even our fastest craft would take 40,000 years to reach this Earth-size neighbor.
-
Planet Has Four Suns: Amateur Astronomy Finds "Tatooine" Times Two
October 16, 2012
Step aside Tatooine. A newfound planet known as PH1 has not two but four suns, scientists announced this week.
-
Moon Water Made by the Sun?
October 15, 2012
Solar wind sparked creation of lunar water, a new study says—a whole new explanation for water in the inner solar system.
-
"Space Dive" Success: Felix Baumgartner Breaks Skydive Record, Sound Barrier
October 14, 2012
"I'm coming home," Felix Baumgartner radioed from 24 miles up Sunday, just before falling farther and faster than any human on record.
-
Watch Supersonic Skydive Live: Felix Baumgartner Set to Jump Sunday
October 14, 2012
Watch right here as Felix Baumgartner attempts to break the sound barrier—65 years to the day after Chuck Yeager did the same in a plane.
-
Endeavour in Extreme Detail: See Shuttle as Never Before—And Never Again
October 12, 2012
As Endeavour hits L.A. streets Friday, zoomable, ultrahigh-resolution pictures offer a last spin around the flight deck, button by button.
-
Diamond Planet Found—Part of a "Whole New Class?"
October 11, 2012
The universe just got a bit richer with the discovery of a diamond-rich exoplanet orbiting a nearby star, a new study says.
-
Space Station Arm "Tames" Dragon Capsule—SpaceX Docking Is a First
October 10, 2012
Using a robot arm, space station astronauts Wednesday snagged SpaceX's Dragon craft, ushering in a new age of commercial shipping.
-
Supersonic Skydive at a Standstill: Winds Ground Felix Baumgartner
October 10, 2012
Between ill winds and uncooperative electronics, Felix Baumgartner just couldn't catch a break Tuesday.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Mars Rover Footprint, Sun Blast, More
October 10, 2012
The Curiosity rover leaves a secret message on Mars, the sun erupts, and more in our favorite new space pictures.
-
Pictures: The Original Skydive From the Edge of Space
October 8, 2012
See classic-and still jaw-dropping—National Geographic photos of the record—setting 1960 skydive Felix Baumgartner hopes to beat Tuesday.
-
Slime Has Memory but No Brain
October 8, 2012
Slime molds have evolved a way of remembering where they've been. Quips one scientist: "I, for one, welcome our new gelatinous overlords."
-
Watch Supersonic Skydive Live: Video of Felix Baumgartner's Jump
October 8, 2012
The countdown has begun. Watch right here Tuesday as Felix Baumgartner free-falls from the edge of space to the New Mexico desert.
-
Inside the Original Space Dive: Joseph Kittinger on 1960 Record Jump
October 8, 2012
Decades before Felix Baumgartner, Joseph Kittinger set the record for highest free fall. In a duct-taped suit. From an open gondola.
-
Pictures: Chinese High-Speed Rail in Focus
October 5, 2012
China's bullet trains are second to none. But the booming high-speed rail system may come at the cost of safety and farmers' livelihoods.
-
Supersonic Skydive's 5 Biggest Risks: Boiling Blood, Deadly Spins, and Worse
October 5, 2012
On Tuesday, Felix Baumgartner is set to risk death spins, a sonic boom, and boiling blood—yes, literally—to jump from the edge of space.
-
China Advances High-Speed Rail Amid Safety, Corruption Concerns
October 5, 2012
China continues to push an ambitious high-speed rail program despite charges of corruption and worries about safety.
-
Speedy Star Found Near Black Hole May Test Einstein Theory
October 4, 2012
A newfound star circling the Milky Way's black hole may allow astronomers to test Einstein's general theory of relativity on a grand scale, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Seagull Nebula, Quasar, More
October 2, 2012
A roiling quasar, a daredevil capsule, and a wildfire's aftermath are featured in this week's best space pictures.
-
Did Slow Space Rocks Seed Life on Earth?
September 28, 2012
Organisms could have reached Earth from another planetary system, suggests a new model that revises speeds of stars and space rocks.
-
Mars Rover Finds Ancient Streambed—Proof of Flowing Water
September 27, 2012
Curiosity has made its first big science find, and it's one for the ages: a dry streambed that proves surface water once flowed on Mars.
-
New Comet Discovered—May Become "One of Brightest in History"
September 27, 2012
Next year comet 2012 S1 might become "one of the brightest in history," possibly even outshining the moon.
-
Tentacled, Carnivorous Plants Catapult Prey Into Traps
September 27, 2012
A carnivorous plant in Australia has special tentacles that fling prey into its sticky trap, a new study shows for the first time.
-
Swastika-Bearing Buddhist Statue Was Chiseled From a Meteorite
September 27, 2012
An ancient, swastika-bearing Buddhist statue recovered by Nazis was carved from a meteorite, researchers say.
-
Mars Curiosity Rover Finds Proof of Flowing Water—A First
September 27, 2012
NASA's Curiosity has made its first big science discovery, and it's one for the ages: proof surface water once flowed on the red planet.
-
Deepest Ever Hubble View: "History of the Universe in a Single Image"
September 26, 2012
Famous for dazzling the eye, Hubble may blow a few minds today too, by peering deeper—and therefore farther back in time—than ever before.
-
Best Astronomy Pictures of 2012
September 25, 2012
The Whirlpool Galaxy and Spaghetti Nebula are among winning subjects of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.
-
Pictures: Drones Take on Hurricanes, Environment Work
September 24, 2012
Military-surplus Global Hawks head into the eye of new hurricanes, while smaller drones help monitor salmon habitat, seal populations, abandoned mine sites, wildfires, volcanoes, and more.
-
Endeavour Makes Final Landing in California
September 21, 2012
Space shuttle Endeavour made its final landing in Los Angeles today—a "bittersweet but exciting" ending for the orbiter's 19-year career.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Endeavour, Mars Rock, More
September 21, 2012
The space shuttle <em>Endeavour</em> makes its final flight, the Mars rover explores the red planet, and more in this week's best space photos.
-
Autumnal Equinox 2012: Facts About the First Day of Fall
September 21, 2012
The Northern Hemisphere's autumnal equinox occurs September 22—find out why it's the first day of fall.
-
Space Shuttle Endeavour Flies West Into the Sunset
September 19, 2012
NASA youngest space shuttle began its photo-op-packed farewell flights Wednesday before retiring to California Friday.
-
New Planets Found in Star Cluster—Would Have Dazzling Nights
September 19, 2012
Evening skies on the new planets—the first found in around sunlike stars in a star cluster—would outshine Earth's starriest nights.
-
Sperm Tracked in 3-D—A First
September 18, 2012
For the first time, scientists have successfully plotted the paths of sperm in 3-D, revealing corkscrew-like trajectories and "hyperactive" swimmers.
-
Prehistoric "Movie Monster" Mollusk Re-created With 3-D Printer
September 18, 2012
A spiky, well-armored mollusk that lived 390 million years ago has been brought back to life with the help of 3-D printers.
-
Dark Energy Camera Captures First Sparkling Space Pictures
September 18, 2012
Peering eight billion years into the past, the world's most sensitive digital camera may help solve one of science's greatest mysteries.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Spacewalks, Mars Rover, More
September 14, 2012
New pictures showcase NASA spacewalks, the Martian surface, the far-off heavens, and the stars above a Kansas field.
-
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid to Buzz Earth Tonight—Watch Live Feed
September 13, 2012
In a rare double flyby, two big asteroids are about to glide past Earth, with one close enough to be visible via backyard telescopes and live observatory feeds.
-
"Potentially Hazardous" Asteroid to Buzz Earth Tonight in Double Flyby
September 13, 2012
The two giant mountains of rock, named 2012 QG42 and 2012 QC8, pose no immediate danger but could return in the future.
-
Mars Rover Set to "Drive, Drive, Drive"—Headed for "Prize" Mountain
September 13, 2012
Warm-up out of the way, Curiosity is set to "drive, drive, drive." Find out where it's headed—and why it may soon show its inner WALL-E.
-
Jupiter Explosion Spotted by Amateur Astronomers
September 11, 2012
See the apparent comet impact that had one amateur astronomer exclaiming, "I observed an explosion on Jupiter this morning!"
-
Space Pictures This Week: Mars Tracks, Asteroid Close-up, More
September 9, 2012
NASA's Curiosity rover stretches its legs (and an arm), auroras outshine the moon, and more in this week's best space pictures.<p> </p>
-
Albatross's Effortless Flight Decoded—May Influence Future Planes
September 7, 2012
Aerospace engineers may have finally figured out how albatrosses go so far without flapping, and the findings could shape future planes.
-
Silver in Space: Metal Found to Form in Distinct Star Explosions
September 7, 2012
Gold and silver are forged in different types of star explosions, a new study says—which may explain why the yellow stuff is rarer.
-
Could Cyborg Cockroaches Save Your Life?
September 7, 2012
Electrode-implanted bugs can now be "driven" with surprising precision (see video), which may make them futuristic first responders.
-
New Aurora Pictures: Solar Flare Sparks Sky Show
September 6, 2012
Sparked by a Friday solar flare, Sunday night's green-and-purple sky show seemed to glimmer with snakes, spears, and a fiery phoenix.
-
Pictures: NASA's Space Shuttle Substitute?
September 4, 2012
From a killer whale-like rocket to a gumdrop-shaped Boeing capsule—see the craft that may keep NASA astronauts in the space race.
-
Hubble Pictures: Top Five Hidden Treasures
September 4, 2012
Spiral galaxies and newborn stars feature among award-winning Hubble Space Telescope images.
-
"Blue Moon" Friday—Last One Until 2015
August 30, 2012
Howling at the full "blue moon" this Friday might be the most appropriate response: The popular definition is rooted in an editorial error, experts say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Martian Vista, Neil Armstrong
August 29, 2012
Fresh images from Curiosity, telescopes, and satellites illuminate more of the universe, while a vintage photo of Neil Armstrong surfaces.
-
Sugar Found In Space: A Sign of Life?
August 29, 2012
Simple sugar molecules floating around a star suggest the possibility of life on other planets, astronomers say.
-
Double Planets Found Orbiting Twin Stars
August 29, 2012
Double planets have been spotted circling double stars for the first time, astronomers say.
-
Triassic Mites Join World's Oldest Amber Animal Finds (Pictures)
August 28, 2012
Locked in tree resin since the dinosaur dawn, new fossils are among scientific gold that reveals how little some animals have evolved.
-
Space Pictures This Week: "Blast" Crater, Mars Rover, More
August 22, 2012
A "stunning sky show," debris from an undersea volcano, and a Mars "blast zone" feature among the week's best space pictures.
-
Meteor Dust Boosts Night-Shining Clouds
August 20, 2012
Trails of smoke left by meteors may be seeding mysterious night-shining clouds, a new study says.
-
What's Causing Extreme Weather?
August 20, 2012
Wondering what's causing all the extreme weather we've seen lately? The short answer, scientists say, is rotten luck and a warmer planet.
-
Terra Nova Pictures: Antarctic Explorer's Shipwreck Found
August 17, 2012
A century after Robert Falcon Scott's expedition to the South Pole, his ship Terra Nova has been located off Greenland.
-
Sun Is Roundest Natural Object Known
August 17, 2012
The sun is the roundest natural object ever precisely measured, a discovery that may solve past climatic mysteries, new observations show.
-
EREG Test 3
August 17, 2012
The sun is the roundest natural object ever precisely measured, a discovery that may solve past climatic mysteries, new observations show.
-
Color-Changing Rubber Robot Could Aid Animal Study
August 17, 2012
A new inflatable robot changes color when fluid is pumped into its "body." The high-tech camouflage may be a boon to stealth science.
-
How Your Brain Cleans Itself—Mystery Solved?
August 16, 2012
Talk about brainwashing—a newfound plumbing system helps our brain empty its waste, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Loner Galaxy, Mars Closeup, More
August 16, 2012
Meteors dazzle, the Mars rover gets busy, and a NASA test vehicle burns in the week's best space pictures.
-
Galaxy Cluster Stuns Scientists—Supermassive and Spewing Out Stars
August 15, 2012
Supermassive and forging stars at unheard-of rates, a newfound galaxy cluster could be one-of-a kind—or evidence of a rarely visble phase.
-
Night Sky to Turn Bluer?
August 14, 2012
The night may glow bluer as yellow-orange streetlights are gradually replaced by whiter, energy-saving lights, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Mars Touchdown, Odd Moon, More
August 13, 2012
Curiosity's first pictures of Mars, a tempest on the sun, and wildfires seen from above feature in this week's best space pictures.
-
Watch Venus Disappear in Broad Daylight Today—No Telescope Needed
August 13, 2012
Venus will play a disappearing act this afternoon as the bright planet slowly appears to slip behind the crescent moon.
-
Perseid Pictures: Meteors Mixed With Aurora, Seen From Space, More
August 10, 2012
Sneak a peek at what you might see this weekend, when the Perseid meteor shower peaks with roughly two shooting stars a minute.
-
Perseid Meteor Shower—And Moon Flashes—Peaks Saturday
August 10, 2012
Among the year's best showers, the Perseids include a potentially flashy sideshow: shooting stars on the moon. Find out how to see it all.
-
Biggest 3-D Universe Map Created—See Fly-Through Video
August 8, 2012
A new 3-D map of the universe provides the the biggest and most detailed view of the night sky ever made, astronomers say.
-
First Color Mars-Rover Pictures, Plus Space Shots of Crashed Gear
August 7, 2012
The hits keep coming: After nailing a "crazy" landing, Curiosity sends images of its new home, while an orbiter snaps the rover itself.
-
Bread-Loaf Size Satellites to Probe Atmosphere, Deep Space
August 7, 2012
CubeSats—low-cost satellites no bigger than loaves of bread—may hit the big time as affordable research tools, experts say.
-
Curiosity Mars-Rover Landing: "Everything Worked Perfectly"
August 6, 2012
"Seven minutes of terror" gave way to clockwork performance, NASA exultation, and the Curiosity rover's first photos of Mars.
-
Mars Rover Landing a Success—What Happens Now?
August 6, 2012
The Curiosity rover's "seven minutes of terror" are over. Find out what happens in the eighth minute—and the hours and days to come.
-
NASA TV: Watch Mars Rover Landing Coverage Live
August 5, 2012
Before, during, and after the Curiosity rover's "seven minutes of terror," NASA TV offers live images and analysis. Streaming video.
-
Mars Rover Landing Tonight: What Could Go Wrong
August 5, 2012
NASA experts pinpoint the two scariest moments in tonight's landing. "If any one thing goes wrong, we've pretty much lost the vehicle."
-
Pictures: Mars Rover's "Crazy" Landing, Step by Step
August 4, 2012
NASA's Curiosity rover landing—due Sunday night—"even looks crazy to us," a NASA engineer says. Preview the process, step by step.
-
Inside Mars Rover's "Terrifying" Landing: Hovercrafts, Chutes, and Shields
August 3, 2012
Get the full story of the Curiosity rover's fast-approaching "seven minutes of terror"—and find out why NASA's taking the hard way down.
-
Sky Show Sunday: Planets to Align for Mars Rover Landing
August 3, 2012
A striking pregame show featuring Mars, Saturn, and the star Spica will set the stage Sunday for the landing of the Curiosity rover.
-
Pictures: Lightest Material Ever Created?
August 2, 2012
Strong yet lighter than Styrofoam, a new, superblack material may hold promise for engineering and biotechnology, scientists say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Extreme Free Fall, Ice Island, More
July 30, 2012
A daredevil free-falls from near the edge of space, an iceberg breaks free, and Great Lakes glimmer in this week's best space pictures.
-
Giant Icy Avalanches Seen on Saturn Moon
July 30, 2012
Icy landslides on Iapetus that travel unusually long distances may also solve a geologic mystery on Earth, a new study says.
-
"Shocking" Greenland Ice Melt: Global Warming or Just Heat Wave?
July 25, 2012
Nearly the entire ice sheet surface was slush after a few days this month—the fastest melt yet seen by satellites. What does it mean?
-
Best Satellite Pictures: Winning "Earth as Art" Shots From NASA
July 25, 2012
Algae swirl like a Van Gogh, a blue-ribbon Mississippi unfurls, and a sand sea blows in the favorite satellite images from a new NASA contest.
-
Where Is Amelia Earhart? Three Theories but No Smoking Gun
July 24, 2012
Just in time for the aviator's 115th birthday comes news from the new search for her plane. Plus: Watch our streaming Earhart documentary.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Retro Mars, Psychedelic Sun, More
July 20, 2012
Auroras shine over Antarctica, a celestial triangle takes shape, and Mars takes a retrograde trip in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Planet Found: Molten "Mars" Is "Right Around the Corner"
July 19, 2012
In a surprise find, astronomers have discovered a planet possibly covered with oceans of magma "right around the corner."
-
Mars Rover Landing's "Seven Minutes of Terror" Just Got Scarier
July 17, 2012
A malfunctioning orbiter may leave NASA in the dark for its new Mars rover's white-knuckle landing next month.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Martian Dunes, Titan Vortex, More
July 17, 2012
Star trails illuminate rock art, Soyuz heads home, and nebulae glow in our editors' picks of this week's best space pictures.
-
Sky Show Sunday: See Celestial Triangle at Dawn
July 13, 2012
A celestial triangle of the brightest nighttime objects will huddle together in the eastern sky early Sunday.
-
Giant Red Sprite Seen From Space Station
July 13, 2012
A new image conveys the size of the rarely seen electrical phenomenon "better than any picture we've ever seen," expert says.
-
Pictures: First Night-Shining Clouds of 2012
July 12, 2012
Rippling clouds glow against dark night skies in one of summer's strangest sights, which may be getting more common as Earth warms.
-
New Pluto Moon Found—"Fringe Benefit" of Search for Risky Rings
July 12, 2012
The surprise moon was a "fringe benefit" of a Hubble search for dangerous rings—and underscores the dwarf planet's unexpected complexity.
-
Dark Galaxies Discovered—May Be Cosmic "Missing Links"
July 11, 2012
Strange, dark galaxies nearly devoid of stars have been spotted 11 billion light-years away, according to a new study.
-
First Picture of an Atom's Shadow—Smallest Ever Photographed
July 10, 2012
See the smallest thing yet photographed, and find out why the new imaging technique could be a cyberspy's dream.
-
Arsenic-Life Discovery Debunked—But "Alien" Organism Still Odd
July 9, 2012
An organism that appeared to have rewritten the laws of life has been brought down to Earth by two new studies.
-
Solar System's "Grotesque" Twin Found
July 6, 2012
Astronomers have detected our "grotesque" twin: A planetary system arranged much like our own solar system, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Flame Nebula, Star "Bubble," More
July 5, 2012
A cosmic skyrocket, a "butterfly" seen on Mars, and a disappearing star feature among our editors' picks for this week's best space pictures.
-
New Type of Black Hole Found—Relic of Early Universe?
July 5, 2012
A newly discovered type of intermediate black hole may help astronomers explain how its giant cousins formed.
-
"God Particle" Found? "Historic Milestone" From Higgs Boson Hunters
July 4, 2012
The Higgs boson, or its like, has been confirmed with 99 percent certainty. Without it, we'd have no galaxies and no life, theory says.
-
Higgs Boson Found? Without "God Particle," No Galaxies—And No Life
July 3, 2012
Solid evidence of the "God particle" may be just hours away. Without it, we'd have no galaxies, no planets—and no life, theory says.
-
Earth Farthest From Sun on Fourth of July—So Why So Hot?
July 3, 2012
Earth will be at its maximum distance from the sun Wednesday—but Northern Hemisphere dwellers shouldn't expect relief from the summer heat.
-
"Leap Second" to Be Added to the Weekend
June 29, 2012
Blink and you'll miss it, but the world's atomic timekeepers are giving you a little more downtime this weekend.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Mickey Mouse Craters, More
June 28, 2012
A cartoonish crater, luminous clouds, and a spiral galaxy feature among our editors' picks for this week's best space pictures.
-
Asteroid Hunter to Be First Private Deep-Space Mission?
June 28, 2012
Using only private funds, a space nonprofit hopes to launch the Sentinel telescope to find and track asteroids that cross Earth's path.
-
Planet Seen Evaporating Due to Huge Stellar Flare
June 28, 2012
A Jupiter-like gas giant has been spotted losing a chunk of atmosphere due to a violent outburst on its host star, a new study says.
-
11,000 Super-Tornadoes Storm the Sun's Surface?
June 27, 2012
Thousands of huge twisters may dance across the sun—a possible mechanism for how the sun's upper atmosphere gets hotter than its surface.
-
Meteor Shower Peaks This Week; Best Chance to See Bootids
June 26, 2012
Sky-watchers may get an unusually good glimpse of the annual Bootid meteor shower this week, thanks to late-night moonless skies.
-
Mars Has "Oceans" of Water Inside?
June 26, 2012
The red planet could have "oceans" locked deep underground—hinting at volcanic origins for water on Mars's early surface, scientists say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: White Marble, China Module, More
June 25, 2012
A frosty view of home, a Chinese space first, and a galactic display feature among our editors' picks for this week's best space pictures.
-
Mars Snow Falls Like Dry Ice Fog
June 22, 2012
The carbon dioxide snowflakes that fall during Martian winter are about the size of red blood cells, according to a new study of NASA data.
-
Moon Mystery Solved? Hovering Soil Linked to Glass Bubbles
June 21, 2012
Nanosize particles of glass may explain the odd properties of lunar soil, a new study says—but some moon experts aren't convinced.
-
New Aurora Pictures: Huge Solar Blasts Spark Rare Colors
June 19, 2012
At least two titanic eruptions on the sun created intense auroral displays this weekend, painting skies with rare hues.
-
Summer Solstice 2012: Why It's the Longest Day of the Year
June 19, 2012
Summer officially kicks off today, with the solstice marking the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Monkey Head, Cloud Hole, More
June 15, 2012
A simian nebula, a galactic illusion, and a hole in the sky feature among our editors' picks for this week's best space pictures.
-
Large Asteroid to Buzz Earth Tonight—Watch It Live
June 14, 2012
As big as a city block, the newfound space rock 2012 LZ1 will pass close to our planet tonight—find out how to see it live.
-
Saturn Moon Has Tropical "Great Salt Lake," Methane Marshes
June 13, 2012
Saturn's hazy moon appears to host a tropical oasis of liquid methane as large as Utah's Great Salt Lake, NASA images hint.
-
NASA Launches New "Black Hole Hunter"
June 13, 2012
NASA's newly launched NuSTAR mission will use high-energy x-rays to shine light on exotic objects from blazars to magnetars.
-
Meat-Eating Plants Getting "Full" On Pollution
June 12, 2012
Carnivorous plants in Swedish bogs are so stuffed on nitrogen pollution that they're able to eat fewer bugs, a new study says.
-
NASA "Black Hole Hunter" to Launch Tomorrow
June 12, 2012
Lifting off Wednesday, NASA's NuStar mission will use high-energy x-rays to shine light on exotic objects from blazars to magnetars.
-
Secrets of Natural Cocaine Production Revealed
June 11, 2012
A crucial step in the process coca plants use to build the cocaine molecule has been found, possibly paving the way to new, nonaddictive pain drugs, a study says.
-
Microbes Beam Electrons to Each Other Via Mineral "Wires"
June 8, 2012
Bacteria can use minerals in soil as electrical grids, helping the microbes generate chemicals they need to survive, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Venus Transit, Shuttle Trek, More
June 7, 2012
A planet crossing, a scarred moon, and a massive galactic merger feature among our editor's picks for this week's best space pictures.
-
Venus Transit 2012 Pictures: Last Looks for a Century
June 6, 2012
See shots of the "planet of love" crossing the face of the sun during the last transit of Venus until 2117.
-
1,200-Year-Old Cosmic Blast Captured in Japanese Trees
June 6, 2012
Radioactive atoms in Japanese cedars hint at an unrecorded event that showered Earth with cosmic rays 1,200 years ago, scientists say.
-
Venus Transit 2012—Sun Show Will Be Last for a Century
June 5, 2012
Tonight and tomorrow sky-watchers will see Venus glide across, or transit, the sun's face—the last chance until 2117.
-
Venus Transit 2012: What You'll See This Week (Pictures)
June 4, 2012
Get a glimpse of what to expect during this week's transit of Venus, including sunrise shots, pinhole projections, and views from space.
-
Transit of Venus 2012—Sun Show Will Be Last for a Century
June 4, 2012
Sky-watchers around the world will see the planet glide across the sun's face—the last chance to witness such an event until 2117.
-
SpaceX Dragon Landing Caps "Grand Slam" Mission to Space Station
May 31, 2012
The private spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific after a nearly flawless mission to the International Space Station.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Partial Eclipse, Dragon Capture
May 31, 2012
A crescent eclipse, a candy-colored galaxy, and a spaceflight milestone feature among this week's best space pictures.
-
Partial Lunar Eclipse Monday—During a "Supermoon"
May 31, 2012
On Monday Earth's shadow will seem to take a bite out of a slightly larger-than-normal full moon, thanks to an unusual celestial alignment.
-
Sunscreen in the Sky? Reflective Particles May Combat Warming
May 29, 2012
Spraying particles of titanium dioxide via balloons could help scatter enough sunlight to reduce global temperatures, a scientist says.
-
SpaceX's Dragon Captured by Space Station—A First
May 25, 2012
Plucked from orbit by a robotic arm, the Dragon capsule is now the first commercial craft to make contact with the orbiting laboratory.
-
Magma Rise Sparked Life as We Know It?
May 23, 2012
Oxygen-breathing life exists on Earth today because of changes in the planet's magma 2.5 billion years ago, a new study says.
-
SpaceX Launches for Space Station—Like "Winning the Super Bowl"
May 22, 2012
A Falcon 9 rocket sent an unmanned capsule into orbit on its way to rendezvous with the International Space Station.
-
Solar Eclipse Pictures: 2012 "Ring of Fire" Dazzles U.S., Asia
May 21, 2012
See stunning images of the annular eclipse that created a "ring of fire" enjoyed by millions of sky-watchers in Asia and the U.S. West.
-
Solar Eclipse 2012: How to See "Ring of Fire" May 20
May 20, 2012
A "time traveling" solar eclipse will turn the sun into a ring of fire over Asia and the U.S. West.
-
SpaceX Aborts Launch to Space Station
May 19, 2012
An engine problem caused the rocket to automatically abort seconds before liftoff. Mission managers now hope to try again Tuesday.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Trippy Stars, Spooky Moon, More
May 18, 2012
Stars whirl in a psychedelic sky, NASA spies a ghostly eye, a cloud-stained moon rises, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
SpaceX to Launch First Private Craft to Space Station Tomorrow
May 18, 2012
Dragon is slated to become the first commercial craft to visit the International Space Station—and it should return with used gloves.
-
Approaching Asteroid May Get Close Enough to Smash Satellites
May 17, 2012
The newfound space rock 2012 DA14 will pass so close to Earth in February that it might hit a communications satellite, scientists say.
-
"Ring of Fire" Solar Eclipse Coming Sunday
May 17, 2012
A "time traveling" solar eclipse will soon turn the sun into a ring of fire for sky-watchers in parts of Asia and the U.S. West.
-
Hundreds of Superflares Seen on Sunlike Stars
May 16, 2012
But the new data from a NASA spacecraft cast doubt on a popular theory for what triggers the planet-roasting bursts of energy.
-
Best Night-Sky Pictures of 2012 Named
May 15, 2012
A holiday comet, Icelandic auroras, and the Milky Way feature among the winning shots from the International Earth and Sky Photo Contest.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Supermoon, Solar Flare, More
May 11, 2012
A supermoon looms, a solar flare erupts, and night-shining clouds glow in this week's best space pictures.
-
Sun Is Moving Slower Than Thought
May 10, 2012
New NASA data hint that our star is moving too slow to form a bow shock, a structure long thought to protect us from cosmic rays.
-
Light From a "Super Earth" Seen—A First
May 9, 2012
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has proven it's possible to capture the infrared glow from relatively small alien worlds, a new study says.
-
Top Ten Infrared Space Pictures
May 9, 2012
From the Helix Nebula to the Sombrero galaxy—see top infrared shots from the Spitzer Space Telescope, chosen by Spitzer scientists.
-
Is Saturn Moon's Haze Old Enough for Life?
May 9, 2012
Saturn's largest moon may have only recently turned hazy, according to two new studies that could spell trouble for the chances of life.
-
Four White Dwarfs Found Eating Earthlike Planets
May 7, 2012
Four hungry white dwarfs have been found "snacking" on the shattered remains of Earthlike planets, a new study says.
-
Supermoon Pictures: Best Shots of Year's Biggest Full Moon
May 7, 2012
This year's biggest, brightest full moon really shines in Nat Geo photo editors' picks of the best supermoon shots.
-
Supermoon Tonight—Not a Threat to Earth
May 5, 2012
Despite disaster fears, "nothing particularly special" will happen during the year's closest full moon—except a great sky show, experts say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Thor's Helmet, Milky Moon, More
May 4, 2012
Stars forge a winged helm, the moon lights up La Palma, astronauts make a dusty homecoming, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Jupiter Mission to Target Alien Oceans
May 4, 2012
A European space probe called JUICE will be the first robotic craft dedicated to studying oceans on icy moons, scientists say.
-
Pictures We Love: Best of April
May 4, 2012
From hippo dental care to hammer time—see National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures from last month.
-
Supermoon Coming Saturday—Not a Threat to Earth
May 3, 2012
Despite disaster fears, "nothing particularly special" will happen during the year's closest full moon—except a great sky show, experts say.
-
World's Oldest Blood Found in Famed "Iceman" Mummy
May 2, 2012
Using new nanotech—which could be a boon to modern murder investigations—scientists find that Stone Age Ötzi "definitely" died quickly.
-
"Beautiful" New Particle Found at LHC
May 1, 2012
An atom-smashing experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has detected a new subatomic particle—and it's a beauty.
-
Huge "Structure" of Satellites Found Orbiting Milky Way
April 30, 2012
The unexpectedly tidy grouping of galaxies and clusters spells trouble for theories of dark matter, its discoverers say.
-
Space Shuttle Enterprise Arrives in New York City (Pictures)
April 27, 2012
NASA's first shuttle buzzed the Big Apple today on the way to its new home atop an aircraft carrier in the Hudson River.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Solar Chicken, Aurora Angel, More
April 26, 2012
A rubber chicken flies high, a "split" galaxy is unmasked, heavenly lights spread over Sweden, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Huge Spirals Found on Mars—Evidence of New Lava Type?
April 26, 2012
Hundreds of giant coils suggest that volcanoes—not ice—shaped an area near the equator that's otherwise etched like elephant skin.
-
Pictures: Huge "Snowballs" Seen Piercing Saturn's Outer Ring
April 25, 2012
Odd objects seen sailing through the planet's outer F ring create glittering trails of ice dubbed mini-jets, researchers have announced.
-
Auroras Pictured in HD From High-Flying Balloons
April 24, 2012
About a dozen high-flying balloons carrying HD cameras and science experiments were launched this month as part of a new study of auroras.
-
Dark Matter Hits the Average Human Once a Minute?
April 24, 2012
The average human body gets hit by a particle of dark matter about once a minute, according to new calculations.
-
Lyrid Meteor Pictures: Fireball Boom, Auroras Add Spark to Shower
April 23, 2012
With cameos by auroras and a surprise sonic boom, the Lyrid meteor show this weekend left viewers (and listeners) starstruck.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Sun Tsunami, Hubble Spider, More
April 20, 2012
The sun spits a plasma cloud, Hubble peers at a tarantula's heart, a shuttle gets a new home, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Space Shuttle Discovery Rolls Into New Home (Pictures)
April 19, 2012
NASA's "workhorse" shuttle rolled down the runway this week to become an official part of the Air and Space Museum collection.
-
Synthetic DNA Created, Evolves on Its Own
April 19, 2012
"XNA" may help answer basic questions of biology, study says.
-
Lyrid Meteor Shower to Peak This Weekend; May Be Best in Years
April 19, 2012
A dark, moonless night should offer the best view in years for a sky show known to offer occasional surprises, an astronomer says.
-
Dark Matter Is Missing in Sun's Neighborhood?
April 19, 2012
Based on the motions of nearby stars, the invisible substance isn't "where we needed it" to match current theories, a new study says.
-
Pluto Neighbor Gets Downsized
April 18, 2012
The remote object called Sedna is even smaller than Pluto's largest moon, new infrared observations reveal.
-
Space Shuttle Discovery Arrives to Take "Place of Honor"
April 17, 2012
NASA's "workhorse" space shuttle was greeted with cheers and nostalgia as it landed near its new home at a Virginia museum.
-
Space Shuttle Discovery Buzzes Washington, D.C., Monuments (Pictures)
April 17, 2012
On its final flight, space shuttle <em>Discovery</em> soared low over Washington, D.C.—a monumental ending to a record-breaking career.
-
SpaceX to Launch First Private Craft to Space Station—Next Stop: Mars?
April 16, 2012
The private firm is so far on course to visit the space station this month, but the company's founder has sights set on the red planet.
-
Life on Mars Found by NASA's Viking Mission?
April 13, 2012
A fresh look at NASA data suggests that a robotic mission uncovered microbial life on Mars—more than 30 years ago.
-
Auroras Seen on Uranus For First Time
April 13, 2012
In a stroke of luck, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have captured auroras lighting up Uranus's icy atmosphere.
-
Space Shuttle in Extreme Detail: Exclusive New Pictures
April 13, 2012
As Discovery prepares to roll into its new home in a Virginia museum, take a 360, zoomable tour of the iconic spacecraft.
-
Emperor Penguins Counted From Space—A First
April 13, 2012
New satellite images show the population of emperor penguins in Antarctica has doubled since 1992, scientists report.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Aurora Embrace, Shuttle Carrier
April 12, 2012
Northern lights hug Canada, a NASA jet prepares for shuttle delivery, Mars pits are exposed, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
North Korea Nuclear Test: How Will We Know? What Could Happen?
April 11, 2012
In addition to a controversial rocket launch, North Korea looks to be prepping a nuclear bomb test. Here's what to expect.
-
Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found in 4-Million-Year-Old Cave
April 11, 2012
Deep in an ancient New Mexico cave, scientists have discovered nearly a hundred types of bacteria that can fight modern antibiotics.
-
Record Nine-Planet Star System Discovered?
April 10, 2012
A star celled HD 10180 may have even more planets than the sun, which would make the planetary system the most populated known.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Cosmic Flower, Inside-Out Star
April 6, 2012
An "iris" blooms among the stars, auroras paint Norway, a supernova gets mapped, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Cameron Exclusive: After Record Dive, Why Go Back to Mariana Trench?
April 5, 2012
With his first dive a success, James Cameron is eager for scientists to continue exploring Earth's deepest point in his custom-built sub.
-
How the Mariana Trench Became Earth's Deepest Point
April 5, 2012
Now that James Cameron has made it to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, learn about the forces that made the abyss so deep.
-
New "Sunquake" Trigger Found: Huge Solar Belches
April 5, 2012
Earthquake-like events on the sun can be set off not only by solar flares but also by huge belches of charged particles, researchers say.
-
Monster Black Holes Gobble Binary Stars to Grow?
April 4, 2012
Black holes at the centers of galaxies might be achieving their monstrous girth by tearing apart stellar partners, new models suggest.
-
Earth Has Scores of Mini-Moons, Models Predict
April 2, 2012
Thousands of captured asteroids are in orbit at any time—and some eventually fall to Earth as fireballs, according to new computer models.
-
Space Pictures of the Week: "UFO Galaxy," Triple Sunset, More
March 30, 2012
Three suns set over a super-Earth, stars shine in UFO and yuletide formations, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Solar Eclipses Can (Slightly) Change Weather on Earth
March 28, 2012
The inky shadows of solar eclipses can alter local weather on small scales, according to new analysis of a 1999 total eclipse.
-
Giant Solar Tornado Caught in NASA Video
March 28, 2012
A solar twister big enough to swallow a hundred Earths mesmerized researchers with its "ethereal, strange dance" (with video).
-
Photos: NASA Rockets Make Weird Clouds Near Edge of Space
March 27, 2012
Five suborbital rockets launched from Virginia created milky white clouds visible in predawn skies Tuesday along the U.S. Northeast coast.
-
Oldest Alien Planets Found—Born at Dawn of Universe
March 26, 2012
Two Jupiter-like worlds have been found orbiting a star that formed less than a billion years after the big bang, scientists say.
-
James Cameron on Earth's Deepest Spot: Desolate, Lunar-Like
March 26, 2012
James Cameron describes Challenger Deep as a desolate, "lunar" environment, saying the dive felt as if he'd gone to another planet.
-
Cameron's Historic Dive Cut Short by Leak; Few Signs of Life Seen
March 26, 2012
Despite technical challenges, James Cameron made history Monday in the Mariana Trench, which he said "looked like the moon."
-
James Cameron Now at Ocean's Deepest Point
March 25, 2012
Stuffed into a "vertical torpedo," the explorer-filmmaker has become the first human to reach the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep alone.
-
James Cameron Begins Descent to Ocean's Deepest Point
March 25, 2012
After years of preparation and days of uncooperative weather conditions, James Cameron is sinking fast to Earth's deepest, and perhaps most alien, realm in his futuristic sub.
-
James Cameron Completes Record-Breaking Mariana Trench Dive
March 25, 2012
Filmmaker-explorer James Cameron just became the first human to reach Earth's deepest abyss alone—and the only one to explore it in depth.
-
James Cameron May Dive Mariana Trench This Weekend, If "Weather Gods" Allow
March 24, 2012
After years of preparation, the filmmaker and explorer may be hours away from diving to the ocean's deepest point, if "weather gods" allow.
-
Hyperspeed Planets Are Hurtling Out of the Milky Way?
March 22, 2012
Runaway worlds could be streaking out of our Milky Way galaxy at up to 30 million miles an hour, computer models predict.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Aurora Bubble, Martian Veins, More
March 22, 2012
Northern lights shine over Sweden, minerals crisscross Mars, a robotic astronaut gets tested, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Supernova Found "Next Door"—Getting Brighter
March 22, 2012
A freshly exploded star has been confirmed in a relatively nearby galaxy, offering astronomers a glimpse at the earliest stages of a supernova.
-
Grasslands More Diverse Than Rain Forests—In Small Areas
March 20, 2012
Sorry, tropical rain forests. Grasslands have the most plant species—at least in areas smaller than a few parking spaces.
-
Rare "Emerald Cut" Galaxy Found
March 20, 2012
A distant dwarf galaxy is a rare "emerald cut" gem, according to astronomers who spied the oddity in recent images.
-
Vernal Equinox 2012: First-Day-of-Spring Myth Busted
March 20, 2012
Are day and night equally long today, the 2012 vernal equinox (or spring equinox)? Get the answer—and other first-day-of-spring facts and oddities.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Conjunction, Aurora, More
March 16, 2012
Planets meet over a monastery, a cosmic unicorn sparkles, the Milky Way flows over Borneo, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Venus-Jupiter Conjunction Peaks Thursday—Easy-to-See Sky Show
March 13, 2012
Thursday evening, look to the west as Jupiter and Venus make their closest approach of the current conjunction—no binoculars needed.
-
Space Pictures This Week: 3-D Sun Storm, Mars Devil
March 12, 2012
See a Martian dust devil, a solar storm in 3-D, and a "surreal" desert in some of our favorite space pictures of last week.
-
Moon Oddly Magnetic—Giant Asteroid Crash to Blame?
March 12, 2012
An asteroid that slammed into the moon billions of years ago may explain strange patches of magnetic rock, new models suggest.
-
First Look: James Cameron's Sci-Fi Sub for Deepest Dive
March 8, 2012
The custom-made sub for James Cameron's dive to Earth's deepest point sports a vertical design, a robotic arm—and an eye-popping paint job.
-
Solar Storm: Why It Fizzled ... for Now
March 8, 2012
Despite warnings of possible GPS, communications, and power failures, Thursday's sun storm has been a softy. A NASA physicist explains.
-
Daylight Saving Time 2012: Why and When Does It Begin?
March 8, 2012
Why do we spring forward Sunday? Should daylight savings be abolished? Get the facts—and a few controversial takes on changing time.
-
Solar Flare: What If Biggest Known Sun Storm Hit Today?
March 8, 2012
Thursday's big solar storm seems gentle enough so far. But if a storm like the 1859 record-holder hit, modern life could be paralyzed
-
Pictures: A New Hub for Solar Tech Blooms in Japan
March 7, 2012
As Japan faces a nuclear-free future, at least in the short term, a new facility aims to develop solar technology that will create both energy and earnings at home.
-
Titanic Sunk by "Supermoon" and Celestial Alignment?
March 6, 2012
As the moon swung very close to Earth—and the sun fell in line—the resulting pull might have sent icebergs on a collision course in 1912.
-
Dark Matter Blob Should Not Exist, But There It Is
March 6, 2012
An unusual patch of sky devoid of galaxies could hint at the existence of more than one type of dark matter, scientists say.
-
Alien Species Invading Antarctica via Tourists, Scientists
March 5, 2012
Antarctic tourists and scientists may be inadvertently seeding the icy continent with invasive species, a new study says.
-
Saturn Moon Has Oxygen—New NASA Evidence Boosts Search for Life
March 5, 2012
Saturn's moon Dione likely has a wisp of an oxygen atmosphere, generated by ice and sunshine—a possible boost to the search for life.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Aurora, Hubble … Frazils?
March 5, 2012
See stars, auroras, a grasping sun, and funnily named crystals in some of our favorite space pictures of last week.
-
More Than 1,000 Potential New Planets Found
March 2, 2012
Almost 200 potential Earth-size worlds are part of the latest batch of candidates from NASA's Kepler mission, a new study says.
-
Pictures We Love: Best of February
March 1, 2012
See the pictures we love, as chosen by National Geographic photo editors—from gravity-defying fighters to a "flaming" caterpillar.
-
New Aurora Pictures: Surprise Shows Due to Earth-Shield Cracks
March 1, 2012
The month's unexpectedly intense displays of northern lights were likely due to cracks in Earth's magnetic shield, scientists say.
-
Women Can Make New Eggs After All, Stem-Cell Study Hints
February 29, 2012
Women may make new eggs throughout their reproductive years, suggests a new stem-cell study that challenges a long-held biological tenet.
-
James Cameron Headed to Ocean's Deepest Point Within Weeks
February 29, 2012
In a sci-fi sub, filmmaker and explorer James Cameron is soon to make history on a National Geographic mission to Earth's deepest point.
-
Pictures: Spanish Solar Energy
February 28, 2012
Spain’s solar energy boom of the past decade has waned, but the Iberian peninsula nurtured innovative technologies that may pave the way for future large-scale renewable energy.
-
See 5 Bright Planets in Night Sky—First Time in 8 Years
February 28, 2012
Find out when and where this week to see the naked-eye planets, the two brightest stars, and the moon parade across the sky in one night.
-
"Nomad" Planets More Common Than Thought, May Orbit Black Holes
February 24, 2012
Stars and even black holes likely harbor rogue planets, new simulations suggest.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Supernova Preview, Spacewalkers, More
February 24, 2012
A nebula hints at a star's end, a light cone rises over Pennsylvania, the moon "bites" the sun, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Ultradense Planet Found; Astronomers Baffled
February 22, 2012
An odd Jupiter-like world is so compact that it defies established theory—and may even represent a new class of planet, astronomers say.
-
Earth Spun Faster in 2009 Due to Ocean Current?
February 22, 2012
A slower Antarctic current, possibly linked to El Niño, made our planet spin slightly faster in November 2009, a new study suggests.
-
Extreme Scientific Imaging: Best of 2011 Named
February 22, 2012
An underwater city in 3-D and the sharpest picture of an atom yet are among winners of the 2011 Australian Extreme Imaging competition.
-
New Scars Found on Moon, Hint at "Recent" Tectonic Activity
February 21, 2012
Long trenches spotted on lunar highlands suggest that the moon has been recently active, geologically speaking.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Rocket Launch, Saturn "Snowman"
February 17, 2012
Nebulae punctuate the sky, Europe lifts up a new lightweight, Saturn moons get stacked, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
"Light Echoes" From Monster Star's Eruption Found—A First
February 16, 2012
For the first time, astronomers have glimpsed reflections of light from a "supernova impostor"—the 19th-century eruption of Eta Carinae.
-
Is Dark Energy Really "Repulsive Gravity"?
February 15, 2012
A powerful repulsion between normal matter and antimatter could explain the mysterious force known as dark energy, a new theory claims.
-
Venus Spinning Even Slower Than Thought—Scientists Stumped
February 14, 2012
Planet lovers take note: Venus is rotating 6.5 minutes slower than it did 16 years ago—and scientists are stumped.
-
Life on Earth Began on Land, Not in Sea?
February 13, 2012
The first cellular life on Earth probably arose in vats of volcanic mud akin to Darwin's idea of a "warm little pond," a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Sun Storm, Mars Lander, More
February 10, 2012
A star nursery shines, a sun storm erupts, a Mars orbiter spies its cousin, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Dwarf Galaxy Found Secretly Feasting on Smaller Dwarf
February 10, 2012
For the first time, astronomers have captured highly detailed pictures of a dwarf galaxy consuming a smaller companion, a new study says.
-
Two Earth-Size Planets Born of Battered "Jupiter"?
February 9, 2012
A pair of Earth-size worlds orbiting a dying star may be the fractured remnants of a single Jupiter-like gas giant, a new study says.
-
Black Hole in Milky Way Seen Snacking on Asteroids?
February 9, 2012
An ongoing rocky buffet would explain bright x-ray flares seen around our galaxy's supermassive black hole since 1999, astronomers say.
-
European "Disco Ball" Probe to Test Einstein's Relativity
February 8, 2012
Italy's LARES spacecraft, launching Monday, will test an effect of general relativity with unprecedented accuracy, mission managers say.
-
New "Porta Potty" Flower Discovered
February 7, 2012
A new relative of the "corpse flower" growing in Madagascar smells like rotting meat and feces, researchers say.
-
"Ping-Pong" Planets Can Bounce From Star to Star
February 6, 2012
A planet in a two-star system can chaotically bounce between its stars for thousands of years before being ejected, a new study suggests.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Hubble Galaxy, Poet Nebula, More
February 3, 2012
Hubble captures a Milky Way "twin," winds shape Mars lava fields, stars carve a nebula's face, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Best Science Pictures of 2011 Announced
February 2, 2012
A spiny cucumber and a nanotube ''city'' feature among the winners of the 2011 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge.
-
New "Super Earth" Found at Right Distance for Life
February 2, 2012
The likely rocky planet orbits squarely in its star's habitable zone, making it a prime candidate for life, astronomers report.
-
Two New Moons Found Orbiting Jupiter
February 2, 2012
Two tiny satellites add to the planet's swarm of "backward" moons and bring the full Jovian family up to 66 natural satellites.
-
Pictures: Civil War Sub Finally Revealed
February 1, 2012
See the wreck of the <em>Hunley—</em>the world's first submarine to sink an enemy ship—finally unveiled after 11 years in a steel truss.
-
New Life-Forms Found in Blue Holes—Clues to Life in Alien Oceans?
February 1, 2012
Bacteria in water-filled Caribbean sinkholes could offer clues to what might live on icy moons such as Europa, scientists say.
-
"Alien" Particles Found Invading Our Solar System—A First
January 31, 2012
For the first time, a NASA spacecraft has directly observed particles that came from beyond our solar system, astronomers announced.
-
"Solar Systems" Common Across the Galaxy, NASA Probe Hints
January 31, 2012
A new analysis of Kepler data hints that scientists can add more than 400 new worlds to the NASA mission's confirmed discoveries.
-
First Picture of Alien Planet … Isn't?
January 30, 2012
The first picture of a planet outside our solar system may actually depict a swirl of space dust, a new study suggests.
-
Hyperactive Sun Helping to Clear Out Space Junk
January 27, 2012
The recent uptick in solar flares and other sun activity has been causing orbiting debris to fall faster, a NASA scientist reports.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Sun Loops, Blue Marble, More
January 27, 2012
Plasma arcs over the sun, Earth shines in high resolution, a colorful halo surrounds the moon, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Hottest Thing on Earth: X-rays Heat Metal to 3.6 Million Degrees
January 27, 2012
By zapping a scrap of metal with superpowerful x-rays, scientists created plasma that rivals the sun for heat.
-
Giant Veil of "Cold Plasma" Discovered High Above Earth
January 25, 2012
Clouds of slow-moving charged particles reach from the top of Earth's atmosphere to a quarter of the distance to the moon, new data show.
-
Death Valley's Big Bang: Volcano "Potentially Active"
January 25, 2012
It may be barren, but California's Ubehebe Crater is anything but dead, according to a new study.
-
New Aurora Pictures: Solar Storms Trigger Northern Lights
January 25, 2012
Intense northern lights displays dazzled sky-watchers this week as the strongest solar storm since 2003 swept over Earth.
-
Biggest Solar Storm in Eight Years Now Pummeling Earth
January 24, 2012
The strongest solar storm since 2003 is hitting our planet. Find out why planes are being rerouted and what other effects are predicted.
-
Rare Pictures From the Dawn of NASA Spaceflight
January 23, 2012
Newly released digital scans offer a rare high-resolution glimpse into NASA's Project Gemini, the precursor to the Apollo moon missions.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Italy Shipwreck, Squashed Moon
January 20, 2012
The<em> Costa Concordia</em> from above, a rusty dead star, a "fresh" Mars crater, and a sinking moon are among the week's best space pictures.
-
Unknown "Structures" Not Tugging on the Universe After All?
January 20, 2012
Unseen structures on the edges of creation most likely aren't tugging on our universe, according to a new study that found a slower flow.
-
Second Try: LanzaTech Grabs Failed Biofuel Refinery in Georgia Pine
January 19, 2012
A new chapter begins in the effort to brew advanced biofuel in the “Million Pines City” of Soperton, Georgia, with a startup's purchase of a failed U.S. government-backed biorefinery.
-
Comet Seen Vaporizing in Sun's Atmosphere—A First
January 19, 2012
For the first time, a NASA craft has watched as a "suicide" comet breaks apart in the sun's upper atmosphere.
-
How Diamond-Studded Magma Rises From Earth's Depths
January 19, 2012
New experiments show how molten material can carry gems scraped from Earth's depths to the surface without destroying the precious cargo.
-
Mystery Deepens Over Where Sun Was Born
January 17, 2012
The star cluster M67 has been knocked out of the running, bringing the quest for the solar system's origin back to square one, experts say.
-
New Calendar Would Add Extra Week to December
January 17, 2012
If a new annual calendar is adopted, you'd get an extra week off at the end of 2017, experts say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Hubble Bubble, Dusty Dwarf, More
January 13, 2012
A "soap bubble" in space, stellar royals in hiding, and a new look at an old galactic neighbor are among this week's best space pictures.
-
Russian Mars Probe to Crash Sunday—Visible as "Surreal Comet"?
January 12, 2012
Visible to the naked eye, the failed Mars probe Phobos-Grunt will soon crash into Earth like a "surreal comet," experts say.
-
Injections Could Lift Venice 12 Inches, Study Suggests
January 12, 2012
Pumping billions of gallons of water under the sinking Italian city could save it from worsening floods as seas rise, a new study says.
-
Smallest Exoplanets Found—Each Tinier Than Earth
January 11, 2012
Three new planets found outside our solar system are each tinier than Earth, astronomers announced today.
-
Tons of Tatooines: Planets With Two Suns Common?
January 11, 2012
The discovery of two new "Tatooines" suggests there are millions of double-sun planets in our galaxy.
-
Black Hole Caught Pulling Trigger on Gas "Bullets"
January 10, 2012
New ultrasharp pictures show the exact moment a black hole fired knots of gas at a quarter the speed of light, scientists say.
-
"Tatooine" Planet With Two Suns Could Host Habitable Moon?
January 9, 2012
A cold, Saturn-like planet orbiting two stars could host an Earthlike moon, and that world may have the right conditions for life, a new study says.
-
Old Mice Made "Young"—May Lead to Anti-Aging Treatments
January 6, 2012
Aging mice injected with stem cells lived three times as long, according to findings one scientist found initially unbelievable.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Cosmic Cigar, Solar Spout, More
January 6, 2012
The sun spews hot gas, a meteor shower lights up New Jersey, stars shine in a rosy nebula, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
"Time Cloak" Created; Can Make Events Disappear
January 4, 2012
A new experiment bent light to make a hole in time—albeit one that lasted only about 40 trillionths of a second.
-
2012 Pictures: 6 Maya Apocalypse Myths Debunked
January 3, 2012
See six good reasons why the world (probably) won't end in the new year, despite supposed warnings in the Maya calendar.
-
First Meteor Shower of 2012 to Peak Wednesday
January 3, 2012
Named for a "lost" constellation, the Quadrantid shower is considered one of the year's best, with meteors visible even from the suburbs.
-
Moss Has Cloned Itself for 50,000 Years, Study Says
December 30, 2011
A Hawaiian moss is an ancient clone that may be one of the oldest multicellular organisms on Earth, a new study says.
-
Pictures We Love: Best of December
December 29, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month—a winter swimmer, burned Egyptian treasures, and more.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Blue Moon, Wreath Nebula, More
December 28, 2011
A Saturn moon shows its colors, a nebula shines like a holiday wreath, a new island emerges, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Comet Pictures: Lovejoy Dazzles Holiday Sky-Watchers
December 27, 2011
After surviving a close encounter with the sun, comet Lovejoy became visible to the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere's predawn skies.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Cosmic Ornament, Pulsing Star
December 22, 2011
A starry bauble, a space shuttle decked with lights, and a rare warped galaxy feature among this week's best space pictures.
-
New "Deep Fried" Planets Found—Survivors of Star Death
December 21, 2011
Two new Earth-size planets are probably the charred survivors of a near-death encounter with their fading parent star, scientists say.
-
Winter Solstice 2011: Facts on Shortest Day of the Year
December 21, 2011
Find out why the first day of winter always falls around December 21 and how the shortest day of the year is marked by cultures worldwide.
-
NASA's Kepler Finds Two Earth-Size Planets Around Sunlike Star
December 20, 2011
Two planets orbiting a sunlike star are the first truly Earth-size worlds discovered by NASA's Kepler mission, scientists said today.
-
Pictures: Cars Capture Solar Energy in Chilean Desert
December 20, 2011
The need for a wide, flat surface to harvest sunlight gives an otherworldly look to solar cars racing the Atacama Desert of Chile.
-
Top Ten Discoveries of 2011: Nat Geo News's Most Popular
December 19, 2011
An Earth-like planet and the biggest great white shark are among National Geographic News's most visited coverage of 2011 discoveries.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Rebel Angel, Sloshed Galaxies
December 16, 2011
A stellar "angel" spreads its wings, a dead star blooms, a galaxy cluster gets sloshed, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Comet "Harpoon" Being Test Fired in NASA Lab
December 15, 2011
The space agency is working on an explosive-powered harpoon for collecting samples from deep inside comets, researchers said this week.
-
Heavy Rainfall Can Cause Huge Earthquakes
December 15, 2011
Heavy rainfall can trigger devastating earthquakes in what one scientist calls "disaster triggering disaster."
-
Supermassive Black Hole About to Eat Gas Cloud?
December 14, 2011
A long-lasting flare could soon erupt in our galaxy's heart as the Milky Way's supermassive black hole feeds, astronomers say.
-
Water Ice on Mercury? NASA Probe Close to Proof, Teams Say
December 14, 2011
Move over, Mars: Evidence is mounting that water exists on the solar system's innermost planet, Mercury, astronomers say.
-
Hints of Higgs Boson Seen at LHC—Proof by Next Summer?
December 13, 2011
Data from a European atom smasher could be closing in on the "God particle"—and one expert thinks we'll know if the Higgs exists by 2012.
-
Lunar Eclipse Pictures: See Last Weekend's Red Moon
December 12, 2011
See what you may have missed: the moon going red for Earthlings in the right places at the right times last weekend.
-
Geminid Meteor Shower to Peak Tuesday; Visible Despite Moon
December 12, 2011
The annual shower should produce colorful meteors—and maybe fireballs—that'll be visible despite glare from the moon, astronomers say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Sinking Moon, Frosty Leo, More
December 9, 2011
A starlight reserve, a warped moon, record-breaking black holes, and an icy nebula feature among the week's best space pictures.
-
4 Ways Your Phone Could Change How You Travel in 2012
December 9, 2011
From augmented reality to a handheld translator, see how the smart phone will become an even more vital traveling companion.
-
Solar Storms Are "Sandblasting" the Moon, NASA Study Hints
December 9, 2011
Solar eruptions can strip up to 200 tons of lunar material—but footprints from the moon landing won't erode anytime soon, experts say.
-
Pictures: Lunar Eclipse "Preview"—What You'll See Saturday
December 9, 2011
See lunar eclipses that resemble the upcoming moon show—the last total lunar eclipse until 2014.
-
Rover Finds "Bulletproof" Evidence of Water on Early Mars
December 8, 2011
A vein of gypsum found by a NASA rover is the "single most powerful piece of evidence" early Mars had liquid water, an expert says.
-
Total Lunar Eclipse This Weekend—Last One Until 2014
December 8, 2011
The full moon will be painted red on Saturday during the last total lunar eclipse until 2014. Find out when and where to see it.
-
People Can Hallucinate Color at Will
December 7, 2011
People can hallucinate color just with the power of suggestion, a finding that may help those fearful of hypnosis therapy, a new study says.
-
Pictures: "Scary" Volcano Erupts in Ecuador
December 7, 2011
Ecuador's "throat of fire" volcano is once again erupting in earnest—so close to people "it's scary," one expert says.
-
Lightning Sprites, Elves Caught on Camera
December 7, 2011
Flying above the U.S. Midwest, scientists have made the first 3-D video of mysterious bursts of energy that appear high over thunderstorms.
-
Earthlike Planet Found Orbiting at Right Distance for Life
December 5, 2011
The new planet Kepler-22b is the first alien world to be confirmed orbiting in the middle of its star's habitable zone, NASA has announced.
-
Beam It Down: A Drive to Launch Space-Based Solar
December 5, 2011
The first demonstration of long-awaited space-based solar power technology could come in the next decade, experts say. Likely early use: Disaster relief energy.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Cosmic Pinwheel, Mountain Meteor
December 2, 2011
A Swedish rocket launch, a glowing spiral galaxy, and a meteor streak over Iran feature among the week's best space pictures.
-
Best News Pictures of 2011: Your Picks From Nat Geo News
December 2, 2011
Japan's tsunami aftermath, an Area 51 spy plane, and a huge crocodile feature among the most viewed Nat Geo News photo galleries of 2011.
-
Voyager Probes Detect "Invisible" Milky Way Glow
December 1, 2011
For the first time, NASA's twin Voyager probes have glimpsed light from our galaxy that's effectively invisible from Earth.
-
Best Space Pictures of 2011: Editors' Picks
December 1, 2011
An arcing aurora, a blood-red eclipse, and a warped galaxy feature among Nat Geo News's picks for the best space pictures of the year.
-
Japan Quake Lifted Seabed 16 Stories—Largest Recorded
November 30, 2011
The devastating Japanese earthquake in March 2010 caused the largest slip ever recorded, according to a new study.
-
NASA Mars Rover Set for Launch This Weekend
November 25, 2011
The huge, "power hungry" robot Curiosity is slated to being its trek to the red planet to search for signs of Mars's ability to host life.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Green Flash, Saturn Storm, More
November 25, 2011
An astronaut homecoming, a star called Jabbah, and a rare double flash over the sun feature among the week's best space pictures.
-
Why Does Evolution Allow Some People to Taste Words?
November 23, 2011
The neural tangling known as synesthesia may have survived evolution because it offers benefits in creative thinking, a new study hints.
-
Pictures: Five "Cursed" Mars Missions
November 23, 2011
The Mars curse has claimed roughly two thirds of all human attempts to reach the red planet—will NASA's Curiosity rover be next?
-
Pictures: Amazing Transportation Inventions
November 23, 2011
Jet packs, magnetic levitation, magic buses: Some amazing transportation ideas are truly fiction, while others could propel us in smart new ways.
-
Louis Daguerre: Pictures Illuminate Google's Man of the Day
November 18, 2011
Go behind the lens of Louis Daguerre—honored today, his 224th birthday, with a Google doodle.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Pink Nebula, Moon Map, More
November 18, 2011
See an hourglass-shaped nebula, a space "garbage truck," and an "amazing" new map of the moon—among this week's best space pictures.
-
Giant, Dinosaur-Age Islands Found in Deep Sea?
November 18, 2011
Together the size of West Virginia, pieces of an ancient continent from dinosaur times may have been found underwater, scientists say.
-
Pictures: Giant Walls of Plasma Seen on Sun
November 17, 2011
Eight Earths tall and looking like giant walls of fire, loops of plasma have recently been spotted by sun observers worldwide.
-
"Great Lakes" Discovered on Jupiter Moon?
November 16, 2011
Hidden inside the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa may be a Great Lakes-size body of water, NASA announced today.
-
Photos: 65-Story Eruption Spurs Explosive New Adventure
November 16, 2011
New, 65-story lava fountains are a big draw in the Congo. But travel at your own risk, officials say—despite the armed guards.
-
Antarctica's "Ghost" Mountains Explained
November 16, 2011
Stuck in a "deep freeze" for millennia, a mysterious mountain range deep under the Antarctic ice is finally coming to light.
-
Sky Show Thursday: Leonid Meteor Shower to Peak
November 15, 2011
Peaking this week, the 2011 Leonids may be easy to locate but hard to see, thanks in both cases to a bright moon.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Mars Volcano, Eagle Nebula, More
November 11, 2011
A "broken" Mars volcano, a Mercury crater full of hollows, and a neighboring star cluster feature among this week's best space pictures.
-
Giant Sunspot Now Aimed Directly at Earth
November 10, 2011
An active region on the sun wider than Jupiter is pointed at our planet, carrying potential for intense aurorae and damaging radiation.
-
Can Russia's Stuck Mars Spacecraft Be Saved?
November 9, 2011
A failed star sensor is the most likely reason the Phobos-Grunt probe is now stuck in Earth's orbit, mission managers say.
-
Russia Launches Mission to Mars Moon; Probe to Send Back Dust
November 8, 2011
After 20 failed missions to Mars and no attempts since 1996, Russia has successfully launched the Phobos-Grunt sample-return spacecraft.
-
Giant Asteroid to Buzz Earth Tuesday; When and How to See It
November 7, 2011
As big as an aircraft carrier, 2005 YU55 will pass inside the moon's orbit, the first asteroid this size to get so close since 1976.
-
New Meteor Pictures: Orionids Light Up Aurora and More
November 4, 2011
See shots of the falling pieces of Halley's comet that streaked through starry skies, and even auroras, in late October.
-
Pictures: Mock Mars Mission "Returns" to Earth
November 4, 2011
After 520 days of isolation, the crew of the Mars500 mission has "returned" to Earth. See what the six men got up to during the trip.
-
Meteor Shower to Peak This Weekend—Fireballs Expected
November 4, 2011
Get ready for a Taurid affair: The meteor shower, peaking this weekend, is known for producing spectacular fireballs.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Gamma-Ray Burst, Chile Volcano, More
November 4, 2011
The space station gets a delayed delivery, a brilliant explosion lights up the early universe, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Nigeria’s Solar Projects Yield Both Failure and Success
November 2, 2011
Solar power offers hope to villages that lack electricity, but Nigeria’s experience shows that it won’t work without adequate investment and care.
-
Uranus Has a Bright New Spot, Picture Shows
November 2, 2011
In a surprise to astronomers, Uranus recently presented onlookers with a bright new spot on its northern hemisphere.
-
Planets Being Pulverized Near Giant Black Holes?
November 1, 2011
Planets and asteroids could be colliding close to supermassive black holes, generating dust clouds that have long puzzled astronomers.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Red Auroras, Mars Avalanche
October 28, 2011
A mysterious "guest star," southern auroras, and a toothy nebula feature among this week's best space pictures.
-
KPMG Captures Heat for Data Center Cooling
October 28, 2011
An innovative combined heat and power system at KPMG’s international headquarters in New Jersey could be a model for cutting data center energy waste.
-
Halloween Pictures: Ten Spooky Objects in Outer Space
October 27, 2011
A hellish planet, cannibal black holes, and zombie stars are among the top ten scary space objects, as chosen by Nat Geo editors.
-
Pluto's "Twin" Has Frozen Atmosphere
October 26, 2011
The dwarf planet Eris is not only close to Pluto in size, it also appears to have a frozen version of Pluto's atmosphere, new data hint.
-
Aurora Pictures: Rare Northern Lights Seen in U.S. South
October 25, 2011
In a rare treat for sky-watchers, an intense geomagnetic storm Monday spawned blood-red auroras as far south as Georgia.
-
Youngest Planet Picture: Gas Giant Seen in Throes of Creation
October 21, 2011
A new picture of a Jupiter-like world is a direct image of what may be the youngest planet yet seen, astronomers say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Baby Planets, "Magic" Mirrors, More
October 21, 2011
Hints of planets being born, reflections of swirling stars, and a massive comet storm feature among the best space pictures this week.
-
Pictures: NASA Lands on Underwater "Asteroid"
October 20, 2011
At an underwater laboratory in the Florida Keys, the NEEMO 15 mission will test ways humans might one day visit asteroids.
-
Orionid Meteor Shower to Peak This Weekend
October 20, 2011
Although the meteors may be modest, the Orionid shower has a claim to fame: The sky show is the product of Halley's comet.
-
Another Dead Satellite to Fall to Earth This Weekend
October 19, 2011
The European ROSAT orbiter is slated to make an uncontrolled reentry this Saturday or Sunday, prompting a few worries—and even a wake.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Pulsing Crab, Moon Halo, More
October 14, 2011
Gamma-ray pulses from a nebula, a ring around the moon, and newfound "failed" stars feature among this week's best space pictures.
-
Weird Form of Carbon Acts as "Reversible" Diamond—A First
October 13, 2011
A strange form of glassy carbon can go from soft to diamond-hard and back again, depending on the pressure, a new study shows.
-
Picture: Asteroid Has Mountain Three Times as Tall as Everest
October 12, 2011
The asteroid Vesta hosts a peak that's three times as tall as Mount Everest, seen in a new picture from a NASA spacecraft.
-
Illinois Team Wins Oil Spill Cleanup X CHALLENGE
October 11, 2011
With a more than threefold improvement in oil spill cleanup technology, Team Elastec of Carmi, Illinois, captures the $1 million top prize in the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE.
-
Uranus Got Knocked Over by One-Two Punch
October 7, 2011
The planet Uranus got knocked on its side not by a single, massive blow but by two powerful impacts, new computer simulations hint.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Mars Landing, Solar Flare, More
October 7, 2011
Colliding galaxies, a planned Martian touchdown, and a star with "hidden" planets feature among this week's best space pictures.
-
Seven Supernovae Found in Single Galaxy—A First
October 6, 2011
In a galaxy 250 million light-years from Earth, astronomers have spotted a record-breaking number of supernovae found at the same time.
-
Pictures: X PRIZE Contest Seeks a Better Oil Spill Cleanup Solution
October 6, 2011
Ten teams deployed new skimmer designs in the $1.4 million Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE. Will the contest yield better protection for shores and seas?
-
Meteor Shower This Weekend: Space Station at Risk?
October 6, 2011
This year, the Draconids could see peak rates of 600 meteors an hour, posing possible risks to the space station and other satellites.
-
Photos: Life-Changing Nobel Chemistry Breakthroughs
October 5, 2011
Quasicrystals today joined scores of Nobel prize-winning chemistry advances that have changed how we live—from radiology to neon signs.
-
What Created Earth's Oceans? Comet Offers New Clue
October 5, 2011
The group of comets that delivered water to early Earth likely came from Pluto's home, the Kuiper belt, a new study says.
-
Pictures: Saturn Moon Coated in Fresh Powder
October 4, 2011
The ice geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus coat the surface in "the finest powder a skier could hope for," scientists say.
-
Physics Nobel Explainer: Why Is Expanding Universe Accelerating?
October 4, 2011
The prize-winning discovery of universal acceleration still has many experts trying to solve "the most profound problem" in modern physics.
-
Picture: New ALMA Telescope Peers Into Galaxy Smashup
October 3, 2011
A psychedelic view of the Antennae Galaxies is the first release from a new telescope array being built high in Chile's Atacama Desert.
-
New Aurora Pictures: "Severe" Sun Storm Brightens Skies
September 30, 2011
A huge solar storm this week sparked auroras around the globe, including some unusually colorful displays.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Star Gems, Galaxy Bubbles, Fogbow
September 30, 2011
A glittering nebula, auroras from above, a fogbow at sea, and a strange super-Earth feature among this week's best space pictures.
-
Ig Nobel Prizes Honor Wasabi Alarm, Odd Beetle Sex, More
September 30, 2011
Wasabi as a wake-up call, beetles that mistook bottles for mates, and failed doomsday prophets were among this year's research honorees.
-
Storage, Biofuel Lead $156 Million in Energy Research Grants
September 30, 2011
Seeking to push high-risk energy research, the U.S. government gives a boost to heat storage, rare earth metal, and biofuel technology projects.
-
Mercury "Hollows" Found—Pits May Be Solar System First
September 29, 2011
The planet Mercury is dotted with holes that appear to be unlike anything else yet seen in the solar system, new NASA pictures show.
-
Pictures: Solar Decathlon Students Race to Renew Home Energy
September 26, 2011
Twenty college teams are competing in the U.S. government’s fifth Solar Decathlon contest to design and build affordable, appealing, and livable homes that run on energy from the sun.
-
"Dark" Supermoon Tomorrow: New Moon Gets Closest to Earth
September 26, 2011
The new moon will make a close approach to Earth Tuesday, giving rise to a nearly invisible "supermoon," astronomers say.
-
NASA Satellite Debris Likely Fell in Ocean, May Never Be Found
September 24, 2011
The UARS satellite most likely splashed harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean, and its final resting place may never be known, NASA says.
-
NASA Satellite Falls to Earth, But Debris Location Still a Mystery
September 24, 2011
The doomed UARS satellite plummeted out of orbit over the Pacific Ocean, but no one yet knows where debris may have landed, NASA says.
-
Particles Moved Faster Than Speed of Light?
September 23, 2011
A claim that neutrinos traveled faster than light would be revolutionary if true, but "I would bet against it," physicist says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Sun Halo, Galaxy Swarm, More
September 22, 2011
Astronauts come home, colorful rings encircle the sun, galaxies gather like fireflies, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Autumnal Equinox 2011: Sky Show Caps First Day of Fall
September 22, 2011
Stars and planets are lining up for the change of seasons during the Northern Hemisphere's autumnal equinox this year.
-
NASA Satellite Falling Faster Due to Solar Activity
September 21, 2011
The six-ton UARS spacecraft is due to crash-land on Friday—sooner than anticipated, due to increased solar radiation, experts say.
-
Solar Megastorm Could Cripple Satellites for a Decade
September 20, 2011
Earth-orbiting satellites may take a hit if the sun unleashes a megastorm, scientists warn.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Saturn Quintet, Star Blob, More
September 16, 2011
A Saturnian "group portrait," a cosmic lagoon, and a sparkling cluster of stars feature among the week's best space pictures.
-
Pictures: NASA's New Rocket—And 4 "Lost Launchers"
September 15, 2011
NASA's new rocket design for sending humans into space comes from a lineage of rockets that have been drastically redesigned or abandoned.
-
New Saturn-Like Planet Has Two Suns, NASA Says
September 15, 2011
Like the <em>Star Wars</em> world Tatooine, a Saturn-like planet 200 light-years away orbits two stars, NASA announced today.
-
New Aurora Pictures: Sun Storms Trigger Sky Shows
September 14, 2011
A series of sun eruptions triggered northern lights this weekend—as far south as Minnesota, Vermont, and Washington State.
-
Colossal Storm May Rage on Jupiter-like "Failed Star"
September 13, 2011
A colossal tempest even bigger than Jupiter's Great Red Spot appears to be raging on a cool brown dwarf, astronomers say.
-
Fifty Exoplanets Found—Largest Haul Yet
September 12, 2011
The largest new planet haul yet announced at one time includes 16 Earthlike planets—one of which is potentially habitable, astronomers say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Hidden Aurora, Mars Devil, More
September 12, 2011
Northern lights tint the clouds, an icy moon hangs out, a dust devil towers on Mars, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Pictures: Best Astronomy Photos of 2011 Named
September 9, 2011
A sharp Jupiter, brilliant auroras, and a moon "hunt" are among the winners of the 2011 Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest.
-
Space Debris: Five Unexpected Objects That Fell to Earth
September 9, 2011
As NASA eyes a 6.5-ton satellite due to fall from orbit, get a roundup of notable objects that previously made it back to Earth.
-
Saturn Moon Has Thin Atmosphere, Astronomers Discover
September 9, 2011
Magnetic "fingerprints" reveal that the icy body Dione has an atmosphere—and it's possibly made of oxygen, a new study says.
-
9/11: Six Tech Advances to Prevent Future Attacks
September 7, 2011
Remote-control airliners and "dazzlers" are among proposed tech to tackle airline terrorism—because "someone will attack airplanes again."
-
Meteors Delivered Gold to Baby Earth, New Study Hints
September 7, 2011
New clues from some of the world's oldest rocks support the notion that space rocks carried precious metals to our planet, scientists say.
-
See-Through Mouse Brains Created; May Aid Medical Scans
September 2, 2011
A new chemical may soon allow scientists to see exactly what's on your mind—because the substance turns brain tissue totally transparent.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Sun Halo, Saturn Crater, More
September 2, 2011
Star jets in Orion, a ring around the sun, a black hole pair, and a "titanic" crater feature among the week's best space pictures.
-
Pictures: "Walking" Fish a Model of Evolution in Action
September 1, 2011
The first close look at the Pacific leaping blenny may offer clues to how ancient fish first made the transition to land, a new study says.
-
Pictures We Love: Best of August
September 1, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month—an invisible man, sardine "storm," Swiss daredevil, and more.
-
New Hubble Videos Show Star Jets in Action—A First
August 31, 2011
Vivid new time-lapse Hubble movies reveal the behavior of stellar jets—many times wider than our solar system—in unprecedented detail.
-
Pictures: New Views of Saturn's "Sponge" Moon Hyperion
August 31, 2011
New pictures from a recent flyby of Hyperion may help scientists decipher the body's oddly cratered surface and "tumbling" rotation.
-
Dark Matter Is an Illusion, New Antigravity Theory Says
August 31, 2011
The mysterious substance may not be needed, according to a new theory of gravitational interactions between matter and antimatter.
-
New Planet May Be Among Most Earthlike—Weather Permitting
August 30, 2011
An alien world 36 light-years away may be one of the most Earthlike known—if it has enough clouds, a new study predicts.
-
Blackbeard's Ship Confirmed off North Carolina
August 29, 2011
A shipwreck off the North Carolina coast is definitely that of the infamous 18th-century pirate Blackbeard, state officials say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Mars Pit, Warped Galaxy, More
August 25, 2011
NASA probes a Martian ''skylight,'' a galaxy gets bent, a meteor falls on the Andes, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Huge Asteroid Impact Formed "Rubble Pile" Space Rock
August 25, 2011
A Frankenstein's monster, the asteroid Itokawa is made from parts of a space rock that broke up in a cataclysmic impact, a new study says.
-
Space Station Crew Not Stranded, Despite Russian Crash
August 24, 2011
Despite the accident, the space station crew has ways home and could live for up to a year with no deliveries, officials say.
-
"Diamond" Planet Found; May Be Stripped Star
August 24, 2011
The planet—most likely made of carbon crystals—is a former star that got transformed by its orbital partner, a new study says.
-
Oldest Antarctic "Sea Monster" Found
August 24, 2011
The Loch Ness monster-like creature swam warm Antarctic seas 85 million years ago, a new study says.
-
Should Pluto Be a Planet? New Finds Drive Debate
August 23, 2011
Discoveries made since the 2006 ruling have astronomers divided over whether the definition of a planet passes scientific muster.
-
Hurricane Irene Headed for U.S. East Coast
August 23, 2011
A strengthening Hurricane Irene could make landfall on the North Carolina coast this weekend as a major hurricane, experts say.
-
New Drug Cures Multiple Viruses in Human Cells
August 22, 2011
A new drug that works with the body's natural defenses can kill off many kinds of viruses, including the common cold.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Shuttle Swap, Hubble's Jewels
August 18, 2011
Space shuttles trade places, Hubble shows a cosmic gem, a crater gets its day in the sun, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Sunspots Can Now Be Predicted Days in Advance
August 18, 2011
A new technique using sound waves can "see" the spots rising inside the sun, possibly improving forecasts of solar storms, scientists say.
-
Why Giant Space Blob Is Glowing—Mystery Solved?
August 17, 2011
Like fireflies in a mason jar, galaxies inside a huge cloud of gas make the distant object shine brightly, a new study says.
-
Perseid Pictures: Meteor Shower Seen From Space, Earth
August 15, 2011
The Perseid meteor shower has put on a show for stargazers in space and on Earth—and there's still time to catch a few shooting stars.
-
Darkest Planet Found: Coal-Black, It Reflects Almost No Light
August 12, 2011
It may be hard to imagine a planet blacker than coal, but astronomers say they've found one—and it reflects almost no light.
-
Texas and Antarctica Were Attached, Rocks Hint
August 12, 2011
About 1.1 billion years ago, what are now El Paso, Texas, and Antarctica appear to have existed side by side, scientists say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Mars Rover, Galaxy Smashup, More
August 11, 2011
Galaxies "punctuate" the cosmos, the sun shoots a huge flare, a Mars rover reaches its target, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Perseid Meteor Shower to Peak This Weekend
August 11, 2011
If you know when and where to look, this year's Perseid meteor shower can still be a crowd pleaser despite glare from the full moon.
-
Three New "Plutos"? Possible Dwarf Planets Found
August 11, 2011
Relatively bright space rocks found in Pluto's neighborhood may be new members of the dwarf planet family, astronomers say.
-
Photos: Multicolored Auroras Sparked by Double Sun Blast
August 10, 2011
Sparked by two blasts of charged particles from the sun, last weekend's northern lights amounted to "the most brilliant display in years."
-
New Meteor Shower Discovered; May Uncover New Comet
August 10, 2011
They won't rival the upcoming Perseids, but the February Eta Draconids may help us find a potential danger to Earth, scientists say.
-
Antimatter Found Orbiting Earth—A First
August 10, 2011
For the first time, antiprotons have been found in Earth's magnetic field, offering a rare chance to study the particles outside the lab.
-
Other Universes Finally Detectable?
August 9, 2011
A new method for detecting bruises from collisions with other cosmoses could "forever change how we view our own universe," experts say.
-
Mutated DNA Causes No-Fingerprint Disease
August 9, 2011
A genetic mutation causes a very rare few to be born without fingerprints, a new study says.
-
Space Station to Fall to Earth—Find Out How and Where
August 8, 2011
While reports of its demise in 2020 were somewhat exaggerated, the International Space Station will have a watery end one day, experts say.
-
How Planets Can Survive a Supernova
August 5, 2011
Putting a twist on fundamental physics, a new study predicts what happens to planets when a star explodes.
-
NASA's Juno Spacecraft Headed to Jupiter Friday
August 4, 2011
The Juno spacecraft is about to launch toward the gas giant planet, where it will study Jupiter's climate, auroras, and deep interior.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Star Valley, Sun Waves, More
August 4, 2011
The moon skims Earth, towering jets sway on the sun, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Japan Earthquake Vibrations Nearly Reached Space
August 3, 2011
The Japan earthquake and tsunami were so strong that their vibrations made it to Earth's upper atmosphere, a new study says.
-
Earth Had Two Moons, New Model Suggests
August 3, 2011
Our moon once had a smaller companion, but it was destroyed in a slow-motion collision that left one side of the lunar orb lumpy, scientists say.
-
Trojan Asteroid Found Sharing Earth's Orbit—A First
July 28, 2011
A tiny space rock that's partially tethered to Earth by a gravitational leash is our planet's first known Trojan asteroid, astronomers say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Superbubble, Kinky Galaxy, More
July 28, 2011
Stars blow a huge bubble in space, the space shuttle seems to drop from the sky, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Drug Could Make Aging Brains More Youthful?
July 28, 2011
You can't teach an old brain new tricks—but you can restore its ability to remember old ones, a new monkey study suggests.
-
Bats Drawn to Plant via "Echo Beacon"
July 28, 2011
A Cuban plant that depends on bat pollination evolved a special leaf that acts as an "amp" for bats' sonar, new research says.
-
Ancient Sacrificer Found With Blades in Peru Tomb?
July 27, 2011
With ceremonial knives at his side, an elite 14th-century executioner has been uncovered in a Peruvian tomb, archeologists suggest.
-
"Soccer Ball" Nebula Discovered by Amateur Astronomer
July 26, 2011
Found by an amateur astronomer, the sporty stellar remnant may shed light on how so-called planetary nebulae form, scientists say.
-
Black Hole Hosts Universe's Most Massive Water Cloud
July 26, 2011
A black hole 12 billion light-years away hosts a cloud of water that's 40 billion times Earth's mass, astronomers say.
-
"Spectacular" Double Meteor Shower This Week
July 25, 2011
A celestial traffic jam may be on tap Friday as two meteor showers combine forces to put on a brilliant sky show.
-
Heat Wave Due to "Exceptionally Strong" Air Mass
July 22, 2011
A stubborn high-pressure system is causing sweltering temperatures in much of the U.S—and there's no relief in sight, experts say.
-
Space Shuttle Pictures: Final Flight of Atlantis
July 21, 2011
From launch to landing, see some of the key moments from the final mission of <em>Atlantis</em>, the last U.S. space shuttle to fly into orbit.
-
Neighboring Galaxy Caught With Stolen Stars
July 20, 2011
A large galaxy spirited away hundreds of stars from its neighbor about 1.2 billion years ago, new stellar sleuthing reveals.
-
The Most Unforgettable Space Shuttle Pictures
July 20, 2011
See the shots chosen by National Geographic photo editors as the most memorable pictures from the entire U.S. space shuttle program.
-
New Moon Discovered Orbiting Pluto
July 20, 2011
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has found a fourth moon around the dwarf planet, and a spacecraft is already on its way to help investigate.
-
Longest Polar Bear Swim Recorded—426 Miles Straight
July 20, 2011
A polar bear has swam a record nine days straight, covering the distance between Washington, D.C., and Boston, a new study says.
-
"Death Dance" Stars Found—May Help Prove Einstein Right
July 19, 2011
Before they collide in nearly a million years, two newfound stars may offer insight into supernovae and Einstein's gravity.
-
Cocaine Addiction Uses Same Brain Paths as Salt Cravings
July 19, 2011
Drugs such as heroin and cocaine may owe some of their addictive powers to an ancient instinct—our appetite for salt.
-
Space Shuttle Pictures: Rare Behind-the-Scenes Views
July 18, 2011
A photojournalist with unique access shares visions of the people and places behind the scenes at the final U.S. space shuttle launches.
-
Snails Survive Being Eaten by Birds—A Mystery
July 18, 2011
Tiny snails can travel through a bird's digestive tract and mysteriously emerge perfectly healthy, a new study says.
-
NASA's Dawn Spacecraft to Reach Asteroid This Weekend
July 14, 2011
The Dawn spacecraft will settle into orbit around the asteroid Vesta this weekend, kicking off a year-long survey of the space rock.
-
Giant Undersea Volcanoes Found Off Antarctica
July 14, 2011
Large undersea volcanoes off Antarctica—some Mount Fuji-size—were recently discovered via sonar, scientists say.
-
Rainbow Toad Rediscovered, Photographed for First Time
July 14, 2011
After 87 years, an "extinct," toxic toad has been rediscovered in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Last Spacewalk, Saturn Storm, More
July 14, 2011
Astronauts take a milestone walk in space, a storm wraps around Saturn, and more in the best space pictures this week.
-
"Dark Fireworks" Seen on Sun—Blast as Big as Ten Earths
July 14, 2011
New videos of a solar flare as big as ten Earths show strange plasma blobs in the sharpest detail yet.
-
Neptune Discovered a Year Ago Today*
July 12, 2011
It's been one Neptunian year—or about 165 Earth years—since astronomers first observed the most distant planet from the sun.
-
Space-Time Cloak Possible, Could Make Events Disappear?
July 11, 2011
It's no illusion: Science has found a way to make not just objects but entire events disappear, experts say.
-
Afghanistan Bright Spot: Wildlife Thriving in War Zones
July 11, 2011
Surprisingly, Afghanistan's bears, wolves, and big cats have survived decades of war—but they're not out of the woods yet, conservationists say.
-
Space Shuttle Pictures: NASA's Last Launch a Success
July 8, 2011
See <em>Atlantis</em>'s Friday launch—the final time a NASA space shuttle will rocket to the International Space Station, or anywhere else.
-
After Space Shuttle, Does U.S. Have a Future in Space?
July 8, 2011
With the final space shuttle mission underway, NASA is under pressure to unveil the next innovation in U.S. spaceflight.
-
Watch Final Shuttle Launch: Replay of Atlantis Liftoff
July 8, 2011
See NASA video of today's launch of the space shuttle Atlantis—the final shuttle launch in the program's 30-year history.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Shuttle, Strange Clouds, More
July 7, 2011
"Night shining" clouds creep southward, a space shuttle shuts down, a storm circles Saturn, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Last Chance to See Orbiting Shuttle With Naked Eyes
July 7, 2011
Can't make it to the final shuttle launch? You may still be able to see the iconic spacecraft fly above your backyard—find out how.
-
Earth Has "Spare Tire"—And Ice Melt's Keeping It That Way
July 6, 2011
Our oblong planet's waistline bulge has stopped slimming, thanks to massive ice melt, according to new research.
-
Shuttle Astronaut's Four Most Extraordinary Moments
July 6, 2011
From an embarrassing spill to a stranding, U.S. astronaut David Wolf has had some unforgettable experiences, thanks to the shuttle program.
-
Star Caught Eating Another Star, X-Ray Flare Shows
July 5, 2011
A tiny cannibal has been caught in the act, thanks to a superbright flash of x-rays recently spied by cosmic hunters.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Lunar Sunrise, Saturn Slice, More
July 1, 2011
The most distant quasar yet, a sunrise over a lunar crater, and a pair of starry "eyes" feature among this week's best space pictures.
-
Earth Farthest From Sun on Fourth of July—So Why So Hot?
June 30, 2011
Earth will be at its maximum distance from the sun Monday—but Northern Hemisphere dwellers shouldn't expect relief from the summer heat.
-
Secrets of Giant Cloud Holes Revealed
June 30, 2011
Mysterious cloud formations made by aircraft may owe their huge sizes to a little bit of heat, a new study suggests.
-
Space Shuttle's Final Days
June 30, 2011
As NASA's space shuttle program nears its last mission, see some of the final "firsts" made aboard this icon of U.S. spaceflight. Video.
-
Asteroid Just Buzzed Earth—Came Closer Than the Moon
June 27, 2011
The school bus-size space rock could have made a "decent-size crater" if it had been on a collision course, an expert says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Lunar Eclipse, Sun Spurts, More
June 23, 2011
The moons rests in the Milky Way, opals shine on Mars, a black hole spits gamma rays, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
How Gulf Spill Estimates Got It So Wrong
June 23, 2011
How much oil spilled into the Gulf last year? An engineer explains how he caused estimates to rise sharply practically overnight. Video.
-
New Comet Found; May Be Visible From Earth in 2013
June 22, 2011
There's a newfound comet closing in on the sun, and when it gets here in 2013, you may be able to see it with your naked eye, experts say.
-
Pluto to Make a Star "Wink Out" Twice This Week
June 22, 2011
The dwarf planet and its moons will pass in front of bright stars twice this week, and astronomers are moving out to catch the rare events.
-
Oldest Art in Americas Found on Mammoth Bone
June 22, 2011
The Americas' oldest known artist has been confirmed as an Ice Age hunter in what is now Florida, according to a new study.
-
Summer Solstice 2011: Why It's the First Day of Summer
June 21, 2011
Find out why the summer solstice is the first day of summer, and why it's the longest day of the year—but not the hottest.
-
Garbage-Filled Spaceship to Fall to Earth Tuesday
June 20, 2011
Filled with waste from the International Space Station, the unmanned Johannes Kepler spacecraft will soon disintegrate over the Pacific.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Galaxy Tendrils, Star Glob
June 16, 2011
Hubble sees a cosmic briar patch, a supernova shows its age, volcanic ash spews over Chile, and more in this week's best space pictures.
-
Black Hole Caught Eating a Star, Gamma-Ray Flash Hints
June 16, 2011
A huge "belch" of radiation from a supermassive black hole indicates that the cosmic monster recently devoured a star, scientists say.
-
Lunar Eclipse Pictures: See Wednesday's Red Moon Rising
June 15, 2011
See pictures of the June 15 total lunar eclipse—the longest in a decade—which turned the moon blood red for almost two hours.
-
Giant Black Holes Found at Dawn of the Universe
June 15, 2011
Long gazes into deep space have turned up signs of supermassive black holes at the hearts of the universe's first galaxies, scientists say.
-
Lunar Eclipse NOW—Watch Live Video of Longest in Decade
June 15, 2011
Out of the lunar eclipse-viewing area? Watch a live video feed, courtesy of Google—and get the facts behind the "rare event."
-
Sun Headed Into Hibernation, Solar Studies Predict
June 14, 2011
When the current solar cycle wraps up, the sun is going to take a breather, according to a suite of studies forecasting a solar lull.
-
"Rare" Lunar Eclipse Wednesday—Longest in a Decade
June 14, 2011
Will you be able to see the longest, deepest total lunar eclipse in more than a decade? Get the facts behind the "rare event."
-
Star Found Shooting Water "Bullets"
June 13, 2011
Firing epic quantities of water at Superman speeds—faster than a speeding bullet—a young star may be helping other stars to grow.
-
Pictures: Nat Geo Picks of the Week
June 10, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the week, including a cross-eyed opossum, an epic ashfall, and more.
-
Highest Flying Bird Found; Can Scale Himalaya
June 10, 2011
The bar-headed goose can flap to heights of 21,120 feet on its migration over the Himalaya, a new study finds.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Solar Flare, Green Aurora
June 10, 2011
The sun erupts, a green aurora glows, and a partial solar eclipse shines over Norway in this week's best space pictures.
-
Frothy Magnetic-Bubble Sea Found at Solar System's Edge
June 9, 2011
Long seen as a shield, the edge of our solar system may really be a sea of magnetic "bubbles" that lets in dangerous rays, NASA says.
-
"Vampire" Stars Found in Heart of Our Galaxy—A First
June 9, 2011
Cannibals that drain life from other stars have been discovered for the first time in the heart of our galaxy, new research shows.
-
Rare Video: Japan Tsunami
June 8, 2011
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami left more than 28,000 dead or missing. See incredible footage of the tsunami swamping cities and turning buildings into rubble. Video.
-
Pictures: Homemade Personal Spacecraft Lifts Off
June 8, 2011
Private spaceflight took one giant step forward Friday, when the homemade, one-person <em>Tycho Brahe</em> spacecraft lifted off in Denmark.
-
New Type of Exploding Supernova Found—Brightest Yet
June 8, 2011
The new, superbright class of exploding supernovae may cast a radioactive glow, astronomers announced this week.
-
Solar Flare Sparks Biggest Eruption Ever Seen on Sun
June 8, 2011
A sun storm has shot perhaps the largest amount of particles into space ever recorded, scientists say.
-
Coelacanths Can Live Past 100, Don't Show Age?
June 7, 2011
An ancient lineage of fish also have long life-spans, a new study suggests.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Crystal "Rain," Shuttle Finale
June 6, 2011
The shuttle <em>Endeavour</em> retires, green crystal "rain" douses a star, and plasma gets tugged by the sun in this week's best space pictures.
-
World's Fastest Bird? Chubby Snipe Snaps Nonstop Record
June 6, 2011
An unlikely speed demon, the rotund great snipe has completed the animal world's fastest long-distance, nonstop flight, a new study says.
-
Spiders Evolved Spare Legs
June 2, 2011
Scientists may have uncovered why spiders are so creepy-crawly—they have more legs than they actually need, a new study says.
-
Solar Eclipse Pictures: See Last Night's Midnight Madness
June 2, 2011
A solar eclipse at night? See the rare sky show enjoyed by high-north stargazers last night.
-
New "Devil Worm" Is Deepest-Living Animal
June 1, 2011
Found miles under the Earth, a newfound worm species is the deepest-dwelling animal yet discovered, a new study says.
-
Pictures: Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Mission
June 1, 2011
See pictures of space shuttle <em>Endeavour</em>'s final mission, from a cloud-busting launch to the shuttle program's last spacewalk to today's touchdown.
-
Solar Eclipse Tonight: Sun to Smile on Arctic
June 1, 2011
That's right, not today—tonight. Viewers in the Arctic land of the midnight sun should see a solar smile hugging the horizon.
-
Wormlike Parasite Detected in Ancient Mummies
May 31, 2011
A tiny parasite that plagues people worldwide also infected ancient Africans, new mummy analyses reveal for the first time.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Lone Star, Shining Spirit
May 27, 2011
A stellar giant sits alone, astronauts return home, a Mars rover ends its run, and more in our editors' picks of the best new space shots.
-
800-Mile-Wide Hot Anomaly Found Under Seafloor Near Hawaii
May 26, 2011
Hawaii's traditional birth story—that the volcanic islands were fueled directly by Earth's core—could be toast, a new study hints.
-
Mini Black Holes Zip Through Earth Every Day?
May 25, 2011
One or two primordial black holes smaller than atoms pass unnoticed through the planet each day, according to a new theory.
-
NASA Asteroid Mission Set for 2016
May 25, 2011
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has been selected for launch in 2016 and will bring samples of an asteroid back to Earth by 2023, officials said.
-
Densest Matter Created in Big-Bang Machine
May 24, 2011
Besides black holes, an exotic form of matter made in the Large Hadron Collider is the densest stuff yet observed, scientists announced.
-
Revealed: How Area 51 Hid Secret Craft
May 20, 2011
Veterans of the secret U.S. base reveal how they shielded futuristic prototypes—and jury-rigged low-tech decoys.
-
Big Hurricane Season Predicted—Has U.S. Run Out of Luck?
May 19, 2011
Up to six major hurricanes could form in the Atlantic—and the U.S. may not be as lucky this year, forecasters say.
-
Giant Saturn Storm Revealed; Wider Than Earth
May 19, 2011
New techniques have uncovered the full ire of a storm so big it completely circles Saturn, a planet nearly ten times bigger than Earth.
-
Japan Earthquake Shifted Seafloor by 79 Feet
May 19, 2011
For the first time, scientists have directly measured how an earthquake moves land underwater.
-
Space "Egg," Meteorite Yield All-New Minerals
May 18, 2011
Two new minerals that formed at the birth of our solar system have been found inside meteorites, new research shows.
-
Alien Planets Outnumber Stars, Study Says
May 18, 2011
No matter how innumerable the stars may seem, there are far more planets lurking out there in the darkness, a new study suggests.
-
Species Extinctions Overestimated by 160 Percent?
May 18, 2011
Dire predictions of mass animal and plant die-offs may be overblown, but extinctions are still a critical problem, a new analysis suggests.
-
Best Night-Sky Pictures of 2011 Named
May 17, 2011
Star trails, an "alien" lake, and a "rainbow" aurora are among winning visions of the splendor of the night—and effects of light pollution.
-
Superhuman Hearing Possible, Experiments Suggest
May 16, 2011
Vibrating the ear bones could create shortcuts for sounds to enter the brain, thus boosting hearing, according to new research.
-
Tarantulas Shoot Silk From Feet, Spider-Man Style
May 16, 2011
The big, hairy spiders spin silk from "spigots" in their feet to climb slippery surfaces, scientists have found for the first time.
-
Space Shuttle Pictures: 12 Endeavour Images to Remember
May 16, 2011
Now that NASA's <em>Endeavour</em> has launched for the last time, see the space shuttle in a 12-picture retrospective of the craft's career.
-
Deep Magma Ocean Fuels Hundreds of Volcanoes on Jupiter Moon
May 12, 2011
The Jupiter moon's record volcanic action is driven by an extensive layer of "slushy" molten rock, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Hubble Starburst, Sun Magnetism
May 12, 2011
Hubble spies star birth, hot gas hovers over the sun, satellites see fires burn in Georgia, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Vibrant Lagoon, Mock Mars
May 6, 2011
A nebula swirls with color, a Mars mission gets a trial run, satellites see a Russian eruption, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Species of Tiger Stingray Named
May 6, 2011
An orange-black stingray with a tiger-like tail has finally earned its scientific stripes, a new study says.
-
Einstein Theories Confirmed by NASA Gravity Probe
May 5, 2011
A NASA spacecraft has done what Einstein himself didn't think possible: measure his predicted effects of Earth's gravity on space and time.
-
Photos: Space Suit Evolution Since First NASA Flight
May 5, 2011
See how U.S. space suits have advanced since Alan Shepard made the first U.S. human spaceflight 50 years ago in modified Navy pilot gear.
-
Dense, Hot Super-Earth Is "New Class of Planet"
May 4, 2011
While mystery swirls around the exact size of 55 Cancri e, two independent teams agree that it's one of the most exotic planets ever seen.
-
Women Can Sniff Out Men Without Knowing—And Vice Versa
May 2, 2011
Sniffing sexual chemicals can trick people into thinking an ambiguous human figure is male or female, a new study says.
-
Sea Urchin Body Is One Big Eye
May 2, 2011
Sea urchins may use their entire bodies—from the ends of their "feet" to the tips of their spines—as huge eyes, a new study says.
-
NASA Delays Space Shuttle Launch Until Next Week
April 29, 2011
After weathering heavy rains and lightning, the space shuttle Endeavour saw its final flight postponed due to a heater malfunction.
-
Space Shuttle Launch to Put Giant Ray Detector in Space
April 29, 2011
NASA's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer—a $1.5 billion cosmic ray detector—will blast off with Friday's Endeavour shuttle launch.
-
Monster Alabama Tornado Spawned by Rare "Perfect Storm"
April 28, 2011
The monster tornado that devastated Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Wednesday was spawned by unusual "perfect storm" conditions, experts say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Shuttle Launch, Green Flash
April 28, 2011
X-rays arc in a supernova, a green flash caps the moon, <em>Endeavour</em> preps for its final flight, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Time Travel Impossible, Mini "Big Bang" Hints
April 27, 2011
A new material that simulates the motion of particles after the big bang shows that time can move in just one direction, physicists say.
-
Marijuana Trade Threatens African Gorilla Refuge
April 26, 2011
Forests in Africa's Virunga National Park are literally going to pot—sparking renewed conflicts between rangers and rebels.
-
Bacteria Grow Under 400,000 Times Earth's Gravity
April 25, 2011
Some bacteria can even reproduce under the same crushing gravity found on massive stars or in supernova shock waves, a new study says.
-
Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend
April 21, 2011
Nature will be putting on a light show this Earth Day, with the peak of the annual Lyrid meteor shower coming on Friday night.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Hubble's Rose, Glinting Lagoon
April 21, 2011
Auroras on Saturn and Hubble's birthday rose are among National Geographic editors' picks of the best new space pictures.
-
Alien Auroras to Aid Hunt for New Planets?
April 20, 2011
Radio signals from alien auroras may help expand the search for new planets outside the solar system, astronomers suggest.
-
China's Electric Car Drive: Impressive, But Not Enough
April 20, 2011
China's electric vehicle program is the world's most ambitious, but a new World Bank report raises questions on sustainability.
-
Pluto Has Toxic Carbon Monoxide in Its Atmosphere
April 19, 2011
In addition to being cold and distant, the dwarf planet Pluto has highly toxic carbon monoxide gas in its atmosphere, new data confirms.
-
Europe Starting to Dive Under Africa?
April 19, 2011
Colliding tectonic plates along the Algerian and Sicilian coasts are creating a new zone of increased quake and tsunami risks, an expert says.
-
Gulf Oil Spill Pictures: Oiled Beaches Time Line
April 19, 2011
See the evolution of Florida and Alabama beaches blackened by the Gulf oil spill, from the first oiling to a spring-break-ready shore.
-
Alien Trees Would Bloom Black on Worlds With Double Stars
April 19, 2011
On worlds with two or more stars, plants would evolve to be black, to move locations, and to secrete sunscreen, new simulations suggest.
-
Some Arctic Coasts Eroding by a Hundred Feet a Year
April 18, 2011
Arctic permafrost is collapsing into the sea by as much as a hundred feet a year in some places, new studies say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Aurora Sunrise, "Sliced" Moon
April 14, 2011
An aurora lights up Lake Superior, galaxies make a cosmic lens, a tiny moon gets "sliced," and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Yellowstone's Volcanic Plume Even Bigger Than Thought
April 13, 2011
The plume of hot rock feeding Yellowstone's supervolcano is larger than thought, according to a new study of the plume's electric properties.
-
Yuri Gagarin: First Human Space Flight in Pictures
April 12, 2011
On the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first orbit, see pictures of the man, his spacecraft, and the global impact of his flight.
-
What Yuri Gagarin Saw on First Space Flight
April 12, 2011
On the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic first orbit, watch video by a modern astronaut that re-creates what Gagarin saw in 1961.
-
New Aurora Pictures: Deep-Sky Lights Revealed
April 8, 2011
Sometimes invisible to the naked eye, faint auroras as far south as Wisconsin sprang to life in long-exposure pictures taken last week.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Star Jets, Saturn Moons
April 7, 2011
A nebula ''party'' shines in infrared, a star makes twin jets, colors swirl off the French coast, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Solar System's "Nose" Found; Aimed at Constellation Scorpius
April 7, 2011
A NASA craft has uncovered the solar system's "nose," which points in the direction our sun is moving through the Milky Way, a new study says.
-
Pictures: 2,500-Year-Old Brain Examined
April 6, 2011
An ancient brain mysteriously preserved in English mud likely belonged to an Iron Age man who was hanged and beheaded, studies show.
-
Ancient "Pickled" Brain Mystery Explained?
April 6, 2011
Scientists may have partially cracked how Britain's oldest known brain was preserved in mud for some 2,500 years.
-
Space Poison Helped Start Life on Earth?
April 6, 2011
Formaldehyde on asteroids and comets may have helped seed early Earth with complex, carbon-rich molecules, a new study says.
-
New Gravity Map Reveals Lumpy Earth
April 5, 2011
The best map yet of Earth's gravity field can help track ocean currents and study the forces behind major earthquakes, experts say.
-
Martian-Fog Study Finds Thick Haze, "Diamond Dust"
April 4, 2011
Nights on Mars are shrouded in icy fog that turns to scattered precipitation, laser scans by a NASA spacecraft have revealed.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Aurora Orb, Galaxy Dance
March 31, 2011
Auroras ripple over Canada, galaxies tango toward a merger, stars make a ''rose'' bloom, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Robert Bunsen: Breakthroughs Bigger Than the Burner
March 31, 2011
A lab flame fuels Wednesday's Google doodle for Robert Bunsen's 200th birthday. But the chemist did much more than better his burner.
-
NASA's First Pictures of Mercury Taken From Orbit
March 30, 2011
After a six-year journey, NASA's MESSENGER has sent back its first pictures from Mercury orbit, showing the hot planet in sharp focus.
-
Electric Wand Makes Fire Disappear
March 29, 2011
With a wave of the hand, scientists can now extinguish small fires, and someday firefighters may be able to too—no spells required.
-
Alien "Earths" Less Common Than Expected, Study Says
March 29, 2011
Even at two billion per galaxy, Earthlike worlds are scarcer than expected, according to a new estimate based on NASA data.
-
Rejection Really Hurts, Brain Scans Show
March 28, 2011
Maybe words can hurt you as much as sticks and stones: Romantic rejection, at least, causes physical pain, a new brain study says.
-
Earth Getting Mysteriously Windier
March 28, 2011
The world has gotten stormier over the past two decades—but the reason is a mystery, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Supernova Stripes, Trojan Moon
March 25, 2011
Satellites spy power outages in Japan, a supernova remnant shows its stripes, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Coldest Star Found—No Hotter Than Fresh Coffee
March 23, 2011
A dim brown dwarf found 75 light-years away has a surface no hotter than a freshly brewed cup of coffee, astronomers say.
-
Supermoon Pictures: Best Shots of Biggest Full Moon
March 21, 2011
See our favorite supermoon shots by National Geographic fans and seasoned photographers, who took a shine to the biggest full moon in years.
-
First Day of Spring: Myths, Facts, and Equinox Science
March 21, 2011
Were day and night equally long on Sunday, the 2011 vernal equinox (or spring equinox)? Get the answer—and other first-day-of-spring facts and oddities.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Stormy Sun, Oldest Galaxies
March 19, 2011
See the "stunning" Tarantula Nebula, before-and-after pictures of the Japan earthquake, and "surreal" star births in this week's best space photos.
-
NASA Probe Successfully Orbiting Mercury—A First
March 17, 2011
After more than six years and several million miles, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft is now in orbit around the tiny planet Mercury.
-
"Supermoon": Biggest Full Moon in 18 Years Saturday
March 17, 2011
The moon will make its closest approach to Earth in 18 years—making the so-called supermoon the biggest full moon in years.
-
Spring Rains Darken Saturn's Moon Titan
March 17, 2011
They probably won't bring May flowers, but April showers of methane do fall on Saturn's largest moon, according to a new study.
-
Japan Tsunami, Before & After: Zoomable Satellite Images
March 15, 2011
See satellite zoom pictures of Japan before and after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake spawned a deadly tsunami.
-
Why Transylvanian Chickens Have Naked Necks
March 15, 2011
Scientists have cracked why the Transylvanian naked neck chicken has a featherless neck—and it isn't to give vampires easier access.
-
Japan Earthquake Shortened Days, Increased Earth's Wobble
March 15, 2011
The magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck Japan last Friday was powerful enough to shorten Earth's day by 1.8 microseconds, scientists say.
-
Japan Earthquake Not the "Big One"?
March 14, 2011
Though Friday's earthquake was the largest in Japanese history, it struck far from where experts had predicted the "big one," experts say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: "Runaway" Star, Shuttle Flyby
March 11, 2011
A French island becomes a world awash in stars, <em>Discovery</em> streaks over Earth for the last time, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
"Sleeping" Volcanoes Can Wake Up Faster Than Thought
March 10, 2011
Dormant volcanoes can stir to life in mere days instead of hundreds of years, according to a new volcano model.
-
Earth-Size "Lone Wolf" Planets May Host Life
March 9, 2011
Rocky planets ejected from their star systems may still have enough internal heat to support liquid water—and thus life, a new study says.
-
"First Skyscraper" Built to Fight Solstice Shadow?
March 9, 2011
Built below the mountain where Satan is said to have tempted Christ, the Tower of Jericho may shielded against the peak's solstice shadow.
-
Space Shuttle Discovery: Final Flight in Pictures
March 9, 2011
As the space shuttle <em>Discovery</em> lands for the last time, see highlights from the final historic mission of NASA's "workhorse" orbiter.
-
Pictures: Discovery Launch Seen via Miles-High Balloon
March 9, 2011
Built with student aid, a helium balloon loaded with cell phones and cameras captured the shuttle's liftoff from high above Earth.
-
Huge Impact Crater Found in Remote Congo
March 7, 2011
A circular depression deep in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been confirmed as the first known impact crater in central Africa, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Discovery Docks, Orion Sparkles
March 4, 2011
A space shuttle makes its final flight, the sun explodes with activity, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Elusive Clouded Leopard Captured on Film—a First
March 2, 2011
A camera trap has caught one of the world's most elusive cats on film for the first time, conservationists say.
-
What If the Biggest Solar Storm on Record Happened Today?
March 1, 2011
If this solar cycle produces a flare like the 1859 Carrington Event, we may face trillions in damages and year-long blackouts, experts say.
-
3 Surprising Ways Global Warming Could Make You Sick
March 1, 2011
Global warming may cause human health problems due to microbes, bacteria, and toxic algae blooms in coming decades, new research suggests.
-
Rockies Mystery Solved by New Mountain-Creation Theory?
February 28, 2011
A tough hunk of rock that may be under Wyoming could explain why the Rockies seem to be out of place, a new mountain-formation theory says.
-
Little Fish Exploding in Number, Models Show
February 25, 2011
There are still plenty of fish in the sea—they're just the little ones, according to new models of fish decline.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Woolly Galaxy, Solar Flare, Shuttle
February 24, 2011
An island draped in sea ice, flares spurting from the sun, and dark landslides on the moon are featured among the week's best space pictures.
-
Pictures: Five Forerunners of NASA's Robot Astronaut
February 24, 2011
See some of the forerunners of NASA's first android in space, Robonaut 2, which blasts off today aboard the space shuttle Discovery.
-
New Zealand Earthquake Spurs Giant Glacier Collapse
February 23, 2011
The powerful magnitude-6.3 temblor cast off an iceberg the size of 20 football fields from the country's longest glacier.
-
Heaviest Antimatter Found; Made in U.S. Atom Smasher
February 22, 2011
In a kind of reverse alchemy, physicists turned gold into samples of the heaviest antimatter particle yet found, researchers announced.
-
Three Theories of Planet Formation Busted, Expert Says
February 19, 2011
The more new planets we find, the less we seem to know about how worlds are actually born, a leading planet hunter says.
-
New Aurora Pictures: Solar Storms Light Up Arctic Night
February 18, 2011
Shimmering curtains of neon color added sparkle to Valentine's Day, as bursts of particles from the sun triggered brilliant auroras.
-
Amelia Earhart Spit Samples to Help Lick Mystery?
February 18, 2011
Geneticists plan to mine DNA from envelope seals to help identify remains of aviator Amelia Earhart, who vanished over the Pacific in 1937.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Black Hole Blobs, Mars Rations
February 17, 2011
Images of a Pacific-island "Valentine," a hungry black hole, and a mock meal on Mars are among the week's best space pictures.
-
Hibernating Bears Keep Weirdly Warm
February 17, 2011
Hibernating black bears can dramatically lower their metabolism without major drops in body temperature, a surprising new study says.
-
Best Science Pictures of 2010 Announced
February 17, 2011
A horror-movie virus and a forest of fungi feature among the winners of the 2010 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge.
-
Watson Wins Jeopardy!—6 Artificial Intelligence Milestones
February 17, 2011
IBM's Watson seemingly came from out of nowhere to win Jeopardy! But the computer is just the latest artificial intelligence sensation.
-
Biggest Solar Flare in Years—Auroras to Be Widespread Tonight?
February 16, 2011
Magnetic instability has sparked a flare and aimed a "firehose" of charged gas at us—which could mean auroras far south tonight, NASA says.
-
Pictures: "Deep Impact" Comet Revealed by NASA Flyby
February 16, 2011
In the first NASA mission to visit a comet twice, close-ups of Tempel 1 show that a 2005 smashup left a scar.
-
Astronauts Walk on "Mars," Start Experiments
February 14, 2011
After months of simulated space travel, three astronauts have ventured into a darkened, sand-filed room designed to look like Mars.
-
NASA Probe Has a Valentine's Date With a Comet
February 14, 2011
The aging Stardust space probe will have one last tryst for Valentine's Day, offering scientists new views of the battered comet Tempel 1.
-
How Do Fleas Jump? New Video Solves Mystery
February 11, 2011
It was no small task, but researchers have used high-speed video to solve how the insects jump—by taking off from their toes.
-
11 Thomas Edison Predictions That Came True—Or Didn't
February 11, 2011
Celebrated Friday with a Google doodle, Thomas Edison was the "nation's inventor philosopher." See how his predictions hold up in 2011.
-
On Thomas Edison Bulb Anniversary, Lighting Breakthrough
February 11, 2011
On the anniversary of Thomas Edison's invention of the light bulb, companies in October announced a reading-quality LED to fit existing lamps.
-
Squid Get Violent After Touching Eggs, Study Says
February 11, 2011
A chemical on longfin squid eggs causes males to rapidly shift from calm swimming to extremely aggressive fighting, scientists say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Black Hole Ring, Moon Pit, More
February 10, 2011
Black hole ''jewels'' adorn a galactic ring, the sun aims a particle stream at Earth, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Astronauts Could Ride Asteroids to Mars, Study Says
February 8, 2011
Astronauts could reach the red planet inside asteroids, which would shield crews from damaging cosmic rays, a new study says.
-
8 Jules Verne Inventions That Came True (Pictures)
February 8, 2011
See eight real-life inventions dreamed up decades earlier by Jules Verne—whose 183rd birthday is honored Tuesday with a Google doodle.
-
Galaxy "Crumbs" Found in Milky Way—Proof of Recent Feeding
February 7, 2011
A newfound stream of stars is all that's left of a smaller galaxy recently gobbled up by the Milky Way, a new study says.
-
Venomous New Pseudoscorpion Found in Colorado Cave
February 4, 2011
Unless you've been living in a cave, you probably haven't run across the poisonous, nearly blind pseudoscorpion described in a new study.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Fiery Aurora, Surreal Venus, More
February 4, 2011
Stars swirl through the northern lights, the moon and Venus meet over the Alps, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
"Killer" Winter Storm Seen From Space; U.S. Blanketed
February 2, 2011
A new NASA picture shows just how big the current U.S. winter storm is. Hitting at least 30 states, it's among the worst in 50 years.
-
Bat Uses Pitcher Plant as Toilet; Plant Benefits
February 2, 2011
It's no load of crap—a carnivorous plant in Borneo survives mostly off of bat feces, a new study says.
-
Six New Planets: Mini-Neptunes Found Around Sunlike Star
February 2, 2011
NASA's Kepler spacecraft has spied the most tightly packed planetary system yet, filled with odd worlds dubbed mini-Neptunes.
-
New Invisibility Cloak Closer to Working "Magic"
January 28, 2011
Unlike earlier systems, the new cloak works in visible light and can hide objects big enough to see with the naked eye, scientists say.
-
5 Myths of Challenger Shuttle Disaster Debunked
January 27, 2011
On the 25th anniversary of the space shuttle disaster, find out what really happened to <em>Challenger.</em> For starters, there was no explosion.
-
Gulf Spill Dispersants Surprisingly Long-lasting
January 27, 2011
Massive amounts of chemical dispersants pumped into the Gulf of Mexico to break up the BP oil spill lingered in the deep ocean for months, new research shows.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Bow Shock, Mars Moon, More
January 27, 2011
A speeding star makes waves, a pitted moon gets its closeup, Jupiter's scar is diagnosed, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
"Gooey" New Mud Volcano Erupts From Arabian Sea
January 26, 2011
The "gooey" dot of land off the coast of Pakistan appeared in November but will likely wash away within a few months, experts say.
-
New Hybrid Whale Discovered in Arctic
January 25, 2011
Antarctic minke whales desperate for food may be swimming north and mating with their Arctic cousins, a scientist suggests.
-
"Nightmare" Star Flares Dim Odds for Alien Life?
January 24, 2011
Many of the known planets outside the solar system are orbiting stars that may be too dangerous for life, new research suggests.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Orion's Jewel, Horned Dunes, More
January 21, 2011
Amateurs dig up cosmic gems, a Mercury-bound craft feels the heat, a whirlpool brims with dust, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Aurora Pictures: First Big Show of 2011
January 20, 2011
In the year's first big northern lights show, ''gusts'' of solar wind set the Arctic sky alight in shades of green.
-
Pictures: Best Amateur Astronomy Images Announced
January 20, 2011
A spooky bubble and other "hidden treasures" are among the winners of a contest that asked the public to process raw astronomy data.
-
Smallest Farmers Found? Amoebas Carry, Plant "Seeds"
January 19, 2011
In lean times, amoebas can pack up "seeds," migrate, and start fresh in greener pastures, a new study says.
-
Yellowstone Has Bulged as Magma Pocket Swells
January 19, 2011
Some parts of the ground around Yellowstone's simmering supervolcano rose by ten inches between 2004 and 2010, experts report.
-
"Suicide" Comet Storm Hits Sun—Bigger Sun-Kisser Coming?
January 17, 2011
A recent swarm of small comets that bombarded the sun may herald the coming of a much larger icy visitor, astronomers say.
-
Dark-Matter Galaxy Detected: Hidden Dwarf Lurks Nearby?
January 14, 2011
Galaxy X: An entire galaxy—made mainly of dark matter—may be lurking just outside our own, scientists say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Ring of Fire, Rare Moon, More
January 14, 2011
A solar eclipse occasions a blazing halo, Earth-size jets shoot from the sun, and more in this week's best space pictures.
-
Thunderstorms Shoot Antimatter Beams Into Space
January 11, 2011
An orbiting spacecraft was recently hit by an intense beam of positrons that was traced back to a thunderstorm in Namibia, astronomers say.
-
Fastest Spinning Dust Found; Solves Cosmic "Fog" Puzzle
January 11, 2011
Tiny space specks that twirl billions of times a second are the source of a mysterious microwave "fog" in our galaxy, astronomers say.
-
NASA Finds Smallest Earthlike Planet Outside Solar System
January 10, 2011
NASA's Kepler spacecraft has confirmed the discovery of a rocky world just 1.4 times the size of Earth circling a sunlike star.
-
Glowing, Green Space Blob Forming New Stars, Hubble Shows
January 10, 2011
The odd cloud of gas known as Hanny's Voorwerp is unexpectedly giving birth to stars, a new Hubble Space Telescope picture has revealed.
-
Huge Black Hole Found in Dwarf Galaxy
January 10, 2011
A supermassive black hole in a tiny, oddly shaped galaxy may help solve a chicken-and-egg mystery in galaxy evolution, a new study says.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Fiery Eclipse, Blue Lagoon, More
January 7, 2011
The space station makes an eclipse cameo, streams of dust carve a nebula, blue fans decorate Mars, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Gulf Oil Spill Surprise: Methane Almost Gone
January 6, 2011
Bacteria have dispatched with most of the methane released during the Gulf of Mexico spill—in just four months, a new study says.
-
2011 Quadrantid Meteors: See What You May Have Missed
January 6, 2011
Did the winter chill keep you from watching the Quadrantids this week? See global views of this "reliable and productive" meteor shower.
-
Solar Eclipse Pictures: See What You May Have Missed Today
January 4, 2011
Miss Tuesday's rare partial solar eclipse? Look now (no funny glasses required).
-
Partial Eclipse "Preview": What You'll See Tomorrow
January 3, 2011
Find out when and where to see Tuesday's partial solar eclipse, and get a glimpse of what lies in store for sky-watchers.
-
Weird Asteroid Really a Crusty Old Comet?
January 3, 2011
An asteroid known since 1906 recently started spewing gases like a comet, hinting that the body may belong to a mysterious group of hybrids.
-
Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight: How to See 2011 Quadrantids
January 3, 2011
Slated to be one of the best meteor showers of the year, the 2011 Quadrantids will be especially bright thanks to a moonless sky.
-
Solar Eclipse Tomorrow: Europe to See Crescent Sunrise?
January 3, 2011
The moon will appear to take a bite out of the sun Tuesday during the first of four partial solar eclipses slated to occur in 2011.
-
Space Photos This Week: Gravity Waves, Chicken Nebula
December 30, 2010
Stars swirl over Kilimanjaro, the moon gets a color treatment, weird waves roll off New Zealand, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Prehistoric Crocodile Found in "Kitchen Counters"
December 30, 2010
Fossils of a new species of ancient crocodile cousin have been found in limestone once destined for Italian kitchen countertops, a new study says.
-
Bee Viruses Spread via Flower Pollen, Study Says
December 29, 2010
Viruses that could play a role in the recent decline in honeybee colonies may be spreading through flower pollen, new research finds.
-
Rock-Chewing Sea Urchins Have Self-Sharpening Teeth
December 28, 2010
A very close look at sea urchins has uncovered the mystery of how the animals can literally chew through stone without dulling their teeth.
-
Sun Pictures: A Full Year in a Single Frame
December 28, 2010
Can a single picture sum up all of 2010? In a way, yes. Follow the sun's path over the course of a year in analemmas past and present.
-
Space Circles Are Proof of a Pre-Big Bang Universe?
December 27, 2010
Ring-like patterns in primordial radiation suggest a universe existed before the big bang, according to a controversial new study.
-
Lightning Captured by X-Ray Camera—A First
December 23, 2010
The first x-ray images of a lightning strike have been captured by a new, refrigerator-size camera, researchers say.
-
"Chilling" Child Sacrifices Found at Prehistoric Site
December 23, 2010
Eighty-two child victims of a "chilling" bloodletting ritual have been discovered in Peru, a new study says.
-
Pictures: Giant Mars Pits Revealed in Sharp Detail
December 21, 2010
Peer inside two mysterious, debris-strewn holes that may be evidence for caves on Mars. But don't worry—no sign of space slugs yet.
-
Lunar Eclipse 2010 Pictures: See What You Slept Through
December 21, 2010
So you were snug in bed while the moon turned red? We've got you covered—see the first winter solstice lunar eclipse in 372 years.
-
Solar-Powered Hornet Found; Turns Light Into Electricity
December 21, 2010
The oriental hornet's "skin" pigments trap light and generate electricity, according to a new study.
-
Lunar Eclipse Pictures: When the Moon Goes Red
December 20, 2010
Call it foreshadowing: Past lunar eclipse pictures hint at what you may see during the first winter solstice lunar eclipse in 372 years.
-
Life Ingredients Found in Superhot Meteorites—A First
December 20, 2010
NASA astronomers were surprised to find amino acids—the fundamental foundation for life—in meteorites that had been naturally superheated.
-
Lunar Eclipse + Winter Solstice—First in 372 Years
December 20, 2010
In 2010, for the first time in 372 years, a total eclipse of a full moon falls on the winter solstice. Find out whether you might be able to see the lunar eclipse before dawn Tuesday.
-
Chimp "Girls" Play With "Dolls" Too—First Wild Evidence
December 20, 2010
Wild young female apes use sticks as dolls, but males rarely do—suggesting there's at least some biological basis to gender-based toy choices, a new study says.
-
Pictures: Entire Sun Rocked by Explosions
December 20, 2010
Intense storms can envelop the entire sun at the same time, a new NASA satellite reveals for the first time.
-
Winter Solstice + Lunar Eclipse—First in 372 Years
December 17, 2010
In 2010, for the first time in 372 years, a total lunar eclipse falls on the winter solstice. Find out whether you might be able to see it before dawn Tuesday.
-
Mummified Forest Found on Treeless Arctic Island
December 17, 2010
"Surreal" remnants of a prehistoric forest have been discovered on a now treeless island in the Canadian Arctic.
-
Seven Great Mars Pictures From Record-Breaking Probe
December 17, 2010
See highlights from the ten-year career of NASA's Mars Odyssey, which this week became the longest-working craft to study the planet.
-
Pictures: Brilliant Geminid Meteors Dazzle Sky-Watchers
December 16, 2010
See what you missed: Earlier this week dark skies provided the ideal backdrop for the peak of the 2010 Geminid meteor shower.
-
Pluto Has Oceans Under Ice?
December 16, 2010
Frigid Pluto may harbor a liquid ocean beneath its miles-thick ice shell, a new model of the dwarf planet's radioactive heat suggests.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Cosmic Gem, Sun Burp, Vegas
December 15, 2010
A supernova leftover glows like an opal, the sun spews hot gas, snow blankets the Midwest, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Saturn Moon Has Ice Volcano—And Maybe Life?
December 15, 2010
New NASA pictures suggest Saturn's moon Titan has a giant ice volcano—and perhaps a better shot at harboring life.
-
Mars Has Liquid Water Close to Surface, Study Hints
December 14, 2010
Pools of water may exist just below Mars's surface, according to new research that suggests humans may one day tap into the liquid bounty.
-
"Supernova in a Jar" Offers Peek Inside Star Death
December 13, 2010
A "gentle" chemical reaction in the lab is giving scientists a peek inside powerful star explosions called Type Ia supernovae.
-
Saturn's Rings Made by Giant "Lost" Moon, Study Hints
December 13, 2010
A huge moon stripped of its icy shell gave rise to Saturn's famous rings, says a new study that also helps explain Jupiter's four giant companions.
-
Ancient Balloon-Headed Dolphin Found by Fishers
December 13, 2010
A 20-foot dolphin with a bulbous head roamed the North Sea 2.5 million years ago, a newfound fossil reveals.
-
Killer Alien Weed May Threaten Biggest Animal Migration
December 10, 2010
An invasive weed found recently in southern Kenya may kill off native vegetation that wild animals and livestock depend on for survival, scientists warn.
-
Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight; Best of 2010?
December 10, 2010
With a recent growth in intensity, the annual shower may outshine the August Perseids as the best meteor shower of 2010, experts say.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Sun Snake, Ice Curtain, More
December 10, 2010
A plasma loop erupts from the sun, Falcon 9 takes flight, Hubble spies a star-spangled ''eagle,'' and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Bacteria Found on Titanic; Eats Metal
December 10, 2010
The metal-munching bacteria found on the famous wreck may help teach engineers how to protect deep-sea oil rigs, experts say.
-
Huge Asteroids Brought Gold to Infant Earth, Study Says
December 9, 2010
There was no frankincense and myrrh, but huge asteroids may have brought gold and other precious metals to infant Earth, a new study says.
-
New Planet Found; Star's Fourth World Stumps Astronomers
December 8, 2010
A fourth planet found around a sunlike star has its discoverers scratching their heads as to how the oddly spaced system took shape.
-
Japan Probe Missed Venus—Will Try Again in Six Years
December 8, 2010
The Akatsuki spacecraft sped past Venus yesterday, but the craft will return to the planet to try again in six years, officials say.
-
"Fake Diamond" Star Discovered
December 8, 2010
A glittering blue bauble 2,000 light-years away is the most zirconium-rich star yet seen, astronomers say.
-
Best Space Discoveries of 2010: Nat Geo News's Most Popular
December 7, 2010
Bright meteors and mind-bending theories about the universe were among National Geographic News's most viewed space stories of 2010.
-
Ten Weirdest New Animals of 2010: Editors' Picks
December 7, 2010
A fish with "hands," a T. Rex leech, and a self-cloning lizard are among National Geographic News's picks for the weirdest new species in 2010.
-
Japan Probe Arrives at Venus, But Orbit Is Unclear
December 7, 2010
Designed to study weather on Venus, the Akatsuki probe arrived at the planet today, but it's uncertain whether the craft made it into orbit.
-
New Biggest Volcano in the Solar System?
December 3, 2010
If a new theory holds true, Tharsis Rise on Mars is about to cast down Olympus Mons as the largest known volcano in the solar system.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Towering Cloud, Moon Geysers
December 2, 2010
A thundercloud aims high, stars are born near a galactic void, a Saturn moon spews ice, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Big Bang Poured Out "Liquid" Universe, Atom Smasher Hints
December 2, 2010
Just after the big bang, the universe was made of a quark-gluon plasma that behaved like a dense, superhot liquid, new data suggest.
-
NASA Life Discovery: New Bacteria Makes DNA With Arsenic
December 2, 2010
No, NASA didn't find life on another world. But scientists did uncover a new species of bacteria that's perhaps the most ''alien'' yet seen.
-
Ten NatGeo News Stories You Might Have Missed in 2010
December 1, 2010
See our editors' picks of the best stories of 2010 that flew under the radar, including space-time "wrinkles" and squid plastic surgery.
-
Earth-Size Planet Has Hot and Steamy Atmosphere?
December 1, 2010
An Earth-size planet orbiting a dim, red star either has a blanket of ultrahot steam or a noxious, cloudy haze of hydrogen, new data reveal.
-
Sleep Cherry-picks Memories, Boosts Cleverness
December 1, 2010
The sleeping brain "calculates" what memories to remember and forget, allowing for sharper thinking, new research suggests.
-
Best Space Pictures of 2010: Odd Aurora, Ring of Fire, More
November 30, 2010
See our editors' picks of the best space pictures of 2010, including a "moonbow," a disintegrating spacecraft, and a rare view of a craggy asteroid.
-
New Planet System May Be Most Populated Yet Found
November 30, 2010
A tight group of planets orbiting a sunlike star may be the closest match yet found to our solar system, astronomers say.
-
Top Ten Discoveries of 2010: Nat Geo News's Most Popular
November 30, 2010
A time-bending earthquake, a fish with "hands," and "Yoda bat" are among National Geographic News's most visited coverage of 2010 discoveries.
-
Best Cosmic Mindblowers of 2010 From Nat Geo News
November 29, 2010
From the end of time to black hole portals, wrap your brain around our editors' picks for some of the odder astrophysics concepts of 2010.
-
Saturn Moon Has Oxygen Atmosphere
November 24, 2010
Saturn's second largest moon, Rhea, has an atmosphere of oxygen and carbon dioxide—but don't hold your breath for human colonization.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Flaming Runaway, Moon Avalanche
November 24, 2010
A ''putrid sea'' shines from above, an ejected star burns, a comet bites the dust, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
First Asteroid Dust Brought to Earth Holds Clues to Planet Birth
November 23, 2010
Pieces of an asteroid brought back to Earth by a Japanese probe ''have retained the initial condition of the materials of [the] planets,'' scientists say.
-
Pluto Is the Biggest Dwarf Planet, After All?
November 22, 2010
New pictures of the dwarf planet Eris—whose larger size spurred Pluto's demotion—suggest that Pluto may actually be just a hair bigger.
-
Space Pictures This Week: Star Jelly, Mars Pit, Wispy Moon
November 19, 2010
Earth becomes art, stars create glowing rings, pale veins scar a Saturn moon, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Satellite Pictures: "Magnificent" Views of Earth
November 19, 2010
See Earth's largest sand sea, swirling ice "galaxies," Van Gogh-ready algae, and more in a new collection of artistic satellite images.
-
New Comet Pictures: How Hartley 2 Creates "Snowstorm"
November 18, 2010
A detailed dive into NASA's pictures of comet Hartley 2 shows how the odd body's reservoir of dry ice drives a flurry of particles.
-
Comet Is Cosmic Snow Globe, NASA Flyby Shows
November 18, 2010
New pictures of comet Hartley 2 show that the body is full of dry ice, which drives a "snowstorm" in the comet's halo.
-
Antimatter Atoms Trapped for First Time—"A Big Deal"
November 18, 2010
It's "a big deal" and may help solve a great cosmic mystery, but don’t hold your breath for antimatter bombs or engines.
-
New Planet Discovered: First Spotted Outside Our Galaxy
November 18, 2010
A Jupiter-like world orbiting a bloated red star is the first planet we know of that was born in another galaxy, astronomers say.
-
Full Moons Get Electrified by Earth's Magnetic "Tail"
November 17, 2010
Passing through the charged particles in Earth's magnetic field causes the full moon to build up an electrostatic charge, scientists say.
-
Sky Show Wednesday: Leonid Meteor Shower to Peak Predawn
November 16, 2010
The best views will be in the early morning for North American sky-watchers, with peak rates of 20 shooting stars an hour, experts say.
-
Baby Black Hole Found—Are You Older Than a Cosmic Monster?
November 16, 2010
Just 50 million light-years from Earth sits a black hole that astronomers saw being ''born'' in 1979, x-ray observations reveal.
-
Bats Crash More Often When They Use Vision
November 15, 2010
Being blind as a bat has its benefits: Wild bats that rely on vision are more likely to crash, a new study says.
-
Billion-Pixel Image Tool Probes Science Mysteries
November 12, 2010
Ultra-zoomable panoramas give scientists new tools to explore prehistoric rock art, mysterious bee die-offs, and more. <i>With interactives.</i>
-
Space Photos This Week: Leaky "Heart," Sun Devil, More
November 10, 2010
A heart-shaped sea ebbs, plasma dances on the sun, galaxies collide, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Mysterious Structures Balloon From Milky Way's Core
November 10, 2010
Huge gamma-ray bubbles are billowing from the core of our home galaxy, and the energy source creating them is a mystery, a new study says.
-
Photos: X-Ray History—Hidden Kittens, Quackery, and More
November 8, 2010
See some of the most important—and oddest—images associated with x-rays, whose 115th anniversary is marked Monday with a Google doodle.
-
X-Rays on Google: Surprising Ways the Rays Are Used Today
November 8, 2010
Feted with a Google doodle on its 115th anniversary, x-ray tech is now used in lasers, astronomy, microscopes, and more.
-
New Self-Cloning Lizard Found in Vietnam Restaurant
November 8, 2010
A popular dish on Vietnamese menus is made from a newly discovered lizard that reproduces via virgin birth, scientists say.
-
Sea Turtle Herpes Tumors Linked to Sewage?
November 5, 2010
Herpes tumors that have plagued green sea turtles worldwide for decades may be caused by pollution, a new study says.
-
Space Shuttle Discovery Launch Delayed till November 30
November 5, 2010
Discovery's final flight is now slated for the end of the month, as engineers investigate a "significant" gas leak and cracks in the external fuel tank.
-
Giant Coral Die-Off Found; Gulf Spill "Smoking Gun?"
November 5, 2010
Huge colonies of dead coral found near the Deepwater Horizon wellhead points to the Gulf oil spill as a smoking gun, scientists announced this week.
-
Comet Photos: First Close-ups of Peanut-Like Hartley 2
November 5, 2010
Initial pictures from the EPOXI mission to comet Hartley 2 show an odd ''peanut'' spewing jets of carbon dioxide and cyanide gas.
-
Space Photos This Week: Sun Cowlick, Night Lights, More
November 4, 2010
NASA honors a decade of space station living, a supercyclone moves over the U.S. Midwest, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Electric Jolt to Brain Boosts Math Skills
November 4, 2010
Stimulating the brain with a nonpainful electrical current can jump-start peoples' math skills, scientists say.
-
NASA Probe Closing in on "Poisonous" Comet Hartley 2
November 3, 2010
The probe formerly known as Deep Impact is about to make its closest pass by an oddly active comet spewing deadly cyanide gas.
-
Giant Shrimp-like Sea Predator Was a Weakling After All
November 3, 2010
A shrimplike creature thought to be Earth's first great predator was actually more of a worm-eating wuss, scientists say.
-
Women Prefer Men With Yellow, Red Faces
November 3, 2010
Men, take note: A healthy glow is more attractive to women than a strong, masculine face, a new study says.
-
Pictures: Space Shuttle Discovery's Milestone Moments
November 3, 2010
From Hubble to the first woman space shuttle pilot—Discovery, whose final mission begins soon, has helped make spaceflight history.
-
Fossils Could Be Found by Next Mars Rover, Study Hints
November 3, 2010
A new theory for how oceans formed on Mars also hints that one potential landing site for NASA's next Mars rover could be a fossil hotbed.
-
Why Space Shuttle Discovery Is "Machine With Personality"
November 1, 2010
After the space shuttle's 26-year career studded with milestones, Discovery's final mission "will be emotional," one expert says.
-
"Mind-Boggling" Pictures: Goats Scale Dam in Italy
November 1, 2010
Yes, these viral pictures of goats clinging to an impossibly steep rock face are real. Get the facts behind the Internet rumors.
-
Space Photos This Week: Shuttle, Sun-Kissing Comet, More
October 28, 2010
The space shuttle Discovery by moonlight, a kamikaze comet, and evidence of a Martian flood are among the week's best space pictures.
-
Time Will End in Five Billion Years, Physicists Predict
October 27, 2010
The universe will cease to exist around the same time our sun is slated to die, according to new predictions based on the multiverse theory.
-
"Zombie Virus" Possible via Rabies-Flu Hybrid?
October 27, 2010
People can't rise from the dead, but certain viruses can induce aggressive, zombie-like behavior, according to a new documentary.
-
Robots of the Gulf Spill: Fishlike Subs, Smart Torpedoes
October 26, 2010
From fishlike submersibles to smart torpedoes, meet the 'bots that illuminated deep, dark threats of the BP spill.
-
Moon's Silver Hints at Lunar Water Origins
October 21, 2010
The moon's chilly south pole hosts unexpected amounts of silver and mercury, which may help scientists trace the origins of lunar water.
-
Space Photos This Week: Cosmic Spiral, Eclipsed Sun, More
October 20, 2010
Hubble's latest ''pinwheel,'' a new view of a solar eclipse, and a Saturn moon ''road trip'' feature among the week's best space pictures.
-
Universe's Most Distant Object Spotted
October 20, 2010
A galaxy that existed 600 million years after the big bang may help explain why the gases in ''empty'' space are transparent, experts say.
-
Pictures: Green Comet Visible This Week
October 19, 2010
Visible with binoculars, comet Hartley 2 will make its closest pass by Earth this week since its discovery in 1986, astronomers say.
-
T. Rex Was a Cannibal, Bone Gashes Suggest
October 15, 2010
The formidable Tyrannosaurus rex had nothing to fear—except possibly its own kind, gnawed fossil bones suggest.
-
Saturn's "Walnut" Moon Mystery Cracked?
October 14, 2010
Saturn's moon Iapetus spun unusually fast in its youth, creating the eight-mile-high ridge around its middle, scientists suggest.
-
Space Photos This Week: Toxic Sludge, Sun Burp, More
October 13, 2010
Hungary's spill spied from above, galaxies getting cold meals, and gases blown off the sun are among the week's best space pictures.
-
Bombing Earth-bound Asteroids a Viable Option, Experts Say
October 13, 2010
Blowing up oncoming space rocks might not, as feared, make a bad situation worse or require impossibly big bombs, new studies suggest.
-
Pictures: Best Micro-Photos of 2010
October 13, 2010
A zebrafish nose, a wasp nest, and a mosquito heart took home top honors in the 2010 Small World Microphotography Competition.
-
Black Hole Blasts Superheated Early Universe
October 8, 2010
Monster galaxies with supermassive black hole hearts released fierce blasts that superheated the universe about 11 billion years ago, a new study says.
-
Space Photos This Week: Sun Circles, Mars Rock, More
October 8, 2010
Atmospheric circles above France, a meteor on Mars, and a catalog of Earth's most threatening neighbors—all in the week's top space pictures.
-
Saturn's Largest Moon Has Ingredients for Life?
October 8, 2010
The chemical "letters" used to write the basic code for life on Earth might exist on Saturn's largest moon, according to new laboratory research presented Thursday.
-
Giant Crystal Caves Yield New "Ice Palace," More
October 7, 2010
It looks like Superman's fortress and is nearly as hard to get into, but that hasn't kept explorers from uncovering new secrets on and around Mexico's deep, deadly Cave of Crystals.
-
Draconids Meteor Shower Thursday
October 7, 2010
Thursday's Draconids meteor shower forecast calls for no more than a drizzle. But next year, sky-watchers should be prepared for a downpour.
-
Ice "Tsunamis" Detected in Saturn Ring
October 7, 2010
The gravitational pull of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, may be causing monster waves in one of the planet's rings, astronomers say.
-
Sun's Impact on Climate Change Overestimated?
October 6, 2010
A decline in the sun's activity may warm, not cool Earth—suggesting sun's role in climate change is more complicated than thought, scientists say.
-
New Strong-Handed Dinosaur May Shatter Assumptions
October 6, 2010
A new dinosaur species suggests giant, plant-eating dinosaurs may not have been so gentle, a new study says.
-
Plane Exhaust Kills More People Than Plane Crashes, Study Says
October 5, 2010
You're more likely to die from exposure to toxic pollutants in plane exhaust than in a plane crash, a new study says.
-
Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded for In Vitro Fertilization
October 4, 2010
Millions of infertile couples who conceived via in vitro fertilization can thank fertility expert Robert G. Edwards, who received a Nobel Prize today for his work.
-
Pulsating Aurorae Secrets Revealed
October 1, 2010
Pulsating aurorae—the most striking type of northern lights—are triggered by an electromagnetic wave, scientists announced.
-
Whale Snot, Cursing Away Pain Among 2010 Ig Nobels
October 1, 2010
Profanity to treat pain and whale-snot-collecting helicopters are just a few of the unusual scientific achievements awarded Ig Nobels on Thursday.
-
Surprise: Solar System "Force Field" Shrinks Fast
September 30, 2010
NASA's IBEX craft reveals unexpected unpredictability in the protective bubble around our solar system.
-
Space Photos This Week: Moon Mash-up, Saturn Aurora, More
September 30, 2010
See southern lights ripple over Saturn, ''conjoined'' worlds form, and more in our picks of the week's best space pictures.
-
First Truly Habitable Planet Discovered, Experts Say
September 29, 2010
You might have heard it before, but astronomers say this new Earthlike planet really could harbor life. How do they know? Think Goldilocks.
-
Flooding Farms on Purpose—For the Birds
September 23, 2010
In response to the BP oil spill, U.S. farmers are flooding fields to create untainted wetland stopovers for migrating birds.
-
Einstein's Relativity Affects Aging on Earth (Slightly)
September 23, 2010
Standing higher on a staircase will make you age faster, according to new research that confirms Einstein's theories on Earthly scales.
-
New Magma Layer Found Deep in Earth's Mantle?
September 23, 2010
A layer of molten rock trapped since Earth's formation may exist where the solid mantle meets the core, a new study says.
-
Space Photos This Week: Mars Wrinkles, Titan Equinox, More
September 23, 2010
The shuttle <em>Discovery</em> rolls out, a nebula melts, spring comes to a Saturn moon, and more in our picks of the week's best space pictures.
-
Autumnal Equinox: Why First Day of Fall 2010 Is Different
September 22, 2010
Wednesday, for the first time in more than a decade, the full moon will shine over the first day of fall. Get the facts in our autumnal equinox explainer.
-
Jupiter Closest to Earth Tonight, With Uranus Just Behind
September 20, 2010
The giant planet will be its biggest and brightest since 1951, and Uranus will be visible nearby with binoculars, experts say.
-
Hurricane Karl Slams Into Mexico; Flash Floods Predicted
September 17, 2010
Even as Hurricane Karl makes landfall in Mexico, Hurricanes Igor and Julia are still churning out at sea, experts say.
-
New Type of Moon Volcano Discovered
September 17, 2010
An arrowhead-shaped feature on the moon pointed the way to a new type of silica-rich rock spat up by an ancient volcano, experts say.
-
"Observe the Moon Night" Tomorrow: Top Five Lunar Targets
September 17, 2010
As people gather worldwide to examine Earth's nearest neighbor, find out an astronomer's "top five" things to see on the lunar surface.
-
Best View of Comet Hartley 2 Coming Soon
September 16, 2010
The comet will be making a close pass by Earth in October, offering sky-watchers a "preview" before a NASA probe's November flyby.
-
Space Photos This Week: Aurora "Rain," Moon Pit, More
September 15, 2010
Northern lights shine, the sun spits fire, the moon gets a color treatment, and more in our picks of the week's best space pictures.
-
Implanted Fuel Cell Powered by Rat's Body Fluids
September 14, 2010
The tiny device made power from blood sugar while inside a living rat, and the animal suffered no side effects, researchers say.
-
Males Who Bulk Up as Babies Reach Puberty Quicker
September 13, 2010
Males who gain weight fast as babies reach puberty quicker, have sex earlier, and end up taller and more muscular, a new study says.
-
Pictures: Best Astronomy Photos of the Year Named
September 13, 2010
From starlit trees to a ring of fire, see the 2010 winners of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich's annual astrophotography contest.
-
Astronauts' Fingernails Falling Off Due to Glove Design
September 13, 2010
Astronauts with wider hands are more likely to have their fingernails fall off after working or training in space suit gloves, according to a new study.
-
New NASA Probe to Dive-bomb the Sun
September 10, 2010
With its science payload finalized, Solar Probe Plus is closer to becoming the first craft to directly sample the sun, NASA officials say.
-
Cockroach Brains May Hold New Antibiotics?
September 9, 2010
Cockroaches and locusts produce natural antibiotics that can kill bacteria such as MRSA and toxic strains of E. coli, new research shows.
-
Pictures: Hubble Spies Oddly "Perfect" Celestial Spiral
September 9, 2010
A new Hubble picture has revealed an oddly ''perfect'' cosmic spiral likely being created as a dying star orbits a stellar twin, astronomers say.
-
Space Photos: Galaxy Laser, Moon Bridge, More
September 9, 2010
See a galactic garbage truck, the first ever evidence of a natural bridge on the Moon, and more in this week's best space pictures.
-
"False Dawn" This Week: Zodiacal Light Easier to See
September 9, 2010
The seasonal phenomenon creates a bright pyramid over the eastern horizon that will be easier than usual to see this week, astronomers say.
-
Pictures: New Proof Spiral Galaxies Eat, Digest Dwarfs
September 9, 2010
A new survey is the first to show that spiral galaxies beyond our cosmic neighborhood eat and digest orbiting dwarf galaxies.
-
Second Asteroid to Buzz Earth Later Today
September 8, 2010
The second asteroid to pass near Earth in a single day will make its closest approach later today, scientists say.
-
Hurricane Earl a Harbinger of Worse to Come?
September 2, 2010
Though expected to only graze the U.S. coast, Hurricane Earl is the first of many intense storms that could menace the U.S. East Coast this season, one expert says.
-
Space Photos This Week: Rocket Test, Tropical Storm, More
September 2, 2010
The world's strongest solid rocket motor revs up, a star nursery is seen in its sharpest view yet, and more in this week's best space pictures.
-
Insomnia Increases Risk of Early Death for Men?
September 1, 2010
Chronic male insomniacs may have a higher risk of early death than "normal" male sleepers, a new study says.
-
Evolution in Action: Lizard Moving From Eggs to Live Birth
September 1, 2010
A skink species lays eggs on the coast but births babies in the mountains, giving a rare glimpse at how placentas evolved, scientists say.
-
Migraine Risk Linked to Gene
August 30, 2010
A genetic variant has been linked to higher risk for chronic migraines, according to a new study of European patients.
-
New Sunspot Pictures: Sharpest View Yet in Visible Light
August 30, 2010
A new telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory has captured the most detailed image yet of a sunspot in visible light, astronomers say.
-
"Lost" Language Found on Back of 400-Year-Old Letter
August 27, 2010
Scribblings on a 17th-century letter reveal a native Peruvian language that was forgotten for centuries, an archaeologist says.
-
Mars Email a Hoax: No "Two Moons" Friday Night
August 26, 2010
An email promising sky-watchers a view of "two moons" on August 27 is nothing more than a seemingly unending Mars myth, experts say.
-
New Planet System Found—May Have Hidden "Super Earth"
August 26, 2010
Two newfound Saturn-size planets orbiting a sunlike star might have an Earthlike companion, according to data from NASA's Kepler mission.
-
Space Photos This Week: Sun Spikes, Odd Magnetar, More
August 25, 2010
The sun gets prickly, planets are ground to dust, Saturn shines darkly, and more in our selection of the week's best space pictures.
-
Smallest, Faintest Full Moon of 2010 Tonight
August 24, 2010
The moon may be shrinking, but that's not why this week's full moon will be the smallest and faintest of 2010.
-
3 Jupiter Fireballs Spotted—Sky-Watching Army Needed?
August 24, 2010
The third fireball over Jupiter in about a year was spotted August 20, prompting a call for a sort of global army of backyard astronomers.
-
Oldest Material in Solar System Found
August 23, 2010
A meteorite adds two million years to the solar system's age—and suggests an exploding star helped create the system we know today, a new study says.
-
Your Hair Reveals Whether You're a Morning Person
August 23, 2010
Early bird or late riser? The mysteries of your body clock may be unlocked by the hairs on your head, a new study says.
-
Photos: Honeycomb Clouds "Communicate," Rain in Unison
August 20, 2010
Like blinking fireflies, some marine clouds "communicate" with each other, forming, raining, and re-forming in unison, a new study says.
-
The Moon Has Shrunk, and May Still Be Contracting
August 19, 2010
Relatively young features suggest the moon's width has shrunk by about 600 feet—and it may still be getting smaller, a new study says.
-
Space Photos This Week: Star Blob, Perseids, More
August 18, 2010
Plankton swirl, stars cluster, meteors streak, and Earth shines in our selection of the week's best space pictures.
-
Titanic Is Falling Apart
August 18, 2010
Sunday, scientists will set sail to preserve the crumbling wreck in 3-D—and to find out just how long Titanic might last.
-
Evolution Surprise: Bacteria Have "Noses," Can Smell
August 18, 2010
The single-celled organisms can detect the aroma of ammonia, says a new study that suggests the sense of smell evolved earlier than thought.
-
Dreams Make You Smarter, More Creative, Studies Suggest
August 13, 2010
REM sleep boosts memory, creativity, and more, experts announce.
-
Space Photos This Week: Meteor, Epic Iceberg, and More
August 13, 2010
Catch a shooting star, a tweet-happy NASA robot, Earth's biggest iceberg, and more in our picks of the week's best space pictures.
-
Nano "Wiretap" Spies on Cells
August 12, 2010
Transistors smaller than a virus can enter cells harmlessly and "listen in" on crucial body functions, a new study says.
-
"Dead Zone" Asteroid Found Following Neptune
August 12, 2010
In a gravitational dead zone, a so-called Trojan asteroid has been found trailing Neptune like a water skier behind a speedboat.
-
Infant, Magma-Ball Earth Glimpsed Via Newfound Rocks
August 12, 2010
From a time when the world was a ball of magma, the rocks offer "the best possibility yet to understand the Earth's original composition."
-
Perseid Pictures: Meteor Shower Dazzles Every August
August 11, 2010
Wondering what to look for Thursday night? See photos of past and present Perseids. The meteor shower puts on a stellar show every year.
-
Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight—How to See Perseids
August 11, 2010
A moonless night and the chance we're passing through a meteor clump make this year's Perseids extra promising, experts say.
-
Planet Triangle, Moon, Asteroid Sky Show Thursday
August 11, 2010
In a spectacle visible to the naked eye, four planets, an asteroid, and the moon will huddle together in the western sky Thursday, astronomers say.
-
Pictures: Huge Solar Storm Triggers Unusual Auroras
August 10, 2010
See some of the colorful auroras triggered by last week's huge coronal mass ejection, which brought the sky show farther south than normal.
-
Secrets of Sleeping Soundly Uncovered
August 9, 2010
Sleep like a log? You can thank your spindles, rapidfire brain waves that act as blockades against noise during sleep, a new study says.
-
Saturn Moon Loses Its Ring, Gains a Mystery
August 6, 2010
A spacecraft's readings in 2005 suggested Saturn's moon Rhea has a ring, but new images show only a mysterious absence.
-
NASA to Visit Asteroid Predicted to Hit Earth?
August 6, 2010
The craft would bring back pieces of asteroid 1999 RQ36, which recent calculations show has a chance of hitting Earth in 2182.
-
NASA a "Go" for Emergency ISS Spacewalk Saturday
August 6, 2010
Astronauts are now practicing in a huge pool in Texas to help streamline repairs to a broken cooling system aboard the space station.
-
Space Photos This Week: "Moontrail," Sun Eruption, More
August 6, 2010
The crescent moon sets over Iran, plasma bursts from the sun, an island makes waves in the sky, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Pictures: "Ghost" Robot Lets User Cuddle, Chat Remotely
August 5, 2010
Part phone, part ventriloquist's dummy, the Telenoid R1 robot can stand in for distant relatives, friends, or teachers, its creators say.
-
Moon Not So Watery After All, Lunar-Rock Study Says
August 5, 2010
Previous reports of significant amounts of water on the moon may be all wet, says a new study of chlorine in Apollo moon rocks.
-
Solar Storm Headed for Earth Tonight; May Spawn Auroras
August 3, 2010
A huge eruption on the sun may trigger auroras tonight, and the light show could be more widely visible than normal, astronomers say.
-
Universe's Existence May Be Explained by New Material
August 3, 2010
A special ceramic may help researchers explain why all matter in the universe didn't annihilate shortly after the big bang.
-
Space-Time "Wrinkles" Igniting Odd Gamma-ray Bursts?
August 2, 2010
Unusually short but intense "fireballs" in the distant universe may be triggered by vibrating cosmic strings, a new study says.
-
"Spacequakes" Discovered in Earth's Upper Atmosphere
July 30, 2010
The space weather phenomenon swirls auroras and can spawn magnetic "twisters" that can knock out power lines, a new study says.
-
Space Photos This Week: Mars Bull's Eye, Sooty Stars
July 29, 2010
Radar of a rocky desert, a Martian bull's eye, and "cool" mirrors feature among the week's best space pictures.
-
Pictures: New Flying-Car Design Revealed
July 28, 2010
The first flying car with a shot at making it to market got a new look Monday, as seen in pictures of the craft as a car, a plane—and something in-between.
-
Sniff-Controlled Keyboards, Wheelchairs Invented
July 27, 2010
A new sniff-driven controller is helping paralyzed people get moving again—and allowed a "locked in" patient to write letters, a new study says.
-
Massive Comet Impact Detected on Neptune
July 23, 2010
New data hint that a comet crashed into Neptune about 200 years ago, adding to evidence that gassy planets get hit more often than thought.
-
Largest Space Molecules Found; Buckyball Mystery Solved
July 23, 2010
Mel Brooks may have invented Spaceballs, but it took astronomers to find the real things—and they're the largest molecules outside Earth.
-
"Fresh" Crater Found in Egypt; Changes Impact Risk?
July 22, 2010
The well-preserved crater was likely made by an iron meteor that landed whole—a find that could change Earth's impact risk, scientists say.
-
Space Photos This Week: "Enterprise" Crew, Big Baby Star
July 22, 2010
The V.S.S. <em>Enterprise</em> takes flight, a Mars lander gets an eye, a Saturn moon makes snowballs, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
New Galaxy Maps to Help Find Dark Energy Proof?
July 21, 2010
A new mapping technique could help astronomers use giant sound waves to test theories of the mysterious cosmic force, scientists say.
-
Most Massive Star Discovered—Shatters Record
July 21, 2010
A newfound star weighing in at 265 times the mass of our sun could "revolutionize" theories of star life and death, astronomers say.
-
"Lost" Languages to Be Resurrected by Computers?
July 19, 2010
A new program has deciphered writing last used in Biblical times, a feat that may lead to the "resurrection" of mysterious ancient texts.
-
Video: Giant Undersea Volcano Revealed
July 19, 2010
See the first footage of one of the world's largest underwater volcanoes, a roiling, 10,000-foot-tall peak crawling with crustaceans near Indonesia.
-
Planet Found With Comet-like Tail
July 15, 2010
Blasted by its host star, a far-off planet is disintegrating, its mass streaming away in a comet-like tail, a new study says.
-
Final Mercury Flyby Reveals Huge Magnetic "Power Surges"
July 15, 2010
The tiny planet quickly builds up and releases a massive amount of energy in its magnetic "tail"—a process that has scientists baffled.
-
Ultrabright Gamma-ray Burst "Blinded" NASA Telescope
July 15, 2010
One of the brightest gamma-ray bursts yet briefly shut down the Swift space telescope, astronomers announced this week.
-
Space Photos This Week: Eclipse, Hubble Stunner, More
July 14, 2010
Hubble spies a cosmic cauldron, a moon probe peers down a "rabbit hole," Easter Island goes dark, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Video: Giant Undersea Volcano Revealed
July 14, 2010
See the first footage of one of the world's largest underwater volcanoes, a roiling, 10,000-foot-tall peak crawling with crustaceans near Indonesia.
-
Asteroid Pictures: Battered World Found in Lutetia
July 13, 2010
The Rosetta spacecraft's first pictures of asteroid 21 Lutetia reveal a worn, cratered world perhaps as old as our solar system, astronomers say.
-
Video: "New World" Asteroid Imaged Up Close
July 12, 2010
The Rosetta craft took the first close images of asteroid Lutetia Saturday, with scientists comparing the pictures to "the discovery of a new world."
-
Solar Eclipse Photos: Easter Island, Other Sites Darken
July 12, 2010
The stone heads of Easter Island were among "witnesses" of a total solar eclipse Sunday. Earth won't see another like it until 2012.
-
Human Brains "Evolve," Become Less Monkey-Like With Age
July 12, 2010
The brain regions that grow the most as we age are the same areas that expanded the most during evolution, a new study says.
-
Asteroid Flyby July 10—European Probe Closing In
July 9, 2010
On Saturday the European probe Rosetta will swoop past 21 Lutetia, the largest and least understood asteroid yet visited.
-
Total Solar Eclipse Sunday—Most Remote of the Century?
July 9, 2010
Only a lucky few will see this year's total solar eclipse, which will sweep across a handful of Pacific islands July 11.
-
Space Photos This Week: Cosmic Dragon, "Fireworks," More
July 8, 2010
A star cluster sparkles, a new map reveals ancient light, a "dragon" emerges from a nebula, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Solar Eclipse to Darken Easter Island Sunday
July 8, 2010
The moon's shadow will envelop Easter Island on July 11 during a total solar eclipse, the first to cross the remote island in about 1,400 years.
-
Proton Smaller Than Thought—May Rewrite Laws of Physics
July 7, 2010
Scientists were "totally surprised" to find the proton smaller than thought—a "significant shake-up" that may change the laws of physics.
-
Earth at Farthest Distance From Sun—Why the Heat Wave?
July 6, 2010
This week Earth is farther from the sun than it will be at any other time in 2010. So why the heat wave in the U.S. East?
-
Space Station Visible All Night Thursday—How to See It
July 1, 2010
In a once-a-year sky show, the International Space Station can be seen Thursday night with the naked eye multiple times from select locations.
-
"First" Picture of Planet Orbiting Sunlike Star Confirmed
June 30, 2010
A team of astronomers says it holds bragging rights to releasing the first ever direct picture of an alien planet around a sunlike star.
-
Lunar Eclipse Saturday to Appear Red?
June 25, 2010
A partial eclipse of the full moon tomorrow may get an added boost of red color from recent eruptions of the Iceland volcano, astronomers say.
-
First Working Replacement Lung Created in Lab
June 24, 2010
Biomedical breakthrough in rats may lead to replacement lungs for humans in 20 years, if a suitable source of stem cells can be found.
-
Pictures: Butterfly Wing Colors Imaged in 3-D
June 24, 2010
The crystals that give butterfly wings their vibrant colors have been revealed in 3-D for the first time, a new study says.
-
Touching Heavy, Hard Objects Makes Us More Serious
June 24, 2010
Looking for a job? Print your resume on heavy paper, according to a new study that shows touch unconsciously influences our behaviors.
-
"Shocking" Superstorm Seen on Exoplanet—A First
June 23, 2010
A fierce, planet-wide storm raging on an exoplanet has been glimpsed for the first time, a new study says.
-
Space Photos This Week: Odd Aurora, Solar Flare, More
June 22, 2010
Astronauts see a shifted aurora, two Saturn moons align, the sun sends up a bright eruption, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
World's Largest Digital Camera to Watch for Killer Asteroids
June 22, 2010
The Pan-STARRS telescope snaps 1.4-gigapixel pictures every 30 seconds in a hunt for stellar explosions and planet-destroying rocks.
-
"Lucy" Kin Pushes Back Evolution of Upright Walking?
June 21, 2010
A newfound skeleton that was a male relative of "Lucy" supports the idea that walking upright evolved earlier than thought, a new study says.
-
Summer Solstice 2010: Why It's the First Day of Summer
June 18, 2010
Find out why the summer solstice starts summer, and why it's the longest day of the year—but not the hottest. 2010.
-
World Cup Science: Soccer's Greatest Player Is ...
June 18, 2010
Could a new scientific system end arguments over who's the world's best soccer player? No. But researchers are naming names anyway—by the numbers.
-
Swine Flu Virus Hiding Out in Pigs, May Reemerge
June 17, 2010
Swine flu, or H1N1, has been hiding out in pigs for more than a year, getting a genetic makeover, scientists have discovered.
-
Meteor Caused Jupiter Flash, Hubble Reveals
June 17, 2010
The Hubble telescope has not found a dark debris field, suggesting a smaller meteor and not a large asteroid or comet hit Jupiter.
-
"God Particle" May Be Five Distinct Particles, New Evidence Shows
June 16, 2010
The long-sought Higgs boson particle might actually be five distinct particles, a "provocative" atom-smashing experiment suggests.
-
Brain Cells in a Dish Keep Time
June 16, 2010
Networks of brain cells in the laboratory can be trained to track time—suggesting we're not ruled by one master clock, a new study says.
-
Space Photos This Week: Hayabusa Fireball, Whirlpools
June 16, 2010
A dazzling fireball from a Japanese spacecraft, a whirlpool galaxy with an appetite, and a boomerang-shaped stellar jet are among the week's space pictures.
-
Bright Green Comet Easy to See This Week
June 15, 2010
A long-tailed comet at the height of its brilliance is streaking across early morning skies this week, experts say.
-
Divert the Mississippi to Fight Oil Spill, Experts Say
June 15, 2010
Artificially boosted, the river could act as an invisible barrier against the oil, buying time for cleanup crews in hard-hit Louisiana, scientists say.
-
Moon Has a Hundred Times More Water Than Thought
June 14, 2010
A splashy new study estimates the inner moon has enough water for an all-encompassing lunar ocean. "This could be a total game-changer."
-
Ancient Mars Had Vast Ocean, New Evidence Shows
June 14, 2010
A vast ocean chock-full of microbes may have once covered more than a third of Mars' surface, according to a new analysis of river deltas on the red planet.
-
Video: Hayabusa Spacecraft's Fiery Return From Asteroid
June 14, 2010
Japan's Hayabusa, the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid and return to Earth, made a fiery reentry over southern Australia Sunday night.
-
Prehistoric Europeans Hunted, Ate Lion?
June 14, 2010
Prehistoric Europeans were top hunters capable of taking down cave lions, a new study suggests, though the practice was likely extremely rare.
-
Hayabusa Spacecraft Returns With Fiery Show
June 14, 2010
Japan's Hayabusa spacecraft returned to Earth this weekend, possibly carrying the first dust taken directly from the face of an asteroid.
-
Japan's "Falcon" Spacecraft Returns—Asteroid Dust On Board?
June 11, 2010
This weekend a Japanese spacecraft is due to return to Earth, possibly carrying the first sample taken directly from the surface of an asteroid.
-
Youngest Planet Confirmed; Photos Show It Grew Up Fast
June 10, 2010
New telescope pictures prove the youngest known planet outside our solar system does in fact exist—and that planets can grow up fast—a new study says.
-
Giant Sea Reptiles Were Warm-Blooded?
June 10, 2010
Giant reptiles that ruled dinosaur-era seas might have been partly warm-blooded—giving them the faster metabolism of an aggressive hunter, a new study says.
-
Space Photos This Week: Falcon 9, Jupiter Impact, More
June 8, 2010
A commercial craft heads into orbit, a fireball smacks Jupiter, a new planet hunter debuts, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Pictures: Guatemala Sinkhole Adds to World's Famous Pits
June 4, 2010
The sinkhole that opened up in Guatemala adds to the chasms—natural and human-induced—that have appeared from Alabama to Iceland.
-
Bright Fireball Slams Into Jupiter
June 4, 2010
Even as scientists announce new details about last year's impact on Jupiter, two backyard astronomers separately catch a new collision on film.
-
Mammoth-Belch Deficit Caused Prehistoric Cooling?
June 3, 2010
By killing off woolly mammoths and other Ice Age megamammals, humans may have sparked a thousand-year cooling event, a new study says.
-
Snails on Meth Have Sharper Memories
June 3, 2010
When high on crystal meth, snails learn and retain memories better—possibly giving clues into how humans get hooked on the drug, a new study says.
-
Pictures: NASA Guts 747, Adds 17-Ton Telescope
June 2, 2010
A candy-colored view of Jupiter is among the first pictures taken by SOFIA, a 17-ton telescope mounted into a modified Boeing 747.
-
Space Photos This Week: Black Holes, Bent Moon, More
June 1, 2010
Alpine cities shimmer, "backward" black holes show their jet power, Earth crumples the moon, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Blue Light Smells Like Bananas to Gene-Altered Flies
June 1, 2010
Fruit fly larvae with algae proteins in their "noses" will mistake blue light for the scent of mushy bananas, researchers have found.
-
Pagan Burial Altar Found in Israel
May 28, 2010
Wealthy pagans worshiped at the 2,000-year-old altar, which is adorned with carved bull heads, ribbons, and laurel wreaths, archaeologists say.
-
"Comets" Found Orbiting Monster Black Hole
May 28, 2010
Ghostly, comet-shaped clouds of gas have been spotted orbiting near the mouth of a supermassive black hole, a new study says.
-
Electric Ash Found in Iceland Plume Miles From Volcano
May 27, 2010
Ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano was charged even over Europe—a find that's both good and bad news for air traffic, scientists say.
-
Space Photos This Week: Space Shuttle, Supernova, More
May 26, 2010
<em>.Atlantis</em> crosses the sun, a supernova shoots an odd ''bullet,'' a moon rock makes a hole in one, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Space Shuttle Atlantis: Final Flight in Pictures
May 26, 2010
Wednesday's smooth landing at Kennedy Space Center marks what will most likely be the final flight of the NASA space shuttle <em>Atlantis.</em>
-
Singing 13-Year-Old Wins National Geographic Bee
May 26, 2010
A singing 13-year-old from Florida proved Wednesday that he could carry a tune—and the competition.
-
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Officially Dead
May 25, 2010
A recent picture of the polar lander shows winter ice broke a solar panel, confirming that Phoenix won't rise again, NASA officials say.
-
Planets Found With Crisscross Orbits—A First
May 25, 2010
A "super Jupiter" and its sibling have unusual, crisscross orbits—the first time anyone has seen such a configuration, scientists say.
-
Toxic New Algae Species Discovered
May 24, 2010
A new species of microalgae can cause slow-growing but serious lesions in infected people, a new study says.
-
Space Photos This Week: Full Moon, Shuttle Docks, More
May 19, 2010
<em>Atlantis</em> does a backflip, an orange moon looms over Germany, a satellite tracks Chinese dust, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Pictures: America's Ten Most Dangerous Volcanoes
May 18, 2010
Thirty years later, Mount St. Helens—which erupted 30 years ago today—holds steady at number two. See all ten of America's most dangerous volcanoes, ranked by government experts.
-
Solar Sail Hybrid Launches Today From Japan
May 17, 2010
Japan is set to launch Ikaros, the first "space yacht" that will speed across the solar system using a solar-powered sail.
-
Ball Lightning May Be All in Your Head
May 14, 2010
The mysterious floating orbs might simply be hallucinations caused by brains overstimulated by magnetism, a new study suggests.
-
Jupiter Loses Big Belt; Great Spot Left Hanging
May 14, 2010
One of the planet's two major dark stripes has gone missing, leaving the Great Red Spot "floating all alone in whiteness."
-
Tibetans Evolved to Survive High Life, Study Says
May 13, 2010
Many Tibetans carry unique versions of two genes associated with the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells, a new DNA study says.
-
Hole in Space Found by Orbiting Telescope
May 12, 2010
The truly empty void spotted by the Herschel Space Observatory could offer new insight into how stars are born, astronomers say.
-
Space Photos This Week: Gulf Oil Spill, Star Birth, More
May 11, 2010
An astronaut spies the Gulf oil spill, a runaway star gets caught, the sun erupts with a twist, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Hubble Telescope Catches Superfast Runaway Star
May 11, 2010
The stellar speed demon spied racing through the Tarantula Nebula may be a never before seen type of fugitive star, a new study says.
-
Glowing Sea Beasts: Photos Shed Light on Bioluminescence
May 7, 2010
A new report reviews why, for sea species, bioluminescence can be a very healthy glow—and how so many creatures evolved it in so many ways.
-
Mystery Space Object May Be Ejected Black Hole
May 7, 2010
A superbright object in a galaxy far, far away could be a supermassive black hole that got ejected from its home galaxy's center, scientists say.
-
Hand Washing Wipes Away Regrets?
May 6, 2010
The simple act of washing your hands seems to get rid of the need to justify a tough choice, researchers say.
-
Space Photos This Week: Black Holes, Sahara Storm, More
May 4, 2010
Midsize black holes, a dust "wall" pushing across Africa, and recently made streaks on Mars feature among the week's best space pictures.
-
Supernova's Beginning Blast Shown in 3-D—A First
April 30, 2010
The mysterious first moments of a huge star's demise have now been modeled in 3-D, offering the best peek yet at what triggers the explosions.
-
Water Discovered on an Asteroid—A First
April 28, 2010
A frosty space rock with organic materials may offer new proof that asteroids delivered water—and the origins of life—to Earth.
-
Space Photos This Week: Mystic Mountain, Mars Ice, More
April 27, 2010
Hubble snaps a cosmic "mountain," a satellite spies an oil slick, a Mars crater exposes ice, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Human Bodies Make Their Own Morphine
April 26, 2010
Tiny amounts of the "incredible painkiller" get made naturally in mice and people, possibly as a defense mechanism, a new study says.
-
Hubble Telescope at 20: NASA Astronomers' Top Photos
April 24, 2010
For the Hubble telescope's 20th anniversary, NASA astronomers selected the pictures they think best highlight the Hubble's scientific and societal impacts.
-
Sun Erupts: Epic Blast Seen by NASA Solar Observatory
April 23, 2010
NASA solar observatories recently filmed one of the largest known sun eruptions, which blasted "a huge amount of material into space."
-
Hubble 20th Anniversary Photos: NASA Astronomers' Picks
April 22, 2010
For Hubble's 20th anniversary, NASA astronomers selected the pictures that best highlight the telescope's scientific and societal impacts.
-
Rig Explosion Shows Risks in Key Oil Frontier
April 22, 2010
The blast on the premier rig, the Deepwater Horizon, is a reminder of hazards as the oil industry searches ever deeper for new resources.
-
Pictures: NASA Solar Observatory's First Shots
April 21, 2010
A plasma loop shot into space and a high-speed surface wave star among the first sun pictures from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.
-
Space Photos This Week: Star Lagoon, Iceland Ash, More
April 20, 2010
Newborn stars swim in a lagoon, satellites spy Iceland's ash, a webcam catches a fiery meteor, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Lightning Creates Particle Accelerators Above Earth
April 20, 2010
Intense lightning bolts can make natural particle accelerators in the sky, although human-made colliders are more powerful, experts say.
-
Lyrid Meteor Shower to Peak on Earth Day
April 19, 2010
For the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, nature will be setting off some fireworks, with the peak of the annual Lyrid meteor shower arriving on April 22.
-
Oxygen-Free Animals Discovered—A First
April 16, 2010
Deep in the Mediterranean, scientists have discovered the first complex animals known to live without oxygen.
-
"Major," Green Meteor Lights Midwest Night Sky
April 15, 2010
See the huge, greenish fireball that turned night to day before likely landing in Wisconsin—and get the science behind the sky show.
-
Space Photos This Week: Mars Gullies, Odd Galaxy, More
April 14, 2010
"Monster" stars get exposed, an ice-watching satellite gets a fiery start, Hubble snaps an oddball galaxy, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Mini Magnetic Shield Found on the Moon
April 14, 2010
A small pocket of the lunar surface is protected from punishing charged particles streaming from the sun, new data confirm.
-
New Planets Found; Have Backward Orbits
April 14, 2010
A handful of hot Jupiters have been found to orbit backward, a discovery that may reduce the odds for Earthlike planets in these systems.
-
"Biggest" Comet Measured
April 13, 2010
A spacecraft's trip through comet McNaught's tail shows the comet made an even bigger impression on the solar system than suspected.
-
Every Black Hole Contains Another Universe?
April 9, 2010
And, like cosmic Russian dolls, our universe maybe nested inside a black hole in another universe, a new study says.
-
Lightning Makes Mushrooms Multiply
April 9, 2010
Lightning strikes can more than double some mushroom crops, according to ongoing experiments that are jolting fungi with electricity.
-
Near-Death Experiences Explained?
April 8, 2010
Bright lights and angels seen at the brink of death are the products of too much carbon dioxide in the blood, a new study suggests.
-
First Pictures: Mystery Disk Eclipses Star
April 7, 2010
New pictures confirm that a dark disk is responsible for the star Epsilon Aurigae's regular, 18-month-long eclipses. Also: how to see it in the night sky.
-
Comet "Shower" Killed Ice Age Mammals?
April 7, 2010
A new model suggests a comet breakup wiped out North America’s big mammals—and the debris might still be creating an annual meteor shower.
-
Space Photos This Week: Soul Nebula, Aurora, More
April 6, 2010
Stars hollow out a dusty "soul," the space station meets an aurora, a two-faced nebula shines, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
"Sound Bullets" to Zap Off Tumors?
April 5, 2010
A new device can turn sound waves into "sonic scalpels" for removing tumors—and make them gentle enough to image organs, scientists say.
-
Rare "Supertaskers" Can Juggle Driving, Cell Phones
April 2, 2010
While behind the wheel, 1 in 40 people perform as well or better at memorizing words and doing math over the phone, a new study says.
-
New Blind Snakes Found, Help Explain World Domination
April 1, 2010
The discovery of a new family of wormlike snakes may help explain how blind snakes conquered continents despite being unable to swim.
-
"Roaming" Magnetic Fields Found
April 1, 2010
Weak bundles of energy that formed before galaxies even existed may have been the seeds for the huge magnetic fields around galaxies.
-
Sky Show This Weekend: Venus to Meet Elusive Mercury
April 1, 2010
Normally elusive, Mercury will be shining brightly near Venus for most of this month—with a close conjunction on April 3 and 4.
-
HUMAN GENOME AT TEN: 5 Breakthroughs, 5 Predictions
March 31, 2010
Ten years after the Human Genome Project's grand achievement, experts hail the advances and share hopes for the next ten.
-
Space Photos This Week: Giant Crater, Trojan Moon, More
March 30, 2010
A colorful crater, a stellar giant reduced to dust, and a trojan moon are among the stars of this week's best space pictures.
-
Large Hadron Collider Smashes Protons, Sets Record
March 30, 2010
The Large Hadron Collider has had a smashing success, bringing together twin beams of protons to create a record-shattering atom smashup.
-
Bulging Mutant Trout Created: More Muscle, More Meat
March 29, 2010
The genetically engineered fish boast at least 15 percent more flesh for eating—but is that good?
-
Texas Pioneers Energy Storage in Giant Battery
March 25, 2010
Texas Pioneers Energy Storage in Giant Battery
-
Pictures: 7 Emergency Climate Fixes
March 24, 2010
From artificial volcanoes to sailing cloud makers, "geoengineering" may be the only option left to stop a global warming catastrophe, experts say.
-
Space Photos This Week: Virgin Galactic Flight, More
March 24, 2010
Virgin Galactic's commercial spaceship gets its first test flight, stars paint a cosmic rosebud, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Polar Algae Forests Explored
March 23, 2010
In cold Antarctic waters, explorers comb lush seaweed forests filled with rarely seen creatures to find potential new cancer treatments. Video.
-
New Proof Unknown "Structures" Tug at Our Universe
March 22, 2010
The case is building for a theory that hundreds of galaxy clusters are being tugged at by clumps of matter outside the known universe.
-
Large Hadron Collider Breaks Energy Record—By 300%
March 19, 2010
The Large Hadron Collider set a new energy record this morning. In doing so, the "big bang machine" took an important step toward full-power operation.
-
Vernal Equinox 2010: Facts on the First Day of Spring
March 19, 2010
Will day and night really be equally long on Saturday, the 2010 vernal equinox (or spring equinox)? Get the answer—and other first-day-of-spring facts and oddities.
-
To Capture Lost Power, Super Solution Sought
March 19, 2010
The steel lattice towers that help carry electricity from one place to another are not a pretty sight, but there’s also an invisible problem--the power lost due to electrical resistance. Superconducting technology may be solution.
-
How a Man Produces 1,500 Sperm a Second
March 18, 2010
A man's constant supply of sperm is created in a much more complex way than previously thought, says new research that could someday lead to male birth control.
-
Immaculate Black Holes Found at Universe's Conception
March 18, 2010
The first dust-free black holes have been discovered, giving scientists a rare peek into the supermassive bodies.
-
Saturn Rings Surprisingly Unstable, Violent
March 18, 2010
Buzzing Saturn's rings, a NASA spacecraft has uncovered a slew of surprises, including rapid rearrangements, colliding moonlets, and an oxygen atmosphere.
-
New Planet Found; May Be Cosmic Rosetta Stone
March 17, 2010
A newly discovered gas giant outside our solar system may become the first such exoplanet to be investigated, a new study says.
-
Space Photos of the Week: Spring Auroras, Starlets, More
March 16, 2010
Auroras spring to life, the Milky Way enters middle age, a Mars moon gets its close-up, and more in the week's best space pictures.
-
Half-Male, Half-Female Chicken Mystery Solved
March 16, 2010
It was a tough egg to crack, but scientists have discovered that half-male, half-female chickens possess a mixture of genetically male and female cells.
-
Earthquake Baptism Saves Chile Family
March 12, 2010
A christening celebration saved a Chilean extended family from the devastation of the February 27 Chile earthquake. Video.
-
Superfast Stars Have Five-Minute Orbits
March 12, 2010
Two stellar corpses circle each other in just 5.4 minutes, whirling tightly together at 310 miles a second, a new study confirms.
-
Saturn Moon Has Surprisingly "Slushy" Insides
March 11, 2010
Under the brittle, icy crust of Titan lies a surprisingly icy mush, followed by a liquid ocean and a core of rock and ice, new data suggest.
-
See-Through Vision Invented
March 10, 2010
We're not in Superman territory yet, but scientists have figured out how "see" through thin opaque barriers by unscrambling what little light passes through.