National Geographic News - Space

NEW ROBOT PICTURES: Best Moon-Digging Rovers Named

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

In a battle for the lightest yet strongest, robotic competitors in the 2009 Regolith Excavation Challenge hauled hundreds of pounds of simulated moon soil. Winning designs may actually end up on the moon if NASA builds a lunar outpost.

SPACE PHOTOS THIS WEEK: Test Rocket, Moon Plume, More

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Get an astronaut's-eye view of a volcanic eruption, examine a newfound Martian meteorite, see proof that a NASA craft smashed into the moon, and more in the week's best space pictures.

2009 Orionid Meteor Shower Peak Begins

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The annual Orionid meteor shower, caused by debris from Halley's comet, should put on a "decent show" this year as up to 25 meteors an hour streak across a moonless sky, astronomers say.

32 New Planets Found Outside Our Solar System

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The massive haul of new worlds brings the number of known extrasolar planets to more than 400, astronomers say.

"Rejected" Protons Offer a New View of the Moon

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Solar particles bounced back into space by the lunar surface are giving scientists new insight into how the sun affects the moon, a new study says.

Orionids Meteor Shower Starts This Weekend

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The annual Orionids meteor shower, caused by debris from Halley's comet, should put on a "decent show" this year as meteors streak across a moonless sky, astronomers say.

FIREBALL PICTURE: Meteor Explodes Over the Netherlands

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

A huge fireball streaked over several Dutch towns on Tuesday before it broke apart, creating a sonic boom that rattled windows, witnesses report.

Mystery Space "Ribbon" Found at Solar System's Edge

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The two-billion-mile-long band of atoms might mark the spot where the galaxy's magnetic field is squeezing the bubble around solar system, a new study says.

Solar Eruptions Captured in 3-D

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

For the first time, spacecraft have observed eruptions on the sun from multiple angles for hours on end—a feat made possible by NASA's twin STEREO craft. Video.

SPACE PHOTOS THIS WEEK: Moon Crash, Galaxy Merger, More

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Check out the tail-end of a galactic tussle, see the lighter side of Mars's "Labyrinth of Night," spy on ships' tracks as seen from the skies, and more in the week's best space pictures.