Space News - Articles About NASA and Space

The Goldilocks zone: The place in a solar system that's just right

By Andrew May published 1 April 22

Reference Discover how finding this habitable zone is essential to uncovered life on other worlds

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Very large space rocks that fly within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of Earth's solar orbit are known as potentially hazardous asteroids.

'Potentially hazardous' Apollo-class asteroid sails harmlessly past Earth

By Brandon Specktor published 1 April 22

An asteroid the size of a skyscraper sailed harmlessly past Earth today at around 4:35 PM ET.

An illustration showing the donut-shaped Van Allen radiation belts swirling around Earth, with electrons spiraling through them.

Ultra-fast electron rain is pouring out of Earth's magnetosphere, and scientists think they know why

By Brandon Specktor published 1 April 22

Scientists discovered the mechanism that causes electrons to 'downpour' into Earth's atmosphere.

A colorized image of Cassiopeia A based on data from the Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra space telescopes.

Strange 'reverse shock wave' supernova is exploding in the wrong direction

By Harry Baker published 1 April 22

Data collected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have revealed that a supernova shock wave traveling through the Cassiopeia A nebula is not expanding as evenly as it should be.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei shortly after returning to Earth on March 30, 2022.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei back on Earth after record-breaking mission

By Chelsea Gohd published 31 March 22

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei can't wait to see his wife after landing back on Earth after a record-breaking mission.

The region on the sky, 1/250 of a degree across, where the gravity of a foreground galaxy cluster magnified a distant background star — nicknamed Earendil — thousands of times.

Hubble spots most distant star ever seen, 28 billion light-years away

By Mindy Weisberger published 30 March 22

A star that formed when the universe was young was recently spotted by Hubble space telescope. It's the most distant star ever seen and could be 500 times as massive as the sun.

Starlink: SpaceX's satellite internet system

By Laura Mears published 30 March 22

Reference SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk announced the Starlink satellite internet concept in January 2015. The fist of these satellites were launched in 2019.

Reference

A massive coronal mass ejection erupting from the sun in 2017.

'Cannibal' coronal mass ejection will hit Earth at nearly 2 million mph, scientists say

By Ben Turner published 30 March 22

The giant solar flare is a combination of two massive ejections from the sun's surface.

An image of Pluto taken by the New Horizons probe in 2015 with evidence for potential cryovolcanism marked in blue.

Ice volcanoes on Pluto may still be erupting

By Rebecca Sohn published 30 March 22

An area of Pluto that researchers think was formed from the eruption of ice volcanoes is unique on the dwarf planet and in the solar system, a new study suggests.

An artist's rendering of a pulsar surrounded by a glowing disk of matter. In 'black widow' pulsars, that matter comes from a smaller companion star that's slowly being irradiated out of existence.

Rare 'black widow' star system could help unlock the secrets of space-time

By Brandon Specktor published 30 March 22

Scientists found a remarkably stable 'black widow ' pulsar that could be used to help detect gravitational waves.

The sunrise casts a warm glow around the Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 21.

NASA is counting down to the 'wet dress rehearsal' for its 'Mega Moon Rocket'

By Mindy Weisberger published 29 March 22

Critical prelaunch tests for the Artemis I moon mission, known as a "wet dress rehearsal," are scheduled to begin on April 1 and continue through April 4.

'Potentially hazardous asteroid' will make its closest-ever approach to Earth on April Fools' Day (yes, really)

By Harry Baker published 28 March 22

Astronomers have confirmed that a "potentially hazardous" asteroid is set to make its closest-ever approach to Earth this Friday (April 1).

Artist's concept of the European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft mapping stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

The Milky Way's 'thick disk' is 2 billion years older than scientists thought

By Brandon Specktor published 28 March 22

Astronomers have found that part of the MIlky Way known as the thick disk is about 2 billion years older than expected, forming just 0.8 billion years after the Big Bang.

Taken during Juno's 39th close flyby of Jupiter on Jan. 12, 2022, this stunning view captures two of the planet's moons: Io (left) and Europa (right).

NASA spacecraft snaps gorgeous new photo of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa

By Samantha Mathewson published 26 March 22

NASA's Juno spacecraft beamed back stunning new photos of Jupiter's moons, Io and Europa.

A NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory image of the sun.

Strange new type of solar wave defies physics

By Ben Turner published 25 March 22

Scientists think this could also help to explain mysterious phenomena on Earth.

This is a colored view of the C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu, seen by the ONC-T camera on board of Hayabusa2.

We may finally know why spinning-top asteroid Ryugu has such a weird shape

By Ben Turner published 25 March 22

Scientists think Ryugu may have been made by gravity squishing the asteroid's rocky contents together after its ice melted.

The northern lights shine above mountains near Atigun Pass, Dalton Highway, Alaska.

NASA set to launch 2 rockets into the northern lights

By Stephanie Pappas published 24 March 22

Researchers plan to launch two rockets into the heart of the northern lights. Here's what they might find.

These astronomy books will guide you across the sky, along with history and culture - Best Astronomy books

Best astronomy books 2022

By Elizabeth Howell published 24 March 22

Explore the cosmos and find your way around the night sky with this combination of classic titles and new entries, all in the best astronomy books.

Data from SARAO's MeerKAT radio telescope data (green) showing the odd radio circles, is overlaid on optical and near infra-red data from the Dark Energy Survey.

Odd radio circles could come from giant black holes, new study finds

By Ben Turner published 24 March 22

The circles could come from giant explosions in space, but what is causing the explosions is still a mystery.

Comet Leonard, shown here on Dec. 4, 2021, was the brightest comet to whiz past Earth that year.

RIP Comet Leonard: Brightest comet to whiz past Earth in 2021 is now a blur of dust.