Dissent Grows as Scientists Oppose NASA’s New Moon Mission

NASA’s plan for manned space exploration focuses on establishing a base on the moon, as a vital stepping stone for a visit to Mars. The initiative has been trumpeted by the Bush administration, which wants the first mission to launch by 2020. But trouble is brewing as a growing group of former mission managers, planetary [...]

First photo of Enterprise from upcoming Star Trek movie (2008)

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Mars rovers find new evidence of ‘habitable niche’

Inch by power-conserving inch, drivers on Earth have moved the Mars rover Spirit to a spot where it has its best chance at surviving a third Martian winter — and where it will celebrate its fourth anniversary (in Earth years) since bouncing down on Mars for a projected 90-day mission in January 2004.
Meanwhile, researchers are [...]

Asteroid may hit Mars in next month

LOS ANGELES – Mars could be in for an asteroid hit. A newly discovered hunk of space rock has a 1 in 75 chance of slamming into the Red Planet on Jan. 30, scientists said Thursday.
“These odds are extremely unusual. We frequently work with really long odds when we track … threatening asteroids,” said Steve [...]

Would you go to space given the chance?

Lots of us dream about going to space one day and others would rather stay here on good old earth instead of going on a rough ride to reach the outer limits of our earths gravitational pull. But is it just a dream? Well according to Starchaser and a few other companies doing the same [...]

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Star Trek

Think you’re a die-hard Trekkie? Think again. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the sci-fi franchise….
During the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s, two men — Gene Roddenberry and Sherwood Schwartz — developed TV shows with a similar, fundamental premise: The characters would be a microcosm of the world, and only through [...]

SETI has a protocol on how to respond to First Contact with ETs

The “Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence” advises what to do and who to call if aliens are finally found.
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Incredible Comet Bigger than the Sun

A comet that has delighted backyard astronomers in recent weeks after an unexpected eruption has now grown larger than the sun.
The sun remains by far the most massive object in the solar system, with an extended influence of particles that reaches all the planets. But the comparatively tiny Comet Holmes has released so much gas [...]

Are asteroids a threat to Earth?

Hollywood thrillers such as Deep Impact helped to jump-start America’s interest in knowing what our “deflection strategy” would be if a giant asteroid was on a potentially catastrophic collision course with Earth.
Chris Palma, senior lecturer in astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State, says that such events are statistically highly probable. “Throughout Earth’s [...]

"Second Earth" found–20 lightyears away!

Scientists have discovered a warm and rocky “second Earth” circling a star, a find they believe dramatically boosts the prospects that we are not alone.
The planet is the most Earth-like ever spotted and is thought to have perfect conditions for water, an essential ingredient for life. Researchers detected the planet orbiting one of Earth’s nearest [...]

The Enduring Mysteries of the Moon

The moon–linked in myth with goddesses of witchcraft and the hunt, with gods of magic and wisdom–is nearly as old as Earth itself, with enigmas of its own. As close as the moon is to Earth, we are still far from solving all its mysteries–from how the moon was born to whether life on Earth [...]

List of artificial objects on the Moon

The following table is a partial list and location of artificial objects on the surface of the Moon. They have been abandoned after having served their purpose. The list does not include smaller objects such as the retroreflectors and Lunar Surface Experiment Package. Nor does it include the Fallen Astronaut statuette or Alan Shephard’s [...]

What will happen to the earth in 5 billion years

Astronomers say “The future of the Earth is to die with the sun boiling up the oceans”
Astronomers have discovered the first known planet to survive the “red-giant” phase – a process whereby aging stars expand and engulf its orbiting bodies. The discovery of the “gas-giant planet” three times the size of Jupiter, shows an insight [...]

Mars rovers begin to stir as dust storms recede

NASA’s twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity are starting to move again after being immobilised for six weeks by severe dust storms.
The storms hit in late June, just as Opportunity was poised to enter the 800-metre-wide Victoria crater, which may contain crucial geological records of past conditions on Mars.
Lofting dust high in the atmosphere, the [...]

Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber heading into space

According to recent news out of NASA, the next time the Discovery crew take their ship into orbit, the “force” will be with them — because they’re taking Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber along for the ride. That’s right, for the film’s 30th anniversary, the original lightsaber prop from the first Star Wars film is taking a [...]