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Lightsail 2 set to launch in June
"We are go for launch!" said Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye. Funded by space enthusiasts, LightSail 2 aims to accomplish the 1st-ever, controlled solar sail flight in Earth orbit next month.
May 14, 2019
Rainbow spokes over Pennsylvania
When dense rain showers are falling into a rainbow, you might see one or more dark spokes centered on the point exactly opposite the sun. These are called rainbow spokes, or rainbow wheels.
May 14, 2019
Simulating stars’ sounds to reveal their secrets
"A cello sounds like a cello because of its size and shape,” said astronomer Jacqueline Goldstein. “The vibrations of stars also depend on their size and structure."
May 13, 2019
Asteroid strike simulation blasts New York City
It seems like play, but they're serious. Every year, at the Planetary Defense Conference, asteroid experts from around the globe run days-long simulations of asteroids headed for major cities. In 2019, it was New York City's turn.
May 13, 2019
Nature in Japan: Time travel
Hideto Shimizu hiked many miles across the mountains of Japan to capture the images in this gorgeous 90-second video. He wrote: "I hope it delivers you the feelings of the places I photographed."
May 13, 2019
What Mars’ giant dust storm taught us
Before we send people to Mars, we need to understand more about how Martian dust could affect astronauts and their equipment. Here are 3 things we’ve learned from the planet’s 2018 global dust storm.
May 12, 2019
Arsenic-breathing life discovered in Pacific
Arsenic is a deadly poison for most living things, but new research shows that microorganisms are breathing arsenic in a large area of the Pacific Ocean.
May 12, 2019
Eta Aquariid meteor over Indonesia’s Mount Bromo
Eta Aquariid meteors and the Milky Way over Mount Bromo.
May 12, 2019
Star formation burst created 50% of Milky Way disk stars
Analysis of data from the Gaia satellite shows a powerful burst of star formation - a stellar baby boom - in our Milky Way galaxy 2 to 3 billion years ago. This single burst might have created half the stars in the galaxy's flat disk.
May 10, 2019
