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Is the October 8, 2014 full moon a supermoon?
There's disagreement on whether the October 8, 2014 full moon should be called a supermoon. If it is one, it's a super Hunter's Blood Moon ... in eclipse.
October 7, 2014
Mega flares from a mini star
You've heard of X flares from our sun? This mini star's biggest flare - seen in April, 2014 - was 10,000 times bigger than the biggest known solar X flare.
October 2, 2014
What is the moon’s Ocean of Storms?
Oceanus Procellarum - the lunar Ocean of Storms - is a vast volcanic plain, thought to have been created in an ancient asteroid impact. More recently, scientists came to believe it formed via processes within the moon itself.
October 2, 2014
U.S. and India to collaborate on Earth and Mars missions
Both NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization placed spacecraft in orbit around Mars last month. They'll join forces on an Earth-orbiting mission set for 2020.
October 1, 2014
Mars and its atmosphere, seen by MOM spacecraft
Two early images from India's MOM spacecraft. One shows an edge of Mars, with the planet's tenuous atmosphere above. The other shows the whole planet. Beautiful!
September 29, 2014
Curiosity rover drill pulls first taste from Mars mountain
The mission's emphasis has changed from drive, drive, drive to systematic layer-by-layer investigation. "Curiosity flew hundreds of millions of miles to do this."
September 29, 2014
The water in your bottle might be older than the sun
Up to half of the water on Earth and throughout our solar system likely originated as ices that formed in interstellar space.
September 27, 2014
A young galaxy in the local universe?
The nearby dwarf galaxy DDO 68 - only 39 million light-years away - looks young. But its nearness to us in space suggests it's not as young as it looks.
September 27, 2014
Moon and Mercury low in west after sunset September 25 and 26
Try to catch the young moon, Mercury and star Spica in the sunset direction on September 25 and/or 26. Best seen from S. Hemisphere. N. Hemisphere viewers ... try it!
September 25, 2014
Water vapor in atmosphere of exoplanet four times Earth’s size
The exoplanet HAT P-11b - about Neptune's size - has an atmosphere that's cloudless at high altitudes. That's how astronomers could identify water vapor there.
September 24, 2014
