Space & Earth

Synthetic Magnetic Field Shows That Magnets With One Pole — Monopole — May Exist

Feb 01, 2014 16:53 PM E

Physicists have long believed that magnets can exist with only one pole as opposed to one with a north and south pole. In a new study, they were able to create a magnetic field that contained only monopoles.

Were Wooly Mammoths And Saber-Tooth Tigers Killed By Comet Collision?

Jan 31, 2014 16:09 PM E

A controversial 2007 study which found that a comet wiped out megafauna around 12,000 years ago is not implausible, according to a new study which recreated the earlier study. The Younger Dryas Boundary hypothesis says that nanodiamonds found along Bull Creek in Oklahoma were deposited there by a comet collision.

Collision of 'Baby Galaxies' In Early Years After The Big Bang Led To The Growth Of The Massive Galaxies We See Today

Jan 29, 2014 10:56 AM E

New research explains how large galaxies — formed by the collision of small, compact "baby galaxies" — could have existed even in the early years of the universe.

Challenger Disaster Home Video: New Footage Surfaces 28 Years After Man Filmed Shuttle Explosion From His Front Lawn

Jan 28, 2014 14:01 PM E

A new home video of the Challenger shuttle explosion 28 years ago today shows the disaster unfold from the quiet lawn of a Florida home.

River of Cold Hydrogen May Fuel Wild Star Birth In Nearby Galaxy

Jan 28, 2014 13:04 PM E

A river of cold hydrogen flowing from one galaxy to another may be acting like a cosmic umbilical cord, carrying sustenance to young stars.

China's Moon Rover, 'Jade Rabbit,' Malfunctions; Mechanical Problems Could Derail Mission

Jan 28, 2014 09:05 AM E

Mechanical problems aboard the Jade Rabbit lunar rover threaten to foil one of China's most celebrated scientific achievements. The state news agency, which reported the news, was vague about details, but others have suggested the problem is with the vehicle's solar panels.

Activity In New Madrid Seismic Zone Suggests A Midwest Earthquake Could Happen

Jan 26, 2014 14:26 PM E

Since there were major earthquakes along the Mississippi River 200 years ago, scientists have debated whether subsequent tremors were aftershocks, or tension building up. Now, a new study suggests there's a risk of another earthquake, though it can't predict when it will happen.

Dream Chaser 'Space Plane' Set For 2016 Test Launch; Could Put Astronauts Back In Space Before Boeing, SpaceX

Jan 25, 2014 13:09 PM E

A leading developer of privately-owned spacecrafts, which could soon replace the shuttle program, announced this week that it will test its Dream Chaser space plane on Nov. 1, 2016.

Why Stephen Hawking Says Black Holes As We Know Them Don't Exist

Jan 24, 2014 16:17 PM E

Stephen Hawking's solution to a black hole paradox tosses out everything that was once awesome about black holes: their ability to suck up matter and never let it out, including light. Under the new model, Hawking suggests that matter comes and goes from black holes more or less as it pleases.

Closest Supernova In 25 Years Discovered Accidentally By Students While Taking A Telescope Workshop

Jan 23, 2014 12:26 PM E

A team of University of London students accidentally spotted a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event while taking a telescope workshop on January 21: a supernova, or exploding star in Messier 82.

If Rosetta Spacecraft Wakes Up In Time, It Will Complete 10-Year Mission To Land On Moving Comet

Jan 17, 2014 14:04 PM E

In May 2014, the Rosetta spacecraft is expected to make a rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. But in order to do so, first Rosetta has to wake up.

Opportunity Rover Finds Mysterious Mars Rock: Where Did It Come From?

Jan 17, 2014 11:03 AM E

A rock has appeared in front of the Mars rover Opportunity, and NASA isn't sure where it came from. In two photos of the same spot on Mars, taken 12 Martian days apart, a rock appears suddenly in the later photo. NASA Mars Exploration Rover lead scientist Steve Squyres suspects the rover may have shifted around, kicking the rock in front of Opportunity's camera.

Sun's Twin Discovered In Star Cluster; Planets Around It Too Hot For Liquid Water

Jan 15, 2014 11:48 AM E

In a distant star cluster, scientists have discovered a star that is almost an identical twin to our Sun — and it even has a planet orbiting it.

Milky Way Black Hole Predicted To Swallow Gas Cloud Might 'Light' Up The Skies, Astronomers Say

Jan 14, 2014 16:16 PM E

The black hole at the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, is expecting a visitor about as massive as the earth sometime this spring. It's a gas cloud, and scientists can only wait to see what will happen as it passes by.