Ozone – a Poisonous Gas That’s Necessary for Life
Ozone stinks. People who breathe it gag as their lungs burn. The EPA classifies ground-level ozone as air pollution. Yet without it, life on Earth would…
Read the articleNight Sky Observer Space and Astronomy News
View
NASA to Launch “Sunjammer” 13,000 Sq. Foot Solar Sail in 2014
Navigating space isn’t easy—there’s no air, water, or earth to push your spacecraft in another direction. Rocket fuels and gravity assist have been our best tools…
Read the article
Saturn’s Moons and Rings Are Gently Worn Vintage Goods From Around the Time of Our Solar System’s Birth
The Cassini spacecraft observes three of Saturn’s moons set against the darkened night side of the planet. Saturn is present on the left this image but…
Read the article
Comet 2013 A1 Could Strike Mars in October 2014
Over the years, the spacefaring nations of Earth have sent dozens of probes and rovers to explore Mars. Today there are three active satellites circling the…
Read the article
Herschel Space Observatory Tells the Story of How Massive Stars Are Born
This three-colour image of the W3 giant molecular cloud combines Herschel bands at 70 μm (blue), 160 μm (green) and 250 μm (red). The image spans…
Read the article
Earth’s Moon Has More in Common With Large Asteroids Than Previously Thought
NASA and international researchers have discovered that Earth’s moon has more in common than previously thought with large asteroids roaming our solar system. Scientists have now…
Read the article
Browse and Explore Any Region of Mars Through the Eyes of Mars Express
ESA’s Mars Express has spent nearly ten years imaging the Red Planet, and there are plenty of hidden treasures buried in the mission’s rich picture archive.…
Read the article
Astronomers (And Everyone Else) Are Losing the Night
Starry skies are a vanishing treasure because light pollution is washing away our view of the cosmos. It not only threatens astronomy, it disrupts wildlife, and…
Read the article
An Almost Perfect Universe Is Revealed by Planck Mission
Acquired by ESA’s Planck space telescope, the most detailed map ever created of the cosmic microwave background – the relic radiation from the Big Bang –…
Read the articleGRAIL’s Impact on the Moon Imaged by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Many spacecraft just fade away, drifting silently through space after their mission is over, but not GRAIL. NASA’s twin GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) spacecraft…
Read the article