Space, features and articles | Educational Science

Dec 31, 2012

Alien Life May Exist on Exoplanet Moons

In the search for an Earth-like alien world, astronomers have had their eyes set on planets beyond our solar system, but some moons orbiting some of these exoplanets may be just as likely to support life, scientists say. Astronomers have discovered more than 800 exoplanets, with many more candidate worlds...

Dec 31, 2012

Weighing in on the Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell nebula, also known as Messier 27, pumps out infrared light in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The nebula was named after its resemblance to a dumbbell as seen in visible light. It was discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier, who included it as the 27th member...

Nov 30, 2014

Experts Cast Doubt on Meteorite Study's Claims of Martian Life

A debate has long raged among scientists over the possible existence of life on Mars, and a new study is adding fuel to the fire. A recent analysis of the Tissint meteorite, which fell to Earth in 2011 over the Moroccan desert, led to a report of evidence that suggests...

Nov 30, 2014

Space Diamonds in Gold Country: California Meteorite's Secrets Revealed

A meteorite that crashed down in California's gold country is showing off treasures of a different sort: small diamonds that could tell scientists more about the insides of asteroids. The Sutter's Mill meteorite smashed into the ground on April 22, 2012, after a fiery entry that caught the attention of...

Nov 30, 2014

Birthplace of Winter Holiday Traditions Seen from Space (Photo)

The world's problems — and even major political and cultural conflicts — seem a lot smaller when you're watching them play out from 250 miles above Earth's surface. That's the message a newly released photograph from the International Space Station (ISS) seems to suggest. The photo was captured by an...

Oct 31, 2014

Largest Sunspot in 24 Years Wows Scientists, But Also Mystifies

The biggest sunspot to grace the face of the sun in more than two decades just rotated out of Earth's view, but it was responsible for kicking up some truly amazing solar activity this week. The sunspot (called Active Region 12192 or AR 2192) shot off four powerful flares in...

Oct 31, 2014

Satellite Photo Shows Frigid Arctic Air Over Eastern US

A new satellite photo shows the eastern United States locked in a cold front's icy grip. The region appears to be covered by a gray-white blanket in the image, which was captured in infrared light Tuesday morning (Nov. 18) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) GOES-East spacecraft. While...

Sep 30, 2014

Aliens May Be Out There, But Too Distant For Contact

The Milky Way may be home to some 3,000 extraterrestrial civilizations but the vast distances between our galactic cousins will make contact extremely rare, a new study concludes. Data collected by NASA’s Kepler space telescope and other observatories scouting for planets beyond the solar system indicate Earth is one of...

Sep 30, 2014

Private Orbital Sciences Rocket Explodes During Launch, NASA Cargo Lost

A private Orbital Sciences-built cargo launch to the International Space Station ended in a fiery explosion just seconds after liftoff Tuesday night (Oct. 28). Orbital's unmanned Antares rocket exploded in a brilliant fireball shortly after launching from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 6:22 p.m. (2222 GMT), crashing back...

Aug 31, 2014

Newfound Asteroid Will Give Earth Super-Close Shave on Sunday

Earth is about to have a close encounter with a house-sized asteroid on Sunday (Sept. 7), when a space rock discovered just days ago will zoom by our planet at a range closer than some satellites. But have no fear, NASA says the asteroid won't hit Earth. The asteroid 2014...

Aug 31, 2014

Mock Mars Rover Competition Honors Best Student Designs

This past weekend, students from around the world faced off in a competition to test mock Mars rovers designed to explore the surface of the Red Planet. The first annual European Rover Challenge, the European version of the U.S. University Rover Challenge, was held Friday through Sunday (Sept. 5-7) in...

Aug 31, 2014

Solar Flares to Hit Earth in Rare One-Two Punch

The sun launched back-to-back solar flares directly at Earth this week, but the resulting geomagnetic storms pose little danger, officials said today (Sept. 11). A strong X1.6-class solar flare erupted Wednesday at 1:46 p.m. ET from a sunspot more than 10 times the size of Earth, jetting out billions of...

Apr 30, 2014

Solar Winds Linked to Increased Lightning Strikes

Solar winds hitting Earth may trigger an increase in lightning, a new study suggests. The research finds an increase in the number of lightning strikes after the streams of plasma and particles known as solar wind arrive on Earth from the sun. Exactly why this correlation exists is unclear, but...

Apr 30, 2014

We'll Find Alien Life in This Lifetime, Scientists Tell Congress

Humans have long wondered whether we are alone in the universe. According to scientists working with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, the question may be answered in the near future. It's unproven whether there is any life beyond Earth, Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute, said...

Feb 28, 2014

Photographer Sees Stunning Auroras Over Swedish Mountains (Photos, Video)

The northern lights dance in a breathtaking display in these stunning images from an aurora video recently sent to Space.com. Night sky photographer Chad Blakley captured these intense auroras grooving over several Swedish Lapland locations, including a small hotel high in the Swedish mountains, on Feb. 21. The result: a...