A new DNA analysis of the Martian-like landscape on top of some South American volcanoes has found communities of bacteria, fungi, and archaea. These organisms are not just capable of surviving there, but also deriving their energy in ways not currently known, perhaps from volcanic gases, the researchers think. “We haven’t formally identified or characterized […]
Microbes Capable Of Surviving On Mars Found Read More 👉
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory filmed the last Venus transit for the next one hundred years from space on June 5th. The next time Venus transits the sun won’t be until 2117. The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a NASA mission to study the Earth-Sun connection as it relates to life and society on the Earth.
Venus Transit 2012 Filmed From Space (VIDEO) Read More 👉
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), an American Spy Agency, is giving two of its powerful space telescopes to NASA. Apparently because they are “surplus” telescopes.
NASA Given Two Powerful Space Telescopes By Spy Agency Read More 👉
“This photo illustration depicts a view of the night sky just before the predicted merger between our Milky Way galaxy and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy. About 3.75 billion years from now, Andromeda’s disk fills the field of view and its gravity begins to create tidal distortions in the Milky Way. The view is inspired
Galactic Collision, The Milky Way Is Going To Collide With The Andromeda Galaxy Read More 👉
NASA is preparing to launch a new satellite, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), which will study everything from black holes to the sun. “We will see the hottest, densest and most energetic objects with a fundamentally new, high-energy X-ray telescope that can obtain much deeper and crisper images than before,” said Fiona Harrison,
NASA Launching NuSTAR Satellite to Study Black Holes Read More 👉
NASA Television will air the Venus Transit live, as it occurs, on June 5th 5:30PM EDT, showing the shadow of Venus moving across the surface of the sun. This rare event won’t occur again until 2117. The transit happens when Venus is directly between the Earth and the sun. It will appear as a
Venus Transit Will Be Aired Live From Space By NASA Read More 👉
Organic carbon molecules, which are molecules containing long chains of carbon and hydrogen, have previously been found on meteorites from Mars, but researchers have disagreed about where they were from and how they were formed. On Earth, these molecules are the building blocks of life. Newly released research strongly suggests that this organic carbon
Organic Carbon in Meteorites is from Mars Read More 👉
New research from North Carolina State University has shown the ‘tumbleweed’ Mars rover design to be an effective one. “There is quite a bit of interest within NASA to pursue the tumbleweed rover design, but one of the questions regarding the concept is how it might perform on the rocky surface of Mars,” says Dr.
Wind-Driven Mars 'Tumbleweed' Rover Being Developed Read More 👉
The Lyrid meteor shower that peaked on April 21, 2012, is caught here on film by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. The footage captures the sight of the meteors burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere. The image above is a screen capture of the video below taken on April 22, 2012 at
Lyrid Meteor Shower Seen from the International Space Station (VIDEO) Read More 👉
SpaceX aborted the launch of its Falcon 9 spaceship at the last second on May 19, right after its computers detected higher-than-it-considered-safe pressure readings in engine 5. The launch was stopped exactly one half second before liftoff. The next launch attempt will likely happen on either May 22nd or 23rd, when there are launch
SpaceX Aborts Falcon 9 Launch Attempt Read More 👉
A newly discovered exoplanet appears to be evaporating from the heat of its parent star, according to new research by MIT and NASA. The planet appears to be followed by a long trail of debris. The planet is about the size of mercury, and the researchers estimate that it will completely disintegrate within 100-million
Newfound Planet Being Turned to Dust by Its Sun Read More 👉
Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are about twice as common as originally thought, according to new research by NASA. PHAs are a subsection of the more common near-Earth asteroids. But they follow an orbit very similar to the Earth’s, coming within five million miles. And they are large enough to survive passing through the Earth’s
Asteroids 'Potentially Hazardous' to the Earth More Common Than Thought Read More 👉
Engineering researchers at the University of Strathclyde’s Institute for Energy & Environment are advancing in their part of a multinational project quest to build a space-based solar energy system that could one day be capable of supplying clean, renewable electricity at scales sufficient to power towns and cities anywhere in the world. A base
Space-based Solar Power Systems a Step Closer to Reality Read More 👉
Solar flares 10,000 times stronger than any ever observed on our sun can be released by stars similar to ours, according to new research. Just one solar flare of that magnitude would greatly damage the ozone layer, and cause mass extinctions. The research was done by using NASA’s Kepler Probe to monitor 83,000 sunlike
Super Flares 10,000 Times Stronger Than Any Observed on Our Sun Occur on Similar Stars Read More 👉
The earliest galaxies in the universe, those that formed more than 12 billion years ago, had much higher levels of the heavy elements needed for life, as we know it, than originally thought, according to new research. Accepted theory speculates that for several thousand years after the ‘Big Bang’ that occurred 13.7 billion years ago,
Earliest Galaxies Were More Suitable for Life Than Originally Thought Read More 👉
That’s the claim, anyway, and most certainly, the images are astoundingly clear and detailed, if a bit oddly hued. The image, released by the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) last week, was taken by the Elecktro-L weather satellite. The satellite is in geostationary orbit about 22,000 miles (36,000km) above the Indian Ocean and was
Russia Releases Highest Resolution Satellite Images of Planet Earth Ever (VIDEO) Read More 👉
Free-floating extrasolar planets, those that are not gravitationally bound to anything, may be present in much larger numbers than originally thought. Thus explaining the ‘missing mass’ of galaxies, and making the dark matter theory unnecessary. These rogue planets orbit the galaxy directly, and in large enough numbers could explain the discrepancy of the gravitational
'Rogue Planets' May Invalidate the Dark Matter Theory Read More 👉
Latest Mayan archeological find reveals a lunar calendar that ‘ends’ thousands of years in the future… In a fascinating archeological discovery that is sure to add some debate within the Mayan ‘doomsday” believers camp, a team of archeologists from three U.S. universities has unearthed the earliest known series of Mayan lunar records. The records
[Updated with correction] In the ever-growing catalog of extra-solar planets (including many gas giants termed “hot” Jupiters or Neptunes), “super-Earths” — exoplanets that are somewhat to very Earth-like, only larger — are of special interest. Their discovery offers a potential glimpse of an alien world perhaps not too unlike our own (if only in
Space Telescope Detects Light from Alien 'Super-Earth' for First Time Read More 👉
When Goldilocks tasted the porridge that was just right she probably had no idea her name and story would one day provide the perfect analogy for where habitable planets can be found, and according to a new study, that number is probably even smaller than we’d hoped. A previously unconsidered heating effect could possibly shrink
Fewer Planets in the 'Goldilocks Zone' Than Previously Thought Read More 👉
[UPDATED May 11, 2012 – M-Class solar flares; see below] NASA scientists are calling it a “monster sunspot” and its size is calculated to be 60,000 miles (100,000 km) from end to end. The huge sunspot comprises most of Active Region (AR) 1476, which rotated into view this weekend. Images of the region were picked
'Monster' Sunspot Appears, Powerful Solar Storms Expected Read More 👉
In new research just published in Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences it’s been found that ‘earth-like’ planets are unlikely in systems with ‘hot Jupiters’. Hot Jupiters are extremely hot, close-orbiting, Jupiter-like planets. The research was done by using data from NASA’s Kepler mission to look at ‘hot Jupiters’ and check for the
Finding Earth-Like Planets in Systems with 'Hot Jupiters' Unlikely Read More 👉
New research supports the theory that early Mars had a thick, wet atmosphere, and a climate similar to the Earth’s climate now. The atmosphere of Mars is currently less than 1% the density of Earth’s atmosphere. That’s one of the main reasons that the Earth’s climate is wet and Mars is very dry. As
New Evidence of Water on Early Mars, and a Climate Like the Earth's Read More 👉
The European Space Agency (ESA) recently announced a new mission to explore Jupiter’s moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will study the moons, treating them as potential homes for life. Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are all thought to have internal oceans where life could exist. The JUICE explorer will
New Space Mission Will Look for Life on Jupiter's Moons Read More 👉
During Venus’s transit of the sun on June 5-6th, Hubble Telescope will be using the moon as a mirror to capture and analyze the light that will be passing through Venus’s atmosphere during the transit. Hubble can’t look directly at the sun without being damaged, so astronomers are planning on using it to test
Hubble Will Use the Moon as a Mirror to Watch Venus Transit Read More 👉
A new report from the National Research Council says that budget shortfalls, along with other factors, have led to a rapid decline in the nation’s earth-observing system and satellites. “The projected loss of observing capability will have profound consequences on science and society, from weather forecasting to responding to natural hazards,” said Dennis Hartmann,
NASA's Observation Satellites Being Decommissioned Because of Budget Cuts Read More 👉
The largest, brightest moon of 2012 is going to occur this weekend. Saturday at 11:35 PM EDT the moon will become full, and also in its closest approach to the earth — its perigee. The ‘Super Moon’ will get as close as 221,802 miles from Earth, compared to the usual distance of up to
'Super Moon', Brightest of 2012, Occurs This Weekend Read More 👉
Director James Cameroon, Google executives Eric Schmidt and Larry Page, and other investors have grouped together to back a new space exploration and natural resources venture. The new company, Planetary Resources, plans to mine near-earth asteroids (NEAs) for various resources, such as water and precious metals. They intend to do this by developing more
New Company Will Mine Asteroids Read More 👉
[UPDATE: March 10, 2012; see below] Late yesterday morning, two massive X-class solare flares erupted form our sun’s surface. These are amongst the most powerful class of ‘solar storm’. One of these flares ranked an X 5.4 which makes it the most powerful flare so far this year, and one of the most powerful in
Sun Erupts With Two Massive X-Class Solar Flares (VIDEOS) Read More 👉
In case you missed these amongt the 70+ posts of the past 2 weeks, here are the top 14: Greenpeace and the True Story Behind the Film Big Miracle In First, NASA Probe Detects ‘Alien Matter’ Entering Our Solar System (VIDEO) Roseanne Barr Running for Green Party Presidential Nominee! LeBron James Biking to Work/Game (Photo
Top 14 Posts of Past 14 Days Read More 👉
Two hundred thousand miles (322,000 km) above the earth, the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) drifts in space, quietly “sniffing” the interstellar wind that continuously streams into our solar system from far beyond. The probe is designed to detect minute traces of matter (electrically neutral atoms and molecules, know as interstellar material) that originated in supernovae
In First, NASA Probe Detects 'Alien Matter' Entering Our Solar System (VIDEO) Read More 👉
[Updated Jan. 25, 2012, added link to latest Aurora Photos] Early this morning (GMT), January 22, a huge solar flare erupted from the highly active sunspot region 1402. NASA scientists have classified the flare as a M9 flare which makes it just slightly less powerful than an X-class flare (the strongest category; C-class flares are
Huge Solar Flare Triggers Most Powerful Solar Storm in Seven Years [VIDEO] Read More 👉
There’s a bit of hysteria about the whole end-of-the world in December 2012 thing. I’ve got some comments on it–researched it a bit several years ago–but will leave that for another day. For today, here’s a response from NASA on the concern that there will be earth-destroying solar flares or solar storms (to put
The Truth about 2012, from NASA Read More 👉
Space travel has been in Paul Allen’s blood and brain since he was a child. But since his breakthrough success in 2004 with SpaceShipOne* (piloted by Burt Rutan, and winner of the Ansari Xprize), Paul Allen seemed to have lagged behind in the private sector race to capitalize on space. In recent years, other
Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen Announces New 'Orbital Space Platform' Venture [VIDEO] Read More 👉
If you’ve been a loyal reader of Planetsave for the past year or more, before reading on, perhaps see if you can guess one or more of our top 10 stories of 2011. 😀 Just for a little fun. Many of the stories in the top 10 are related to what was perhaps the
Top Planetsave Posts of 2011 Read More 👉
Since the Kepler Planet-hunting spacecraft/telescope became operational just over one month ago, it has been busy making news and discovering astronomical ‘firsts’, such as the newest habitable zone exo-planet, Kepler 22b, reported here on earlier this month. But as exciting as that discovery was, the planet was still more than two and a half times
First Earth-sized Alien Worlds Found by Kepler Spacecraft Read More 👉
Such migratory populations are notoriously difficult to track and this makes developing an intervention strategy — such as a large-scale vaccination program — extremely challenging. Key to determining where an outbreak is likely to occur (and thus where to initiate a vaccination program) is knowing where a population is expanding.
This morning, Kepler mission scientists announced confirmation of a possible Earth-like planet located in the habitable zone of a star similar to our sun. The star, named Kepler 22, is classified as a G5 star and is 600 light years away; its planet is named Kepler 22b and has an orbital period of 290 days.
Kepler Mission Confirms First Earth-like Planet in Habitable Zone of Sun-like Star Read More 👉
Orbiting our planet at altitudes between 250-to-500 miles (400–to-800 km), the C/NOFS satellite* has detected special resonating waves of electromagnetic energy — generated by lightning flashes in the Earth’s atmosphere — for the first time. These waves are known as Schumann resonances and they propagate around the earth at very low frequencies (as low as
Earth's Atmospheric 'Heartbeat' Detected in Space for First Time [VIDEO] Read More 👉
International Space Station (ISS) Alpha astronaut Ron Garan returned to Earth from a six-month stay in space last September 16. During his stay, he and fellow crew member Mike Fossum had begun experimenting with ‘time-lapsed’ photography in which a series of still images are “stitched” together to make a continuous flow (similar to an animation).
In the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), of life beyond this world, astronomers look for tell-tale radio (and other broadcast) signals in the vicinity of sun-like stars, or detectable exoplanets. More recently, some have begun to hunt for ‘ultra-short’ laser pulses — indicating a more advanced communication system. But the problem with searching for these
Bright Lights on Alien Worlds May Indicate E.T. Civilization Read More 👉
Of Black Holes & Quasars: No Earth or space-based telescope has ever observed a black hole directly. This is because the extreme, gravitational field of a black hole generates a massive, encircling disc of dust and gas, called an accretion disc. Whenever a large object, like a star, gets sucked into the hole’s event horizon,
In First, Hubble Telescope 'Profiles' Black Hole Disc Read More 👉
[NEW UPDATES: Jan. 15, 2012 / Dec. 1, 2011 / Nov. 24, 2011; see below] The problem began on Wednesday after an initially successful launch of a Russian Zenit-2 rocket carrying the long-planned Phobos-Grunt spacecraft into Earth orbit. From there, booster rockets would kick in and send the space craft on its year-long mission
Russian Mars Mission 'Stuck' in Low-Earth Orbit – Rocket Poses Danger in Re-Entry Read More 👉
First discovered in late December 2005 by Robert McMillan of the Spacewatch Program, YU55 (its full name is 2005 YU55) is set to pass between the Moon and Earth between November 8 and 9, at a distance of 325,000 km (just over 200,000 miles). Although many asteroids pass between the Moon and Earth every year,
Asteroid – Bigger Than an Aircraft Carrier – to Pass Between Moon and Earth Read More 👉
[updated content; Solar Flare, see below] At three times the diameter of the Earth — 25, 000 miles/40,000 km wide and 50,000miles / 80,000 km long — the newest sunspot to make its appearance on our sun’s surface is the largest seen in years, according to NASA experts. The sunspot is part of Active Region
Another Giant Sun Spot Detected by NASA Satellite – 'Biggest in Years' Read More 👉
At 2:48 am (PDT) this morning, NASA successfully launched the NPP space craft into orbit. ‘NPP’ stands for ‘NPOESS Preparatory Project’* and the mission is the first in a series of “next generation”, polar-orbiting, research satellites poised to replaced a group of active, but aging, earth observing satellites, collectively known as the Earth Observing System
NASA Successfully Launches 'Next Gen' Climate Satellite [VIDEOS] Read More 👉
Astronomers working at Hawaii’s Keck Observatory have captured for the first time direct images of a “hot protoplanet” forming within a disk of cosmic dust surrounding its parent star, LkCa 15 (located in the constellation Taurus). And, it’s practically a galactic stone’s throw away at just 450 light years!
In First: Astronomers Photograph Birth of Alien Planet Read More 👉
It is being called the “most complete simulation of the universe” so far constructed… in 3D, of course! The new simulation is helping scientists understand how the largest visible structures in the universe were formed, which helps them better understand the mysterious “pulling” force known as dark matter
'Most Complete' Simulation of the Universe Helps Illuminate Dark Matter 'Halos' [VIDEO] Read More 👉
