Space

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Illustration of tractor beam in space
Sci-fi inspired tractor beams are real, and could solve a major space junk problem Researchers are developing a real-life tractor beam, with the goal of pulling defunct satellites out of geostationary orbit to alleviate the space junk problem.
Check out our best binoculars for stargazing. In this image, a man is standing behind his car using a pair of binoculars to look at the stars.
Best binoculars for stargazing 2023: Spot stars and galaxies View our top picks of for the best binoculars for stargazing and astronomy, and peer into the cosmos whilst staying grounded.
a space crew eating food around a table
'The forbidden space meal': What happens if you need to be a cannibal on Mars? "In the wrong circumstances, a spacecraft is a platform full of hungry people surrounded by temptation. Is it wrong to waste such a neatly packaged meal?"

Latest about Space

An artist impression of Earth quasi-satellite Kamo`oalewa near the Earth-Moon system.

A chunk of the moon appears to be orbiting near Earth, new study suggests

By Ben Turner published

The asteroid Kamo'oalewa may have been ejected by a massive impact on Earth's moon, a new simulation has revealed.

Asteroids
OSIRIS-REx curation team members at NASA’s Johnson Space Center begin the process of removing and flipping the TAGSAM (Touch-and-Go Sample Mechanism) from the avionics deck of the mission's science canister.

NASA is locked out of its OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample because of 2 faulty fasteners

By Monisha Ravisetti published

NASA is struggling to open a capsule containing precious asteroid samples from the OSIRIS-REx mission. Luckily, there is plenty of material to study on the outside of the container.

Asteroids
An artist's conception of the pair of supermassive black holes at the center of the galaxy 0402+379, 750 million light-years from Earth.

Scientists found a way for two black holes to orbit each other forever without colliding

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Contrary to conventional wisdom, a pair of black holes could exist in perfect pairs without leading to a cataclysmic merger, new research suggests. All it takes is a dose of cosmic expansion.

Black Holes
Artist's impression (landscape orientation) of the discovery of microsecond bursts. The foreground shows the Green Bank Telescope (United States) with which the research was done. Incoming radio waves are shown as white, red, and orange streaks that follow each other in rapid succession. The long red streaks are the previously known millisecond flashes.

Scientists detect fastest-ever fast radio bursts, lasting just 10 millionths of a second

By Joanna Thompson published

Astronomers have captured ultrafast radio bursts from 3 billion light-years away for the first time ever.

Astronomy
The Supermoon Eclipse is photographed from Bloomington, Indiana. The last time a Supermoon coincided with an eclipse was in 1982, and will not be repeated until 2033.

How to watch the full 'Hunter's Moon' get eclipsed this weekend

By Jamie Carter published

October's full 'Hunter's Moon' will drift into Earth's shadow for a partial eclipse on Oct. 28.

The Moon
Illustration of a satellite burning up as it reenters Earth's atmosphere

Falling metal space junk is changing Earth's upper atmosphere in ways we don't fully understand

By Harry Baker published

A research plane that flew through Earth's stratosphere identified more than 20 elements that are linked to the aerospace industry. Experts predict that the problem could become much worse in the future.

Space Exploration
The moon with a distant Earth in the background

Moon is 40 million years older than we thought, tiny crystals from Apollo mission confirm

By Harry Baker published

A new analysis of zircon crystals from the Apollo 17 mission has revealed that the moon formed around 40 million years earlier than past geological evidence suggested. However, our cosmic companion may be even older than that.

The Moon
Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) have discovered a high-speed jet stream sitting over Jupiter’s equator, above the main cloud decks. At a wavelength of 2.12 microns, which observes between altitudes of about 12-21 miles (20-35 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops, researchers spotted several wind shears, or areas where wind speeds change with height or with distance, which enabled them to track the jet.

James Webb telescope spots enormous jet stream faster than a Category 5 hurricane on Jupiter

By Monisha Ravisetti published

New observations with the James Webb Space Telescope reveal a never-before-seen jet stream near Jupiter's equator moving twice as fast as a Category 5 hurricane.

Jupiter
Jupiter's moon Io as seen by Juno on Oct. 16, 2023.

Space photo of the week: Jupiter's seething volcano moon gets a close-up

By Jamie Carter published

Jupiter's moon Io, the most volcanic world in the solar system, was imaged from just 7,260 miles away.

Jupiter
Korean texts annotated with red lines

Strange anomaly in sun's solar cycle discovered in centuries-old texts from Korea

By Harry Baker published

Aurora records in royal chronicles from Korea show that during the 'Maunder Minimum' between 1645 and 1715, the sun's solar cycles became several years shorter than they are today.

The Sun
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