Dark Feature Spotted on Asteroid Vesta
A mysterious feature roughly 60 miles in diameter (moving from left to right across the field of view) was snapped by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft on its approach to the massive asteroid. SPACE.com
Old spacesuits get new lease on life
Nature: The spacesuits worn by the first astronauts are being moved from their current home in Maryland to the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. While the new facility will provide a much better environment for the suits, getting them there intact was a puzzle for conservators, writes Nicola Jones for Nature. Lisa [...]
Raising the International Space Station: ATV Johannes Kepler conducts the ‘Big Boost’
It’s the International Space Station’s biggest increase in altitude to date, and, thanks to European Space Agency’s ATV Johannes Kepler, it will significantly improve the 417-tonne Station’s orbital mileage through the next decade of scientific research. During three intensive reboost manoeuvres, ATV Johannes Kepler is raising the ISS altitude from around 345 km to 380 [...]
Nearby galaxy boasts two monster black holes, both active
A study using NASA’s Swift satellite and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory has found a second supersized black hole at the heart of an unusual nearby galaxy already known to be sporting one. The galaxy, which is known as Markarian 739 or NGC 3758, lies 425 million light-years away toward the constellation Leo. Only about 11,000 [...]
First Photos of Wounded Rep. Giffords, Astronaut’s Wife, Released
Gabrielle Giffords is seen smiling in the first photos released since she was wounded in January. SPACE.com
Free-Floating Planets May be More Common Than Stars
PASADENA, Calif. — Astronomers, including a NASA-funded team member, have discovered a new class of Jupiter-sized planets floating alone in the dark of space, away from the light of a star. The team believes these lone worlds were probably ejected from developing planetary systems. The discovery is based on a joint Japan-New Zealand survey that [...]
STS-134 Flight Day 4 Planned Activities
2:56 GMT (10:56 pm EDT) – Endeavour / Garan Crew Wake Up (Begins Flight Day 4) 5:56 GMT (1:56 am EDT) – SRMS Grapple & Unberth AMS From Endeavour 6:01 GMT (2:01 am EDT) – ISS Crew Wake Up 6:31 GMT (2:31 am EDT) – Endeavour / ISS Transfers Begin 7:01 GMT (3:01 am EDT) [...]
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Passes Re-Entry System Test
See the daring video of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo as test pilots demonstrate the craft’s novel “feathering” system to maintain stability during re-entry while flying high above the Mojave Desert. SPACE.com
Google Music: Definitely beta
Google has been accused of overusing the “beta” tag on products it releases early. But with its new music service – Music – the beta tag is mandatory. It’s still pretty raw, judging from my experience with it today. PhysOrg.com – latest science and technology news stories
Dwarf planet Haumea shines with crystalline ice
The fifth dwarf planet of the solar system, Haumea, and at least one of its two satellites, are covered in crystalline water-ice due to the tidal forces between them and the heat of radiogenic elements, according to an international research study using observations from the VLT telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile. ScienceDaily: [...]