What is Direct Imaging? A highly effective (but very difficult) method of exoplanet detection involves capturing direct images of bodies orbiting distant stars from their reflected light or heat signatures. The post What is Direct Imaging? appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

Messier 70 – the NGC 6681 Globular Cluster Located in the “tea pot” of the Sagittarius constellation, some 29,300 light years from Earth, is the globular cluster known as Messier 70 The post Messier 70 – the NGC 6681 Globular Cluster appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

How Science Journalism Helped Me Become a Better Sci-Fi Writer My work with Universe Today has helped fashion me into a better science fiction writer and led to the publication of my first books! The post How Science Journalism Helped Me Become a Better Sci-Fi Writer appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

Whoa. That’s the Milky Way, Bouncing off the Moon in Radio Waves The universe wasn’t always such a well-lit place. It had its own Dark Ages, back in the days before stars and galaxies formed. One of the big questions in astronomy concerns how stars and galaxies shaped the very early days of the Universe. The problem is, there’s no visible light travelling through the Universe from … Continue reading “Whoa. That’s the Milky Way, Bouncing off the Moon in Radio Waves” The post Whoa. That’s the Milky Way, Bouncing off the Moon in Radio Waves appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go toRead More →

Blue Origin will be Landing its Rockets on a Used Cargo Ship. It’ll Get Converted in Time for First Flights in 2021 Blue Origin recently received a large cargo ship, which they will retool to retrieve the first stage of their reusable New Glenn rocket. The post Blue Origin will be Landing its Rockets on a Used Cargo Ship. It’ll Get Converted in Time for First Flights in 2021 appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

There’s a Funny Cloud on Mars, Perched Right at the Arsia Mons Volcano. Don’t Get Too Excited, Though, it’s not an Eruption This 1500km long cloud on Mars is formed by the size and shape of Arsia Mons, but it’s not related to any volcanic activity in this long-dead volcano. The post There’s a Funny Cloud on Mars, Perched Right at the Arsia Mons Volcano. Don’t Get Too Excited, Though, it’s not an Eruption appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

Gravitational waves were only recently observed, and now astronomers are already thinking of ways to use them: like accurately measuring the expansion rate of the Universe Neutron stars scream in waves of spacetime when they die, and astronomers have outlined a plan to use their gravitational  agony to trace the history of the universe. Join us as we explore how to turn their pain into our cosmological profit. Standards & Practices Cosmologists are obsessed with standards. The reason for this obsession … Continue reading “Gravitational waves were only recently observed, and now astronomers are already thinking of ways to use them: like accurately measuring theRead More →

Has a New Dwarf Galaxy Been Found Hiding Behind Andromeda? Thanks to the work of an amateur astronomer, an international team of scientists recently confirmed the existence of a previously-unknown dwarf galaxy behind Andromeda. The post Has a New Dwarf Galaxy Been Found Hiding Behind Andromeda? appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

There Might be Enough Oxygen Below the Surface of Mars to Support Life According to new study supported by NASA, a team of researchers found that Mars may have enough oxygen in subsurface environments to support life. The post There Might be Enough Oxygen Below the Surface of Mars to Support Life appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

Asteroid Phaethon breaks all the rules. It acts like a comet, it supplies particles to a meteor shower. Oh, and it’s blue A team of astronomers recently observed Phaeton, a Near-Earth Object (NEO) that behaves like both an asteroid and a comet The post Asteroid Phaethon breaks all the rules. It acts like a comet, it supplies particles to a meteor shower. Oh, and it’s blue appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

Our New Book is Out! Everything You Need to Know to Become an Amateur Astronomer It seems really surreal to say, but after about a year of work, our book is finally out. It’s called The Universe Today Ultimate Guide to Viewing the Cosmos: Everything You Need to Know to Become an Amateur Astronomer. It was written by our own David Dickinson, who provides the majority of amateur astronomy news … Continue reading “Our New Book is Out! Everything You Need to Know to Become an Amateur Astronomer” The post Our New Book is Out! Everything You Need to Know to Become an Amateur AstronomerRead More →

Binary Stars Orbiting Each Other INSIDE a Planetary Nebula An international team of astronomers recently observed an unexpected sight, a binary star system that is set to collide and explode in a nova inside of a nebula. The post Binary Stars Orbiting Each Other INSIDE a Planetary Nebula appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

Being Cassini. Experience What It Was Like to Fly Past Jupiter and Saturn and Their Moons What would it be like to be onboard the Cassini orbiter as it made its way around Jupiter and Saturn and their moons? Pretty cool. Now a new video made from Cassini images pieces together parts of that stately journey. Kevin M. Gill, software and self-described data wrangler at NASA-JPL, put together a video that … Continue reading “Being Cassini. Experience What It Was Like to Fly Past Jupiter and Saturn and Their Moons” The post Being Cassini. Experience What It Was Like to Fly Past Jupiter and SaturnRead More →

Here You Go, It’s Official: Space Force. Seriously Though, Why Couldn’t they have Called it Star Fleet? Space Force is here. For real. The President said he was going to create it, and now the White House has released some details on this new branch of the US armed forces. The US Space Force will be the 6th branch of the armed forces, after the Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines and the … Continue reading “Here You Go, It’s Official: Space Force. Seriously Though, Why Couldn’t they have Called it Star Fleet?” The post Here You Go, It’s Official: Space Force. Seriously Though, Why Couldn’tRead More →

Polar Researchers Spot Two Rectangular Icebergs Some see the hand of God, some see the law of large numbers, and some just see cool looking icebergs. Whichever way you lean, these rectangular icebergs grab your attention. NASA scientist Jeremy Harbeck spotted the rectangular icebergs while working on Operation IceBridge. IceBridge is an ongoing NASA mission that uses a fleet of aircraft … Continue reading “Polar Researchers Spot Two Rectangular Icebergs” The post Polar Researchers Spot Two Rectangular Icebergs appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

It Could be Possible to Transfer Data Through Gravitational Waves A new study by a team of Russian scientists demonstrates how gravitational waves could be encoded to send information, in the same way that radio waves are used now. The post It Could be Possible to Transfer Data Through Gravitational Waves appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

Gravitational Waves Might be the Key to Finding Dark Matter Exotic dark matter theories. Gravitational waves. Observatories in space. Giant black holes. Colliding galaxies. Lasers. If you’re a fan of all the awesomest stuff in the universe, then this article is for you. Dark Matter and the Dwarf Galaxy Most of the contents of our universe are of a form completely unknown to physics. That’s … Continue reading “Gravitational Waves Might be the Key to Finding Dark Matter” The post Gravitational Waves Might be the Key to Finding Dark Matter appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

Gas and Dust Seen Swirling Around our Galaxy’s Supermassive Black Hole A team using ALMA has observed gas and dust cloudlets near the super massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The post Gas and Dust Seen Swirling Around our Galaxy’s Supermassive Black Hole appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

Carnival of Space #583 Welcome to the 583rd Carnival of Space! The Carnival is a community of space science and astronomy writers and bloggers, who submit their best work each week for your benefit. We have a fantastic roundup today so now, on to this week’s worth of stories! The Hill How humans could explore the hellscape on Venus … Continue reading “Carnival of Space #583” The post Carnival of Space #583 appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered by WPeMaticoRead More →

NASA Has Some Cool Space Sounds You Can Use for Ringtones Have you always wanted some cool space sounds for your phone? Maybe a ringtone that says “Houston, Tranquility Base, here. The Eagle has landed.” Or maybe the iconic and historic Neil Armstrong utterance, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Well, now you can have them. NASA has delighted space … Continue reading “NASA Has Some Cool Space Sounds You Can Use for Ringtones” The post NASA Has Some Cool Space Sounds You Can Use for Ringtones appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source Powered byRead More →