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Archive for 2008

STS-119: A Final Station Power Up
December 30, 2008
News and Features STS-119: A Final Station Power Up

Discovery's STS-119 astronauts are in final training mode before the holidays. At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston the crew is reviewing launch procedures, spacewalking techniques and undergoing medical exams.

Mars Rovers Near Five Years of Science and Discovery
December 30, 2008
News and Features Mars Rovers Near Five Years of Science and Discovery

NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity may still have big achievements ahead as they approach the fifth anniversaries of their memorable landings on Mars.

Cyclone Billy
December 30, 2008
News and Features Cyclone Billy

Tropical Cyclone Billy moved off the coast of Western Australia on December 25, 2008. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite took this picture at 3:10 p.m. local time on December 25. Compared to earlier images, the storm appears more compact in this picture, and occurs almost entirely over the ocean.

Breckenridge and Copper Mountain Ski Slopes, Colorado
December 29, 2008
News and Features Breckenridge and Copper Mountain Ski Slopes, Colorado

Located in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Tenmile Range and Copper Mountain are among the state’s meccas for winter sports. In this astronaut photo, the Breckenridge and Copper Mountain ski areas are clearly visible as the snow-covered ski runs stand out from the surrounding darker forest.

Astrobiology Top 10: Life is Lonely at the Center of the Earth
December 26, 2008
News and Features Astrobiology Top 10: Life is Lonely at the Center of the Earth

Astrobiology Magazine is looking back over 2008, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. At number 9 is the story of Desulforudis audaxviator, a bacterium that lives in total darkness. Scientists now have discovered it also lives in complete isolation. Almost all organisms on Earth live in interdependent communities, but the lonely D. audaxviator proves it's possible for life to go solo. (This story was originally published on October 11, 2008).

NASA's Gift to Mr. Claus
December 26, 2008
News and Features NASA's Gift to Mr. Claus

True story: NASA technology saves Claus from a disaster at sea! Christmas (and the sport of fishing) may never be the same.

Next NASA Moon Mission Completes Major Milestone
December 24, 2008
News and Features Next NASA Moon Mission Completes Major Milestone

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully completed thermal vacuum testing, which simulates the extreme hot, cold and airless conditions of space LRO will experience after launch. This milestone concludes the orbiter's environmental test program at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

'Suit Yourself' is Easier Said than Done
December 24, 2008
News and Features 'Suit Yourself' is Easier Said than Done

On launch day, a space shuttle astronaut's first challenge isn't handling the force of liftoff or adjusting to microgravity. It's getting into the bulky, bright-orange Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) that provides each crew member a safe cocoon of pressure, breathable air and survival essentials during launch and landing.

Astrobiology Top 10: Ancient Footprints in the Salt
December 24, 2008
News and Features Astrobiology Top 10: Ancient Footprints in the Salt

Astrobiology Magazine is looking back over 2008, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. At number 10 is the discovery of ancient organism remnants preserved in salt crystals. The surprising finding could help astrobiologists search for signs of life on other planets. (This story was originally published on July 31, 2008).

What Can Swiss Cheese Teach us About Dark Energy?
December 23, 2008
News and Features What Can Swiss Cheese Teach us About Dark Energy?

About 10 years ago, scientists reached the astonishing conclusion that our universe is accelerating apart at ever-increasing speeds, stretching space and time itself like melted cheese.

Researcher Hopes to Put Fuel Cells on the Fast Track
December 23, 2008
News and Features Researcher Hopes to Put Fuel Cells on the Fast Track

The slow evolution of clean-energy solutions is about to kick into high gear, if Sossina M. Haile has anything to say about it. As a fuel cell researcher at the California Institute of Technology and a founding member of the company Superprotonic Inc., she hopes to make this “technology of the future” practical for today’s applications.

Missing Mars Mineral Materalizes
December 23, 2008
News and Features Missing Mars Mineral Materalizes

Researchers using NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have identified carbonate minerals on the martian surface, indicating that the planet had different types of watery environments in its past. The discovery has important implications in determining if Mars was once habitable.

Saturn's Crazy Christmas Tilt
December 23, 2008
News and Features Saturn's Crazy Christmas Tilt

The planet Saturn is doing something rare and beautiful this holiday season. Find out what in today's story from Science@NASA.

NASA Study Links Severe Storm Increases, Global Warming
December 22, 2008
News and Features NASA Study Links Severe Storm Increases, Global Warming

The frequency of extremely high clouds in Earth's tropics is increasing as a result of global warming.

Explore the Entire Region of the Sun's Influence
December 22, 2008
News and Features Explore the Entire Region of the Sun's Influence

Have you ever wondered how much data exist about the sun and how it affects the solar system and beyond? Data sets and images returned from NASA's cadre of space physics spacecraft, known collectively as the Heliophysics Great Observatory, now can be accessed through one convenient location at the Heliophysics Data Environment (HPDE) web site.

Enceladus Evolving
December 22, 2008
News and Features Enceladus Evolving

Cassini's most recent flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus has provided more evidence that the moon is an active world. Jets of water vapor and ice have been seen erupting from Enceladus, and new data shows the moon may have Earth-like tectonics.

Spacewalk at International Space Station Tonight
December 22, 2008
News and Features Spacewalk at International Space Station Tonight

Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov are set to begin their excursion outside the station at about 7:15 p.m. EST.

Looking at LUCA
December 22, 2008
News and Features Looking at LUCA

Scientists may have characterized the common ancestor of all life on Earth, LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor). This 3.8-billion-year-old organism was not the creature usually imagined, and may change ideas about early life on Earth.

Life on Super-Earths
December 19, 2008
News and Features Life on Super-Earths

Astronomers are expanding the search for extraterrestrial life to include some very unearthly places. Their theory is that ice-covered super-Earths, which are plentiful in the Universe, could support some kinds of life.

Apollo 8: 40 Years Later
December 19, 2008
News and Features Apollo 8: 40 Years Later

In late 1968, NASA made a bold, improvisational call: It would change mission plans and send the Apollo 8 crew all the way to the moon without a lunar module … on the first manned flight of the massive Saturn V rocket.

NASA Instrument Inaugurates 3-D Moon Imaging
December 19, 2008
News and Features NASA Instrument Inaugurates 3-D Moon Imaging

Different wavelengths of light provide new information about the Orientale Basin region of the moon in a new composite image taken by NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper, a guest instrument aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft.

Insect Damage in British Columbia Forests
December 19, 2008
News and Features Insect Damage in British Columbia Forests

Beginning in the 1990s, British Columbia’s forests were increasingly plagued by a population explosion of mountain pine beetles. This beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, destroyed large tracts of forest in the province. Such widespread forest loss affects more than just the scenery.

Sun Often "Tears Out A Wall" In Earth's Solar Storm Shield
December 18, 2008
News and Features Sun Often "Tears Out A Wall" In Earth's Solar Storm Shield

Earth's magnetic field, which shields our planet from particles streaming outward from the Sun, often develops two holes that allow the largest leaks, according to researchers sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation.

Some Planets are Better for Life
December 18, 2008
News and Features Some Planets are Better for Life

A new idea proposes that worlds with the potential to host organisms can be split into four categories, each with their own likelihood of being inhabited. With extrasolar planet detection methods becoming ever-more advanced, these ideas could influence which worlds are studied first.

Waves Crash on Europa
December 17, 2008
News and Features Waves Crash on Europa

New studies indicate that Europa may harbor a more dynamic ocean than previously believed beneath its icy exterior. The gravitational pull of Jupiter could be producing powerful waves in the ocean, which in turn could have implications on the habitability of the unique moon.

Dark Energy Found Stifling Growth in Universe
December 17, 2008
News and Features Dark Energy Found Stifling Growth in Universe

Galaxy clusters are the largest collapsed objects in the Universe and are ideal for studying the properties of dark energy, the mysterious form of repulsive gravity that is driving the accelerated expansion of the Universe.

Low Clouds over Central China
December 17, 2008
News and Features Low Clouds over Central China

Low clouds hug the ground, seeping into the valleys between the peaks surrounding central China’s Sichuan Basin in this photo-like image captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on December 9, 2008.

Giant Breach in Earth's Magnetic Field Discovered
December 17, 2008
News and Features Giant Breach in Earth's Magnetic Field Discovered

NASA's five THEMIS spacecraft have discovered a breach in Earth's magnetic field ten times larger than anything previously thought to exist. The size of the opening and the strange way it forms could overturn long-held ideas of space physics.

Busy Mission Runs Astronauts Through Multiple Roles
December 17, 2008
News and Features Busy Mission Runs Astronauts Through Multiple Roles

The astronauts of STS-126 acted as craftsmen, mechanics, spacewalkers and, of course, astronauts during International Space Station mission.

Solar Flare Surprise
December 16, 2008
News and Features Solar Flare Surprise

A 2006 solar flare surprised scientists by behaving in unexpected ways.

New Satellite Data Reveal Impact of Olympic Pollution Controls
December 16, 2008
News and Features New Satellite Data Reveal Impact of Olympic Pollution Controls

China had clearer skies and easier breathing in mind in the summer of 2008 when they temporarily shuttered some factories and banished many cars in a pre-Olympic sprint to clean up Beijing's air.

Planets Form in the Eye of a Storm
December 16, 2008
News and Features Planets Form in the Eye of a Storm

New research shows that turbulence in protoplanetary disks plays a key role in the birth of planet. The finding may alter theories on how planets form from dust and debris around distant stars.

Mission Operations Readiness Review for NPOESS Preparatory Project Completed
December 16, 2008
News and Features Mission Operations Readiness Review for NPOESS Preparatory Project Completed

A comprehensive Mission Operations Readiness (MOR) review of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) was successfully completed last month. The largest review of the overall NPOESS configuration to date, the MOR focused specifically on the NPP's operational readiness and progress to launch.

Unmasking Europa
December 15, 2008
News and Features Unmasking Europa

We may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but hopefully we can judge a moon by its surface. A scientist who worked on the Galileo mission has written a new book about the scratched and splotchy surface of Europa.

2008 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Rainfall
December 15, 2008
News and Features 2008 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Rainfall

Hurricane, tropical storm and tropical depression rainfall caused many severe floods and numerous lost lives during the 2008 north Atlantic hurricane season. The north Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th.

Watching for Wobbles
December 15, 2008
News and Features Watching for Wobbles

New research may make it easier to detect habitable moons around distant, extrasolar planets. The new method not only identifies moons, but also allows scientists to determine their size and their distance from the host planet.

CO2 Found on Exoplanet
December 15, 2008
News and Features CO2 Found on Exoplanet

The Hubble Space Telescope has identified carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet. The discovery is an important step toward identifying habitable planets beyond our solar system.

NASA's Top Science, Exploration and Discovery Stories of 2008
December 15, 2008
News and Features NASA's Top Science, Exploration and Discovery Stories of 2008

NASA landed on Mars, photographed distant worlds, added to the International Space Station and made major progress toward returning astronauts to the moon as the agency celebrated its 50th birthday in 2008.

Follow the Elements
December 12, 2008
News and Features Follow the Elements

Life needs more than liquid water to survive. Organisms also need important chemical elements. Researchers are now studying the distribution of these elements on Earth to determine how they affect the distribution and evolution of life.

Drama in the Tarantula's Heart
December 12, 2008
News and Features Drama in the Tarantula's Heart

The Tarantula Nebula produces intense radiation and searing winds of multimillion-degree gas.

NASA Science on Display at American Geophysical Union Conference
December 12, 2008
News and Features NASA Science on Display at American Geophysical Union Conference

NASA researchers will present new findings on a wide range of Earth and space science topics during the 2008 fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The meeting runs from Monday, Dec. 15, through Friday, Dec. 19, at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center at 747 Howard St.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Completes Prime Mission
December 12, 2008
News and Features Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Completes Prime Mission

Among other findings, the spacecraft has found signs of a complex Martian history of climate change that produced a diversity of past watery environments.

The Incredible Journey of the JWST
December 11, 2008
News and Features The Incredible Journey of the JWST

From humble beginnings in a Utah beryllium mine to the most advanced laboratories in the world, the mirrors of NASA's next great observatory are taking an incredible journey to space.

Oscillation Rules as the Pacific Cools
December 11, 2008
News and Features Oscillation Rules as the Pacific Cools

The latest image of sea-surface height measurements from the U.S./French Jason-1 oceanography satellite shows the Pacific Ocean remains locked in a strong, cool phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, a large, long-lived pattern of climate variability in the Pacific associated with a general cooling of Pacific waters. The image also confirms that El Niño and La Niña remain absent from the tropical Pacific.

Constant Comet Threat
December 11, 2008
News and Features Constant Comet Threat

Comet impacts have likely transformed life on Earth, but it is still a mystery how these icy bodies are put on a collision course with our planet. New research says that nearby stars and the galaxy as a whole are to blame.

Astronomers Find the Two Dimmest Stellar Bulbs
December 11, 2008
News and Features Astronomers Find the Two Dimmest Stellar Bulbs

It's a tie! The new record-holder for dimmest known star-like object in the universe goes to twin "failed" stars, or brown dwarfs, each of which shines feebly with only one millionth the light of our sun.

Orbit Determines Climate
December 10, 2008
News and Features Orbit Determines Climate

New research shows evidence of ancient climate change on Mars caused by variations in the planet's tilt relative to the sun. The findings may help scientists understand if Mars was habitable for life at some point in the planet's past.

James Webb Telescope Mirrors Chill Out
December 10, 2008
News and Features James Webb Telescope Mirrors Chill Out

The first of 18 mirror segments that will fly on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope arrived this week at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. to prepare it to meet the extreme temperatures it will encounter in space.

Biggest Full Moon of the Year
December 10, 2008
News and Features Biggest Full Moon of the Year

This Friday's full Moon is the biggest full Moon of the year. It is a 'perigee Moon' as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons we've seen earlier in 2008.

Jump Like a Grasshopper
December 09, 2008
News and Features Jump Like a Grasshopper

A robot that can jump like a grasshopper and roll like a ball could play a key role in future space exploration. The robot can traverse complicated terrain and could be useful in studying planets like Mars.

What's in a Name? Global Warming vs. Climate Change
December 09, 2008
News and Features What's in a Name? Global Warming vs. Climate Change

When scientists or the media talk about global warming, climate change or global change, the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. What's the difference?

Rivers of Gas Flow Around Stars in New Space Image
December 09, 2008
News and Features Rivers of Gas Flow Around Stars in New Space Image

A new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a turbulent star-forming region, where rivers of gas and stellar winds are eroding thickets of dusty material.

Hubble Finds Carbon Dioxide on an Extrasolar Planet
December 09, 2008
News and Features Hubble Finds Carbon Dioxide on an Extrasolar Planet

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star, an important breakthrough toward finding chemical evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Astronaut Sandra Magnus' International Space Station Journal
December 08, 2008
News and Features Astronaut Sandra Magnus' International Space Station Journal

Read firsthand accounts of her experiences on the ISS.

Deriba Caldera, Sudan
December 08, 2008
News and Features Deriba Caldera, Sudan

Deriba Caldera is a geologically young volcanic structure located at the top of the Marra Mountains of western Sudan.

Bilateral Bubble Bodies
December 08, 2008
News and Features Bilateral Bubble Bodies

A single-celled organism has been found leaving tracks on the ocean floor that look like those from larger, multicellular organisms. The finding is causing scientists to re-think the fossil record - and the timing of when complex, bilateral organisms developed.

How To Destroy an Asteroid
December 05, 2008
News and Features How To Destroy an Asteroid

Researchers are carefully observing asteroids in order to determine their composition - and the best way to protect the Earth from any that might be headed our way in the future.

Return of the Leonids
December 05, 2008
News and Features Return of the Leonids

Astronomers from NASA and Caltech are predicting a near-storm of Leonids in 2009 based on a surprising outburst of meteors just two weeks ago.

NASA Orbiter Finds Martian Rock Record With 10 Beats to the Bar
December 05, 2008
News and Features NASA Orbiter Finds Martian Rock Record With 10 Beats to the Bar

Climate cycles persisting for millions of years on ancient Mars left a record of rhythmic patterns in thick stacks of sedimentary rock layers, revealed in three-dimensional detail by a telescopic camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Next NASA Mars Mission Rescheduled for 2011
December 04, 2008
News and Features Next NASA Mars Mission Rescheduled for 2011

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory will launch two years later than previously planned. The 2009 launch date is no longer feasible feasible because of testing and hardware challenges that must be addressed.

Simulating Mars on Earth
December 04, 2008
News and Features Simulating Mars on Earth

By simulating conditions at and below the surface of Mars, experiments now suggest that bacterial life could exist below its sterile surface layer of soil.

A Celestial Snow Globe of Stars
December 04, 2008
News and Features A Celestial Snow Globe of Stars

Hubble has captured an instantaneous glimpse of many hundreds of thousands of stars moving about in the M13 globular cluster.

Scientists Have a New Scientific Tool for Hurricane Research On-Line at NASA
December 04, 2008
News and Features Scientists Have a New Scientific Tool for Hurricane Research On-Line at NASA

Scientists, students, and applications users seeking on-the-fly visualizations and analysis of hurricane-related satellite and model data can now get access to it via the NASA Hurricane Data Analysis tool on-line.

A Pinwheel in X-rays
December 03, 2008
News and Features A Pinwheel in X-rays

Chandra snaps one of the longest exposures ever obtained of a spiral galaxy -- in X-rays.

Giving Life a Hand
December 03, 2008
News and Features Giving Life a Hand

The basic molecules of life have a predetermined 'handedness', or chiraliy, that scientists have been unable to explain. New research shows that chirality may have been induced by irradiation as the molecules traveled through space before arriving on Earth.

Fall Colors in Pennsylvania
December 03, 2008
News and Features Fall Colors in Pennsylvania

Central Pennsylvania presents an ancient landscape, worn down by the grind of ice, water, wind, and time. The ridge lines of the Appalachian Mountain chain, once formidable, are now gentle folds rising over fertile valleys. Ice age glaciers shaped the land, smoothing out the mountains and depositing rich soil as the ice melted away.

This Month in Exploration - December
December 03, 2008
News and Features This Month in Exploration - December

Forty years ago the crew of Apollo 8 transmitted the first image of Earth from space. Read more historical facts in This Month in Exploration.

An Ocean on Enceladus
December 02, 2008
News and Features An Ocean on Enceladus

New data from Cassini supports the theory that Saturn's moon Enceladus has liquid water beneath its surface. Water is essential for life, and determining locations of liquid water is the first step in the search for life in our solar system.

Alluvial Fan in Southern Iran
December 02, 2008
News and Features Alluvial Fan in Southern Iran

Seasonally dry salt lakes and the traces of ephemeral streams occupy many of the valleys of the Zagros Mountains in southern Iran. Much of the time, the rivers and lakes are dry above ground, but subterranean water flows along the same pathways. Where these subterranean streams flow out of the mountains, the water table comes closer to the surface, and it is more readily accessible through wells.

Marco Polo and Meteorites
December 02, 2008
News and Features Marco Polo and Meteorites

In this podcast, Beda Hofmann explores the links between meteorites and astrobiology, and discusses Europe's proposed Marco Polo Mission to an asteroid.

Timing Tectonics
December 01, 2008
News and Features Timing Tectonics

Plate tectonics on Earth may have started much earlier than previously believed. An active Earth could have had profound implications for the origin of life.

Solar-Powered Slugs
December 01, 2008
News and Features Solar-Powered Slugs

Extreme Life The sea-slug, Elysia chlorotica, represents a unique step in the evolution of life. The slug appears to behave like a plant and can get energy from the sun. New research shows that the slug has genes needed for photosynthesis - but steals important cellular components from algae.

Endeavour Crew Returns After 'Home Improvement' In Orbit
December 01, 2008
News and Features Endeavour Crew Returns After 'Home Improvement' In Orbit

The STS-126 astronauts landed in California Sunday, after upgrading the International Space Station for larger future crews. Astronaut Greg Chamitoff is back on Earth after spending more than five months on the station.

Fires in California
November 28, 2008
News and Features Fires in California

One hundred eighty-seven homes were destroyed by the Freeway Fire in Southern California in mid-November 2008. Driven by Santa Ana winds, the fire exploded out of the Chino Hills into communities at the foothills of the mountains. More than 30,000 acres were scorched by the fire.

Hoping for Europa
November 28, 2008
News and Features Hoping for Europa

NASA and ESA are now deciding on the next major mission to the outer solar system. One proposal is to visit two of Jupiter’s large moons, Ganymede and Europa. Astrobiologists have long hoped to study Europa more closely because its global ocean could harbor alien life.

Endeavour Undocks From Station Today
November 28, 2008
News and Features Endeavour Undocks From Station Today

The shuttle will undock from the International Space Station at 9:47 a.m. EST, beginning the journey home for a Sunday landing.

Recycling Water is not Just for Earth Anymore
November 26, 2008
News and Features Recycling Water is not Just for Earth Anymore

A complex system of distillers and filters is at the heart of a water recycling system that will eventually supply International Space Station crews with drinking water.

Bacteria Preserve Fossils
November 26, 2008
News and Features Bacteria Preserve Fossils

The activity of bacteria has often been viewed as detrimental to fossils. Now, researchers have found that bacterial biofilms may help preserve fossils of embryos and soft tissues. Such fossils are incredibly valuable in studying the evolution of life.

Spectacular Conjunction
November 25, 2008
News and Features Spectacular Conjunction

Venus and Jupiter are converging for a spectacular three-way conjunction with the crescent Moon--a rare gathering some are calling 'the sky show of the year.' Today's story tells when and where to look.

Earth Perspectives
November 25, 2008
News and Features Earth Perspectives

In 2008, as NASA celebrated its 50th anniversary, the Earth Observatory asked a number of Earth scientists what we have learned about our home planet by going into space.

NASA Prepares for New Juno Mission to Jupiter
November 25, 2008
News and Features NASA Prepares for New Juno Mission to Jupiter

The mission will be the first in which a spacecraft is placed in a highly elliptical polar orbit around the giant planet to understand its formation, evolution and structure.

NASA-USAID Earth Observation System Expands to Africa
November 24, 2008
News and Features NASA-USAID Earth Observation System Expands to Africa

Today NASA, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and their partners are in Nairobi, Kenya, to launch SERVIR-Africa, a program that helps scientists, government leaders and local communities address concerns related to natural disasters, disease outbreaks, biodiversity and climate change. SERVIR, Spanish for “to serve,” integrates satellite resources of the U.S. and other countries into a Web-based Earth information system, putting previously inaccessible information into action locally.

NASA's Astrobiology Origins
November 24, 2008
News and Features NASA's Astrobiology Origins

Ten years ago, a new NASA program dedicated to the science of Astrobiology was born.

Taking Out the Trash
November 24, 2008
News and Features Taking Out the Trash

Researchers are developing new technology to aid future human explorers on the moon and mars - by taking out the trash. A new waste system will help astronauts recycle resources, like water, before deposal. It was also help prevent forward contamination of locations like the martian surface.

NASA Spacecraft Detects Buried Glaciers on Mars
November 24, 2008
News and Features NASA Spacecraft Detects Buried Glaciers on Mars

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed vast Martian glaciers of water ice under protective blankets of rocky debris at much lower latitudes than any ice previously identified on the Red Planet.

The Solar System in a Grain of Dust
November 21, 2008
News and Features The Solar System in a Grain of Dust

In 2004, NASA's Stardust mission returned to Earth with particles of the comet Wild 2. Now these particles are helping scientists understand how a giant cloud of gas and dust collapsed to form our solar system 4.5 billion years ago.

Clouds and Climate Change: CERES Flight Model Moves Toward Launch
November 21, 2008
News and Features Clouds and Climate Change: CERES Flight Model Moves Toward Launch

The CERES FM 5 sensor, which will continue the 30-year climate data record of the Earth's radiant energy, has been delivered ahead of schedule and on budget.

Baking the Rover is Not an Option
November 20, 2008
News and Features Baking the Rover is Not an Option

The next-generation Mars rover will visit the Red Planet to sniff out the smallest traces of organic material – the building blocks of life. Trouble is, the Mars Science Laboratory is made from several kilograms of organic material from Earth. How will mission scientists keep the martian samples clean, and distinguish which molecules are from Mars, and which are from Earth?

Discovered: Cosmic Rays from a Mysterious, Nearby Object
November 20, 2008
News and Features Discovered: Cosmic Rays from a Mysterious, Nearby Object

An international team of researchers has discovered a puzzling surplus of high-energy electrons bombarding Earth from space.

Fires in California
November 20, 2008
News and Features Fires in California

Smoke from the recent outbreak of fires in Southern California can clearly be seen from NASA satellites. The top, photo-like, true-color image, taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on November 16, 2008, shows the smoke drifting to the southwest from the Los Angeles basin over the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Endeavour Astronauts Make Second Spacewalk Today
November 20, 2008
News and Features Endeavour Astronauts Make Second Spacewalk Today

Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Shane Kimbrough will move station equipment and continue work on the starboard solar alpha rotary joint.

Silica Shock Waves
November 19, 2008
News and Features Silica Shock Waves

Astronomers have discovered tiny crystals in planet forming disks that indicate shock waves may play a role in planetary formation. The study sheds new light on the evolution of our own solar system.

NASA Invites Students to Name New Mars Rover
November 19, 2008
News and Features NASA Invites Students to Name New Mars Rover

NASA, in cooperation with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures' movie WALL-E from Pixar Animation Studios, will conduct a naming contest for its car-sized Mars Science Laboratory rover that is scheduled for launch in 2009.

NASA Tests First Deep-Space Internet
November 19, 2008
News and Features NASA Tests First Deep-Space Internet

NASA has successfully tested the first deep space communications network modeled on the Internet.

Life at the Boundaries
November 19, 2008
News and Features Life at the Boundaries

Scientists have found unique microbes living in environments where life was not known before. Both communities - beneath the Antarctic ice sheet and at the floor of the Mediterranean - could have an effect on the global carbon cycle.

Water Vapor Confirmed as Major Player in Climate Change
November 18, 2008
News and Features Water Vapor Confirmed as Major Player in Climate Change

Water vapor is known to be Earth’s most abundant greenhouse gas, but the extent of its contribution to global warming has been debated.

Carbonate Conundrum
November 18, 2008
News and Features Carbonate Conundrum

NASA’s Phoenix lander mission is now over, and scientists are analyzing the data collected from its various experiments. Phoenix's discovery of carbonates in the frozen northern soil of Mars indicates the area once could have had liquid water. However, there is no way to tell if the carbonates formed locally, or if they came from somewhere else on the planet and blew in with the wind.

Endeavour Spacewalkers at Work
November 18, 2008
News and Features Endeavour Spacewalkers at Work

Astronauts Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen are outside the station doing assembly and maintenance work.

Shuttle, Station Crews Install Leonardo, Prepare for Spacewalk
November 17, 2008
News and Features Shuttle, Station Crews Install Leonardo, Prepare for Spacewalk

The Leonardo module carries new equipment to outfit the station for six-person crews. Astronauts make the mission's first spacewalk Tuesday.

Hubble Sees Planet Orbiting Another Star
November 14, 2008
News and Features Hubble Sees Planet Orbiting Another Star

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken the first visible-light snapshot of a planet circling another star. The planet, called 'Fomalhaut b', orbits the bright southern star Fomalhaut, located 25 light-years from Earth.

Earth's Mineral Evolution
November 14, 2008
News and Features Earth's Mineral Evolution

New research shows that minerals on Earth have co-evolved with life. Up to two thirds of known minerals can be linked to biological activity, highlighting the important connection between the biosphere and the geology of Earth.

Carbon-Sniffing Satellite Arrives at Launch Site
November 13, 2008
News and Features Carbon-Sniffing Satellite Arrives at Launch Site

NASA's first spacecraft dedicated to studying carbon dioxide has arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., to begin final launch preparations.

Endeavour Crew Set For Friday Launch
November 13, 2008
News and Features Endeavour Crew Set For Friday Launch

The STS-126 mission is set to launch at 7:55 p.m. EST Friday on a mission to prep the International Space Station for expanded crews.

Phoenix Stops Phoning Home
November 13, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Stops Phoning Home

After five months, NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has stopped communicating. With the seasonal decline of sunlight in the martian arctic, Phoenix no longer has enough power to charge its batteries.

Mars Phoenix Lander Finishes Successful Work
November 12, 2008
News and Features Mars Phoenix Lander Finishes Successful Work

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more than five months.

NASA Begins Hunt for New Meteor Showers
November 12, 2008
News and Features NASA Begins Hunt for New Meteor Showers

NASA astronomers have set up a monitoring station to scan the night sky for unknown or unexpected meteor showers--and they're finding more than they bargained for.

Arctic Sea Ice Decline Shakes Up Ocean Ecosystems
November 10, 2008
News and Features Arctic Sea Ice Decline Shakes Up Ocean Ecosystems

Researchers took advantage of NASA satellite images to show that the microscopic floating plants are teeming in regions of recent ice melt.

Solar Cycle Update: The Sun Shows Signs of Life
November 10, 2008
News and Features Solar Cycle Update: The Sun Shows Signs of Life

A surge of new-cycle sunspots in October may signal the beginning of the end of the ongoing solar minimum.

Oldest Evidence for Complex Life in Doubt
November 10, 2008
News and Features Oldest Evidence for Complex Life in Doubt

Biomarkers that were once thought to be the oldest evidence for complex life may not be as old as scientists once believed. The finding could change our understanding of the timescales in which life evolved on Earth.

STS-126 to Launch to Space Station Nov. 14
November 07, 2008
News and Features STS-126 to Launch to Space Station Nov. 14

Commander Chris Ferguson and the Endeavour crew will equip the outpost for expanded future crews.

Life in a Lump of Ice
November 07, 2008
News and Features Life in a Lump of Ice

Scientists studying the microscopic structure of super cold ice are revealing fascinating information about ice in space and its potential links to the origins of life.

Correcting Ocean Cooling
November 07, 2008
News and Features Correcting Ocean Cooling

Scientists revise their conclusion that the ocean has cooled since 2003.

NASA Gauges Sea Level, Glacier Changes
November 06, 2008
News and Features NASA Gauges Sea Level, Glacier Changes

Researchers have used satellite data to make the most precise measurements to date of changes in Alaskan glaciers.

JPL Instrument Moon-Bound
November 06, 2008
News and Features JPL Instrument Moon-Bound

JPL's Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument is aboard India's maiden moon voyage, Chandrayaan-1. A maneuver performed Tuesday, Nov. 4, placed the Indian spacecraft on a path toward the moon.

Titan Triple Threat
November 06, 2008
News and Features Titan Triple Threat

The Cassini-Huygens mission has given us our best view yet of Titan, but this moon of Saturn still remains shrouded in mystery. A proposed future mission takes a three-tiered approach – using an orbiting spacecraft, a surface probe, and a hot air balloon -- to further explore the enigmatic moon.

'Fingers of Color' in the Crab Nebula
November 06, 2008
News and Features 'Fingers of Color' in the Crab Nebula

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has provided the first clear view of the faint boundary of the Crab Nebula's X-ray-emitting pulsar wind nebula.

NOAA-N Prime Satellite Arrives at Vandenberg for Launch
November 05, 2008
News and Features NOAA-N Prime Satellite Arrives at Vandenberg for Launch

The latest polar-orbiting operational environmental weather satellite developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, called NOAA-N Prime, arrived Tuesday by C-5A military cargo aircraft at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., in preparation for a February 4, 2009 launch.

Spaceship Force Field
November 05, 2008
News and Features Spaceship Force Field

Researchers may have discovered how to create a 'portable magnetosphere' to protect astronauts from harmful space radiation. The device would act as a force field, shielding a spacecraft and its passengers from the dangers of solar storms.

Cassini Beams Back Images of Enceladus
November 05, 2008
News and Features Cassini Beams Back Images of Enceladus

Cassini sends back new pictures of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, showing striking detail of the tiger striped region and jet sources on the moon’s south pole.

The Slow Rise of Dinosaurs
November 04, 2008
News and Features The Slow Rise of Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs survived two mass extinctions and 50 million years before they dominated the Earth. The new finding sheds light on an important stage in the evolution of life on our planet.

NASA Hearing Daily From Weak Phoenix Mars Lander
November 04, 2008
News and Features NASA Hearing Daily From Weak Phoenix Mars Lander

Phoenix has communicated with controllers daily since Oct. 30 through relays to Mars orbiters. Information indicates Phoenix is running out of power by afternoon or evening but reawakening after its solar arrays catch morning sunlight.

Cliffbot Goes Climbing
November 03, 2008
News and Features Cliffbot Goes Climbing

From Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is a story about a rover that can scale the steep sides of cliffs and craters. Developed by a group of NASA engineers, this three-rover system, modeled on tether-aided human climbing, could make such locations on Mars accessible for future exploration.

Fires in Northwest India
November 03, 2008
News and Features Fires in Northwest India

Seasonal agricultural fires dotted the Punjab and Haryana states of northwestern India in early November 2008.

2008 Ozone Hole Maximum Announced
November 03, 2008
News and Features 2008 Ozone Hole Maximum Announced

The Antarctic ozone hole reached its annual maximum on Sept. 12, 2008, stretching over 27 million kilometers, or 10.5 square miles.

Searching for Primordial Antimatter
November 03, 2008
News and Features Searching for Primordial Antimatter

Scientists hunt for evidence of antimatter - matter's arch nemesis - left over from the very early Universe.

Molten Magnetic Meteorites
November 03, 2008
News and Features Molten Magnetic Meteorites

Meteorites that are among some of the oldest rocks known are providing clues about the conditions of the early solar system. The insight they are yielding is changing longstanding ideas about how planets form.

Opal's Sparkle Indicates Water
October 31, 2008
News and Features Opal's Sparkle Indicates Water

A new category of minerals that suggests past liquid water on Mars has been found to cover large regions of the planet's surface. The minerals commonly known as opal suggest that liquid water played a role in shaping Mars' surface.

Magnetic Portals Connect Earth to the Sun
October 31, 2008
News and Features Magnetic Portals Connect Earth to the Sun

Researchers have discovered 'magnetic portals' forming high above Earth that can briefly connect our planet to the Sun. Not only are the portals common, one space physicist contends they form twice as often as anyone had previously imagined.

STS-126 Mission 'Go' for Launch on Nov. 14
October 31, 2008
News and Features STS-126 Mission 'Go' for Launch on Nov. 14

Commander Chris Ferguson and the STS-126 crew will deliver new equipment and supplies to the International Space Station, paving the way for expanded crews.

'Ghost of Mirach' Materializes in Space Telescope Image
October 31, 2008
News and Features 'Ghost of Mirach' Materializes in Space Telescope Image

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer has lifted the veil off a ghost known to haunt the local universe, providing new insight into the formation and evolution of galaxies.

Cassini Team Blogs About Enceladus Flyby
October 30, 2008
News and Features Cassini Team Blogs About Enceladus Flyby

Here we are, on one planet in this amazing solar system, flinging this wonderful machine with exquisite precision between the moons of another planet so far away.

Hubble Scores a Perfect Ten
October 30, 2008
News and Features Hubble Scores a Perfect Ten

Just a few days after the orbiting observatory was brought back online, Hubble aimed its sights on a pair of gravitationally interacting galaxies.

When the Earth Moved Kashmir
October 30, 2008
News and Features When the Earth Moved Kashmir

Nestled in the Himalaya Mountains, Kashmir inhabits a crossroads between the Middle East and Asia. Kashmir’s valleys and snow-clad peaks have historically hosted divergent cultures and housed scholarly learning centers.

Cold Storage for Alien Organisms
October 30, 2008
News and Features Cold Storage for Alien Organisms

Some lunar craters may be perfect for preserving samples of life from Earth, and possibly even from Mars or other planets. Ancient organic remnants could have been delivered to the Moon as debris that was thrown into space after asteroids impacted rocky worlds in our solar system.

Halloween Storms of 2003 Still the Scariest
October 29, 2008
News and Features Halloween Storms of 2003 Still the Scariest

By the eerie light of a Halloween moon, while a chilly wind blows autumn-dry leaves askitter on bare and fingered branches, scary things can happen.

Halloween Sky Show
October 29, 2008
News and Features Halloween Sky Show

The planets are gathering for spooky sunset sky show on Oct. 31st. Read today's story to find out where to look.

Two Belts Cinch System
October 29, 2008
News and Features Two Belts Cinch System

Astronomers have discovered two asteroid belts and an icy outer ring around a nearby star. Scientists believe that the system might resemble our own solar system at the time of life's origin on Earth.

Station Astronauts to Vote From Space
October 28, 2008
News and Features Station Astronauts to Vote From Space

In this day and age, people engage in their right to vote from all over the world. But this Nov. 4, few ballots will have traveled as far as those cast by two NASA astronauts.

NASA-Enhanced Dust Storm Predictions To Aid Health Community
October 28, 2008
News and Features NASA-Enhanced Dust Storm Predictions To Aid Health Community

NASA satellite data can improve forecasts of dust storms in the American Southwest in ways that can benefit public health managers. Scientists announced the finding as a five-year NASA-funded project nears its conclusion.

Titan is Electric
October 28, 2008
News and Features Titan is Electric

Scientists have determined that Saturn's moon Titan could have electrical storms occurring in its atmosphere. Such storms might provide energy for the formation of important organic and pre-biotic molecules.

Hubble Status Report No. 7
October 27, 2008
News and Features Hubble Status Report No. 7

The current primary camera on the Hubble Space Telescope is now back in active operation and Hubble scientists may release an image from the telescope later this week.

Seeing Life in Viruses
October 27, 2008
News and Features Seeing Life in Viruses

From Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is a story about research conducted by Kirsi Lehto of the University of Turku in Finland. Lehto studies plant viruses with an eye toward their role in the origin and evolution of life.

Closest Planetary System Hosts Two Asteroid Belts
October 27, 2008
News and Features Closest Planetary System Hosts Two Asteroid Belts

New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope indicate that the nearest planetary system to our own has two asteroid belts.

NASA Tests Lunar Concepts in Arizona
October 27, 2008
News and Features NASA Tests Lunar Concepts in Arizona

Field tests are helping NASA engineers identify transportation and spacewalking needs for NASA's return to the moon by 2020.

ISS Expedition 17 Lands Safely
October 24, 2008
News and Features ISS Expedition 17 Lands Safely

The Expedition 17 crew landed in Kazakhstan at 11:37 p.m. EDT Thursday, a day after Commander Mike Fincke and the Expedition 18 crew took command of the International Space Station.

Magnetic Death Star
October 24, 2008
News and Features Magnetic Death Star

Scientists have discovered microscopic, magnetic fossils unlike anything previously seen. The fossils were discovered in sediments along the Atlantic that were deposited during an ancient period of global-warming.

Expedition 17 Lands Tonight, Expedition 18 on Space Station
October 23, 2008
News and Features Expedition 17 Lands Tonight, Expedition 18 on Space Station

The Expedition 17 crew is set to land in Kazakhstan around 11:36 p.m. EDT, a day after Commander Mike Fincke and the Expedition 18 crew took command of the International Space Station.

Climate Change Seeps into the Sea
October 23, 2008
News and Features Climate Change Seeps into the Sea

Scientists hope a new NASA mission will help them better understand how the Earth's oceans swallow a bitter pill known as carbon dioxide.

The Case of the Missing Gamma-ray Bursts
October 23, 2008
News and Features The Case of the Missing Gamma-ray Bursts

Gamma-ray bursts are by far the brightest and most powerful explosions in the Universe, second only to the Big Bang itself. So it might seem a bit surprising that a group of them has gone missing.

Cutting Life Short
October 23, 2008
News and Features Cutting Life Short

Imagine a solar system where a life-bearing planet is slowly pulled in closer to its star. If life could survive the ensuing climate change, it would provide a clear example of the Gaia hypothesis in action.

Hubble Status Report #5
October 22, 2008
News and Features Hubble Status Report #5

Recent updates on Hubble science.

Get Them While They're Hot
October 22, 2008
News and Features Get Them While They're Hot

Astronomers have determined that young, rocky planets stay hot longer than previously believed. The heat generated by these planets could make them easier to spot around distant stars.

The Oddball Hosts of Gamma-ray Bursts
October 22, 2008
News and Features The Oddball Hosts of Gamma-ray Bursts

Cosmic explosions known as gamma-ray bursts are curiously picky about where they explode. Shunning spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, gamma-ray bursts prefer to 'go off' in oddball star systems that astronomers are just beginning to understand.

Sachs Lays Out Another Mission for NASA
October 22, 2008
News and Features Sachs Lays Out Another Mission for NASA

When Jeffrey Sachs speaks of poverty, he's not talking about a hungry waif in New York or a homeless person in Chicago.

NASA Preparing for November Shuttle Launch
October 21, 2008
News and Features NASA Preparing for November Shuttle Launch

Workers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center rolled the shuttle Atlantis back to the Vehicle Assembly Building Monday, making way for Endeavour to move to Launch Pad 39A for its launch of STS-126, targeted for Nov. 14.

NASA Returns to the Moon with Instruments on Indian Spacecraft
October 21, 2008
News and Features NASA Returns to the Moon with Instruments on Indian Spacecraft

Two NASA instruments to map the lunar surface will launch on India's maiden moon voyage. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper will assess mineral resources, and the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar, or Mini-SAR, will map the polar regions and look for ice deposits.

Shifting to Life on Land
October 21, 2008
News and Features Shifting to Life on Land

Fossils from an organism known as the 'fishapod' are helping scientists understand how life moved out of the sea and began to walk on dry land. The study is providing new insights about this important step in the evolution of life on Earth.

Brief Mystery: What are Short Gamma-ray Bursts?
October 21, 2008
News and Features Brief Mystery: What are Short Gamma-ray Bursts?

A curiously short-lived type of gamma-ray burst has astronomers puzzled. Leading experts discuss the clues at today's Gamma-ray Burst Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama.

IBEX is in Orbit!
October 20, 2008
News and Features IBEX is in Orbit!

After a smooth countdown and climb toward space, NASA's IBEX spacecraft is in orbit.

Phoenix Gets Bonus Soil Sample
October 20, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Gets Bonus Soil Sample

The Mars Phoenix Lander's robotic arm successfully delivered soil into oven six of the lander's thermal and evolved-gas analyzer (TEGA) on Monday, Oct. 13, or Martian day (sol) 137 of the mission.

Tools of the Trade
October 20, 2008
News and Features Tools of the Trade

Bernhard Anderson began his career using a slide rule. Today this engineer utilizes sophisticated computer software to help NASA discover new approaches to achieving technology breakthroughs.

Simulating Survival in Space
October 20, 2008
News and Features Simulating Survival in Space

When humans are sent to Mars, will they survive the journey? People confined to close quarters for a long time inevitably get on each others nerves, and the fact that Mars is named after a god of warfare seems a bad omen. The Mars Society sent seven people to Devon Island to see if we can’t all just get along for the sake of exploration.

Shooting Life on Mars
October 17, 2008
News and Features Shooting Life on Mars

Using a highly sensitive laser, scientists have developed a new method to search for cells in martian minerals. The technique reduces the risk of contamination and can detect incredibly low concentrations of biomolecules.

Hubble Status Update
October 17, 2008
News and Features Hubble Status Update

During the night of Oct. 15, Space Telescope Operations Control Center engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center turned on and checked out Side B of Hubble’s Science Instrument Control and Data Handling system.

NASA'S Fermi Telescope Discovers First Gamma-Ray-Only Pulsar
October 17, 2008
News and Features NASA'S Fermi Telescope Discovers First Gamma-Ray-Only Pulsar

About three times a second, a 10,000-year-old stellar corpse sweeps a beam of gamma-rays toward Earth. Discovered by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, the object, called a pulsar, is the first one known that only "blinks" in gamma rays.

Volcanoes May Have Provided Sparks and Chemistry for First Life
October 17, 2008
News and Features Volcanoes May Have Provided Sparks and Chemistry for First Life

Lightning and gases from volcanic eruptions could have given rise to the first life on Earth, according to a new analysis of samples from a classic origin-of-life experiment by NASA and university researchers.

Phoenix Mars Mission Honored by Popular Mechanics
October 17, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Mars Mission Honored by Popular Mechanics

NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission is being honored with a Breakthrough Award by Popular Mechanics magazine today in New York City.

"Alien" Water Bears Amaze Scientists
October 16, 2008
News and Features "Alien" Water Bears Amaze Scientists

Tardigrades, commonly known as "water bears", have been reared under laboratory conditions and subjected to a barrage of tests. Their survivability shows that animals can survive extreme conditions, and also may indicate how humans could adapt to the rigors of space.

Team Helps to Resolve Long-Standing Puzzle in Climate Science
October 16, 2008
News and Features Team Helps to Resolve Long-Standing Puzzle in Climate Science

A team led by Livermore scientists has helped reconcile the differences between simulated and observed temperature trends in the tropics.

Two Black Holes Teach Astronomers a Lesson
October 16, 2008
News and Features Two Black Holes Teach Astronomers a Lesson

Observations of two different systems -- each containing stellar-mass black holes -- are showing astronomers how much they have yet to learn.

IBEX Set for Sunday Launch
October 15, 2008
News and Features IBEX Set for Sunday Launch

The first NASA spacecraft to image and map the dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into the cold expanse of space is ready for launch at 1:48 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 19.

Cyclones at Saturn's Poles Create a Swirl of Mystery
October 15, 2008
News and Features Cyclones at Saturn's Poles Create a Swirl of Mystery

New images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft reveal a giant cyclone at Saturn's north pole, and show that a similarly monstrous cyclone churning at Saturn's south pole is powered by Earth-like storm patterns.

Searching for Earth Life, from Venus
October 15, 2008
News and Features Searching for Earth Life, from Venus

Venus Express is being used to observe the Earth from its orbit around Venus. Astronomers hope that the data will help develop techniques to search for habitable planets around distant stars.

Severe Storms: Hurricane Norbert
October 15, 2008
News and Features Severe Storms: Hurricane Norbert

Forming in the Eastern Pacific, Hurricane Norbert became a severe hurricane. By October 11, 2008, it was situated over Baja California. By October 12, 2008, the storm had removed roofs and produced knee-high rain.

Earth Science Week: 2008
October 14, 2008
News and Features Earth Science Week: 2008

Keep your eyes glued to the Goddard Web site through the week of October 12 for daily videos that answer several questions about our home planet. The videos are all part of Earth Science Week: 2008, themed "No Child Left Inside."

Patterns in the Dust
October 14, 2008
News and Features Patterns in the Dust

Astronomers may have discovered a new method for detecting planets as small as Mars orbiting distant stars. The method would open a new avenue in the search for habitable planets in the universe.

The Day the World Didn't End
October 14, 2008
News and Features The Day the World Didn't End

Last month when scientists switched on the Large Hadron Collider, the world did not come to an end. In today's story, a particle physicist explains why not--and why Earth is safe from black holes when the collider is reactivated in the months ahead.

Expedition 18 Crew Docks with Space Station
October 14, 2008
News and Features Expedition 18 Crew Docks with Space Station

Commander Edward Michael "Mike" Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Valentinovich Lonchakov of the 18th International Space Station crew docked their Soyuz TMA-13 to the Earth-facing port of the Zarya module at 4:26 a.m. EDT Tuesday.

NASA's Spitzer Gets Sneak Peak Inside Comet Holmes
October 14, 2008
News and Features NASA's Spitzer Gets Sneak Peak Inside Comet Holmes

When comet Holmes unexpectedly erupted in 2007, professional and amateur astronomers around the world turned their telescopes toward the spectacular event.

NASA Maps Shed Light on Carbon Dioxide's Global Nature
October 10, 2008
News and Features NASA Maps Shed Light on Carbon Dioxide's Global Nature

A NASA/university study reveals new information on how carbon dioxide, which directly contributes to climate change, is distributed in Earth's atmosphere and moves around our world.

Sick Earth
October 10, 2008
News and Features Sick Earth

Geologists studying mass extinctions in Earth's history have determined that the majority of extinction events were due to climate change rather than asteroid impacts.

Liquid Mirror Telescopes on the Moon
October 10, 2008
News and Features Liquid Mirror Telescopes on the Moon

A team of internationally renowned astronomers and opticians may have found a way to make "unbelievably large" telescopes on the Moon.

Expedition 18 to Launch Sunday
October 10, 2008
News and Features Expedition 18 to Launch Sunday

Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Valentinovich Lonchakov are scheduled to launch in their Soyuz TMA-13 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan about 3 a.m. EDT Sunday to begin a six-month stay in space.

Studying a Giant Planet
October 09, 2008
News and Features Studying a Giant Planet

Eight years from now, the Juno spacecraft will arrive at Jupiter, with instruments to study its atmosphere. Research goals for the mission include determining how the giant planet formed, how much water it contains, and how its powerful auroras compare to Earth’s Northern Lights.

NASA Aeronautics, Space Science on Exhibit at Albuquerque Balloon Fest
October 09, 2008
News and Features NASA Aeronautics, Space Science on Exhibit at Albuquerque Balloon Fest

So what do some of the 800,000 fans of the Albuquerque, N.M., Balloon Fiesta events do when the action is over, out of sight, or called off due to weather? They head to exhibits such as NASA’s, available through Oct. 12.

Apollo Heat Shield Helps New Crew Vehicle Design
October 09, 2008
News and Features Apollo Heat Shield Helps New Crew Vehicle Design

NASA scientists developing the next generation of exploration vehicles and heat shields for NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle experienced "Christmas in July" when they uncrated the heat shields used on the Apollo missions some 35 years ago. These shields now are being analyzed to help with the development and engineering process.

Phoenix Lander Digs and Analyzes Soil as Darkness Gathers
October 09, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Lander Digs and Analyzes Soil as Darkness Gathers

As fall approaches Mars' northern plains, NASA's Phoenix Lander is busy digging into the Red Planet's soil and scooping it into its onboard science laboratories for analysis.

Spinoff 2008 Highlights NASA Innovations In Everyday Life
October 08, 2008
News and Features Spinoff 2008 Highlights NASA Innovations In Everyday Life

The 2008 edition of NASA's annual Spinoff publication celebrates the agency's 50th anniversary and highlights 50 new examples of how NASA technology is being put to use in everyday life. This anniversary edition features a 50-year timeline of NASA-derived technologies from historical programs and projects, and a summary of award-winning NASA technologies included in Spinoff over the years.

Cassini Plans Doubleheader Flybys of Saturn's Geyser Moon
October 08, 2008
News and Features Cassini Plans Doubleheader Flybys of Saturn's Geyser Moon

NASA's Cassini team will come to bat twice this month -- Oct. 9 and Oct. 31 -- when the spacecraft flies by Saturn's geyser moon, Enceladus.

Reightler: Human Space Exploration Is Man's Destiny
October 08, 2008
News and Features Reightler: Human Space Exploration Is Man's Destiny

In the 1960s, when President John F. Kennedy was making his pitch for the United States to send astronauts to the moon, he put the challenge succinctly. "We go … not because it's easy, but because it's hard," Kennedy told Congress and the world.

MESSENGER Returns Images from Oct. 6 Mercury Fly-By
October 07, 2008
News and Features MESSENGER Returns Images from Oct. 6 Mercury Fly-By

During the encounter, the probe swung just 125 miles (200 kilometers) above the cratered surface of Mercury, snapping hundreds of pictures and collecting a variety of other data.

NASA Study Finds Rising Arctic Storm Activity Sways Sea Ice, Climate
October 07, 2008
News and Features NASA Study Finds Rising Arctic Storm Activity Sways Sea Ice, Climate

A new NASA study shows that the rising frequency and intensity of arctic storms over the last half century, attributed to progressively warmer waters, directly provoked acceleration of the rate of arctic sea ice drift, long considered by scientists as a bellwether of climate change.

Animals Making Tracks
October 07, 2008
News and Features Animals Making Tracks

The fossilized trail of an aquatic creature suggests that animals walked using legs at least 30 million years earlier than had been thought. Scientists once thought that it was primarily microbes and simple multicellular animals that existed prior to the Cambrian, but studies like this may change that notion.

A quest for astronomy's holy grail
October 07, 2008
News and Features A quest for astronomy's holy grail

Sarah Seager hopes her exoplanet research will help "complete the Copernican Revolution."

Measuring the Weight of Ancient Air
October 06, 2008
News and Features Measuring the Weight of Ancient Air

In the first study of its kind, researchers will measure the air pressure from nearly three billion years ago by using gas bubbles in lava and tiny craters made by raindrops. The results could indicate what sort of life may have existed on the ancient Earth.

Sensors Advance Lunar Landing Project
October 06, 2008
News and Features Sensors Advance Lunar Landing Project

NASA is developing technologies that will allow lunar landers to automatically identify and navigate to the location of a safe landing site while detecting landing hazards during the final descent to the surface.

NASA Spacecraft Ready to Explore Outer Solar System
October 06, 2008
News and Features NASA Spacecraft Ready to Explore Outer Solar System

The first NASA spacecraft to image and map the dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into the cold expanse of space is ready for launch Oct. 19. The two-year mission will begin from the Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Breathing Like a Bird
October 03, 2008
News and Features Breathing Like a Bird

The remains of a unique dinosaur discovered in Argentina are helping scientists understand the connections between dinosaurs and birds. The study sheds light on an important moment in the evolution of life on our planet.

Treasure Hunting on the Moon: LRO and the Search for Water
October 03, 2008
News and Features Treasure Hunting on the Moon: LRO and the Search for Water

On the moon, a bottle of water would run about $50,000, and forget about that heavy crystal glass. That's because it costs around $50,000 per pound to launch anything to the moon. Discovering water on the moon would be like finding a gold mine.

Dust Plume off Iceland
October 03, 2008
News and Features Dust Plume off Iceland

Dust storms usually call to mind vast sand seas along the Equator, or dried up lakebeds in Central Asia, but such storms can also occur at much higher latitudes.

Digging up Ancient Microbes
October 02, 2008
News and Features Digging up Ancient Microbes

Limestone from Namibia has biomarkers that indicate a community of microbes oxidized methane at least 300 million years ago. Such biomarkers can provide clues to the history of life on Earth, and could help scientists search for signs of life on other worlds.

NASA Spacecraft Finds the Sun is Not a Perfect Sphere
October 02, 2008
News and Features NASA Spacecraft Finds the Sun is Not a Perfect Sphere

Scientists using NASA's RHESSI spacecraft have found that, during years of high solar activity, the sun develops a thin "cantaloupe skin" that brightens and fattens the "stellar waist."

Celebrating 10 Years of Hubble Heritage Images
October 02, 2008
News and Features Celebrating 10 Years of Hubble Heritage Images

The landmark 10th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope's Hubble Heritage Project is being celebrated with a "landscape" image from the cosmos.

MESSENGER Returns to Mercury
October 01, 2008
News and Features MESSENGER Returns to Mercury

MESSENGER, the first mission to orbit the planet closest to the sun, will fly by Mercury once again on Oct. 6, 2008, for the second time this year.

Dust Storm off West Africa
October 01, 2008
News and Features Dust Storm off West Africa

Dust plumes blew off the west coast of northern Africa for the second consecutive day in late September 2008.

Spotless Sun: Blankest Year of the Space Age
October 01, 2008
News and Features Spotless Sun: Blankest Year of the Space Age

Astronomers who count sunspots have announced that 2008 has become the "blankest year" of the Space Age. Sunspot counts are at a 50-year low, signifying a deep minimum in the 11-year cycle of solar activity.

NASA, U.S. Chess Federation to Begin Earth vs. Space Match
September 30, 2008
News and Features NASA, U.S. Chess Federation to Begin Earth vs. Space Match

It will be the Earth vs. space in a unique chess match, and you can help Earth win.

Plume from Rabaul Volcano
September 30, 2008
News and Features Plume from Rabaul Volcano

Rabaul Volcano released a plume of ash and steam in late September 2008.

STONE-6, Microbes 0
September 30, 2008
News and Features STONE-6, Microbes 0

Using an artificial meteorite, scientists have determined that organisms in meteorites wouldn't survive a fall to Earth. However, the study does show that meteorites could still retain biosignatures that would provide evidence for life on other worlds.

NASA Mars Lander Sees Falling Snow, Soil Data Suggest Liquid Past
September 30, 2008
News and Features NASA Mars Lander Sees Falling Snow, Soil Data Suggest Liquid Past

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has detected snow falling from Martian clouds. Spacecraft soil experiments also have provided evidence of past interaction between minerals and liquid water, processes that occur on Earth.

Sunspots Pump Plasma Into Interplanetary Space
September 30, 2008
News and Features Sunspots Pump Plasma Into Interplanetary Space

Scientists find that dim areas at the edges of active sunpot regions may hold the key to the sun's energy processes.

Nicaraguan Volcano Provides Insight into Early Mars
September 29, 2008
News and Features Nicaraguan Volcano Provides Insight into Early Mars

Although volcanoes on Mars today are dormant or extinct, in the distant past the Red Planet was literally a hotbed of volcanic activity. Cerro Negro, an active volcano in Nicaragua, offers clues to what the martian era of fire and brimstone may have been like – and what types of organisms could have lived in that superheated world.

Dust Storm off Egypt
September 29, 2008
News and Features Dust Storm off Egypt

A thick plume of dust blew off the northern coast of Egypt, west of the Nile Delta, and over the Mediterranean Sea on September 25, 2008.

Earth's Oldest Rocks
September 26, 2008
News and Features Earth's Oldest Rocks

Scientists have discovered rocks that are 4.28 billion years old, making them 250 million years more ancient than any previously discovered rocks. Our planet formed about 4.6 billion years ago, so these rocks could provide a unique window on the young Earth.

Reisman Takes a Bite Out of the Big Apple
September 26, 2008
News and Features Reisman Takes a Bite Out of the Big Apple

In April, astronaut Garrett Reisman performed an unprecedented event in space when he threw out the first pitch at a Yankees game from onboard the International Space Station.

Opportunity to Endeavor
September 26, 2008
News and Features Opportunity to Endeavor

After climbing out of Victoria crater, NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity is now making a long trek to a new crater called Endeavour. This large crater could hold more clues about the history of Mars' climate.

NASA Stardust Capsule to Go on Display at Smithsonian
September 26, 2008
News and Features NASA Stardust Capsule to Go on Display at Smithsonian

Having returned the world's first particles from a comet, NASA's Stardust sample return capsule will join the collection of flight icons in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The capsule will go on public display in the museum's Milestones of Flight Gallery on Oct. 1, the 50th anniversary of NASA.

Severe Storms: Typhoon Hagupit
September 25, 2008
News and Features Severe Storms: Typhoon Hagupit

Powerful Typhoon Hagupit slammed into South China on September 24, 2008.

Powerful Nearby Supernova Caught by Web
September 25, 2008
News and Features Powerful Nearby Supernova Caught by Web

The vast online archives from many of the world's premier telescopes have helped scientists identify one of the nearest supernovas in the last 25 years, over a decade after it exploded.

Diamonds May Be Life's Birthstone
September 25, 2008
News and Features Diamonds May Be Life's Birthstone

Researchers have come up with a new model in which the first molecules of life formed on diamonds.

Solar Wind Loses Power, Hits 50-year Low
September 24, 2008
News and Features Solar Wind Loses Power, Hits 50-year Low

In a briefing today at NASA headquarters, solar physicists announced that the solar wind is losing power. This development has repercussions across the solar system.

Cool Summer, Warm Future
September 24, 2008
News and Features Cool Summer, Warm Future

Despite a moderate summer, the heat is rising in Southern California.

Earth's Platinum Standard
September 24, 2008
News and Features Earth's Platinum Standard

By comparing the composition of meteorites and planets like Earth and Mars, scientists are providing clues about planetary formation in the early solar system. The study also reveals how some of Earth's rarest metals may have come from space.

Summer as a Rocket Scientist: College Students Help Develop Earth-Observing Satellite
September 23, 2008
News and Features Summer as a Rocket Scientist: College Students Help Develop Earth-Observing Satellite

Six students spent their summer working on technology for an upcoming NASA Earth-monitoring mission.

Our Mixed-Up Solar System
September 23, 2008
News and Features Our Mixed-Up Solar System

Chemical studies of the comet Wild 2 are challenging views about the history and evolution of the solar system. Such studies could yield important clues about the early formation of the planets.

Hubble Servicing Shuttle Mission Set for October
September 22, 2008
News and Features Hubble Servicing Shuttle Mission Set for October

Atlantis' seven astronauts will upgrade what may be the most significant satellite ever launched.

This Month in Exploration - September
September 22, 2008
News and Features This Month in Exploration - September

Fifteen years ago, the space shuttle Discovery crew deployed the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite, the first high-speed, all-digital communications satellite.

Diving for the Moon
September 22, 2008
News and Features Diving for the Moon

NASA astronaut Mike Gernhardt is in charge of developing rovers and spacesuits for the next round of human exploration of the moon. This summer, however, he spent a week piloting a one-person submarine through the depths of a lake in British Columbia, Canada. There is, he insists, a connection.

Hurricane Ike
September 19, 2008
News and Features Hurricane Ike

Between the last week of August and the first week of September 2008, the Atlantic Ocean queued up a series of tropical storms. Ike became a large storm that raked over Cuba and targeted the Texas coast.

Introducing NASA eClips: A New Approach to Learning
September 18, 2008
News and Features Introducing NASA eClips: A New Approach to Learning

NASA's new free Web-based educational videos are designed to get students excited about science and engineering.

Flooding along the Gulf Coast
September 18, 2008
News and Features Flooding along the Gulf Coast

Hurricane Ike pushed water far inland over a wide swath of the Gulf Coast when the storm came ashore on September 13, 2008.

Swashbuckling Scientists Discover Northern Vents
September 18, 2008
News and Features Swashbuckling Scientists Discover Northern Vents

From Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is a story of how researchers recently explored the ocean floor between Greenland and Norway. They discovered hydrothermal vents that support an extremophile ecosystem. The find supports the idea that biological communities could exist on other worlds.

Shake, Rattle and Roll: James Webb Telescope Components Pass Tests
September 17, 2008
News and Features Shake, Rattle and Roll: James Webb Telescope Components Pass Tests

When it comes to firing telescopes and their instruments into the frigid cold of space, the more you test your hardware, the better.

Polar Crown Prominences
September 17, 2008
News and Features Polar Crown Prominences

Japan's Hinode spacecraft is beaming back must-see movies of a spectacular solar phenomenon known as 'polar crown prominences.'

Immigrant Sun
September 17, 2008
News and Features Immigrant Sun

New simulations show that stars like the sun can migrate great distances over time. The study may challenge the idea that galaxies have 'habitable zones' that are more suited for life than other areas.

NASA Selects 'MAVEN' Mission to Study Mars Atmosphere
September 16, 2008
News and Features NASA Selects 'MAVEN' Mission to Study Mars Atmosphere

NASA has selected a Mars robotic mission that will provide information about the Red Planet's atmosphere, climate history and potential habitability in greater detail than ever before.

Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Lowest Coverage for 2008
September 16, 2008
News and Features Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Lowest Coverage for 2008

Arctic sea ice coverage appears to have reached its lowest extent for the year and the second-lowest amount recorded since the dawn of the satellite era.

NASA Satellites Provide Allergy Relief
September 15, 2008
News and Features NASA Satellites Provide Allergy Relief

When you stroll through your front door in the morning, does the yellow haze coating the porch send you leaping back into the house? Can the mere word "pollen" make you start to sniffle, sneeze and reach for the tissue to blow your nose?

Science by the Light of the Moon
September 15, 2008
News and Features Science by the Light of the Moon

Researchers, students and professionals from around the world gathered in July at the NASA Lunar Science Conference to discuss the future of robotic and human exploration of the moon.

Dust Plumes over the Persian Gulf
September 15, 2008
News and Features Dust Plumes over the Persian Gulf

Dust plumes blew over the Persian Gulf on September 12, 2008.

Luck Gave Dinosaurs an Edge
September 14, 2008
News and Features Luck Gave Dinosaurs an Edge

A new study shows that early dinosaurs survived two mass extinctions before they became dominant on Earth. Interestingly, it appears that their survival may have been based on luck alone.

Ratio is All in the Timing
September 13, 2008
News and Features Ratio is All in the Timing

A new study of carbon in seafloor sediments is helping scientists better understand the timing of life's origin on Earth. The findings may also change our assumptions about the history of Earth's carbon cycle.

National Weather Service Warning on Ike: Leave or Perish
September 12, 2008
News and Features National Weather Service Warning on Ike: Leave or Perish

A warning from the National Weather Service is never to be taken lightly, and the residents along Galveston Bay in Texas heard a "leave or perish" warning as Hurricane Ike approaches the Texas coast. About 3.5 million people live in Ike's path.

When Microbes Move In
September 12, 2008
News and Features When Microbes Move In

A team working high in the Peruvian Andes has discovered how microbes swiftly colonize barren soils uncovered by melting glaciers. The study shows how microbes are able to establish themselves in one of Earth's most extreme environments, and how these unique organisms are adapting to climate change.

Spooky Hurricane Science
September 12, 2008
News and Features Spooky Hurricane Science

To improve hurricane forecasting, NASA engineers are spending time in a spooky room where 'no one can hear you scream.'

NASA Study Illustrates How Global Peak Oil Could Impact Climate
September 10, 2008
News and Features NASA Study Illustrates How Global Peak Oil Could Impact Climate

The burning of fossil fuels -- notably coal, oil and gas -- has accounted for about 80 percent of the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide since the pre-industrial era. Now, NASA researchers have identified feasible emission scenarios that could keep carbon dioxide below levels that some scientists have called dangerous for climate.

Prolonged Precipitation
September 10, 2008
News and Features Prolonged Precipitation

A new study suggests that recurrent floods carved valley networks on Mars during a long period of time when the climate of Mars resembled arid regions on Earth. The study is an important step toward understanding the potential for past life on the Red Planet.

Naked-Eye Gamma-ray Burst Aimed Directly at Earth
September 10, 2008
News and Features Naked-Eye Gamma-ray Burst Aimed Directly at Earth

Astronomers announced today that a remarkable gamma-ray burst visible to the human eye earlier this year came from an explosive stellar jet aimed almost directly at Earth.

Solar Shift
September 09, 2008
News and Features Solar Shift

Forty years ago, strange oxygen isotopes in a meteorite were found to be different than any known planetary rock – including those from Earth and Mars. Scientists are getting closer to solving the riddle, and providing new information about the early solar system in the process.

Hurricane Ike
September 09, 2008
News and Features Hurricane Ike

As Hurricane Ike battered Cuba on September 8, 2008, the rugged island punched back.

Tropical Storm Lowell Weakening, But Still Headed to Baja California
September 09, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Lowell Weakening, But Still Headed to Baja California

The National Hurricane Center urged residents of the southern Baja California to keep an eye out for Tropical Storm Lowell.

Looking for Life on Mars – in a Canadian Lake
September 08, 2008
News and Features Looking for Life on Mars – in a Canadian Lake

At first glance, Pavilion Lake, in British Columbia, looks like just another idyllic vacation spot. But beneath its surface lie some of the most unusual carbonate formations on Earth. Unusual enough that, this summer, researchers hauled a pair of miniature submarines up the lake to find out whether or not bacteria were involved in building the distinctive structures.

NASA To Hold Briefing About Lunar Exploration Concepts And Plans
September 08, 2008
Press Releases

NASA is inviting interested industry representatives, academics and reporters to learn more about the Ares V heavy lift-launch vehicle, the Altair lunar lander, and the roles they will play in returning humans to the moon by 2020.

Cometary Missing Link
September 07, 2008
News and Features Cometary Missing Link

Scientists have identified an interesting solar system object whose orbit is backwards around the sun and which may help us understand the origin of certain comets. The finding also could yield clues about the early solar system.

Ike's Eye in Southern Bahamas on Sunday - Cuba, Florida Keys Preparing
September 07, 2008
News and Features Ike's Eye in Southern Bahamas on Sunday - Cuba, Florida Keys Preparing

On Sunday, Sept. 7, the Southeastern Bahamas were under a hurricane warning as Hurricane Ike was plowing his way through on a course to Cuba. Cuba and the Florida Keys have posted Hurricane Watches. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area...generally within 36 hours.

NASA to Explore "Secret Layer" of the Sun
September 05, 2008
News and Features NASA to Explore "Secret Layer" of the Sun

Cassini Images Ring Arcs Among Saturn's Moons
September 05, 2008
News and Features Cassini Images Ring Arcs Among Saturn's Moons

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has detected a faint, partial ring orbiting with one small moon of Saturn, and has confirmed the presence of another partial ring orbiting with a second moon. This is further evidence that most of the planet's small, inner moons orbit within partial or complete rings.

Tropical Storm Hanna Passing Bahamas Today
September 04, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Hanna Passing Bahamas Today

Tropical Storm Hanna hasn't strengthened into a hurricane yet, although forecasters expect she will by the time she makes landfall in the U.S. this weekend.

A Warm Breath of Carbon Dioxide
September 04, 2008
News and Features A Warm Breath of Carbon Dioxide

When the sun was young, it didn't produce enough heat to unfreeze ice on our planet. So why was the early Earth covered in liquid water and not ice?

NASA's Carl Sagan Fellows to Study Extraterrestrial Worlds
September 03, 2008
News and Features NASA's Carl Sagan Fellows to Study Extraterrestrial Worlds

NASA announced Wednesday the new Carl Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowships in Exoplanet Exploration, created to inspire the next generation of explorers seeking to learn more about planets, and possibly life, around other stars.

Tropical Storm Hanna's Towering Thunderclouds
September 03, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Hanna's Towering Thunderclouds

NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Tropical Storm Hanna on September 1, 2008 at 1418 UTC (10:18 EDT). At this time the storm was a tropical storm with sustained winds of 50 knots (57.5 mph) and a pressure reading of 994 millibars.

Lukewarm Supervolcano
September 03, 2008
News and Features Lukewarm Supervolcano

Yellowstone is known for its hot springs and geysers, and the unique forms of life that inhabit them. Scientists are now learning more about the mysterious 'supervolcano' that powers these environments, and whether or not the giant could erupt again.

Tropical Storm Josephine Forms in Far Eastern Atlantic
September 02, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Josephine Forms in Far Eastern Atlantic

Tropical Depression Ten formed in the early morning hours of September 2nd and by the afternoon it strengthened into Tropical Storm Josephine. That means that there were four tropical cyclones active in the Atlantic Ocean basin on Tuesday, September 2nd.

Amateur Astronomers See Perseids Hit the Moon
September 02, 2008
News and Features Amateur Astronomers See Perseids Hit the Moon

There's more than one way to watch a meteor shower. One, the old-fashioned way: Find a dark place with starry skies and count the meteors streaking overhead. Two, the new way: Find a dark place with starry skies and then completely ignore the meteors. Instead, watch the Moon. That's where the explosions are.

Earth's Leaky Atmosphere
September 02, 2008
News and Features Earth's Leaky Atmosphere

Using satellite observations, scientists have discovered why the Earth is constantly leaking oxygen into space. The finding provides insight into the mechanisms behind oxygen loss on our planet.

Gustav's Eyewall Crossed Southeastern Louisiana Coast Monday Morning
September 01, 2008
News and Features Gustav's Eyewall Crossed Southeastern Louisiana Coast Monday Morning

This satellite image was captured on Sept. 1 at 13:32 UTC (9:32 a.m. EDT from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-12). In the image, Hurricane Gustav is just crossing the Louisiana coast while Tropical Storm Hanna spins near the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Mars Research in Polar Bear Country
September 01, 2008
News and Features Mars Research in Polar Bear Country

New from the Nordic issue of Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition: An interview with Hans Amundsen, the expedition leader of AMASE (Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition). AMASE scientists travel to a group of islands in the High Arctic in order to conduct Mars-related field research.

NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Ascends to Level Ground
August 29, 2008
News and Features NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Ascends to Level Ground

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has climbed out of the large crater that it had been examining from the inside since last September.

Drilling Down to Alien Oceans
August 28, 2008
News and Features Drilling Down to Alien Oceans

A new method of exploring thick icy sheets and what lies below them has been devised. Combining a drill and a melting tip, this probe is particularly useful for exploring icy locations such as the polar caps of Mars and Jupiter’s moon Europa.

Fires in Central South America
August 27, 2008
News and Features Fires in Central South America

Hundreds of fires (locations marked in red) were burning in central South America on August 26, 2008, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite passed overhead and captured this image.

Tracing Tiger Stripes
August 27, 2008
News and Features Tracing Tiger Stripes

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has pinpointed where Enceladus' icy jets erupt from at the moon's surface. The new images may help reveal what type of environment exists on the moon, and whether or not Enceladus could be a habitat for life.

First Light for the Fermi Space Telescope
August 26, 2008
News and Features First Light for the Fermi Space Telescope

NASA's newest space telescope, formerly known as GLAST, has passed its orbital checkout with flying colors, kicking off a mission to explore the violent and unpredictable gamma ray universe.

Opportunity Climbing out of Crater
August 26, 2008
News and Features Opportunity Climbing out of Crater

NASA's Mars Exploration rover Opportunity is heading back out to the Red Planet's surrounding plains nearly a year after descending into a large Martian crater to examine exposed ancient rock layers.

Seeing Mars in a Particle of Dust
August 26, 2008
News and Features Seeing Mars in a Particle of Dust

NASA's Phoenix lander has taken the first image of martian dust under a microscope. The technology will help scientists determine if Mars is, or ever was suitable for life. The achievement also highlights the capabilities of robotic microscopy on another planet.

NASA Renames Observatory for Fermi, Reveals Entire Gamma-Ray Sky
August 26, 2008
Press Releases

NASA's newest observatory, the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, has begun its mission of exploring the universe in high-energy gamma rays. The spacecraft and its revolutionary instruments passed their orbital checkout with flying colors.

Mars Lander Digs Deeper
August 25, 2008
News and Features Mars Lander Digs Deeper

The next sample of Martian soil being grabbed for analysis is coming from a trench about three times deeper than any other trench NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has dug.

Through a Glass Darkly
August 25, 2008
News and Features Through a Glass Darkly

Just as stained glass windows that decorate the world’s most beautiful cathedrals depict stories, ancient life may have its own tales to tell in glass.

Strange Clouds at the Edge of Space
August 25, 2008
News and Features Strange Clouds at the Edge of Space

Last month, astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) witnessed a beautiful display of noctilucent or "night-shining" clouds.

Meteorite Fast Track
August 23, 2008
News and Features Meteorite Fast Track

The majority of asteroids that pass near the Earth have a different composition than most of the meteorites that actually hit our planet. Astronomers now think they may have figured out why this is the case.

Tropical Storm Fay's Heavy Rains the Big Story for Fla.
August 22, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Fay's Heavy Rains the Big Story for Fla.

Tropical Storm Fay has deluged Florida with rain and will continue to do so until the end of the weekend, when it is expected to move west of the Panhandle.

Generations of Stars Pose for Family Portrait
August 22, 2008
News and Features Generations of Stars Pose for Family Portrait

A new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope tells a tale of life and death amidst a rich family history. The striking infrared picture shows a colorful cosmic cloud, called W5, studded with multiple generations of blazing stars.

Tropical Storm Fay's Center Now Moving Inland
August 21, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Fay's Center Now Moving Inland

Tropical Storm Fay is finally making landfall again after meandering in the Atlantic Ocean over the last day. She was crossing Florida east coast near Flagler Beach at that time. Her center was near 28.4 degrees north latitude and 81.0 degrees west longitude.

Mid-Depth Soil Collected for Lab Test on NASA's Mars Lander
August 21, 2008
News and Features Mid-Depth Soil Collected for Lab Test on NASA's Mars Lander

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has scooped up a soil sample from an intermediate depth between the ground surface and a subsurface icy layer. The sample was delivered to a laboratory oven on the spacecraft.

Dress Rehearsal for Mars
August 21, 2008
News and Features Dress Rehearsal for Mars

Life-searching instruments are being tested in Rio Tinto, ready to be used as part of an upcoming mission to Mars.

Fay Stalls Over Florida
August 20, 2008
News and Features Fay Stalls Over Florida

Tropical Storm Fay, seen in this Aug. 20 11:35 UTC (2:35 p.m. EDT) infrared image from NASA's Aqua spacecraft when the storm was near Cape Canaveral, Fla. At the time, maximum sustained winds were near 50 miles per hour (85 kilometers per hour) with higher gusts.

Typhoon Nuri
August 20, 2008
News and Features Typhoon Nuri

After forming off the coast of the Philippines, Typhoon Nuri traveled westward toward the island chain, gathering strength as it approached Luzon, the main island at the northern end of the Philippines. On August 19, 2008, with reported wind speeds up to 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour, the typhoon’s eye clipped the northern edge of Luzon before continuing westward into the South China Sea.

Underwater Sentry
August 20, 2008
News and Features Underwater Sentry

A new free-swimming robot has completed a 3.1-mile-deep trek beneath the ocean. The robot opens new possibilities for exploring the deep sea and discovering unique habitats for life.

Living with a Star
August 19, 2008
News and Features Living with a Star

What if you woke up one morning and found your whole planet had been swallowed by the atmosphere of a star? Get out of bed, look out the window. Auroras are dancing along the horizon. Dark sunspots crackle overhead—each little 'pop' more powerful than a nuclear bomb.

The Rise of Slime
August 19, 2008
News and Features The Rise of Slime

Human activities are having disastrous effects on the health of the world's oceans according to a new prognosis. Factors such as overfishing and climate change must be addressed in order to ensure the future health of one of our planet's most important biological resources.

Hurricane Season 2008: Tropical Storm Fay
August 19, 2008
News and Features Hurricane Season 2008: Tropical Storm Fay

NASA's CloudSat and Aqua satellites are just two of NASA's fleet keeping eyes on Tropical Storm Fay. NASA is using these data to see cloud height and cloud temperatures which give hints at whether or not Fay will strengthen or weaken.

2007 Hurricane Forecasts Took Blow from Winds and Saharan Dry, Dusty Air
August 18, 2008
News and Features 2007 Hurricane Forecasts Took Blow from Winds and Saharan Dry, Dusty Air

A new analysis of environmental conditions over the Atlantic Ocean shows that hot, dry air associated with dust outbreaks from the Sahara desert was a likely contributor to the quieter-than-expected 2007 hurricane season.

The M2-F1: 'Look Ma! No Wings!'
August 18, 2008
News and Features The M2-F1: 'Look Ma! No Wings!'

The planned retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2010 will bring to a close an era that opened in the Antelope Valley nearly a half century ago. The vehicle which began that era – the M2-F1 – was an unlikely forefather to the shuttle. The world’s first manned lifting body, the M2-F1 was made of wood, had an internal framework of steel tubes, looked like a bathtub sitting on a tricycle, and had no wings.

The Perception of Pluto
August 17, 2008
News and Features The Perception of Pluto

Scientists recently gathered to debate the recent IAU decision to demote Pluto from 'planet' status. Pluto may be small, but objects like Pluto still undergo important geophysical processes that can teach us about planetary formation.

Project Anniversary Shows Value of Long-Term Investment in Climate Research
August 15, 2008
News and Features Project Anniversary Shows Value of Long-Term Investment in Climate Research

At a time when an international satellite collaboration of this sort had never existed, the cautious step made by NASA management to fund the core of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) was a risk. But the project that was planned to last for five to seven years of data collecting operations is celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer, proving the investment risk was worth the research payoff.

The Realm of Earthworms
August 15, 2008
News and Features The Realm of Earthworms

When you hear the word "NASA," do visions of rocket ships dance in your head? Well think again. From now on, it's "earthworms."

Cassini Pinpoints Source of Jets on Saturn's Moon Enceladus
August 14, 2008
News and Features Cassini Pinpoints Source of Jets on Saturn's Moon Enceladus

In a feat of interplanetary sharpshooting, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has pinpointed precisely where the icy jets erupt from the surface of Saturn's geologically active moon Enceladus.

Phoenix Microscope Takes First Image of Martian Dust Particle
August 14, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Microscope Takes First Image of Martian Dust Particle

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has taken the first-ever image of a single particle of Mars' ubiquitous dust, using its atomic force microscope.

NASA Study Improves Ability to Predict Aerosols' Effect on Cloud Cover
August 14, 2008
Press Releases

Using a novel theoretical approach, researchers from NASA and other institutions have identified the common thread that determines how aerosols from human activity, like the particles from burning of vegetation and forests, influence cloud cover and ultimately affect climate. The study improves researchers’ ability to predict whether aerosols will increase or decrease cloud cover.

The Stuff of Life on Titan
August 14, 2008
News and Features The Stuff of Life on Titan

Reactions between organic compounds in Titan’s atmosphere and water on the surface may create complex molecules similar to those on the early Earth.

CNew Images of Enceladus Now Online
August 13, 2008
News and Features CNew Images of Enceladus Now Online

Raw images from Cassini's Enceladus flyby are now available.

Cracking the Question of Alien Life
August 13, 2008
News and Features Cracking the Question of Alien Life

New research is providing clues about the potential for life on Europa. By studying Europa's surface, scientists hope to determine the best places to search for life and whether or not the moon is geologically active.

Dust Storms in Afghanistan and Pakistan
August 12, 2008
News and Features Dust Storms in Afghanistan and Pakistan

On August 10, 2008, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of blowing dust over northern Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

Water Ideas are All Wet
August 12, 2008
News and Features Water Ideas are All Wet

Scientists have discovered that water, a molecule essential for life as we know it, is not as well understood as we thought. The study adds to our understanding of water's role in the origin and survival of life on Earth.

Enceladus Fly-by Blog
August 11, 2008
News and Features Enceladus Fly-by Blog

Fractures, or "tiger stripes," where icy jets erupt on Saturn's moon Enceladus are the focus of Cassini's Aug. 11 fly by of Enceladus

An Interstellar Mission Scenario
August 11, 2008
News and Features An Interstellar Mission Scenario

Super-Earths, terrestrial planets many times the mass of Earth, have been discovered orbiting distant stars. In this essay, Ray Villard details a possible future expedition to visit one of these alien worlds in order to study the life that could exist there.

Hubble Unveils Colorful Star Birth Region on 100,000th Orbit
August 11, 2008
Press Releases

In commemoration of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope completing its 100,000th orbit during its 18th year of exploration and discovery, scientists aimed Hubble to take a snapshot of a dazzling region of celestial birth and renewal.

A Flash of Insight: LCROSS Mission Update
August 11, 2008
News and Features A Flash of Insight: LCROSS Mission Update

There are places on the Moon where the sun hasn't shined for millions of years. Dark polar craters too deep for sunlight to penetrate are luna incognita, the realm of the unknown, and in their inky depths, researchers believe, may lie a treasure of great value.

A Swift Drop into Deep Freeze
August 10, 2008
News and Features A Swift Drop into Deep Freeze

Scientists have discovered traces of fossilized plants and insects in an ice-free region of Antarctica. The finding is evidence of what Antarctica was like before an abrupt cooling of the Earth roughly 13.9 million years ago.

Chasing Dust Devils
August 09, 2008
News and Features Chasing Dust Devils

A new study in the deserts of Earth is helping scientists understand how dust devils on Mars affect the martian atmosphere and climate. The data could be useful in developing new missions, and will help astrobiologists understand if the martian climate was once capable of supporting life.

Cassini Prepares to Swoop by Saturn's Geyser-Spewing Moon
August 07, 2008
News and Features Cassini Prepares to Swoop by Saturn's Geyser-Spewing Moon

Fractures, or "tiger stripes," where icy jets erupt on Saturn's moon Enceladus will be the target of a close flyby by the Cassini spacecraft on Monday, Aug. 11.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Alien Ocean
August 07, 2008
News and Features Twinkle, Twinkle, Alien Ocean

Scientists propose to find water on alien planets by looking for the glint of starlight from distant oceans.

Martian Clays Tell Story of a Wet Past
August 07, 2008
News and Features Martian Clays Tell Story of a Wet Past

Layers of clay-rich rock have been found in Mars’ Mawrth Vallis, a potential landing site for future rovers. This work, published in the August 8 issue of Science, suggests that abundant water was once present on Mars and that hydrothermal activity may have occurred.

Perchlorates, Perchance?
August 06, 2008
News and Features Perchlorates, Perchance?

Recent news reports have speculated that the Phoenix lander has discovered perchlorate on Mars. While Phoenix scientists admit that perchlorate salts may be present, they disagree with the assumption that the presence of such an oxidant makes the soil inhospitable for life.

Phoenix Mars Team Opens Window on Scientific Process
August 05, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Mars Team Opens Window on Scientific Process

Phoenix Mars mission scientists spoke today on research in progress concerning an ongoing investigation of perchlorate salts detected in soil analyzed by the wet chemistry laboratory aboard NASA's Phoenix Lander.

NASA Data Show Some African Drought Linked to Warmer Indian Ocean
August 05, 2008
News and Features NASA Data Show Some African Drought Linked to Warmer Indian Ocean

A new study, co-funded by NASA, has identified a link between a warming Indian Ocean and less rainfall in eastern and southern Africa. Computer models and observations show a decline in rainfall, with implications for the region's food security.

Life in a Bubble
August 05, 2008
News and Features Life in a Bubble

Scientists have discovered how insects can use a bubble of air as an 'external lung' to breathe underwater. The study highlights a unique way in which organisms on Earth have evolved in response to their environment.

NASA Spacecraft Analyzing Martian Soil Data
August 04, 2008
News and Features NASA Spacecraft Analyzing Martian Soil Data

Scientists are analyzing results from soil samples delivered several weeks ago to science instruments on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander to understand the landing site's soil chemistry and mineralogy.

NASA Brings Total Eclipse of the Sun to the Masses
August 01, 2008
News and Features NASA Brings Total Eclipse of the Sun to the Masses

On August 1, a total solar eclipse was visible in parts of Canada, northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia and China. The eclipse swept across Earth in a narrow path that began in Canada’s northern province of Nunavut and ended in northern China’s Silk Road region.

NASA Tests Moon Imaging Spacecraft at Goddard
July 31, 2008
Press Releases

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, also known as LRO, has completed the first round of environmental testing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. These tests ensure the spacecraft is prepared for its mission to collect the highest resolution images and most comprehensive geological data set ever returned from the moon.

NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended
July 31, 2008
News and Features NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended

Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified water in a soil sample. The lander's robotic arm delivered the sample Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the heating of samples.

Titan's Ethane Lake
July 30, 2008
News and Features Titan's Ethane Lake

Cassini scientists have concluded that at least one of the large lakes observed on Saturn’s moon Titan contains liquid hydrocarbons, and have positively identified ethane.

OSTM/Jason 2 Begins Mapping Oceans
July 30, 2008
News and Features OSTM/Jason 2 Begins Mapping Oceans

Less than a month after launch, the NASA-French space agency Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason 2 oceanography satellite has produced its first complete maps of global ocean surface topography, surface wave height and wind speed.

Snow Queen Showing Her Age
July 30, 2008
News and Features Snow Queen Showing Her Age

When Phoenix landed on the martian surface, the spacecraft’s thruster exhaust blew away dirt and exposed a hard surface. Cracks now have appeared in this bright-toned area, which was nicknamed “Snow Queen” due to the assumption it is made of water ice.

Quake Demonstrates Ongoing Forecasting Experiment
July 30, 2008
News and Features Quake Demonstrates Ongoing Forecasting Experiment

This week's magnitude 5.4 earthquake in Southern California marks another demonstration of an ongoing experiment by a NASA/Department of Energy-funded research team to forecast the location of large earthquakes in California.

Partial Eclipse, Total Fun
July 29, 2008
News and Features Partial Eclipse, Total Fun

On Friday, August 1st, millions of people in Greenland, Siberia, Mongolia and China—especially China—are going to witness a total eclipse of the sun. The Moon's cool shadow will sweep across the landscape, silencing wildlife with sudden darkness, filling the sky with the sun's ghostly corona, transforming ordinary folks into life-long eclipse chasers.

At the Edge of the Pinwheel
July 29, 2008
News and Features At the Edge of the Pinwheel

A new infrared image has revealed the distribution of important organic molecules in a distant galaxy. The finding is providing information about molecules in space that could have played a role in the origin of life.

Phoenix Mars Lander Working With Sticky Soil
July 28, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Mars Lander Working With Sticky Soil

Scientists and engineers on NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission spent the weekend examining how the icy soil on Mars interacts with the scoop on the lander's robotic arm, while trying different techniques to deliver a sample to one of the instruments.

GLAST Burst Monitor Team Hard at Work Fine-Tuning Instrument and Operations
July 28, 2008
News and Features GLAST Burst Monitor Team Hard at Work Fine-Tuning Instrument and Operations

While only on orbit for 40 days and still in the process of a two-month checkout, NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Telescope (GLAST) has already detected 12 powerful gamma-ray bursts, an encouraging harbinger of good things to come for this mission.

NASA Phoenix Mission Scientists to Discuss Martian Studies
July 28, 2008
Press Releases

NASA and the University of Arizona, Tucson, will hold a media briefing Thursday, July 31, at 11 a.m. PDT, in the mission's Science Operations Center at the university.

Reading Archaean Biosignatures
July 28, 2008
News and Features Reading Archaean Biosignatures

A high-precision atom-counter called NanoSIMS produces maps of key biological atoms and suggests new way to analyze possible biosignatures from the beginning of life.

Lander Collects Icy Soil But Needs to Work on Delivery
July 26, 2008
News and Features Lander Collects Icy Soil But Needs to Work on Delivery

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's robotic arm collected a more than adequate amount of icy soil for baking in one of the lander's ovens but will need to adjust how it delivers samples.

The Deep Dark Biosphere
July 26, 2008
News and Features The Deep Dark Biosphere

Scientists have shown evidence that microbes living deep below the oceans of Earth make up a carbon reserve of about 90 billion tons. The study highlights the abundance and importance of microbes on Earth.

'Impressionist' Spacecraft to View Solar System's Invisible Frontier
July 25, 2008
News and Features 'Impressionist' Spacecraft to View Solar System's Invisible Frontier

At the edge of our solar system in December 2004, the Voyager 1 spacecraft encountered something never before experienced during its then 26-year cruise through the solar system — an invisible shock formed as the solar wind piles up against the gas in interstellar space.

Extinction Followed Eruption
July 25, 2008
News and Features Extinction Followed Eruption

A new study indicates that undersea volcanic activity may have triggered an extinction event in the Earth's oceans. The extinction occurred 93 million years ago and is responsible for creating some of today's major oil reserves.

Dolly Now a Tropical Storm, Shattered Brownsville Rainfall Records
July 24, 2008
News and Features Dolly Now a Tropical Storm, Shattered Brownsville Rainfall Records

After making landfall yesterday afternoon as a Category 2 hurricane, Dolly has weakened into a tropical storm and continues dumping heavy rains inland over Texas and northeastern Mexico.

NASA Successfully Tests Parachute for Ares Rocket
July 24, 2008
Press Releases

NASA and industry engineers have successfully completed the first drop test of a drogue parachute for the Ares I rocket. The drogue parachute is designed to slow the rapid descent of the spent first-stage motor, cast off by the Ares I rocket during its climb to space.

NASA Satellites Discover What Powers Northern Lights
July 24, 2008
Press Releases

Researchers using a fleet of five NASA satellites have discovered that explosions of magnetic energy a third of the way to the moon power substorms that cause sudden brightenings and rapid movements of the aurora borealis, called the Northern Lights.

Stars of the Deep
July 24, 2008
News and Features Stars of the Deep

Researchers studying life deep beneath the Earth's surface in a South African platinum mine have discovered microbes with a unique appearance. In fact, these tiny bacteria are the 'stars' of their community.

Phoenix Lander Completes Longest Work Shift
July 23, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Lander Completes Longest Work Shift

Phoenix early Tuesday finished its longest work shift of the mission. The lander stayed awake for 33 hours, completing tasks that included rasping and scraping by the robotic arm, in addition to atmosphere observations in coordination with simultaneous observations by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Earth: An Alien World
July 23, 2008
News and Features Earth: An Alien World

NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft has filmed the moon transiting Earth from 31 million miles away. The event is now being used to develop techniques for studying alien worlds.

Tropical Storm Dolly
July 23, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Dolly

Tropical Storm Dolly strengthened into a Category One Hurricane with 85 mph maximum sustained winds and may get even stronger before her eye makes landfall this morning (July 23, 20080. Dolly's center will be along the coast near the Texas/Mexico border around midday today, according to the National Hurricane Center, but she's already generated one tornado in south Texas this morning.

'No Organics' Zone Around Pinwheel Galaxy
July 22, 2008
News and Features 'No Organics' Zone Around Pinwheel Galaxy

The fluffy-looking galaxy, officially named Messier 101, is dominated by a mishmash of spiral arms. In Spitzer's new view, in which infrared light is color coded, the galaxy sports a swirling blue center and a unique, coral-red outer ring.

Vocal communication evolved with ancient species
July 22, 2008
News and Features Vocal communication evolved with ancient species

Scientists have discovered that the neural network behind sound production in vertebrates can be traced back to marine organisms. The finding provides a unique perspective on life's evolutionary mechanisms.

Rocketing Through Water - at Olympic Speed
July 22, 2008
News and Features Rocketing Through Water - at Olympic Speed

A space-age swimsuit made of fabric tested at NASA.

Song from the Past
July 22, 2008
News and Features Song from the Past

Scientists have discovered that the neural network behind sound production in vertebrates can be traced back to marine organisms. The finding provides a unique perspective on life's evolutionary mechanisms.

The 2008 Perseid Meteor Shower
July 22, 2008
News and Features The 2008 Perseid Meteor Shower

Mark your calendar: The 2008 Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 12th and it should be a good show.

NASA works to improve short-term weather forecasts
July 21, 2008
News and Features NASA works to improve short-term weather forecasts

Sometimes seconds count. If a furious, tornado-spitting thunderstorm was bearing down on your home town, a few moments might make all the difference in the world.

3-D Views Posted From Phoenix Mars Lander
July 21, 2008
News and Features 3-D Views Posted From Phoenix Mars Lander

NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission has released stereo images of the Martian surface near the Phoenix lander. The images in the new 3-D Gallery combine views from the left and right "eyes" of the lander's Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) so that they appear three-dimensional when viewed through red-blue glasses.

Muriwai Black Sand Beach in New Zealand
July 18, 2008
News and Features Muriwai Black Sand Beach in New Zealand

Less than an hour from downtown Auckland, New Zealand, Muriwai Black Sand beach is a favorite destination for picnickers, day-trippers, bird watchers, surfers, land yachters, and anyone looking for a nice day out of town.

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Extending Trench
July 14, 2008
News and Features NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Extending Trench

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is using its Robotic Arm to enlarge an exposure of hard subsurface material expected to yield a sample of ice-rich soil for analysis in one of the lander's ovens.

Signals from an Infant Earth
July 14, 2008
News and Features Signals from an Infant Earth

Precise dating of zircon crystals suggests that Earth may have been conducive to life even before an epic influx of asteroids pummeled our planet 4 billion years ago.

NASA Evaluates Sensor Technology for Future Aircraft Efficiency
July 14, 2008
Press Releases

NASA is evaluating an advanced, fiber optic-based sensing technology that could aid development of active control of wing shape. Controlling a wing's shape in flight would allow it to take advantage of aerodynamics and improve overall aircraft efficiency.

NASA Imagery of Fire and Smoke
July 14, 2008
News and Features NASA Imagery of Fire and Smoke

Clouds were banked against the California coastline and skies were filled with smoke on July 13, 2008, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the state.

Our Watery Moon
July 13, 2008
News and Features Our Watery Moon

Scientists have discovered water inside beads of volcanic glass from moon rocks collected by the Apollo missions. The finding could alter our understanding of how the moon formed and evolved.

Summer Storms Could Mean More Dead Zones
July 11, 2008
News and Features Summer Storms Could Mean More Dead Zones

It's summertime and people are flocking to the coasts around the country. But when summer storms arrive, it's not only beach-goers who are affected; the rains can also have an impact on living creatures far below the ocean surface. Summer storms sweep fertilizers into the rivers and streams and carry them to the shoreline.

Rare Jupiters?
July 11, 2008
News and Features Rare Jupiters?

Astronomers have found that fewer than 10 percent of the stars in the Orion Nebula have enough dust to make giant planets. The study suggests that our solar system may have been lucky to form a planet like Jupiter.

Rare 'Star-Making Machine' Found in Distant Universe
July 10, 2008
News and Features Rare 'Star-Making Machine' Found in Distant Universe

Astronomers have uncovered an extreme stellar machine -- a galaxy in the very remote universe pumping out stars at a surprising rate of up to 4,000 per year. In comparison, our own Milky Way galaxy turns out an average of just 10 stars per year.

Unlocking Martian Rocks
July 10, 2008
News and Features Unlocking Martian Rocks

A new study offers a simplified technique for detecting biological molecules in martian rock. The equipment is too large to be put on a rover, but it could be used to analyze samples brought back from Mars.

A Telescope Made of Moondust
July 09, 2008
News and Features A Telescope Made of Moondust

A gigantic telescope on the Moon has been a dream of astronomers since the dawn of the space age. A lunar telescope the same size as Hubble (2.4 meters across) would be a major astronomical research tool. One as big as the largest telescope on Earth—10.4 meters across—would see far more than any Earth-based telescope because the Moon has no atmosphere.

Ocean Wind Power Maps Reveal Possible Wind Energy Sources
July 09, 2008
News and Features Ocean Wind Power Maps Reveal Possible Wind Energy Sources

Efforts to harness the energy potential of Earth's ocean winds could soon gain an important new tool: global satellite maps from NASA. Scientists have been creating maps using nearly a decade of data from NASA's QuikSCAT satellite that reveal ocean areas where winds could produce energy.

Early Diversity
July 09, 2008
News and Features Early Diversity

A new study has found that, contrary to a long-held belief, marine species diversified early in history rather than becoming more diverse with time.

Ocean Wind Power Maps Reveal Possible Wind Energy Sources
July 09, 2008
Press Releases

Efforts to harness the energy potential of Earth's ocean winds could soon gain an important new tool: global satellite maps from NASA. Scientists have been creating maps using nearly a decade of data from NASA's QuikSCAT satellite that reveal ocean areas where winds could produce wind energy.

What's Wrong with the Sun? (Nothing)
July 09, 2008
News and Features What's Wrong with the Sun? (Nothing)

Stop the presses! The sun is behaving normally. So says NASA solar physicist David Hathaway.

NASA Mission to be Crystal Ball into Oceans' Future, Mirror to the Past
July 08, 2008
News and Features NASA Mission to be Crystal Ball into Oceans' Future, Mirror to the Past

Imagine the lives that could be saved from flash floods and drought, the millions of dollars in fuel costs that could be avoided for fishing vessels, and the homes that could be spared from the effects of coastline erosion if only scientists could more accurately predict the dynamics of Earth's often unpredictable oceans.

Sample-Collection Tests Continue
July 08, 2008
News and Features Sample-Collection Tests Continue

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's science and engineering teams are testing methods to get an icy sample into the Robotic Arm scoop for delivery to the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA).

Revising Earth's History
July 08, 2008
News and Features Revising Earth's History

Geologists have found that major basins in India are 500 million years older than previously thought. The study may lend weight to idea that complex life originated earlier in Earth's history.

An Exploding Asteroid
July 06, 2008
News and Features An Exploding Asteroid

New evidence indicates that a comet or asteroid exploded over Canada 12,900 years ago. The event occurred at the end of the last Ice Age and coincides with an age of extinction.

100 Years After Tunguska
July 04, 2008
News and Features 100 Years After Tunguska

One hundred years ago, 800 square miles of forest was destroyed in Siberia by a powerful impact. Studying the site has revealed clues about how impacts affect ecosystems and human populations on Earth

Cosmic Collisions
July 03, 2008
News and Features Cosmic Collisions

Researchers have been using a vast database to show that asteroids are shaped by small impacts over time.

NASA Reveals New Discoveries From Mercury
July 03, 2008
Press Releases

Scientists have argued about the origins of Mercury's smooth plains and the source of its magnetic field for more than 30 years. Now, analyses of data from the January 2008 flyby of the planet by the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft have shown that volcanoes were involved in plains formation and suggest that its magnetic field is actively produced in the planet's core.

California Fires Captured by Aqua
July 03, 2008
News and Features California Fires Captured by Aqua

The fires raging in California were captured by the Aqua satellite on July 02, 2008

MESSENGER Settles Old Debates and Makes New Discoveries at Mercury
July 03, 2008
News and Features MESSENGER Settles Old Debates and Makes New Discoveries at Mercury

Scientists have argued about the origins of Mercury's smooth plains and the source of its magnetic field for more than 30 years. Now, analyses of data from the January 2008 flyby of the planet by the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft have shown that volcanoes were involved in plains formation and suggest that its magnetic field is actively produced in the planet's core.

Planets Align for the 4th of July
July 01, 2008
News and Features Planets Align for the 4th of July

News Flash: On 4th of July weekend, NASA forecasts lights in the sky. No, not those lights. Look beyond the fireworks. Almost halfway up the western sky, just above the twilight glow of sunset, a trio of worlds is gathering: Saturn, Mars and the crescent Moon.

CA Wildfires Continue to Burn Out of Control
July 01, 2008
News and Features CA Wildfires Continue to Burn Out of Control

Numerous wildfires continue to burn out of control throughout California. Many of these fires were ignited in late June by dry lighting and made worse by parched conditions and a lack of rainfall, fire officials report.

Solar Shield Experiment Aims to Keep the Power On
July 01, 2008
News and Features Solar Shield Experiment Aims to Keep the Power On

When you flip a light switch to illuminate the pages of your favorite book or reach into your refrigerator for that last piece of key lime pie, you expect the electric current coursing through the outlets to power everything from your lights to your nifty new big-screen television. When the power goes out, it can be more than just an inconvenience.

Phoenix to Bake Ice-Rich Sample Next Week
July 01, 2008
News and Features Phoenix to Bake Ice-Rich Sample Next Week

The next sample delivered to NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) will be ice-rich. A team of engineers and scientists assembled to assess TEGA after a short circuit was discovered in the instrument has concluded that another short circuit could occur when the oven is used again.

Rain Showers on Mars
July 01, 2008
News and Features Rain Showers on Mars

A new study of martian soil suggests there was once enough water in Mars' atmosphere for a light drizzle to reach the ground. The finding has important implications in understanding the potential for past life on Mars.

Fires in California
June 30, 2008
News and Features Fires in California

For days in late June, wildfires across California blanketed the state with smoke. A shift in the winds over the area over the last weekend of June brought residents and firefighters a reprieve, however, and when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image on June 29, 2008, skies over the state were relatively clear.

Phoenix Scrapes to Icy Soil in Wonderland
June 27, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Scrapes to Icy Soil in Wonderland

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander scraped to icy soil in the "Wonderland" area on Thursday, June 26, confirming that surface soil, subsurface soil and icy soil can be sampled at a single trench.

Lava Holds Clues to Planet Formation
June 27, 2008
News and Features Lava Holds Clues to Planet Formation

An analysis of lava samples from Hawaii has given scientists a new tool for reconstructing planetary origins. The study will help us understand how planets form, and may help in the search for terrestrial planets beyond our solar system.

Phoenix Returns Treasure Trove for Science
June 26, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Returns Treasure Trove for Science

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander performed its first wet chemistry experiment on Martian soil flawlessly yesterday, returning a wealth of data that for Phoenix scientists was like winning the lottery.

Looking for Early Earth… On the Moon
June 26, 2008
News and Features Looking for Early Earth… On the Moon

Material from Earth’s first billion years, including possible evidence of early life, may be preserved in meteorites on the moon.

NASA to Attempt Historic Solar Sail Deployment
June 26, 2008
News and Features NASA to Attempt Historic Solar Sail Deployment

NASA researchers, thinking "out of the box" (or maybe "out of the rocket") have long dreamed of the possibility of sailing among the planets with sails propelled by sunlight instead of by wind. Except in works of fiction, though, no one has yet successfully deployed such a sail anywhere beyond Earth.

Largest Crater in Solar System
June 25, 2008
News and Features Largest Crater in Solar System

New analysis of Mars' terrain using NASA spacecraft observations reveals what appears to be by far the largest impact crater ever found in the solar system.

Mars Lander Puts Soil in Chemistry Lab
June 25, 2008
News and Features Mars Lander Puts Soil in Chemistry Lab

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander placed a sample of Martian soil in the spacecraft's wet chemistry laboratory today for the first time. Results from that instrument, part of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, are expected to provide the first measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of the planet's soil.

Fires in California
June 25, 2008
News and Features Fires in California

Eight thousand lightning strikes in less than 24 hours sparked hundreds of fires across California over the first weekend of summer 2008, according to an AP news report.

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander Puts Soil in Chemistry Lab, Team Discusses Next Steps
June 25, 2008
Press Releases

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander placed a sample of Martian soil in the spacecraft's wet chemistry laboratory today for the first time. Results from that instrument, part of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, are expected to provide the first measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of the planet's soil.

Epic Ebbs and Flows
June 24, 2008
News and Features Epic Ebbs and Flows

A new study shows that changes in sea levels and ocean sediments may be responsible for some of the greatest mass extinctions in history.The research sheds light on the connections between life and the environment of Earth.

Early Acid Rain
June 24, 2008
News and Features Early Acid Rain

A new study of ancient minerals shows that the earliest continents on Earth may have been scoured and destroyed by the planet's harsh climate. The study has also demonstrated that the Earth may have been habitable as early as 4.3 billion years ago.

Phoenix Prepares for Microscopy, Wet Chemistry
June 23, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Prepares for Microscopy, Wet Chemistry

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has delivered a scoop of Martian soil from the "Snow White" trenches to the optical microscope for analysis tomorrow, June 24, the 29th Martian day of the mission, or Sol 29.

Phoenix Shake and Bake
June 23, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Shake and Bake

In this interview, William Boynton talks about the TEGA instrument on the Phoenix Lander, and explains what it can tell us about the possibility for life on Mars.

More SuperEarths Discovered
June 22, 2008
News and Features More SuperEarths Discovered

Astronomers have announced a breakthrough in the field of extra-solar planets. They have identified 45 potential super-Earths,showing that these planets may be present around one out of every three solar-like stars.

NASA Launches Ocean Satellite to Keep a Weather, Climate Eye Open
June 20, 2008
News and Features NASA Launches Ocean Satellite to Keep a Weather, Climate Eye Open

A new NASA-French space agency oceanography satellite launched today from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a globe-circling voyage to continue charting sea level, a vital indicator of global climate change.

Apollo Relic Reveals its Secrets
June 20, 2008
News and Features Apollo Relic Reveals its Secrets

Imagine landing on the Moon, climbing down the ladder of your spacecraft, and looking around the harsh lunar landscape—to see another, older spacecraft standing only 200 yards away.

We Are Meteorites
June 20, 2008
News and Features We Are Meteorites

Molecules important for the origin of life have been positively identified in a meteorite. Scientists have confirmed that raw materials for the first molecules of DNA and RNA have been discovered in the Murchison meteorite.

Bright Chunks at Phoenix Site Must Have Been Ice
June 19, 2008
News and Features Bright Chunks at Phoenix Site Must Have Been Ice

Dice-size crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench where they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander four days ago, convincing scientists that the material was frozen water that vaporized after digging exposed it.

Ocean on Enceladus May Be Short-Lived
June 18, 2008
News and Features Ocean on Enceladus May Be Short-Lived

Three years ago, surprising evidence came out for an ocean underneath the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. But a new report indicates just how hard it may be to keep water from freezing on this tiny moon.

Finding New Material in Old Comets
June 18, 2008
News and Features Finding New Material in Old Comets

Researchers have found a new mineral, named Brownleeite, in material that likely came from a comet. The mineral was discovered in interstellar dust grains captured at high altitude in the Earth's atmosphere.

ExoMars Sweet Spot
June 17, 2008
News and Features ExoMars Sweet Spot

A device the size of a credit card is being developed to perform multiple laboratory tests on the surface of Mars. The 'lab-on-a-chip' will be included on the European ExoMars rover, and will be used to search for signs of life on the red planet.

Floods in the U.S. Midwest
June 17, 2008
News and Features Floods in the U.S. Midwest

Take just three days apart, these images illustrate the rapid rise of water levels on the Mississippi River. The glut of water that had swelled Iowa’s rivers drained in to the Mississippi, raising water levels to dangerous levels. The National Weather Service reported major flooding—record flooding in some cases—at gauges on the Mississippi from Iowa nearly to St. Louis, Missouri.

Phoenix Makes First Trench in Science Preserve
June 17, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Makes First Trench in Science Preserve

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander began digging in an area called "Wonderland" early Tuesday, taking its first scoop of soil from a polygonal surface feature within the "national park" region that mission scientists have been preserving for science.

Ebb and flow of the sea drives world’s big extinction events
June 16, 2008
News and Features Ebb and flow of the sea drives world’s big extinction events

If you are curious about Earth's periodic mass extinction events, such as the sudden demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, you might consider crashing asteroids and sky-darkening super volcanoes as culprits.

Phoenix Lander Bakes Sample, Arm Digs Deeper
June 16, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Lander Bakes Sample, Arm Digs Deeper

One of the ovens on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander continued baking its first sample of Martian soil over the weekend, while the Robotic Arm dug deeper into the soil to learn more about white material first revealed on June 3.

Deep Hydrogen
June 16, 2008
News and Features Deep Hydrogen

Molecular hydrogen provides energy for many bacteria, in hot springs at Yellowstone and in rocks several kilometers beneath the surface. How did molecular hydrogen get inside these deep rocks, and what does this tell us about the origin of life on Earth?

NASA Mission Poised to Help Us Gauge Our Rising Seas
June 16, 2008
News and Features NASA Mission Poised to Help Us Gauge Our Rising Seas

In economics, there's a metaphor that says "a rising tide lifts all boats," meaning overall improvement in the economy benefits everyone. While that's a good thing in economics, when it comes to our oceans, rising seas are a growing problem for all of us.

Solstice Moon Illusion
June 16, 2008
News and Features Solstice Moon Illusion

On Wednesday night, June 18th, step outside at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant form rising in the east. At first glance it looks like the full Moon. It has craters and seas and the face of a man, but this "moon" is strangely inflated. It's huge!

Resistant Transistors
June 13, 2008
News and Features Resistant Transistors

Transistors made from a new kind of material are now being tested in space. The durable new technology could benefit long duration missions to planets like Mars and aid in completing science objectives like the search for signs of life in our solar system.

Phoenix Delivers Soil Sample to Microscope
June 12, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Delivers Soil Sample to Microscope

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander sprinkled a spoonful of Martian soil Wednesday onto the sample wheel of the spacecraft's robotic microscope station, images received early Thursday confirmed.

GLAST Off!
June 11, 2008
News and Features GLAST Off!

Today, NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST for short) left Earth onboard a Delta II rocket. "The entire GLAST Team is elated," reported program manager Kevin Grady of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center shortly after the rocket's liftoff from Cape Canaveral. "The observatory is now on-orbit and all systems continue to operate as planned."

Low Frequency Aliens
June 11, 2008
News and Features Low Frequency Aliens

A new type of radio telescope may aid in the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life. The LOFAR telescope could be used to detect signals directed toward Earth, and might even pick up 'leakage radiation' from radio and TV transmitters if they're being used by civilizations around nearby stars.

NASA Lander Will Sprinkle Martian Soil for Microscope to View
June 10, 2008
News and Features NASA Lander Will Sprinkle Martian Soil for Microscope to View

The team operating NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander plans to instruct the spacecraft in the next few days to use its Robotic Arm to sprinkle a spoonful of Martian soil onto a wheel that will rotate the sample into place for viewing by the spacecraft's Optical Microscope.

GLAST is Ready to Go!
June 10, 2008
News and Features GLAST is Ready to Go!

In a final meeting of scientists, engineers, technicians and officials, NASA’s Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) received the final “Ready to Go!” from all teams. GLAST is scheduled to launch on a United Launch Alliance’s Delta II Heavy rocket with a launch window from 11:45 a.m. - 1:40 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11.

Floods in the U.S. Midwest
June 10, 2008
News and Features Floods in the U.S. Midwest

Heavy rains in early June 2008 soaked the U.S. Midwest, leaving swollen rivers in their wake. By June 8, 2008, the National Weather Service had issued flood warnings for numerous counties throughout Indiana and Illinois. The lower Wabash, White, and East Fork White watersheds had all been affected by the deluge, according to National Weather Service bulletins.

Making Heads or Tails of Early Life
June 10, 2008
News and Features Making Heads or Tails of Early Life

Researchers have modeled a primitive cell, or protocell, that is capable of building, copying and containing DNA. The study could help us understand how the earliest cells on Earth formed and evolved.

NASA Plans to Visit the Sun
June 10, 2008
News and Features NASA Plans to Visit the Sun

For more than 400 years, astronomers have studied the sun from afar. Now NASA has decided to go there.

Making Sense of Mars Methane
June 09, 2008
News and Features Making Sense of Mars Methane

Research on methane at a Mexican salt flat could help reveal the source of methane that has been detected in the atmosphere of Mars. But first scientists have to decipher the unique – and seemingly contradictory - isotopic signature of the Mexican methane.

Phoenix Mars Lander Testing Sprinkle Technique
June 09, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Mars Lander Testing Sprinkle Technique

Engineers operating the Robotic Arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander are testing a revised method for delivering soil samples to laboratory instruments on Phoenix's deck now that researchers appreciate how clumpy the soil is at the landing site.

Phoenix Sifts for Samples
June 08, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Sifts for Samples

On Sunday, Sol 14 of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander mission, mechanical shakers inside the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer will attempt to loosen clumped soils on the device's screens to allow material to fall into the oven for analysis later in the week.

How Low Can Life Go?
June 06, 2008
News and Features How Low Can Life Go?

A novel, ultra-small bacterial species has been found at a depth of nearly two miles within the ice of a Greenland glacier. The ability of this organism to survive in such a unique environment will help us understand how life could survive elsewhere in the solar system.

Highest Resolution View Ever From Mars
June 05, 2008
News and Features Highest Resolution View Ever From Mars

A microscope on NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander has taken images of dust and sand particles with the greatest resolution ever returned from another planet.

Biological Stowaways on Mars
June 05, 2008
News and Features Biological Stowaways on Mars

Astrobiologists hope to find evidence for life on Mars. Sending spacecraft from Earth to study the planet could introduce biological contamination, however, and lead to a false detection of alien life. New research adds to these concerns with evidence that ATP -- an energy-storage molecule vital to life on Earth -- could survive for months or even years onboard a martian probe.

Chaiten Volcano Erupts
June 05, 2008
News and Features Chaiten Volcano Erupts

After its initial eruption on May 2, 2008, Chile’s Chaitén Volcano remained active in the days and weeks that followed, releasing a near-constant plume and blanketing the region in ash. On May 31, 2008, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite passed overhead and captured this image.

Cassini sees collisions of moonlets on Saturn's ring
June 04, 2008
News and Features Cassini sees collisions of moonlets on Saturn's ring

A team of scientists led from the UK has discovered that the rapid changes in Saturn's F ring can be attributed to small moonlets causing perturbations. Their results are reported in Nature (5th June 2008).

Two of the Milky Way's Spiral Arms Go Missing
June 03, 2008
News and Features Two of the Milky Way's Spiral Arms Go Missing

For decades, astronomers have been blind to what our galaxy, the Milky Way, really looks like. After all, we sit in the midst of it and can't step outside for a bird's eye view.

Swimming in the Gene Pool
June 03, 2008
News and Features Swimming in the Gene Pool

Scientists have discovered numerous pieces of foreign DNA in the genome of a freshwater animal. The study sheds new light on the mechanisms behind the evolution of life.

Phoenix Retesting Release of Martian Soil
June 03, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Retesting Release of Martian Soil

Engineers and scientists operating NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander decided early today to repeat a practice test of releasing Martian soil from the scoop on the lander's Robotic Arm.

Phoenix Scoops up Martian Soil
June 02, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Scoops up Martian Soil

One week after landing on far-northern Mars, NASA Phoenix spacecraft lifted its first scoop of Martian soil as a test of the lander's Robotic Arm.

2008 Hurricane Seasons Begin
June 02, 2008
News and Features 2008 Hurricane Seasons Begin

Both the eastern Pacific and Atlantic hurricane seasons of 2008 were inaugurated within a few days of each other in late May and the first days of June. That these two “season openers” occurred in the same week wasn’t simply a coincidence: they were related.

Hunt for Superearth Planets Underway
June 02, 2008
Press Releases

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center scientist, Dr. Drake Deming, will present an update on the EPOXI mission on June 2, 2008 at the 212th American Astronomical Society in St. Louis, MO. The mission which uses the Deep Impact spacecraft has begun its search for "super Earth" planets.

Amino Acids: In Hot Water
June 01, 2008
News and Features Amino Acids: In Hot Water

Meteorites shower the Earth with amino acids. A new project is exploring how long amino acids could survive on asteroids, meteorites, and the early Earth. The results could help scientists pinpoint how and where life on our planet began.

NASA's Phoenix Lander Makes an Impression on Mars
June 01, 2008
News and Features NASA's Phoenix Lander Makes an Impression on Mars

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander reached out and touched the Martian soil for the first time on Saturday, May 31, the first step in a series of actions expected to bring soil and ice to the lander's experiments.

Knocking Back Rocks
May 30, 2008
News and Features Knocking Back Rocks

Iowa State University has now established the Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC). The ADRC will gather researchers from around the world to develop technologies that will protect the Earth from devastating impacts.

NASA Phoenix Mars Lander Puts Arm and Other Tools to Work
May 29, 2008
News and Features NASA Phoenix Mars Lander Puts Arm and Other Tools to Work

NASA's Mars lander is returning more detailed images from the Martian surface and is now preparing its instruments for science operations.

Targeting a Lunar Bulls-Eye
May 29, 2008
News and Features Targeting a Lunar Bulls-Eye

Using Earth-based radar, scientists have studied ejecta material from the moon's Orientale impact basin. The new data has implications for future robotic and human missions to explore the lunar south pole.

NASA Selects Small Explorer Investigations for Concept Studies
May 29, 2008
Press Releases

NASA has selected six candidate mission proposals for further evaluation as part of the agency's Small Explorer (SMEX) Program. The proposals will study the far reaches of the universe, including the Earth's thermosphere and ionosphere, the sun, black holes, the first stars, and Earthlike planets around nearby stars.

Strange Ring Found Circling Dead Star
May 29, 2008
News and Features Strange Ring Found Circling Dead Star

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has found a bizarre ring of material around the magnetic remains of a star that blasted to smithereens.

NASA Scientists' Model Reveals How Plasma from Superstorms Affects Near-Earth Space
May 29, 2008
News and Features NASA Scientists' Model Reveals How Plasma from Superstorms Affects Near-Earth Space

NASA scientists have uncovered new details about how plasma from superstorms interact with Earth’s magnetosphere

NASA Invites Media to Observe Tests of Lunar Rovers and Spacesuits
May 28, 2008
Press Releases

News media are invited to a trek on the moon -- or at least an earthly approximation of one. Robots, rovers and lunar planners from NASA centers across the country will gather at Moses Lake, Wash., in June to perform a series of field tests based on mission-related activities for NASA's planned return to the moon by 2020. A media day will be held June 10 to give reporters a chance to observe the demonstrations.

Phoenix Spacecraft Commanded to Unstow Arm
May 28, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Spacecraft Commanded to Unstow Arm

Scientists leading NASA's Phoenix Mars mission from the University of Arizona in Tucson sent commands to unstow its robotic arm and take more images of its landing site early today.

Satellites Illuminate Pollution's Influence On Clouds
May 27, 2008
News and Features Satellites Illuminate Pollution's Influence On Clouds

Clouds have typically posed a problem to scientists using satellites to observe the lowest part of the atmosphere, where humans live and breathe, because they block the satellite's ability to capture a clear, unobstructed view of Earth's surface. It turns out, however, that these "obstructions" are worth a closer look, as clouds and their characteristics actually serve a valuable role in Earth's climate. That closer look is now available by satellites comprising the Afternoon Constellation, or A-Train.

Orbiter Relays Second-Day Information From NASA Mars Lander
May 27, 2008
News and Features Orbiter Relays Second-Day Information From NASA Mars Lander

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter successfully received information from the Phoenix Mars Lander Tuesday evening and relayed the information to Earth. The relayed transmission included images and other data collected by Phoenix during the mission's second day after landing on Mars.

NASA Mars Lander Prepares to Move Arm
May 27, 2008
News and Features NASA Mars Lander Prepares to Move Arm

NASA's Phoenix Lander is ready to begin moving its robotic arm, first unlatching its wrist and then flexing its elbow.

Cartwheel Coronal Mass Ejection
May 27, 2008
News and Features Cartwheel Coronal Mass Ejection

Imagine a billion-ton cloud of gas launching itself off the surface of the sun and then ... doing a cartwheel. That's exactly what happened on April 9, 2008, when a coronal mass ejection or "CME" pirouetted over the sun's limb in full view of an international fleet of spacecraft. Even veteran solar physicists were amazed.

Camera on Mars Orbiter Snaps Phoenix During Landing
May 26, 2008
News and Features Camera on Mars Orbiter Snaps Phoenix During Landing

A telescopic camera in orbit around Mars caught a view of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander suspended from its parachute during the lander's successful arrival at Mars Sunday evening, May 25.

Iron-Coated Fossils
May 26, 2008
News and Features Iron-Coated Fossils

Fossilized microbes found in Spain’s Rio Tinto valley may guide the search for past life on Mars.

Martian Touchdown
May 26, 2008
News and Features Martian Touchdown

NASA’s Phoenix lander has touched down safely on Mars and sent back the first close-up pictures of the planet’s northern arctic plains. Over the next three months, it will look for evidence of liquid water in Mars’s recent past.

Mars Cold Goes Down Deep
May 23, 2008
News and Features Mars Cold Goes Down Deep

New observations from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate that the crust and upper mantle of Mars is stiffer and colder than previously thought. The data could have implications for the search for life in the martian subsurface.

Phoenix Spacecraft on Course for May 25 Mars Landing
May 22, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Spacecraft on Course for May 25 Mars Landing

With three days and 3 million miles left to fly before arriving at Mars, NASA's Phoenix spacecraft is on track for its destination in the Martian arctic.

Lunar GRAIL
May 22, 2008
News and Features Lunar GRAIL

Meet MIT professor of physics Maria Zuber. She's dynamic, intelligent, intense, and she's on a quest for the Grail.

NASA's Swift Satellite Catches a Star Going 'Kaboom!'
May 22, 2008
News and Features NASA's Swift Satellite Catches a Star Going 'Kaboom!'

When a gigantic star blows up, astronomers call it a "supernova." Over the past 100 years, astronomers have observed thousands of these explosions. But in every case, they were seeing the star after the explosion took place. They were seeing the hot debris from the explosion racing outward. It would be like seeing fireworks a few seconds after they go off, when the colorful lights are shooting away from the puff of smoke that mark the locations of the actual explosion.

Building Life's Foundations
May 22, 2008
News and Features Building Life's Foundations

New research conducted by the MARTE project team has shown that microbes can make barren areas suitable for life. This could have important implications for the search for life on Mars and other planets.

Interplanetary Road Maps
May 21, 2008
News and Features Interplanetary Road Maps

Technology that could someday provide 3D roadmaps of other planets and moons is now in development. The information the maps provide would help in designing future scientific missions to locations in the solar system.

100 Explosions on the Moon
May 21, 2008
News and Features 100 Explosions on the Moon

Not so long ago, anyone claiming to see flashes of light on the Moon would be viewed with deep suspicion by professional astronomers. Such reports were filed under "L" … for lunatic.

Storm Winds Blow in Jupiter’s Little Red Spot
May 20, 2008
News and Features Storm Winds Blow in Jupiter’s Little Red Spot

Using data from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft and two telescopes at Earth, an international team of scientists has found that one of the solar system’s largest and newest storms – Jupiter’s Little Red Spot – has some of the highest wind speeds ever detected on any planet.

NASA Nanotechnology-Based Biosensor Helps Detect Biohazards
May 20, 2008
Press Releases

NASA has developed a revolutionary nanotechnology-based biosensor that can detect trace amounts of specific bacteria, viruses and parasites. This biosensor will be used to help prevent the spread of potentially deadly biohazards in water, food and other contaminated sources.

Earthquake Near Chengdu, China
May 20, 2008
News and Features Earthquake Near Chengdu, China

This pair of images, captured by Taiwan’s Formosat-2, illustrates the challenges faced by rescuers bringing equipment and supplies to survivors of the massive 7.9 earthquake that devastated the Sichuan Basin on May 12, 2008.

The Glow of Hydroxyl
May 20, 2008
News and Features The Glow of Hydroxyl

Hydroxyl has been found in the atmosphere of Venus. It's the first time the molecule has been spotted on another planet and will help scientists understand the workings of Venus's dense atmosphere.

Rendezvous with Mars
May 19, 2008
News and Features Rendezvous with Mars

Phoenix, NASA’s latest mission to Mars, is a lander that will touch down in the planet’s northern polar region on May 25, 2008. It will search for evidence that liquid water, and a habitable environment for life, have been present there in the recent past. But first the spacecraft has to land safely.

Dust over the Hamoun Wetlands
May 18, 2008
News and Features Dust over the Hamoun Wetlands

Straddling the borders of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, the Hamoun Wetlands had long been an oasis in the otherwise arid landscape of Central Asia.

Europa's Wandering Poles
May 18, 2008
News and Features Europa's Wandering Poles

Features on Jupiter's moon Europa indicate that it's poles may have wandered by as much as 90 degrees. This extreme shift supports the theory that Europa harbors a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust.

Life Falling Back to Earth
May 15, 2008
News and Features Life Falling Back to Earth

New research shows that organisms living inside rocks ejected from planets by asteroid impacts may be able to survive their trip into orbit – and back.

NASA Satellite Finds Interior of Mars Is Colder
May 15, 2008
Press Releases

New observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate that the crust and upper mantle of Mars are stiffer and colder than previously thought.

Earth Impacts Linked to Human-Caused Climate Change
May 14, 2008
News and Features Earth Impacts Linked to Human-Caused Climate Change

A new NASA-led study shows that human-caused climate change has impacted a wide range of Earth's natural systems, from permafrost thawing to plants blooming earlier across Europe to lakes declining in productivity in Africa.

NASA Study Links Earth Impacts to Human-Caused Climate Change
May 14, 2008
Press Releases

A new NASA-led study shows human-caused climate change has made an impact on a wide range of Earth's natural systems, including permafrost thawing, plants blooming earlier across Europe, and lakes declining in productivity in Africa.

Inhale. Explore. Exhale.
May 14, 2008
News and Features Inhale. Explore. Exhale.

For three weeks, volunteers have spent time breathing and sweating inside a NASA test chamber to help researchers design systems for future space vehicles. The systems will control carbon dioxide and humidity for crew capsules that will take human explorers to the moon and beyond.

Chandra Uncovers Youngest Supernova in Our Galaxy
May 14, 2008
News and Features Chandra Uncovers Youngest Supernova in Our Galaxy

The most recent supernova in our galaxy has been discovered by tracking the rapid expansion of its remains. This result, using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array, will help improve our understanding of how often supernovae explode in the Milky Way galaxy.

NASA Phoenix Mission Ready for Mars Landing
May 13, 2008
News and Features NASA Phoenix Mission Ready for Mars Landing

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is preparing to end its long journey and begin a three-month mission to taste and sniff fistfuls of Martian soil and buried ice. The lander is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet May 25.

New Software Brings the Universe to Your Computer
May 13, 2008
News and Features New Software Brings the Universe to Your Computer

The incredible images from NASA's "Great Observatories" and many other NASA space- and ground-based telescopes are now available to the public in an educational and innovative manner through the release of the free WorldWide Telescope software from Microsoft.

Mercury's Iron Snow
May 13, 2008
News and Features Mercury's Iron Snow

Scientific evidence suggests that iron 'snow' may form deep inside of Mercury. The movement of this iron snow could be responsible for Mercury's magnetic field. The finding has implications in our understanding of the nature and evolution of planets.

Fires in Mexico and Guatemala
May 13, 2008
News and Features Fires in Mexico and Guatemala

Scores of fires (locations marked in red) were burning in Mexico and northern Central America on May 11, 2008, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite passed overhead and captured this image.

New Water Reclamation System Headed for Duty
May 12, 2008
Press Releases

International Space Station crews soon will have a new water reclamation system that will recycle wastewater, allowing up to six crew members to live aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Oceans Gasping for Breath
May 12, 2008
News and Features Oceans Gasping for Breath

During the Jurassic, global warming and severe environmental change led to the extinction of many species. One of the most intriguing effects was that the oceans became starved of oxygen.

Space Station Tricorder
May 08, 2008
News and Features Space Station Tricorder

Any Trekkies out there? Remember the tricorder? Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock both carried them, and they came in mighty handy exploring "strange new worlds ...where no one has gone before."

Planets by the Dozen
May 08, 2008
News and Features Planets by the Dozen

You know the planets of our solar system, each a unique world with its own distinctive appearance, size, and chemistry. Mars, with its bitter-cold, rusty red sands; Venus, a fiery world shrouded in thick clouds of sulfuric acid; sideways Uranus and its strange vertical rings. The variety is breathtaking.

Testing Times for Robotic Explorers
May 08, 2008
News and Features Testing Times for Robotic Explorers

A team of scientists have been investigating how signs of life on Mars can be spotted using instruments on robotic probes.

NASA Successfully Completes First Series of Ares Engine Tests
May 08, 2008
Press Releases

NASA engineers Thursday successfully completed the first series of tests in the early development of the J-2X engine that will power the upper stages of the Ares I and Ares V rockets, key components of NASA's Constellation Program. Ares I will launch the Orion spacecraft that will take astronauts to the International Space Station and then to the moon by 2020. The Ares V will carry cargo and components into orbit for trips to the moon and later to Mars.

Saturn Does the Wave in Upper Atmosphere
May 07, 2008
News and Features Saturn Does the Wave in Upper Atmosphere

Two decades of scrutinizing Saturn are finally paying off, as scientists have discovered a wave pattern, or oscillation, in Saturn's atmosphere only visible from Earth every 15 years.

Striking a Balance with Climate Change
May 07, 2008
News and Features Striking a Balance with Climate Change

The sun has powered almost everything on Earth since life began, including its climate. The sun also delivers an annual and seasonal impact, changing the character of each hemisphere as Earth's orientation shifts through the year. Since the Industrial Revolution, however, new forces have begun to exert significant influence on Earth's climate.

NASA Satellite Captures Image of Cyclone Nargis Flooding in Burma
May 06, 2008
News and Features NASA Satellite Captures Image of Cyclone Nargis Flooding in Burma

The first cyclone of the 2008 season in the northern Indian Ocean was a devastating one for Burma. According to reports from Accuweather.com, Cyclone Nargis made landfall with sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts of 150-160 mph, which is the equivalent of a strong Category 3 or minimal Category 4 hurricane. News reports stated that several thousand people have been killed, and thousands more were missing as of May 5.

A Super Solar Flare
May 06, 2008
News and Features A Super Solar Flare

At 11:18 AM on the cloudless morning of Thursday, September 1, 1859, 33-year-old Richard Carrington—widely acknowledged to be one of England's foremost solar astronomers—was in his well-appointed private observatory. Just as usual on every sunny day, his telescope was projecting an 11-inch-wide image of the sun on a screen, and Carrington skillfully drew the sunspots he saw.

Earth's Late Veneer
May 06, 2008
News and Features Earth's Late Veneer

New research questions the idea that water and other elements were added to the Earth late in its formation by impacts with icy comets and meteorites. The finding may cause scientists to rethink theories about the origin of life on our planet.

Is There Life on Mars? Ask a Magnet.
May 05, 2008
News and Features Is There Life on Mars? Ask a Magnet.

Magnetite, a type of iron oxide, is common on both Earth and Mars, and appears in many forms. On Earth, some of those forms are produced only by bacteria and have unique magnetic signatures. Soon Sam Kim has developed a means of detecting this biologically-produced magnetite that could help in the search for life on Mars.

2008 Time 100 - Michael Griffin
May 05, 2008
News and Features 2008 Time 100 - Michael Griffin

Mike Griffin, 58, had wanted to be administrator of NASA since the inception of the agency. To him, the appeal of the job was never about position or title but about the fact that space fired his imagination. It still does, and now, thanks to him, manned exploration of the moon and Mars is becoming a real possibility.

Mapping Mars from Wet to Dry
May 04, 2008
News and Features Mapping Mars from Wet to Dry

High-resolution data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s CRISM instrument has been used to create a new online map of Mars. The map allows visitors to see Mars' progression through wet, volcanic and dry eras.

Dust Storm in the Taklimakan Desert
May 02, 2008
News and Features Dust Storm in the Taklimakan Desert

Dust storms covered much of the Taklimakan Desert in western China in early May 2008. By the time the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite took this picture, on May 2, 2008, the storm had intensified since the previous day.

You Are What You Eat
May 02, 2008
News and Features You Are What You Eat

By examining marks on the teeth of ancient human ancestors, scientists have found that their diet was far different than previously believed. The research sheds light on the evolutionary history of complex organisms on Earth.

Cyclone Nargis
May 01, 2008
News and Features Cyclone Nargis

On May 1, 2008, Typhoon Nargis hovered over the Bay of Bengal, having become a very severe cyclonic storm. A report issued by the U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center at 15:00 UTC (approximately 9:00 p.m. local time) stated that the storm had intensified significantly over the previous six hours and was expected to come ashore in Myanmar (Burma) in the evening of May 2.

A.I. on Mars
May 01, 2008
News and Features A.I. on Mars

Artificial intelligence is giving a boost to Mars Express as it searches for signs of past or present life on Mars.

Send Your Name to the Moon With New Lunar Mission
May 01, 2008
Press Releases

NASA's Space Shuttle Program on Thursday successfully conducted a test firing of a space shuttle reusable solid rocket motor in Utah.

Building with DNA
April 30, 2008
News and Features Building with DNA

Scientists are using DNA to make intricate nano-sized objects smaller than the tiniest speck of dust. DNA is a primary building block for life, but its ability to self-assemble could also help develop technologies for medical, electronic and space applications.

4D Ionosphere
April 30, 2008
News and Features 4D Ionosphere

Today, NASA-funded researchers released to the general public a new "4D" live model of Earth's ionosphere. Without leaving home, anyone can fly through the layer of ionized gas that encircles Earth at the edge of space itself. All that's required is a connection to the Internet.

NASA Spacecraft Tracks Raging Saturn Storm
April 29, 2008
News and Features NASA Spacecraft Tracks Raging Saturn Storm

As a powerful electrical storm rages on Saturn with lightning bolts 10,000 times more powerful than those found on Earth, the Cassini spacecraft continues its five-month watch over the dramatic events.

Absolute Argon
April 29, 2008
News and Features Absolute Argon

By refining a technique used to date rocks and fossils, scientists have now determined the date of the dinosaurs' extinction with pinpoint accuracy. The finding sheds new light on one of the most dramatic periods in the evolution of life on Earth.

'Broken Heart' Image the Last for NASA’s Long-Lived Polar Mission
April 28, 2008
News and Features 'Broken Heart' Image the Last for NASA’s Long-Lived Polar Mission

As far as endings go, this one’s a real heart breaker. NASA’s Polar satellite concludes its successful mission at the end of April with a breathtaking visible-light image of the colorful dancing lights of the aurora. The Polar team has dubbed this final image "The Broken Heart."

Oldest Known Objects May Be Surprisingly Immature
April 28, 2008
News and Features Oldest Known Objects May Be Surprisingly Immature

Some of the oldest objects in the Universe may still have a long way to go, according to a new study using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. These new results indicate that globular clusters might be surprisingly less mature in their development than previously thought.

Cosmic Time Warp Revealed in Slow-Mo Supernovae
April 28, 2008
News and Features

Once upon a time, time was different. Supernova explosions in the early universe appear to age more slowly than today's supernovae, as if time itself was running slower back then, according to a recent series of astronomical observations.

The Physics of Whipped Cream
April 25, 2008
News and Features The Physics of Whipped Cream

Let's do a little science experiment. If you have a can of whipped cream in the fridge, go get it out. Spray a generous dollop into a spoon and watch carefully.

Icy Active Mars
April 25, 2008
News and Features Icy Active Mars

New evidence shows that Mars' climate may have been much more dynamic than previously thought. The research has implications in understanding whether or not Mars could have supported life in its past.

Galaxies Gone Wild!
April 24, 2008
News and Features Galaxies Gone Wild!

Astronomy textbooks typically present galaxies as staid, solitary, and majestic island worlds of glittering stars. But galaxies have a wild side. They have flirtatious close encounters that sometimes end in grand mergers and overflowing “maternity wards” of new star birth as the colliding galaxies morph into wondrous new shapes.

Scientists ready to dig into polar air research
April 24, 2008
News and Features

The aircraft and scientists have left Fairbanks but the polar atmosphere research continues. For the majority of April, more than 250 scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Energy joined in Fairbanks to gather research on air pollution in the Arctic.

Shoulder Motor Balks on Opportunity’s Robotic Arm
April 23, 2008
Press Releases

A small motor in the robotic arm of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity that began stalling occasionally more than two years ago has become more troublesome recently.

Orbiter to map lunar surface
April 23, 2008
News and Features Orbiter to map lunar surface

A robotic precursor of resuming human expeditions to the moon will likely be postponed by at least a few weeks from its October launch target, but NASA does not foresee any problems launching the lunar orbiter and high-speed impactor before the end of this year.

A Dot in the Void
April 23, 2008
News and Features A Dot in the Void

Astronomers have constructed an image of material around the star AB Aurigae that appears to be coalescing into a celestial body. The finding will help scientists understand the early stages of planetary formation.

NASA Hosts Media Briefing on How Ecosystems Are Changing
April 22, 2008
Press Releases

NASA will hold a media briefing Tuesday, April 29, at 1:30 p.m. EDT to discuss the latest research documenting changes in Earth's ecosystems using NASA remote-sensing data. The event will be held at The Inn & Conference Center, 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, Md., Room 1312.

NASA Satellites Aid in Chesapeake Bay Recovery
April 22, 2008
News and Features NASA Satellites Aid in Chesapeake Bay Recovery

From the distant reaches of the universe, to black holes and Saturn’s rings, NASA explores some of the most far-out parts of space. But NASA also does research much closer to home. In fact, NASA Earth Science satellites are taking part in the management and recovery of an ecosystem right in our own backyard, the Chesapeake Bay.

Radiation Belt Storm
April 22, 2008
News and Features Radiation Belt Storm

NASA will launch two probes into the radiation belts in order to study how violent space weather can affect astronauts and space equipment. The knowledge gained will be essential in designing safe future space missions.

The Present is the Key to the Past
April 21, 2008
News and Features The Present is the Key to the Past

Mike Russell thinks life began in iron sulfide deposits at ocean vents. In this interview, he expands on his theory of how life originated, and explains why “life from space” scenarios are dead wrong.

Moondust and Duct Tape
April 21, 2008
News and Features Moondust and Duct Tape

At this year's Great Moonbuggy Race in Huntsville, Alabama, Prof. Paul Shiue of Christian Brothers University was overheard joking that duct tape was his team's "best engineering tool." Others felt the same way. The sound of gray tape being torn from rolls practically filled the race course as dozens of college and high school student engineers busily assembled and repaired their homemade moonbuggies.

Powerful Antenna Attached to NASA's GLAST Satellite
April 21, 2008
News and Features Powerful Antenna Attached to NASA's GLAST Satellite

The powerful antenna system that will enable NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Telescope (GLAST) to communicate with stations on Earth has been successfully connected to the spacecraft in the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

DNA Barcodes
April 20, 2008
News and Features DNA Barcodes

Researchers are developing a new and rapid way of identifying an organism's species based on DNA. The technology will help in finding new species and will be a valuable tool in understanding and documenting the evolution of life on Earth.

Mars radar opens up a planet’s third dimension
April 17, 2008
News and Features Mars radar opens up a planet’s third dimension

ESA’s Mars Express radar sounder, MARSIS, has looked beneath the martian surface and opened up the third dimension for planetary exploration. The technique’s success is prompting scientists to think of all the other places in the Solar System where they would like to use radar sounders.

The Moon and the Magnetotail
April 17, 2008
News and Features The Moon and the Magnetotail

Behold the full Moon. Ancient craters and frozen lava seas lie motionless under an airless sky of profound quiet. It's a slow-motion world where even a human footprint may last millions of years. Nothing ever seems to happen there.

Jet stream moving slowly northward
April 17, 2008
News and Features

The jet stream — America's stormy weather maker — is creeping northward and weakening, new research shows.

ET contact odds 'extremely low'
April 17, 2008
News and Features ET contact odds 'extremely low'

The odds of intelligent life arising on another Earth-like planet are low, a British scientist has calculated.

New NASA Moon Mission Begins Integration of Science Instruments
April 16, 2008
Press Releases

Several instruments that will help NASA characterize the moon's surface have been installed on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO. The powerful equipment will bring the moon into sharper focus and reveal new insights about the celestial body nearest Earth.

Osmium Tracks Earth Impacts
April 16, 2008
News and Features Osmium Tracks Earth Impacts

Scientists have developed a new way of determining the size and frequency of meteorites that have collided with Earth in the past. Their work has provided new information about the impact that may have caused the demise of the dinosaurs.

Stellar Birth in the Galactic Wilderness
April 16, 2008
News and Features Stellar Birth in the Galactic Wilderness

A new image from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer shows baby stars sprouting in the backwoods of a galaxy -- a relatively desolate region of space more than 100,000 light-years from the galaxy's bustling center.

Building a Super Greenhouse
April 15, 2008
News and Features Building a Super Greenhouse

Scientists have shown that biological productivity may have been responsible for super greenhouse episodes during the Cretaceous and Eocene. The finding provides important insights into the links between the biosphere and our planet's climate.

NASA Extends Cassini's Grand Tour of Saturn
April 15, 2008
News and Features NASA Extends Cassini's Grand Tour of Saturn

NASA is extending the international Cassini-Huygens mission by two years. The historic spacecraft's stunning discoveries and images have revolutionized our knowledge of Saturn and its moons.

Intelligence: A Rare Cosmic Commodity
April 14, 2008
News and Features Intelligence: A Rare Cosmic Commodity

A mathematical model taking into account the limited habitable lifespan of the Earth suggests that four evolutionary steps were required for intelligent life to evolve. If this applies to other worlds, intelligent life may be rare in the universe.

Earth's First Animal
April 13, 2008
News and Features Earth's First Animal

A new study shows that Earth's first animal was probably more complex than previously believed. By analyzing massive volumes of genetic data, scientists have defined the earliest splits at the base of the animal tree of life.

Moondust in the Wind
April 10, 2008
News and Features Moondust in the Wind

Moondust is dry, desiccated stuff, and may seem like a dull topic to write about. Indeed, you could search a ton of moondust without finding a single molecule of water, so it could make for a pretty "dry" story. But like the dust in your mother's attic, moondust covers something interesting – the moon – and even the dust itself has curious tales to tell.

NASA Earth Scientist to Head Programs Office in Science Directorate
April 10, 2008
Press Releases

Michael R. Luther has been named deputy associate administrator for programs in NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Ed Weiler, associate administrator for the directorate, made the announcement Wednesday.

Dust in the Central Mediterranean
April 10, 2008
News and Features Dust in the Central Mediterranean

On April 9, 2008, numerous dust plumes blew off the Libyan coast and over the Mediterranean Sea. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image the same day.

Phoenix Fine Tunes Course for Mars Landing
April 10, 2008
News and Features Phoenix Fine Tunes Course for Mars Landing

NASA engineers have adjusted the flight path of the Phoenix Mars Lander, setting the spacecraft on course for its May 25 landing on the Red Planet.

HiRISE Images Mars Moon in Color and in 3D
April 09, 2008
News and Features HiRISE Images Mars Moon in Color and in 3D

A new stereo view of Phobos, the larger and inner of Mars' two tiny moons, has been captured by a NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars.

NASA Sets Sights on Lunar Dust Exploration Mission
April 09, 2008
Press Releases

NASA is preparing to send a small spacecraft to the moon in 2011 to assess the lunar atmosphere and the nature of dust lofted above the surface.

Int'l Year of Astronomy 2009 Website Launches
April 09, 2008
News and Features Int'l Year of Astronomy 2009 Website Launches

NASA invites YOU to join us in the celebration of IYA 2009. This website will be your portal to exciting NASA resources, events, and opportunities for involvement as we develop our program of regional and national IYA activities for students, teachers, and the public.

Astro-combing for Planets
April 09, 2008
News and Features Astro-combing for Planets

A revolutionary laser technology will enable scientists to spot Earth-sized worlds in Earth-like orbits around distant stars. The new technology is a major step forward in the search for habitable planets.

Meteorites Made Life Left-Handed
April 08, 2008
News and Features Meteorites Made Life Left-Handed

Scientists have provided evidence that the building blocks of life could have formed from the interactions of desert heat, water and meteorite impacts. The findings may also explain why amino acids used by life are predominantly 'left-handed'.

Crescent Moon Alert
April 03, 2008
News and Features Crescent Moon Alert

The date was March 8th, less than a month ago. In a remote corner of Kansas, the sun was going down and the deepening twilight beckoned to photographer Doug Zubenel driving through the countryside. Something photogenic, he knew, was about to happen.

Following the Paper Trail of Ancient Life
April 01, 2008
News and Features Following the Paper Trail of Ancient Life

Researchers have found the earliest direct evidence of biological material on Earth in the form of cellulose microfibers. The finding also indicates that cellulose could be an excellent biosignature to search for on other planets.

Researchers Confirm Dead Zone Off Texas Coast Since 1985
April 01, 2008
News and Features Researchers Confirm Dead Zone Off Texas Coast Since 1985

Researchers at Texas A&M University have confirmed for the first time that a "dead zone" has existed off the Texas coast for at least the past 23 years and will likely remain there, causing potential harmful effects to marine life in the area.

NASA Launches Airborne Study of Arctic Atmosphere, Air Pollution
March 31, 2008
News and Features NASA Launches Airborne Study of Arctic Atmosphere, Air Pollution

The recent decline of Arctic sea ice is one indication that this region is undergoing significant environmental changes related to climate warming. To investigate the atmosphere's role in this climate-sensitive region, NASA and its partners have begun the most extensive field campaign ever to study the chemistry of the Arctic's lower atmosphere.

NASA Scientists Identify Smallest Known Black Hole
March 31, 2008
News and Features NASA Scientists Identify Smallest Known Black Hole

If you want to know the universe’s ultimate tough guys, look no further than black holes. These strange objects gobble up gas from their surroundings, and sometimes swallow entire stars. But a black hole’s gravity is so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape its grasp.

Old Solar Cycle Returns
March 27, 2008
News and Features Old Solar Cycle Returns

Barely three months after forecasters announced the beginning of new Solar Cycle 24, old Solar Cycle 23 has returned.

Cassini Spacecraft to Dive Into Water Plume of Saturn Moon
March 11, 2008
News and Features Cassini Spacecraft to Dive Into Water Plume of Saturn Moon

NASA's Cassini spacecraft will make an unprecedented "in your face" flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus on Wed., March 12.

The 'Planet' in Planetary Nebulae
March 11, 2008
News and Features The 'Planet' in Planetary Nebulae

Scientists have found that planets may be partly responsible for the breathtaking appearance of planetary nebula. The research is helping astrobiologists understand the environments in which extrasolar planets develop, and providing insight into the future of our own Solar System.

Tropical Cyclone Jokwe
March 10, 2008
News and Features Tropical Cyclone Jokwe

Tropical Cyclone Jokwe grazed along the southern coast of Madagascar on the morning of March 11, 2008, when it was observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite.

Watching Alpha Centauri
March 10, 2008
News and Features Watching Alpha Centauri

Scientists have determined that one of the Solar System's closest stellar neighbors, Alpha Centauri, should harbor Earth-like planets. Knowing where to look for rocky planets is the first step in searching for habitable worlds around distant stars.

La Nina Floods South America
March 10, 2008
News and Features La Nina Floods South America

Persistent, heavier-than-normal rains throughout February and March 2008 triggered flooding across parts of northern and central South America. La Niña conditions in the Pacific may have caused the unusual rainfall. February falls in the middle of the rainy season, and flooding is not unusual, but the effects were enhanced by the cooler-than-normal ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific that are associated with La Niña.

Dark Halos Discovered on Mercury
March 07, 2008
News and Features Dark Halos Discovered on Mercury

The surprises continue. Scientists studying the harvest of photos from the MESSENGER spacecraft's Jan. 14th flyby of Mercury have found several craters with strange dark halos and one crater with a spectacularly shiny bottom.

Auroras in Broad Daylight
March 06, 2008
News and Features Auroras in Broad Daylight

Imagine living on a planet where Northern Lights fill the heavens at all hours of the day. Around the clock, even in broad daylight, luminous curtains shimmer and ripple across the sky, mesmerizing anyone who bothers to look.

Mars Flows Run Dry
March 04, 2008
News and Features Mars Flows Run Dry

New research casts doubt on the idea that images of bright spots in Martian gullies indicate recently flowing water on Mars. The spots could have been caused by an avalanche of dry sand and gravel.

NASA'S SDO Mission to Improve Predictions of Violent Space Weather
March 03, 2008
News and Features NASA'S SDO Mission to Improve Predictions of Violent Space Weather

About 93 million miles from us lies an immense nuclear furnace spanning 100 Earths. In just one second, it produces enough power to supply the entire United States for nine million years. It is the closest star, our sun

NASA’s Wine Sniffer
March 03, 2008
News and Features NASA’s Wine Sniffer

A detector designed to search for signs of life on Mars may prove useful closer to home. It turns out the device also excels at identifying the components of red wine and other foods and beverages that can cause headaches, or in extreme cases, even lead to strokes.

NASA Spacecraft Photographs Avalanches on Mars
March 03, 2008
News and Features NASA Spacecraft Photographs Avalanches on Mars

A NASA spacecraft in orbit around Mars has taken the first ever image of active avalanches near the Red Planet's north pole. The image shows tan clouds billowing away from the foot of a towering slope, where ice and dust have just cascaded down.

Spitzer in the Sky, with Diamonds
March 01, 2008
News and Features Spitzer in the Sky, with Diamonds

Researchers have developed a strategy for finding diamonds in space that can be 25,000 times smaller than a grain of sand. These tiny particles could provide insight into the distribution of molecules in the Universe that are important for the origin of life.

New Radar Maps of the Moon
February 29, 2008
News and Features New Radar Maps of the Moon

NASA has obtained new high-resolution radar maps of the Moon's south pole--a region the space agency is considering as a landing site when astronauts return to the Moon in the years ahead.

RESOLVE to Explore
February 29, 2008
News and Features RESOLVE to Explore

NASA has demonstrated new robotic technology that will aid in lunar exploration. The technology will help astronauts utilize resources from the Moon's regolith, and will sustain habitats for scientists living and working on the Moon.

SOHO to Give Early Warning of Radiation Storms
February 27, 2008
News and Features SOHO to Give Early Warning of Radiation Storms

Explosive events on the sun can blast particles to high speeds, causing intense radiation storms that can disable spacecraft and cause radiation sickness or cancer in unprotected astronauts. Advance warning of radiation storms could give astronauts time to take cover and allow satellite operators to take protective measures.

Plumbing Enceladus
February 13, 2008
News and Features Plumbing Enceladus

Scientists are beginning to understand the source of the giant geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus. A new theory points to the potential existence of a liquid reservoir or lake just beneath the moon's surface.

Astronomers Eye Ultra-Young, Bright Galaxy in Early Universe
February 12, 2008
News and Features Astronomers Eye Ultra-Young, Bright Galaxy in Early Universe

NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, with a boost from a natural "zoom lens," have uncovered what may be one of the youngest and brightest galaxies ever seen in the middle of the cosmic "dark ages," just 700 million years after the beginning of our universe.

Hunting Earths with EPOXI
February 12, 2008
News and Features Hunting Earths with EPOXI

In 2005, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft directed an impactor into comet Tempel 1 and collected valuable information about the composition of comets. Now the spacecraft is turning its largest telescope toward the stars in order to search for exosolar planets.

The Iceland Diaries
February 11, 2008
News and Features The Iceland Diaries

Last June, a group of scientists visited Iceland, one of the most active volcanic places in the world. In some ways, Iceland resembles what the young Earth was like, so studying modern bacteria that colonize Iceland’s rocks may provide clues about early life. Aude Herrera recalls the scientist’s recent rock-collecting adventure here in her journal.

Spitzer Catches Young Stars in Their Baby Blanket of Dust
February 11, 2008
News and Features Spitzer Catches Young Stars in Their Baby Blanket of Dust

Newborn stars peek out from beneath their natal blanket of dust in this dynamic image of the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

NASA's Deep Impact Begins Hunt for Alien Worlds
February 07, 2008
News and Features NASA's Deep Impact Begins Hunt for Alien Worlds

NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft is aiming its largest telescope at five stars in a search for alien (exosolar) planets as it enters its extended mission, called Epoxi.

CALIPSO Takes Its One-Billionth Measurement
February 07, 2008
News and Features CALIPSO Takes Its One-Billionth Measurement

On Sunday morning at about 8:17 Eastern Time, a laser pulse beamed down from 700 kilometers above Ivory Coast and took a 100-meter-wide picture of the atmosphere. The light reflected back to the satellite from the tiny particles in the air or clouds offers information on how they warm or cool the Earth.

Ocean-Observing Satellites Help Break Current Records
February 07, 2008
News and Features Ocean-Observing Satellites Help Break Current Records

Two different teams of ocean adventurers set records this winter crossing the Tasman Sea. One was the first expedition to kayak from Australia to New Zealand; the other was the first Australians to row across the Tasman Sea. Both took advantage of something that sailors have been relying on since the launch of Topex/Poseidon in 1992–maps of ocean currents made possible by ocean altimetry.

Mars in 3D
February 06, 2008
News and Features Mars in 3D

A new 3D model of the martian surface, created with data from Mars Express, has been released on the internet. The model allows scientists to see the topography of Mars, and will help them interpret Mars' surface features and geology.

Saturn's Giant Sponge
February 05, 2008
News and Features Saturn's Giant Sponge

One of Saturn's rings does housecleaning, soaking up material gushing from the fountains on Saturn's tiny ice moon Enceladus, according to new observations from the Cassini spacecraft.

Mapping Gases
February 05, 2008
News and Features Mapping Gases

Venus Express has peered below the thick clouds of Venus to provide accurate maps of water vapor and other gases in the planet's lower atmosphere. The data will teach scientists about Venus, and may yield important clues about climate change on Earth.

NASA Data Link Pollution to Rainy Summer Days in the Southeast
February 01, 2008
News and Features NASA Data Link Pollution to Rainy Summer Days in the Southeast

Rainfall data from a NASA satellite show that summertime storms in the southeastern United States shed more rainfall midweek than on weekends. Scientists say air pollution from humans is likely driving that trend.

MESSENGER's Mercury Flyby
January 18, 2008
News and Features MESSENGER's Mercury Flyby

A pioneering NASA spacecraft becomes the first to visit Mercury in almost 33 years.

Finding Planets While They're Hot
January 17, 2008
News and Features Finding Planets While They're Hot

Astronomers may have observed the aftermath of a collision between two distant planets. A strange object orbiting a star 170 light-years away doesn't match any theory for planetary formation, and may have been formed by two protoplanets crashing together.

2007 Was Tied as Earth's Second-Warmest Year
January 16, 2008
News and Features 2007 Was Tied as Earth's Second-Warmest Year

Climatologists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City have found that 2007 tied with 1998 for Earth’s second warmest year in a century.

Letters from SARA
January 01, 2008
RSS Feeds Letters from SARA

(http://www.nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/letters-from-sara/RSS) The Senior Adviser for Research & Analysis writes a letter to the community once a month.

Archive Summary