SPACE

With the Help of ALMA Astronomers Find Complex Organic Molecules in Infant Solar System

While researchers have long believed that the circumstances and the molecular structures involved in the creation of our Sun and of our Earth were unique, it appears that far off in space there may be another solar system brimming with potential for life someday. Utilizing the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) researchers with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory have detected for the first time ever the complex organic molecules necessary to create life in a protoplanetary disk surrounding an infant star only a million years into its formation.

Lava Tubes Could Be Shelter for Expedition to Moon

Lava tubes that are large enough to contain entire cities are now believed to exist on the moon, and scientists believe that they could one day provide shelter from the cosmic radiation associated with space exploration.

Astronomers Witness Star Formation Over 18 Years

Over the last 18 years, astronomers have observed the formation of a massive new star, dubbed W75N(B)-VLA 2. A pair of images of a young star, taken 18 years apart, has revealed dramatic differences providing astronomers with a one of a kind “real time” look at how massive stars develop during the earliest stages of their formation.

Curiosity Rover Curious About Ice Cream Sandwich Rock Formations

NASA's Curiosity rover has analyzed numerous rock samples from three different locations in the lower regions of Mount Sharp that reveal unique mineral compositions. Along with the discovery of the different minerals, there were also prominent veins that show the mountains layers, revealing different stages of weathering. These two toned minerals were found in ridges along a site called "Garden City" where bedrock has eroded and exposed these veins.

NASA Aims to Put Astronauts on Mars by 2039

The idea of putting a man on Mars has become very popular in recent years, due to many of the plans put forth by NASA. And in a new statement, NASA reports that they could get astronauts in orbit of the red planet by 2033, and they will land on the surface on 2039.

Can Science and Culture Coexist on Mauna Kea? Dozen ‘Protector’ Protestors Arrested This Week for Obstruction

With the construction of the $1.4 billion dollar endeavor of the Thirty Meter Telescope beginning this week, news arrives from the Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, as a dozen protestors were arrested for obstructing construction crews on their way to the summit. Astronomers anticipating the Thirty Meter Telescope believe that the largest telescope ever built will give us new insights never-before-seen into space, however, locals in Hawaii are not convinced that the $1.4 billion investment is worth compromising their lands.

Ghosts of Quasars Past—Hubble Telescope Reveals Phantom of Eight Galaxies

In a new series of images captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, researchers with the US space agency discovered an eery green hue spiraling and braiding shapes around eight active galaxies. And while the wisps of glowing structures “don’t fit a single pattern”, lead researcher of the study, Bill Keel believes that the bright green lights may reveal the high energy at the core of these eight galaxies.

NASA's Exploration Vehicle of Choice for Saturn Moon–A Submarine

Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system and has developed quite a reputation because of its impressive ring system, but it also has 62 moons. The largest moon, Titan, is the only one that actually has its very own atmosphere. NASA now has plans to take a closer look at what is going on down on Titan, but not by using a spacecraft. Instead it will use a submarine.

The Hunt is On for Exomoons That May Harbor Life

The search for life doesn't end at our solar system and it is not limited to just planets. Scientists are now searching for moons orbiting alien planets in other systems that could harbor extraterrestrial life.

Astronomers Adopt a Forming Star, Watching it Grow for 18 Years 4200 Light-Years Away

While researchers may have missed the formation of our very own Sun by a few billion years, in essence they have become surrogate parents to many other stars formed since the dawn of the telescope. Watching one such infant star well into its adulthood, researchers with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory this week released a time lapse of one such star, affectionately named “W75N(B)-VLA 2”, which reveals the earliest formations of a massive young star over the course of 18 years. The beginning and ending images released this week reveal a dramatic difference in the star’s developmental stages and highlights theories that astronomers have posited for decades, as they wondered if they would ever catch a glimpse of stars forming in such a way as researchers today have been able to do.

More Memory Problems for NASA's Opportunity Rover

NASA's Opportunity Rover has been setting records for its time in space and distance traveled, but unfortunately it probably won't remember them. Less than a week after engineers upgraded the software to resolve its memory issues, the rover has experienced yet another bout of amnesia.

Star Wars Tatooine Planet May Be Common

One of the most iconic scenes ever filmed for Star Wars occurred when Luke walked outside his boyhood home on the rocky, desert planet of Tatooine and looked up at the two suns setting. Now, scientists believe that these Earth-like worlds with two suns in their sky may actually be more common than originally thought, throughout the Milky Way Galaxy.
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