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Striking It Rich in Supernovae Dust at the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy

Medicine & Technology Mar 19, 2015

It’s a tough job sifting through the data and the haze of the center of the Milky Way galaxy, but some astronomers have to do it. The time-consuming job often means having to peer into the center with aid of multiple telescopes, all giving you a different perspective at a different wavelength. It can be job of countless hours, with little to no reward, but when researchers find even cosmic dust, their studies can strike it rich.

Manned Missions to Mars Threatened by Cosmic Rays

Buzz Aldrin Sends Message on Mars to NASA

Mar 18, 2015

Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin tweeted a photo of himself in a Mars-themed t-shirt at Stonehenge that spells out clearly what he believes NASA's next mission should be.

New NASA Maps Reveal Secrets of Mercury

Mar 18, 2015

The planet closest to the sun has continued to be shrouded in mystery for many years. Now, NASA has unveiled never before seen formations on the surface with two maps created from data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft that has been orbiting the planet since 2004.

Researchers Fly Kites on Earth to Study Mars

Mar 17, 2015

Using an unconventional research method, scientists are seeking to learn more about about Mars by flying a kite here on Earth. The method allows researchers to get a new look at geological features here at home that learn what they could reveal with the hopes of being able to identity similarities with what they see when examining the surface of Mars and potentially other planets and moons as well.

China's Lunar Rover Reveals Moon's Complex Geological History

Mar 13, 2015

Preliminary results from China's first lunar rover, Yutu, has suggested that the moon's geological history is much more complex than previously thought.

Curiosity Rover Once Again Has Arms

Mar 13, 2015

A short circuit in the arm of the Curiosity rover halted its work on February 27. Since that time the rover team has worked hard to discover the source of this short in the hopes of repairing it and getting Curiosity back to work. Now, mission controllers have traced the short circuit to the drill on its robotic arm.

Astronauts Return to Earth After Six Months Aboard the ISS

Mar 12, 2015

There is nothing like coming home after a long day at work or even after a nice long trip. What this means for most of us is a car ride or plane trip home. While these journeys may seem long and sometimes even tedious, it is nothing compared to the return home of an astronaut from space.

Is the Galaxy Bigger Than We Thought?

Mar 11, 2015

The Milky Way Galaxy is huge with our small solar system acting as just a grain of sand of the giant beach that is the galaxy. NASA previously estimated that the galaxy spans approximately 100,000 light years across. With each light year representing about 6 trillion miles, we are talking about an almost unimaginable distance. If you think that's large, new research now suggests that the Milky Way could be 50,000 light years larger than previously thought.

NASA Seeks Talent with Space Apps Challenge

Mar 11, 2015

NASA has organized a new three-day event that will allow participants to develop mobile applications, software, hardware, data visualization and platform solutions that could contribute to the space exploration missions and improve life on Earth.

Mars Rocks Captured by Opportunity Rover

Opportunity Rover Finds Strange Rocks on Mars

Mar 11, 2015

For those of you that follow the movement of Opportunity, one of NASA's Mars rovers studying the surface of the Red planet, you may have noticed that it has stopped to smell the roses or, in this case, rocks. The rover has taken a break from its other investigative activities to closely examine some oddly shaped rocks that have never before been seen on the surface.

Star Sets Galactic Speed Record

Mar 10, 2015

While most stars hang out in the Milky Way for millions or even billions of years in orbit of the center of the galaxy, the star known as US 708 is marching to its own drum.

VIDEO—NASA’s Satellite Space Fleet Path Patterns Revealed

Mar 09, 2015

While it may be a groggy Monday morning, after most of the world lost an hour this weekend in the readjustment of our clocks, a new animation from NASA reveals that you may be luckier than their satellites who are on the clock 24 hours a day. While you may know that many of the satellites like Aqua, Aura and CloudSat pass overhead everyday at 1:30pm, no matter where you are, you may not have given their movements much thought or ever fully realized exactly how many satellites are working for the space agency. But in celebration of NASA’s newest achievement in having their Dawn satellite reach the dwarf planet Ceres, their giving us a new view of what orbiters do here at home.