All Science
SpaceX aborts Falcon 9 launch. What went wrong?A problem with an actuator on the second stage of the company's Falcon 9 rocket prompted the launch of a space station resupply mission to be scrubbed minutes before liftoff.
Planet hunters spot eight potentially habitable worldsUsing data from the Kepler Space Telescope, astronomers say they have found eight rocky planets that are orbiting in the habitable regions of their stars.
- Hope, in the form of a baby killer whale
An endangered pod of killer whales off the coast of Washington has a new member, the first newborn in more than two years.
Astronomers reveal spectacular new Hubble imageFirst imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995, the famous Pillars of Creation have now gotten a second look with the telescope's upgraded optics.
Planet hunters discover two new Earth-like planetsNASA researchers have discovered eight new extrasolar planets, two of which are remarkably Earth-like. The discovery adds to a growing body of evidence that we do not live on the only habitable planet.
SpaceX scrubs rocket launch: why it must wait until Friday to try againSpaceX's new resupply mission to the space station includes a bold experiment in rocket design, but the launch Tuesday was postponed because of a technical glitch.
Hunt for other Earths just got a bit more sophisticatedTwo new studies could help scientists determine the composition of a planet and the likelihood that it has surface oceans – two factors crucial to habitability.
- Are other planets better than us at having oceans?
Some exoplanets might be better at creating and sustaining oceans than Earth, say researchers.
Bold SpaceX mission scrubbed at last minuteThe launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the first stage of which was to attempt to touch down on a floating ocean platform, was scrubbed minutes before liftoff after a glitch was detected.
SpaceX: Back to the Space station, then ambitious landingOn Tuesday SpaceX will launch an unmanned Falcon rocket with the mission to deliver critical supplies to the International Space Station. Upon reentry, the company will attempt an audacious landing experiment on a floating platform.
Life on Mars? NASA's next rover aims to find out.NASA is preparing a new rover that will be specially designed to seek out evidence of past life on the Red Planet.
Zero Gravity Day: Could a bizarre planetary alignment make you float?An Internet meme that claims an astronomical phenomenon will make people on Earth temporarily weightless has been making the rounds again.
Could a rocket land on the ocean?On Tuesday, SpaceX will attempt to land a rocket stage on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean, a first in the history of rocketry.
Scientists reveal disco clam's groovy secretsTo fend off predators, the glimmering disco clam may use sulfuric acid, say researchers.
First meteor shower of 2015 peaks Saturday nightThe annual Quadrantid meteor shower is popular with star watchers, who can see up to 80 meteors an hour, NASA says. Plus, Quadrantids are known for their 'fireball meteors,' which are brighter and last longer than an average meteor streak.
Earthquake off coast shakes Northern California: Biggest 2015 quake (so far)The Northern California earthquake was centered about 70 miles off the coast of Ferndale, according to the USGS.
Fanged frog doesn't lay eggs: 'She squirted tadpoles all over my hand'Most frogs lay eggs which then get fertilized; in a few species, males fertilize the eggs before they are laid. But only one species delivers live tadpoles.
NASA developing cure for Mars rover 'amnesia'The 10-year-old Martian rover Opportunity is starting to show its age. NASA software engineers are scrambling to create software hack to solve Opportunity's memory problems, in the latest example of the space agency extending the life of its projects.
New Year's surprise: a comet you can see with the naked eyeSkywatchers are getting an unexpected treat: Comet Lovejoy, which was discovered in August, has brightened, making it visible without a telescope. By Jan. 7, the comet, which is rising in the northern sky, will be appearing to the right of the bottom half of Orion's bow.
Did drought doom the Mayan Empire? New evidence from Belize's 'Blue Hole'Minerals taken from lagoons reveal a century-long drought occurred between A.D. 800 and A.D. 900, right when the Mayan civilization disintegrated.
