Astronomy

NASA Makes the Most Realistic Simulation of All Moon Phases Through an Entire Year

Using new terrain maps obtained by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Scientific Visualization Studio at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. has created the most realistic simulation of all the moon phases through an entire year—2013. It’s mesmerizing. This visualization shows the phase and libration of the Moon throughout the year 2013, at…

Tech News Jesus Diaz

Pope Reveals All the Secrets of Baby Jesus—Including His Birth Star’s True Nature

Pope Benedict XVI has just published a new book, the third volume of his Jesus of Nazareth trilogy, talking about the childhood of Jesus. Like Dan Brown’s bestsellers, Herr Ratzinger promises to reveal lots of mysteries for just $13. Or you can save your money and read the juiciest bits here, starting with the reality…

Tech News Jesus Diaz

Scientists claim to have discovered something “earthshaking” on Mars

The Mars Science Laboratory team has hinted that they might have some big news to share soon. But like good scientists, they are waiting until they verify their results before saying anything definitive. In an interview on NPR today, MSL Principal Investigator John Grotzinger said a recent soil sample test in the SAM instrument (Sample…

io9 Nancy Atkinson - Universe Today

Astronomers discover a planet so massive it defies classification

Scientists using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii have discovered a “super-Jupiter” orbiting around the bright star Kappa Andromedae. The planet, which is about 13 times the size of Jupiter, glows with a reddish color and skirts the line between planet and star on account of its tremendous mass. Moreover, its parent star now holds the…

io9 George Dvorsky

Explore the galaxy using Google’s new star map called 100,000 Stars

Google has just released a new, interactive star map that allows you to point, click and zoom your way around our local volume of galactic space. 100,000 Stars has detailed information on dozens of nearby stars, including accurate, 3D animations of binary stars orbiting each other and close-ups of the superheated filaments rearing up from…

io9 Annalee Newitz

This would be the Milky Way’s most massive star… if not for one tiny detail

That tiny, insignificant detail? Well, it turns out that the brightest star in the Pismis 24 cluster is actually three stars, possibly more. But don’t feel bad for these stars: they’re both still 100 times as massive as our Sun. That’s certainly impressive in its own right, but the star Pismis 24-1 was originally thought…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

So maybe history’s craziest astronomer wasn’t murdered after all

There are larger-than-life scientists, and then there’s Tycho Brahe. The 16th century Danish astronomer lost part of his nose in a duel, sent a drunken elk around to entertain nobles, and died under mysterious, embarrassing circumstances. Well… mysterious no longer. The official explanation for Brahe’s 1601 death is that it was caused by a bladder…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Everything you need to know to catch tonight’s Leonid meteor shower

This year’s Leonid meteor shower peaks during the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, November 17th, and it’s shaping up to be a beautiful night for stargazing. According to NASA, tonight’s shower could be one of the best Leonid displays in years. Here’s everything you need to know to spot as many meteors as possible. Pictured above:…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

This pocket-sized galaxy may be the most distant yet

Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes have discovered the most distant galaxy seen in the universe. Called MACS0647-JD, the galaxy is 13.3 billion light years from Earth — which means it formed only 420 million years after the big bang. And just as remarkably, it’s only 600 light-years wide, making it less than…

io9 George Dvorsky

Could there be life in Earth’s Stratosphere?

What lives at the very edge of space? Other than high-flying jet aircraft pilots (and the occasional daredevil skydiver) you wouldn’t expect to find many living things over 10 kilometers up – yet this is exactly where one NASA researcher is hunting for evidence of life. Top image via NASA. Earth’s stratosphere is not a…

io9 Jason Major - Universe Today

Explore 100,000 Stars From the Comfort of Your Browser

If you’re stuck in a big city with no hopes of seeing more than a handful of lights in the night sky, you’ll more than get your fill of celestial bodies with this mind-blowing site that puts 100,000 stars in your browser. For full enjoyment you’ll need a capable system with a decent graphics card,…

Space & Spaceflight Andrew Liszewski

The Joy of Gravitational Lensing, or Why You Are Seeing Five Lights Instead of One

These five lights are all the same object – a quasar. The middle one is the image we would normally see. The ones on the sides are four extra images that we can only see because there is a galaxy between us and the star. How does something getting between us and the star help…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Astronomers may have just discovered the first known free-floating planet

You’ll notice there’s no parent star in this concept art of recently discovered (and unsexily named) CFBDSIRJ2149. That’s not a mistake. In fact, it was a very conscious decision on the part of the artist. Because CFBDSIRJ2149 has gone rogue. It’s homeless. A wandering planet, it orbits no star — which could well make it…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

This May Be the First Confirmed Errant Planet Detected by Humans

This bright blue marble is CFBDSIR2149. Located only 100 light-years away from Earth, this lonely cyan gem may be the very first errant planet detected by humans. And apparently it’s quite beautiful, looking similar to Neptune* while being four to seven times as big as Jupiter. CFBDSIR2149—I’m just going to call it Melancholia, even if…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

YOU WILL NOT GO TO SPACE TODAY

Introducing our new favorite tumblr: You Will Not Go To Space Today — a meager collection (give it a break, it’s existed for like… a day) of space-themed images that are highly reminiscent of the great, demotivational poster craze of 2006, only funnier, because they’re all so wonderfully tragic. Inspired by one of several punchlines…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Today’s is the last total solar eclipse until 2015 — here’s how to watch

Do you live in northern Australia? Lucky you — you’re one of the few people on Earth who will be able to watch today’s solar eclipse in person. For everyone else, your best bet is to watch it unfold online. The total solar eclipse (the last to occur before March 2015) is set to begin…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

It’s Carl Sagan’s birthday! Time to party like the starstuff that we are.

Happy birthday, Carl Sagan! The legendary astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist and science educator would have been 78 today. To celebrate, we’ve rounded up a handful of our favorite Sagan posts and curated some stellar content from other websites that are honoring him today. Feel free to contribute in the comments! This recorded message from Sagan to…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Giant Smiley Discovered In Mercury

NASA scientists are having a lot of fun with Messenger, the spacecraft now orbiting Mercury. Not only they are documenting the planet at a resolution of 200 meters per pixel, but they are spotting all kinds of fun stuff. A few weeks ago it was the Sesame Street’s cookie monster. Today it’s a smiley crater.…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

Red Marble: Unreal Portrait of the Sun Eclipsed By Earth

This beautiful, unreal portrait of the Sun was taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory as it was moving into its eclipse season: Twice a year, for three weeks near the vernal and autumnal equinox, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft moves into its eclipse season-a brief spell when Earth blocks its view of the sun…

Tech News Jesus Diaz

Is NASA about to unveil plans for manned moon mission?

Suit up, people — word is we’re heading back to the Moon. According to space policy expert John Logsdon, there’s a decent chance NASA has already cleared plans to establish a manned base on the far side of the Moon with the Obama administration. Thing is, they’ve probably been keeping it under wraps in the…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

NASA Makes the Most Realistic Simulation of All Moon Phases Through an Entire Year

Pope Reveals All the Secrets of Baby Jesus—Including His Birth Star’s True Nature

Scientists claim to have discovered something “earthshaking” on Mars

Astronomers discover a planet so massive it defies classification

Explore the galaxy using Google’s new star map called 100,000 Stars

This would be the Milky Way’s most massive star… if not for one tiny detail

So maybe history’s craziest astronomer wasn’t murdered after all

Everything you need to know to catch tonight’s Leonid meteor shower

This pocket-sized galaxy may be the most distant yet

Could there be life in Earth’s Stratosphere?

Explore 100,000 Stars From the Comfort of Your Browser

The Joy of Gravitational Lensing, or Why You Are Seeing Five Lights Instead of One

Astronomers may have just discovered the first known free-floating planet

This May Be the First Confirmed Errant Planet Detected by Humans

YOU WILL NOT GO TO SPACE TODAY

Today’s is the last total solar eclipse until 2015 — here’s how to watch

It’s Carl Sagan’s birthday! Time to party like the starstuff that we are.

Giant Smiley Discovered In Mercury

Red Marble: Unreal Portrait of the Sun Eclipsed By Earth

Is NASA about to unveil plans for manned moon mission?

April Set to Unleash Some Wild Weather Across Parts of the US, Meteorologists Warn

Scientists Create ‘Living Pharmacy’ Implant That Doses 3 Drugs at Once

Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer Cuts Into Its Premium Price Tag in the Spring Sale, Bid Frequent Salon Visits Goodbye

I Wouldn’t Plan on Wearing Smart Glasses to Court Anytime Soon

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Comes Down $130 Amid a 2025 Smartwatch Lineup Clearout on Amazon

Disney Will Not Bow to Audience Belief That the Rock’s ‘Moana’ Wig Looks Awful

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Hits a Record Low as It Moves Beyond Espresso Machine Deals on Amazon

Doctors Struggle to Spot AI-Generated X-Rays, Raising Scam Risks

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

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