Topic: Astronomy

Perseid meteor shower probably won't pelt spacewalking astronauts, says NASA

The Perseid meteor shower poses minimal risk to spacewalking astronauts trying to repair the International Space Station, and might even offer them a spectacular show.
08/13/2010 11:42 am

Perseid meteor shower: August 2010 marks more than just a show

Researchers will be gathering data during the Perseid meteor shower. August 2010 is part of a renaissance for meteor science in the US after nearly two decades of neglect.
08/12/2010 09:11 pm

Huge space explosion catches everyone by surprise

A nova – a massive nuclear explosion thrown from a white dwarf star – usually doesn't emit gamma-rays, the most energetic known form of light. But this one did.
08/12/2010 05:47 pm

Perseid meteor shower tonight: It's a spectacular troublemaker

Perseid meteor shower tonight is at its peak. It's the only meteor shower known to have killed a satellite and delayed a space-shuttle launch. Enter the Meteoroid Environment Office.
08/12/2010 02:19 pm

In Pictures Space photos of the day 08/12

Meteor shower August 2010: how you can get the best view

Meteor shower August 2010 peak comes early Friday. Emanating from the constellation Perseid, the meteor shower could yield sightings in some locations of up to 75 meteors an hour.
08/12/2010 09:50 am

Divine light, on or off the grid

A Christian Science perspective.
08/12/2010 09:35 am

In Pictures Perseid meteor shower

In Pictures Space photos of the day 08/11

Perseid meteor shower makes impressive start

Perseid meteor shower promises to be one of the flashiest meteor displays of the year, if you can stay awake to watch them.
08/11/2010 01:26 pm

European space probe flies by asteroid, notes that it is really weird looking

The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft recently flew by Lutetia, a huge asteroid that tuns out to have some very bizarre features.
08/10/2010 08:18 pm

In Pictures Space photos of the day 08/10

Violent eruptions on the sun mean more spectacular auroras for Earth

Solor flares, or coronal mass ejections, are eruptions of plasma and ionized atoms into space. As these atoms reach Earth, solar particles stream down the planet's magnetic field lines toward the poles.
08/10/2010 11:57 am

Meteor shower over Alabama heralded by large fireball

Meteor shower enthusiasts will be able to enjoy this year's Perseids this week, which will peak on the night of August 12.
08/10/2010 10:37 am

Cool Astronomy Could a solar storm send us back to the Stone Age?

In 1859, a powerful solar storm burned telegraph wires all across Europe and America and electrified the skies. As the sun awakens from a period of dormancy, it's worth remembering that a storm of that magnitude today could bring modernity to a sudden halt.
08/09/2010 01:39 pm

In Pictures Space photos of the day 08/09

In Pictures Space photos of the day 08/06

In Pictures Space photos of the day 08/05

In Pictures Apollo 11 went to the moon

In Pictures Space photos of the day 08/04

Solar tsunami: Is the sun waking up?

Solar tsunami watchers say that the recent solar eruption could be a sign that the sun is rousing from its relative dormancy.
08/04/2010 01:11 pm

Where the best seats will be for northern lights after solar eruption

Plasma from the sun slammed into Earth's magnetic field Tuesday afternoon. Here's a look at what kind of northern lights show the collision will put on.
08/03/2010 09:32 pm

In Pictures Space photos of the day 08/03

Cool Astronomy Huge blasts of sun's plasma hurtling toward Earth

A huge mass of magnetically charged material ejected from the sun is racing across space toward our planet, where it is expected to arrive on Tuesday. When it strikes the Earth's magnetic field, it could produce spectacular auroras.
08/02/2010 05:35 pm

In Pictures Space photos of the day 08/02