Topic: Hubble Space Telescope

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The 9 weirdest things ever flown on the Space Shuttle

When NASA's space shuttles launch into orbit, they don't just carry astronauts and supplies into the final frontier. There's a lot of other weird stuff that makes the out-of-this-world journey, too. NASA's last space shuttle mission will launch Friday, July 8 on the Atlantis orbiter to deliver spare parts to the International Space Station. The mission will be the 135th and last flight for the program, which began in 1981. But over the course of 30 years, the space shuttles have flown some peculiar objects into orbit. The list of odd stuff that flew aboard the shuttles is a long one, and includes the Olympic torch, a replica of the golden spike from the First Transcontinental Railroad, and rocks from the top of Mount Everest and the surface of the moon, just to name a few. Here nine recent space oddities carried into orbit on NASA shuttles:
07/08/2011 03:53 pm

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Neptune moon: Astronomer spots tiny moon orbiting eighth planet

Neptune moon: Archival images from the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a tiny, faint moon orbiting Neptune, bringing the distant gas giant's known moons to 14.
Alien planet's mysterious blue color leaves scientists wondering

The Hubble Space Telescope helped scientists to identify the blue color of an exoplanet, giving researchers another piece in their understanding of the distant world. The alien planet has fierce winds and high temperatures, which turn rain into glass.
Space telescope funded by public donations meets $1 million goal

Public donors giving between $10 and $10,000 each have hit a $1 million crowdfunding goal for ARKYD, the pint-size space telescope that can be used by schools and enthusiasts alike.
Unusual new planet casts doubt on how planets form

A distant, baby planet is challenging the reigning theory about how planets are made.
Kepler, a prolific hunter for other Earths, is suddenly in trouble

Kepler's quest for an Earth-like planet orbiting a sun-like star has been put on hold, NASA said, after the spacecraft sensed it was facing in the wrong direction and put itself in 'safe mode.'
'Gravity' movie trailer stars George Clooney, Sandra Bullock (+video)

'Gravity' movie trailer: A first look at director Alfonso Cuarón's 'Gravity,' starring actors George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as astronauts.
Astronomers discover the Ed Begley Jr. of galaxies

An international team of researchers have spotted the most fuel-efficient galaxy yet, which converts nearly 100 percent of its hydrogen gas into stars.
'Vulcan' and 'Cerberus' are favorite names for Pluto's moons

The online poll for naming Pluto's moons – P4 and P5 – is now over and the winning names are 'Vulcan' and 'Cerberus.' This result, however, doesn't guarantee that P4 and P5 will actually get these names.
Naming Pluto's moon 'Vulcan' only logical, says William Shatner

William Shatner proposed 'Vulcan' as the name of one of Pluto's recently discovered moons, and more than 100,000 'Star Trek' fans seem to concur.
Humongous, 60-million-light-year-long strand of dark matter mapped in 3-D

Since dark matter cannot be seen directly, these filaments are difficult to observe.
Black holes: Scientists measure the point of no return

Using imaging of the galaxy M87, astronomers have for the first time measured the closest stable orbit within which matter can circle a black hole. They found that this innermost orbit measures 750 times the distance from the Earth to the sun.
Hubble Space Telescope reveals extreme view (+video)

The penetrating gaze of the Hubble Space Telescope grants viewers the deepest glimpse ever into the universe's past.
Primordial galaxy spotted, sheds light on early universe

Scientists were able to see the ancient galaxy because gravity from a massive galaxy cluster situated between it and Hubble acted as a lens, bending the light from the 'incredibly faint' galaxy.
Distant galaxy helped tidy up early universe, scientists say

Using data from space telescopes, scientists say they have located a galaxy formed more than 13 billion years ago when the universe was young and still permeated with a fog of hydrogen gas.
Cosmic lens reveals galaxy from the dawn of time

This distant, ancient galaxy may have once helped clear out the murky fog that once filled the early universe, scientists added.
Mirrors completed for successor to Hubble telescope

Made by Ball Aerospace, the 18 beryllium mirror segments for the James Webb Space Telescope are ready to be delivered to NASA.
The Eighteen-Day Running Mate

With the Paul Ryan announcement, writer Joshua M. Glasser's book is timely as well as impeccably researched.
Rover Curiosity is a star, but can it help fund future of Mars exploration?

The steady stream of enticing photographs from the rover Curiosity may be wowing scientists and the public, but NASA is facing serious budgetary constraints on the future of Mars exploration.
Curiosity's Mars exploration: Is it worth the money? (+video)

The search for life on Mars has captivated the imaginations of many, but it is costly. Some say it's time to cut spending on NASA's Mars missions, while others say the research is important in the quest for understanding the 'meaning of life.'
Astronomers discover oldest spiral galaxy in the universe (+video)

The discovery with Hubble Space Telescope of a spiral galaxy, long before other galaxies are known to have formed, surprised scientists
Fifth moon discovery reminds us how little we know about Pluto (+video)

Orbiting at outskirts of the solar system some three billion miles from Earth, Pluto remains shrouded in mystery.
Hubble spots fifth moon orbiting ex-planet Pluto

Scientists have announced the discovery of a fifth moon of Pluto. Dubbed P5 for now, it is the smallest moon yet detected orbiting the frigid dwarf planet.
Pluto's fifth moon: five fascinating facts (+video)

Using data from the Hubble telescope, SETI scientists spotted a fifth moon orbiting the icy dwarf planet Pluto.
Hubble telescope reveals mysterious 'ghost galaxies' of ancient universe

Formed some 13 billion years ago, three bizarre galaxies captured by the Hubble telescope are thought to be 'fossils' of the early universe
Pluto's new moon could cause problems for space probe, says NASA (+video)

Pluto's newly discovered fifth moon could mean more debris surrounding the icy dwarf planet, which could pose a hazard for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which was launched in 2006 with the aim of mapping Pluto's surface.