Topic: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

Five reasons the world won't end in 2012

Pointing to the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar on Dec. 21, 2012, many doomsday believers think that life as we know it on Earth has entered it's final year. NASA begs to differ.
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Dwarfs
Epsilon security breach: 5 signs it's only the tip of the iceberg

This week millions of e-mail addresses were reported stolen from Epsilon, a firm that supplies e-mail marketing to BestBuy, Disney, and many others. Here are five more emerging targets for precision attacks:
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Mercury
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Space Robots

All Content

4,700 asteroids capable of catastrophic damage lurk near Earth

The survey found there are likely 4,700 potentially hazardous asteroids in orbits that occasionally bring them close enough to Earth to pose a concern.
Asteroid Vesta: Is it really an asteroid?

The humongous asteroid Vesta is actually a protoplanet left over from the early days of our solar system, new observations from a NASA space probe suggest.
Light from alien 'super-earth' seen for first time

NASA's Spitzer space telescope has detected a light source coming from a large earth-like planet.
California fireball produces jackpot for meteorite hunters (+video)

Meteorite hunter finds pieces of a mini-bus sized meteor that lit up in the skies above California and Nevada this week. More pieces of the meteor are expected to be found as hunters scour the area.
Spectacular photos capture the bizarre workings of Saturn's F ring (+video)

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has captured detailed images of the intricate workings of Saturn's F ring. It appears to be more dynamic than was previously thought.
Jet-airliner-sized April Fools' Day asteroid buzzes Earth (+video)

About 150 feet wide, asteroid 2012 EG5 hurtled past our planet Sunday, passing closer than the moon.
Photos of asteroid Vesta reveal bright, ancient rock and dark, melted stone

The new photos of Vesta from NASA's Dawn spacecraft highlight odd, shiny spots that are nearly twice as bright as other parts of the asteroid — suggesting it is original material left over from the space rock's birth 4 billion years ago, NASA officials said today.
Asteroid 2012 DA14 definitely won't hit Earth. So why are people freaking out?

Asteroid 2012 DA14 is scheduled to whiz past our planet with a comfortable 17,000 miles of clearance. So why all the gloom and doom?
Oxygen atmosphere found on distant Saturn moon Dione (+video)

Dione's atmosphere was detected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which spotted an ultra-thin layer of oxygen ions so sparse that it is equivalent to conditions 300 miles above Earth.
Is it really easy to hack NASA computers?

A NASA official recently stated that a stolen laptop contained algorithms used to control the International Space Station. This incident is one of many breaches of NASA's security that have occurred over the past two years.
Leap Day asteroid to whiz past Earth

Just in time for Leap Day, the 61-foot asteroid 2012 DS32 will zoom past our planet at a comfortable distance of about 446,000 miles.
Humongous asteroid could strike Earth in 2040

The 460-foot wide asteroid 2011 AG5 could be on a collision course with our planet. But the odds are very small, say scientists.
NASA telescope detects massive cloud of 'buckyballs' hurtling through space (+video)

Space carbon spheres, known as buckyballs have recently been discovered by NASA astronomers. Scientists compare these tiny particle clouds to soccer balls, or oranges in a crate.
Obama to slash NASA budget. Will space exploration suffer?

NASA’s planetary science division would shoulder a heavy share of the cut. Under the president’s proposal, its budget would drop from $1.5 billion to $1.2 billion, a 20 percent reduction.
School-bus-sized asteroid to buzz Earth Friday, nearer than moon

While the near-Earth asteroid won't hit Earth, it may offer seasoned amateur astronomers a great show — if they are in the right viewing location and have good equipment.
Five reasons the world won't end in 2012

Pointing to the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar on Dec. 21, 2012, many doomsday believers think that life as we know it on Earth has entered it's final year. NASA begs to differ.
NASA Grail probes circling the moon on New Year's Day

After a 3½-month journey, a NASA spacecraft flew over the moon's south pole, fired its engine and dropped into orbit in the first of two back-to-back arrivals over the New Year's weekend.
NASA Mars rover finds strong evidence of water

NASAs Opportunity Mars rover, which landed on the red planet nearly eight years ago, has discovered a mineral vein that was almost certainly deposited by water billions of years ago.
Mars explorer 'Curiosity' set for Saturday launch

NASA's Mars explorer Curiosity, the most capable robotic rover ever built for taking the measure of a planet, is to launch Saturday morning. Curiosity will analyze the layered terrain in Gale Crater to read in its rocks the history of the environment there.
Mars Curiosity rover waiting on launch pad. But will funding end?

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, which includes the car-sized Curiosity rover, arrived on its Cape Canaveral launchpad on Thursday. But some experts worry about the lack of funding for Mars missions beyond 2013.
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to 'lay the foundation' for search for life [Video]

The size of a small car, NASA's one-ton Curiosity Mars rover contains twice the number of scientific instruments as its predecessors, plus a drill that will allow it to bore into the Red Planet's rocks.
Super-Earth: Newly discovered planet could potentially support life

Super-Earth: The newfound haul of alien planets includes 16 super-Earths, which are potentially rocky worlds that are more massive than our planet. One in particular has captured astronomers' attention because it orbits at the edge of its star's habitable zone, suggesting conditions could be ripe to support life.
GRAIL space mission will paint a fuller picture of the moon

NASA's GRAIL mission, which launched Saturday, will plumb the depths of the moon by measuring its gravity field. It should reveal much about the moon's formation and evolution.
Oxygen molecules discovered in space. Do astronauts really need space suits?

Of course they do. Don't be an idiot.
Asteroid Vesta and Dawn spacecraft get cozy

Asteroid Vesta: The Dawn spacecraft last month slipped into orbit around the 330-mile-wide rocky body with little fanfare and began beaming back incredible details of the pockmarked surface that resembles Earth's moon.