Space

This All-Civilian Space Mission Wants to Achieve the Highest Human Orbit Ever

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Last year marked a fascinating turning point in the history of spaceflight. For the first time ever, more civilians went into space than professional ones. The private companies Virgin Galactic, Blue Origins, and SpaceX all offer seats for sale, with missions as brief as just a few minutes to as long as a few days.

China and Russia are Building Lunar Space Station Together

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Recently announced, development for an international lunar space station is underway as China and Russia are joining together to build research facilities in orbit and possibly on the moon.

The Best Planets are Rogue Planets

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We can debate the status of objects in the solar system all day long, arguing if little Pluto is a planet or not. But to tell you the truth, any planet in any solar system got the short end of the stick. The real winners of the galactic game are the travelers, the roamers, the rogue planets.

Why Pluto Isn’t a Planet, but (Maybe) Should Be

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What, exactly, is a “planet”? For ancient astronomers it was pretty easy. When they stared up at the night sky, they saw a) the sun, b) the moon, c) a lot of fixed stars, d) a few wandering points of light. Those vagabonds were the planets. Indeed, our word planet comes from the Greek word for “wanderer”.

All Hail Ganymede, King of the Moons

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NASA’s Juno probe, the supremely awesome Jupiter orbiter, recently captured some stunning images of Ganymede, the largest moon of Jupiter, during the orbiter’s 34th trip around the giant.

NASA’s $10 Billion Space Telescope Hit by Micrometeoroid

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NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was recently hit by a micrometeoroid. One of the 18 golden mirror segments on the telescope was hit, causing some minor damage.

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Perseverance Right Over

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A few years ago, after the successful deployment of the Curiosity rover on Mars, the folks at NASA envisioned a bold new plan to send another mission to the red planet. The mission was scheduled to depart in the then-futuristic year of 2020.

28 Billion Light-Years Away: The Most Distant Star Ever Discovered

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On Wednesday, NASA announced the Hubble telescope broke a new record– detecting the most distant star ever seen.

It’s Time to Return to the Land of the Ice Giants

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30 years--It’s been over 30 years since the Voyager 2’s historic flyby of Uranus and Neptune, the outermost and most mysterious planets in the solar system. It’s time to go back.

Let’s Look for Water on the Moon

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NASA is headed to the moon, but this time it's in search of water. Astrophysicist Paul M Sutter shares what this means and why it's important.

NASA’s Plan for Returning to the Moon

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NASA is planning to land the first woman and next man on the moon in 2024. Through a US government-funded human spaceflight program known as Artemis, there may be human footprints on the south pole region of the lunar surface in the very near future. From understanding the Artemis Program to the Gateway, let’s explore the lunar details.

Jupiter Makes Its Closest Approach to Earth in Nearly 60 Years

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The last time Jupiter appeared this large and bright in the sky was in October 1963.

There’s a Hole in Our Galaxy

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Folks, we just found a 500-lightyear-wide hole in our galaxy. Fess up: which one of you did it?

Celebrate the I Heart Pluto Festival, An Ode to the Beloved Planet

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Yes, we said "planet." Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona during the month of February in 1930.Last year on the 90th Anniversary of the discovery, the observatory held its first I Heart Pluto Festival. This year you can be a part of the action.