The PLATO mission: an investigation of planetary systems
Aug 28, 2017 12:51 pm UTC| Science
Despite its proximity to the Earth, the Sun still poses many questions. But what do we know of other stars, located at immense distances on a human scale? How are they different from the Sun? Are they also hosting planets...
When the sun goes dark: 5 questions answered about the solar eclipse
Aug 07, 2017 07:23 am UTC| Insights & Views Science
Editors note: A total solar eclipse will be visible across the U.S. on Monday, August 21. Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, explains why and how it happens, and what we can...
We worked out what it would take to wipe out all life on a planet – it's good news for alien hunters
Jul 14, 2017 13:15 pm UTC| Science
The first exoplanet was spotted in 1988. Since then more than 3,000 planets have been found outside our solar system, and its thought that around 20% of Sun-like stars have an Earth-like planet in their habitable zones. We...
Neutron stars can reveal the universe's secrets and could be our GPS for deep space travel
Jun 30, 2017 17:25 pm UTC| Science
NASAs Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer, or NICER, is an X-ray telescope launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early June 2017. Installed on the International Space Station, by mid-July it will commence its...
It Costs $200,000 Per Person To Get To Mars, According To Elon Musk
Jun 16, 2017 04:41 am UTC| Science
At this point, its no secret that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants humanity to become a multi-planet species, with the first target for colonization being Mars. Naturally, one of the biggest questions in such an endeavor is the...
Satellite sends quantum-spooky signals to Earth – raising hopes of secure global communications
Jun 16, 2017 00:02 am UTC| Science
The satellite Micius, launched from Jiuquan, China, in August last year, is unlike any other in the sky. While other satellites communicate with Earth using physics worked out by James Clerk Maxwell 150 years ago, Micius...
The new space race: why we need a human mission to Mars
Jun 15, 2017 22:26 pm UTC| Science
If we want to know whether there is life beyond Earth then the quickest way to answer that question is to explore Mars. That exploration is currently being done by remote space probes sent from Earth. The race is on...
South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects