A team of scientists from NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) and the Lunar and Planetary Institute and the University of California, Davis (UCD) has found that terrestrial planets such as the Earth and Mars may have remained molten in their early histories for tens of millions of years. The findings indicate that the two planets cooled slower than scientists thought and a mechanism to keep the planet interiors warm is required. These new data reveal that the early histories of the inner... Read Full Story

The Sun may be smaller than we thought, a new study argues. If correct, then other properties of the Sun such as its internal temperature and density may be slightly different than previously calculated. Understanding the Sun's interior is important as it might help scientists make predictions about space weather and answer questions about the solar system... Read Full Story

Here's a short little post about the star forming nebula NGC 281, captured by NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory. This photograph is actually a composite of several wavelengths, imaged by ground and space-based observatories. The optical data (red, orange and yellow) shows the clouds of gas and dust, and the dark lanes of obscuring dust where stars may be forming. The Chandra X-Ray data is in purple, and reveals more than 300 individual X-ray sources - most of them are associated with the... Read Full Story

It's a prototype heat shield, developed by Boeing for NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. When Orion returns from space, it needs to decelerate from orbital velocity to be able to land safely. Just like the space shuttle, the capsule will point this heat ablating surface into the atmosphere, and let it get super hot. The heat shield can rise to extremely high temperatures, while the astronauts stay nice and safe. The lunar protective system will need to be much more capable that the... Read Full Story

This has been an exciting week for NASA’s Constellation program – the missions that will bring humans back to the moon. Earlier in the week, NASA announced plans for testing abort systems and inflatable moon habitats. But on Thursday, November 15 actual tests were conducted for some of the genuine hardware that will be used for the Ares launch vehicles. Near Yuma, Arizona, engineers tested the parachutes that will bring boosters from the first stage of the massive Ares rockets back to Earth... Read Full Story

As you gaze up at the familiar Pleiades star cluster, here's something new you can think about. Planets recently collided around two of the stars in the cluster, kicking up vast clouds of dust. New worlds are being formed, and destroyed, right before our very eyes. At least, if you've got the help from some of the most powerful telescopes on Earth, and in space. This announcement was made by a team of astronomers using the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Their... Read Full Story

Comet Holmes, which is now larger than the Sun. But don't get fooled. That beautiful image on the left was taken by amateur astronomer Alan Dyer from Alberta, Canada. Hubble's version on the right. It's not as pretty, but it's got inner bigness. You already know the story. Comet Holmes was a boring comet out near the orbit of Jupiter when it flared up on October 23rd. The coma of gas and dust expanded away from the comet, and now it extends to a volume larger than the Sun. Of course... Read Full Story

With the shuttle and station in the news these days, it's easy to forget there's a whole other space program in the works: Constellation. Over the next decade, we'll go back to the Moon - this time to stay. Although it's inspired by the Apollo program, each piece of hardware is being updated with the latest technology. This week a radical new type of engine was tested at Northrop Grumman; an engine that could help steer spacecraft in space. Northrop Grumman, one of the contractors on the... Read Full Story

Right on schedule on November 13th, ESA's Rosetta spacecraft made its 2nd earthly flyby; testing its scientific instruments, and receiving a much needed gravitational assist. About two hours before its flyby, the spacecraft captured this image of the Earth's night side, including Asia, Africa and Europe. When it captured this image, Rosetta was about 80,000 km (50,000 miles) away from the Earth, above the Indian Ocean. It imaged the planet using its OSIRIS instrument. You can make out the... Read Full Story

On Saturday night, the largest US rocket blasted off, carrying a 2.3 tonne Defense Support Program satellite into orbit. This was the second time a Delta IV-Heavy rocket has ever lifted off. With three core boosters strapped together, it's like three rockets launched at once. The launch was made even more spectacular because it was held at night. Launched at 0150 GMT Sunday (20:50 EST on Saturday), the 70-metre tall (230 feet) rocket has three separate engines, each of which can generate... Read Full Story