Astronomers have discovered an unexpected and unexplained phenomenon outside our Milky Way Galaxy that emits high-energy light called gamma rays. The team behind the discovery, including NASA and cosmologist Alexander Kashlinsky of the University of Maryland, found the gamma-ray signal while sifting through 13 years of data from NASA’s Fermi telescope. “It is a completely … Read more
The X-59 is finally here. As NASA’s newest X-plane, the X-59 is designed to break the sound barrier without the thunderous sonic booms that typically occur when planes go supersonic. Instead, the Quesst will make a much quieter “thump”, similar to the sound of a car door slamming, as heard from inside. If successful, the … Read more
The latest calculations from several scientific agencies showing that Earth shattered global heat records last year may seem frightening. But scientists fear what’s behind these numbers could be even worse. The Associated Press asked more than three dozen scientists in interviews and emails what the destroyed records mean. Most said they fear an acceleration of … Read more
The latest calculations from several scientific agencies showing that Earth shattered global heat records last year may seem frightening. But scientists fear what’s behind these numbers could be even worse. The Associated Press asked more than three dozen scientists in interviews and emails what the destroyed records mean. Most said they fear an acceleration of … Read more
NEW ORLEANS – It was just two days ago that Peregrine, the inaugural private lander contracted under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, brilliantly rocketed into space aboard the Vulcan’s first private flight United Launch Alliance rocket. Just hours into the journey, Peregrine began to fail. Astrobotic, the company behind the spacecraft, continues to provide … Read more
NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission, a flight to ship four astronauts on a trip around the moon and back, will be postponed for almost a year, from the end of 2024 until at least September 2025, NASA announced on Tuesday. Likewise, the first astronaut landing on the moon will be pushed back from late 2025 … Read more
On Monday (Jan. 8), the first private U.S. lunar spacecraft, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander, successfully launched from Florida on the first-ever mission of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket. Peregrine is expected to reach the lunar surface on February 23, but it is unclear whether that will happen: the lander suffered an anomaly shortly after deploying … Read more
Astronauts have described some unusual smells in space, which isn’t surprising considering that the chemistry there is very different from that on Earth. What does space smell like, and what are the cosmic sources of these smells? Space is an airless vacuum, so technically you can’t smell anything in space. If you tried, you’d be … Read more
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. A towering new rocket has lifted off, carrying what could be the first commercial lander to land on the moon — and the first lunar landing mission launched from the United States since 1972. The … Read more
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. A towering new rocket has lifted off, carrying what could be the first commercial lander to land on the moon — and the first lunar landing mission launched from the United States since 1972. The … Read more