Icon in Space
NASA's 23-year-old Hubble Space Telescope is still going strong, and agency officials said Tuesday (Jan. 8) they plan to operate it until its instruments finally give out, potentially through 2018, space agency officials say. [Read the Full Story]
Brown Dwarf's Wild Weather
This artist's illustration shows the atmosphere of a brown dwarf called 2MASSJ22282889-431026, which was observed simultaneously by NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes. The telescopes' observations indicate this brown dwarf is marked by wind-driven, planet-size clouds. [Read the Full Story]
Brown Dwarf's Cloud Layers
This artist's concept shows the brown dwarf 2MASSJ22282889-431026, which has a turbulent atmosphere somewhat similar to the giant planet Jupiter's. [Read the Full Story]
Rogue Planetary Orbit for Fomalhaut b
This false-color composite image, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, reveals the orbital motion of the planet Fomalhaut b. Based on these observations, astronomers calculated that the planet is in a 2,000-year-long, highly elliptical orbit. Image released Jan. 8, 2013. [< href=http://www.space.com/19187-zombie-planet-shocking-orbit.html>Read the Full Story]
Schematic of Fomalhaut System
This diagram shows the orbit of the exoplanet Fomalhaut b as calculated from recent Hubble Space Telescope observations. The planet follows a highly elliptical orbit that carries it across a wide belt of debris encircling the bright star Fomalhaut. Image released Jan. 8, 2013. [< href=http://www.space.com/19187-zombie-planet-shocking-orbit.html>Read the Full Story]
Fomalhaut b 2012
This image is an expanded view of the alien planet Fomalhaut b around the star Fomalhaut abotu 25 light-years from Earth. The planet is a giant world nearly three times the mass of Jupiter. [< href=http://www.space.com/19187-zombie-planet-shocking-orbit.html>Read the Full Story]
Asteroid Belt Around Vega
This artist's concept illustrates an asteroid belt around the bright star Vega. [Read the Full Story]
Asteroid Belt Around Vega Explained
Astronomers have discovered what appears to be a large asteroid belt around the bright star Vega, as illustrated here at left in brown. [Read the Full Story]
461 New Alien Planet Candidates for Kepler
NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space observatory has discovered 461 new potential alien planets, boosting its total to 2,740 potential extrasolar worlds. [Full Story]
AAS Meeting Sunset
Attendees of the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Long Beach, CA, were treated to a colorful sunset on Jan. 7, 2013.
NASA Kepler Planet Discoveries: Jan. 2013
This NASA graphic depicts the changes in alien planet discoveries, arranged by planet size, as seen by NASA's Kepler spacecraft. As of Jan. 7, 2012, there are 2,740 potential alien planets. [Full Story]
Orbital Sciences Booth at the AAS Meeting 2013
SPACE.com infographic makes American Astronomical Society Meeting appearance at the Orbital Sciences booth, January 2013.
Galaxy NGC 660 Outburst
A massive outburst erupts from the giant black hole at the center of the distant galaxy NGC 660, which is 44 million light-years from Earth, in this via captured by ground-based telescopes. Image released Jan. 7, 2013. [Full Story]
Exocomets May be Common In Milky Way
An artist's illustration of a comet storm around a nearby star. [Full Story]
Earth-Size Planet Population: Kepler Planets
This artist's illustration represents the variety of planets being detected by NASA's Kepler spacecraft. Scientists now say that one in six stars hosts an Earth-size planet. [Full Story]
17 Billion Earths Fill our Milky Way Galaxy (Infographic)
Infographic: Practically all sun-like stars have planets, and one in six has a planet the size of Earth, a new study finds. [Full Story and larger image]
Planet Discovery Frequencies: Kepler Mission
This chart depicts the frequencies of planets based on findings from NASA's Kepler space observatory. The results show that one in six stars has an Earth-sized planet in a tight orbit. [Full Story]
Wide Binary Star System
The widest binaries and triple systems have very elongated orbits, so the stars spend most of their time far apart. But once in every orbital revolution they are at their closest approach. They may pose a danger to any planets orbiting them.
