New Dwarf Planet, Giant Starshade and More
Last week scientists found a new dwarf planet at the solar system's edge, rings were spotted around the asteroid Chariklo, and exoplanet scientists have been developing a "Starshade.” See the best stories from last week here.
FIRST STOP: New Dwarf Planet Found at Solar System's Edge, Hints at Possible Faraway 'Planet X'
New Dwarf Planet Found at Solar System's Edge, Hints at Possible Faraway 'Planet X'
Astronomers have found a dwarf planet-like body far beyond Pluto’s orbit, suggesting that this distant realm may contain many frigid objects that remain to be discovered.
[Full Story]
NEXT: US Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane Shatters Orbital Endurance Record
US Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane Shatters Orbital Endurance Record
The U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B space plane has broken its own all-time endurance record in orbit after more than 470 days of circling the Earth on a mystery mission for the American military.
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NEXT: Asteroid Found with Rings! First-of-Its-Kind Discovery Stuns Astronomers (Video, Images)
Asteroid Found with Rings! First-of-Its-Kind Discovery Stuns Astronomers (Video, Images)
Rings have been spotted around the asteroid Chariklo, the largest known Centaur-type object in the solar system.
[Full Story]
NEXT: Incredible Technology: Giant Starshade Could Help Find an Alien Earth
Incredible Technology: Giant Starshade Could Help Find an Alien Earth
Exoplanet scientists are working on developing the idea for a "Starshade" that would help block out the light from sunlike stars in order to search for another Earth.
[Full Story]
NEXT: NASA Wants Your Vote on Futuristic Z-2 Spacesuit Design
NASA Wants Your Vote on Futuristic Z-2 Spacesuit Design
NASA wants your help putting the finishing touches on its new spacesuit design.
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NEXT: Does Dark Energy Spring From the 'Quantum Vacuum?'
Does Dark Energy Spring From the 'Quantum Vacuum?'
The mysterious dark energy that's driving the universe's accelerated expansion may have its roots in the background "vacuum energy" that pervades all of the cosmos, a new study suggests.
[Full Story]
NEXT: Mars-Bound Comet Sprouts Twin Jets in Hubble Telescope Photos
Mars-Bound Comet Sprouts Twin Jets in Hubble Telescope Photos
The comet that will give Mars a close shave later this year is now blasting dust into space from at least two locations, a new photo by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope suggests.
[Full Story]
NEXT: 'Cosmos' Recap: Halley's Comet History and 4 More Amazing Facts from Episode 3
'Cosmos' Recap: Halley's Comet History and 4 More Amazing Facts from Episode 3
The newest episode of "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey" dove into all things big and small including the history of modern science. Here are five space facts we learned from “Cosmos” last night.
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NEXT: 'Star Trek' Fan Film Hits Warp Drive on Kickstarter
'Star Trek' Fan Film Hits Warp Drive on Kickstarter
Set phasers to stunned: A Kickstarter campaign for a new "Star Trek" project has already quintupled its original $10,000 goal to fund a fan film by veteran science fiction actors.
[Full Story]
NEXT: Seeds of Monster Black Holes Were Surprisingly Big
Seeds of Monster Black Holes Were Surprisingly Big
The central black holes in dwarf galaxies — the "seeds" that grow into the monsters at the core of the Milky Way and other large galaxies — are probably surprisingly weighty, containing 1,000 to 10,000 times the mass of our sun, a new study reports.
[Full Story]
NEXT: Asteroid-Capture Mission Will Bring Mars Within Reach, NASA Chief Says
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