Vote Now! Best Space Stories of the Week – April 13, 2014

Yuri's Flight, Four Blood Moons and More

Last week astronomers may have spotted a moon circling an alien planet, NASA mulled a unplanned spacewalk and scientists debunked a purported 'alien' sighting on Mars. See the best stories from last week here.

FIRST STOP: NASA Mulls Unplanned Spacewalk to Fix Space Station Computer Outage

NASA Mulls Unplanned Spacewalk to Fix Space Station Computer Outage

A backup computer outage on the International Space Station is forcing NASA to discuss plans for a possible spacewalk repair by astronauts in orbit, a move that could delay the planned Monday launch of a commercial SpaceX cargo ship to the orbiting lab.

[Full Story]

NEXT: Four Blood Moons: Total Lunar Eclipse Series Not a Sign of Apocalypse

Four Blood Moons: Total Lunar Eclipse Series Not a Sign of Apocalypse

The total lunar eclipse of April 15 will kick off a somewhat rare “tetrad”; (a group of four) lunar eclipses in 2014 and 2015. But it won't bring the apocalypse as some fear.

[Full Story]

NEXT: First 'Exomoon' Around Alien Planet Possibly Found

First 'Exomoon' Around Alien Planet Possibly Found

For the first time ever, astronomers may have spotted a moon circling an alien planet — though they'll probably never know for sure exactly what they've found.

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NEXT: Dino-Killing Asteroid Impact Dwarfed by Earlier Space Rock Crash

Dino-Killing Asteroid Impact Dwarfed by Earlier Space Rock Crash

Scientists have reconstructed a long-ago asteroid impact that makes the strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago look like a playful chuck on the chin.

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NEXT: Weird 'UFO' Light on Mars May Just Be a Shiny Rock, NASA Says

Weird 'UFO' Light on Mars May Just Be a Shiny Rock, NASA Says

Scientists are throwing cold water on yet another purported "alien" sighting by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity.

[Full Story]

NEXT: Happy Birthday, Space Travel! Yuri's Night Celebrates Yuri Gagarin's Epic Spaceflight

Happy Birthday, Space Travel! Yuri's Night Celebrates Yuri Gagarin's Epic Spaceflight

It was 53 years ago today on April 12, 1961 when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin launched into space aboard his Soviet Vostok 1 and ushered in an era of space travel that continues to this today. Twenty years after Gagarin's flight, NASA's first space shuttle flight soared on its maiden flight with John Young and Robert Crippen aboard the Columbia, and the age of winged spaceflight was born.

[Full Story]

NEXT: Ignition! College Students Light Tiny Fires in Zero-G

How to Observe the Moon: Tips to See 2014's First Lunar Eclipse

In just a few days, on April 15, the first total eclipse of the moon to be visible across the whole of North America since December of 2010 will occur. But to make the most of your moon-watching experience, there are some tips to keep in mind.

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NEXT: Possible Mars Mission 'Showstopper': Vision Risks for Astronauts

Ignition! College Students Light Tiny Fires in Zero-G

A slightly dazed group of college students they stepped off a ZERO-G plane to resounding cheers Thursday (April 10), pumping their fists to celebrate a weightless voyage packed with science experiments, including one test that sparked tiny balls of fire.

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NEXT: How to Observe the Moon: Tips to See 2014's First Lunar Eclipse

Possible Mars Mission 'Showstopper': Vision Risks for Astronauts

Mars may possess a stark and austere beauty, but a manned Red Planet mission will likely not be easy on the eyes.

[Full Story]

NEXT: Tax Day Total Lunar Eclipse Kicks Off Blood Moon 'Tetrad'

Tax Day Total Lunar Eclipse Kicks Off Blood Moon 'Tetrad'

Fancy a lunar eclipse? Skywatchers in the United States have the chance to see four total eclipses in the next 18 months, beginning with a "blood moon" on Tuesday (April 15), just in time for Tax Day.

[Full Story]