Solar Neutrinos, Lunar Aroma & More
Last week moonwalkers described the odiferous nature of lunar dirt, a super-sensitive reactor made a neutrino detection and more. See the best stories from the week here.
FIRST STOP: It's Confirmed! Black Holes Do Come in Medium Sizes
The Moon Smells: Apollo Astronauts Describe Lunar Aroma
August 25 - The moon has a distinctive smell. Ask any Apollo moonwalker about the odiferous nature of the lunar dirt and you'll get the same answer.
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NEXT: A New World: NASA Recalls Voyager 2 Probe's 1989 Neptune Encounter
A New World: NASA Recalls Voyager 2 Probe's 1989 Neptune Encounter
August 26 - A quarter-century ago, the world got its first good look at the solar system's other blue planet.
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NEXT: On to Pluto! NASA Spacecraft Now Beyond Neptune's Orbit (Photos)
On to Pluto! NASA Spacecraft Now Beyond Neptune's Orbit (Photos)
August 25 - NASA’s New Horizons probe is en route to Pluto, but hit a major milestone on Monday, Aug. 25, when it passed the orbit of Neptune 25 years to the very day the Voyager 2 probe buzzed the same planet.
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NEXT: US Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane Passes 600 Days in Orbit
US Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane Passes 600 Days in Orbit
August 29 - The U.S. Air Force's mysterious unmanned space plane has winged beyond 600 days in orbit on a classified military mission that seems to have no end.
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NEXT: US Military Blows Up Hypersonic Weapon After Failed Test Launch
US Military Blows Up Hypersonic Weapon After Failed Test Launch
August 26 - The U.S. Army launched a prototype Advanced Hypersonic Weapon from Alaska on Monday (Aug. 25), only to blow it up seconds later. See when it went wrong.
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NEXT: Suit Up! Final Frontier Design Launches Space Suit Experience in NYC
Suit Up! Final Frontier Design Launches Space Suit Experience in NYC
August 29 - The minds behind Final Frontier Design unveiled a new experience for space fans in New York City. For $400, you can try on a real-life pressurized spacesuit, play golf and even fly a flight simulator.
[Full Story]
NEXT: Russian Rocket Launches European Navigation Satellites Into Wrong Orbit
Russian Rocket Launches European Navigation Satellites Into Wrong Orbit
August 24 - The launch service provider Arianespace confirmed late Friday (Aug. 22) that two satellites for Europe's Galileo navigation network were released into the wrong orbit after launching aboard a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana.
[Full Story]
NEXT: White Dwarfs May Hold Nuclear Trigger for Explosive Supernovas
White Dwarfs May Hold Nuclear Trigger for Explosive Supernovas
August 27 Gamma rays from a distant supernova finally help confirm the kind of stellar explosions it belongs to are due to runaway thermonuclear explosions on the surfaces of dead stars, researchers say.
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NEXT: Power of the Sun: Elusive Solar Neutrinos Detected, a Cosmic First
Power of the Sun: Elusive Solar Neutrinos Detected, a Cosmic First
August 27 The detection of neutrinos forged in the heart of the sun support theories on what gives the sun its nuclear spark. See how a super-sensitive reactor made the neutrino detection.
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NEXT: Is the Universe a 2D Hologram? Experiment Aims to Find Out
Is the Universe a 2D Hologram? Experiment Aims to Find Out
August 28 An ongoing experiment could reveal whether or not our full and fleshed-out 3D universe is an illusion, a 2D projection onto a cosmic screen beyond our perception or understanding.
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NEXT: NASA's New Mega-Rocket for Deep Space Will Be Launch Ready by 2018