Scientists baffled as Sun falls silent
THE Sun’s activity has plummeted to a century low, baffling scientists and possibly heralding a new mini-Ice Age.
Space
This is Earth in a quintillion years
SORRY, folks. It’s all downhill from here. Scientists have predicted what will happen to Earth and mankind in the distant future. And it ain’t pretty.
Mystery rock has Mars rover rolling
SILICON-based life form? Projectile hurled by little-green men? What’s the fuss? A shiny rock has mysteriously materialised alongside a Mars rover.
10 stunning years of Mars pictures
SPIRIT and Opportunity were supposed to explore Mars for just 90 days. Ten years on, Opportunity still knocks. Here’s some of our favourite snaps from their epic voyage.
Race is on to find ‘Earth II’
ONE day this planet will become uninhabitable – but new research suggests other ‘Super-Earths’ might be more homelike than previously thought.
Christmas comes late for astronauts
CHRISTMAS has finally arrived for the six space station astronauts.
‘Hand of God’s’ heavenly ghost
DIVINE intervention or natural masterpiece? This astronomical image dubbed “The Hand of God” is sending jitters down the spines of viewers the world over.
Orbital launches first cargo rocket
ORBITAL Sciences launched its unmanned Cygnus cargo ship on the company’s first regular supply mission to the International Space Station.
Live on Mars – save your money
ADELAIDE-born astronaut Andy Thomas says a privately-funded project to make a one-way mission to Mars is a stunt, which will struggle to get off the ground.
NASA extends space station life to 2024
THE International Space Station will operate for an additional four years, or until 2024, the US space agency says.
Huge boost for India in space race
INDIA has launched its first rocket using domestically made booster technology – another step forward in its ambitious space program.
Robo-gecko may climb into space
A WALL-CRAWLING robot inspired by the gecko could mark a new chapter in which automatons crawl along the hulls of spacecraft.
NASA slams Beyonce Challenger audio
NASA has joined the families of astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger shuttle explosion in condemning Beyonce’s use of audio from the tragedy.
First ‘close’ look at alien earth
IT’S an alien planet 40-light-years away. Now Hubble has spent more time staring at it than any other. What it found is pushing the boundaries of exploration.
Meteor ‘fireball’ lights up night sky
A GIANT ‘fireball’ which shot across the night sky in Iowa in the US Midwest has been captured in incredible security footage.
The new worlds we discovered this year
SCIENCE made some incredible discoveries this year. Among them, the fact that there are some 40 billion habitable planets in the universe. Still reckon we’re alone?
Astronauts take a Christmas spacewalk
TWO NASA astronauts have stepped out on a rare Christmas Eve spacewalk to complete repairs at the International Space Station.
NASA’s dazzling new images of Saturn
A NASA spacecraft has released dazzling new images of the ringed planet Saturn and its moon as a Christmas greeting.
Space station fix delayed
NASA is delaying final repairs to the International Space Station after an astronaut’s suit was compromised on a spacewalk.
Telescope to map a billion stars
A NEW telescope has been launched that can detect a billion stars and will provide the most detailed map yet of our place in the Milky Way.
Wait! Did China just nuke Europe?
IT’S supposed to be a sign of things to come: A model of China’s Moon rover sitting against a backdrop of the Earth. Why is there a nuclear explosion over Europe?
Hubble’s Christmas lights show
WATCH: It’s Hubble’s sparkling Christmas gift: A wreath of stars and a gossamer whirl of gas. Almost a quarter of a century on, the space telescope just keeps on giving.
Urgent mission to save space station
IF IT weren’t real, you’d think it was straight out of the film Gravity. A crisis situation is unfolding on the International Space Station.
Unlocking Milky Way secrets in 3D
EUROPE will place a billion-dollar bet on a space telescope designed to provide the biggest and most detailed 3D map of the Milky Way.
China’s lunar rover ‘lands on moon’
CHINA’S first lunar rover landed on the moon on Saturday, state television showed, in the first soft landing on the moon in nearly four decades.
The universe could collapse on us right now
LOOK out. The universe could be about to collapse and squeeze us all into a tiny ball. And it could happen TODAY, according to scientists.
Stargazers ready for huge meteor shower
A SPECTACULAR light display is expected in the night sky as an annual meteor shower rains hundreds of meteors in to the Earth’s atmosphere.
Unreal: The universe could be a hologram
WHAT if our reality is all just a projection? There is astounding new evidence to back it up, thanks to a crack team of science boffins.
Scramble to fix space station cooling
NASA is rushing to fix a breakdown in the cooling system at the International Space Station, which risks delaying the Orbital Sciences’ first mission.
Space Station coolant leak
THE International Space Station has been forced to shut down many of its systems after a coolant leak.
Dinosaur asteroid ‘sent life to Mars’
US RESEARCHERS say the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs may have catapulted life to Mars and the moons of Jupiter.
NASA unveils ‘Superhero’ robot
NASA has unveiled Valkyrie, an advanced humanoid “superhero” robot that appears female and may one day be used to explore Mars.
Martian lake may have supported life
NASA’S Curiosity rover has uncovered signs of an ancient freshwater lake on Mars that may have teemed with tiny organisms.
Astronaut answers amazing questions about space
WHAT would you ask an astronaut? Retired spaceman answers the most fascinating questions to all the things you’ve always wanted to know about space.
Rocket debris crashes into homes
DEBRIS from the rocket carrying China’s moon rover plummeted to earth more than a 1000km from the launch site, crashing into two homes.
Japanese want to build giant solar belt on Moon
THE most insane building project of all time? A Japanese construction company plans to solve Earth’s energy problems by building a giant solar ring on the Moon.
Firefighters save $490m NASA satellite
FIREFIGHTERS have saved a $US450 million NASA satellite and US taxpayers more than $US1 billion which would have been spent to replace the satellite.
Space snowball faces fiery end
IS comet ISON – the most highly anticipated comet in years – in trouble?
Drop in sunspots intrigues scientists
THE sun’s surface has been oddly calm of late, with fewer sunspots than at anytime in the last century. But what does it mean for the Earth’s climate?
Mars Curiosity rover loses its spark
NASA’s robotic Mars explorer Curiosity has been parked and its sensors turned off as engineers investigate an electrical problem.
Cosmic blast reveals space ‘monster’
ASTRONOMERS call it the monster. It was the biggest and brightest cosmic explosion ever witnessed. Had it been closer, Earth would have been toast.
Astronaut’s letter reveals jealousy
A LETTER up for auction reveals the jealousy astronauts felt after John Glenn was picked to be the first American to orbit the Earth.
Mystery of Great Red Spot solved
SCIENTISTS believe they have solved the puzzle of how Jupiter’s massive Great Red Spot storm has managed to run for centuries.
Inside the cosmonaut’s survival pack
FORGET everything you’ve seen in 80s action movies. Take a look inside this Soviet cosmonaut survival kit and see why the Russians owned American astronauts.
NASA’s Maven blasts off to Mars
NASA’s newest robotic explorer, Maven, rocketed toward Mars on a quest to unravel the ancient mystery of the red planet’s radical climate change.
Comet may help light up our days
HALLEY’S comet may have been a dud, way back in 1986, but astronomers say a new galactic visitor may be bright enough to spot during daylight hours.
Why the sun is about to turn upside down
YOU won’t be able to see it but something big is about to happen. Everything is about to change in the sky above us. Everything. Here is why.
Two killed in space centre accident
TWO officers were killed and three hospitalised with toxic burns suffered during a chemical spill at Russia’s Plesetsk military launch pad.
Could a rogue satellite kill me?
YOU have bigger things to worry about than the European meteorological satellite that will soon crash into the planet. Let’s start with hippos.
Spectacular end for satellite
A ONE tonne satellite that was plummeting toward earth went into meltdown as it entered our planet’s atmosphere.
Explained: The truth behind the man on the moon
IT MIGHT be a folk tale to some, but scientists at NASA have revealed how the man on the moon got his rugged good looks – and it all started with one hell of a collision.
Olympic torch blasts into space
RUSSIA has sent the Olympic torch into space with a three-man crew ahead of the games in Sochi next year.
Lady Gaga to sing in space
LADY Gaga is set to pull off another out-of-this-world performance by becoming the first musician to sing in space.
Watch out: Asteroid threat worsens
THE explosive power packed into the meteor that erupted over Russia earlier this year proves the asteroid threat is worse than first thought, astronomers say.
We are one of ‘two billion’ Earths
ASTRONOMERS have declared there is likely to be two billion Earth-like planets in the Milky Way. And the nearest is likely to be ‘merely’ 12 light years away.
Earth’s ‘hellish’ twin sister discovered
SCIENTISTS have found the most Earth-like planet ever discovered – but there’s one small catch – It’s hot. Really hot.
Sheikh declares ‘Wa of the Worlds’
A SAUDI sheikh has issued a fatwa against anyone wanting to travel to Mars.
Mini space shuttle skids off runway
A NEW, smaller version of NASA’s space shuttle is recuperating from a rough first landing.
Meteor finally recovered from lake
RUSSIAN divers have pulled from a lake a half-tonne suspected meteorite said to have been part of a meteor that hurt 1200 people in February.
Space tourism ‘won’t hurt environment’
BRITISH billionaire Richard Branson says space tourism flights by his firm Virgin Galactic would have only a minor impact on climate change.
What price for a hot cup of coffee?
IT WILL surely be the most expensive cup of coffee in Australia – a government-funded design awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money.
‘Bouncer’ Jupiter still cleaning up
A PUNCH-drunk Jupiter has been observed taking more hits for the solar system team, with three massive fireballs captured on camera by amateur astronomers.
Still in awe of the Northern Lights
ASTRONOMER John Mason is happy to share his love of this northern phenomenon, writes Chanel Parratt.
What’s on the menu on Mars?
IT’S a tough mission, but somebody has to do it. Six scientists have spent four months in a small dome researching – menus.
‘Black hole busts Big Bang theory’
WHAT if we told you the Big Bang never happened… Some astrophysicists believe the universe is the product of a super massive black hole.
Geldof to be one of first Irishmen in space
BONO is going to be pissed. The “I Don’t Like Mondays” singer has confirmed that he will be travelling into space next year. And all he had to do was play a free gig.
NBC show will send someone into space
US broadcaster NBC is planning to send a show winner on a ride into space, teaming with Richard Branson for the TV competition prize.
Iran wants cats in space
IRAN’S hunt for its next animal astronaut may turn to the distinctive and locally named Persian cat, an official says.
Shooting stars burst through space
AN INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed Australian astrophotographer has released a stunning series of new pics showing stars bursting through space.
Robot astronaut rockets into space
THE first ever talking robot astronaut has launched into space, setting off on a Japanese rocket and headed for the International Space Station.
Now you can have your own space funeral
WHAT better way to memorialise a loved one than to shoot their ashes into space, to orbit earth for months? Now you can.
Voyager: Our starchild leaves the nest
NEVER before has a human-built spacecraft travelled so far. NASA’s Voyager 1 has now left the solar system and is wandering the galaxy.
Iran ‘readies second space monkey’
IRAN is reportedly planning to send another monkey into space within a month.
Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/page/65