This morning at 1145 UT, an active region on the sun’s western limb unleashed an M3-class solar flare. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the flash of extreme UV radiation:Although the blast site was not directly facing Earth, radiation from the explosion
While some may dismiss such claims as hype, there is a real fear among NASA officials that, should the orbiting space station need to be abandoned, the risk for a catastrophic failure greatly increases.
The situation arose when Russia’s Soyuz rocket, carrying
As September begins, green Comet Garradd is gliding across the star fields of the Milky Way in the early evening sky. The icy visitor from the outer solar system is not yet visible to the naked eye, but it looks great through amateur telescopes.Astrophotographer
Today, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory is monitoring sine wave 400,000 km long. It’s an enormous filament of magnetism slithering over the sun’s northeastern limb:One of the wave troughs appears to be passing through the core of sunspot 1282. If so, an eruption
While scientists keep a close watch on the myriad space rocks near Earth, they don’t yet have a solid plan on what to do if one appears headed on a collision course toward our planet.Two new studies propose potential spacecraft missions that would collide with
NASA’s Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) team has commenced testing communication scenarios for near-Earth asteroids. The RATS team also evaluates technology, human-robotic systems and extravehicular equipment in the high desert near Flagstaff,…
Sunspots are emerging at several locations around the solar disk, peppering the Earth-side of the sun with active regions. Of particular interest is fast-growing sunspot 1282, shown here in an August 31st snapshot from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory:AR1282 has
Whenever astronomers discover a comet headed inbound toward a close encounter the Sun, there's always buzz among observers about how bright it might get. That was certainly the case last December, when Comet Elenin (C/2010 X1) made its debut. Many hoped
Comet Elenin (C/2010 X1), widely known for inaccurate reports of its threat to Earth, appears to be breaking apart. Observations by amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo of Castlemaine, Australia show a rapid dimming and elongation of the comet's nucleus akin to
A bright meteor lit up the night sky above Atlanta on Sunday, August 28, 2011, in a dazzling display caught by NASA cameras. The meteor streaked over Atlanta, Ga., and its surrounding cities at the mind-blowing speed of about 52,800 mph (84,970 kph). NASA's…
