Scientists have identified what appear to be terrestrial versions of tranquillityite in billion-year-old rocksin Western Australia. Tranquillityite is a mineral consisting of iron, zirconium, yttrium, titanium, silicon and oxygen. It is named after the moon’s Sea of
Russian space officials now estimate that Phobos-Grunt will fall to Earth on Jan. 15, though the date could change “due to external factors. The probe will re-enter somewhere between 51 degrees north and 51 degress south latitude; the exact location won’t be known
The spokesman of Russia’s military space forces told Russian news agencies today that stranded Phobos-Grunt could fall to Earth on Jan. 15. About 30 fragments weighing up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) are expected to fall to Earth. The $165-million Phobos-Grunt
Earth is about to pass through a stream of debris from 2003 EH1, a comet fragment that produces the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak around 07:20 UT (02:20 am EST) on Wednesday morning, January 4th. At maximum, as many as 100
The first meteor shower this year — Quadrantid meteor shower — will occur at around 2 a.m. EST (0700 GMT) on Jan. 4. While many meteor displays in 2011 were washed out by a bright moon, the Quadrantid meteor shower is expected to put on a spectacular light
Phobos-Grunt re-entry is projected to enters Earth atmosphere in early January 2012. Most of the spacecraft and leftover onboard fuel will burn up in the atmosphere, although some pieces may survive reentry, including the Planetary Society’s LIFE experiment. The
NASA’s twin spacecraft GRAIL successfully completed its entry to lunar orbit and is preparing to study the moon in unprecedented detail. It will allow scientists to understand what goes on below the lunar surface. In this particular case the name GRAIL stands
January brings us striking views of the night skies! You’ll be able to see well known constellations during the long hours of darkness in the Northern hemisphere, with crisp cold skies. This is an ideal time to get out and look at the wonders of the night sky as t
The bright fireball streaked over the southwestern USA on Jan. 1st at 03:15 UTC. It was visible from Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Thomas Ashcraft managed to take some images and video from his rural observatory outside of Santa Fe by operating a combination
Polar Light Center in Lofoten, Norway recorded today around 13:20 UTC, a wave of ionization that swept through the high atmosphere over Europe after sunspot AR 1389 unleashed another M2-class solar flare. NOAA/SWPC forecasters estimate a 40% chance of more M-flares
