Astrophysics - Stars Topics
The 2009 Geminid Meteor Shower
2009 — April 6, 2011
The Geminid meteor shower has been intensifying in recent years, and researchers say 2009 could be the best year yet. This year's display peaks on Dec. 13th and 14th.
Lunar Lander Floats on Electric-blue Jets
2009 — April 6, 2011
How do you fly on a world with no atmosphere? Wings won't work and neither do propellers. The space agency is perfecting the art of "airless flying" using a prototype lunar lander at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Longest Solar Eclipse of the 21st Century
2009 — April 6, 2011
The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century takes place this Wednesday, July 22nd. The path of totality crosses many major cities, setting the stage for possibly the best-observed eclipse in human history.
The 2009 Orionid Meteor Shower
2009 — April 6, 2011
Caused by debris from Halley's Comet, the 2009 Orionid meteor shower peaks on Wednesday, Oct. 21st, and forecasters say it could be an unusually good show.
SOFIA Seeks Secrets of Planetary Birth
2009 — April 6, 2011
Imagine cutting retractable doors in the side of a 747 airliner, installing a 17-ton telescope, and flying to the stratosphere to solve one of astronomy's greatest puzzles. That's what NASA and the German Aerospace Center plan to do with a cutting-edge airborne observatory named SOFIA.
In Search of Dark Asteroids(and Other Sneaky Things)
2009 — Sept. 20, 2011
NASA is set to launch a sensitive new infrared telescope to seek out sneaky things in the night sky -- among them, dark Asteroidsthat could pose a threat to Earth.
Giant Rockets Could Revolutionize Astronomy
2009 — April 6, 2011
NASA's next great Moon rocket promises to do more than land Astronautson the Moon. In its spare time, it could revolutionize the science of astronomy.
A Christmas Star for SOHO
2000 — April 6, 2011
The planets Venus and Jupiterwill pass less than 42 arcseconds apart on May 17. Because the pair is so near to the Sun, only the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory will have a good view of the close encounter, which is similar to the
Not Just Another Old Flame
2000 — April 6, 2011
NASA scientists have discovered unexpected spiral-shaped flames on Earth. By studying these peculiar flames, researchers hope to mitigate fire hazards on spacecraft and gain new insights about complex systems in nature.
Hubble Opens for Business
2000 — April 6, 2011
Following the successful Space Shuttleservicing mission last December, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is working better than ever.