Philae’s primary landing site EU–(ENEWSPF)–15 September 2014. Rosetta’s lander Philae will target Site J, an intriguing region on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko that offers unique scientific potential, with hints of activity nearby, and minimum risk to the lander compared to the other candidate sites. Site J is on the ‘head’ of the[Read More…]
Space
Gaia Discovers its First Supernova
Type Ia supernova EU–(ENEWSPF)–12 September 2014. While scanning the sky to measure the positions and movements of stars in our Galaxy, Gaia has discovered its first stellar explosion in another galaxy far, far away. This powerful event, now named Gaia14aaa, took place in a distant galaxy some 500 million light-years[Read More…]
ESA’s Bug-eyed Telescope to Spot Risky Asteroids
Situational awareness EU–(ENEWSPF)–11 September 2014. Spotting Earth-threatening asteroids is tough partly because the sky is so big. But insects offer an answer, since they figured out long ago how to look in many directions at once. As part of the global effort to hunt out risky celestial objects such as[Read More…]
Bardarbunga Belches
Bardarbunga plume EU–(ENEWSPF)–5 September 2014. Satellites are showing clouds of sulphur dioxide from Iceland’s restive Bardarbunga volcano. ESA’s Volcanic Ash Strategic Initiative Team (VAST) and Support to Aviation Control Service (SACS) are monitoring the situation closely, and have detected sulphur dioxide emissions since early September. A small cloud of sulphur[Read More…]
NASA Instrument Aboard European Spacecraft Returns First Science Results
Artist’s impression of the Rosetta orbiter at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image is not to scale. Image Credit: ESA/ATG Medialab Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–September 5, 2014. A NASA instrument aboard the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Rosetta orbiter has successfully made its first delivery of science data from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The instrument, named Alice,[Read More…]
NASA’s Spitzer Telescope Witnesses Asteroid Smashup
This artist’s concept shows the immediate aftermath of a large asteroid impact around NGC 2547-ID8, a 35-million-year-old sun-like star. NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope witnessed a giant surge in dust around the star, likely the result of two asteroids colliding. Image Credit:NASA/JPL-Caltech Full image and caption Astronomers were surprised to see[Read More…]
NASA Completes Key Review of World’s Most Powerful Rocket in Support of Journey to Mars
Artist concept of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) 70-metric-ton configuration launching to space. SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built for deep space missions, including to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars. Image Credit: NASA/MSFC Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 28, 2014. NASA officials Wednesday announced they have completed a rigorous[Read More…]
NASA Telescopes Uncover Early Construction of Giant Galaxy
Artist impression of a firestorm of star birth deep inside core of young, growing elliptical galaxy. Image Credit: NASA, Z. Levay, G. Bacon (STScI) Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 28, 2014. Astronomers have for the first time caught a glimpse of the earliest stages of massive galaxy construction. The building site, dubbed “Sparky,”[Read More…]
NASA’s New Horizons Spacecraft Crosses Neptune Orbit En Route to Historic Pluto Encounter
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 25, 2014. NASA’s Pluto-bound New Horizons spacecraft has traversed the orbit of Neptune. This is its last major crossing en route to becoming the first probe to make a close encounter with distant Pluto on July 14, 2015. The sophisticated piano-sized spacecraft, which launched in January 2006, reached[Read More…]
Rosetta: Landing Site Search Narrows
Philae candidate landing sites EU–(ENEWSPF)–25 August 2014. Using detailed information collected by ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft during its first two weeks at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, five locations have been identified as candidate sites to set down the Philae lander in November – the first time a landing on a comet has ever[Read More…]
