News

Giant Comets May Pose a Danger…Someday

- 23 December 2015

They have been the topic of many disaster movies, but could giant comets really pose a threat to Earth? Scientists say, yes…someday. These “fictional” space rocks could very well crash into our planet, leaving a massive amount of damage in their wake, but when this may take place is still undetermined.

Cassini Snaps Saturn’s Moon in Almost Perfect Alignment

- 16 December 2015

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has been orbiting Saturn now for over a decade and has been the one responsible for snapping some incredible images. But on September 24th 2015, Cassini was at the “right place at exactly the right time” as we are now enjoying the photo of Saturn’s two moons, Enceladus and Tethys, in almost perfect alignment.

NASA Releases HD Pictures of Pluto

- 7 December 2015

NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The first high-definition pictures of Pluto have now been slowly sent back from New Horizons since its closest approach to the dwarf planet in July of this year (2015). But these recent images show off the icy surface like no other and truly gives us “Earthlings” a spectacular glimpse of what Pluto is all about.

Rings Around Mars? Maybe Someday!

- 29 November 2015

We’ve been taught since childhood science class that the ringed planet is Saturn, but new discoveries of Mars and its innermost moon, Phobos is challenging the idea of Saturn being the only haloed planet in the distant future…they may have to change those astronomy books some day. Let’s explore how and why Mars is destined to have a ring (or rings), it truly is an amazing discovery…

Mars… The King of Dust Devils!

- 14 November 2015

When we think of Mars we may conjure up images of a dusty terrain and red atmosphere (or maybe even Matt Damon after his award-winning performance in the hit Mars movie). But the more we discover about this unique world, the more we realize just how much is really going on up there. Take the dust devils for instance. These twisting cyclones of dirt and debris are giving this planet a whole new image…the King of Dust Devils! Check it out!

So Many Earths… Which One to Choose?

- 7 November 2015

Whether it be a dissatisfaction with the Earth we are currently on, or an exit strategy in case our planet were to suddenly become uninhabitable, researchers are constantly on the lookout for “alien” planets that are similar to ours. And guess what they have found? There are almost 2,000 Earth-like planets that have been discovered since the first one in 1995, plus more than half of these were discovered by the Kepler Space Telescope.

Solar Storms and the Effects On Earth

- 4 November 2015

When we think of a storm we most likely will conjure up an image of rolling black clouds, booming thunder and intermittent flashes of lightning, but these aren’t the only types of storms that can affect us here on Earth. In fact, solar storms from the Sun have been known to cause its own unique kind of trouble. Let’s delve into the realm of “stormy weather” on the Sun to discover what this natural phenomenon is all about.