Martian Water Stuck in Minerals
Significant amounts of water exist on Mars, sequestered within hydrated minerals and stored in the planet's crust. John Matson reports
Episodes
60-Second Space
Leading science journalists provide a daily minute commentary on some of the most interesting developments in the world of astronomy and space exploration
Episodes
Mars Makes Movie Execs See Red
John Carter is the latest in a string of movies set on the Red Planet that have all wound up in the red, financially. John Matson reports
"Man in the Moon" Facing Factors Figured
A new study explains why the odds favored the man-in-the-moon side to always face Earth. John Matson reports
Dark Matter Clump Furrows Brows
Dark matter doesn't usually collide much with itself or with ordinary matter, but it appears to be uncharacteristically clumping in the galaxy cluster A520. John Matson reports
Mars May Still Be Quaking
Rockfalls visible in orbiter images of Mars indicate that geologic activity occurred just a few million years ago and may be ongoing. John Matson reports
John Glenn Orbited 50 Years Ago Today
On February 20, 1962, John Glenn went to space, becoming the first American in orbit, and a national icon. John Matson reports
Black Hole May Eat Asteroids
The black hole at the center of Milky Way could be steadily feeding on a cloud of asteroids, producing frequent, small x-ray flares. John Matson reports
Flame Dances on Board Space Station
The Flame Extinguishment Experiment, or FLEX, on board the ISS allows researchers to study zero-gravity fire--and ways to fight it. John Matson reports
Kepler Finds Multiple Exoplanets around Single Stars
The Kepler spacecraft has found 26 previously unknown exoplanets orbiting 11 stars. John Matson reports
Point Up and Click
The 2012 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is now accepting entries. John Matson reports
Binary Stars Have Plenty of Planets
NASA's Kepler spacecraft has found two binary star systems that each host a planet, implying that millions exist. John Matson reports
GRAIL Mission May Find a Former Second Moon
The twin GRAIL craft will map lunar gravity and could find evidence for the remains within the moon of a former second satellite. John Matson reports
Leap Seconds May Disappear
This month the International Telecommunication Union will consider a proposal to abolish leap seconds. John Matson reports
Earth Usually Has Second Tiny, Temporary Moon
Irregular natural satellites, captured from the population of near-Earth asteroids, orbit Earth for a few months and move on. John Matson reports
Another Billionaire Joins the Space Race
Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, via his new venture, Stratolaunch Systems, hopes to launch spacecraft from massive airplanes. John Matson reports
Black Holes Dwarf the One in Milky Way
Galaxies NGC 3842 and NGC 4889 host black holes, each of which about 2,500 times the mass of the one at the center of the Milky Way. John Matson reports
Kepler Finds Its First Planet in the Habitable Zone
NASA's Kepler telescope has discovered its first exoplanet that could be at temperatures allowing liquid water, a big hurdle for life. John Matson reports
Curiosity Leaves Earth for Mars
The newest Mars rover, Curiosity, dwarfs NASA's previous rovers in size and scientific prowess. John Matson reports
Runaway Stars May Be Fleeing Bigger Bullies
A class of wandering stars called OB runaways may have been thrown from home by competing binary star systems that got too close. John Matson reports
Bright Exoplanet Lighting Could Indicate Intelligent Life
New telescopes could spot aliens on planets around distant stars, if they like their cities really brightly lit. John Matson reports
Planetary Scientists Hope to Bring Back Mars Moondust
The Phobos-Grunt mission, which could launch November 8th, will try to grab some Phobos soil and bring it back to Earth. John Matson reports
Asteroid Plans Close Earth Flyby
On November 8th an asteroid will pass Earth within the moon's orbit, offering a rare opportunity for study. John Matson reports
Soyuz Makes Launch from South American ESA Site
A Soyuz rocket carried into space components for a European GPS system--but the bigger news was the launch site, the European Space Agency home in French Guiana. John Matson reports
Did Saturn's Moon Iapetus Once Have Its Own Moon?
A sub-satellite of the Saturnian moon would explain two of the most puzzling features of Iapetus. John Matson reports
Fewer Big Asteroids Close In on Earth
The WISE spacecraft's census of near-Earth asteroids lowers the population of the big, bad ones. John Matson reports
Chinese Space Program Takes Giant Leap
China launches the unmanned Tiangong 1 later this week, setting up opportunities for docking and long-duration stays. John Matson reports
Solar System Likely Once Had Another Gas-Giant Planet
To evolve into our current solar system, the original version probably had a fifth gas giant, computer simulations indicate. John Matson reports
Satellite Set to Make Big Splash or Thud
NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite will fall out of orbit soon, with large pieces perhaps reaching Earth's surface, according to NASA's Nick Johnson at a telephone press conference. John Matson reports
NASA Hopes Hard Sci-Fi Will Inspire Future Space Force
NASA will teach writers about space science and promote sci-fi novels in the hope of inspiring young readers to learn science and math and become part of the space workforce. John Matson reports
Failed Star Found in the Neighborhood
NASA's WISE satellite has found a Y dwarf star, cool enough to touch, that is the hub of the seventh closest star system to us. John Matson reports