Space & Astronomy News

The Latest in Astronomy and Space News Curated by Tony Darnell

Hubble Archive Data Revealed First Evidence of Water Vapor on Jupiter's Ganymede

26th Jul, 2021

The amount of data sitting in the MAST Archive where Hubble data is stored is one of the most amazing untapped resources in the world. Using data from decades ago, astronomers found evidence for water vapor on Ganymede that comes from surface sublimation of ice during the daytime on the Jovian Moon. (HubbleSite)

SpaceX Will launch NASA's Europa Clipper Mission (at a bargain!)

23rd Jul, 2021

This is one of my favorite NASA missions, I can't wait till Europa Clipper gets to Jupiter's moon. Scheduled to launch in 2024, SpaceX will send it on its journey aboard a Falcon Heavy with a 'kick stage'. All for $178 Million. (Ars Technica)

Astronomers Measure Magnetic Field Around M87* Black Hole

23rd Jul, 2021

Measuring magnetic fields is notoriously difficult, you usually have to be sitting in the middle of it with a magnetometer to get a reading. So how do astronomers get a magnetic field measurement of a black hole in a galaxy billions of light years away? By looking at polarized light. (ESO)

You Probably Don't Care About Space Junk - Until You Do

22nd Jul, 2021

Space Junk is a problem, a big one. And it's getting bigger. Of the almost 20,000 things flying around in orbit, only about 2200 of them are actual, working satellites. Including GPS. (Universe Today)

Launch of JWST Inches Closer as Northrop Grumman Begins to Button Up the Spacecraft

21st Jul, 2021

I'm not saying it's happening, but the launch of JWST slowly progresses. This thing may actually get off the ground before the year ends, but I'm not holding my breath. (NASA)

NASA's Perseverance Rover has Begun Looking for Life on Mars

21st Jul, 2021

For the first time since the Viking Lander touched down on Utopia Planitia in the 1970's, we are searching for signs of life on the planet Mars. 'Bout time! (NASA)