When Falcon Heavy lifted off, it would have been the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. With the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 lb)---a mass greater than a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel--Falcon Heavy can lift mor...

This ESOcast shows how observations at many sites in South America, including ESO's La Silla Observatory, have made the surprise discovery that the remote asteroid Chariklo is surrounded by two dense and narrow rings. This is the smallest object by far found to have rings and only the fifth body in

A total solar eclipse is moving its way across North America Monday. CBS News' Norah O'Donnell, Tony Dokoupil and Bill Harwood are watching the celestial event from Indianapolis as totality takes over Mazatlán, Mexico. Also, astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz explains how scientists are using the opportu

The Atacama Desert In Chile is a great place to get an idea what life would be like on an extra solar planet like Gliese 581 C Taken From Horizon: Are We Alone in teh Universe?

Astronomers have found the earliest stars in the universe After picking up faint signals from the earliest hydrogen gas ever detected, astronomers have found evidence of the very first stars in the Universe, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. The findings have also unexpectedl

Humans have been obsessed with eclipses for centuries. But, what can they actually teach us about our place in the solar system? Total solar eclipses have helped bring about some of the most important astronomic discoveries. Nicolaus Copernicus’ eclipse observations helped him determine that the Ear

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse moved across North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. We got these...

Millions of years ago incredible forces ripped apart the Earth’s crust creating our seven continents – each with its own distinct climate, its own distinct terrain and its own unique animal life. From the colourful paradise of South America to the scorching heat of Africa, Seven Worlds: One Planet s

SUCCESS! With this mission, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket deliverED 11 satellites to low-Earth orbit for ORBCOMM, a leading global provider of Machine-to-Machine communication and Internet of Things solutions. The ORBCOMM launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The 11 satellites were deplo

Alaska Airlines Flight 870, alter its flight path on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 so that passengers could get a glimpse of a rare solar eclipse from the plane’s windows.Wrote the airline: “Tuesday’s rendezvous over the Pacific Ocean is not luck, but a precisely planned equation. The calculations began a