Catherine Griffin : Science World Report

May 24, 2013 07:55 AM EDT

NASA TESS Observatory will Hunt for Alien Life on 'Super-Earth' Exoplanets

Kepler may be down, but now NASA has another planet-hunting tool in mind. The space agency is preparing the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) observatory in order to follow in Kepler's footsteps, hunting for super-Earths and alien life.

May 23, 2013 02:37 PM EDT

NASA's Chandra Discovers Exotic Neutron Stars: Magnetars Not so Rare

Exotic neutron stars, magnetars were once thought to be relatively rare. Now, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other satellites have revealed that magnetars may be far more diverse and common than previously believed.

May 23, 2013 01:54 PM EDT

Ring Nebula's True Form Revealed in Image from NASA's Hubble Telescope

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a new image of the Ring Nebula that shows the old, dying star's true shape.

May 23, 2013 12:46 PM EDT

ESO Very Large Telescope Celebrates 15 Years with Spectacular Nebula Image

ESO's Very Large Telescope has been working for 15 years--and now it's celebrating its birthday with a newly released image. The instrument has captured a spectacular stellar nursery that reveals thick clumps of dust silhouetted against the pink glowing gas cloud known to astronomers as IC 2944.

May 23, 2013 12:06 PM EDT

Carnivorous Plant Teams Up with Ants to Destroy Mosquito Larvae: The Odd Couple

There are some weird combinations of species in the world. Now, scientists have discovered that an insect-eating pitcher plant teams up with ants to prevent mosquito larvae from stealing its nutrients.

May 23, 2013 11:13 AM EDT

Paleontologists Uncover New Species of Small, Speedy Dinosaur in Canada

Paleontologists have discovered a news species of dinosaur that was small, speedy and ate plants. It highlights a whole new class of these ancient creatures that made up the bottom of the dinosaur food chain.

May 23, 2013 10:23 AM EDT

America's Frogs, Toads and Salamanders Disappearing Rapidly: Amphibian Decline

If we're not careful, amphibian species may soon go extinct. Researchers have made the first ever estimate of how fast frogs, toads and salamanders in the United States are disappearing from their habitats.

May 23, 2013 09:19 AM EDT

Norway Spruce Genome Sequenced by Scientists: The DNA of a Christmas Tree

If you like Christmas trees, you'll be happy to know that scientists have mapped the genome of the Norway spruce--the type of tree usually decorated during the holidays.

May 23, 2013 08:34 AM EDT

NASA Reveals First Topographical Map of Saturn's Moon, Titan

Orbiting Saturn is the massive moon, Titan. Now, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has peered through the thick orange clouds surrounding the moon in order to help create the first full topographical map of its surface using radar measurements.

May 22, 2013 02:46 PM EDT

Rare Merger of Ancient Galaxies Solves Mystery of Galaxy Evolution

Years ago when the universe was still young, two massive galaxies collided. Now, ESA's Herschel space observatory has spotted the rare encounter between the two gas-rich galaxies, which may provide clues to galaxy formation.

May 22, 2013 01:42 PM EDT

Cosmic Impact 12,800 Years Ago Caused Mass Extinction: Impact Spherules Tell All

When Earth began to warm after the last ice age, the warming abruptly halted and slammed our planet back to a near-glacial state. Now, scientists may have discovered why and what may have caused the associated mass extinction event.

May 22, 2013 12:08 PM EDT

NASA Captures Image of Storm System that Spawned Oklahoma Tornado (Video)

NASA has released an image of the massive storm system that spawned the mile-wide tornado that slammed into Moore, Oklahoma. The system moved over the south central United States and was captured by various satellites in the area.