Space : Science World Report

Mar 16, 2012 02:00 PM EDT

Glittering Jewels of Messier 9

Messier 9, pictured here, is a globular cluster, a roughly spherical swarm of stars that lies around 25 000 light-years from Earth, near the centre of the Milky Way, so close that the gravitational forces from the galactic centre pull it slightly out of shape.

Mar 16, 2012 12:19 PM EDT

Near-miss Asteroid will Return Next Year

When it whizzes past Earth in 2013, a newly discovered asteroid is going to miss our planet - but not by much. The 50 m space rock is expected to come closer than many satellites, highlighting the growing need to keep watch on hazards from above.

Mar 16, 2012 08:52 AM EDT

Now a Cyclone, NASA Sees Lua Closer to a Landfall in Northern Australia

Warnings are in effect and evacuations have taken place along the northern Australia coast near Port Hedland. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Lau as it strengthened into a Cyclone today, March 15, 2012.

Mar 16, 2012 07:40 AM EDT

Astronomers Using NASA's Hubble Discover Quasars Acting as Gravitational Lenses

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found several examples of galaxies containing quasars, which act as gravitational lenses, amplifying and distorting images of galaxies aligned behind them.

Mar 16, 2012 07:20 AM EDT

NASA's IceBridge 2012 Arctic Campaign Takes to the Skies

Researchers and flight crew with NASA's Operation IceBridge, an airborne mission to study changes in polar ice, began another season of science activity with the start of the 2012 Arctic campaign on March 13. From mid-March through mid-May, a modified P-3 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallo...

Mar 15, 2012 04:54 PM EDT

A Half-billion Stars and Galaxies from NASA's WISE Mission Revealed -- Many for First Time

A new atlas and catalog of the entire infrared sky with more than a half-billion stars, galaxies and other objects captured by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission was unveiled by NASA Wednesday.

Mar 15, 2012 11:49 AM EDT

Rising Ocean Temperatures Harm Protected Coral Reefs

Special conservation zones known as marine protected areas provide many direct benefits to fisheries and coral reefs. However, such zones appear to offer limited help to corals in their battle against global warming, according to a new study.

Mar 15, 2012 10:44 AM EDT

Australian Firm to Help Explore Final Frontier

West Australian Science and Innovation Minister John Day today announced Fremantle-based company, Poseidon Scientific Instruments had been awarded a $1.3million contract to help deliver a key radio astronomy project which will gain international recognition.

Mar 15, 2012 08:20 AM EDT

End of Winter: How 2012 Snow Stacks Up

The mild winter of 2012 has many people asking, "Where's the snow?" These two snow cover maps show the difference between snow extent on March 3, 2011, and March 5, 2012. The maps were compiled from data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's ...

Mar 15, 2012 08:06 AM EDT

New Study Lowers Estimate of Ancient Sea-level Rise

The seas are creeping higher as the planet warms. But how high will they go? Projections for the year 2100 range from inches to several feet, or more. The sub-tropical islands of Bermuda and the Bahamas contain important sites where researchers have gone looking for answers; by pinpointing where sho...

Mar 14, 2012 01:38 PM EDT

Getting a Full Picture of an Elusive Subject

Two teams of astronomers have used data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes to map the distribution of dark matter in a galaxy cluster known as Abell 383, which is located about 2.3 billion light years from Earth. Not only were the researchers able to find where the dark matte...

Mar 14, 2012 01:27 PM EDT

Current Water Resources in Europe and Africa

A new assessment of available water resources, published today by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), reveals that large areas in Spain and Eastern Europe have on average less than 200 mm freshwater available every year while the demand for water is three to ten times higher. The report 'Current Water ...