Space : Science World Report

Feb 15, 2012 01:44 PM EST

Hubble Finds Relic of a Shredded Galaxy

Astronomers know how massive stars collapse to form small black holes a few times the mass of the Sun. However, it is not clear how supermassive black holes, which can have masses of millions or even billions of times the Sun's, form in the cores of galaxies. One idea is that supermassive black hole...

Feb 15, 2012 11:15 AM EST

Black Hole Came From a Shredded Galaxy

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found a cluster of young, blue stars encircling the first intermediate-mass black hole ever discovered. The presence of the star cluster suggests that the black hole was once at the core of a now-disintegrated dwarf galaxy. The discovery of the bl...

Feb 15, 2012 10:26 AM EST

APEX Turns Its Eye to Dark Clouds in Taurus

The Taurus Molecular Cloud, in the constellation of Taurus (The Bull), lies about 450 light-years from Earth. This image shows two parts of a long, filamentary structure in this cloud, which are known as Barnard 211 and Barnard 213. Their names come from Edward Emerson Barnard's photographic atlas o...

Feb 15, 2012 08:42 AM EST

NASA Sees Deadly Cyclone Giovanna Over the Center of Madagascar

Cyclone Giovanna made landfall in eastern Madagascar very early on February 14 and continues tracking in a southwestern direction toward the Mozambique Channel. NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image when Giovanna's center was close to the capital city of Antananarivo, and NASA's TRMM satellite saw...

Feb 15, 2012 08:28 AM EST

NASA Sees Tropical Cyclone Jasmine Near Tonga

Tropical Cyclone Jasmine is still lingering near the island nation of Tonga in the South Pacific and was captured in an infrared image from NASA's Aqua satellite. Jasmine is bringing gusty winds and heavy rainfall to some of Tonga's islands.

Feb 14, 2012 04:32 PM EST

New Web Tool to Improve Accuracy of Global Land Cover Maps

An interactive web tool has been developed to improve the accuracy and extent of global land use and forest cover information. The new 'Geo-Wiki' uses Google Earth and information provided by a global network of volunteers to fill in 'data gaps' and to verify existing land cover information.

Feb 11, 2012 10:40 AM EST

NASA Sees Giovanna Reach Cyclone Strength, Threaten Madagascar

Tropical Storm 12S built up steam and became a cyclone on February 10, 2012 as NASA's Terra satellite passed overhead. Residents of east-central Madagascar should prepare for this cyclone to make landfall by February 13 according to forecasters.

Feb 11, 2012 10:38 AM EST

NASA Sees Wide-eyed Cyclone Jasmine

On Friday, February 10, 2012 at 0900 UTC (4 a.m. EST), Cyclone Jasmine is maintaining Category One hurricane status on the Saffir Simpson Scale, with maximum sustained winds near 75 knots (86 mph/~139 km) . Jasmine is located 550 miles south-southwest of Nadi, Fiji, near 25.8 South and 173.3 East. I...

Feb 10, 2012 03:10 PM EST

Putting the Squeeze on Planets Outside Our Solar System

Just as graphite can transform into diamond under high pressure, liquid magmas may similarly undergo major transformations at the pressures and temperatures that exist deep inside Earth-like planets.

Feb 09, 2012 09:08 PM EST

NASA's TRMM Satellite Sees Cyclone Jasmine in 3-D

Data from NASA's TRMM satellite was used to create a 3-Dimensional look at Cyclone Jasmine, currently moving through the South Pacific Ocean.

Feb 09, 2012 03:07 PM EST

Watching a Tiny Galaxy Grow

For the first time, astronomers have caught a so-called dwarf galaxy in the process of swallowing another, even smaller galaxy. Whether such mergers are important in the formation of the tiniest galaxies has been the subject of debate among theoreticians. Now, thanks to research by two independent g...

Feb 09, 2012 01:58 PM EST

NASA Sees Cyclone Jasmine's Power and New Eye

Cyclone Jasmine continues to wind between New Caledonia and Vanuatu and bring cyclone-force winds, heavy rain and very rough surf. NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead early on February 7 and noticed the strongest part of the cyclone was around the center and north and east of the center. Aqua data...