Did Asteroid Impacts Spark Life's "Left-Handed" Molecules?
The mysterious bias of life on Earth toward molecules that skew one way and not the other could be due to how light shines in star- and planet-forming clouds, researchers say
Stories by SPACE.com
Meteor Shower and Eclipses of Sun to Grace May Sky
A meteor shower and a cosmic "ring of fire" will dominate the night sky this month
World's Largest Infrared Space Telescope Shuts Down Forever
The Herschel Space Observatory has reached the end of its life after nearly four years mapping the "hidden universe"
Obama Praises Mars Rovers, U.S. Science in Speech
In his address to the National Academy of Sciences on their 150th anniversary, Pres. Obama expressed his support for the sciences as a fundamental part of American life in today's world
Cosmonauts Take Spacewalk Outside Space Station
The six-hour spacewalk involves upgrading the orbiting lab with new experiments to measure charged particle interactions and the effects of microbes on spacecraft materials
Jupiter's Moon Europa May Have "Spikes of Ice"
Spikes of ice along Europa's equator could explain the satellite's oddly warm midsection, but would complicate any potential spacecraft landing there in the future
Space Photographer Brings Amazing Night Sky Views Down to Earth
An astrophotographer who snapped images of the cosmos from a driveway in Connecticut is taking center stage in a Brooklyn space art exhibit
Petitioners Urge White House to Reverse NASA Outreach Cuts
NASA is temporarily suspending many of its public-outreach efforts as a result of the federal budget sequester, but a petition to protest the move has drawn 5,800 signatories so far
First Mini-Supernovas Discovered
Astronomers have found a new type of supernova, a star explosion so weak scientists dubbed it a miniature stellar blast
Potential "Comet of the Century" Not Brightening as Expected
Comet ISON has stagnated around 16th magnitude for a couple months rather than steadily gaining in brightness as expected. Various signs suggest that the comet's nucleus is not "healthy"...
Vernal Equinox Marks First Day of Spring Today
More than any other event, it marks the beginning of the astronomical year
U.S. Makes First Plutonium in 25 Years, for Spacecraft
The Department of Energy doesn't disclose the size of the nation's Pu 238 stockpile, but some scientists think it's alarmingly low
Spacecraft Sees Comet, Earth and Mercury Together
Comet Pan-STARRS will take about 110,000 years to orbit the sun after this first swing through the inner solar system
Could Life Have Evolved on Mars Before Earth?
New observations by NASA's Curiosity rover suggest that microbial life could have survived on Mars in the distant past
Largest Infrared Telescope in Space Running Out of Time
After nearly four years mapping the cosmos, the Herschel Space Observatory is expected to exhaust its vital supply of liquid helium coolant within the next few weeks
Extraterrestrial Life May be Common around Binary Stars
Low-mass binary stars could make the best hosts for alien life because their combined energy extends the habitable region farther away than would exist around a single star
Milky Way’s Black Hole to Gobble Space Cloud This Year
The upcoming cosmic spectacle should offer scientists a chance to test some of their theories about how black holes accrete mass
Ancient Mega-Flood on Mars Revealed in 3-D
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter used radar to find the underground Martian channels
Spacecraft Makes First Complete Map of Planet Mercury
NASA's MESSENGER probe has imaged every square meter of the planet's surface
New Comet's Potential Mars Collision in 2014 Explained
Although unlikely, there is a small chance the Comet Siding Spring, an estimated eight to 50 kilometers in diameter, could collide with Mars in October 2014
