Back in 2006, the International Astronomic Union passed a resolution to adopt a new, formal definition of a “planet.” According to their standards, bodies that orbit the Sun, are spherical, do not orbit other bodies and have cleared their orbits can be deemed “planets.” It was when this ruling was made that Pluto became known …
What if we aren’t alone in the universe? This is a question that has long been asked here on Earth, but a new study suggests that maybe we should be asking the opposite – what if we are alone in the universe? Would it really be all that bad? Researchers from Oxford University’s Future of …
In terms of cellular phone service, 4G is all the rage. Now, it’s about to pop up in a very unexpected place: the moon. Vodafone Germany has officially teamed up with Nokia to build the first 4G network on the moon. The network will be officially built in 2019, and it is being supported by …
Astronomy is a topic that has captured imaginations for time immemorial. It’s likely that our earliest ancestors looked to the sky in wonderment, then tied it to the thing most precious to them: stories, family, and gods. With this sense of awe already in our hearts and minds, how can you keep that fresh while …
The next total solar eclipse is set to occur on August 21 – are you prepared to witness it? If you’re in the United States, you’re in a prime position to experience the event. This is the first time since the 13th century that an eclipse will cut across the U.S., only touching the country’s …
Cassini has been in the news as of late, and if you know anything about it, you’re likely aware of its ties to Saturn. As the NASA spacecraft ends its mission to the ringed planet, many people are torn over its eventual end – Cassini is expected to plunge itself into Saturn’s atmosphere, essentially self-destructing …
If you were looking for a new place to set up shop in the universe, you may be in luck. Seven new temperate terrestrial planets have been discovered by scientists, as published in a study in Nature (Gillon et al., 2017). It is the first time that scientists have found so many terrestrial planets orbiting …
Winston Churchill is perhaps best known for his role as British Prime Minister, but many might not know that he also had an opinion on extraterrestrials. Now, one researcher has dissected Churchill’s writing to give us a closer look at what the former PM thought about life elsewhere in our universe. In February, news broke …
The moon is often thought of as just a big, bright ball in the night sky, but many have stopped to question how it got there. In fact, scientists have theorized that around four-and-a-half billion years ago, a large object sideswiped Earth. The debris from the collision might have entered outer space, and those pieces …
Could our planet be in trouble if a comet heads in our direction? One NASA scientist believes this may be the case, but a lot of factors will come into play. Dr. Joseph Nuth, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, made his opinion known while speaking at the annual meeting of the American …