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Images of the 'Supermoon'
 Scenes From the 'Supermoon' 
Mar 20, 2011 11:10 AM CDT

Scenes From the 'Supermoon'

Extra-full moon put on a pretty good show around the world

(Newser) - For those stuck under cloud cover, or those of us who grumpily didn't think it looked that different, last night's "supermoon" yielded some pretty spectacular images from around the world—including moonrise over Libya. Click through the gallery, and for even more images, go to Space.com's gallery .

'Supermoon' Nearest Earth Tomorrow

But contrary to rumor, it had nothing to do with Japan's earthquake

(Newser) - Hope for clear skies: A "supermoon" is due tomorrow. NASA scientist Jim Garvin explains that a supermoon is "when the moon is slightly closer to Earth in its orbit than on average"—a situation that’s "most noticeable" when it coincides with a full moon, as...

Spacecraft Orbiting Mercury for First Time

NASA's Messenger probe slips into orbit after 4.9B-mile journey

(Newser) - After a 4.9 billion-mile journey that required six years and some very tricky moves, NASA has put a spacecraft into orbit around Mercury for the first time ever. Researchers are eagerly awaiting their first extensive look at the solar system's smallest planet, AP reports. The Messenger probe will begin...

Shuttle Worker Falls to His Death

James Vanover was working on Endeavour

(Newser) - A worker preparing the space shuttle Endeavour for its April 19 launch fell to his death from a launch pad access arm today, according to NASA. Emergency crews at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral tried to revive James Vanover, a United Space Alliance worker, but were unsuccessful. Work at...

Gabrielle Giffords to Attend Husband's Shuttle Launch

She is scheduled to be there when Endeavour goes up in April

(Newser) - Another good sign for Gabrielle Giffords: She is expected to be in attendance when husband Mark Kelly blasts off aboard space shuttle Endeavour next month, reports ABC News . NASA says she'll be in the family viewing area of the Kennedy Space Center on April 19. Giffords continues to recuperate at...

Inside the Crazy Museum Battle to Own Discovery

21 places are clamoring for it ... but the quietest spot might get it

(Newser) - Discovery returns to Earth today then will continue on to its final resting place ... location TBD. The 27-year-old shuttle (along with sister orbiters Endeavour and Atlantis) is one hot property these days, with 21 museums angling for the right to house it—and pay the $28.8 million it will...

Captain Kirk Launches Discovery's Final Flight

Shuttle leaves space station, set to land on Wednesday

(Newser) - Discovery left the International Space Station for the last time today, but not before getting a rousing send-off from Captain Kirk himself. As the astronauts woke, they were treated to the unmistakable voice of William Shatner. "Space the final frontier," the recording said. "These have been the...

NASA's $424M Fail: Satellite Ends Up in Pacific

Glory satellite was to analyze particles in Earth's atmosphere

(Newser) - NASA's latest mission—a $424 million mission at that—has ended up in the Pacific Ocean: The protective shell on a Taurus XL rocket failed to separate from the Earth-observation satellite it was carrying like it was supposed to, reports the AP . "We failed to make orbit," said...

NASA Nabs Close-Ups of 'Spongy' Saturn Moon

NASA's Cassini probe snaps ultra-close image of Hyperion

(Newser) - NASA's Cassini probe did a fly-by of Saturn’s Hyperion moon, and came away with close-up images that show a remarkably sponge-like surface, the Daily Mail reports. The moon, one of at least 62 ringing the planet, is covered with deep craters, and NASA scientists are hoping to discover what’...

Discovery Docks Final Time at Space Station

Shuttle's last mission going smoothly

(Newser) - Space shuttle Discovery arrived at the International Space Station today, making its final visit before being parked at a museum. "What took you guys so long?" asked ISS commander Scott Kelly. Discovery should have come and gone last November, but was grounded by fuel tank cracks until yesterday's liftoff.

Discovery Blasts Off on Its Final Mission

It should reach the space station on Saturday

(Newser) - Discovery, the world's most traveled spaceship, thundered into orbit for the final time today, heading toward the International Space Station on a journey that marks the beginning of the end of the shuttle era. The six astronauts on board, all experienced space fliers, were thrilled to be on their way...

Kepler Results Boost Chances of Finding Alien Life

For every two suns, an Earth-like planet

(Newser) - Exciting news for alien enthusiasts: The discovery by NASA scientists of a vast trove of Earth-like planets orbiting distant suns boosts our chances of finding extraterrestrial life. Findings from the Kepler telescope revealed that for every two stars in the universe, one has an Earth-like "candidate planet" orbiting it,...

NASA Spacecraft Set to Rendezvous With Comet

It'll be within 125 miles of Manhattan-sized rock

(Newser) - A NASA spacecraft is about to make a massive comet its valentine. If all goes as planned, the Stardust spacecraft will get up close and personal today with a comet half the size of Manhattan that’s hurtling through space at 24,000 miles per hour, the Washington Post reports....

Radiation Threatens Deep-Space Sex: NASA

Protons could kill embryo's eggs, cut sperm count

(Newser) - Propagating the human race far away from home could be tough: Powerful radiation in space would likely sterilize female embryos conceived there, NASA finds, and it could shrink sperm counts, too. At the moment, we don’t have the technology required to create spacecraft shielding to block the radiation, the...

For First Time, We Can See Whole Sun

 For First Time,
 We Can See 
 Whole Sun 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Feb 12, 2011 8:23 AM CST

For First Time, We Can See Whole Sun

Satellites on opposite sides finally permit us to see the entire surface

(Newser) - Two satellites launched in 2006 reached their final destinations this week, giving us, for the first time ever, the ability to see the entire sun. The Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft are on opposite sides of the sun, and will continue to provide a complete view of the sun’...

Asteroid Barely Misses Earth

Rock small enough that Earth's gravity bends its path

(Newser) - An asteroid all but buzzed Earth on Friday, NASA has revealed. The asteroid, known as 2011 CQ1, passed just 3,405 miles above the Earth’s surface as it hung a sharp turn around the planet. That's the closest near-miss ever recorded, beating a record set by a rock in...

Scientists Spar Over Asteroid Apocalypse in 2036

1-in-250,000 chance that Apophis will hit Earth

(Newser) - If that whole end-of-the-world thing doesn't work out next year, maybe the jig is up in 2036: Scientists are now saying that's the year an asteroid previously thought harmless (after having been deemed catastrophic before that) might just plow into the Earth. A few Russian scientists are warning that Apophis,...

Giffords's Husband Will Lead April Shuttle Flight

Mark Kelly to fly Endeavour's final mission

(Newser) - Gabrielle Giffords’s husband has decided to lead the space shuttle Endeavour’s last mission, set to lift off April 19 for two weeks, NASA announced today. His wife’s condition had prompted doubts over whether Mark Kelly would undertake the flight, his fourth; she's currently in a rehab clinic...

Observatory to Unveil Search for Other Earths, Life

Kepler observatory to release early findings this week

(Newser) - There's a roving eye watching deep space for signs that the truth—or at least other Earth-like planets or even life—is out there, and we're going to get a glimpse this week. The $600 million Kepler observatory is tracking a small piece of sky filled with some 4.5...

Giffords' Husband Must Decide Soon on Shuttle Mission

Mark Kelly is scheduled to pilot Endeavour in April

(Newser) - The husband of Gabrielle Giffords has another concern that's likely weighing on his mind: whether he should return to space as scheduled in April. Astronaut Mark Kelly is on temporary leave from NASA, but he'll need to decide in fairly short order whether to pilot the shuttle Endeavour on its...

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