Star 13 billion light years from Earth is most distant ever discovered
The most distant star ever seen has been observed by astronomers, who say the discovery could unlock secrets of a still-unknown era of the universe. The light from the star has taken some 12.9 billion years
Rare Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus Tonight
August has been a spectacular month for astronomy, with a livelier than usual Perseids meteor shower, and five planets visible in the evening sky. Early tonight, one of the most impressive and rare sights will be visible
Water on Mars Raises Questions about a ‘Prime Directive’
I'm looking forward to The Martian, the new film starring Matt Damon which opens this week. The word is that if you like your science fiction with the emphasis on science, rather than fiction, it promises to be a
Italian Astronaut in Star Trek Uniform makes First Espresso in Space
Of course there's a lot to do on board the International Space Station, but for an Italian astronaut, good coffee has to be a priority! So Samantha Cristoforetti became the first person to brew and drink
Irish Schools Compete to Design a Satellite in a Can
How big is a satellite? Well it doesn't need to be any bigger than a drink can, according to the organisers of a competition for Irish schools, launched today by former NASA astronaut Greg Johnson. Colonel Johnson is President and
Today We Land on a Comet
We've talked about Rosetta before. The European Space Agency's mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko took 10 years to catch up with the comet, which is about the size of a city, and which we now know is shaped like
