The Dome News

News of Astronomy, Space, Science, & Technology

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Go there

The Sleeping Beauty Galaxy M64

"The Sleeping Beauty galaxy may appear peaceful at first sight but it is actually tossing and turning."

The International Space Station

Go there

Space Station Status Report for June 11

What's happening on the Space Station.

Lifting the Space Station

"During three intensive reboost manoeuvres, ATV Johannes Kepler is raising the ISS altitude from around 345 km to 380 km, where it will use far less fuel to maintain its orbit and cutting the amount of fuel that must be sent up in the coming years by almost half."

Space Weather

Go there

Solar Activity

"The chance of strong solar flares today is low, but the chance of giant prominences is 100%."

Mars

A Sample Return Mission to Mars?

"A Mars sample return mission has been a goal of NASA for decades. In a recent essay, Lou Friedman, former Executive Director of The Planetary Society, discussed the potential of pursuing such an ambitious project in the coming years."

Jupiter

Go there

The Difficulties of Exploring Europa

"ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA. ATTEMPT NO LANDINGS THERE. -- 2010: Odyssey Two -- Arthur C. Clarke wrote these words three decades ago, when Europa's uniqueness as a potential alien habitat was first realized. Unfortunately, we have obeyed this fictional command. Partly that's because Europa's surface is a terrible place."

Saturn

Go there

The Mystery of the Two Faces of Iapetus

Half the moon is very bright; the other half is very dark. What produced this strange dichotomy on the surface of Iapetus?

The Cosmos

Go there

A WISE Image: The Elephant's Trunk Nebula

"This beautiful image, taken by NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WISE) shows a vast ring of interstellar dust and gas being forced outwards by the wind and radiation from a massive star."

Cosmic Ray Sources

"Cosmic rays are really sub-atomic particles, being mainly protons (hydrogen nuclei) and occasionally helium or heavier atomic nuclei and very occasionally electrons. Cosmic ray particles are very energetic as a result of them having a substantial velocity and hence a substantial momentum."

Biology: Earth and Astro-

Ancient Armor

"Fossils in ancient carbonate from samples in a remote region on the Alaska-Canada border are providing new information about the evolution of life. The fossils look like tiny, shield-like plates that may have been produced by single-celled organisms as armor."

Computer Technology

Go there

Undercutting Communications Obstacles Imposed by Authoritarian Regimes

"The Obama administration is leading a global effort to deploy 'shadow' Internet and mobile phone systems that dissidents can use to undermine repressive governments."