Space

Luxembourg City, the capital of Luxembourg — shown here in 2012 — mixes the medieval and the modern. The tiny European nation is making a serious bid for the futuristic, too.

World News

Luxembourg Hopes To Rocket To Front Of Asteroid-Mining Space Race

4:16pm February 03, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The tiny European country will be investing in research and building a regulatory framework to help make a futuristic industry — the extraction of minerals from objects in space — a reality.

California's Golden Gate Bridge during a rainstorm. Scientists believe the moon's position has an impact on the amount of rainfall.

Scientists Say The Moon Really Does Impact Rainfall On Earth

4:10pm February 01, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

When the moon is overhead or "underfoot," the chance of rainfall diminishes ever so slightly, a new study concludes.

The Challenger lifts off on Jan. 28, 1986, from a launchpad at Kennedy Space Center, 73 seconds before an explosion killed its crew of seven.

30 Years After Explosion, Challenger Engineer Still Blames Himself

1:32am January 29, 2016

by Howard Berkes

Bob Ebeling, an anonymous source for NPR's 1986 report on the disaster, tells NPR that despite warning NASA of troubles before the launch, he believes God "shouldn't have picked me for that job."

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A view from Earth of a slender crescent moon in close proximity to the two brightest planets in the sky, Venus and Jupiter.

Track Jupiter's Path Like An Ancient Babylonian

8:28pm January 28, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Clay tablets show that Babylonian astronomers tracked planets using a method that was thought to be invented 1,400 years later. In a way, scientists say, the ancient techniques were "very modern."

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The Golden Mole Award For Accidental Brilliance Trophy

NPR Contest: Send Us Your Stories Of Happy Accidents In Science

4:10pm January 28, 2016

by Adam Cole

Scientists need curiosity, determination — and luck. We're especially interested in that last bit, so tell us your stories of mistakes and surprises that led to discoveries in the past few years.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Gets Into A Rap Battle With B.o.B Over Flat Earth Theory

8:34pm January 26, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The famed astrophysicist got into a Twitter spat with the rapper, which then turned into a bona fide rap battle.

Science

Massive Space Telescope Is Finally Coming Together

10:52am January 25, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

In a NASA facility just outside Washington, D.C., workers are building the James Webb Space Telescope, an $8 billion successor to the Hubble. It'll be the largest ever, and it's set to launch in 2018.

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Signs Of Hidden Planet Found In Our Solar System

8:05am January 21, 2016

The astronomer whose work helped kick Pluto out of the pantheon of planets says he has good reason to believe there's an undiscovered planet bigger than Earth in the far reaches of our solar system.

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Science

For The Next Month, 5 Planets Will Align In Early Morning Sky

7:03pm January 20, 2016

As of today, you can see all five planets that are possible to see in the sky with the naked eye early in the morning. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with astronomer Jackie Faherty about why this is happening.

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The imagined view from "planet nine" back toward the sun. Astronomers think the huge, distant planet is likely gaseous, similar to Uranus and Neptune.

Scientists Find Hints Of A Giant, Hidden Planet In Our Solar System

7:03pm January 20, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Something very big, out beyond Neptune, is warping the orbits of small, icy objects circling our sun. Astronomers haven't seen it yet, but say the culprit could be a planet with 10 times Earth's mass.

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