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San Francisco, 2:27 AM
Wed Feb 10
25 posts in the last 24 hours

IO9 TEAM

#spaceporn

The Space Shuttle Blasts Into The Night

Early this morning in the pre-dawn hours, the space shuttle Endeavor shot into space for a two-week trip to the International Space Station. This will be its last nighttime launch. More »

02/08/10

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By Annalee Newitz

#space

X-Shaped Faux-Comet Likely Related to Prehistoric Dinosaur-Smasher

P/2010 A2, the mysterious object streaking through the solar system, appears to belong to the same family of asteroids that sent a huge rock our way 65 million years ago. Maybe it's trying to see whether Tyrannosaurs have re-evolved? More »

02/07/10

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By Alex Eichler

#earthporn

Astronauts Are Tweeting Pictures Of The Earth

This isn't your first close-up of another planet's biosphere... it's actually the Maldives islands on Earth, as viewed from the International Space Station. A couple of ISS astronauts have been twittering amazing pictures of our planet. More »

02/04/10

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#poll

Which Recent UFO Sighting Is Most Likely To Have Been Caused By Aliens?

The scientific and pseudoscientific worlds are buzzing over that mysterious, x-shaped object zooming through space at 11,000 mph. But it's just one of several recent UFOs that caught our attention. Vote on which is most likely piloted by aliens. More »

02/04/10

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By Annalee Newitz

#madastronomy

Nearby Galaxy Is Running Out Of New Stars

The Hubble telescope has detected the end of an era in the dwarf galaxy NGC 2976.The galaxy is quieting down after eons of furious star creation, with just a few stars in the galaxy's central core continuing to form. More »

02/03/10

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By Alasdair Wilkins

#geopolitics

Iranian Aerospace Program: Turtles In Space, Or Death From The Skies?

Does the thought of Iranian president Ahmadinejad with his fingers on a rocket launch button make you nervous? Iran unveiled these new satellites today, along with a model of a new Iranian light rocket which some fear might be dual-purpose. More »

02/03/10

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#spaceporn

The Parasitic Bond Of Intimacy Between A Black Hole And A Massive, Dying Star

Using ESO's Very Large Telescope, astronomers have discovered the most distant black hole ever observed. Six million light years from Earth, it lies at the heart of a spiral galaxy, and is rapidly orbiting and eating a massive star. More »

02/03/10

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By Annalee Newitz

#nasabudget

It's Time To Get Serious About Colonizing Space

Today the Obama Administration unveiled its new budget for NASA, which included a shocker: Plans to return to the Moon have been scrapped. So why are we optimistic? Because Obama's budget rewards science, and lays groundwork for human space colonies. More »

02/01/10

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By Annalee Newitz

#entropy

Universal Heat Death Could Happen Sooner Than We Realized

According to researchers at Australian National University, the end of the universe will happen earlier than anyone previously thought. The mother of all deadlines is coming up! More »

01/30/10

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By Alex Eichler

#asteroidimpact

How to Prevent an Asteroid Impact and Look Good Doing It

While NASA and other space agencies keep their telescopes trained on near-Earth objects that could smash into us, we don't know how to prevent an impact. Here are some of the best (and weirdest) ideas for protecting Earth from incoming asteroids. More »

01/29/10

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By Ed Grabianowski

#spacecolonization

Take A Peek At The Next-Generation Spacesuit That Will Be Used On Mars

Technology Review has a great article on a new generation of spacesuits - more flexible than previous ones - that will be used on the International Space Station and, later, for trips to Mars. Read the article or watchthis vid!

01/27/10

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By Annalee Newitz

#madphysics

Travel The Universe on Zero Units of Energy Per Day!

No more heavy fuel, perilous reactor-core explosions, or dilithium crystal shortages. The Casimir Effect could make fuel-less space travel possible. More »

01/27/10

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By Esther Inglis-Arkell

#meltingmoon

Ganymede Is Jupiter's Melted, Battered Child

Scientists have figured out a potential reason for the difference between Jupiter's two moons: One of them has been abused so badly that its metaphorical chocolate chips have sunk to the bottom of its ice cream carton. Or something. More »

01/25/10

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By Graeme McMillan

#space

Newly Discovered "Comet" May Actually Be Result Of Asteroid Collision

We may have witnessed what happens after a high-speed asteroid crash for the first time ever. A mystery "comet" in the asteroid belt, P/2010 A2, is now believed to be asteroid-collision debris. The "comet"'s head includes an asteroid fragment.

01/22/10

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#spaceporn

Nebulas And Neighboring Galaxies, Photographed From A Garden Shed

Office worker Peter Shah took this picture by sticking an eight-inch telescope through the roof of his garden shed. He tells the Mirror, "It just goes to show that a window to the universe is there for all of us." More »

01/21/10

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#spaceporn

The Dunes of Mars, Covered In A Crust Of Dry Ice

At the bottom of a crater on Mars, these dunes are covered in sheets of dry ice. As sand blows across the top of the ice, the sheets break up and blow apart, creating these streaks and lozenges. More »

01/20/10

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By Annalee Newitz

#bargainbasement

NASA Giving Away Space Shuttle Engines For Free - To Anyone Who Can Pick Them Up

You could own this amazing main engine from the Space Shuttle for free, as long as you're willing to remove it from NASA premises. NASA tried to sell the shuttle's engines, but lack of interest is your good fortune. More »

01/19/10

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By Annalee Newitz

#solarporn

The Sun's Trailing Halo Of Shining Dust, Seen After Sunset

This image isn't a far-off galaxy or comet — it's space dust right in our backyard. You're seeing the zodiacal light, a triangle of glowing space dust between the Earth and the Sun, briefly visible after sunset. More »

01/18/10

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By Charlie Jane Anders

#planetporn

New Evidence For Seas of Liquid Diamond On Neptune

Remote gas giant planets Neptune and Uranus could be covered in vast seas of liquid diamond, dotted with solid diamond chunks like icebergs. A new experiment revealed such oceans are plausible, and would explain some oddities about Neptune's magnetic field. More »

01/18/10

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By Annalee Newitz

#gallery

These Are Not the Late-Night Hosts You Are Looking For: 11 Sci-Fi Replacements for Jay and Coco

The latest late night wars have proven to be more riveting (and fun) than any trade dispute between the Galactic Republic and Trade Federation. We thought we'd help NBC out by offering eleven suitable replacements for either Jay or Conan. More »

01/17/10

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By David Grossman

#ufos

Is This Strange Cloud The Sign Of An Invisible Triangle UFO?

One of the latest sightings reported by the UFO group MUFON is captured in this image. The photographer thinks this oddly-shaped cloud might have been caused by a triangle-shaped UFO hidden under an invisibility cloak. More »

01/14/10

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By Annalee Newitz

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