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The answer was: "A NASA Mars lander has this mythic name because it was made of parts from a scrapped 2001 mission," and the correct question was "What is Phoenix?". The Mars mission currently en-routeto Mars hasn't only set the science world alight, it appears to be growing into the public mindset. Appearing as the subject for one of the questions on the highly popular US gameshow Jeopardy! before it has even arrived at Mars, I wonder how popular it will become when the mission actually begins… (more…) No comments

It’s well-known that “Big Bang” was a derogatory name given to the cosmological theory of the expanding (not exploding) universe in an attempt to discredit the idea. But, the name stuck and with the discovery of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) in 1964, the theory has stuck, too. However, every once in awhile, a new idea comes out which claims to contradict the Big Bang Theory. The latest comes from researchers Robert K. Soberman and Maurice Dubin who say they know what dark matter is comprised of, and their new ideas provide a better explanation for the CMB, as well as the galactic red shift, two observations that currently support the Big Bang Theory. (more…) No comments

Until recently, the oldest evidence of biological material on Earth came from fragments of ancient protein found in Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur fossils, dated at 68 million years old. But scientists from the University of North Carolina have found even more ancient biological material — cellulose microfibers—that date to over 250 million years old. These samples of cellulose were found in pristine ancient salt deposits deep beneath the New Mexico desert. This finding comes on the heels of researchers finding huge salt deposits on Mars with the Odyssey orbiter, as well as the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit finding a patch of bright soil that’s believed to be rich with salt. Combined, these findings may help point out destinations for future Mars missions looking for past life on the Red Planet. (more…) No comments

We're polluting every corner of our own planet, so it only makes sense that we'll take our trashy habits out into space with us. This week we look at the myriad of ways we're messing up space, from the trash orbiting the planet to the radiation we're leaking out into space. No comments

This breathtaking 3D landscape was constructed with high definition images taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA's Mars Express orbiter. The new observations show Hebes Chasma, a strange mountain region nested inside the canyon, with channel-like fingers reaching out into the Martian landscape. The imaged region shows features down to a resolution of 15 meters per pixel, an awe-inspiring view… in stereo! (more…) No comments

On the March 24th, a story hit the web from Brazil asking for help identifying a mysterious-looking sphere found in farmland. The black, shiny object appeared to be wrapped in fibrous material and it was hot to the touch. Immediately thoughts of extra-terrestrial origin came to mind… Today, several news sources covered the discovery of a mysterious spherical object found in the Australian outback last year. The farmer who made the discovery has only just started to make enquiries into what the object actually is. So are the two objects connected in some way? Are they indeed from outer space? (more…) No comments

35 countries, 26 major cities, 370 towns and literally tens of millions of people… What do they all have in common? They're all switching off their lights for one hour at 8:00 pm local time in a now staggering global event known as Earth Hour. From around the world, Universe Today readers made a huge impact. (more…) No comments

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is set to go online in May of this year. This magnificent machine will accelerate particles and collide them at such high energies that scientists expect to make some of the biggest discoveries ever about the very small (exotic sub-atomic particles) and the very large (the structure of the Universe itself). But not everyone is happy. Particle accelerators have always been the source of controversy; at the end of the day, we can only predict the outcome of the LHC experiments. But what if scientists have overlooked something? What if the theories are wrong? A guy living on the other side of the planet to the LHC believes the world may come to an end and he's begun filing a lawsuit against the completion of the accelerator. The concern? A massive black hole might be created, or vast amounts of antimatter will destroy the Earth. And where's the scientific basis for all this panic? Hmmm… didn't think so… (more…) No comments