ScienceDaily: Space & Time News

Laser 'ruler' holds promise for hunting exoplanets Posted: 17 Feb 2015 05:29 PM PST The hunt for Earth-like planets around distant stars could soon become a lot easier thanks to a technique developed by researchers in Germany.

With new data, satellite brings early universe into focus Posted: 17 Feb 2015 10:12 AM PST The latest data release from the Planck space telescope offers insight into everything from the fabric of space to dark matter -- and may even still have a shot at detecting gravitational waves, says an expert.

Closest known flyby of star to our solar system: Dim star passed through Oort Cloud 70,000 years ago Posted: 17 Feb 2015 08:41 AM PST Astronomers from the US, Europe, Chile and South Africa have determined that 70,000 years ago a recently discovered dim star is likely to have passed through the solar system's distant cloud of comets, the Oort Cloud. No other star is known to have ever approached our solar system this close -- five times closer than the current closest star, Proxima Centauri. They analyzed the velocity and trajectory of a low-mass star system nicknamed "Scholz's star."

Sending a rocket through the northern lights Posted: 17 Feb 2015 05:37 AM PST The combination of American electron clouds and Norwegian northern lights spells trouble for navigation and communication in the Northern regions. The ICI4 rocket will provide knowledge that can help us predict the weather in space.