ScienceDaily: Space & Time News

Hubble source catalog: One-stop shopping for astronomers Posted: 13 Mar 2015 10:07 AM PDT Astronomers have created a new master catalog of astronomical objects called the Hubble Source Catalog. The catalog provides one-stop shopping for measurements of objects observed with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA spacecraft in Earth’s orbit, preparing to study magnetic reconnection Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:28 AM PDT Following a successful launch at 10:44 p.m. EDT Thursday, NASA's four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft are positioned in Earth's orbit to begin the first space mission dedicated to the study of a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection. This process is thought to be the catalyst for some of the most powerful explosions in our solar system.

New Mercury surface composition maps illuminate the planet's history Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:04 AM PDT Scientists have created global-scale maps of Mercury's surface chemistry that reveal previously unrecognized geochemical terranes -- large regions that have compositions distinct from their surroundings. The presence of these large terranes has important implications for the history of the planet