I’ve seen one partial solar eclipse in my lifetime and several lunar eclipses—they always fascinate me. Unfortunately for me, last week’s partial solar eclipse was only visible in Europe, North Africa and central Asia. If you got a glimpse, lucky you! National Geographic posted some great photos of the occurrence. You may already know that a solar eclipse is not the same as a lunar eclipse. What’s the difference? A lunar eclipse is...

NASA scientists have witnessed a new first – the Washington Post reports that astronomers have observed the creation of what appears to be a black hole, marking the first time the spectacle has ever been viewed. Scientists first noticed signs of the event 30 years ago when a star more than 50 million light years away imploded. This created what scientists believe is a black hole – a region with gravity so great that not even...

NASA engineers have finally completed work on the agency's Mars antenna, the satellite dish that acts as NASA's primary communication channel with its exploration rovers and orbiters circling Mars. The 7 million-pound antenna was taken out of commission earlier this year to give NASA mechanics the opportunity to run basic repairs and upgrade its functionality to support new space exploration. The repairs were completed ahead of...

NASA engineers have finally completed work on the agency's Mars antenna, the satellite dish that acts as NASA's primary communication channel with its exploration rovers and orbiters circling Mars. The 7 million-pound antenna was taken out of commission earlier this year to give NASA mechanics the opportunity to run basic repairs and upgrade its functionality to support new space exploration. The repairs were completed ahead of...

NASA has delayed the launch of The Discovery until Tuesday after mechanics found a critical air leak in the right Orbital Maneuvering System Pod. The mission is set to be The Discovery's last before NASA retires the space shuttle.  CNN reports the new launch time is scheduled for 4:12 p.m. on Tuesday, provided the weather is appropriate for takeoff. Discovery's mission has already been delayed several times over the course of...

Virgin Galactic, a space tourism firm housed under the multinational Virgin Group brand, is bidding to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, reports Aviation Week. Virgin Galactic will compete in NASA's upcoming Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) competition to win those rights. "There's about four companies that are seriously looking at [CCDev Phase 2]," Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Galactic, told...