News & Features
Follow mission news or learn about exciting new discoveries from NASA centers and research partners.
NASA's Cassini Delivers Holiday Treats From Saturn
Dec. 23, 2011
No team of reindeer, but radio signals flying clear across the solar system from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have delivered a holiday package of glorious images.
WISE Presents a Cosmic Wreath
Dec. 23, 2011
Sprigs of holly, a big red bow and silver bells appear to dress up this cosmic star-forming wreath, captured by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).
First Direct Measurement of Earth's Rotation
Dec. 23, 2011
A team of scientists has successfully plotted changes in the Earth's axis through laboratory measurements.
2012: Shadow of the Dark Rift
Dec. 22, 2011
Viewed far from city lights, a glowing path called the Milky Way can be seen arching across the starry sky. No concerns for 2012.
NASA Telescopes Help Find Rare Galaxy at Dawn of Time
Dec. 22, 2011
NASA's Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes have discovered that one of the most distant galaxies known is churning out stars at a shockingly high rate.
Dawn Obtains First Low Altitude Images of Vesta
Dec. 22, 2011
NASA's Dawn spacecraft has sent back the first images of the giant asteroid Vesta from its low-altitude mapping orbit.
NASA Studies Vegetation Canopy Water Content, Soil Moisture
Dec. 21, 2011
Scientists seeking insight into the role vegetation plays in water fluctuation between soil and the atmosphere recently conducted research using specialized sensors during a series of NASA Airborne Science flights.
Meteorite Shock Waves Cause Dust Avalanches on Mars
Dec. 20, 2011
Dust avalanches around impact craters on Mars appear to be the result of the shock wave preceding the actual impact, according to a new study.
Fear No Supernova
Dec. 19, 2011
Another erroneous doomsday theory for 2012 is that a supernova explosion could harm life on Earth. Astronomers can say with certainty that there is no threatening star close enough to hurt Earth.
Lava Tube Microbes Live in Mars-Like Conditions
Dec. 16, 2011
Researchers have discovered microbes that thrive in an environment that is, in some ways, "Mars-like."