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2008

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  • Spotless Sun: Blankest Year of the Space Age

    Sept. 30, 2008

    Astronomers who count sunspots have announced that 2008 has become the "blankest year" of the Space Age. Sunspot counts are at a 50-year low, signifying a deep minimum in the 11-year cycle of solar activity.

  • Discovered: A New Kind of Pulsar

    Oct. 17, 2008

    NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has discovered a new kind of pulsar that hints at a previously unsuspected population of stars waiting to be found in the Milky Way.

  • The Physicsof Whipped Cream

    April 25, 2008

    An experiment in space has shed new light on the puzzling Physicsof some everyday substances such as blood, ketchup, motor oil and whipped cream.

  • Return of the Leonids

    Dec. 4, 2008

    Astronomers from NASA and Caltech are predicting a near-storm of Leonids in 2009 based on a surprising outburst of Meteorsjust two weeks ago.

  • Extremophile Hunt Begins

    Feb. 7, 2008

    A team of scientists has just set off to explore a strange lake in Antarctica, which may be home to exotic forms of microscopic life.

  • The 2008 Great Moonbuggy Race

    April 7, 2008

    Contestants in NASA's 15th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race have crossed the finish line. And the winner is.... Read today's story to find out who crashed and who triumphed in the adventurous competition.

  • Gravity Waves Make Tornadoes

    March 19, 2008

    New research by NASA-supported scientists shows how atmospheric gravity waves, the kind we often see rippling in clouds overhead, can hit a thunderstorm and turn it into a deadly tornado.

  • Strange Ring Found Circling Dead Star

    May 29, 2008

    NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has found a bizarre ring of material around the magnetic remains of a star that blasted itself to smithereens. Although rings and spheres of material are common in the universe, this one is not like any ring astronomers have ever seen before.

  • Naked-eye Gamma Ray Burst

    March 21, 2008

    Two nights ago, astronomers observed a cosmic explosion so intense it was visible to the naked eye from a distance of 7.5 billion light years.

  • The 2008 Perseid Meteor Shower

    July 22, 2008

    The 2008 Perseid meteor shower peaks during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday, August 12th, and forecasters say it should be a good show.