Space
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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Humans
Neil Armstrong, first man on moon, dies at 82
Apollo 11 commander held true to his engineering roots.
- Astronomy
Black hole’s annual feast begins
Astronomers offer explanations for source of light around object with an unusual yearly behavior.
By Nadia Drake - Space
Weird pulsars debut at Beijing astronomy meeting
Newfound oddities challenge researchers’ imaginations.
By Nadia Drake - Space
Giant cluster phenomenally fertile
Stars form at an impressive rate thanks to a snoozing black hole at the center of the massive object.
By Nadia Drake - Planetary Science
Dawn mission to die another day
A glitch does not threaten the spacecraft’s survival, but it will delay an upcoming visit to the dwarf planet Ceres.
By Nadia Drake - Planetary Science
Wheels down, Mars rover takes in the view
After a safe landing, NASA’s Curiosity begins transmitting images back to Earth.
By Nadia Drake - Planetary Science
Curiosity lands safely on Mars
Lowered by sky crane onto the surface, NASA rover prepares to look for signs that life could have evolved on the Red Planet.
By Nadia Drake - Planetary Science
A lifetime of curiosity: An interview with JPL director Charles Elachi
Nadia Drake speaks with the lab head days before the Mars Science Laboratory’s scheduled landing.
By Nadia Drake - Planetary Science
BLOG: Mission control before the party
On the eve of Curiosity’s planned Martian landing, Science News astronomy reporter Nadia Drake checks out JPL’s space central.
By Nadia Drake - Planetary Science
Young scientist crosses fingers for Mars rover
Ryan Anderson’s graduate work helped researchers select Curiosity’s landing site in Gale Crater.
By Nadia Drake - Astronomy
Curiosity to look for habitable environs
Set to land on Mars August 5, NASA mission will search for signs that the planet could support life, now or long ago.
By Nadia Drake - Planetary Science
Curiosity readies for dramatic entrance
NASA’s new Mars rover aims to alight on the Red Planet like a pop star being lowered onto stage.
By Nadia Drake