2013
Collision Course? A Comet Heads for Mars
March 26, 2013
A comet is heading for Mars, and there is a chance that it might hit the Red Planet in October 2014. An impact wouldn't necessarily mean the end of NASA's Mars program. But it would transform the program along with Mars itself.
Comet ISON Meteor Shower
April 19, 2013
A new model of the debris flowing from Comet ISON suggests that the sungrazer could dust the Earth with meteoroids in early 2014. Experts discuss the possibilities today's story from Science@NASA.
Comet of the Century?
Jan. 18, 2013
Astronomers are keeping a close eye on newly-discovered Comet ISON, which could become visible in broad daylight later this year when it skims through the atmosphere of the sun.
Curiosity Drills into Mars
Feb. 9, 2013
In a milestone accomplishment, NASA's Curiosity rover has drilled into a rock on Mars and gathered material from its interior. This is the first time any robot has drilled into a rock to collect a sample on Mars.
Don't Let This Happen to Your Planet
March 29, 2013
Life as we know it doesn't thrive on planets without ozone layers, which is why the recovery of Earth's ozone layer is so important. A new instrument slated for launch to the ISS will monitor our planet's protective ozone cocoon with greater depth and precision than ever before.
Dry Ice "Snowboards" on Mars
June 12, 2013
New research suggests that some of the famous gullies on Mars are caused by slabs of dry ice gliding down sand dunes on cushions of gas similar to miniature hovercraft.
Gigantic Hurricane Spotted on Saturn
April 29, 2013
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has spotted a gigantic hurricane swirling inside a mysterious, six-sided weather pattern known as "the hexagon" at Saturn's north pole.
Glow-in-the-Dark Plants on the ISS
May 6, 2013
Can plants adapt to the novelty of climate change? Researchers seeking to answer this question have sent genetically engineered plants to the ISS for exposure to extreme conditions. To report their stress, the plants have learned to glow in the dark.
Hubble Sees Comet ISON
April 24, 2013
Later this year, Comet ISON is expected to become a naked-eye object when it skims through the atmosphere of the sun. The Hubble Space Telescope has just obtained a sneak preview.
Kepler Discovers a System of Tiny Planets
Feb. 20, 2013
NASA's Kepler mission scientists have discovered a new planetary system that is home to the smallest planet yet found around a star similar to our sun.