When it came out of hibernation after seven months of silence back in mid-June, scientists at the European Space Agency were jubilant about what Philae, the first probe ever landed successfully on a comet, could tell them. But now Philae has gone silent again for nearly the past two weeks, and scientists at ESA are unsure when they'll be able to re-establish contact, or even if they'll be able to. The agency has two possible explanations for the sudden silence:...

A successful July 22 launch landed American astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Kimiya Yui from Japan on the International Space Station for a five-month stay. (NASA/A. Gemignani) After a two-month delay, the International Space Station crew is back “,” according to NASA, reporting after the July 22 successful launch and arrival of a Soyuz space capsule carrying American astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Kimiya Yui from Japan. The capsule, which lifted off Wednesday from...

A first-of-its-kind breakthrough for NASA, as scientists announce they’ve found "Earth's bigger, older cousin" that's orbiting a sun-like star and might harbor life. The researchers announced their discovery Thursday based on observations from NASA's Kepler space telescope. "It is the closest thing that we have to another place that somebody else might call home," said Jon Jenkins, the lead data analyst from NASA's Ames Research Center in California. NASA says exoplanet Kepler-452b is the closest ever found that matches the...

It's almost time for another blue moon, but we're not talking about a drink. In most cases, the term describes the phenomenon that takes place when there are two full moons in the same calendar month. According to Earth Sky, . Generally, the moon is only full about once every 30 days. This means the blue moon phenomenon can only take place if there is a full moon in the first few days of a month. The last full moon...

Pluto is proving to be a never-ending world of wonders after stunning scientists with what appeared to be flowing ice and a hazier-than-expected atmosphere. New pictures of the previously unexplored dwarf planet were released Friday by the team in charge of the New Horizons Pluto flyby. “If you’re seeing a cardiologist, you may want to leave the room,” Alan Stern, New Horizons principal scientist, joked during a news conference at NASA Headquarters. “There some pretty mind-blowing discoveries.” (MORE: ) NASA's...

This false-color image from the Sentinel-2A satellite shows agricultural structures near Tubarjal, Saudi Arabia. Circles come from a central-pivot irrigation system, where the long water pipe rotates around a well at the center. (Copernicus Sentinel data (2015)/ESA) The latest endeavor from the European Space Agency, the , has a long life ahead, and it’s starting off with a bang, sending back detailed pictures of everything from a glacier in Greenland to a desert in Libya to the false-color crop circle...

Thirty-three bucks isn't typically enough fill the tank of most vehicles these days, yet $33.31 was all former astronaut Buzz Aldrin expensed the U.S. government for his roundtrip journey to the moon. In an Aug. 2 tweet, Aldrin joined in on the throwback Thursday hashtag and shared photos of two documents from the July 1969 Apollo 11 mission. Decidedly more interesting than old family photos, the documents showed a reimbursement of $33.31 for the 20-day venture and a customs declaration...

“If you see one meteor shower this year, make it .” That’s the recommendation from NASA in its overview of the best annual showers. For 2015, the Perseids peak overnight Wednesday, Aug. 12 into the early morning hours of Aug. 13. Though the meteors travel quickly — up to speeds of — there’s still a solid chance to see some of these fireballs, with up to 100 meteors per hour dashing across the sky. “The Perseids are always a great...

A new image from Mars has the internet buzzing. The photo, taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover, appears to show a woman with long, flowing hair and a dress with a low neckline, standing on a rock facing towards the rover’s camera. NASA's Curiosity rover captured an image of what some are saying is a tiny woman on the Martian surface. (NASA) NASA hasn’t commented on the image, but it gained attention after the UFO Sightings Daily .“I have to admit,...

Stars and meteor streaks are seen behind a destroyed house, near Tuzla, Bosnia, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015. The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on Wednesday night. (AP Photo/Amel Emric) The Perseid meteor shower, which peaked overnight Wednesday into the early morning hours of Thursday, Aug. 13, was slated to be pretty spectacular, touted as the one of the best of the year by NASA, with up to 100 meteors per hour and the promise of little glare from...

Americans will get a front-row seat at a dazzling sky show two years from now when the next total solar eclipse passes directly over the middle of the country, an event that has prompted many observers to start calling it "the Great American Eclipse." Set to take place on Aug. 21, 2017, the eclipse will pass directly over a huge swath of the country stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, and will reach its peak –which astronmers call its points...

What does this cloud look like to you? (Jay Albert/capeannimages ) Terry Robinson was photographing a cosmic nebula near the constellation Cariana from his home in Melbourne, Australia when he captured something strikingly familiar in the interstellar cloud — The Statue of Liberty. Using a 10-year-old telescope he built himself, Robinson captured over 28 exposures at 1,800 seconds each to create the incredible image. When the photo was finally ready, Robinson couldn't help but notice that part of the nebula...