Latest News

Our pick of the latest physics stories from around the world wide web.

UK astronaut chosen for ISS mission

20/05/2013

UK astronaut Tim Peake has been chosen for a mission aboard the ISS in 2015.


Hardware problem on Kepler

Credit: NASA

16/05/2013

The second of four flywheels on NASA's Kepler telescope is not working leaving the telescope in safe mode.


Top 10 Physicists

13/05/2013

The Observer picks their top 10 physicists.


Traces of water in moon rock strengthen link between Earth and Moon

10/05/2013

Water found in moon rock strengthens theory that moon was made from the Earth.


NASA aims for Man on Mars

Credit: NASA

07/05/2013

NASA chief see nothing to stop putting a man on Mars.


Herschel Powers Down

Credit: ESA

03/05/2013

After running out of helium coolant the Herschel telescope is powering down.


ITER design decision confirmed

Credit: EFDA,JET

29/04/2013

A critical part of the ITER's designs was finally approved, although the project is still behind schedule.


LHC data continues dark mattter puzzle

Credit: CERN

26/04/2013

Latest data from the LHC still leaves questions unanswered about the prevalence of matter over antimatter.


Antares has successful test flight

Credit: NASA

22/04/2013

A new rocket built by a commercial company has been successfully tested.


Most Earth-like exoplanets so far

19/04/2013

Kepler has found 3 new exoplanets that are super-Earth sized and could have water.


Gamma ray camera captures first image

15/04/2013

A new gamma ray camera has captured its first image.


Saturns rings rain changes atmosphere

Credit: NASA

12/04/2013

Rain from Saturn's rings has been found to alter regions of electrons in the atmosphere.


NASA gives go ahead to new planet hunter satellite

Credit: MIT Kavli Insitute For Astrophysics and Space Research

08/04/2013

NASA has announced the next satellite to search for Earth-like exoplanet.


Hints at dark matter

04/04/2013

A particle detector has given more hints to dark matter.


Melt water changing arctic ice cover

02/04/2013

A new study indicates melt water is changing how much sea ice is frozen during autumn and winter.


Synchrotron helps develop new way to make vaccines

Credit: Diamond Light Source

28/03/2013

The Diamond synchrotron has helped to develop a new way to make vaccines which should be safer and more effective.


NASA suspends education and outreach work

25/03/2013

Due to budget cuts NASA is suspending education and outreach work.


Planck reveals new map of the universe

Credit: ESA and the Planck Collaboration

22/03/2013

The Planck mission has revealed it's new map of the cosmic microwave background.


CME arrives at Earth

Credit: flickr/58122391@N03

18/03/2013

A large coronal mass ejection reached Earth over the weekend.


LHC confirms discovery of the Higgs

Credit: CERN

15/03/2013

More data from the LHC has shored up the discovery of the Higgs boson announced in July 2012.


Kepler detects 50 planets that could have life

12/03/2013

A meeting in London recently announced that Kepler has discovered 3000 planets, 50 of which may be capable of harbouring life.


Mars rover powers down for solar flare.

Credit: NASA, JPL

07/03/2013

After the troubles with Curiosity's computer, the rover is being powered down for a solar flare heading for Mars.


Meteorite hits Russia. Then asteroid passes by.

18/02/2013

A meteorite has exploded over Russia, while a asteroid passed within 17,000 miles of the Earth


LHC to switch off for two years

Credit: CERN

15/02/2013

The LHC will be switched off to allow repairs and upgrades to the particle collider.


Curiosity drills into rock

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

11/02/2013

Curiosity has taken a sample of rock after using its drill.


Asteroid set to make close pass

Credit: NASA

08/02/2013

An asteroid is set to come within 18,000 miles of the Earth, the closest object in 15 years of monitoring.


Curiosity hammers rock

04/02/2013

Curiosity has used its drill bit to hammer into a rock, revealing a fresh surface.


Iran sends monkey into space

Credit: NASA

01/02/2013

Iran has released video footage of the returned monkey that they sent into space.


Magnetic braid thought to cause corona's extreme temperatures

Credit: NASA

28/01/2013

Images have been taken the support the idea that magnetic braids causing the extreme temperatures in the sun's corona.


Dung beetles find their bearings using the Milky Way

Credit: flickr/jmabel

25/01/2013

A new study shows that dung beetles use the milky way to find their bearings.


Giant quasar group found

Credit: NASA

21/01/2013

A giant quasar group has been discovered. It is 3 times as big as the biggest object in the universe and challenges Einstein's cosmological principle.


Inflatable space capsule to be tested

18/01/2013

A lightweight space capsule is being developed to be tested in 2015 on the ISS that could lead to a wave of new designs.


Galaxies collide to make biggest spiral galaxy

Credit: NASA

14/01/2013

The largest spiral galaxy has been imaged, and is expected to have results from a collision between two galaxies.


Billions of Earth-sized planets in our galaxy

Credit: NASA

11/01/2013

Results from the Kepler satellite show 1 in 6 stars have a earth-sized planet in orbit.


New type of Martian meteorite found

07/01/2013

A Martian, meteorite different to any previously found, has been uncovered in Morocco.


River found on Titan

Credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech/ASI

17/12/2012

A river of hydrocarbons has been found on Saturn's moon Titan.


Two satellites to crash into the moon

14/12/2012

Two NASA satellites are going to be crashed into the moon to study its interior.


Sir Patrick Moore dies

Credit: flickr/sermoa

10/12/2012

Astronomer and TV personality Sir Patrick Moore has passed away, aged 89.


Full scale of Moon bumps shown

Credit: NASA/ARC/MIT

06/12/2012

The Grail mission has released a detailed map of the moon showing the extent of the bombardment experienced by the moon.


Shrinking ice caps confirmed

Credit: flickr/gilad_rom

03/12/2012

Researchers have used results from the past 20 years to confirm that some areas of the polar ice caps are melting.


Ice found on Mercury

CREDIT: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington/National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Arecibo Observatory

30/11/2012

Ice has been detected in the craters on Mercury by the MESSENGER satellite.


A new partner for ExoMars

Credit: ESA

26/11/2012

Russian Federation Space Agency is teaming up with ESA to work on the ExoMars mission.


Curiosity has made a big discovery but NASA won't tell yet

Credit: NASA

23/11/2012

Curiosity has made a discovery that is one for the history books but NASA are double checking first before revealing it.


Higg Boson is plain vanilla Higgs

Credit: CERN

19/11/2012

Latest finding from the LHC at CERN indicate the Higgs Boson found is the standard model Higgs.


Quasars highlight the role of dark energy in the formation of the universe.

Credit: SDSS

13/11/2012

Scientists have studied the evolution of quasars to find out new details about dark energy.


New exoplanet with Earth like climate

09/11/2012

A new super Earth sized exoplanet has been discovered which could have a climate similar to the Earth's.


'No methane yet' says Curiosity

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

05/11/2012

Curiosity has found no evidence of methane on the surface of Mars so far


Astronauts fix ISS ammonia leak

Credit: NASA

02/11/2012

Astronauts aboard the ISS have fixed an ammonia leak


Curiosity samples soil with x-rays

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

31/10/2012

The first sample of Mars was analysised by Curiosity's x-ray diffraction tool CheMin.


Widespread warning as Hurricane Sandy approaches US east coast.

Credit: NOAA/NASA

29/10/2012

Hurricane Sandy is predicted to cause "life threatening" damage as it heads towards the east coast of the USA