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astronomical and space sciences posts

Making bricks on Mars News

by David Shaw, 25 May 2017 | 0 comments

An illustration of an underground Mars base.

If you’ve ever dreamed of living on Mars, you’ve probably realised you’ll need a place to live. That’s one reason to be excited about Martian brick research being conducted by scientists in the United States. Recently, a team showed that it’s actually quite easy to make bricks out of Mars dirt.

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Cool stars and comfy planets News

by David Shaw, 17 March 2017 | 0 comments

A star and seven planets

Is there life on other planets? It may seem like we’re alone in the universe, but there’s still hope. The race is on to find signs of life on Earth-like planets, which have atmospheres and liquid water on the surface.

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New dish helps spaceships phone home News

by David Shaw, 22 December 2016 | 0 comments

A large radio telescope dish.

Voyager, Pathfinder, Cassini. Humanity has sent out dozens of plucky little space probes to explore our solar system. But when these robots need to call home, who’s listening in?

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Gravity makes the Earth age slowly News

by David Shaw, 15 June 2016 | 0 comments

The Earth, siting on a distorted grid.

It’s a science fiction horror story – a young astronaut takes a year-long mission closely orbiting a black hole. When he returns home, thousands of years have passed and everyone he has ever known has been dead for centuries. Is there a hint of truth to this terrifying tale?

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Where on Earth am I? Activity

by David Shaw, 2 March 2016 | 0 comments

A picture of the wold, with a triangle on the surface.

Learn about latitude, and find out where exactly on the Earth you are!

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Name Pluto News

by Jasmine Fellows, 24 April 2015 | 0 comments

A gold spaceship above a planet.

Written by Beth Askham The New Horizons spacecraft has begun sending back images of the much loved dwarf planet. As it gets closer, we will see features on Pluto’s surface for the first time. Craters, canyons, mountains will appear in New Horizons’ images. But what shall we call them?

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Biggest ever asteroid impact found in Australia News

by Jasmine Fellows, 27 March 2015 | 0 comments

An asteroid high above the Earth.

Written by Beth Askham Deep underground in the centre of Australia is evidence of the biggest asteroid impact in the Earth’s history. It wasn’t just a single impact, but a twin strike from a meteorite that may have split into two as it plummeted towards Earth.

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Massive asteroid passes close to Earth News

by Jasmine Fellows, 30 January 2015 | 0 comments

Written by Beth Askham On Monday, the Earth survived a close encounter with a very large asteroid. If you think that a massive rock hurtling through space close to Earth is terrifying, be comforted that in this case, close is still 1.2 million kilometres away.

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Southern Cross clock Activity

by David Shaw, 27 January 2015 | 0 comments

A drawing of a driveway and the Southern Cross.

As the Southern Cross moves across the night sky, learn how to use it as a clock. Safety: This activity asks you to head outdoors at night. Ask an adult for permission, and make sure they know where you are. Check the weather forecast and dress for the conditions.

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Catching a comet News

by Jasmine Fellows, 14 November 2014 | 0 comments

Philae lander arrives on comet

Written by Sarah Kellett Earlier this week, the Rosetta spacecraft released a lander called Philae (FEE-lay) to land onto a comet’s icy surface. This European Space Agency mission is the first ever to orbit and land on a comet.

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Double helix cover

Double Helix

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