The name of the mission is Solar Probe+. It's designed to plunge deep into the sun's atmosphere sampling solar wind and magnetism. Launch could happen as early as 2015. Planners believe it will solve two great mysteries of astrophysics and make many new discoveries along the way. picked by 2manyusernames 6 months ago

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is sending a spacecraft closer to the sun than any probe has ever gone – and what it finds could revolutionize what we know about our star and the solar wind that influences everything in our solar system. picked by AutumnLotus 7 months ago

Astronomers said Wednesday that they had found a miniature version of our own solar system 5,000 light-years across the galaxy — the first planetary system that really looks like our own, with outer giant planets and room for smaller inner planets.

They also found signs of Elvis and Amelia Earhart. picked by mahler87 10 months ago

The Global Positioning System, relied on for everything from navigating cars and airplanes to transferring money between banks, may be threatened by powerful solar flares, a panel of scientists warned. picked by suebe 2 years ago

For the first time, astronomers think that they've found evidence of an alien solar system around a star close enough to Earth to be visible to the naked eye. picked by AutumnLotus 1 month ago

The US spacecraft Dawn, due to launch on Sunday, will take a close look at two massive asteroids to try to penetrate the mystery of our solar system's origins 4.6 billion years ago. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

NASA's sun-focused STEREO spacecraft unexpectedly detected particles from the edge of the solar system last year. picked by Bornbad 5 months ago

Scientists are tracking the violent convulsions in the giant cloud of gas and dust that gave birth to the solar system 4.5 billion years ago via a few tiny particles from comet Wild 2. picked by AutumnLotus 2 weeks ago

Samples taken from the Tagish Lake meteorite, discovered in 2000, have revealed evidence of organic matter that predates our Sun and Solar System, according to the study, published in today's edition of the U.S. journal Science. picked by teaya21 2 years ago

This solar powered laptop features powerful batteries that are recharged by wide Solar Panel attached to the computer. picked by thinkpozzitive 9 months ago

It is the rare gas giant planet that inhabits the outskirts of its solar system. Most are like our own Jupiter and prefer to stick close to their stars, a new study suggests. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

Using the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) instruments on board NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft, a consortium of scientists has seen, for the first time, large waves of solar material sweeping past Earth. picked by AutumnLotus 12 months ago

Incredible solar powered aircrafts ready to change the way we’ll fly in the green future...... picked by yashibn 2 years ago

A groundbreaking took place Monday at Nellis Air Force Base, just north of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the desolate, arid, windswept Mojave Desert. The ceremony will initiate construction on what will be the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) array in the United States, capable of producing 15-18 megawatts of power. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A solar-powered barbecue has gone on sale in the UK, allowing fans of outdoor cooking to enjoy summer without fear of harming the environment. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Create your own system of planets. Change the direction and velocity of celestial bodies and keep them within your stars gravitational pull. Be sure to "select preset" at the top right & "set number of bodies" at bottom left. picked by ogri2003 1 year ago

Some people may think "life begins at 40". According to recent research, at age 39 our brain reaches its peak speed, and it's all downhill after that. picked by Bornbad 1 month ago

By looking at sun-like stars in their infancy, researchers have used a powerful telescope and a new bag of tricks to peer at planet-formation under way. The result: Three wildly different setups, suggesting our solar system is perhaps neither unique nor all that strange. picked by AutumnLotus 3 months ago

On April 9, the Sun erupted and blasted a bubble of hot, ionized gas into the solar system. The eruption was observed in unprecedented detail by a fleet of spacecraft, revealing new features that are predicted by computer models but difficult to see in practice. VIDEO picked by AutumnLotus 6 months ago

A new energy concept called a solar tower could generate enough electricity for 200,000 homes. Looking like a giant smokestack, it would release no noxious fumes — just sun-heated air. picked by deEPCHIll 5 months ago