Astronomy Picture and Story---July 3- - Vanishing Act on Mars

Explanation: Compare these two close-up pictures taken on sol 20 (left) and sol 24 of a trench dug in the Martian surface by NASA's Phoenix Lander. Those sols of the Phoenix Mission (a sol is a Martian day), correspond to June 15 and 18 on planet Earth.

Earth's Cries Recorded in Space

Earth emits an ear-piercing series of chirps and whistles that could be heard by any aliens who might be listening, astronomers have discovered. The sound is awful, a new recording from space reveals.

Astronomy Picture and Story---July 1- - In the Center of the Trifid Nebula

Explanation: Clouds of glowing gas mingle with dust lanes in the Trifid Nebula, a star forming region toward the constellation of Sagittarius. In the center, the three prominent dust lanes that give the Trifid its name all come together.

Solar eclipse coming to 'Second Life' | Tech news blog

In the wee hours of August 1, the moon and the sun will pass each other for a breathtaking full solar eclipse, but U.S. residents won't be able to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon because of their location on the planet.

An Armchair Astronomer Discovers Something Very Odd Indeed

THE task of peering into the cosmos and discovering strange new galaxies sounds like a job for astronomers armed with big and very expensive telescopes.

Hawking 'close' to explaining universe's inflation

WHY was the big bang so very big? It has been a struggle to explain why the infant universe expanded so rapidly.