astronomy

Stargazing in KC

Jeremy Bernfeld, Matthew Long-Middleton and Claire McInerny — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:36:40 +0000

Looking up at the sky is something we do everyday; maybe to check the weather, see if the sun is poking out and you need a jacket, and for some, to discover more about the universe we live in.

Celestial Happenings: Your Venus Transit Questions Answered

Charlie Upchurch, Andrea Silenzi and Jabulani Leffall — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:42:55 +0000

If you missed the Venus transit Tuesday afternoon, we have bad news: you’re not going to have another chance to see it.

Transit Of Venus: A Once In A Lifetime Event

Véronique LaCapra — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 14:56:55 +0000

A rare astronomical event will be visible over the skies of Kansas City at 5:10 p.m. Tuesday, June 5—the transit of Venus. That’s when Venus, from our viewpoint, will pass across the sun.

Messenger Probe Sends Back New Data From Mercury

Joe Palca — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:09:00 +0000

There's a small spacecraft called Messenger that's been orbiting the planet Mercury for a year. Today, at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, astronomers revealed what they've learned about the innermost planet in our solar system, and some of the new knowledge is puzzling.

Maria Zuber, a planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studied a large crater 900 miles across called Caloris.

"The northern half of Caloris has actually been uplifted so that it's actually higher than its rim," she says.