There are two leading ways to measure the universe's rate of expansion, and for fifteen years, they more or less agreed with one another. Not anymore, and that’s a big deal.
On August 21, 2017, a continent-spanning wave of instruments from home-made pinhole cameras to the most sophisticated telescopes in operation today will be trained on the Eclipse Across America.
Cassini is in the process of executing 22 daring ‘Grand Finale’ dives in the 1,200-mile gap between Saturn and its innermost ring, concluding with an epic final plunge into the gas giant’s upper atmosphere.
The cosmic ray detector known as CREAM is headed for the International Space Station, with a goal of measuring the highest energy possible for direct measurement of high-energy cosmic rays.
The Perseid meteor shower will peak on August 11, 12, and 13, and a Total Solar Eclipse will be visible in the United States from coast to coast on August 21.