You Can Orbit Earth, Thanks to Teacher

18 sequences of time-lapse photography reveal our electrifying planet

(NEWSER) - Remember the last 'round-the-world trip we recommended? This one might be even better. It's 18 sequences of time-lapse photography (the first two over the US) taken 240 miles above the earth by the International Space Station and edited by designer Michael König . They make our home look positively electrifying. Earth shimmers with light nearly nonstop in the photos, from the artificial lights of cities to lightning to the Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis. Click here for the list of fly-over sites. More»

(NEWSER) - The shuttle Discovery detached from the International Space Station today and began its journey home to Earth, Space.com reports. The 13-day mission help resupply and repair the station; the seven crewmembers are scheduled to return to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:05pm Thursday. More»

(NEWSER) - Fearing a strike by orbiting space junk, the three astronauts on the International Space Station evacuated to an attached capsule this morning, the Houston Chronicle reports. Though the chance of impact was slight, the debris—a 4-inch piece of an old rocket—could have caused major damage to the station. The astronauts returned safely minutes after the item passed within 3 miles. More»

But Asteroid 2010 SO16 has an unusual 'horseshoe' orbit

(NEWSER) - Earth has a new follower: Asteroid 2010 SO16, which has joined the Earth's path around the sun and could follow it for the next 120,000 to 1 million years, scientists say. But there's one odd thing about the asteroid, which just so happens to be the largest space rock discovered so close to Earth: It orbits the sun in a horseshoe pattern. More»

Bottle will remain sealed, hit museums

(NEWSER) - The Discovery crew will leave the International Space Station today for the first of two spacewalks—and one of their missions is to capture a sample of space in a metal bottle. The bottle will be given to Japan's space agency, which says it will remain sealed and make the museum rounds to provide "a conduit between humans and space." The astronauts will also put some finishing touches on the space station, the Christian Science Monitor reports. More»