Vote Now! Best Space Stories of the Week – Sept. 7, 2014

Space Holidays, Moon Sparks and More

Last week scientists mapped our Laniakea supercluster, the home of our Milky Way and astronauts celebrated Labor Day in their own way. See the best stories from the week here.

FIRST STOP: Astronaut All-Stars Will Visit China to Talk Space Cooperation

Astronaut All-Stars Will Visit China to Talk Space Cooperation

Sept. 5 - Buzz Aldrin is headed for China soon for Association for Space Explorers meeting. It promises to be a unique gathering of the global astronaut corps including the Chinese.

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NEXT: Giant Geysers on Jupiter's Icy Moon Europa Mysteriously Disappear

Giant Geysers on Jupiter's Icy Moon Europa Mysteriously Disappear

Sept. 5 - The giant plumes of water vapor erupting from Jupiter's ice-covered moon Europa seem to have disappeared, and scientists aren't sure why.

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NEXT: Newfound Asteroid Will Give Earth Super-Close Shave on Sunday

Newfound Asteroid Will Give Earth Super-Close Shave on Sunday

Sept. 4 - An asteroid will make a close brush with Earth on Sunday, passing by the planet well inside the orbit of the moon.

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NEXT: New Galactic Supercluster Map Shows Milky Way's 'Heavenly' Home

Newfound Comet Visible in Binoculars and Telescopes: How to See It

Sept. 3 - Look up using a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to find a bright comet in the night sky this week. Here’s how to see the new Comet Jacques.

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NEXT: Russia's Space Sex Geckos Found Dead After Landing

New Galactic Supercluster Map Shows Milky Way's 'Heavenly' Home

Sept. 3 - Scientists have created a stunning and unprecedented map of the what they are calling the Laniakea supercluster, the home of our Milky Way galaxy.

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NEXT: Newfound Comet Visible in Binoculars and Telescopes: How to See It

Russia's Space Sex Geckos Found Dead After Landing

Sept. 2 - A group of geckos sent to space so that scientists could study the lizards' mating habits in weightlessness have died.

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NEXT: Falling on the Moon: How Much Gravity Do Astronauts Really Need?

Falling on the Moon: How Much Gravity Do Astronauts Really Need?

Sept. 4 - A YouTube search for "astronauts falling over" will yield dozens of results. New experiments might help explain why the Apollo astronauts occasionally struggled to stay upright.

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NEXT: Intense Solar Eruption Captured by NASA Spacecraft

Intense Solar Eruption Captured by NASA Spacecraft

Sept. 3 - A huge filament of plasma that had been creeping across the face of the sun erupted yesterday and it could be sending a cloud of debris toward Earth.

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NEXT: Electric Moon Sparks May Break Down Lunar Dirt

Electric Moon Sparks May Break Down Lunar Dirt

Sept. 2 - Electric sparks on the moon might have helped break down lunar soil, suggesting the moon may be more active than previously thought, researchers say.

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NEXT: Labor Day in Space: A Weightless Holiday for US Astronauts

Labor Day in Space: A Weightless Holiday for US Astronauts

Sept. 1 - While many Americans will spend Labor Day (Sept. 1) barbecuing, relaxing and soaking up the end of summer, U.S. astronauts in space will spend the holiday in their own way: floating in weightlessness.

[Full Story]