Sun erupts with 17 flares from single sunspot, sending solar storms toward Earth

At least 17 solar eruptions from a single sunspot on the sun have blasted into space in recent days, including some charged particles that may create a colorful sky show on Earth. The sun eruptions originated from an overactive sunspot, called AR2975, which has been firing off flares since Monday (March 28). We may soon see some moderate sky storms on Earth due to the stellar event. Sunspots are eruptions on the sun that occur when magnetic lines twist and suddenly realign near the visible surface. At times, these explosions…

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Record-breaking NASA astronaut, 2 cosmonauts returning to Earth early Wednesday: Watch live

A record-breaking NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts will return to Earth early Wednesday (March 30), and you can watch their homecoming live. A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying NASA’s Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station Wednesday at 3:21 a.m. EDT (0721 GMT) and land back on Earth in the steppe of Kazakhstan, a vast open grassland, just over four hours later. You can watch the return to Earth live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly…

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V2 rocket: Origin, history and spaceflight legacy

The V2 rocket was the world’s first large-scale liquid-propellant rocket, developed between 1936 and 1942 in Nazi Germany. It is regarded as a revolutionary breakthrough in rocket technology, with the use of liquid fuel increasing its thrust capabilities and making it the first artificial object to enter space.  The V2 was the most advanced rocket of its time, when it was first launched in 1944, according to the journal Current Swedish Archaeology. However, the purpose of its production was deadly.  The V in its name stood for “Vergeltungswaffe”, meaning “Vengeance…

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