A miniature version of our solar system existed 11 billion years ago, and it had planets the size of Earth which could have held ancient life, according to scientists

Leading astronomers and scientists, including evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and physicist Brian Cox, have called for more to be done to prevent a devastating asteroid strike.

Scientists have re-established communication with the Philae space probe, which has made history by landing on a comet.

A stunning image showing where the robot probe Philae is due to make history by touching down on a fast-moving comet has been released by the European Space Agency (ESA).

A “supermoon” lit up the sky as stargazers enjoyed the Perseid meteor shower - one of the year’s most dramatic lunar events.

A dramatic “supermoon” is set to accompany this year’s Perseid meteor shower, one of the most anticipated events on the skywatcher’s calender.

After a 6.4bn kilometres journey, European spacecraft Rosetta became the first ever to catch up with a comet, a landmark stage in a decade-long space mission that scientists hope will help unlock some of the secrets of the solar system.

A European spacecraft is closing in on an icy comet more than 250 million miles (402 million km) away at the end of an epic 10-year journey across the Solar System.

Welcome to your Wednesday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

A European spacecraft is due to rendezvous with an icy comet today after an epic 10-year journey across the Solar System.

A European spacecraft is due to rendezvous with an icy comet tomorrow after an epic 10-year journey across the Solar System.

Astronomers are standing on a "great threshold" of space exploration that could see evidence of extra-terrestrial life being discovered in the next 20 years, an expert has claimed.

A mysterious “magic island” has appeared out of nowhere in radar images of a hydrocarbon sea on Saturn’s giant moon, Titan.

A newly discovered rocky planet may be the most Earth-like yet found in another solar system, scientists believe.

A fridge-sized robot lab hurtling through the Solar System aboard a European probe is about to wake from hibernation and prepare for the first-ever landing by a spacecraft on a comet.

IT’S the part of the internet that makes you a little sheepish. You’re filling out a form, typing in your name and address, and then the website asks for your ZIP code.

Life on Earth may have started on Mars, growing evidence suggests.

A mini-world the size of the Moon is the smallest planet yet discovered beyond the Solar System.

In Greek mythology Icarus attempted to escape from Crete using wings made of feathers and wax fashioned by his father, a master craftsman and innovator.

An asteroid which will come as close to the Earth than any other of its size in 35 years could reveal information about how our planet is formed when it speeds by today.

EARTH may once have had two moons, the one that shines at night today and a smaller companion, according to a new theory.

ORGANIC chemicals in a meteorite that exploded above Canada 11 years ago have provided strong evidence of life’s building blocks evolving in space.

ENDEAVOUR blasted off on NASA’s next-to-last shuttle flight, thundering through clouds into orbit as the mission commander’s wounded wife, Gabrielle Giffords, watched along with an exhilarated crowd estimated in the hundreds of thousands.

New research by Imperial College London which has been published in the journal 'Nature Geoscience' has found the earliest rocks in the Solar System looked like candy floss.

THREE new planets have been found orbiting a nearby star that is almost identical to the Sun.

A new space telescope has started taking pictures of the star-filled patch of sky where it will soon begin searching for Earth-like planets.

Roscommon-based observatory has detected what may be a new planet during routine observation of another star outside our Solar System.

SMALL rocky planets like Earth may outnumber Jupiter-sized “gas giants” by three-to-one, a recent discovery suggests.

Building blocks of life may have been found in a ring of red dust surrounding a distant star.

An Earth-like planet that could be covered in oceans and may support life has been discovered outside the Solar System.

An unmanned spacecraft the size of a piano is due to lift off tomorrow on a nine-year journey to the Pluto – the last unexplored planet in the Solar System.

Pluto has three moons, not one, new images from the Hubble Space Telescope suggest.

Scientists were celebrating tonight after confirmation that a European spacecraft had landed safely on Saturn’s icy cloud-covered moon Titan after a seven year journey.

A cosmic dust storm is heading for the Earth, scientists said today.

A fleet of mini-probes could be sent to rendezvous with asteroids under an ambitious British-led plan to investigate the threat of space objects hitting the Earth, it was revealed today.

The European Space Agency tonight pulled the plug on the historic Rosetta mission to land a spacecraft on a comet.

A comet discovered by astronomers this year and heading past the Earth later this month will be bright enough to see with the naked eye.

Astronomers say there's a strong chance at least one satellite will be put out of use by an upcoming meteor shower.

A British scientist revealed today the alchemist’s secret of turning base metal into gold.