Astronauts are Going to Attach a “Robot Hotel” to the Outside of the International Space Station The Robotic Tool Stowage (RiTS) unit recently launched for the ISS, where it will be integrated and provide a home for the station’s robotic helpers. The post Astronauts are Going to Attach a “Robot Hotel” to the Outside of […]
LIGO Will Squeeze Light To Overcome The Quantum Noise Of Empty Space LIGO is so sensitive it can hear the quantum fluctuations of a vacuum. But by squeezing light it can make them a bit more quiet. The post LIGO Will Squeeze Light To Overcome The Quantum Noise Of Empty Space appeared first on Universe […]
A Microorganism With a Taste for Meteorites Could Help us Understand the Formation of Life on Earth A new study by a team astrobiologists shows how certain types of extreme bacteria thrive on meteors, which could reveal things about the origins of life on Earth. The post A Microorganism With a Taste for Meteorites Could […]
There’s a New Record for the Most Massive Black Hole Ever Seen: 40 Billion Solar Masses Astronomers have spotted a 40 billion solar mass black hole in the Abell 85 cluster of galaxies. They found the behemoth using spectral observations with the Very Large Telescope (VLT.) There are only a few direct mass measurements for […]
IKEA’s New Collection is Inspired by the Challenges of Living on Mars The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) is a simulated Martian habitat in Utah. It’s owned by the Mars Society, and it’s the society’s second such station. The MDRS is a research facility, and while there, scientists must live as if they were on […]
Luca Parmitano Takes the Wheel and Test Drives a Rover From Space. ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano just completed the second round of tests where he remotely-controlled a rover on Earth from the ISS. The post Luca Parmitano Takes the Wheel and Test Drives a Rover From Space. appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go […]
Weekly Space Hangout: December 4, 2019 – Dr. Becky Smethurst’s “Space: 10 Things You Should Know” Hosts: Fraser Cain (universetoday.com / @fcain) Dr. Brian Koberlein (BrianKoberlein.com / @BrianKoberlein) Sondy Springmann (@sondy) Michael Rodruck (@michaelrodruck) Tonight we air Fraser’s pre-recorded interview with Dr. Becky Smethurst from Tuesday, November 26th. Dr. Smethurst is a research fellow at […]
Landslides Work Differently on Mars, and Now We Might Know Why Some landslides, both here on Earth and on Mars, behave in a puzzling way: They flow a lot further than friction should allow them too. They can also be massive, including a well-preserved one in Valles Marineris that is the same size as the […]
Using Balloons to Launch Rockets LEO Aerospace is developing a “Rockoon” system that will provide commercial launch services for microsatellites, as well as a platforms for conducting everything from scientific research to emergency rescues. The post Using Balloons to Launch Rockets appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source
Carnival of Space #640 It’s that time again! This week’s Carnival of Space is hosted by Pamela Hoffman at the Everyday Spacer blog. Click here to read Carnival of Space #640. And if you’re interested in looking back, here’s an archive to all the past Carnivals of Space. If you’ve got a space-related blog, you should […]
Giant Meteor Impacts Might Have Triggered Early Earth’s Plate Tectonics A new study by an Australian-US team has found that a large impact that happened ca. 3.2 billion years ago could be what started Earth’s tectonics activity, which could be crucial to why Earth is able to support life. The post Giant Meteor Impacts Might […]
Messier 94 – the Cat’s Eye Galaxy Located in the constellation Canes Venatici, roughly 15 million light years from Earth, is the spiral galaxy known as the Cat’s Eye Galaxy (aka. Messier 94) The post Messier 94 – the Cat’s Eye Galaxy appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source
Cancer Seems to Have Trouble Spreading in Microgravity A team of Australian researchers have found evidence that microgravity can disrupt the spread of cancer cells, which could lead to new treatments. The post Cancer Seems to Have Trouble Spreading in Microgravity appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to Source
There’s Now an Operational Radio Telescope on the Far Side of the Moon The Chang’e-4 satellite (Queqiao) recently deployed the NCLE radio observatory, a joint Netherlands-Chinese experiment that will probe the early Universe. The post There’s Now an Operational Radio Telescope on the Far Side of the Moon appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today […]
Interstellar Comet Borisov is About to Make its Closest Approach to Earth A team of astronomers from Yale have taken the clearest picture of the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov to date, showcasing its long tail! The post Interstellar Comet Borisov is About to Make its Closest Approach to Earth appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today […]
Astronomers Are About to Detect the Light from the Very First Stars in the Universe A team of scientists working with the Murchison Widefield Array (WMA) radio telescope are trying to find the signal from the Universe’s first stars. Those first stars formed after the Universe’s Dark Ages. To find their first light, the researchers […]
When Martian Storms Really Get Going, they Create Towers of Dust 80 Kilometers High When a huge dust storm on Mars—like the one in 2018—reaches its full power, it can turn into a globe-bestriding colossus. This happens regularly on Mars, and these storms usually start out as a series of smaller, runaway storms. NASA scientists […]
NASA Supercomputer Simulates the Weather on Mars The Martian atmosphere is a lot different than Earth’s. It’s over 95% carbon dioxide, and contains only trace amounts of oxygen and water vapor. But that trace amount of water vapor still plays a pronounced role in the climate. NASA is very interested in Mars’ atmosphere, weather, and […]
Weekly Space Hangout: November 27, 2019 – Dylan O’Donnell, Director of DNA Digital and zen10 Australia Hosts: Fraser Cain (universetoday.com / @fcain) Hosts: Fraser Cain (universetoday.com / @fcain) Dr. Kimberly Cartier (KimberlyCartier.org / @AstroKimCartier ) Allen Versfeld (https://www.urban-astronomer.com/ / @uastronomer) Veranika Klimovich ( @VeronikaSpace) Tonight we are excited to welcome amateur astronomer and astrophotographer extraordinaire Dylan O’Donnell […]
Finally! Scientists Find a Place on Earth with Liquid Water But No Life In recent years research into extremophiles has captured the interest of astrobiologists. The discovery of lifeforms in some of Earth’s most extreme environments has helped shape our thinking about extraterrestrial life. Life on other worlds may not need the kind of temperate, […]
