Why Are Particles Getting Ejected Off of Asteroid Bennu? NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrived at asteroid Bennu in December 2018, and just one week later, it discovered something unusual about Bennu: the asteroid was ejecting particles into space. The spacecraft’s navigation camera first spotted the particles, but scientists initially thought they were just stars in the […]
China’s Yutu-2 Rover has now Traveled Over 345 Meters Across the Surface of the Moon As of Dec. 4th, the Yutu 2 rover element of the Chang’e-4 mission had traveled a total of over 345 m (377 yards) on the lunar surface. The post China’s Yutu-2 Rover has now Traveled Over 345 Meters Across the […]
A New Way to Measure the Age of the Milky Way Using data collected by Kepler’s K2 observation campaign, an international team of scientists was able to more accurately predict the ages of stars in the Milky Way’s thick disk. The post A New Way to Measure the Age of the Milky Way appeared first […]
It’s Time to Decide. Where Should OSIRIS-REx Take a Sample from Bennu? NASA’s OSIRIS-REx arrived at asteroid Bennu in December 2018. During the past year, it’s been imaging the surface of the asteroid extensively, looking for a spot to take a sample from. Though the spacecraft has multiple science objectives, and a suite of instruments […]
Neptune-Sized Planet Found Orbiting a Dead White Dwarf Star. Here’s the Crazy Part, the Planet is 4 Times Bigger Than the Star Astronomers have discovered a large Neptune-sized planet orbiting a white dwarf star. The planet is four times bigger than the star, and the white dwarf appears to be slowly destroying the planet: the […]
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 […]
