Universe Today (Page 209)

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 Probe Drops Off Bits of an Asteroid and Heads for Its Next Target Japan’s Hayabusa 2 probe zoomed past Earth on December 5th and dropped off a capsule containing samples of an asteroid, finishing a six-year round trip. But the mission is far from over: While Hayabusa 2’s parachute-equipped sample capsule descended to the Australian Outback, its mothership set a new course for an encounter with yet another … Continue reading “Japan’s Hayabusa 2 Probe Drops Off Bits of an Asteroid and Heads for Its Next Target” The post Japan’s Hayabusa 2 Probe Drops Off Bits of an Asteroid and Heads forRead More →

25 Years of Solar Cycles in One Incredible SOHO Mosaic For a quarter of a century, the ESA-NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has been essential in helping scientists understand the heart of our Solar System, the Sun. The SOHO mission launched 25 years ago this week, and to celebrate, ESA compiled a wonderful mosaic of images, and NASA put together a remarkable SOHO “greatest … Continue reading “25 Years of Solar Cycles in One Incredible SOHO Mosaic” The post 25 Years of Solar Cycles in One Incredible SOHO Mosaic appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

An Astronomer Checked to see if There’s a Secret Message in the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation One way to look for a message in the cosmic microwave background is to convert thermal fluctuations into a binary string. So what does it say? The post An Astronomer Checked to see if There’s a Secret Message in the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Our Guide to This Month’s Total Solar Eclipse Over South America 2020 closes out with the final eclipse of the decade, as totality crosses the southern tip of South America on December 14th. The post Our Guide to This Month’s Total Solar Eclipse Over South America appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Solid Phosphorus has been Found in Comets. This Means They Contain All the Raw Elements for Life Did comets deliver the elements essential for life on Earth? It’s looking more and more like they could have. At least one comet might have, anyway: 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. A new study using data from the ESA’s Rosetta mission shows that the comet contains the life-critical element phosphorous. Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland led … Continue reading “Solid Phosphorus has been Found in Comets. This Means They Contain All the Raw Elements for Life” The post Solid Phosphorus has been Found in Comets. This Means They ContainRead More →

Weekly Space Hangout: December 2, 2020 – Dr. Ingrid Daubar, Planetary Scientist, Brown University This week we are joined by Dr. Ingrid Daubar, Planetary Scientist from Brown University studying impact cratering within our solar system. Dr. Daubar is part of a team that has been using a new AI classification tool to identify geologic features on planetary surfaces, such as Mars. Ingrid has been involved in planetary science for … Continue reading “Weekly Space Hangout: December 2, 2020 – Dr. Ingrid Daubar, Planetary Scientist, Brown University” The post Weekly Space Hangout: December 2, 2020 – Dr. Ingrid Daubar, Planetary Scientist, Brown University appeared first onRead More →

Now you can Watch Actual Video of Arecibo Collapsing … If You Dare The National Science Foundation released two different videos today showing the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory, as it happened on December 1, 2020. Needless to say, the footage is heartbreaking. In a press briefing on December 3, representatives from the NSF described the two videos. One was taken from a stationary location in the observatory … Continue reading “Now you can Watch Actual Video of Arecibo Collapsing … If You Dare” The post Now you can Watch Actual Video of Arecibo Collapsing … If You Dare appeared first on Universe Today. UniverseRead More →

China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Blasts Off From the Moon, Bringing Back a Full Load of Samples For the first time in more than 40 years, a robotic spacecraft has blasted off from the Moon – and for the first time ever, it’s a Chinese spacecraft, carrying precious lunar samples back to Earth. The ascent vehicle for China’s Chang’e-5 mission fired up its rocket engine and rose from a region known as … Continue reading “China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Blasts Off From the Moon, Bringing Back a Full Load of Samples” The post China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Blasts Off From the Moon, Bringing Back a Full Load of SamplesRead More →

Australian Radio Telescopes Just Completed a map of the Universe CSIRO has made a detailed radio survey of the southern hemisphere, and discovered a million new galaxies. The post Australian Radio Telescopes Just Completed a map of the Universe appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Health Issues From Spaceflight Might Originate in the Mitochondria An analysis of all the data we have on the effects of microgravity has indicated that the problem could have to do with mitochondria, which could lead to new medical treatments! The post Health Issues From Spaceflight Might Originate in the Mitochondria appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Spacefaring Worms Show How Gravity Affects Genes New research involving nemotode worms aboard the ISS have shown that the effects of microgravity extend to the genetic level. The post Spacefaring Worms Show How Gravity Affects Genes appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Take a Look at What China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Is Seeing (and Doing) on the Moon China’s Chang’e-5 robotic moon lander is due to spend only two days collecting samples of lunar rock and soil before it sends its shipment on its way back to Earth, but it’s making the most of the time. Just hours after landing on December 1st, the probe started using its robotic scoop and drill to … Continue reading “Take a Look at What China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Is Seeing (and Doing) on the Moon” The post Take a Look at What China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Is Seeing (and Doing) on the MoonRead More →

This is Mawrth Vallis on Mars, and it’s Positively Bursting with Evidence of Past Water Action on Mars Here on Earth, geologists seek out deep channels into Earth’s rock, carved over the ages by flowing water. The exposed rock walls are like a visual timeline of a region’s geological history. On Mars, the surface water is long gone. But it flowed long enough to expose layers of rock just like here on Earth. … Continue reading “This is Mawrth Vallis on Mars, and it’s Positively Bursting with Evidence of Past Water Action on Mars” The post This is Mawrth Vallis on Mars, and it’s PositivelyRead More →

Neutrinos Have Played a Huge Role in the Evolution of the Universe Neutrinos are a form of dark matter, and they play a role in the evolution of the universe. The post Neutrinos Have Played a Huge Role in the Evolution of the Universe appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Will the Starship Make a 15 km Hop Test on Wednesday? According to recent statements and preparations at Boca Chica, SpaceX could be attempting a high-altitude flight test with the Starship as early as tomorrow! The post Will the Starship Make a 15 km Hop Test on Wednesday? appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

In the Far Future, Stellar Flybys Will Completely Dismantle the Solar System Consumption and disintegration. Next time you want to be the life of the party—if you’re hanging out with cool nerds that is—just drop that phrase into the conversation. And when they look at you quizzically, just say that’s the eventual fate of the Solar System. Then adjust your cravat and take another sip of your … Continue reading “In the Far Future, Stellar Flybys Will Completely Dismantle the Solar System” The post In the Far Future, Stellar Flybys Will Completely Dismantle the Solar System appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go toRead More →

Spiral-shaped Planetary Disks Should Be More Common. Giant Planets Might Be Disrupting Their Formation Planetary system formation is a process that involves astounding and complex forces.  Humans have only just started trying to understand what goes on in this extraordinarily important phase of the development of new worlds.  As such, we are continuing to make new discoveries and come up with better models that better fit the observations that … Continue reading “Spiral-shaped Planetary Disks Should Be More Common. Giant Planets Might Be Disrupting Their Formation” The post Spiral-shaped Planetary Disks Should Be More Common. Giant Planets Might Be Disrupting Their Formation appeared first onRead More →

Satellites can see the pollution trails from individual ships All hands have to be on deck if the world is going to tackle degradation, and one of the biggest emitters is also one of the least well known – international shipping.  A 2018 study estimated that pollution emitted from cargo ships resulted in 400,000 annual premature deaths from lung cancer and heart disease.  Many … Continue reading “Satellites can see the pollution trails from individual ships” The post Satellites can see the pollution trails from individual ships appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

The Arecibo Observatory Platform Has Collapsed Early this morning, the 900-ton instrument platform suspended above the Arecibo Observatory collapsed and crashed down on the iconic telescope’s giant dish. The collapse occurred at about 7:55 a.m. local time, officially ending any possible hopes of refurbishing the famous observatory in Puerto Rico. Images of the collapse and subsequent damage started appearing on social … Continue reading “The Arecibo Observatory Platform Has Collapsed” The post The Arecibo Observatory Platform Has Collapsed appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Lands on the Moon and Gets Set to Bring Back Fresh Samples For the third time in seven years, a Chinese robotic spacecraft has landed on the Moon — but now things will get really interesting: If the Chang’e-5 mission succeeds, the probe will deliver fresh samples from the Moon to Earth for the first time in 44 years. Chang’e-5’s paired lander and ascent vehicle touched down … Continue reading “China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Lands on the Moon and Gets Set to Bring Back Fresh Samples” The post China’s Chang’e-5 Probe Lands on the Moon and Gets Set to Bring Back Fresh SamplesRead More →