Universe Today (Page 240)

NASA Unveils the Artemis Accords to Facilitate Exploration and Commercial Activities on the Moon NASA just released a series of principles designed to foster exploration and cooperation in lunar exploration, called the Artemis Accords. The post NASA Unveils the Artemis Accords to Facilitate Exploration and Commercial Activities on the Moon appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Space Force Launches its Mysterious X-37B Spaceplane The US Space Force, in conjunction with the USAF and the ULA, just launched the X-37B spaceplane for the sixth time! The post Space Force Launches its Mysterious X-37B Spaceplane appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

This Laser Powered Rover Could Stay in the Shadows on the Moon and Continue to Explore The craters on the Moon’s poles are in permanent shadow. But they’re also intriguing locations, due to deposits of water ice and other materials. The ESA is developing the idea for a rover that can explore these areas with power provided by lasers. Everybody thinks they know what lasers are: they’re beams of light. Well, … Continue reading “This Laser Powered Rover Could Stay in the Shadows on the Moon and Continue to Explore” The post This Laser Powered Rover Could Stay in the Shadows on the Moon andRead More →

TESS is Also Helping Astronomers Study Bizarre Pulsating Stars NASA’s TESS, or Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite has one main job: finding exoplanets. But it’s also helping astronomers study a strange type of star that has so far defied thorough explanation. Those stars are Delta Scuti stars, named after their prototype. Delta Scuti stars exhibit strange pulsating patterns, and they rotate rapidly. So far, astronomers … Continue reading “TESS is Also Helping Astronomers Study Bizarre Pulsating Stars” The post TESS is Also Helping Astronomers Study Bizarre Pulsating Stars appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

The Tunguska Explosion Could Have Been Caused By An Asteroid That Still Orbits The Sun On a cool Summer morning in 1908, a fireball appeared over Northern Siberia. Eyewitnesses described a column of blue light that moved across the sky, followed by a tremendous explosion. The explosion leveled trees across more than 2,000 square kilometers. The explosion is consistent with a large meteor strike, but to this day no evidence … Continue reading “The Tunguska Explosion Could Have Been Caused By An Asteroid That Still Orbits The Sun” The post The Tunguska Explosion Could Have Been Caused By An Asteroid That Still Orbits The SunRead More →

If Rockets were Transparent: Video Shows You How Rockets Use up Their Propellant I always remember hearing the comparison of how the Space Shuttle’s main engines would drain an average family swimming pool in under 25 seconds. Or that the Saturn V used the equivalent of 763 elephants of fuel. But just how much fuel does a rocket burn during its ascent to orbit? As you might expect, … Continue reading “If Rockets were Transparent: Video Shows You How Rockets Use up Their Propellant” The post If Rockets were Transparent: Video Shows You How Rockets Use up Their Propellant appeared first on Universe Today. UniverseRead More →

Take a Peek Inside a Giant Star Right Before it Dies The biggest stars in our universe are some of the most fascinatingly complex objects to inhabit the cosmos. Indeed,giant stars have defied full explanation for decades. Especially when they’re near the end of their lives. Stars power themselves through nuclear fusion, from the smashing together of lighter elements into heavier ones. This process leaves behind … Continue reading “Take a Peek Inside a Giant Star Right Before it Dies” The post Take a Peek Inside a Giant Star Right Before it Dies appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Earth Life Probably Can’t Spread to Mars Today New research says life from Earth isn’t likely to ever survive on Mars, which is good news as far as planetary protection concerns are involved. The post Earth Life Probably Can’t Spread to Mars Today appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Was Betelgeuse Formed by Merging Stars? Modern humans—or Homo Sapiens—have only been around for about 250,000 years. That’s only the blink of an eye in cosmological terms. As it turns out, the star Betelgeuse may only be about the same age. A new study explores the idea that Betelgeuse formed from a merger of two stars only a few hundred thousand … Continue reading “Was Betelgeuse Formed by Merging Stars?” The post Was Betelgeuse Formed by Merging Stars? appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

High Energy Neutrinos Are Coming From Supermassive Black Holes Some neutrinos are so energetic we don’t know how they are produced. But a clue lies in the heart of distant quasars. The post High Energy Neutrinos Are Coming From Supermassive Black Holes appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

James Webb is Fully Stowed Into its Launch Configuration We’re inching closer and closer to the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) launch date of March 30th, 2021, (or maybe July 2021.) We never thought we’d get this close, with only a year to go before we send this powerful space telescope on its way. Now the telescope has been put in its launch configuration. … Continue reading “James Webb is Fully Stowed Into its Launch Configuration” The post James Webb is Fully Stowed Into its Launch Configuration appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

China’s New Crew Capsule Just Landed, and so Did Parts of their New Rocket! China’s next-generation crewed spacecraft recently returned to Earth after a successful test flight. The Long March 5B rocket that sent it up did as well (parts of it, anyway!) The post China’s New Crew Capsule Just Landed, and so Did Parts of their New Rocket! appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Astronomers Continue to Analyze Pluto’s Atmosphere When NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto, studying the atmosphere was a key scientific objective. Most of what we know about the ice dwarf came from that flyby. That happened in July 2015, but it took over 15 months to send all the data home, and it’s taking even longer to analyze it. But … Continue reading “Astronomers Continue to Analyze Pluto’s Atmosphere” The post Astronomers Continue to Analyze Pluto’s Atmosphere appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Even More Evidence that Europa has Geysers Earlier this week, we shared some stunning, newly reprocessed images of Europa from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft, which visited Jupiter and its moons from December 1995 to September 2003. Now, as scientists continue to revisit Galileo’s data, even more details are coming into focus about Jupiter’s enticing moon. Not only is there evidence within the past … Continue reading “Even More Evidence that Europa has Geysers” The post Even More Evidence that Europa has Geysers appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Space Force is About to Launch its Mysterious X-37B Spaceplane Again The X-37B will be going to space again this Saturday to test a number of experiments, many of which are military in nature and classified! The post Space Force is About to Launch its Mysterious X-37B Spaceplane Again appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Finally! InSight’s Mole is Making Slow and Steady Progress Personnel at NASA and the DLR have been working for months to get InSight’s Mole working. They’re at a disadvantage, since the average distance between Earth and Mars is about 225 million km (140 million miles.) They’ve tried a number of things to get the Mole into the ground, and they may finally be making … Continue reading “Finally! InSight’s Mole is Making Slow and Steady Progress” The post Finally! InSight’s Mole is Making Slow and Steady Progress appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Sediments on Mars, Created By Blowing Wind or Flowing Water The HiRISE (High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has given us a steady stream of images of the Martian surface. It’s been in orbit around Mars since March 2006, and has greatly outlived its intended mission length. One of the latest Hi-PODs, or HiRISE Pictures of the Day, is this … Continue reading “Sediments on Mars, Created By Blowing Wind or Flowing Water” The post Sediments on Mars, Created By Blowing Wind or Flowing Water appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Another Starship Success! Raptor Engine Fires for 4 Seconds and Nothing Explodes SpaceX has passed another milestone with their Starship prototype after the successful completion of a static fire test The post Another Starship Success! Raptor Engine Fires for 4 Seconds and Nothing Explodes appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

This “All Terminator” Image of the Moon isn’t Actually Possible to See. But it Sure is Beautiful “This moon might look a little funny to you, and that’s because it is an impossible scene,” wrote photographer Andrew McCarthy on Instagram. He was talking about his other-wordly, almost Shakesperean image of the Moon. And that’s because this is an ‘all-terminator’ image. The terminator is the line between light and dark—or day and night—on … Continue reading “This “All Terminator” Image of the Moon isn’t Actually Possible to See. But it Sure is Beautiful” The post This “All Terminator” Image of the Moon isn’t Actually Possible toRead More →

Time Travel Into The Future Is Totally Possible Believe it or not, time travel is possible. In fact, you’re doing it right now. Every single second of every single day you are advancing into your own future. You are literally moving through time, the same way you would move through space. It may seem pedantic, but it’s a very important point. Movement through … Continue reading “Time Travel Into The Future Is Totally Possible” The post Time Travel Into The Future Is Totally Possible appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →