Universe Today (Page 414)

Here’s a First. Astronomers See a Moon Forming Around a Baby Exoplanet Astronomers have discovered, for the first time, moons forming in the disk of debris around a large exoplanet. Astronomers have suspected for a long time that this is how larger planets—like Jupiter in our own Solar System—get their moons. It’s all happening around a very young star named PDS 70, about 370 light years away … Continue reading “Here’s a First. Astronomers See a Moon Forming Around a Baby Exoplanet” The post Here’s a First. Astronomers See a Moon Forming Around a Baby Exoplanet appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go toRead More →

Carnival of Space #620 This week’s Carnival of Space is hosted by me at the CosmoQuest blog. Click here to read Carnival of Space #620 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 really join the carnival. Just email an entry to susie@wshcrew.space, and … Continue reading “Carnival of Space #620” The post Carnival of Space #620 appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Hubble Spots “Impossible” Debris Disk Around a Black Hole Using the Hubble Space Telescope, a team of astronomers recently observed a bright disk around a black hole that defies astronomical models. The post Hubble Spots “Impossible” Debris Disk Around a Black Hole appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Researchers May Have Found the Missing Piece of Evidence that Explains the Origins of Life A team of researchers have shown how the basic building blocks of life could have arose on a primordial Earth, bringing us one step closer to resolving the mystery of abiogenesis. The post Researchers May Have Found the Missing Piece of Evidence that Explains the Origins of Life appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Move Over SpaceX. Amazon Wants To Launch Thousands of Internet Satellites Too Back in April 2019 Amazon signaled its intention to get into the internet satellite business. Following in the footsteps of SpaceX and their Starlink satellite system, Amazon intends to launch thousands of internet satellites in the coming years. Now that they’ve filed their application with the FCC, we have more details of their plan. Amazon … Continue reading “Move Over SpaceX. Amazon Wants To Launch Thousands of Internet Satellites Too” The post Move Over SpaceX. Amazon Wants To Launch Thousands of Internet Satellites Too appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go toRead More →

Virgin Orbit Tests its Satellite-Delivery Rocket for the First Time Virgin Orbit achieved a milestone with a successful drop test of their LauncherOne rocket. Once complete, this system will deliver satellites to orbit for less money. The post Virgin Orbit Tests its Satellite-Delivery Rocket for the First Time appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

There Should Be More Iron In Space. Why Can’t We See It? Iron is one of the most abundant elements in the Universe, along with lighter elements like hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. Out in interstellar space, there should be abundant quantities of iron in its gaseous form. So why, when astrophysicist look out into space, do they see so little of it? First of all, there’s a … Continue reading “There Should Be More Iron In Space. Why Can’t We See It?” The post There Should Be More Iron In Space. Why Can’t We See It? appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go toRead More →

Two NASA Heads Demoted, Possibly as Part of a Shake-Up to Get Back to the Moon. NASA is experiencing a shake-up, as evidenced by the recent announcement that two longtime program leaders have been demoted. The post Two NASA Heads Demoted, Possibly as Part of a Shake-Up to Get Back to the Moon. appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

NASA has Figured Out How to Extend the Lives of the Voyagers Even Longer Voyagers 1 and 2 have the distinction of being in space for 42 years and still operating. And even though they’re 18 billion km (11 billion miles) from the Sun, they’re still valuable scientifically. But they’re running out of energy, and if NASA wants them to continue on much longer, they have some decisions to … Continue reading “NASA has Figured Out How to Extend the Lives of the Voyagers Even Longer” The post NASA has Figured Out How to Extend the Lives of the Voyagers Even Longer appeared first onRead More →

New Study Shows How Breaching “Carbon Threshold” Could Trigger Mass Extinction in Earth’s Oceans A NASA and NSF-supported study by an MIT geophysicist indicates that carbon emissions could push the Earth’s oceans past a “threshold”, leading to a possible mass extinction. The post New Study Shows How Breaching “Carbon Threshold” Could Trigger Mass Extinction in Earth’s Oceans appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Can We Use Special Sails To Bring Old Satellites Back Down To Earth? The growing problem of space debris in LEO (Low-Earth Orbit) is garnering more and more attention. With thousands of satellites in orbit, and thousands more on the way, our appetite for satellites seems boundless. But every satellite has a shelf-life. What do we do with them when they’ve outlived their usefulness and devolve into simple, … Continue reading “Can We Use Special Sails To Bring Old Satellites Back Down To Earth?” The post Can We Use Special Sails To Bring Old Satellites Back Down To Earth? appeared first on Universe Today. UniverseRead More →

Skywatcher and Satellite Tracker Photographs US Air Force’s Secret Space Plane in Orbit! A satellite tracker from The Netherlands recently spotted and photographed the USAF’s elusive and top-secret X-37B space plane. The post Skywatcher and Satellite Tracker Photographs US Air Force’s Secret Space Plane in Orbit! appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Mars’ North Pole is Doing the Dust Storms Thing Again It’s easy to take for granted the detailed, almost real-time knowledge of Mars that we have at our fingertips. After all, in the not-too-distant past, Mars was largely mysterious. All we had were ground-based images of the planet. Now? Now we have daily weather reports and images of dust storms. Martian dust storms are one … Continue reading “Mars’ North Pole is Doing the Dust Storms Thing Again” The post Mars’ North Pole is Doing the Dust Storms Thing Again appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

LightSail 2 Mission is Going Strong and Sending Mission Info Home! The Planetary Society recently launched its LightSail 2 technology demonstrator, which could prove to be an effective means of propulsion for CubeSats The post LightSail 2 Mission is Going Strong and Sending Mission Info Home! appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Our Guide to Saturn Opposition Season 2019 Saturn opposition season never disappoints. Slowly, one by one, the planets are returning to the dusk sky. In June, we had Jupiter reach opposition on June 10th. Now, although Mercury and Mars are fleeing the evening scene low to the west at dusk and Venus lingers low in the dawn, magnificent Saturn reaches opposition tonight … Continue reading “Our Guide to Saturn Opposition Season 2019” The post Our Guide to Saturn Opposition Season 2019 appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Is NASA Sacrificing Sending Astronauts to Mars in Order to Get to the Moon Sooner? By prioritizing speed over sustainability, the current US administration may be sacrificing NASA’s long-term goals of establishing a presence on the Moon and going to Mars. The post Is NASA Sacrificing Sending Astronauts to Mars in Order to Get to the Moon Sooner? appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

The ESA’s SpaceBok Robot Will Hop Its Way Around Low-Gravity Worlds The ESA is helping a group of students from Zurich test and develop their hopping exploration robot. Called SpaceBok, the robot is designed to operate on low-gravity bodies like the Moon or asteroids. It’s based on the concept of ‘dynamic walking’, something that animals on Earth use. Rovers like Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity have done … Continue reading “The ESA’s SpaceBok Robot Will Hop Its Way Around Low-Gravity Worlds” The post The ESA’s SpaceBok Robot Will Hop Its Way Around Low-Gravity Worlds appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

A Jarful of Titan Could Teach Us A Lot About Life There, and Here On Earth Titan is a distant, exotic, and dangerous world. It’s frigid temperatures and hydrocarbon chemistry is like nothing else in the Solar System. Now that NASA is heading there, some researchers are getting a jump on the mission by recreating Titan’s chemistry in jars. In June NASA announced their Dragonfly mission to Titan. Dragonfly is a … Continue reading “A Jarful of Titan Could Teach Us A Lot About Life There, and Here On Earth” The post A Jarful of Titan Could Teach Us A Lot About Life There, andRead More →

Carnival of Space #619 This week’s Carnival of Space is hosted by Allen Versfeld at his Urban Astronomer blog. Click here to read Carnival of Space #619. 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 really join the carnival. Just email an entry … Continue reading “Carnival of Space #619” The post Carnival of Space #619 appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →

Fraser and John Michael Godier Debate the Fermi Paradox As many of you are no doubt aware, our noble publisher, Fraser Cain, occasionally has the opportunity to sit down with some fellow great minds and discussion/debate issues that are relevant to space, exploration, and astronomy today. Most recently, this included an extended debate with noted author, futurists and Youtube sensation John Michael Godier. The … Continue reading “Fraser and John Michael Godier Debate the Fermi Paradox” The post Fraser and John Michael Godier Debate the Fermi Paradox appeared first on Universe Today. Universe Today Go to SourceRead More →