Earth"s Wobble Wreaks Havoc on Astronomers--And Astrologers, Too
Our planet’s precession is scarcely noticeable during anyone’s lifetime, but across history, it has had enormous effects.....»»
NASA"s laser comms demo makes deep space record, completes first phase
The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars' farthest distance from Earth......»»
Scientists offer a detailed look at the skeleton of an ancient predator that thrived in extreme conditions
Imagine a world on the brink of collapse: volcanic eruptions spewing toxic gases, oceans turning acidic, and up to 90% of Earth's species vanishing in the blink of an eye. This was the reality at the end of the Permian Period, around 252 million year.....»»
2-billion-year-old rock could help understand very early life on Earth and the hunt for evidence of life on Mars
Pockets of microbes have been found living within a sealed fracture in a 2-billion-year-old rock. The rock was excavated from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa, an area known for its rich ore deposits. This is the oldest example of living.....»»
Ancient protein structure may have enabled early molecular evolution and diversification
In a finding that offers fresh insights into the early evolution of life on Earth, two RIKEN biologists have conducted lab experiments that have revealed a previously unknown protein fold, which is completely absent in modern proteins......»»
Researchers develop Biodiversity Digital Twins to model our planet"s life
Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth. It provides critical resources such as food and energy, and supports ecosystem health. However, climate change, deforestation, and pollution are destroying habitats, altering.....»»
New triple star system sets shortest orbital period record
Professional and amateur astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery with the help of artificial intelligence, identifying a unique triple star system named TIC 290061484. This stellar trio was uncovered through cosmic "strobe lights" observed b.....»»
Iron nuggets in the Pinnacles unlock secrets of ancient and future climates
Small iron-rich formations found within Western Australia's Pinnacles, which are part of the world's largest wind-blown limestone belt spanning more than 1,000km, have provided new insights into Earth's ancient climate and changing landscape......»»
Surprising amount and variety of gamma radiation is produced in large tropical thunderstorms, observations reveal
In the 1990s, NASA satellites built to spot high-energy particles coming from supernovas and other celestial-sized objects discovered a surprise—high energy gamma radiation bursts coming from right here on Earth......»»
New super-Neptune exoplanet discovered
An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new super-Neptune exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star. The newly detected alien world, which received the designation TOI-5005 b, is about six times larger and more than 30 times more m.....»»
Q&A: Using a new approach to shine a light on hidden plant microbes
Despite there being more microbes on Earth than stars in our galaxy, only a tiny fraction have been discovered. An approach called metagenomics—a type of DNA sequencing—may help scientists learn more about these elusive organisms, according to Pe.....»»
Scientists find plausible geological setting that may have sparked life on Earth
Researchers have discovered a plausible evolutionary setting in which nucleic acids—the fundamental genetic building blocks of life—could enable their own replication, possibly leading to life on Earth......»»
Opinion: Enough, already—why humanity must get on board with the concept of "sufficiency"
Humanity's rapacious consumption is more than Earth and its climate can handle, which is driving an ecological crisis. Australians are the worst offenders per person due to our excessive resource use......»»
Most climate scientists foresee temperature rise exceeding Paris Agreement targets, study finds
A new survey of climate experts reveals that a majority believe the Earth to be headed for a rise in global temperatures far higher than the 2015 Paris Agreement targets of 1.5 to well-below 2°C......»»
NASA"s instruments capture sharpest image of Earth"s radiation belts
From Aug. 19–20, ESA's (European Space Agency's) Juice (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) mission made history with a daring lunar-Earth flyby and double gravity assist maneuver, a spaceflight first. As the spacecraft zipped past our moon and home planet.....»»
Webb researchers discover lensed supernova, confirm Hubble tension
Measuring the Hubble constant, the rate at which the universe is expanding, is an active area of research among astronomers around the world who analyze data from both ground- and space- based observatories. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has alre.....»»
Scientists discover planet orbiting closest single star to our sun
Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), astronomers have discovered an exoplanet orbiting Barnard's star, the closest single star to our sun. On this newly discovered exoplanet, which has at least half the mass of.....»»
Can you see Earth"s new "minimoon" with the naked eye?
Can you see Earth"s new "minimoon" with the naked eye?.....»»
European Space Agency releases new strategy for Earth observation
The European Space Agency (ESA) has released its new Earth Observation Science Strategy, Earth Science in Action for Tomorrow's World. Responding to the escalating threats from climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and extreme weather and the.....»»
Hubble captures stellar nurseries in majestic spiral galaxy IC 1954
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features the spiral galaxy IC 1954, located 45 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Horologium. It sports a glowing bar in its core, majestically winding spiral arms, and clouds of da.....»»
Engineers investigate another malfunction on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket
SpaceX probably won't be grounded for long, but this could affect the launch of Europa Clipper. Enlarge / The Merlin vacuum engine on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket fired for six minutes to place the Crew-9 mission into low-Earth orbit.....»»