Mars analog stations investigate lichen biodiversity during simulated missions
Once you know where to look for them, lichens are everywhere. These composite organisms—fungal and photosynthetic partners joined into a greater whole—can survive on a vast array of surfaces, from rocks and trees to bare ground and buildings. The.....»»
How to See the Conjunction Between Mars, Jupiter, and the Moon
On the 27th, the celestial bodies will form an unusual triangle in the sky just before dawn......»»
New research shows agricultural impacts on soil microbiome and fungal communities
New research from Smithsonian's Bird Friendly Coffee program highlights a type of biodiversity that often gets overlooked: soil bacteria and fungal communities. For over twenty years, Smithsonian research has shown that coffee farms with shade trees.....»»
Rocket Report: ULA is losing engineers; SpaceX is launching every two days
The first missions of Stoke Space's reusable Nova rocket will fly in expendable mode. Enlarge / A Falcon 9 booster returns to landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station following a launch Thursday with two WorldView Earth obse.....»»
Research team releases a 76 m-per-pixel global color image dataset and map of Mars
Remote-sensing images of Mars contain rich information about its surface morphology, topography, and geological structure. These data are fundamental for scientific research and exploration missions of Mars. Prior to China's first Mars exploration mi.....»»
Perseverance rover gears up for a big climb to the rim of the Jezero Crater
The Perseverance rover on Mars is set to begin its newest challenge: a slog up the rim of the Jezero Crater that will take months to complete......»»
International astronomy group joins calls for a lunar clock to keep time on the moon
Time moves a tad faster on the moon. Now an international group of astronomers has joined calls to give the moon its own clock so that future space missions can keep track of minutes on the celestial body......»»
New generation of ecological models needed to safeguard future of biodiversity, says researcher
Protecting animals, ecosystems and biodiversity is one of the big challenges of our time. With climate change dramatically impacting the planet and transformations in society such as housing development and urbanization, protecting ecosystems and the.....»»
As human activities expand in Antarctica, scientists identify crucial conservation sites
A team of scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder has identified 30 new areas critical for conserving biodiversity in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica. In a study published Aug. 15 in the journal Conservation Biology, the resear.....»»
Rocks collected on Mars hold key to water and perhaps life on the planet: Researchers urge bringing them back to Earth
Over the course of nearly five months in 2022, NASA's Perseverance rover collected rock samples from Mars that could rewrite the history of water on the red planet and even contain evidence for past life on Mars......»»
Scientists cook up a plan to save freshwater crocodiles from toxic cane toads
Scientists from Macquarie University working with Bunuba Indigenous rangers and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in Western Australia have trialed a new way to protect freshwater crocodiles from deadly invasive cane.....»»
Australian gold mining company hit with ransomware
Australian gold mining firm Evolution Mining has announced on Monday that it became aware on 8 August 2024 of a ransomware attack impacting its IT systems, and has been working with its external cyber forensic experts to investigate the incident. .....»»
The plight of the pig-nosed turtle, one of the unlucky 13 added to Australia"s threatened species list
Australia's unique biodiversity is under siege. The national list of species threatened with extinction is growing, with eight animals and five plants added just last month......»»
Novel anemometer tracks sound travel for speedier, more precise wind speed calculations on Mars
Mars has a notoriously inhospitable environment, with temperatures that fluctuate dramatically over the course of a Martian day and average minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Its surface is mostly covered in red dust, with terrain typified by craters, cany.....»»
Expansion of agricultural land threatens climate and biodiversity, land-use model finds
By 2030, global cultivation areas are expected to expand by 3.6%, increasing global agricultural production by 2%. This projection comes from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperat.....»»
Mars has ‘oceans’ worth’ of water – but it’s deep underground
Researchers have identified what they believe could be oceans' worth of water on Mars. There's just one snag: it's deep underground......»»
Scientists find oceans of water on Mars. It"s just too deep to tap.
Using seismic activity to probe the interior of Mars, geophysicists have found evidence for a large underground reservoir of liquid water—enough to fill oceans on the planet's surface......»»
Forest restoration can boost people, nature and climate simultaneously
Forest restoration can benefit humans, boost biodiversity and help tackle climate change simultaneously, new research suggests......»»
Mars and Jupiter get chummy in the night sky. The planets won"t get this close again until 2033
Mars and Jupiter are cozying up in the night sky for their closest rendezvous this decade......»»
Man vs. machine: DeepMind’s new robot serves up a table tennis triumph
Human-beating ping-pong AI learned to play in a simulated environment. Enlarge (credit: Benj Edwards / Google DeepMind) On Wednesday, researchers at Google DeepMind revealed the first AI-powered robotic table tennis play.....»»
Scientists and rangers share knowledge to restore seagrass
Scientists from The University of Western Australia have partnered with Indigenous rangers on a seagrass restoration project in Gathaagudu (Shark Bay) to help moderate climate change and conserve biodiversity......»»