Polarization: From better sunglasses to a better way of looking at asteroid surfaces
Using the same principles that make polarized sunglasses possible, a team of researchers at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico have developed a technique that will help better defend against asteroids on a collision course with Earth......»»
Webb telescope spots hints that Eris, Makemake are geologically active
Webb measured isotopes at the edge of the Solar System, hinting at chemistry. Enlarge / Artist's conceptions of what the surfaces of two dwarf planets might look like. (credit: SWRI) Active geology—and the large-scale.....»»
Can astronomers use radar to spot a cataclysmic asteroid?
How can humans protect the Earth from "devastating asteroid and comet impacts?" According to the National Academies and their 2023-2032 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, ground-based astronomical radar systems will have a "unique rol.....»»
Compulsory voting can reduce political polarization in the US, study finds
Introducing compulsory voting in the United States and other majoritarian democracies, with meaningful and enforceable penalties for abstention, has the potential to reduce political polarization and protect democratic institutions from anti-democrat.....»»
NASA"s final tally shows spacecraft returned double the amount of asteroid rubble
NASA finally has counted up all the asteroid samples returned by a spacecraft last fall—and it's double the rubble return goal......»»
NASA announces OSIRIS-REx bulk sample mass: 121.6 grams
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered 4.29 ounces (121.6 grams) of material from asteroid Bennu when it returned to Earth on Sep. 24, 2023; the largest asteroid sample ever collected in space and over twice the mission's requirement......»»
NASA has collected a whopping 121 grams of sample from asteroid Bennu
NASA has revealed that its OSIRIS-REx mission delivered 121 grams of material from asteroid Bennu, which is more than twice the mission's goal of 60 grams......»»
After a decade and $1.2 billion, NASA reveals its booty from Bennu: 121 grams
A long way, and a lot of money, for half a cup. Enlarge / A view of eight sample trays containing the final material from asteroid Bennu. (credit: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold) After years of speculation, NAS.....»»
Study shows promise of transceiver-based sensing for active monitoring of fiber networks
Researchers have successfully used a coherent transceiver prototype to detect polarization changes that preceded a cable break in a live network. The work, which is one of the first demonstrations of field-based measurements for an active cable break.....»»
Scientists find evidence of geothermal activity within icy dwarf planets
A team co-led by Southwest Research Institute found evidence for hydrothermal or metamorphic activity within the icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake, located in the Kuiper Belt. Methane detected on their surfaces has the tell-tale signs of warm or ev.....»»
Water is discovered on asteroids — by a defunct NASA mission
Astronomers used data from NASA's SOFIA mission, which ended in 2022, to spot water on the surface of two asteroids located in the asteroid belt of our solar system. A pioneering NASA 747 aircraft outfitted with a big telescope was retired a co.....»»
A new study makes the case for asteroid strikes setting in motion global glaciation in the distant past
A research team has picked a side in the "Snowball Earth" debate over the possible cause of planet-wide deep freeze events that occurred in the distant past. According to their new study, these so-called "Snowball" Earth periods, in which the planet'.....»»
JWST data suggest exoplanet K2-18b may have molten surface rather than a watery ocean
A multi-institutional team of astronomers, Earth scientists and planetary physicists has found evidence, via data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), that some hycean exoplanets may have molten surfaces rather than watery oceans. In their stu.....»»
Cleaned surfaces may be germ-free, but they"re not bare
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, surfaces in public spaces have been cleaned more often. While disinfectant solutions eliminate germs, they don't leave behind a truly bare surface. They deposit a thin film that doesn't get wiped up, even after giving.....»»
10 years preparing for "Armageddon"
It's a scenario made famous by the 1998 film "Armageddon": an asteroid is spotted on a collision course with Earth, and experts scramble to plan a space mission to rendezvous with the asteroid and mitigate the danger. It's classic science fiction, bu.....»»
A novel technique for creating superhydrophobic surfaces
Superhydrophobic surfaces, characterized by their ability to repel water with a contact angle above 150° and a sliding angle below 10°, offer a range of applications from self-cleaning and anti-corrosion to oil/water separation and droplet manipula.....»»
Asteroid that impacted near Berlin identified as a rare aubrite
An official classification now aligns with what many suspected from merely looking at the images of the strange meteorites that fell near Berlin on January 21, 2024. They belong to a rare group called "aubrites.".....»»
Asteroid making its closest approach to Earth this week
On 4 February, asteroid 2011 MD will make its closest approach to the Earth. Though it will not be visible with the naked eye, the asteroid will pass 15,000,000 km away from Earth—much closer than those in the asteroid belt and less than 10% of the.....»»
New research shows that the arrangement of bacteria in biofilms affects their sensitivity to antibiotics
Bacteria are traditionally imagined as single-cell organisms, spread out sparsely over surfaces or suspended in liquids, but in many environments the true bacterial mode of growth is in sticky clusters called biofilms......»»
Skyscraper-size asteroid will buzz Earth on Friday, safely passing within 1.7 million miles
An asteroid as big as a skyscraper will pass within 1.7 million miles of Earth on Friday......»»
Physicists develop novel concept for detecting chiral molecules
In contrast to conventional mirrors, light can be reflected on surfaces known as metasurfaces without changing its polarization. This phenomenon has now been proven by physicists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the Ma.....»»