Q&A: The first asteroid sample returned to Earth
On Sunday morning, a capsule the size of a mini-fridge dropped from the skies over western Utah, carrying a first-of-its-kind package: about 250 grams of dirt and dust plucked from the surface of an asteroid. As a candy-striped parachute billowed ope.....»»
Shear genius: Researchers find way to scale up wonder material, which could do wonders for the Earth
Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science have figured out how to take a miracle material, one capable of extracting value from captured carbon dioxide, and do what no one else has: make it practical to fabri.....»»
Mountain building linked to major extinction event half a billion years ago
As life on Earth rapidly expanded a little over 500 million years ago during the Cambrian explosion, Earth had tectonic plates slowly crashing into each other, building mountains and starting a series of unfortunate events that led to a mass extincti.....»»
A new deep-learning algorithm can find Earth 2.0
How can machine learning help astronomers find Earth-like exoplanets? This is what a new study hopes to address as a team of international researchers investigated how a novel neural network-based algorithm could be used to detect Earth-like exoplane.....»»
Cryovolcanism: Why study it? What can it teach us about finding life beyond Earth?
Universe Today has had the privilege of spending the last several months venturing into a multitude of scientific disciplines, including impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, planetary atmospheres, plane.....»»
Martian meteorites deliver a trove of information on red planet"s structure
Mars has a distinct structure in its mantle and crust with discernible reservoirs, and this is known thanks to meteorites that scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and colleagues have analyzed on Earth......»»
New vestiges of the first life on Earth discovered in Saudi Arabia
Stromatolites are the earliest geological record of life on Earth. These curious biotic structures are made of algae carpets growing toward the light and precipitating carbonates. After their first appearance 3.48 Ga ago, stromatolites dominated the.....»»
Two tiny NASA satellites are launching to study Earth’s poles
NASA has launched the first part of a two-satellite mission called PREFIRE to study Earth's poles, with the second satellite set to launch this Saturday......»»
Virtual flying lessons for Hera asteroid mission
As ESA's Hera spacecraft for planetary defense goes through pre-flight testing, the system that will steer it around its target binary asteroid system is also undergoing its final checks for space......»»
Twin NASA satellites are ready to help gauge Earth"s energy balance
A pair of new shoebox-size NASA satellites will help unravel an atmospheric mystery that's bedeviled scientists for years: how the behavior of clouds and water vapor at Earth's polar regions affects our planet's climate......»»
Reduced sulfur content in shipping fuel associated with increased maritime atmospheric warming
An 80% reduction in sulfur dioxide shipping emissions observed in early 2020 could be associated with substantial atmospheric warming over some ocean regions, according to a modeling study published in Communications Earth & Environment. The sudden d.....»»
Scientists create the thinnest lens on Earth, enabled by excitons
Lenses are used to bend and focus light. Normal lenses rely on their curved shape to achieve this effect, but physicists from the University of Amsterdam and Stanford University have made a flat lens of only three atoms thick that relies on quantum e.....»»
European-Japanese climate research satellite launched from California aboard SpaceX rocket
A European-Japanese climate research satellite designed to study Earth's temperature balance was launched into orbit from California on Tuesday......»»
How to watch Europe launch a new Earth observation satellite tonight
The European Space Agency will launch a satellite called EarthCARE to observe clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere tonight. Here's how to watch the launch......»»
Scientists uncover a multibillion-year epic written into the chemistry of life
The origin of life on Earth has long been a mystery that has eluded scientists. A key question is how much of the history of life on Earth is lost to time. It is quite common for a single species to "phase out" using a biochemical reaction, and if th.....»»
Video: Unraveling the mysteries of clouds
Clouds are one of the biggest mysteries in the climate system. They play a key role in regulating the temperature of our atmosphere. But we don't know how their behavior will change over time as Earth's atmosphere gets warmer. This is where EarthCARE.....»»
The Earth"s changing, irregular magnetic field is causing headaches for polar navigation
The Earth's liquid molten outer core, composed mostly of iron and nickel, exerts an electromagnetic field extending from the north and south pole that protects the planet from harmful solar particle radiation......»»
Scientists report unified framework for diverse aurorae across planets
The awe-inspiring aurorae seen on Earth, known as the Northern and Southern Lights, have been a source of fascination for centuries. Between May 10 and 12, 2024, the most powerful aurora event in 21 years reminded us of the stunning beauty of these c.....»»
TESS finds intriguing world sized between Earth and Venus
Using observations by NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and many other facilities, two international teams of astronomers have discovered a planet between the sizes of Earth and Venus only 40 light-years away. Multiple factors make.....»»
NASA launches ground-breaking climate change satellite
A tiny NASA satellite was launched Saturday from New Zealand with the mission of improving climate change prediction by measuring heat escaping from Earth's poles for the first time......»»
Comet headed for Earth could become brighter than the stars later this year
A comet is headed for Earth, and as it gets closer, it is likely to get brighter than most stars in the sky. We’ve already … The post Comet headed for Earth could become brighter than the stars later this year appeared first on BGR......»»