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.....»»
Giant meteorite impact 3.26 billion years ago may have aided early life
Billions of years ago, long before anything resembling life as we know it existed, meteorites frequently pummeled the planet. One such space rock crashed down about 3.26 billion years ago, and even today, it's revealing secrets about Earth's past......»»
Scientists update eruption history of Oregon"s South Sister volcano
A hiker's pack usually gets lighter over time as they plow through trail mix and water, but Annika Dechert likes to joke that hers gets heavier. As an Earth sciences graduate student at the University of Oregon, she's picking up clues to the eruption.....»»
Departing ISS astronaut still finds time for stunning night shot
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick is grabbing some last-minute Earth shots from the ISS as he prepares to fly home after more than seven months in orbit......»»
Saturday Citations: Brown dwarf actually brown dwarfs; the adaptability of ice-age humans; archaeologists excited
This week, researchers discovered a near-Earth microquasar that sheds new light on sources of relativistic outflows. Doctors reported finding a triphallic gentleman. And neuroscientists reported on modest cognitive boosts from short (or "acute," in c.....»»
New research shows most space rocks crashing into Earth come from a single source
The sight of a fireball streaking across the sky brings wonder and excitement to children and adults alike. It's a reminder that Earth is part of a much larger and incredibly dynamic system......»»
Lignin molecular property discovery could help turn trees into affordable, greener industrial chemicals
Trees are the most abundant natural resource living on Earth's land masses, and North Carolina State University scientists and engineers are making headway in finding ways to use them as sustainable, environmentally benign alternatives to producing i.....»»
Could injecting diamond dust into the atmosphere help cool the planet?
A multi-institutional team of climatologists, meteorologists and Earth scientists has found evidence that dropping diamond dust from an airplane into the atmosphere could cool the planet. In their study published in the journal Geophysical Research L.....»»
Earth"s Flipping Magnetic Field Heard as Sound Is an Unforgettable Horror
Earth"s Flipping Magnetic Field Heard as Sound Is an Unforgettable Horror.....»»
Space Perspective preps first crewed balloon flight, with a special guest
Space Perspective is preparing its first crewed balloon flight ahead of launching a tourism experience with epic views of Earth......»»
Astronomers trace the origin of meteorites that have struck Earth
Astronomers trace the origin of meteorites that have struck Earth.....»»
Resolving biology"s dark matter: DNA barcoding reveals hidden insect diversity
There are millions of species on Earth that we still know nothing about. Researchers call these species "biological dark matter," but new methods can provide us with a better overview more quickly......»»
MAX phases boost electrocatalytic biomass upgrading
Biomass is among the most abundant renewable resources on Earth. Through catalytic conversion, biomass can upgrade into a series of fuels and chemicals which can substitute traditional fossil resources, thus playing a crucial role in achieving the "c.....»»
A near-Earth microquasar emerges as a source of powerful radiation
Modern astronomy has clung to the belief that the relativistic outflows or jets, responsible for the existence of electromagnetic radiation of particularly high energies, are located in the nuclei of active galaxies distant from Earth. However, a dif.....»»
Old data yield new secrets as NASA"s DAVINCI preps for Venus trip
Due to launch in the early 2030s, NASA's DAVINCI mission will investigate whether Venus—a sweltering world wrapped in an atmosphere of noxious gases—once had oceans and continents like Earth......»»
A new generation of telescopes will probe the "unknown unknowns" that could transform our knowledge of the universe
In recent decades, we've learned huge amounts about the universe and its history. The rapidly developing technology of telescopes—both on Earth and in space—has been a key part of this process, and those that are due to start operating over the n.....»»
Ancient ‘Age of Dinosaurs’ Seafloor Found beneath Pacific Ocean
A vast, ancient slab of seafloor plunged beneath the Pacific Ocean and has hovered in Earth’s mantle for more than 120 million years, a new study suggests.....»»
Six new Copernicus missions to provide detailed environmental data
The Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions are a major leap forward in Europe's Earth observation capabilities. With the United Kingdom's re-entry to the EU's Copernicus program, funding has been confirmed to complete the development of all six Coper.....»»
Plate tectonics drive compositional evolution of the upper mantle, study finds
On present-day Earth, plate subduction continuously modifies the chemical composition of the convecting mantle, and various mantle sources linked to these processes have been widely studied. However, when did global chemical heterogeneity of the conv.....»»
Hubble captures intricacies of R Aquarii, a symbiotic binary star roughly 700 light-years from Earth
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has provided a dramatic and colorful close-up look at one of the most rambunctious stars in our galaxy, weaving a huge spiral pattern among the stars. Hubble's images capture its details and its evolution is featur.....»»
Space Force"s X-37B will perform "never before-seen maneuvers" in orbit
The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) has been shrouded in mystery since its maiden flight in 2011. Designed by Boeing and operated by the U.S. Space Force (USSF), this remotely operated, reusable space plane is designed to operate in Low-Earth Orbit.....»»