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.....»»
El Niño Southern Oscillation caused spike in 2023 temperatures, study finds
A study by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science identified El Niño–Southern Oscillation as the primary cause of the spike in global surface temperature in 2023, not human-induced climate.....»»
Modern mass extinction in an Ecuadorean cloud forest found to be a mirage
One of the most notorious mass extinction events in modern times occurred on a hilltop in coastal Ecuador in the 1980s. Ninety species of plants known from nowhere else on Earth—many of them new to science and not yet given a name—went extinct wh.....»»
Penetrating the ice sheet of an ocean moon: Four questions about the Clipper Mission to Europa
On Oct. 14 NASA's Europa Clipper Mission launched. It is the first detailed investigation of Jupiter's moon Europa—which is believed to harbor an ocean so vast that it contains more water than anywhere else in the known universe (even Earth). While.....»»
Comet last seen in the Stone Age makes appearance over Earth
A comet that passes by Earth just once every 80,000 years has been spotted in the skies, but it may not survive for much longer......»»
Scientists discover one of the Earth"s earliest animals in Australian outback
In the shadow of South Australia's largest mountain range beneath the outback soil lies a fossil record that reveals a rich history of life on Earth. Fossils found at Nilpena Ediacara National Park preserve a pivotal moment in the history of evolutio.....»»
Saturn Trojan asteroid confirmed
A small international team of astronomers and astrophysicists has confirmed that asteroid 2019 UO14 is a Trojan asteroid of Saturn. The team has posted a paper describing their study of the asteroid on the arXiv preprint server......»»
Atmospheric oxidation and the creation of modern Mars
Like Earth, Mars was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, but its early surface was very different than today's. Mars' surface then had high rates of meteorite and asteroid impacts from the period known as the Late Heavy Bombardment. But whereas today.....»»
Hubble captures spiral galaxy NGC 5248
The sparkling scene depicted in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image is of the spiral galaxy NGC 5248, located 42 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Boötes. It is also known as Caldwell 45. The Caldwell catalog holds visually.....»»
Compound drought–heat wave events under-recognized in global soils, finds study
Soil is essential for life and plays a crucial role in the Earth's ecosystem, providing support for plant roots and hosting countless microorganisms. In a warming world, it is important to understand how soil hydrothermal conditions, particularly the.....»»
SpaceX’s Dramatic Rocket Catch Brings Interplanetary Travel One Step Closer
By proving that its Super Heavy booster can return to Earth and land, SpaceX has moved closer to creating a reusable interplanetary transport system......»»
In a first, Starship megarocket booster caught by SpaceX"s "chopsticks"
SpaceX successfully "caught" the first-stage booster of its Starship megarocket Sunday as it returned to the launch pad after a test flight, a world first in the company's quest for rapid reusability......»»
A patchwork of spinifex: How we returned cultural burning to the Great Sandy Desert
How can a desert burn? Australia's vast deserts aren't just sand dunes—they're often dotted with flammable spinifex grass hummocks. When heavy rains fall, grass grows quickly before drying out. That's how a desert can burn......»»
"Killer electrons": Lightning storms play cosmic pinball with space weather
When lightning strikes, the electrons come pouring down. In a new study, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, led by an undergraduate student, have discovered a novel connection between weather on Earth and space weather. The team utili.....»»
Europa Clipper mission to investigate potential habitability of Jupiter"s moon
A NASA spacecraft is ready to set sail for Jupiter and its moon Europa, one of the best bets for finding life beyond Earth......»»
How did the building blocks of life arrive on Earth? Zinc fingerprints in meteorites offer clues
Researchers have used the chemical fingerprints of zinc contained in meteorites to determine the origin of volatile elements on Earth. The results suggest that without 'unmelted' asteroids, there may not have been enough of these compounds on Earth f.....»»
What"s behind the northern lights that dazzled the sky farther south than normal
Another in a series of unusually strong solar storms hitting Earth produced stunning skies full of pinks, purples, greens and blues farther south than normal, including into parts of Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City......»»
AI decodes microbes" message in milk safety testing approach
By combining the genetic sequencing and analysis of the microbes in a milk sample with artificial intelligence (AI), researchers were able to detect anomalies in milk production, such as contamination or unauthorized additives. The new approach could.....»»
Asteroid mining: A potential trillion-dollar industry
Earth's newest celestial neighbor has finally arrived. Astronomers using a powerful telescope in Sutherland, South Africa, first detected the 33-foot-long asteroid in August, reporting their discovery in Research Notes of the American Astronomical So.....»»
Research team helps community document skeletal remains found on historic "poor farm"
On a bright autumn afternoon, a plain wooden box crafted by a local cabinet shop containing skeletal remains was returned to its final resting place during a simple reburial ceremony in Brentwood. Researchers and students from the University of New H.....»»
How did magma oceans evolve on early Earth and Mars? Iron chemistry and primordial atmospheres offer clues
Before Earth became the blue planet, it was engulfed by a very different kind of ocean: a vast, deep magma ocean reaching down hundreds or perhaps even thousands of kilometers......»»