Ryugu asteroid origins in the solar nebula decoded by carbonates
Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency sent the Hayabusa2 spacecraft to 162173 Ryugu in 2019, an asteroid in orbit near Earth that is comprised of rocky fragments originating from a larger parent body. Multiple rovers brought samples from the asteroid'.....»»
Against all odds, an asteroid mining company appears to be making headway
"It's not easy to ever raise for an asteroid mining company, right?" Enlarge / The Odin spacecraft passed vibration testing. (credit: Astro Forge) When I first spoke with space entrepreneurs Jose Acain and Matt Gialich a.....»»
Astronomers discover spectacular increase in the deuterium to hydrogen ratio in Venus"s atmosphere
Thanks to observations by the Solar Occultation in the Infrared (SOIR) instrument on the Venus Express space probe of the European Space Agency (ESA), researchers have discovered an unexpected increase in the abundances of two water molecule variants.....»»
Green light for accurate vegetation research: Evaluation of global SIF datasets
A recent study has pinpointed the top-performing solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) products for precise global monitoring of photosynthesis and vegetation dynamics. By thoroughly evaluating eight widely-used SIF datasets, the research team.....»»
Mapping Martian meteorites: Tracing origins on the red planet
Researchers have identified the specific locations from which most of the approximately 200 Martian meteorites originate. They've traced the meteorites to five impact craters within two volcanic regions on the red planet called Tharsis and Elysium. T.....»»
Project Helianthus—a solar-sail-driven geomagnetic storm tracker
Solar storms captured the imagination of much of the American public earlier this year when auroras were visible well south of their typical northern areas. As the sun ramps into another solar cycle, those storms will become more and more common, and.....»»
An asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, not a comet, new study finds
Analysis of ruthenium isotopes showed the impactor was a carbonaceous-type asteroid. Enlarge / Artist impression of a large asteroid impacting on Earth, such as the Chicxulub event that caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction 6.....»»
GM signs 15-year solar energy deal that will power 3 U.S. plants
GM's Lansing Delta Township Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly plants in Michigan and Wentzville Assembly in Missouri will benefit from the Aug. 15 solar power deal in Arkansas......»»
NASA shuts down asteroid-hunting telescope, but a better one is on the way
The NEOWISE spacecraft is on a course to fall out of orbit in the next few months. Enlarge / Artist's illustration of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft. (credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) Last week, NASA deco.....»»
Stonehenge"s Altar Stone origins reveal advanced ancient Britain
New research led by Curtin University has revealed Stonehenge's monumental six-ton Altar Stone, long believed to originate from Wales, actually hails from Scotland. The study titled "A Scottish Provenance for the Altar Stone of Stonehenge" was publis.....»»
Research team finds evidence of hydration on the asteroid Psyche
Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, a Southwest Research Institute-led team has confirmed hydroxyl molecules on the surface of the metallic asteroid Psyche. The presence of hydrated minerals suggests a complex history for Psyche, impor.....»»
A hopper could explore more than 150 km of Triton"s surface in two years
Neptune's largest moon, Triton, is one of the most biologically interesting places in the solar system. Despite being hard to reach, it appears to have active volcanoes, a thin atmosphere, and even some organic molecules called tholins on its surface.....»»
Primary instrument for Roman Space Telescope arrives at NASA Goddard
The primary instrument for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a sophisticated camera that will survey the cosmos from the outskirts of our solar system all the way out to the edge of the observable universe. Called the Wide Field Instrument,.....»»
The biggest-ever sample of core material from Earth"s mantle could have valuable clues into the origins of life
If you were to slice through it, you would see the Earth is divided into distinct layers. On top is the relatively thin crust where we live. Beneath that is the 2,900 km thick mantle layer. Then, enclosed within the mantle is the innermost metallic c.....»»
Earth hit by "severe" solar storm
The Earth was hit Monday by an intense solar storm that could bring the northern lights to night skies further south than normal, a US agency announced......»»
Faint auroras may be visible in Northern Hemisphere skies after weekend solar storms
Solar storms persisting from the weekend may produce faint colorful auroras across the Northern Hemisphere, with little disruption to power and communications, space forecasters said Monday......»»
520-million-year-old larva fossil reveals the origins of arthropods
Early arthropod development illuminated by a microscopic fossil. Enlarge / The fossil in question, oriented with its head to the left. (credit: Yang Jie / Zhang Xiguang) Around half a billion years ago, in what is now th.....»»
NASA says goodbye to our planetary protector, the asteroid-spotting NEOWISE mission
Fifteen years after a launch that was intended to begin just a seven month mission, NASA's NEOWISE spacecraft has finally shut down......»»
512-bit RSA key in home energy system gives control of “virtual power plant”
It took $70 and 24 hours for Ryan Castellucci to gain access to 200 MW of capacity. Enlarge When Ryan Castellucci recently acquired solar panels and a battery storage system for their home just outside of London, they w.....»»
Ancient grains of dust from space can be found on Earth—and provide clues about the life cycle of stars
In space, there are clouds that contain gas and dust ejected from stars. Our solar system was formed 4.6 billion years ago from such a molecular cloud. Most of these dust grains were destroyed during solar system formation. However, a very small amou.....»»
Gaia spots possible moons around hundreds of asteroids
ESA's star-surveying Gaia mission has again proven to be a formidable asteroid explorer, spotting potential moons around more than 350 asteroids not known to have a companion......»»