Spacecraft looks like a "Star Wars" ship. It just crashed into Earth.
The large ERS-2 satellite fell through Earth's atmosphere and will largely burn up, the European Space Agency said. An image of the falling spacecraft looks like a "Star Wars" TIE fighter. UPDATE: Feb. 21, 2024, 3:30 p.m. EST In an update p.....»»
Biodegradable polymers show promise for nutrient encapsulation and replacing microbeads in beauty products
Microplastics are an environmental hazard found nearly everywhere on Earth, released by the breakdown of tires, clothing, and plastic packaging. Another significant source of microplastics is tiny beads that are added to some cleansers, cosmetics, an.....»»
NASA says Orion’s heat shield is good to go for Artemis II—but does it matter?
The Artemis II mission, as NASA currently envisions it, won't launch until April 2026. Two years ago next week, NASA's Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean to wrap.....»»
Two European satellites launch on mission to blot out the Sun—for science
This will all happen nearly 40,000 miles above the Earth, so you won't need your eclipse glasses. Two spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency launched on top of an India.....»»
3D scans of giant hailstones reveal surprising discoveries that could help predict future storms
Hailstones are formed during thunderstorms, when raindrops are propelled into very cold parts of a cloud, where they freeze. Once the particles are heavy enough, gravity pulls them back towards Earth. As they plummet, they grow into hailstones, which.....»»
Nanoparticle-mediated gene therapy fixes major cause of stillbirth and premature birth in guinea pig model
The life of billions of people inhabiting Earth is owed to a temporary organ that supported and nourished them in a mother's womb. The placenta, or afterbirth, is considered sacred by some cultures, its pivotal role in pregnancy recognized as far bac.....»»
Study: Warming has accelerated due to the Earth absorbing more sunlight
If it's a trend, then future warming will be at the high end of estimates. 2023 was always going to be a hot year, given that warmer El Niño conditions were superimposed on the l.....»»
macOS Sequoia 15.2 RC now available, wide release soon
Apple has released the macOS Sequoia 15.2 RC (release candidate) in beta. It’s available for both developers and public beta users, providing both groups with access to the exact software expected to ship to all users soon. Here’s everything you.....»»
Quick climate dictionary: What actually is a carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by something. That might be a person's lifestyle, a product's supply chain, an organization, or an activity. Everything from a banana to a ship has a carbon footprint......»»
Not too warm and not too cold—finding the Goldilocks Zone of the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia is the largest living coral reef system on Earth, about 300 times larger than the next largest reef, found off the coast of Belize. This unique UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to a wide variety of.....»»
A rare Venus solar transit helps unravel exoplanet atmospheres
In the next decade, researchers will start probing the atmosphere of planets as small as Earth and Venus orbiting nearby stars. But although these two solar system planets are similar in size and bulk density—so that some call them "twins"—their.....»»
Attention, gamers! This PlayStation 5 bundle is $76 off
The PlayStation 5 Slim Disc Edition Fortnite Cobalt Star Bundle, originally sold for $500, is on sale from Walmart for $424 -- you better hurry if you want it!.....»»
Unique microbial communities discovered beneath frozen surface of Antarctica"s Lake Enigma
An international team of polar researchers has found several types of microbiota living in the water below the frozen surface of Antarctica's Lake Enigma. In their study, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, group members vent.....»»
Warming oceans are changing marine habitats. A new study explores the impact on thousands of species
Every year, human activities release billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the Sun, making the Earth warmer than it would be without them. Over 90% of the extra heat from greenhouse gases gets absorbed b.....»»
A key transcription factor unlocks new potential in stem cell-based embryo models
Researchers from the A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have identified Nr1h2, a critical transcription factor essential for early embryo development. Published in Nature Communications, their findings enhance our understanding of.....»»
Best of last year: The top Phys.org articles of 2024
It was a good year for space science as Sumner Starrfield, an astronomer at Arizona State University, described what was to appear as a huge star exploding in the night sky, in a once-in-a-lifetime event this past fall. A binary star system in the co.....»»
Massive asteroid impacts did not change Earth"s climate in the long term, research finds
Two massive asteroids hit Earth around 35.65 million years ago, but did not lead to any lasting changes in the Earth's climate, according to a study by UCL researchers......»»
Starspot activity of the red giant XX Trianguli indicates non-periodic, chaotic dynamo
In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Leibniz-Institut for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) and the HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences (HUN-REN CSFK) have reconstructed the temporal changes in the distrib.....»»
Check out astronaut’s stunning ‘science and art’ photo from the ISS
American astronaut Don Pettit has just shared another dazzling image captured from the International Space Station 250 miles above Earth......»»
This pair of satellites is going to create an artificial solar eclipse
A pair of spacecraft are launching on a mission to observe the sun's corona by one casting a precise shadow from which the other can observe......»»
Check out astronaut’s stunning ‘science and art’ from the ISS
American astronaut Don Pettit has just shared another dazzling image captured from the International Space Station 250 miles above Earth......»»