Still searching for Planet 9
The solar system has eight planets. In 2006, astronomers reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet, the same class that contains Eris, Sedna, Quaoar, Ceres and perhaps many more solar system small bodies. These are defined approximately as bodies that orb.....»»
The Anthropocene already exists in our heads, even if it"s now officially not a geological epoch
An international subcommittee of geologists recently voted to reject a proposal to make the Anthropocene an official new geological epoch, defined by humanity's enormous impact on the planet. Assuming some protests do not overturn the ruling, it will.....»»
In a distant stellar system, the JWST sees the end of planet formation
Every time a star forms, it represents an explosion of possibilities. Not for the star itself; its fate is governed by its mass. The possibilities it signifies are in the planets that form around it. Will some be rocky? Will they be in the habitable.....»»
Life might be difficult to find on a single planet but may be obvious across many worlds
If we could detect a clear, unambiguous biosignature on just one of the thousands of exoplanets we know of, it would be a huge, game-changing moment for humanity. But it's extremely difficult. We simply aren't in a place where we can be certain that.....»»
Antarctic sea ice near historic lows: Arctic ice continues decline
Sea ice at both the top and bottom of the planet continued its decline in 2024. In the waters around Antarctica, ice coverage shrank to near-historic lows for the third year in a row. The recurring loss hints at a long-term shift in conditions in the.....»»
Planet cannibalism is common, says cosmic "twin study"
How stable are planetary systems? Will Earth and its seven siblings always continue in their steady celestial paths, or might we one day be randomly ejected from our cosmic home?.....»»
Water persisted in Mars" Gale crater for longer than previously thought, study finds
Billions of years ago, Mars was home to abundant water, and its Gale crater contained a lake. Gradually, the climate changed, drying the red planet and creating the dusty desert world we know today......»»
The Mars science helicopter could be an airborne geologist on Mars
After more than 70 successful flights, a broken rotor ended the remarkable and groundbreaking Ingenuity helicopter mission on Mars. Now, NASA is considering how a larger, more capable helicopter could be an airborne geologist on the Red Planet. For t.....»»
One impact on Mars produced more than 2 billion secondary craters, finds study
There are plenty of craters on Mars, especially when compared to Earth. That is primarily thanks to the lack of weathering forces and strong plate tectonics that disrupt the formations of such impacts on our home planet. However, not all impact crate.....»»
Rising scourge of e-waste a "catastrophe" for environment: UN
The world threw away a record amount of smartphones, televisions and other electrical devices in 2022, the UN said Wednesday, warning this avalanche of dumped gadgets was polluting the planet......»»
How to Stay Cool Without Warming the Planet
The race is on to create climate-friendly air-con technology......»»
Life"s building blocks are surprisingly stable in Venus-like conditions: Study
If there is life in the solar system beyond Earth, it might be found in the clouds of Venus. In contrast to the planet's blisteringly inhospitable surface, Venus' cloud layer, which extends from 30 to 40 miles above the surface, hosts milder temperat.....»»
Searching for data in DNA with CRISPR
The digital age has led to the explosive growth of data of all kinds. Traditional methods for storing data—such as hard drives—are beginning to face challenges due to limited storage capacities. With the growing demand for data storage on the ris.....»»
Webb finds hints of a third planet at PDS 70
The exoplanet census now stands at 5,599 confirmed discoveries in 4,163 star systems, with another 10,157 candidates awaiting confirmation. So far, the vast majority of these have been detected using indirect methods, including transit photometry (74.....»»
Planet "on the brink", with new heat records likely in 2024: UN
Global temperatures "smashed" heat records last year, as heat waves stalked oceans and glaciers suffered record ice loss, the United Nations said Tuesday—warning 2024 was likely to be even hotter......»»
Google Kills off “Nearby Places” Feature on its Phone App
It looks like users preferred searching for business numbers the old-fashioned way. The post Google Kills off “Nearby Places” Feature on its Phone App appeared first on Phandroid. Following an earlier announcement by Google tha.....»»
Study highlights achievements of the scientific drilling of Songliao Basin
Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the increase in carbon dioxide emissions has consistently warmed the Earth's climate. At the current warming rate, our planet might potentially be on track toward witnessing a greenhouse climate state with.....»»
A holistic look at Earth"s chemical cycling sheds light on how the planet stays habitable
We all know Earth is special, but we may not fully appreciate how good we have it on this planet. Unlike its planetary neighbors, Earth has remained habitable for billions of years thanks to a complicated, ever-changing dance of elements......»»
Searching for the decay of nature"s rarest isotope: Tantalum-180m
Tantalum is one of the rarest elements and has multiple stable isotopes. The least abundant tantalum isotope, Ta-180 is found naturally in a long-lived excited state, a feature unique to this isotope. In excited states, a nuclei's protons or neutrons.....»»
Could Earth life survive on a red dwarf planet?
Even though exoplanet science has advanced significantly in the last decade or two, we're still in an unfortunate situation. Scientists can only make educated guesses about which exoplanets may be habitable. Even the closest exoplanet is four light-y.....»»
Methane: a powerful gas heating the planet
Climate talks often revolve around reducing the most dangerous greenhouse gas CO2......»»