The earliest atmosphere on Mercury
Mercury is a most unusual planet. The smallest planet in the solar system, and the closest planet to the sun, it is in a 3:2 spin resonance, slowly turning and experiencing scorching heat up to 430 degrees Celsius, and the night side frigid, down to.....»»
New approach reveals details about aerosol properties from hard-to-sample areas in the atmosphere
The spatial distribution of ambient aerosol particles plays a huge role in aerosol–radiation–cloud interactions; however, not enough sampling has been done from the atmospheric boundary layer and lower free troposphere. This leaves large gaps in.....»»
‘That’s weird’: This galaxy could help astronomers understand the earliest stars
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted a weird galaxy that originated just a billion years after the Big Bang......»»
Study shows Mars" early thick atmosphere could be locked up in the planet"s clay surface
Mars wasn't always the cold desert we see today. There's increasing evidence that water once flowed on the red planet's surface, billions of years ago. And if there was water, there must also have been a thick atmosphere to keep that water from freez.....»»
Ice cores show pollution"s impact on Arctic atmosphere
A Dartmouth-led study on ice cores from Alaska and Greenland found that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels reaches the remote Arctic in amounts large enough to alter its fundamental atmospheric chemistry. The findings illustrate the long.....»»
Archaeologists discover southern army fought at "Europe"s oldest battle"
Archaeologists analyzed thirteenth century BC bronze and flint arrowheads from the Tollense Valley, north-east Germany, uncovering the earliest evidence for large-scale interregional conflict in Europe. The Tollense Valley in Mecklenburg-Western Pome.....»»
Astronomers catch a glimpse of a uniquely inflated and asymmetric exoplanet
An international group of researchers including University of Arizona astronomers, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, has observed the atmosphere of a hot and uniquely inflated exoplanet. The exoplanet, which is the size of Jupiter but only a t.....»»
Potential indicators of life on other planets can be created in a lab
One way to understand the potential for life on far-off planets—those in other solar systems that orbit different stars—is to study a planet's atmosphere. Telescopic images often capture traces of gases that may indicate life and habitable planet.....»»
Previously unknown Neolithic society in Morocco discovered: North Africa"s role in Mediterranean prehistory
Archaeological fieldwork in Morocco has discovered the earliest previously unknown farming society from a poorly understood period of northwest African prehistory......»»
Study raises questions about validity of standard model of solar flares
Solar flares are extremely intense events that occur in the sun's atmosphere, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. According to the standard flare model, the energy that triggers these explosions is transported by accelerated electro.....»»
High-resolution images of the sun show how flares impact the solar atmosphere
Solar flares are a fascinating thing and have a profound effect on what astronomers refer to as "space weather." These events vary with the sun's 11-year solar cycle, releasing immense amounts of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum (from ex.....»»
Sea surface micro layer: Researchers study boundary between the ocean and the air
The boundary between the ocean and the atmosphere, where the air and sea interact, is known as the sea surface microlayer. Understanding how nutrients, pollutants and organic matter are exchanged between the air and the sea is also vital for better u.....»»
Project 2025 Would Drastically Cut Support for Carbon Removal
The Heritage Foundation’s plan for a potential Trump second term has little time for schemes to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere......»»
Polaris Dawn crew member describes the dramatic ride home
A member of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission has described what it was like aboard the Crew Dragon as it entered Earth’s atmosphere at high speed last weekend......»»
How Olmec elite helped legitimize their political power through art
In an article recently published in Latin American Antiquity, Dr. Jill Mollenhauer argues that the Gulf Lowland Olmec, one of Mesoamerica's earliest major civilizations, sometimes incorporated aesthetic and ritual practices associated with their rock.....»»
Polaris Dawn’s high-speed journey home captured in photo from ISS
A remarkable photo taken by an astronaut aboard the ISS shows SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn Crew Dragon capsule entering Earth’s atmosphere at high speed on Sunday......»»
So what are we to make of the highly ambitious, private Polaris spaceflight?
They flew high, they walked in space, and finally early on Sunday, they landed. Enlarge / Crew Dragon enters Earth's atmosphere on Sunday morning as recovery boats await. (credit: SpaceX) A white spacecraft, lightly toas.....»»
Exploring ternary metal sulfides as electrocatalysts for carbon dioxide reduction reactions
One of the most promising avenues for actively reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere is recycling it into valuable chemicals via electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reactions. With a suitable electrocatalyst, this can be achieved under mild conditions and.....»»
Researchers identify novel approach to minimize nitrogen loss in crops
While agriculture producers apply nitrogen fertilizer to supply nutrients to their crops, they can't always keep those nutrients in the soil for maximum efficiency, often losing them into the atmosphere or water supply as nitrates and nitrous oxide......»»
Microbe dietary preferences found to influence effectiveness of carbon sequestration in deep ocean
The movement of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the surface of the ocean, where it is in active contact with the atmosphere, to the deep ocean, where it can be sequestered away for decades, centuries, or longer, depends on a number of seemingly small proce.....»»
NASA"s EZIE mission set for 2025 launch
In 2025, NASA will launch its first mission to image the magnetic fingerprint of intense electrical currents that flow high in our atmosphere when auroras shimmer above Earth's poles......»»