There are deposits of ice at Mercury"s poles, too
Although the Arecibo radio telescope is no more, it continues to deliver scientific discoveries. There is a wealth of Arecibo data astronomers continue to mine for new discoveries, and one of them is thanks to an astronomical technique known as plane.....»»
Cloud as stumbling block for the propagation of the Southern Annular Mode
The Southern Annular Mode (SAM), with an iconic dipolar zonal wind pattern centered around the axis of the storm track, is the most dominant mode of variability orchestrating the weather and wind from the subtropics to the poles. Its origin, maintena.....»»
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......»»
See the gorgeous images of Mercury taken by BepiColombo
The European Space Agency's BepiColombo spacecraft recently made a close flyby of Mercury, and it snapped some stunning pictures along the way......»»
BepiColombo"s best images yet highlight fourth Mercury flyby
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has successfully completed its fourth of six gravity assist flybys at Mercury, capturing images of two special impact craters as it uses the little planet's gravity to steer itself on course to enter orbit around Merc.....»»
Natural piezoelectric effect may build gold deposits
How does an unreactive, barely soluble metal end up forming giant chunks? Enlarge / A lot of gold deposits are found embedded in quartz crystals. (credit: Pierre Longnus) One of the reasons gold is so valuable is because.....»»
Fourth Mercury flyby begins BepiColombo"s new trajectory
Teams from across ESA and industry have worked continuously over the past four months to overcome a glitch that prevented BepiColombo's thrusters from operating at full power. The ESA/JAXA mission is still on track, with a new trajectory that will ta.....»»
Q&A: Scientist discusses the MESSENGER mission to Mercury
Twenty years ago, the MESSENGER mission revolutionized our understanding of Mercury. We sat down with project head and former Carnegie Science director Sean Solomon to talk about how the mission came together and the groundbreaking work it enabled......»»
California legislature passes controversial “kill switch” AI safety bill
Governor will balance worries about "over-regulation" with calls from AI luminaries. Enlarge / California governor Gavin Newsom will likely soon face a decision on whether to sign SB-1047. (credit: Ray Chavez/The Mercury News via.....»»
Simulations identify how critical elements distribute in abundant mineral ores
Nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) are critical elements for modern technologies, with high-grade Ni and Co ores becoming increasingly scarce. Mafic and ultramafic deposits are low-grade, abundant alternatives to traditional Ni and Co ores. However, new met.....»»
"Mercury bomb" threatens millions as Arctic temperatures rise, study warns
The Yukon River flows west across Alaska toward the Bering Sea, eroding Arctic permafrost along its banks and transporting sediment downstream. Within that sediment lurks a toxic stowaway: mercury......»»
Wildfires are increasing toxic mercury in streams in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, study finds
Wildfires have been burning across Idaho this summer, and their list of harmful impacts is long, from worsening health conditions because of smoke to challenges recovering millions in costs to fight them......»»
Rising mercury pollution in soil could be related to climate change, study suggests
In 2017, the Minamata Convention on Mercury went into effect, designed to help curb mercury emissions and limit exposure across the globe. However, a new study of mercury levels in soil suggests that the treaty's provisions might not be enough. A stu.....»»
New species of extinct walrus-like mammal discovered in the North Atlantic
A new discovery by a team of paleontologists, led by Dr. Mathieu Boisville (University of Tsukuba, Japan), has uncovered a new species of the extinct genus Ontocetus from the Lower Pleistocene deposits in the North Atlantic. This species, named Ontoc.....»»
SpaceX announces first human mission to ever fly over the planet’s poles
The highest inclination flight by a human spacecraft to date is 65.1 degrees. Enlarge / The crew of Fram2 from left to right: Eric Philips, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Chun Wang, and Rabea Rogge. (credit: SpaceX) SpaceX will fl.....»»
In world first, Russian chess player poisons rival’s board with mercury
At least it wasn't novichok. Enlarge / Amina Abakarova allegedly spreading mercury on her rival's chess board. Russia is no stranger to unique poisonings. State agents have been known to use everything from polonium-lac.....»»
Mercury Weather gets new widget and extra data provider with its latest update
As I once wrote here on 9to5Mac, Mercury is an elegant weather app for Apple devices for those looking for an alternative to the native iOS Weather app. The developers behind the app have just released a major update to it, which adds things like a.....»»
Researchers develop high-sensitivity technique to detect mercury in soil
Environmental pollution by heavy metals is a major social problem. Among these metals, mercury (Hg) is strictly controlled due to its high toxicity. Focusing on soil, which is closely related to our daily lives, the environmental standard for mercury.....»»
New date for Earth"s largest iron deposits offers clues for future exploration
Research led by Curtin University reveals that Earth's largest iron ore deposits—in the Hamersley Province of Western Australia—are about one billion years younger than previously believed, a discovery which could greatly boost the search for mor.....»»
New research sheds light on river dynamics and cutoff regimes
How are rivers characterized? Traditional methods rely on plant forms and sedimentological techniques, focusing on deposits. Riccardo Maitan, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Padova, is developing a novel approach based on river hydrological be.....»»
Local dragonflies expose mercury pollution patterns
A new study has unveiled surprising findings about mercury pollution: where it comes from and how it moves through the environment vary significantly depending on the ecosystem. In drier regions, most mercury is deposited through rain and snow. In we.....»»