Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Spanish lagoon used to better understand wet-to-dry transition of Mars      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In the ongoing search for signs of life on Mars, a new study proposes focusing on 'time-resolved analogs' -- dynamic and similar Earth environments where changes can be analyzed over many years.

Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

A new ring system discovered in our Solar System      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have discovered a new ring system around a dwarf planet on the edge of the Solar System. The ring system orbits much further out than is typical for other ring systems, calling into question current theories of how ring systems are formed.

Space: The Solar System
Published

New models explain canyons on Pluto moon      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In 2015, when NASA's New Horizons spacecraft encountered the Pluto-Charon system, scientists discovered interesting, geologically active objects instead of the inert icy orbs previously envisioned. Scientists have revisited the data to explore the source of cryovolcanic flows and an obvious belt of fractures on Pluto's large moon Charon. These new models suggest that when the moon's internal ocean froze, it may have formed the deep, elongated depressions along its girth but was less likely to lead to cryovolcanoes erupting with ice, water and other materials in its northern hemisphere.

Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Hubble directly measures mass of a lone white dwarf      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Astronomers have directly measured the mass of a single, isolated white dwarf -- the surviving core of a burned-out, Sun-like star. Researchers found that the white dwarf is 56 percent the mass of our Sun. This agrees with earlier theoretical predictions of the white dwarf's mass and corroborates current theories of how white dwarfs evolve as the end product of a typical star's evolution. The unique observation yields insights into theories of the structure and composition of white dwarfs.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Geoscience: Environmental Issues Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Thin, lightweight layer provides radiation barrier for perovskites in space, protection from elements on Earth      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An ultrathin protective coating proves sufficient to protect a perovskite solar cell from the harmful effects of space and harden it against environmental factors on Earth, according to newly published research.

Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Researchers complete first real-world study of Martian helicopter dust dynamics      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have completed the first real-world study of Martian dust dynamics based on Ingenuity's historic first flights on the Red Planet, paving the way for future extraterrestrial rotorcraft missions. The work could support NASA's Mars Sample Return Program, which will retrieve samples collected by Perseverance, or the Dragonfly mission that will set course for Titan, Saturn's largest moon, in 2027.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Focused ultrasound technique leads to release of neurodegenerative disorders biomarkers      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New research found that using focused-ultrasound-mediated liquid biopsy in a mouse model released more tau proteins and another biomarker into the blood than without the intervention. This noninvasive method could facilitate diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders, the researchers said.

Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: The Solar System
Published

Evidence that Saturn's moon Mimas is a stealth ocean world      (via sciencedaily.com) 

When a scientist discovered surprising evidence that Saturn's smallest, innermost moon could generate the right amount of heat to support a liquid internal ocean, colleagues began studying Mimas' surface to understand how its interior may have evolved. Numerical simulations of the moon's Herschel impact basin, the most striking feature on its heavily cratered surface, determined that the basin's structure and the lack of tectonics on Mimas are compatible with a thinning ice shell and geologically young ocean.

Computer Science: General Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: Space Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Will machine learning help us find extraterrestrial life?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have applied a deep learning technique to a previously studied dataset of nearby stars and uncovered eight previously unidentified signals of interest.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Geoscience: Geology Space: Astronomy Space: The Solar System
Published

Meteorites reveal likely origin of Earth's volatile chemicals      (via sciencedaily.com) 

By analyzing meteorites, researchers have uncovered the likely far-flung origin of Earth's volatile chemicals, some of which form the building blocks of life.

Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Solar System formed from 'poorly mixed cake batter,' isotope research shows      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Earth's potassium arrived by meteoritic delivery service finds new research led by Earth and planetary scientists. Their work shows that some primitive meteorites contain a different mix of potassium isotopes than those found in other, more-chemically processed meteorites. These results can help elucidate the processes that shaped our Solar System and determined the composition of its planets.

Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

Webb spies Chariklo ring system with high-precision technique      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In an observational feat of high precision, scientists used a new technique with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to capture the shadows of starlight cast by the thin rings of Chariklo. Chariklo is an icy, small body, but the largest of the known Centaur population, located more than 2 billion miles away beyond the orbit of Saturn.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Wearable sensor uses ultrasound to provide cardiac imaging on the go      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineers and physicians have developed a wearable ultrasound device that can assess both the structure and function of the human heart. The portable device, which is roughly the size of a postage stamp, can be worn for up to 24 hours and works even during strenuous exercise.

Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

How a 3 cm glass sphere could help scientists understand space weather      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Space weather can interfere with spaceflight and the operation of satellites, but the phenomenon is very difficult to study on Earth because of the difference in gravity. Researchers effectively reproduced the type of gravity that exists on or near stars and other planets inside of a glass sphere measuring 3 centimeters in diameter, or about 1.2 inches. The achievement could help scientists overcome the limiting role of gravity in experiments that are intended to model conditions in stars and other planets.

Geoscience: Geology Space: The Solar System
Published

Asteroid findings from specks of space dust could save the planet      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New research into the durability and age of an ancient asteroid made of rocky rubble and dust, revealed significant findings that could contribute to potentially saving the planet if one ever hurtled toward Earth.

Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Darkest view ever of interstellar ice      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Astronomers used observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to achieve the darkest ever view of a dense interstellar cloud. These observations have revealed the composition of a virtual treasure chest of ices from the early universe, providing new insights into the chemical processes of one of the coldest, darkest places in the universe as well as the origins of the molecules that make up planetary atmospheres.

Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

How was the solar system formed? The Ryugu asteroid is helping us learn      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Our solar system is estimated to be about 4.57 billion years old. Previous analyses of ancient meteorites have shown that minerals were created through chemical reactions with water as far back as 4.5 billion years ago. New findings from the Ryugu asteroid samples indicate that carbonates were forming from water-rock reactions several million years earlier, even closer to the solar system's beginnings.

Space: Exploration Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Tumultuous migration on the edge of the Hot Neptune Desert      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team reveals the eventful migration history of planets bordering the Hot Neptune Desert, these extrasolar planets that orbit very close to their star.

Space: Exploration Space: The Solar System
Published

The rich meteorology of Mars studied in detail from the Perseverance rover      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Perseverance has now completed its investigation of the atmosphere throughout the first Martian year (which lasts approximately two Earth years). Specifically, astronomers have studied seasonal and daily cycles of temperature and pressure, as well as their significant variations on other time scales resulting from very different processes.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Offbeat: Earth and Climate Space: The Solar System
Published

17-pound meteorite discovered in Antarctica      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Antarctica is a tough place to work, for obvious reasons -- it's bitterly cold, remote, and wild. However, it's one of the best places in the world to hunt for meteorites. That's partly because Antarctica is a desert, and its dry climate limits the degree of weathering the meteorites experience. On top of the dry conditions, the landscape is ideal for meteorite hunting: the black space rocks stand out clearly against snowy fields.