Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Ecology: Extinction, Space: General
Published NASA's DART impact permanently changed the shape and orbit of asteroid moon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides insights on the geophysics behind asteroid formation and evolution.
Published Meteor showers shed light on where comets formed in the early solar system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers studying meteor showers have found that not all comets crumble the same way when they approach the Sun. In a new study, they ascribe the differences to the conditions in the protoplanetary disk where comets formed 4.5 billion years ago.
Published Extraterrestrial chemistry with earthbound possibilities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Who are we? Why are we here? We are stardust, the result of chemistry occurring throughout vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust. To better understand how that chemistry could create prebiotic molecules, researchers investigated the role of low-energy electrons created as cosmic radiation traverses through ice particles. Their findings may also inform medical and environmental applications on our home planet.
Published New heaviest exotic antimatter nucleus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists studying the tracks of particles streaming from six billion collisions of atomic nuclei at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) -- an 'atom smasher' that recreates the conditions of the early universe -- have discovered a new kind of antimatter nucleus, the heaviest ever detected. Composed of four antimatter particles -- an antiproton, two antineutrons, and one antihyperon -- these exotic antinuclei are known as antihyperhydrogen-4.
Published Mobile species are 'glue' which connect different habitats together
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A groundbreaking study conducted across 30 field sites in the southwest UK has revealed the importance of incorporating varied habitats into the landscape at large.
Published Environmental laws failing to slow deforestation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Australia's environmental laws are failing to stop high rates of tree clearing to make way for agriculture, development and mining.
Published New view of North Star reveals spotted surface
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source High-resolution images show large spots on the surface of Polaris.
Published 'Masters of shape-shifting': How darkling beetles conquered the world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Large-scale genomic analysis of darkling beetles, a hyper-diverse insect group of more than 30,000 species worldwide, rolls back the curtain on a 150-million-year evolutionary tale of one of Earth's most ecologically important yet inconspicuous creatures, according to new research.
Published Explanation found for X-ray radiation from black holes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have succeeded in something that has been pursued since the 1970s: explaining the X-ray radiation from the black hole surroundings. The radiation originates from the combined effect of the chaotic movements of magnetic fields and turbulent plasma gas.
Published Spectacular increase in the deuterium/hydrogen ratio in Venus' atmosphere
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Our understanding of Venus' water history and the potential that it was once habitable in the past is being challenged by recent observations.
Published Will climate change lead to the extinction of a newly discovered tarantula species?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biologists have discovered a new species of tarantula from the Madrean Sky Island biodiversity hotspot in southeastern Arizona. This remarkable new species is endemic to the Chiricahua Mountains and is predominately distributed in mid- to high-elevation forests, which are increasingly threatened due to climate change.
Published Tracking down the asteroid that sealed the fate of the dinosaurs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The asteroid that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago probably came from the outer solar system.
Published Right on schedule: Physicists use modeling to forecast a black hole's feeding patterns with precision
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The dramatic dimming of a light source ~ 870 million light years away from Earth confirms the accuracy of a detailed model.
Published Rethinking the dodo
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are setting out to challenge our misconceptions about the Dodo, one of the most well-known but poorly understood species of bird. Researchers have undertaken the most comprehensive review of the taxonomy of the Dodo and its closest relative, the Rodriguez Island Solitaire.
Published The banana apocalypse is near, but biologists might have found a key to their survival
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The bananas in your supermarket and that you eat for breakfast are facing functional extinction due to the disease Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB) caused by a fungal pathogen called Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) tropical race 4 (TR4). However, thanks to recent research from an international team of scientists we now know that Foc TR4 did not evolve from the strain that wiped out commercial banana crops in the 1950s and that the virulence of this new strain seems to be caused by some accessory genes that are associated the production of nitric oxide. The research opens the door to treatments and strategies that can slow, if not control, the as-of-yet unchecked spread of Foc TR4.
Published As human activities expand in Antarctica, scientists identify crucial conservation sites
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Establishing Key Biodiversity Areas in the Southern Ocean will be vital for safeguarding the ecosystem from the impact of human activities, researchers say.
Published Engineers conduct first in-orbit test of 'swarm' satellite autonomous navigation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With 2D cameras and space robotics algorithms, astronautics engineers have created a navigation system able to manage multiple satellites using visual data only. They just tested it in space for the first time.
Published Galaxies in dense environments tend to be larger, settling one cosmic question and raising others
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has found galaxies with more neighbors tend to be larger than their counterparts that have a similar shape and mass, but reside in less dense environments. The team, which used a machine-learning algorithm to analyze millions of galaxies, reports that galaxies found in denser regions of the universe are as much as 25% larger than isolated galaxies. The findings resolve a long-standing debate among astrophysicists over the relationship between a galaxy's size and its environment, but also raise new questions about how galaxies form and evolve over billions of years.
Published Rocks collected on Mars hold key to water and perhaps life on the planet: Bring them back to Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Between July and November of 2022, NASA's Perseverance rover collected seven samples of sediment from an ancient alluvial fan in Jezero crater. While onboard analysis gave researchers some information about their origins, only detailed analysis on Earth can retrieve evidence of when water flowed on Mars and whether life arose there. Geophysicists had hoped to get these samples back by 2033, but NASA's sample return mission may be delayed beyond that date.
Published Rocks from Mars' Jezero Crater, which likely predate life on Earth, contain signs of water
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists report that rock samples from Mars' Jezero Crater contain minerals that are typically formed in water. While the presence of organic matter is inconclusive, the rocks could be scientists' best chance at finding remnants of ancient Martian life.