Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Ecology: Trees, Space: The Solar System
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 Next time you beat a virus, thank your microbial ancestors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When you get infected with a virus, some of the first weapons your body deploys to fight it were passed down to us from our microbial ancestors billions of years ago. According to new research, two key elements of our innate immune system came from a group of microbes called Asgard archaea.
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 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 '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 Less severe forest fires can reduce intensity of future blazes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Low- and moderate-severity forest wildfires can reduce the intensity of future fires, according to new research on 'reburns.'
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 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 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.
Published SwRI-led team finds evidence of hydration on Asteroid Psyche
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have confirmed hydroxyl molecules on the surface of the metallic asteroid Psyche. The presence of hydrated minerals suggests a complex history for Psyche, important context for the NASA spacecraft en route to this interesting asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
Published Study reveals urban trees suffer more from heat waves and drought than their rural counterparts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent study details how trees in New York City and Boston are more negatively impacted by heat waves and drought than trees of the same species in nearby rural forests. The finding highlights the challenges urban trees face in the context of climate change and underscores the importance of tailored urban forestry management as a tool for protecting tree species and reducing urban heat islands.
Published Measuring Martian winds with sound
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Martian landers have been able capture measurements of wind speeds -- some gauging the cooling rate of heated materials when winds blow over them, others using cameras to image 'tell-tales' that blow in the wind -- but there's still room for improvement. Researchers now demonstrate a novel sonic anemometric system featuring a pair of narrow-band piezoelectric transducers to measure the travel time of sound pulses through Martian air. The study accounted for variables including transducer diffraction effects and wind direction.
Published Scientists find oceans of water on Mars: It's just too deep to tap
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Quakes and meteor impacts on Mars generate seismic waves that can help map the interior. A new study analyzed seismic waves detected by the Insight lander and concludes that 11-20 kilometers beneath the surface, a zone of pores and fractures is filled with liquid water -- more than was thought to fill Mars' surface oceans before they disappeared 3 billion years ago. Though too deep to drill, the reservoir is a possible refuge for life.
Published Mature forests vital in frontline fight against climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mature forests have a key role to play in the fight against climate change -- extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and locking it into new wood.
Published New genetically engineered wood can store carbon and reduce emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers genetically modified poplar trees to produce high-performance, structural wood without the use of chemicals or energy intensive processing.
Published Findings from first archaeology project in space
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first-ever archeological survey in space has provided new insights into how astronauts use and adapt their living space on the International Space Station, which could influence the design of new space stations after the ISS is decommissioned.