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Categories: Environmental: Wildfires, Space: The Solar System
Published Balancing risk and reward in planetary exploration



Researchers have developed a new approach to balancing the risks and scientific value of sending planetary rovers into dangerous situations.
Published Ancient bacteria might lurk beneath Mars' surface


Scientists found that ancient bacteria could survive close to the surface on Mars much longer than previously assumed. So, if life did, in fact, evolve when the last waters flowed on Mars, it would likely still be there today -- billions of years later.
Published Prescribed fire could reduce tick populations and pathogen transmission


Prescribed fire -- a tool increasingly used by forest managers and landowners to combat invasive species, improve wildlife habitat and restore ecosystem health -- also could play a role in reducing the abundance of ticks and the transmission of disease pathogens they carry, according to a team of scientists.
Published Forest recovery after Montana's 2017 fire season



Researchers found thousands of seedlings growing after recent fires in Montana, especially at sites with cooler, damper conditions -- often found in the shade of the dead trees and upper canopy, as well as on the north side of mountains with higher elevations and more undergrowth. Researchers found fewer seedlings at sites with less shade and drier, hotter conditions.
Published Discovery could dramatically narrow search for space creatures


An Earth-like planet orbiting an M dwarf -- the most common type of star in the universe -- appears to have no atmosphere at all. This discovery could cause a major shift in the search for life on other planets.
Published Western wildfires spark stronger storms in downwind states


A new study shows for the first time that wildfires burning in West Coast states can strengthen storms in downwind states. Heat and tiny airborne particles produced by western wildfires distantly intensify severe storms, in some cases bringing baseball-sized hail, heavier rain and flash flooding to states like Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and the Dakotas.
Published Looking to move to a galaxy far, far away? Innovative system evaluates habitability of distant planets


The research framework developed, along with observational data from the Webb Space Telescope, will enable scientists to efficiently assess the atmospheres of many other planets without having to send a space crew to visit them physically. This will help us make informed decisions in the future about which planets are good candidates for human settlement and perhaps even to find life on those planets.
Published After 2018 'Woolsey wildfire,' Los Angeles' mountain lions are taking more risks


Los Angeles is known for its movie stars and beaches. It's also known for being one of only two megacities in the world that supports a population of big cats. Despite being surrounded by a vast network of busy freeways and over ten million people, mountain lions have somehow managed to eke out a living in the wooded LA-area hills. Now, researchers have found that wildfires, and specifically the 2018 Woolsey fire, are putting the LA mountain lions' future in more doubt.
Published Scientists compile Cassini's unique observations of Saturn's rings


Scientists have compiled 41 solar occultation observations of Saturn's rings from the Cassini mission. The compilation will inform future investigations of the particle size distribution and composition of Saturn's rings, key elements to understanding their formation and evolution.
Published NASA's Lucy to fly past thousands of objects for Earth gravity assist


Mission engineers will track NASA's Lucy spacecraft nonstop as it prepares to swoop near Earth on Oct. 16 to use this planet's gravity to set itself on a course toward the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
Published Land in a cyclone's wake becomes more vulnerable to forest fires



The strong winds and torrential rains that accompany a cyclone do tremendous damage to ecosystems, and this damage can make them more prone to future wildfires. As intense cyclones are projected to become more frequent worldwide, a team of researchers examines the links between cyclones and forest fires, how they fuel one another, and why we may see fires burning in unlikely places in the future.
Published New abiotic pathway for the formation of oxygen


Researchers have now found evidence that double ionised sulphur dioxide contribute to the formation of oxygen molecules. This could, in particular, explain the presence of oxygen in sulphur dioxide-rich atmospheres of several of Jupiter's moons.
Published Broccoli gas: A better way to find life in space


Broccoli, along with many other plants and microorganisms, emit gases to help them expel toxins. Scientists believe these gases could provide compelling evidence of life on other planets.
Published Astronomers find a 'cataclysmic' pair of stars with the shortest orbit yet


Astronomers have discovered a stellar binary, or pair of stars, with an extremely short orbit, appearing to circle each other every 51 minutes. The system seems to be one of a rare class of binaries known as a 'cataclysmic variable,' in which a star similar to our sun orbits tightly around a white dwarf -- a hot, dense core of a burned-out star.
Published Warmer stream temperatures in burned-over Oregon watershed didn't result in fewer trout


The number of trout in a southern Oregon stream system showed no decline one year after a fire burned almost the entire watershed, including riparian zone trees that had helped maintain optimal stream temperatures for the cold-water fish.
Published Collision may have formed the Moon in mere hours, simulations reveal


Most theories claim the Moon formed out of the debris of a collision between the Earth and an object about the size of Mars, called Theia, coalescing in orbit over months or years. A new simulation puts forth a different theory -- the Moon may have formed immediately, in a matter of hours, when material from the Earth and Theia was launched directly into orbit after the impact.
Published Exploring Jupiter's moon, Europa, possible with silicon-germanium transistor technology


Europa is more than just one of Jupiter's many moons -- it's also one of most promising places in the solar system to look for extraterrestrial life. Under 10 kilometers of ice is a liquid water ocean that could sustain life. But with surface temperatures at -180 Celsius and with extreme levels of radiation, it's also one of the most inhospitable places in the solar system. Exploring Europa could be possible in the coming years thanks to new applications for silicon-germanium transistor technology research.
Published Potential first traces of the universe's earliest stars



Astronomers may have discovered the ancient chemical remains of the first stars to light up the Universe. Using an innovative analysis of a distant quasar observed by the 8.1-meter Gemini North telescope on Hawai'i, the scientists found an unusual ratio of elements that, they argue, could only come from the debris produced by the all-consuming explosion of a 300-solar-mass first-generation star.
Published Lunar glass shows Moon asteroid impacts mirrored on Earth


A research team has found asteroid impacts on the Moon millions of years ago coincided precisely with some of the largest meteorite impacts on Earth, such as the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Published Study finds higher rates of traumatic injuries for outdoor workers during hotter weather


Rates of traumatic injury among workers in the Oregon agricultural and construction sectors are significantly higher during periods of high heat compared with periods of more moderate weather, a recent study found.