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Published

Water world? Methane, carbon dioxide in atmosphere of massive exoplanet      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new investigation with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope into K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, has revealed the presence of carbon-bearing molecules including methane and carbon dioxide. Webb's discovery adds to recent studies suggesting that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface.

Space: Astrophysics Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

New insights into neutrino interactions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Elusive fundamental particles called neutrinos are predicted to interact unexpectedly with photons under extreme conditions.

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

Study hints at the existence of the closest black holes to Earth in the Hyades star cluster      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new article hints at the existence of several black holes in the Hyades cluster -- the closest open cluster to our solar system -- which would make them the closest black holes to Earth ever detected.

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Published

Ravenous black hole consumes three Earths'-worth of star every time it passes      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Massive burst of X-rays detected by astronomers indicates material three times the mass of Earth burning up in a black hole. They observed a star like our own Sun being eaten away every time it orbits close. First time a Sun-like star being repeatedly disrupted by a low mass black hole has been seen, opening the possibility of a range of star and black hole combinations to be discovered.

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

New cosmological constraints on the nature of dark matter      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New research has revealed the distribution of dark matter in never before seen detail, down to a scale of 30,000 light-years. The observed distribution fluctuations provide better constraints on the nature of dark matter.

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

Scientists detect and validate the longest-period exoplanet found with TESS      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have detected and validated two of the longest-period exoplanets found by TESS to date. These long period large exoplanets orbit a K dwarf star and belong to a class of planets known as warm Jupiters, which have orbital periods of 10-200 days and are at least six times Earth's radius. This recent discovery offers exciting research opportunities for the future of finding long-period planets that resemble those in our own solar system.

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Published

New giant planet evidence of possible planetary collisions      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A Neptune-sized planet denser than steel has been discovered by an international team of astronomers, who believe its composition could be the result of a giant planetary clash.

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

Neptune's disappearing clouds linked to the solar cycle      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Astronomers have uncovered a link between Neptune's shifting cloud abundance and the 11-year solar cycle, in which the waxing and waning of the Sun's entangled magnetic fields drives solar activity.

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Published

Mysterious Neptune dark spot detected from Earth for the first time      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have observed a large dark spot in Neptune's atmosphere, with an unexpected smaller bright spot adjacent to it. This is the first time a dark spot on the planet has ever been observed with a telescope on Earth. These occasional features in the blue background of Neptune's atmosphere are a mystery to astronomers, and the new results provide further clues as to their nature and origin.

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Published

Hundred-year storms? That's how long they last on Saturn      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Megastorms regularly appear on Saturn, marring the relatively bland surface before disappearing. But radio observations show that the storms have long-lasting effects deeper in the atmosphere, in particular in the distribution of ammonia. Using NRAO's Very Large Array, astronomers see such impacts from storms that happened hundreds of years ago. The findings will help explain the differences between storms on the gas giants Saturn and Jupiter.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

Could artificially dimming the sun prevent ice melt?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With methods of so-called geoengineering, the climate could theoretically be artificially influenced and cooled. Researchers have now investigated whether it would be possible to prevent the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet by artificially 'dimming the sun'. The results show that artificial influence does not work without decarbonization and entails high risks.

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

After seventeen years, a spacecraft makes its first visit home      (via sciencedaily.com) 

On Aug. 12, 2023, NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft will pass between the Sun and Earth, marking the first Earth flyby of the nearly 17-year-old mission. The visit home brings a special chance for the spacecraft to collaborate with NASA missions near Earth and reveal new insights into our closest star.

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Published

Possible seasonal climate patterns on early Mars      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New observations of mud cracks made by the Curiosity Rover show that high-frequency, wet-dry cycling occurred in early Martian surface environments, indicating that the red planet may have once seen seasonal weather patterns or even flash floods.

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Published

Chemical contamination on International Space Station is out of this world      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Concentrations of potentially harmful chemical compounds in dust collected from air filtration systems on the International Space Station (ISS) exceed those found in floor dust from many American homes, a new study reveals.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Geomagnetic field protects Earth from electron showers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Geophysicists studied the activity of high energy electrons and clarified the unexpected protective role of the geomagnetic field surrounding the Earth.

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

Scientists discover the highest-energy light coming from the sun      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New research details the discovery of the highest-energy light ever observed from the sun. The international team behind the discovery also found that this type of light, known as gamma rays, is surprisingly bright. That is, there's more of it than scientists had previously anticipated.

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Published

Study examines Earth and Mars to determine how climate change affects the paths of rivers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The study investigated why the paths of meandering rivers change over time and is a step toward understanding what the hydroclimate on Mars was like when there was still surface water.

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

New exoplanet discovery builds better understanding of planet formation      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An international team of scientists have discovered an unusual Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a low-mass star called TOI-4860, located in the Corvus constellation.

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

James Webb Space Telescope captures stunning images of the Ring Nebula      (via sciencedaily.com) 

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has recorded breath-taking new images of the iconic Ring Nebula, also known as Messier 57.

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Published

Gravitational arcs in 'El Gordo' galaxy cluster      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new image of the galaxy cluster known as 'El Gordo' is revealing distant and dusty objects never seen before, and providing a bounty of fresh science. The infrared image displays a variety of unusual, distorted background galaxies that were only hinted at in previous Hubble Space Telescope images.