Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Paleontology: Climate, 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 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 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 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 Scottish and Irish rocks confirmed as rare record of 'snowball Earth'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The study found that the Port Askaig Formation, composed of layers of rock up to 1.1 km thick, was likely laid down between 662 to 720 million years ago during the Sturtian glaciation -- the first of two global freezes thought to have triggered the development of complex, multicellular life.
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 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 New study unveils 16,000 years of climate history in the tropical Andes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers highlight the roles of carbon dioxide and ocean currents as key drivers of temperature fluctuations in the tropical Andes over a 16,000 year period.
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 Millions of years for plants to recover from global warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Catastrophic volcanic eruptions that warmed the planet millions of years ago shed new light on how plants evolve and regulate climate. Researchers reveal the long-term effects of disturbed natural ecosystems on climate in geological history and its implications for today.
Published Record-breaking recovery of rocks that originated in Earth's mantle could reveal secrets of planet's history
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have recovered the first long section of rocks that originated in the Earth's mantle, the layer below the crust and the planet's largest component. The rocks will help unravel the mantle's role in the origins of life on Earth, the volcanic activity generated when it melts, and how it drives the global cycles of important elements such as carbon and hydrogen.
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.
Published Scientists lay out revolutionary method to warm Mars
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ever since we learned that the surface of planet Mars is cold and dead, people have wondered if there is a way to make it friendlier to life. The newly proposed method is over 5,000 times more efficient than previous schemes to globally warm Mars, representing a significant leap forward in our ability to modify the Martian environment.
Published Carvings at ancient monument may be world's oldest calendars
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Markings on a stone pillar at a 12,000 year-old archaeological site in Turkey likely represent the world's oldest solar calendar, created as a memorial to a devastating comet strike, experts suggest.
Published Antarctic-wide survey of plant life to aid conservation efforts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first continent-wide mapping study of plant life across Antarctica reveals growth in previously uncharted areas and is set to inform conservation measures across the region. The satellite survey of mosses, lichens and algae across the continent will form a baseline for monitoring how Antarctica's vegetation responds to climate change.