Showing 20 articles starting at article 641
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Offbeat: Earth and Climate, Space: The Solar System
Published Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumb trick inspires robotic exploration of caves on Mars and beyond
(via sciencedaily.com) Future space missions likely will send robots to scout out underground habitats for astronauts. Engineers have now developed a system that would enable autonomous vehicles to explore caves, lava tubes and even oceans on other worlds on their own.
Published Hubble captures movie of DART asteroid impact debris
(via sciencedaily.com) In 2022 NASA embarked on a bold experiment to see if they could change an asteroid's velocity by smacking it with a ballistic probe -- kind of like hitting it with a hammer. This experiment was to test a potential technique to someday deflect an asteroid on a collision course to Earth. Perhaps, for the first time in the history of the universe, an intelligent planetary species sought ways to avoid its own potential extinction by threats from outer space (something the dinosaurs, who were wiped out 65 million years ago by a rogue asteroid, never evolved to accomplish).
Published New NASA DART data prove viability of asteroid deflection as planetary defense strategy
(via sciencedaily.com) Astronomers offer new insight into how deflection missions can protect the planet from future Earth-bound asteroids and comets.
Published How patterns emerge in salt deserts
(via sciencedaily.com) The honeycomb patterns which are often found in salt deserts in Death Valley, US, and Bolivia, among other places, look like something from another world. Researchers can now explain the origin of the mysterious patterns.
Published Baby star near the black hole in the middle of our Milky Way: It exists after all
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have detected the heaviest and youngest infant star ever discovered close to the black hole at the center of our Galaxy. They also identified the region where this 'impossible star' may have formed.
Published Liquid nitrogen spray could clean up stubborn moon dust
(via sciencedaily.com) A liquid nitrogen spray can remove almost all of the simulated moon dust from a space suit, potentially solving what is a significant challenge for future moon-landing astronauts.
Published The rediscovery of an ethereal fairy lantern brightly illuminates their mysterious past
(via sciencedaily.com) After more than 30 years, botanists have rediscovered Thismia kobensis, a type of mysterious-looking rare plant commonly referred to as 'fairy lanterns'. Thismia kobensis was presumed extinct and the surprise rediscovery of this Japanese variety has illuminated hidden aspects of fairy lanterns that have puzzled and fascinated botanists for centuries.
Published A mysterious object is being dragged into the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's center
(via sciencedaily.com) An object near the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy has drawn the interest of scientists because it has evolved dramatically in a relatively short time. A new study suggests that the object, called X7, could be a cloud of dust and gas that was created when two stars collided. The researchers believe it will eventually be drawn toward the black hole and will disintegrate.
Published New discovery sheds light on very early supermassive black holes
(via sciencedaily.com) Astronomers have discovered a rapidly growing black hole in one of the most extreme galaxies known in the very early Universe. The discovery of the galaxy and the black hole at its center provides new clues on the formation of the very first supermassive black holes.
Published How one of Saturn's moons ejects particles from oceans beneath its surface
(via sciencedaily.com) Enceladus, the sixth largest of Saturn's moons, is known for spraying out tiny icy silica particles -- so many of them that the particles are a key component of the second outermost ring around Saturn. Scientists have not known how that happens or how long the process takes. A study now shows that tidal heating in Enceladus' core creates currents that transport the silica, which is likely released by deep-sea hydrothermal vents, over the course of just a few months.
Published Why do Earth's hemispheres look equally bright when viewed from space?
(via sciencedaily.com) When seen from space, Earth's hemispheres -- northern and southern -- appear equally bright. For years, the brightness symmetry between hemispheres remained a mystery. In a new study, researchers reveal a strong correlation between storm intensity, cloudiness and the solar energy reflection rate in each hemisphere. They offer a solution to the mystery, alongside an assessment of how climate change might alter the reflection rate in the future.
Published 'Forbidden' planet orbiting small star challenges gas giant formation theories
(via sciencedaily.com) Astronomers have discovered an unusual planetary system in which a large gas giant planet orbits a small red dwarf star called TOI-5205. Their findings challenge long-held ideas about planet formation.
Published Archaeologists uncover early evidence of brain surgery in Ancient Near East
(via sciencedaily.com) A recent excavation in Megiddo, Israel, unearthed the earliest example of a particular type of cranial surgery in the Ancient Near East -- and potentially one of the oldest examples of leprosy in the world.
Published Meteorite crater discovered in French winery
(via sciencedaily.com) Countless meteorites have struck Earth in the past and shaped the history of our planet. It is assumed, for example, that meteorites brought with them a large part of its water. The extinction of the dinosaurs might also have been triggered by the impact of a very large meteorite. It turns out that the marketing 'gag' of the 'Domaine du Météore' winery is acutally a real impact crater. Meteorite craters which are still visible today are rare because most traces of the celestial bodies have long since disappeared again.
Published James Webb spots super old, massive galaxies that shouldn't exist
(via sciencedaily.com) A team of international researchers have identified six candidate galaxies that existed roughly 500 to 700 million years after the Big Bang and are about as big as the modern Milky Way Galaxy -- a feat that scientists didn't think was possible.
Published Sheep can benefit urban lawn landscapes and people
(via sciencedaily.com) About 25 woolly sheep who seasonally -- for the past two years -- leave barns to nibble on lawns at various central campus locations, are doing much more than mowing, fertilizing and improving the ecosystem. The sheep also are improving people's mental health.
Published Better tools needed to determine ancient life on Mars
(via sciencedaily.com) Current state-of-the-art instrumentation being sent to Mars to collect and analyze evidence of life might not be sensitive enough to make accurate assessments, according to new research.
Published Researchers discover mysterious source of 'heartbeat-like' radio bursts in a solar fare
(via sciencedaily.com) A solar radio burst with a signal pattern, akin to that of a heartbeat, has been pinpointed in the Sun's atmosphere, according to a new study. An international team of researchers has reported uncovering the source location of a radio signal coming from within a C-class solar flare more than 5,000 kilometers above the Sun's surface.
Published Improving the performance of satellites in low Earth orbit
(via sciencedaily.com) On-chip distributed radiation sensors and current-sharing techniques can be used to reduce the impact of radiation on the radio and power consumption of small satellites, respectively. New findings can be used to make small satellites more robust, which can increase the connectivity of networks across the globe.
Published Newly discovered form of salty ice could exist on surface of extraterrestrial moons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team has found two new crystal structures for salty ice, or solid hydrate made from water and sodium chloride. The newly discovered material's properties match those of the substance seen on the surface of icy moons, like Europa and Ganymede, and may offer clues to their icy oceans.