Martian meteorites deliver a trove of information on red planet's structure

Mars has a distinct structure in its mantle and crust with discernible reservoirs, and this is known thanks to meteorites that scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and colleagues have analyzed on Earth.

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Glimpses of a volcanic world: New telescope images of Jupiter's moon Io rival those from spacecraft

New images of Jupiter's volcano-studded moon Io, taken by the Large Binocular Telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona, offer the highest resolution of Io ever achieved with an Earth-based instrument. The observations were made possible by a new high-contrast optical imaging instrument, dubbed SHARK-VIS, and the telescope's adaptive optics system, which compensates for the blurring induced by atmospheric turbulence.

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X-ray binary Swift J1727.8-1613 has a large relativistic jet, observations show

Using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and the Long Baseline Array (LBA), astronomers have observed a black hole low-mass X-ray binary known as Swift J1727.8-1613. As a result, they found that the system hosts a highly extended and bright relativistic jet. The finding was detailed in a paper published May 20 on the pre-print server arXiv.

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Image: James Webb Space Telescope spots starburst galaxy

The James Webb Space Telescope observed the "starburst" galaxy NGC 4449, seen in this image released on May 29, 2024.

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Virtual flying lessons for Hera asteroid mission

As ESA's Hera spacecraft for planetary defense goes through pre-flight testing, the system that will steer it around its target binary asteroid system is also undergoing its final checks for space.

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Simulations demonstrate potential mechanisms of intermediate-mass black hole formation in globular clusters

Joint research led by Michiko Fujii of the University of Tokyo demonstrates a possible formation mechanism of intermediate-mass black holes in globular clusters, star clusters that could contain tens of thousands or even millions of tightly packed stars.

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Travel through data from space in new 3D Instagram experiences

A new project provides special 3D "experiences" on Instagram using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes through augmented reality (AR), allowing users to travel virtually through objects in space. These new experiences of astronomical objects—including the debris fields of exploded stars—are being released to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of operations from Chandra, NASA's flagship X-ray telescope.

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Astronomers explore the properties of a peculiar stellar stream

Using ESA's Gaia satellite and the MMT Observatory, astronomers have investigated a peculiar stream of stars in our galaxy named Theia 456. Results of the study, published May 21 on the pre-print server arXiv, deliver important insights into the properties and origin of this stellar stream.

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Successful engine test boosts Vega-C toward return-to-flight

The Zefiro-40 solid rocket motor, the second stage of the Vega-C rocket, was tested today by Vega-C prime contractor Avio at its Salto di Quirra test facility in Sardinia, Italy. The motor features an improved engine nozzle design, required to prepare for a Vega-C return-to-flight by the end of 2024.

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New technique offers more precise maps of the moon's surface

A new study by Brown University researchers may help redefine how scientists map the surface of the moon, making the process more streamlined and precise than ever before.

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What you will and won't see from June's planetary parade

Six planets will link up before dawn on June 3 in what's known as a planetary parade. But the spectacle won't be as eye-catching as expected: Only two planets will be visible to the naked eye.

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Moon orbiting 'Dinky' asteroid is actually two tiny moons stuck together

When NASA's Lucy spacecraft flew past its first official target Dinkinesh in November 2023, researchers discovered that the asteroid—known as "Dinky"—was not alone in space. A satellite asteroid, which the team named "Selam," was orbiting Dinky. As Lucy sent more data back to Earth, the researchers discovered something surprising: Selam was not just one moon, it was a contact binary—or two moons melded together.

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European-Japanese climate research satellite launched from California aboard SpaceX rocket

A European-Japanese climate research satellite designed to study Earth's temperature balance was launched into orbit from California on Tuesday.

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The death of Vulcan: Study reveals planet is actually an astronomical illusion caused by stellar activity

A planet thought to orbit the star 40 Eridani A—host to Mr. Spock's fictional home planet, Vulcan, in the "Star Trek" universe—is really a kind of astronomical illusion caused by the pulses and jitters of the star itself, a new study shows.

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NASA's OSIRIS-APEX unscathed after searing pass of sun

Mission engineers were confident NASA's OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification—Apophis Explorer) spacecraft could weather its closest ever pass of the sun on Jan. 2, 2024. Their models had predicted that despite traveling 25 million miles closer to the heat of the sun than it was originally designed to, OSIRIS-APEX and its components would remain safe.

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What is Manhattanhenge and when can you see it?

Twice per year, New Yorkers and visitors are treated to a phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the setting sun aligns with the Manhattan street grid and sinks below the horizon framed in a canyon of skyscrapers.

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Detecting 'Hawking radiation' from black holes using today's telescopes

In 1974 Stephen Hawking famously claimed that black holes should emit particles as well as absorb them. This so-called "Hawking radiation" has not yet been observed, but now a research group from Europe has found that Hawking radiation should be observable by existing telescopes that are capable of detecting very high energy particles of light.

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Mystery of 'slow' solar wind unveiled by Solar Orbiter mission

Scientists have come a step closer to identifying the mysterious origins of the "slow" solar wind, using data collected during the Solar Orbiter spacecraft's first close journey to the sun.

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Video: Five new stunning images from Euclid's Telescope

ESA's Euclid space mission has released five unprecedented new views of the universe. These never-before-seen images demonstrate Euclid's remarkable ability to unravel the secrets of the cosmos.

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The Earth's changing, irregular magnetic field is causing headaches for polar navigation

The Earth's liquid molten outer core, composed mostly of iron and nickel, exerts an electromagnetic field extending from the north and south pole that protects the planet from harmful solar particle radiation.

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Sloshing cold front detected in a massive galaxy cluster

By analyzing the data from NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, astronomers from India and South Africa have investigated a massive galaxy cluster known as Abell 2566. They detected sloshing cold fronts in the intracluster medium (ICM) of this cluster. The finding was reported in a research paper published May 17 on the preprint server arXiv.

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Boeing won't fix leaky Starliner before flying first crew to ISS

Boeing is set to launch its first crewed space mission in June without fixing a small helium gas leak on its troubled Starliner spaceship, officials said Friday.

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Second night of auroras seen 'extreme' solar storm

Auroras lit up skies across swaths of the planet for the second night in a row on Saturday, after already dazzling Earthlings from the United States to Tasmania to the Bahamas the day before.

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Solar storm puts on brilliant light show across the globe, but no serious problems reported

A powerful solar storm put on an amazing skyward light show across the globe overnight but has caused what appeared to be only minor disruptions to the electric power grid, communications and satellite positioning systems.

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The ancient Egyptian goddess of the sky: How a researcher used modern astronomy to explore her link with the Milky Way

What did our ancestors think when they looked up at the night sky? All cultures ascribed special meaning to the sun and the moon, but what about the pearly band of light and shadow we call the Milky Way?

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AI may be to blame for our failure to make contact with alien civilizations

Artificial intelligence (AI) has progressed at an astounding pace over the last few years. Some scientists are now looking towards the development of artificial superintelligence (ASI)—a form of AI that would not only surpass human intelligence but would not be bound by the learning speeds of humans.

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Strong solar storm could disrupt communications and produce northern lights in US

An unusually strong solar storm headed toward Earth could produce northern lights in the U.S. this weekend and potentially disrupt power and communications.

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Study reveals mechanisms of hydrodynamic escape in low-mass exoplanets

A study published in Nature Astronomy and conducted by Guo Jianheng from the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences offers a perspective on the violent atmospheric escape processes of low-mass exoplanets, specifically a process known as hydrodynamic escape.

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An abundance of distant gas-rich galaxies found by FAST

Astronomers, using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) in China's Guizhou Province, have found an abundance of gas-rich galaxies in the distant universe.

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TESS discovers a rocky planet that glows with molten lava as it's squeezed by its neighbors

UC Riverside astrophysicist Stephen Kane had to double-check his calculations. He wasn't sure the planet he was studying could be as extreme as it seemed.

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Image: Sulaiman mountain haze

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this Dec. 17, 2023, photograph of the Sulaiman Mountains in central Pakistan. The Sulaiman Mountains form a natural barrier between the plateaus to the west and the Indus River Valley to the east. Winds blowing from the Indian Ocean and Indus floodplain carry moisture and particulates inland, causing a combination of haze, mist, and clouds to form on the windward side of the mountain range.

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Astrophysicists discover a novel method for hunting the first stars

A recent study led by the research group of Professor Jane Lixin Dai of the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has discovered a novel method for detecting the first-generations stars, known as Population III (Pop III) stars, which have never been directly detected.

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NASA and JAXA XRISM spot iron fingerprints in nearby active galaxy

After starting science operations in February, Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) studied the monster black hole at the center of galaxy NGC 4151.

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White Sands propulsion team tests 3D-printed Orion engine component

When the Orion spacecraft carries the first Artemis crews to the moon and back, it will rely on the European Service Module contributed by ESA (European Space Agency) to make the journey. The service module provides electrical power generation, propulsion, temperature control, and consumable storage for Orion, up to the moment it separates from the crew module prior to re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

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Improving timing precision of millisecond pulsars using polarization

Pulsar timing enables the most stringent tests of fundamental physics. By monitoring the pulse times of arrival (ToAs) of an ensemble of stable millisecond pulsars (MSPs), known as a pulsar timing array (PTA), it is possible to detect nanohertz gravitational waves (GWs). The success of GW detection with PTAs requires the highest possible timing precision.

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New study delves into ozone's influence on exoplanetary climate

In the quest for life beyond our solar system, a new study delves into the atmospheric dynamics of planet Proxima Centauri b, illuminating ozone's pivotal role in shaping planetary climates. This research signifies a significant leap forward in our understanding of habitable exoplanets.

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Exploring the asteroid Apophis with small satellites

The author of a disaster novel couldn't have dreamed it up any better: On a Friday, the thirteenth of all days, the potentially dangerous asteroid (99942) Apophis will come extremely close to humanity.

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Boeing's first astronaut launch is off until late next week to replace a bad rocket valve

Boeing's first astronaut launch is off until late next week because of a bad valve in the rocket that needs to be replaced.

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What can early Earth teach us about the search for life?

Earth is the only life-supporting planet we know of, so it's tempting to use it as a standard in the search for life elsewhere. But the modern Earth can't serve as a basis for evaluating exoplanets and their potential to support life. Earth's atmosphere has changed radically over its 4.5 billion years.

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How NASA's Roman mission will hunt for primordial black holes

Astronomers have discovered black holes ranging from a few times the sun's mass to tens of billions. Now a group of scientists has predicted that NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could find a class of "featherweight" black holes that has so far eluded detection.

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Geologists reveal mysterious and diverse volcanism in lunar Apollo Basin, Chang'e-6 landing site

The far side of the moon is a mysterious place that is never visible from the Earth. The most remarkable feature of the moon is its asymmetry between the lunar near side and far side in composition, crust thickness, and mare volcanism. Scientists have not yet reached a consensus on the origin of the lunar asymmetry due to the lack of far side samples, which is one of the most significant remaining questions of lunar science.

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New accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar discovered

Astronomers report the discovery of a new pulsar using the Spektr-RG space observatory. The newfound object, designated SRGA J144459.2−604207 (or SRGA J1444 for short), turns out to be a bursting accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar. The finding was detailed in a paper published April 30 on the pre-print server arXiv.

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Boeing Starliner crewed mission postponed shortly before launch

The first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner spaceship was dramatically called off just two hours before launch after a new safety issue was identified, officials said Monday, pushing back a high-stakes test mission to the International Space Station.

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Scientists' research answers big question about our system's largest planet

New discoveries about Jupiter could lead to a better understanding of Earth's own space environment and influence a long-running scientific debate about the solar system's largest planet.

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Compared to billions of years ago, Venus has almost no water: New study may reveal why

Planetary scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered how Venus, Earth's scalding and uninhabitable neighbor, became so dry.

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Study investigates a nearby M-dwarf binary system

Using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), astronomers have explored a nearby binary stellar system composed of two M dwarfs, known as LP 349−25AB. Results of the study, presented April 25 on the pre-print server arXiv, shed more light on the properties of this system, suggesting that one of its components may be a brown dwarf.

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Radio astronomers bypass disturbing Earth's atmosphere with new calibration technique

An international team of researchers led by astronomers from Leiden University (Netherlands) has produced the first sharp radio maps of the universe at low frequencies. Thanks to a new calibration technique, they bypassed the disturbances of the Earth's ionosphere. They have used the new method to study plasmas from ancient black hole bursts. Potentially, the technique might be useful for finding exoplanets that orbit small stars.

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Boeing's Starliner set for first crewed mission to ISS

After years of delays, Boeing's Starliner capsule is set to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) Monday, a milestone for the US aerospace giant and NASA.

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Hungry, hungry white dwarfs: Solving the puzzle of stellar metal pollution

Dead stars known as white dwarfs, have a mass like the sun while being similar in size to Earth. They are common in our galaxy, as 97% of stars are white dwarfs. As stars reach the end of their lives, their cores collapse into the dense ball of a white dwarf, making our galaxy seem like an ethereal graveyard.

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Making sure ESA's cloud and aerosol satellite is aerosol-free

A few weeks ago, a team of engineers carefully extracted ESA's EarthCARE satellite from its protective transport container, initiating a meticulous process of inspection, testing and preparation for its liftoff later this month from the Vandenberg launch site in California.

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