Category: Solar System

Our solar system

A failed star and an ammonia trail could reveal how some giant exoplanets form

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Astronomers now have a way to figure out how gas-giant planets form, thanks to a discovery by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) of ammonia “isotopologues,” which are molecules that contain the same elements but with differing numbers of neutrons. The nucleus of an atom is made from a bunch of protons and neutrons, and while the number of protons within an element does not change — for example, carbon atoms always contain six protons and nitrogen atoms always have seven protons — the number of neutrons can vary. When…

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World’s largest visible light telescope spies a galaxy cluster warping spacetime

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When astronomers look at galaxies, they’re often conducting a sort of archaeology. Well, cosmic archeology.  Basically, by examining what a galaxy looks like and how it interacts with its nearest galactic neighbors, it’s possible to reconstruct that galaxy’s history. And one tool that astronomers can use for such work is the VLT Survey Telescope (VST), the world’s largest visible-light telescope. Now, the VST has released a triptych of images depicting some of those distant galaxies necessary in uncovering galactic pasts. One image depicts ESO 510-G13, a galaxy 150 million light-years…

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Next-gen satellites will paint a clearer picture of a changing Earth

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Thanks to next-generation satellite systems scientists have in place, like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-R series, scientists are able to get high-definition images of Earth faster than ever before. This is data that helps paint a full picture of our planet; the satellites can be thought of as in collaboration with one another, using special tools to make measurements and take observations that would otherwise be nearly impossible to perform from the ground directly. Yet, as our climate continues to change at a rapid rate due to human…

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Could alien life be hiding in the rings of Saturn or Jupiter?

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The search for life beyond Earth has driven seekers to scout all sorts of potential habitats — not just on the growing list of known Earth-like exoplanets, but in other places within our own solar system.  The first choice that comes to mind is likely Mars, which some scientists believe still holds oases of liquid water beneath its barren surface, Not long ago, the detection of phosphine, a possible indicator of biological decay, in the atmosphere of Venus set off debate about whether life could exist in that hellishly hot…

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James Webb Space Telescope suggests supermassive black holes grew from heavy cosmic ‘seeds’

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The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has observed light from stars surrounding some of the earlier supermassive black holes in the universe — black holes seen as they were less than a billion years after the Big Bang.  The observations conducted by a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) addresses the question of how these cosmic titans that sit at the hearts of galaxies grew to tremendous masses, equivalent to millions (sometimes even billions) of suns. More specifically, how did they grow so rapidly? The findings could also…

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Boeing Starliner’s historic 1st astronaut launch delayed by Atlas V rocket issue

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CAPE CANAVERAL — Starliner will wait at least four more days for its first crewed launch. Boeing’s new commercial spacecraft, Starliner, waved off its first launch attempt late tonight (May 6) due to a problem with an “oxygen relief valve on the Centaur Stage on the Atlas V,” NASA posted on X. Atlas V, the flight’s rocket manufactured by United Launch Alliance, has flown missions since 2002 with a 100 percent success rate, but this is its first mission with astronauts. “The engineering team has evaluated the vehicle is not…

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‘Sparkly’ narwhal toy trades sea for space as Boeing Starliner zero-g indicator

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What has one horn, two crewmates and shares a name with its ride into orbit? “Calypso,” the plush sequined narwhal that is flying with NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams on the crew flight test (CFT) of “Calypso,” Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner commercial spacecraft. A toy version of the deepest-diving marine mammal, it is soon to be the highest-flying example of its kind while serving as the crew’s “zero-g indicator.” “My zero-g indicator happens to be a very sparkly narwhal whose name is ‘Calypso,’” said Williams in a…

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Watch 2 bus-size asteroids make close flybys of Earth this week (video)

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Two bus-sized asteroids will zip past Earth closely but safely this week, starting with a 7-meter-long (22-feet) space rock named 2024 JF that’s expected to pass by on Monday (May 6) evening.  Astronomers expect 2024 JF to make its closest approach at 8:04 p.m. ET tonight (1204 GMT on Tuesday). It will be followed by the 10-meter-long (32-feet) asteroid named 2024 JR1, which is expected to make its closest approach on Tuesday (May 7). You can watch both encounters live starting on Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET (0730 GMT), courtesy…

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NASA astronaut and director Ellen Ochoa awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

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The first Hispanic woman to launch into space is now the second female astronaut to be awarded the United States’ highest honor. Ellen Ochoa, who later directed NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, was bestowed with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony at the White House on Friday (May 3). Ochoa is the 10th astronaut to receive the medal. “For most, the American dream is to be successful in whatever endeavor you choose here on Earth. For Dr. Ellen Ochoa, her dream was in the heavens,” said President…

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Happy National Astronaut Day 2024! Holiday’s founder talks importance of honoring America’s spaceflyers (exclusive)

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Happy National Astronaut Day 2024! As the inspiring President and CEO of Uniphi Good, music industry fixture Annie Balliro has presided over her successful artist management and marketing firm since 2009 before branching out into Uniphi Space Agency, which has expanded into the nation’s biggest private talent management firm for astronauts.   Emboldened with the company’s tagline of #webelieveinastronauts, Uniphi Good partners with corporations or institutions to advise NASA’s intrepid homegrown heroes on navigating partnerships in media, film and television by creating a positive network of bridges between the worlds…

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