Astronomy

NASA Shares a Cute Cat Video from Deep Space with Earth

THe cat laser videoNASA/JPL-CaltechNASA has elevated cat videos to a new frontier through its Psyche Deep Space Optical Communications experiment, transmitting a 15-second high-definition footage of a playful tabby across a distance of 19 million miles (31 million km) to Earth.Observing a cat pursuing a laser pointer might be endearing, but the question arises:...

Mars’ Magnetosphere’s Christmas Miracle: Stillness in the Solar Wind

Under usual circumstances, the MAVEN orbiter extends well beyond the boundaries of the Martian magnetosphere. However, this changed during a solar wind void. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterThe MAVEN Mars orbiter recently observed a transient restoration of the Martian magnetosphere and a temporary tripling of its ionosphere, a region where the Sun ionizes...

NASA’s Webb Offers Stunning View of Exploded Star

Credit: Universe TodayNASA's Webb offers stunning view of exploded star. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope presents a fresh image of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), resembling a gleaming, spherical ornament poised for the perfect holiday tree placement. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, during the 2023 Holidays at the White House, unveiled the...

Voyager 1 Encounters a Data Transmission Issue

Artist's concept of Voyager 1NASANASA engineers are currently addressing a newly discovered issue in one of the computers on the Voyager 1 deep space probe. This fault is hindering the 46-year-old spacecraft from sending any scientific or engineering data to Mission Control on Earth.Launched in 1977 from the Kennedy Space Center, Voyager 1, alongside...

Giant Planet Discovery Disrupts Solar System Models

Credit: SyfyPenn State researchers have uncovered a planet significantly larger than its ultracool host star, challenging previous beliefs about planet formation. Published in Science, their findings showcase a planet more than 13 times Earth's mass orbiting a star nine times less massive than our sun. This discovery contradicts existing theories on small star planet...

Extragalactic Star Detected at Milky Way’s Center

Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxyEHT Collaboration/CCA4.0Examining the stars in the night sky, it's unlikely you'd distinguish one as foreign. However, astronomers have identified a star near the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's center, suggesting it originated in a smaller galaxy consumed by ours.Among...

The Moon’s Rocket-Created Craters have Been Resolved

The far side of the Moon as seen by China's Chang'e 5-T1 missionChinese National Space Agency/Chinese Academy of SciencesThe origin of a set of craters on the far side of the Moon has been clarified by a recent study from the University of Arizona, establishing that the probable cause was a discarded rocket booster...

Ideal Stars for Finding Life

This picture shows three types of stars in our galaxy: G stars, which are like our Sun; K dwarfs, which are smaller and cooler; and M dwarfs, which are even fainter and cooler. It compares them in terms of important things. Hotter stars have wider habitable zones where life might exist. Red dwarf M...

Recent Photographs Capturing Unusual Thunderstorms

Credit: UnsplashEvery Saturday, Andreas would take the camera from the Space Station, attach the Davis camera on top, and go to the Cupola to check for thunderstorms on Earth. The initial picture has been released.Not EasyAndreas successfully took a picture of a red sprite, which is a type of flashy event in the sky...

James Webb’s Discovery: Milky Way’s Heart Revealed

The NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) tool aboard NASA's James Webb Space Telescope presents a fresh perspective on a segment of the Milky Way's dense core. Approximately 500,000 stars illuminate the Sagittarius C (Sgr C) region in this image, featuring some yet-to-be-identified elements. In cyan, a substantial area of ionized hydrogen reveals fascinating needle-like formations that...