Credit: PixabayThe most probable method for detecting life on a distant exoplanet is by identifying a biosignature. This involves analyzing the atmospheric spectra of the planet to find the distinctive spectral pattern of a molecule that can only be produced through biological activity.Although it seems straightforward, detecting life on exoplanets is far from simple....
Credit: DepositphotosNuclear Explosions as a Defense Against AsteroidsPrecisely detonating a nuclear bomb above an approaching asteroid could be our best chance of avoiding a catastrophic impact.Precisely detonating a nuclear bomb above an approaching asteroid could be our best chance of avoiding a catastrophic impact.A laboratory experiment conducted by an international team of researchers showed...
A new study demonstrates a possible way to deflect an Earthbound asteroidDepositphotosAsteroids pose a serious threat to Earth, as history has shown – just ask the dinosaurs. Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories have now demonstrated a potential method for diverting a dangerous asteroid using X-rays.NASA's Current Defense MeasuresNASA has already taken proactive steps to...
Credit: PixabayStep aside, Moon—Earth is about to gain a new natural satellite. This "mini-moon" will stay with us for the next two months, though it’s not its first visit, and it won’t be the last.This temporary mini-moon is actually a small asteroid, about 10 meters (33 feet) wide, officially named 2024 PT₅. Discovered just...
An artist's impression of Earth with a ring – a phase suggested by new evidenceOliver HullNew Evidence of Earth's Potential Ring SystemSaturn's rings are famous, but new evidence suggests that Earth might have also had a ring at some point in its history. This ring would have caused significant impacts on the surface.We...
View from the orbiting Polaris Dawn spacecraftSpaceXAfter completing its first day in orbit, the Polaris Dawn mission is set to conduct the first-ever private spacewalk. Two astronauts are scheduled to exit the Dragon spacecraft Resilience at 2:23 am EDT. Here's how to watch.Launched at 5:23 am EDT on September 10, 2024, from Complex 39A...
Polaris Dawn lifting offSpaceXThe Polaris Dawn mission, the most ambitious private space venture to date, has successfully launched, marking the first-ever private spacewalk. At 5:23 am EDT, the mission lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, heading for low-Earth orbit.This mission represents a significant...
The first shape created with the 3D Metal PrinterESA/NASAIn an experiment that seems as risky as bobbing for fries, the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully conducted the first 3D metal printing in space aboard the ISS. Developed in collaboration with Airbus, the Metal 3D Printer produced the first of four test shapes.3D printing on...
Artist's concept of Starship entering the Martian atmosphereSpaceXSpaceX founder Elon Musk announced that the first Starship spacecraft will head to Mars within two years, with crewed missions following in 2028. This effort is part of his broader vision to make humanity an interplanetary species.Musk is known for making bold predictions that occasionally come true,...
Ganymede with the impact site approximately in the centerNASAFour billion years ago, an asteroid larger than the one that ended the age of dinosaurs may have struck the largest moon in our solar system, Ganymede, knocking it off its axis and causing it to crack like an egg.Discovered by Galileo in 1610 while experimenting...
