Credit: PixabayCan a pandemic change the Moon’s temperature? A 2024 study suggested global lockdowns reduced Earth’s heat radiation, cooling the Moon. But new research says otherwise.The original idea: As businesses shut down in 2020 and people stayed home, carbon emissions dropped, lowering terrestrial radiation—the heat Earth emits and the Moon absorbs. Scientists noted a...
Credit ScitkeTo the casual observer, the Sun appears constant and unchanging. In reality, it is a turbulent sphere of seething plasma, where electrically charged gas is in constant motion, influenced by the Sun’s magnetic field. Understanding and predicting this chaotic activity remains one of the greatest challenges for modern solar physicists.One of the most...
Credit: PixabayUsing multiple NASA telescopes, scientists have conducted a groundbreaking survey to detect both visible and hidden supermassive black holes—colossal objects billions of times more massive than the Sun. Nearly every large galaxy is thought to harbor one at its core, yet directly counting them is impossible. Instead, astronomers analyze smaller samples to estimate...
NASA astronaut Victor Glover tests collection methods for ISS External Microorganisms in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at Johnson Space Center. (NASA)On January 30, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will embark on a 6.5-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS). One key objective is collecting surface samples to study microbial presence on the station’s...
Development of the BlueBird satellites at AST's Midland, Texas facilityAST SpaceMobileStarlink isn’t the only U.S. company working on direct satellite connectivity for cell phones. AST SpaceMobile has been developing this technology for several years. In fact, AST made history as the first company ever to make a "phone home" call from space. The company...
"Flying over aurora; intensely green." (Don Pettit/X)A breathtaking video captured from the International Space Station reveals an aurora from above, shimmering with the distinctive green light that has fascinated humanity for centuries.On January 6, NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared this extraordinary footage from his vantage point in orbit, showcasing the "intensely green" ribbons of light...
Credit: PixabayHot Jupiters, once believed to orbit their stars alone, were thought to consume or eject nearby planets during their inward migration. However, recent findings have challenged this notion. A study from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with NCCR PlanetS, the Universities of Bern (UNIBE) and Zurich (UZH), and international institutions, uncovers...
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Nick Hague successfully completed a critical spacewalk, achieving multiple key objectives. Credit: NASANASA astronauts Suni Williams and Nick Hague completed a 6-hour spacewalk on January 16, concluding their mission at 2:01 p.m. EST. This mission, which marked Hague’s fourth spacewalk and Williams’ eighth, was the 273rd in support of...
Artist's concept of a mining base on the Moon. (gremlin/Getty Images)By the end of this decade, nations and private companies could begin mining the Moon surface. As space becomes increasingly accessible, it’s essential to pause and consider what commercial activities should be allowed, especially on the Moon.This is the moment to establish clear rules and...
Artist concept of the new Mars Chopper. (NASA/JPLraw/YouTube)Ingenuity became the first aircraft to fly on another world in the first half of 2021, exploring Mars terrain from above. This achievement proved that powered air flight is an efficient way to navigate alien worlds.Building on this success, NASA has now unveiled a computer rendering of its...
