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Organic Molecules in Space: A Key to Understanding Life's Cosmic Origins
Organic molecules, the building blocks of life, have been discovered across space—from interstellar clouds to asteroids and comets. Findings from missions like Rosetta, Hayabusa2, and Osiris-Rex reveal that these compounds existed long before the Sun formed. Scientists believe organic molecules survived planetary formation in protoplanetary disks...
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Space Missions of 2025: Lunar Landings, Asteroid Sampling, and More
Space exploration in 2025 will see remarkable missions from global agencies like NASA, ESA, China, and Japan. Key initiatives include lunar landings through NASA’s CLPS and Japan’s M2/Resilience, which will test new technologies and study lunar resources. China’s Tianwen-2 mission aims to collect asteroid samples and explore a comet, advancin...
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ISRO and NASA to Launch NISAR Satellite in March 2025 for Earth Observation
The ISRO-Nasa collaboration on the NISAR satellite will launch in March 2025, aiming to revolutionise global Earth observation. The satellite, featuring advanced radar technology, will monitor land and ice surfaces, track ecosystem changes, and detect geological events like earthquakes and landslides. The mission will help map Earth’s surface wit...
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NASA's Dawn Mission Unveils Insights into Vesta’s Mysterious Gullies Using Lab Simulations
NASA’s Dawn mission to the asteroid Vesta revealed mysterious gullies on its surface. New lab experiments, simulating Vesta's harsh vacuum conditions, suggest that liquid water, possibly briny, could have flowed briefly and carved these channels. These findings challenge existing theories about liquid stability on airless bodies and provide insig...
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New Study Suggests the Moon Is 100 Million Years Older Than Previously Thought
Recent findings indicate the Moon might be over 100 million years older than prior estimates. A new study proposes that tidal forces caused intense heating and surface remelting around 4.35 billion years ago, resetting the apparent age of lunar rocks. These insights support the idea that massive collisions formed the Moon much earlier than previous...
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Scientists Puzzled by a Strange Dark Spot Fading on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
A mysterious dark spot on Saturn's moon Enceladus has baffled scientists after it faded over several years. Discovered through NASA’s Cassini mission, the spot's sudden disappearance raises questions about the moon's geology. Experts have ruled out shadows and image artefacts, suggesting that the feature could be the result of an impact or a depo...
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Can We Defend Earth from Asteroids? Here's What You Need to Know
Efforts to protect Earth from asteroid impacts have made significant strides, notably with NASA’s DART mission, which successfully altered the orbit of the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022. This achievement marked a key advancement in planetary defence, demonstrating that asteroid deflection is a viable strategy. However, the success of DART al...
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Earth Microbes Discovered in Asteroid Ryugu Sample, Raises Contamination Concerns
A study has confirmed that terrestrial microbes colonised a Ryugu asteroid sample after its return to Earth in 2020. The micro-organisms were found to proliferate upon exposure to Earth's atmosphere, raising concerns over contamination risks in planetary exploration. Published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, the findings underline the need for ...
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Mars’ Moons Phobos and Deimos Could Be Asteroid Debris, New Study Reveals
New research proposes that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, could have originated from an asteroid torn apart by the planet’s gravity. Simulations show that this shredded asteroid could have formed a ring around Mars, eventually coalescing into the moons. The theory is being tested through the upcoming Mars Moons Exploration mission, which could...
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NASA’s Juno Probe Captures Stunning Views of Jupiter’s Storms and Moon Amalthea
NASA’s Juno probe captured vibrant, high-contrast images of Jupiter’s stormy atmosphere and an up-close view of its moon, Amalthea, during the spacecraft’s 66th flyby on October 23. The images were processed by citizen scientists, enhancing the colours to showcase Jupiter’s unique cloud formations and highlighting details of Amalthea agains...
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NASA's Roman Space Telescope Gets New Coronagraph to Spot Exoplanets
NASA's Roman Space Telescope has successfully integrated the Roman Coronagraph, a vital step in detecting planets far beyond our solar system. This tool will help block starlight, enabling the telescope to capture faint planetary light. The coronagraph marks a significant advancement in exoplanet detection, allowing the telescope to observe planets...
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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Makes Final Venus Flyby Before Historic Sun Encounter
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, will make its final Venus flyby on Nov. 6. This manoeuvre will bring the spacecraft into a new orbit, allowing it to approach within 3.8 million miles of the sun, closer than any human-made object has been. While the probe’s primary mission is to study the sun, its instruments have captured rare data...
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China to Build Lunar Space Station and Explore Other Planets for Habitability by 2050
China has revealed plans to construct a lunar space station, with the goal of exploring habitable planets and searching for extraterrestrial life. The country will launch a manned lunar mission in the next few years as part of its long-term space programme, which spans from 2024 to 2050. China’s key priorities include studying planetary atmospher...
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NASA’s Hubble and New Horizons Collaborate for Uranus Observation, Shedding Light on Exoplanet Imaging
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the New Horizons spacecraft teamed up for a unique dual observation of Uranus, providing valuable insights into planetary atmospheres. Hubble captured high-resolution images, revealing atmospheric features, while New Horizons, 6.5 billion miles away, saw the planet as a small dot. This combined data helps researche...
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NASA Selects Two Astrophysics Mission Proposals for X-Ray and Far-Infrared Wavelength Observations
NASA has selected two mission proposals for further study, focusing on X-ray and far-infrared wavelengths to explore key cosmic phenomena. The Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite, led by Christopher Reynolds, will investigate supermassive black holes and galaxy evolution. The Probe Far-Infrared Mission, led by Jason Glenn, will examine planetary forma...
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Organic Molecules in Space: A Key to Understanding Life's Cosmic Origins
Organic molecules, the building blocks of life, have been discovered across space—from interstellar clouds to asteroids and comets. Findings from missions like Rosetta, Hayabusa2, and Osiris-Rex reveal that these compounds existed long before the Sun formed. Scientists believe organic molecules survived planetary formation in protoplanetary disks...
-
Space Missions of 2025: Lunar Landings, Asteroid Sampling, and More
Space exploration in 2025 will see remarkable missions from global agencies like NASA, ESA, China, and Japan. Key initiatives include lunar landings through NASA’s CLPS and Japan’s M2/Resilience, which will test new technologies and study lunar resources. China’s Tianwen-2 mission aims to collect asteroid samples and explore a comet, advancin...
-
ISRO and NASA to Launch NISAR Satellite in March 2025 for Earth Observation
The ISRO-Nasa collaboration on the NISAR satellite will launch in March 2025, aiming to revolutionise global Earth observation. The satellite, featuring advanced radar technology, will monitor land and ice surfaces, track ecosystem changes, and detect geological events like earthquakes and landslides. The mission will help map Earth’s surface wit...
-
NASA's Dawn Mission Unveils Insights into Vesta’s Mysterious Gullies Using Lab Simulations
NASA’s Dawn mission to the asteroid Vesta revealed mysterious gullies on its surface. New lab experiments, simulating Vesta's harsh vacuum conditions, suggest that liquid water, possibly briny, could have flowed briefly and carved these channels. These findings challenge existing theories about liquid stability on airless bodies and provide insig...
-
New Study Suggests the Moon Is 100 Million Years Older Than Previously Thought
Recent findings indicate the Moon might be over 100 million years older than prior estimates. A new study proposes that tidal forces caused intense heating and surface remelting around 4.35 billion years ago, resetting the apparent age of lunar rocks. These insights support the idea that massive collisions formed the Moon much earlier than previous...
-
Scientists Puzzled by a Strange Dark Spot Fading on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus
A mysterious dark spot on Saturn's moon Enceladus has baffled scientists after it faded over several years. Discovered through NASA’s Cassini mission, the spot's sudden disappearance raises questions about the moon's geology. Experts have ruled out shadows and image artefacts, suggesting that the feature could be the result of an impact or a depo...
-
Can We Defend Earth from Asteroids? Here's What You Need to Know
Efforts to protect Earth from asteroid impacts have made significant strides, notably with NASA’s DART mission, which successfully altered the orbit of the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in 2022. This achievement marked a key advancement in planetary defence, demonstrating that asteroid deflection is a viable strategy. However, the success of DART al...
-
Earth Microbes Discovered in Asteroid Ryugu Sample, Raises Contamination Concerns
A study has confirmed that terrestrial microbes colonised a Ryugu asteroid sample after its return to Earth in 2020. The micro-organisms were found to proliferate upon exposure to Earth's atmosphere, raising concerns over contamination risks in planetary exploration. Published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, the findings underline the need for ...
-
Mars’ Moons Phobos and Deimos Could Be Asteroid Debris, New Study Reveals
New research proposes that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, could have originated from an asteroid torn apart by the planet’s gravity. Simulations show that this shredded asteroid could have formed a ring around Mars, eventually coalescing into the moons. The theory is being tested through the upcoming Mars Moons Exploration mission, which could...
-
NASA’s Juno Probe Captures Stunning Views of Jupiter’s Storms and Moon Amalthea
NASA’s Juno probe captured vibrant, high-contrast images of Jupiter’s stormy atmosphere and an up-close view of its moon, Amalthea, during the spacecraft’s 66th flyby on October 23. The images were processed by citizen scientists, enhancing the colours to showcase Jupiter’s unique cloud formations and highlighting details of Amalthea agains...
-
NASA's Roman Space Telescope Gets New Coronagraph to Spot Exoplanets
NASA's Roman Space Telescope has successfully integrated the Roman Coronagraph, a vital step in detecting planets far beyond our solar system. This tool will help block starlight, enabling the telescope to capture faint planetary light. The coronagraph marks a significant advancement in exoplanet detection, allowing the telescope to observe planets...
-
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Makes Final Venus Flyby Before Historic Sun Encounter
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, will make its final Venus flyby on Nov. 6. This manoeuvre will bring the spacecraft into a new orbit, allowing it to approach within 3.8 million miles of the sun, closer than any human-made object has been. While the probe’s primary mission is to study the sun, its instruments have captured rare data...
-
China to Build Lunar Space Station and Explore Other Planets for Habitability by 2050
China has revealed plans to construct a lunar space station, with the goal of exploring habitable planets and searching for extraterrestrial life. The country will launch a manned lunar mission in the next few years as part of its long-term space programme, which spans from 2024 to 2050. China’s key priorities include studying planetary atmospher...
-
NASA’s Hubble and New Horizons Collaborate for Uranus Observation, Shedding Light on Exoplanet Imaging
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the New Horizons spacecraft teamed up for a unique dual observation of Uranus, providing valuable insights into planetary atmospheres. Hubble captured high-resolution images, revealing atmospheric features, while New Horizons, 6.5 billion miles away, saw the planet as a small dot. This combined data helps researche...
-
NASA Selects Two Astrophysics Mission Proposals for X-Ray and Far-Infrared Wavelength Observations
NASA has selected two mission proposals for further study, focusing on X-ray and far-infrared wavelengths to explore key cosmic phenomena. The Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite, led by Christopher Reynolds, will investigate supermassive black holes and galaxy evolution. The Probe Far-Infrared Mission, led by Jason Glenn, will examine planetary forma...
