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AI Reveals Mars’s Mysterious Slope Streaks Likely Formed by Dust, Not Water Activity
An AI-based study has found that Mars’s mysterious dark slope streaks are likely formed by dust and wind, not flowing water as long believed. Based on an analysis of over 86,000 satellite images, the findings challenge past theories and may help scientists focus future Mars missions on more promising areas in the search for ancient life.
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Quantum Tech Could Finally Let Astronomers Snap Direct Images of Earth-Like Exoplanets
Astronomers are harnessing quantum mechanics to build a coronagraph that could directly image Earth-like exoplanets previously obscured by stellar glare. By sorting light waves at the photon level, the device bypasses traditional diffraction limits, revealing faint planetary signals. This breakthrough may redefine how scientists explore distant wor...
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New Study Confirms Venus Is Still Geologically Active
A new study shows Venus is still geologically active. Scientists discovered mantle plumes creating coronae on their surface, revealing dynamic inner processes similar to early Earth. This breakthrough sets the stage for upcoming NASA and ESA missions to study Venus in greater detail.
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New Study Uses AI to Reveal Dry Origins of Mars’ Mysterious Slope Streaks
A new study by researchers at Brown University and the University of Bern used machine learning to analyze 86,000 high-resolution images of Mars. Their findings suggest that recurring slope lineae (RSLs)—dark streaks once thought to indicate liquid water—are actually caused by dry processes like wind and dust movement. With over 500,000 feature...
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Asteroid Vesta May Be a Fragment of a Lost Planet, Say Scientists
Vesta, once believed to be a stalled protoplanet, may be a fragment of a long-lost differentiated planet. Using refined gravity data from NASA’s Dawn mission, scientists found it lacks a dense core, suggesting it was ejected during a primordial impact. This revised view may apply to other asteroids and reshape planetary formation theories.
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Juno Mission Sheds Light on Jupiter’s Storms and Volcanic Activity on Io
NASA’s Juno probe has uncovered colliding cyclones circling Jupiter’s north pole and flowing magma beneath the crust of its volcanic moon Io. Using thermal and microwave instruments, scientists have tracked atmospheric chaos and subsurface lava flows, offering new insights into the Jovian system’s extreme weather and volcanic activity. These ...
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New Study Reveals How Jupiter’s Storms Hide Ammonia
A new study reveals Jupiter’s monster storms create mushballs—giant hailstones made of ammonia and water. This discovery explains the puzzling absence of ammonia in the planet’s upper atmosphere and suggests similar processes might be happening on gas giants across the universe.
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NASA Observes Rare Uranus Occultation, Unveiling New Atmospheric and Ring Details
NASA captured a rare stellar occultation of Uranus this month, providing fresh data about the ice giant’s atmosphere and rings. Scientists measured temperature changes and atmospheric composition, offering new insights since the last major occultation in 1996. The findings could help guide future exploration missions and deepen our understanding ...
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NASA Prepares to Launch First Quantum Sensor for Measuring Gravity from Orbit
NASA, in collaboration with academia and private companies, is developing the first quantum sensor to map Earth’s gravity from space. Using cold rubidium atoms, the compact instrument will deliver highly sensitive, long-term measurements. This mission could transform how we study Earth’s subsurface and explore planetary bodies across the solar ...
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NASA Shares Planetary Defense Strategy to Protect Earth From Potential Asteroid Strikes
NASA and international scientists closely tracked asteroid 2024 YR4, which initially showed a rare 3 percent collision probability with Earth. Although the threat has now diminished, the incident highlights the importance of asteroid surveillance, open data, and upcoming space missions like NEO Surveyor.
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New Study Challenges Claims of Vast Underground Water on Mars
Mars’ water history remains a mystery as new research questions the claim that vast amounts of water are stored beneath its surface. A study led by Bruce Jakosky argues that previous estimates of Mars’ mid-crust being saturated with liquid water may be inaccurate. The findings challenge earlier interpretations of seismic data from NASA’s InSi...
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NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
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Private Venus Mission Plans to Retrieve Cloud Samples for Life Research
A privately-led space mission is being developed to retrieve and analyse cloud samples from Venus. Scientists believe the planet’s sulfuric acid clouds might sustain organic molecules necessary for life. The mission, named Morning Star, involves deploying probes to collect mist from Venus' atmosphere. The collected samples would be returned to Ea...
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NASA Partners With SpaceX To Launch NEO Surveyor, a Mission To Detect Asteroid Threats
NASA has selected SpaceX for the launch of its NEO Surveyor spacecraft in 2027. The mission, valued at $100 million, will use a Falcon 9 rocket to deploy the spacecraft to the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1. The infrared telescope will help detect and track hazardous near-Earth objects, including difficult-to-spot dark asteroids. This mission builds on...
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NASA SPHEREx Mission to Map Water Ice in the Milky Way for Life’s Origins
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, launching February 27, will search for water ice and frozen compounds in the Milky Way’s molecular clouds. By surveying over 9 million regions, the mission aims to understand how these compounds influence planet and star formation. Findings will complement data from the James Webb Space Telescope, enhancing insights into...
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AI Reveals Mars’s Mysterious Slope Streaks Likely Formed by Dust, Not Water Activity
An AI-based study has found that Mars’s mysterious dark slope streaks are likely formed by dust and wind, not flowing water as long believed. Based on an analysis of over 86,000 satellite images, the findings challenge past theories and may help scientists focus future Mars missions on more promising areas in the search for ancient life.
-
Quantum Tech Could Finally Let Astronomers Snap Direct Images of Earth-Like Exoplanets
Astronomers are harnessing quantum mechanics to build a coronagraph that could directly image Earth-like exoplanets previously obscured by stellar glare. By sorting light waves at the photon level, the device bypasses traditional diffraction limits, revealing faint planetary signals. This breakthrough may redefine how scientists explore distant wor...
-
New Study Confirms Venus Is Still Geologically Active
A new study shows Venus is still geologically active. Scientists discovered mantle plumes creating coronae on their surface, revealing dynamic inner processes similar to early Earth. This breakthrough sets the stage for upcoming NASA and ESA missions to study Venus in greater detail.
-
New Study Uses AI to Reveal Dry Origins of Mars’ Mysterious Slope Streaks
A new study by researchers at Brown University and the University of Bern used machine learning to analyze 86,000 high-resolution images of Mars. Their findings suggest that recurring slope lineae (RSLs)—dark streaks once thought to indicate liquid water—are actually caused by dry processes like wind and dust movement. With over 500,000 feature...
-
Asteroid Vesta May Be a Fragment of a Lost Planet, Say Scientists
Vesta, once believed to be a stalled protoplanet, may be a fragment of a long-lost differentiated planet. Using refined gravity data from NASA’s Dawn mission, scientists found it lacks a dense core, suggesting it was ejected during a primordial impact. This revised view may apply to other asteroids and reshape planetary formation theories.
-
Juno Mission Sheds Light on Jupiter’s Storms and Volcanic Activity on Io
NASA’s Juno probe has uncovered colliding cyclones circling Jupiter’s north pole and flowing magma beneath the crust of its volcanic moon Io. Using thermal and microwave instruments, scientists have tracked atmospheric chaos and subsurface lava flows, offering new insights into the Jovian system’s extreme weather and volcanic activity. These ...
-
New Study Reveals How Jupiter’s Storms Hide Ammonia
A new study reveals Jupiter’s monster storms create mushballs—giant hailstones made of ammonia and water. This discovery explains the puzzling absence of ammonia in the planet’s upper atmosphere and suggests similar processes might be happening on gas giants across the universe.
-
NASA Observes Rare Uranus Occultation, Unveiling New Atmospheric and Ring Details
NASA captured a rare stellar occultation of Uranus this month, providing fresh data about the ice giant’s atmosphere and rings. Scientists measured temperature changes and atmospheric composition, offering new insights since the last major occultation in 1996. The findings could help guide future exploration missions and deepen our understanding ...
-
NASA Prepares to Launch First Quantum Sensor for Measuring Gravity from Orbit
NASA, in collaboration with academia and private companies, is developing the first quantum sensor to map Earth’s gravity from space. Using cold rubidium atoms, the compact instrument will deliver highly sensitive, long-term measurements. This mission could transform how we study Earth’s subsurface and explore planetary bodies across the solar ...
-
NASA Shares Planetary Defense Strategy to Protect Earth From Potential Asteroid Strikes
NASA and international scientists closely tracked asteroid 2024 YR4, which initially showed a rare 3 percent collision probability with Earth. Although the threat has now diminished, the incident highlights the importance of asteroid surveillance, open data, and upcoming space missions like NEO Surveyor.
-
New Study Challenges Claims of Vast Underground Water on Mars
Mars’ water history remains a mystery as new research questions the claim that vast amounts of water are stored beneath its surface. A study led by Bruce Jakosky argues that previous estimates of Mars’ mid-crust being saturated with liquid water may be inaccurate. The findings challenge earlier interpretations of seismic data from NASA’s InSi...
-
NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
-
Private Venus Mission Plans to Retrieve Cloud Samples for Life Research
A privately-led space mission is being developed to retrieve and analyse cloud samples from Venus. Scientists believe the planet’s sulfuric acid clouds might sustain organic molecules necessary for life. The mission, named Morning Star, involves deploying probes to collect mist from Venus' atmosphere. The collected samples would be returned to Ea...
-
NASA Partners With SpaceX To Launch NEO Surveyor, a Mission To Detect Asteroid Threats
NASA has selected SpaceX for the launch of its NEO Surveyor spacecraft in 2027. The mission, valued at $100 million, will use a Falcon 9 rocket to deploy the spacecraft to the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1. The infrared telescope will help detect and track hazardous near-Earth objects, including difficult-to-spot dark asteroids. This mission builds on...
-
NASA SPHEREx Mission to Map Water Ice in the Milky Way for Life’s Origins
NASA’s SPHEREx mission, launching February 27, will search for water ice and frozen compounds in the Milky Way’s molecular clouds. By surveying over 9 million regions, the mission aims to understand how these compounds influence planet and star formation. Findings will complement data from the James Webb Space Telescope, enhancing insights into...
