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Hubble Finds Cosmic Dust Coating Uranus’ Moons, Not Radiation Scars
New Hubble Space Telescope observations have upended decades of expectations about Uranus’ moons. Scientists once thought the planet’s magnetic field darkened their backsides with radiation, but the latest data shows Titania and Oberon are collecting space dust on their leading sides instead. This “cosmic bug splatter” effect suggests dust ...
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NASA Slightly Raises Odds of Asteroid Hitting the Moon in 2032 After Updated JWST Data
NASA has revised the 2032 impact odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Moon to 4.3%, up from 3.8%, based on new data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Though once feared for its high Earth impact risk, scientists now say it poses no threat and offers critical insights for future planetary defense strategies.
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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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Europa Could Briefly Sustain Life When the Sun Becomes a Red Giant Star, Scientists Say
Scientists at Cornell’s Carl Sagan Institute propose that Jupiter’s moon Europa could host life for up to 200 million years during the sun’s red giant phase. While Earth would be incinerated, Europa’s subsurface oceans might temporarily support microbial life, offering a final refuge in the solar system and expanding the search for biosigna...
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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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"Planetary Threat": Scientists Exploring How To Beat Heat For Better Sleep
"Rising temperatures induced by climate change and urbanisation pose a planetary threat to human sleep, and therefore health, performance, and wellbeing," according to a 2024 review of scientific literature published in the journal Sleep Medicine.
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Scientists Predict Exact Date Life On Earth Will End: Study
A supercomputer simulation predicts that life on Earth will end in 1 billion years due to the depletion of oxygen caused by the Sun's increasing heat and brightness, ultimately rendering the planet uninhabitable.
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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 ...
-
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 ...
-
Hubble Captures Mars, Cosmic Nebulae, and Distant Galaxies in Spectacular 35th Anniversary Photos
To celebrate 35 years in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope has released breathtaking new images of Mars, a planetary nebula, and a distant spiral galaxy. Since its 1990 launch, Hubble has captured nearly 1.7 million observations and continues to awe scientists and stargazers alike with vivid cosmic scenes that reveal the ever-changing beauty of our...
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Water on Ancient Mars? New Study Challenges the Cold Planet Theory
Scientists have uncovered compelling evidence suggesting that early Mars was surprisingly wet, featuring extensive networks of lakes and river basins shaped by rainfall and snowfall. This challenges long-held views of a predominantly cold and icy ancient Mars. Despite current climate models struggling to explain sustained liquid water on the Red Pl...
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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.
-
Scientists Finally Discover How Long a Day Lasts on Uranus
Astronomers confirm Uranus’ rotation period using internal oscillation modeling for the first time. On Uranus, a day just lasts far longer. More precise rotational time observations of the gas giant should enable scientists to plan visits to investigate it. Unlike on Mars and Earth, savage windstorms make it far more difficult to identify the rot...
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Hubble Finds Cosmic Dust Coating Uranus’ Moons, Not Radiation Scars
New Hubble Space Telescope observations have upended decades of expectations about Uranus’ moons. Scientists once thought the planet’s magnetic field darkened their backsides with radiation, but the latest data shows Titania and Oberon are collecting space dust on their leading sides instead. This “cosmic bug splatter” effect suggests dust ...
-
NASA Slightly Raises Odds of Asteroid Hitting the Moon in 2032 After Updated JWST Data
NASA has revised the 2032 impact odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Moon to 4.3%, up from 3.8%, based on new data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Though once feared for its high Earth impact risk, scientists now say it poses no threat and offers critical insights for future planetary defense strategies.
-
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.
-
Europa Could Briefly Sustain Life When the Sun Becomes a Red Giant Star, Scientists Say
Scientists at Cornell’s Carl Sagan Institute propose that Jupiter’s moon Europa could host life for up to 200 million years during the sun’s red giant phase. While Earth would be incinerated, Europa’s subsurface oceans might temporarily support microbial life, offering a final refuge in the solar system and expanding the search for biosigna...
-
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.
-
"Planetary Threat": Scientists Exploring How To Beat Heat For Better Sleep
"Rising temperatures induced by climate change and urbanisation pose a planetary threat to human sleep, and therefore health, performance, and wellbeing," according to a 2024 review of scientific literature published in the journal Sleep Medicine.
-
Scientists Predict Exact Date Life On Earth Will End: Study
A supercomputer simulation predicts that life on Earth will end in 1 billion years due to the depletion of oxygen caused by the Sun's increasing heat and brightness, ultimately rendering the planet uninhabitable.
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
Hubble Captures Mars, Cosmic Nebulae, and Distant Galaxies in Spectacular 35th Anniversary Photos
To celebrate 35 years in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope has released breathtaking new images of Mars, a planetary nebula, and a distant spiral galaxy. Since its 1990 launch, Hubble has captured nearly 1.7 million observations and continues to awe scientists and stargazers alike with vivid cosmic scenes that reveal the ever-changing beauty of our...
-
Water on Ancient Mars? New Study Challenges the Cold Planet Theory
Scientists have uncovered compelling evidence suggesting that early Mars was surprisingly wet, featuring extensive networks of lakes and river basins shaped by rainfall and snowfall. This challenges long-held views of a predominantly cold and icy ancient Mars. Despite current climate models struggling to explain sustained liquid water on the Red Pl...
-
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.
-
Scientists Finally Discover How Long a Day Lasts on Uranus
Astronomers confirm Uranus’ rotation period using internal oscillation modeling for the first time. On Uranus, a day just lasts far longer. More precise rotational time observations of the gas giant should enable scientists to plan visits to investigate it. Unlike on Mars and Earth, savage windstorms make it far more difficult to identify the rot...
