If climate change models are correct, humanity is working itself—and dragging the rest of life on Earth with it—into a corner. Scientific pleas to control emissions and battle climate change are starting to have some effect, but not enough. So now we have some tough decisions looming
A very important, but perhaps overlooked, aspect of the InSight mission was the first-ever deployment of CubeSats (MarCO) to deep space. The post One of the Most Exciting Parts of InSight is Actually the Tiny Cubesats Tagging Along for the Ride and Their Role in the Mission appeared first on Universe Today
Hosts: Fraser Cain (universetoday.com / @fcain) Dr.
Ion engines are a mainstay of science fiction, featured in both Star Trek and Wars. But this is a very real technology, successfully used on several missions out there in the Solar System right now.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a hero in the astronomy world. And when it suffered a malfunctioning gyro on October 5th, it took a heroic effort on the part of the Hubble team to get it working again.
The InSight Lander, which had touched down on the Martian surface just hours before, has deployed its solar cells and is ready to begin science operations! The post InSight Deploys its Solar Cells, Prepared for Surface Operations on Mars! appeared first on Universe Today .
Star clusters are not rare.
Earlier today, after a seven month journey through space, NASA’s InSight Lander mission touched down on the Martian surface. The post InSight Lander Touches Down! Begins Mission to Unlock the Secrets of Mars appeared first on Universe Today .
This week’s Carnival of Space is hosted by me at the CosmoQuest blog.
Welcome back to Messier Monday! Today, we continue in our tribute to our dear friend, Tammy Plotner, by looking at the globular cluster known as Messier 72. During the 18th century, famed French astronomer Charles Messier noticed the presence of several “nebulous objects” while surveying the night sky.
A new study by a team of Rice University geophysicists indicates that the Earth’s wandering poles could have triggered the last ice age. The post The Earth’s Wandering Poles Could Have Caused the Ice Age appeared first on Universe Today .
In September of 2016, Musk treated the world to an early sneak-peak at his proposed super-heavy launch vehicle. Previously known as the Mars Colonial Transporter, the renamed Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) was the centerpiece to Musk’s long-term vision of conducting commercial trips to orbit, to the Moon, and even to Mars. Since that time, the … Continue reading “Name Change Alert! SpaceX’s BFR is Now Just Called “Starship”” The post Name Change Alert! SpaceX’s BFR is Now Just Called “Starship” appeared first on Universe Today .
We all know that the time is past due for a Moon base.
An international team of astronomers recently located a triple star system in our galaxy that will someday unleash a massive gamma-ray burst. The post Massive Triple Star System Creates this Bizarre Swirling Pinwheel of Dust. And it Could be the Site of a Gamma Ray Burst appeared first on Universe Today
According to a new study, ancient lakes on Mars filled up so quickly that they overflowed, carving canyons in the surface that are still visible today. The post Lakes on Mars Filled up so Quickly They Would Overflow Catastrophically Carving Canyons Within Weeks appeared first on Universe Today .
Gathering detailed information on exoplanets is extremely difficult. The light from their host star overwhelms the light from the exoplanet, making it difficult for telescopes to see them.
The AMBRE project, an international consortium of astronomers, was able to find a star that formed with our Sun (and is almost identical) about 184 light-years away The post Astronomers Find One of the Sun’s Sibling Stars. Born From the Same Solar Nebula Billion of Years Ago appeared first on Universe Today .
Jezero crater is the landing spot for NASA’s upcoming 2020 rover. The crater is a rich geological site, and the 45 km wide (28 mile) impact crater contains at least five different types of rock that the rover will sample
Hosts: Fraser Cain (universetoday.com / @fcain) Dr. Paul M. Sutter (pmsutter.com / @PaulMattSutter) Dr
A unique smallsat mission promises to be the latest satellite “brighter than a Full Moon!” in the sky… or not. The Mission: We’re talking about Orbital Reflector, conceived by Trevor Paglen and fielded by the Nevada Museum of Arts