Star Nest in Circinus West
A celestial shadow known as the Circinus West molecular cloud creeps across this image captured from Chile with the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera — one of the most powerful digital…
The most distant twin of the Milky Way ever observed.
An international team led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has discovered the most distant known candidate for a spiral galaxy to date. This ultramassive system existed just one billion years after the…
More Earth-like planets may exist.
A groundbreaking study by Rice University researchers Sho Shibata and Andre Izidoro introduces a compelling new model for the formation of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes—planets ranging from one to four times Earth’s size and…
Fully 3D-printed electrospray engine.
Adam Zewe | MIT News An electrospray engine applies an electric field to a conductive liquid, generating a high-speed jet of tiny droplets that can propel a spacecraft. These miniature engines are ideal for small…
Object seen by James Webb may be a solar system in formation
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a breathtaking image of HH 30, a young star ejecting powerful jets of energy into space, illuminating the protoplanetary disk that may one day give…
Analysis of asteroid dust reveals traces of salty water
Nick Timms, Curtin University; Phil Bland, Curtin University, and William Rickard, Curtin University In October 2020, a van-sized robotic spacecraft briefly touched down on the surface of Bennu, a 525-metre-wide asteroid 320 million…
The Blue Ghost lunar module captured images of the Moon.
The Blue Ghost lunar probe has captured its first images of the Moon while orbiting the Earth, the Texan company Firefly Aerospace announced this week. The photographs, published on the X social network,…
Astronomers have announced the discovery of a super-Earth
An international team of astronomers, including researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), has announced the discovery of a super-Earth named HD 20794 d, an exoplanet that may harbor conditions favorable to life….
Research strengthens evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars
Scientists have identified thousands of hills and mounds on Mars that contain layers of clay minerals, which formed when running water interacted with rocks nearly four billion years ago. “This research shows us…
NASA Glenn’s Shape Memory Alloy Tires
The mystique of Mars has been studied for centuries. The fourth planet from the Sun is reminiscent of a rich, red desert and features a rugged surface challenging to traverse. While several robotic…