The intriguing feature in the bottom third of the image, below the centre, has been nicknamed the solar hedgehog. At present no one knows exactly what it is or how it formed in the sun’s atmosphere. The image was captured on 30 March 2022 by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) at a wavelength of 17 … Read more
For the first time, scientists have taken a proper look at an ultra-low velocity zone. These enigmatic pockets of rock sit close to the Earth’s core, about 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) below the surface. At that depth they’re obviously difficult to study, but we know they’re there because of the way seismic waves flow through … Read more
NASA’s 45-year-old Voyager 1 spacecraft is a marvel. It’s cruising along outside our solar system and still staying in touch with Earth. But it’s presented its team with what NASA is calling a “mystery.” It’s operating normally but sending back some odd telemetry data. The issue likely traces to Voyager 1’s attitude articulation and control … Read more
Earth’s auroras are a glorious wonder, but our planet isn’t the only place in the Solar System where these phenomena can be found. An atmospheric glow, albeit sometimes in invisible wavelengths, has been spotted at every planet except Mercury, and even some moons of Jupiter… and even a comet. But Mars is where it gets … Read more
An unseen ‘mirror world’ of particles that interacts with our world only via gravity may be key to solving the Hubble constant problem, according to new research. According to new research, an unseen ‘mirror world’ of particles that interacts with our world only via gravity might be the key to solving a major puzzle in … Read more
A new video gives us a dramatic look at the space startup SpinLaunch’s unique liftoff strategy. SpiderLaunch plans to accelerate rockets to tremendous speeds on terra firma using a rotating arm and then fling them high into the sky, where they’ll light up their engines and power their way to orbit. This novel methodology will … Read more
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is officially on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) after 2.5 years of delays. A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday (May 19) at 6:54 pm EDT (2254 GMT), carrying Starliner aloft on an uncrewed mission called Orbital … Read more
The images show the impressions of a collapsed cell-wall covering (a coccosphere) on the surface of a fragment of ancient organic matter (left) with the individual plates (coccoliths) enlarged to show the exquisite preservation of sub-micron-scale structures ( right). The blue image is inverted to give a virtual fossil cast, ie, to show the original … Read more
(news) – A NASA spacecraft on Mars is headed for a dusty demise. The InSight lander is losing power because of all the dust on its solar panels. NASA says it will keep using the spacecraft’s seismometer to register marsquakes until the power peters out, likely in July, the AP reports. Then flight controllers … Read more
NASA is suspending all but the most urgent spacewalks after water was found in an astronaut’s helmet following a March excursion, agency officials said on Tuesday (May 17). NASA will perform an assessment of its extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuits after water was found in the helmet worn by European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias … Read more