After completing the first sample depot on another world, the rover continues its hunt for Mars rocks worthy of study on Earth. NASA’s Perseverance rover will celebrated its second anniversary on the surface of Mars on Saturday, February 18. Since arriving at Jezero Crater in 2021, the six-wheeled, nuclear-powered rover has been examining geologic features and collecting samples of the Red Planet that are central … Continue reading NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Enters Third Year in Search for Signs of Life at Jezero Crater

When astronomers discovered that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, they theorized that some force must be pushing things farther apart and overcoming gravity, which should be slowing things down. That force was suggested to be dark energy, but no one has ever figured out from where it comes. But a team of 17 international researchers led by the University of Hawaii has … Continue reading Black holes may be the source of mysterious dark energy

The elusive “Planet Nine,” which may or may not lurk in the outer reaches of the solar system, could be surrounded by a small swarm of potential moons, a new study reveals. What’s more, these moons could be the key to finding the missing planet. Planet Nine, if it exists, lurks beyond the orbit of Neptune in an icy region known as the Kuiper Belt.  … Continue reading Elusive Planet Nine could be surrounded by hot moons

Scientists have detected signs of a hidden structure inside Earth’s core using a new method that combines seismic data with machine learning algorithms. The study analyzed data from thousands of earthquakes to create a three-dimensional picture of the core and found evidence of a distinct zone at the boundary between the inner and outer core. The researchers believe this zone could be composed of a … Continue reading Scientists Detect Signs of Hidden Structure Inside Earth’s Core

A massive solar flare erupted from the sun over the weekend, causing radio blackouts on Earth – and more could be on the horizon.  The sun emitted the solar flare on Saturday, peaking around 10:48 a.m. EST, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. The flare, which came from a part of the sun named active region 3217, was designated a X1.1 flare, one … Continue reading One of the strongest types of solar flares erupted on the sun

Officials at Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, have opted to delay the launch of a spacecraft meant to replace one deemed not safe enough to transport astronauts after a second vehicle — a cargo ship — sprang a leak on Saturday, according to NASA. Once cleared, the replacement spacecraft, Soyuz MS-23, will transport three astronauts currently stationed at the International Space Station back to Earth. The … Continue reading Russia delays launch of rescue spacecraft after second coolant leak issue

Asteroid 2005 YY128, which is about 80 meters wide, made a close approach to Earth on February 15, 2023, passing within about 5.5 million kilometers of the planet. While this may sound like a large distance, it is still considered a “close approach” by astronomers. The asteroid, which was discovered in 2005, is classified as a near-Earth object (NEO) and is being monitored by scientists … Continue reading Big asteroid to zoom by Earth on Wednesday

An article from The Guardian reports on an asteroid that lit up the sky over the English Channel. Scientists have predicted that the asteroid will strike the Earth, and efforts are underway to determine its trajectory and potential impact. According to the article, the asteroid was detected by astronomers who have been closely monitoring the sky for incoming objects. The article states that the asteroid … Continue reading Asteroid lights up sky over Channel creating shooting star effect

A mysterious Russian satellite broke apart early last month, creating a cloud of debris that could linger in Earth orbit for a while. The Kosmos 2499 spacecraft disintegrated on the night of Jan. 3, according to the U.S. Space Force‘s 18th Space Defense Squadron (18th SDS), which tracks human-made objects in orbit. The breakup event generated at least 85 pieces of trackable debris, 18th SDS … Continue reading Mysterious Russian satellite breaks up in orbit, generating cloud of debris

A Falcon 9 lit up the Florida skies Monday night in what is now a very familiar scene.  The rocket successfully deployed Hispasat’s Amazonas Nexus communications satellite into a trajectory that will take it to a geostationary orbit, from where it will expand the Spanish company’s coverage across the Americas, the Atlantic Ocean, and Greenland. The rocket took flight at 8:32 p.m. ET from Space … Continue reading SpaceX Falcon 9 Delivers 5-Ton Communications Satellite to Orbit

An asteroid roughly the size of Rome’s Colosseum — between 300 to 650 feet (100 to 200 meters) in length — has been detected by an international team of European astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.  Their project used data from the calibration of the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), in which the team serendipitously detected an interloping asteroid.  The object is likely the smallest observed to date … Continue reading Webb Detects Extremely Small Main Belt Asteroid

NASA’s Curiosity rover currently exploring the sulphate-bearing unit on Mt. Sharp, which is the central peak in Mars’ Gale Crater. The high -tech rover is analyzing a metal meteorite, composed almost entirely of nickel and iron, that is currently in its path. The following is from Live Science: MSL Curiosity is going about its business exploring Mars. The high-tech rover is currently exploring the sulphate-bearing unit … Continue reading NASA Rover Encounters Spectacular Metal Meteorite on Mars

Some planets seem to have it all. Jupiter is the largest in the solar system, sporting a distinctive and fashionable red spot, subtle but elegant rings and dozens of moons. As if that weren’t enough, it looks as though Jupiter has 12 more small moons in its orbit, bringing the total number of natural satellites within its grasp to a whopping 92.  Astronomer Scott Sheppard from the … Continue reading Jupiter Takes Crown for Most Moons, With New Tally of 92

Although astronomers have discovered more than 5,200 exoplanets, less than 200 are rocky — so the discovery of a new terrestrial exoplanet is always exciting.  In a new study, a team of 50 astronomers from around the world have confirmed the existence of exoplanet Wolf 1069 b, which orbits a red dwarf star, Wolf 1069, only 31 light-years from Earth. What makes this discovery particularly … Continue reading Astronomers discover potential habitable exoplanet only 31 light-years from Earth

A mysterious spiral formation was spotted in the night sky above Hawaii earlier this month, sparking curiosity among observers. The spectacle, initially spotted by an observatory in Mauna Kea on Jan. 18, first looked like a traveling bright star before it morphed shapes. It grew into a larger blob before it transformed into a dot with a spinning spiral around it, footage from the Subaru-Asahi … Continue reading Mysterious spiral formation appears among stars above Hawaii

AN incredible image captured by a US spy plane shows a metallic orb UFO flying over Iraq. The picture was included in a classified briefing video shown to American government agencies and it’s claimed that it’s the first time a UFO has been filmed in an active conflict zone. The image was obtained by UFO investigators Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp, who have now posted … Continue reading US spy plane photo shows metallic orb UFO flying over Iraq

The first orbital space launch from British soil is scheduled to take off on Monday. A modified Boeing 747 airplane known as Cosmic Girl will take off from Spaceport Cornwall in England. Once it reaches 35,000 feet in the air, the converted aircraft will deploy a rocket, called LauncherOne, into space. The LauncherOne rocket will deliver several payloads into orbit, including Wales’ first satellite and … Continue reading The first orbital space launch from British soil will take off on Monday

A powerful solar flare exploded on the surface of the sun late Thursday from a complex sunspot that could, quite literally, flare up again very soon.  The blast of charged particles was recorded as an X1.2-class flare. X flares are the most powerful category of flares, and can cause geomagnetic storms to affect Earth’s magnetic field with the potential to damage satellites, communications equipment and … Continue reading Sun Unleashes Intense X-Class Solar Flare, With More Expected

A newly discovered comet could be visible to the naked eye as it shoots past Earth and the Sun in the coming weeks for the first time in 50,000 years, astronomers have said. The comet is called C/2022 E3 (ZTF) after the Zwicky Transient Facility, which first spotted it passing Jupiter in March last year. After travelling from the icy reaches of our Solar System … Continue reading Once in 50,000-year comet may be visible to the naked eye