Researchers identified a rare CO chondrite meteorite as the probable impactor that struck Earth 66 million years ago, leading to the extinction of 75% of Earth's species. The study used advanced nickel isotope analysis to narrow down the composition of the deadly Cretaceous-Palaeogene meteorite.
Recent research suggests meteor impacts created hydrothermal systems that enabled the formation of suitable environments for early life. These impact-generated vents offered conditions similar to deep-sea vents but with a different origin, expanding the search for life's origins and providing new insights into Earth's history.
Researchers found that the risk from airburst-sized near-Earth objects (NEOs) might be larger than currently estimated. A concentration of larger objects in a swarm could be observable by telescopes in 2032 and 2036, increasing Earth's impact risk.
Researchers studied 47 young meteor showers to understand where comets formed in the early solar system. They found that long-period comets often crumbled into gentle accretion conditions, while Jupiter-family comets broke apart under fragmentation, producing diverse asteroid populations.
Scientists at European XFEL have developed a new method to study warm dense matter, allowing for unprecedented insights into its structure and properties. This breakthrough enables the investigation of plasmons in ambient aluminum with ultra-high-resolution X-ray Thomson scattering.
A team of researchers from the SETI Institute found that heat is responsible for destroying space pebbles, not high-speed collisions. The study used data from NASA's CAMS camera network to determine the age and trajectory of meteor showers, revealing that thermal stresses cause the particles to break apart as they approach the Sun.
The University of Texas at El Paso is leading a research effort to detect and study Unresolved Resident Space Objects (URSOs) using spectroscopy. The team aims to extract properties such as material composition and structural health to monitor the health of government-owned and commercial space assets.
A new study by Colorado State University reveals that seismic signals show a growing intensity in ocean waves since the late 20th century, attributed to global warming. The research indicates that storms are becoming more intense and wave energy is increasing globally, posing a serious threat to coastal ecosystems and infrastructure.
A study suggests that iron-rich particles from meteors and volcanic eruptions could have generated precursors for organic molecules needed for life. The researchers found that these particles promoted the conversion of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons and other compounds under various conditions.
Researchers found that infrasound sensors can improve magnitude determinations, providing complete data about strong earthquakes. The low-cost sensors, which detect air pressure changes caused by ground movement, can also enhance tsunami warnings and emergency responses.
NASA solar observatories have discovered that asteroid Phaethon's comet-like tail is not composed of dust, but rather sodium gas. The findings contradict previous theories and suggest a new explanation for Phaethon's behavior, which is the source of the annual Geminid meteor shower.
Researchers will use seismoacoustic instruments to study the OSIRIS-REx capsule's re-entry, gathering data on shockwaves, infrasound, and atmospheric dynamics. This campaign aims to improve models of meteoroid flight and refine relationships between size, velocity, and infrasound signatures.
A team of researchers has discovered a wide range of nitriles, key molecular precursors for life, in the interstellar molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027 near the Milky Way center. The study provides important insights into the chemical ingredients available in the nebula that give rise to our planetary system.
The OSIRIS-APEX mission will study changes in asteroid Apophis caused by its close flyby of Earth. The spacecraft will also approach the surface and fire its thrusters to expose the asteroid's subsurface, enabling scientists to learn more about its material properties and composition.
Researchers at UIUC discovered that meteorites become porous when heated, affecting their strength and likelihood to break apart. This discovery will help NASA's Asteroid Threat Assessment Program predict potential damage from larger meteorite impacts.
Astronomers Amir Siraj and Avi Loeb found that interstellar objects outnumber objects in our solar system's Oort Cloud. This discovery suggests that there could be substantially more visitors from other star systems.
Researchers at the SETI Institute have detected rare meteor showers caused by 4000-year-old comets. The Cameras for Allsky Meteor Surveillance project uses low-light video security cameras to measure meteors' trajectories and orbits, revealing nine parent bodies of previously unknown meteor showers.
A research team led by Dr. Vicky Hamilton has identified a potentially new meteorite parent asteroid through analysis of the Almahata Sitta meteorite. The study suggests that the parent body was an asteroid roughly the size of Ceres, formed in the presence of water under intermediate temperatures and pressures.
Researchers have successfully combined radar and optical observations to study interplanetary dust, gaining insights into meteor mass and composition. By correlating subtle signals in radar data with detailed optical information, scientists can now explore comets and aspects of solar system evolution.
A study published in Science Advances found that volcanic eruptions, rather than meteor impacts, were responsible for the rapid cooling of the Earth around 13,000 years ago. The research team analyzed sediment layers in Hall's Cave, a central Texas cave with a record extending over 20,000 years.
A new study proposes that the first building blocks of life on Earth were not uniform but rather patchwork molecules containing bits of RNA and DNA. The 'RNA World' hypothesis has been revised to suggest a Frankenstein-like beginning, with RNA emerging from a mixture of nucleotides.
A research team at the University of Tsukuba studied ancient cuneiform tablets and matched them with tree-ring radioisotope data to identify three possible magnetic storms that occurred around 679-655 BCE. This work may help modern astronomers predict future solar flares or coronal mass ejections.
Researchers discovered that the forces of flight through the atmosphere lead to the formation of conical meteorites. The 'Goldilocks' cones have angles that match real-world conical meteorite shapes. This finding sheds light on why many meteorites arrive on Earth in cone-shaped forms.
Researchers discovered that meteors create 'meteoric smoke' in Mars' middle atmosphere, condensing into thin clouds. These clouds have a significant impact on the Martian climate, influencing temperatures and potentially affecting past evolution.
Scientists uncover precise timing of a large-scale collision on Vesta, explaining its lopsided shape and differentiation into crust, mantle, and metallic core. The study provides a confident framework for understanding Vesta's geological timeline, shedding light on protoplanet formation and the early Solar System.
Researchers discovered aluminum oxide around a young massive protostar using ALMA data, providing insights into the early formation of meteorites and planets. The detection suggests that aluminum-rich dust can form in hot regions close to the star and later condense into solid particles.
Physicists at Kazan Federal University developed a refined simulation of joint reception areas for meteor radio reflections. The study reveals that unpredictable nature of meteors makes signal interception challenging, with practical possibilities disappearing at 30 km distances.
Scientists capture four stable states of photosynthesis and fleeting steps in between, revealing the process of oxygen production. The results provide a detailed view of Photosystem II, a key protein complex responsible for splitting water and producing oxygen.
Researchers have developed a new technique to measure the magnetic field in the atmosphere, 100 km above the planet, using ground-based lasers. The method provides new insights into space weather and atomic processes.
A team of scientists used infrasonic microphones, seismometers, satellite, and ground camera images to calculate the Michigan bolide's time, location, height, and yield. The analysis could help assess near-Earth object threats and improve detection capabilities for clandestine nuclear tests.
Researchers found that increased greenhouse gas emissions have led to a significant increase in noctilucent cloud formation and visibility. The study suggests that human-caused climate change is affecting the middle atmosphere and making these clouds more visible.
Researchers from Brazil, China, and Italy developed a model to map the phases of coesite formation, a polymorph of silica that occurs under high pressure. The study uses atomic computer simulation to describe the interactions among atoms and the transformations resulting from pressure changes.
Researchers have discovered a new mechanism by which Earth's atmosphere breaks down meteors as they approach the planet. The new finding reveals that air particles penetrating the meteor's porous interior can create pockets of high pressure, ultimately leading to the rock's explosion in the upper atmosphere.
Researchers have discovered that a specific microbe can oxidize and metabolize metals from synthetic Martian regolith simulants, leaving behind unique signatures. This finding could enable the extraction of metals from asteroids and other celestial bodies using biological methods.
Two Japanese teams found the Phoenicid meteor shower linked to Comet Blanpain, which disappeared in 1819. The team predicted the shower's return and observed 29 Phoenicids, confirming their link to Comet Blanpain.
A team of scientists, led by Richard Spalding, discovered that the brilliant pulsating light emitted by burning asteroids can heat surrounding objects and generate sounds. This phenomenon, known as photoacoustic coupling, produces faint sounds similar to rustling leaves or whispers.
AIM observes early noctilucent cloud season on Nov. 17, 2016, tied with the earliest start yet in the Southern Hemisphere's record. The earlier seasonal change at lower altitudes sparks complex atmospheric responses.
Researchers at Washington State University have successfully watched a material's crystal structure change in real time, using a new facility at the Argonne National Laboratory. This breakthrough method allows for actual measurement of physical changes and validation of computer simulations.
Researchers use refined techniques to detect and locate airwaves generated by volcanic explosions on seismic networks, providing an automated way to monitor volcanic eruptions. Ground-coupled airwaves can provide unambiguous evidence of eruptive activity and location of vents.
Researchers have resolved the dynamics of phase change in hexagonal diamond formation during meteor impacts. The team conducted in situ X-ray diffraction measurements of dynamic diamond formation on nanosecond timescales.
Case Western Reserve University Professor Ozan Akkus is building a souped-up Raman microscope into FastRAM, which can provide images of materials in seconds to minutes instead of hours. The new device would allow researchers to analyze dynamic processes like chemical reactions as they occur.
A new study found that Mercury is being pelted by ancient comet dust, impacting its tenuous atmosphere and surface boundary exosphere. The researchers discovered a cometary dust stream from Comet Encke that explains the timing of calcium emission peaks in the planet's exosphere.
Researchers at MIT and Purdue University have found that meteorites are not building blocks of planets, but rather byproducts of a violent planetary process. Computer simulations show that large moon-sized bodies likely existed before chondrules formed, which were then created by collisions of these bodies.
Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution discover evidence of water on Earth dating back to the planet's formation. The findings suggest that Earth formed as a wet planet with water on its surface.
The 2011 Draconid meteor shower deposited a large amount of meteoritic material on Earth, including fragments that may have formed from the comet Giacobini-Zinner. Researchers analyzed six fireballs and found they had a possible similar composition to carbonaceous chondrites.
A study by University of Utah researchers found that superstorm Sandy caused significant seismic activity along the East Coast as well as in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm's 'standing waves' created energy at the seafloor, detectable by seismometers across the US.
A University of Tennessee professor has helped reveal a rare orbital shift and the density of an asteroid that will pass close to Earth. The asteroid, 1999 RQ36, has a low density and its orbit has drifted roughly 100 miles in the last 12 years due to the Yarkovsky effect.
Scientists with the OSIRIS-REx mission have measured the orbit of asteroid 1999 RQ36 with great accuracy, directly determining the drift resulting from the Yarkovsky effect. The asteroid has deviated from its gravity-ruled orbit by roughly 100 miles in the last 12 years due to this subtle force.
Scientists have directly measured the Yarkovsky effect on asteroid 1999 RQ36, a subtle force causing it to drift from its gravity-ruled orbit. The measurements show the asteroid has deviated by roughly 100 miles over 12 years, revealing its low density and making it an ideal target for the OSIRIS-REx mission.
Newly discovered cliffs on the moon indicate that it shrank globally in the geologically recent past and might still be shrinking. The cliffs, called lobate scarps, are relatively young and have a semi-circular or lobe-shaped appearance.
A team of researchers, including UC San Diego's Richard Norris, presents new evidence linking an asteroid impact to the mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs and other organisms 65.5 million years ago. The study highlights a unique layer of debris in deep-sea sediments that correlates with abrupt environmental changes.
New Cornell University research links 1908 Tunguska explosion to comet entry, supported by NASA space shuttle exhaust plume. The study reveals a possible connection between the two events through noctilucent clouds, which are the Earth's highest clouds forming at high altitudes and in extremely cold temperatures.
A team of Iowa State engineers has developed a sensor that can detect small vibrations caused by escaping air in spacecraft, allowing for faster leak detection. This technology, in partnership with Invocon Inc., aims to improve the safety and efficiency of NASA's space missions.
A team of paleontologists proposes that the Chicxulub meteor impact was not the sole cause of the dinosaurs' demise. Instead, they suggest that a series of massive meteor impacts, volcanic eruptions, and climate change culminated in the end of the Cretaceous Period.
Scientists have found evidence that dust from burning asteroids can influence local weather in Antarctica, forming clouds of micron-sized particles that reflect sunlight and cause cooling. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about asteroid dust's impact on the environment.
Researchers are using a new radar installed at the Rothera research base in Antarctica to investigate climate change and explore giant waves in the mesosphere, the least-explored part of the Earth's atmosphere. The radar uses meteors as 'miners' canaries to measure winds and temperatures, revealing frigid temperatures in the mesosphere.
Three undergraduate students at the University of Alberta designed a space suit for Mars that balances radiation protection, mobility, and cost efficiency. The suit incorporates new polymeric materials, such as Demron, and innovative designs like ball bearings and compression rings to address the unique challenges of Martian exploration.
Scientists have discovered that radioactive potassium can form an alloy with iron at high pressures and temperatures, potentially providing a significant heat source in the Earth's core. This finding could explain the missing potassium in the Earth's crust and mantle, and may help to power convection in the core.
A research team led by Luann Becker found evidence of a large impact at the end-Permian boundary in Antarctica, suggesting it triggered the Great Dying, a time of mass extinctions. The team discovered shocked quartz, metallic grains, and breccia layers with similar characteristics to other mass extinction sites.
A Los Alamos researcher has calculated the frequency of meteor encounters with the atmosphere, finding that individual monitoring stations would see about five meteor signals a year. This research will help improve the accuracy and reliability of nuclear test detection systems.