A team led by Tom Murphy will use laser ranging and a large telescope to measure the moon's distance from Earth with accuracy of a millimeter. The project will also test Einstein's equivalence principle and the strength of gravitational interaction, providing insights into gravity's nature.
Researchers found evidence that materials produced in the sun's atmosphere are ejected directly outward, forming the solar wind. This discovery contradicts a theory suggesting these materials circulate in the sun's interior before being ejected.
A University of Colorado Boulder research team has confirmed a theory about charged dust in space, explaining how it affects spacecraft and astronauts. The study used an experiment to levitate particles with positive charge above the moon's surface.
Researchers at University of Michigan and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology propose alternative theory on Earth's formation. They found that tungsten isotopic compositions of Earth do not match those of enstatite chondrites, supporting the idea that planets received materials from broad regions of the solar system.
Researchers analyzed lunar cratering data and found a sudden increase in impacts about 400 million years ago. This period corresponds to the rapid evolution of life on Earth during the Cambrian explosion.
A new study found that a sharp decrease in solar wind density caused Earth's magnetosphere to balloon to more than 100 times its normal volume, reaching nearly to the moon. The event, dubbed "The Day the Solar Wind Ran Out of Gas," was rare and only seen a few times since satellites began measuring solar wind 35 years ago.
Astronomers discovered a potential satellite orbiting Comet Hale-Bopp using Hubble Space Telescope images. Sekanina's model suggests a 33-kilometre-wide moon about 200 kilometres from the comet's nucleus.
Amateur astronomers reported brief changes on the Moon's surface, but their claims were never confirmed until now. A team of scientists has found evidence supporting these observations using satellite data from the Clementine mission.
A team of Williams College astronomers will conduct scientific experiments during the August 11 solar eclipse to study the coronal heating of the sun. The research, supported by grants from NASA and National Geographic, aims to observe rapid oscillations in the corona using advanced telescopes and optics.
Two Stanford University scientists argue that large amounts of water ice are unlikely on the Moon, suggesting an alternative explanation involving the reaction of lunar dust with hydrogen and oxygen. They propose that the Lunar Prospector crash could produce a plume of water vapor and hydroxyl ions without ice being present.
The Marshall Space Flight Center is developing innovative solutions to reduce costs and increase reliability in space transportation. The team aims to make space accessible to the general public, enabling adventure travel, business ventures, and scientific research.
An international team of scientists has found a cloud of dust grains surrounding Ganymede, the largest of Jupiter's four Galilean satellites. The dust was generated by impacts of interplanetary meteoroids and is thought to be an important mechanism for dust production in space.
The first 3D topographic images of the lunar polar regions have been revealed by Cornell University researchers, indicating potential sites for water ice deposits. The new images obtained through radar interferometry show five large craters in the south polar region that could contain significant amounts of water ice.
Researchers have found evidence of chlorine emissions in the atmosphere of Io, a Jupiter moon with high volcanic activity. The discovery suggests that salt may be present on Io's surface due to chemical reactions or geological processes.
An asteroid approximately 30-50 metres across has been discovered in an orbit close to Earth's, likely originating from the Moon. The object's unusual nearly circular orbit is unlike most comets and asteroids that cross the Earth's orbit.
The Europa Orbiter mission aims to find evidence of a liquid ocean on the moon, which could support life. If confirmed, Europa and Earth would be the only two worlds in the solar system with liquid water.
Scientists Dr. Jeffrey R. Johnson and colleagues developed a helium-3 map of the Moon based on factors like exposure age, solar wind, and titanium content. The greatest amounts of helium-3 are expected to be found on the far side maria and in nearside areas with high concentrations of titanium dioxide.
A recent excavation at the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan has uncovered a skeleton and 150 surrounding artifacts dating back to approximately 100 A.D. The burial is suspected to have belonged to one of the city's rulers, providing critical information that could revolutionize modern understanding of Teotihuacan's culture and history.
Astronomers will discuss Hubble Space Telescope findings on life in the universe, including environments suitable for life being probably plentiful. They'll also explore Mars and Jupiter's moon Europa, as well as two upcoming NASA missions searching for signs of life elsewhere in the solar system.
Scientists have identified several elements in the lunar atmosphere, including oxygen, silicon, and aluminum, but only in small amounts. The study aims to learn which other atoms the regolith may release and form part of the Moon's atmosphere.
Io's volcanic hot spots reach surface temperatures of over 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit, more than double previous measurements. The extreme temperatures suggest a unique process of differentiation and heavy element composition, shedding light on the moon's geological history.
Astronomers have observed a significant increase in Triton's surface temperature, causing its thin atmosphere to thicken, and potentially leading to global warming. The moon is approaching an unusually warm summer season, with temperatures rising by 5% over the past nine years.
Scientists from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center discuss approaches to building lunar and Martian bases using in situ materials. Processing materials will be a challenge due to low gravity, which affects metal behavior and microstructure formation.
Scientists are searching deep ice from the Antarctic for signs of life that could survive in icy conditions, with a focus on Europa. The discovery of liquid water beneath the surface of another moon raises possibilities about potential life on Europa.
Recent data from NASA's Galileo spacecraft suggests that Jupiter's moon Europa may have a slushy ocean beneath its icy surface, with evidence including shallow impact craters and gaps in the ice. The findings support the idea that warmth from tidal forces could be keeping parts of the ocean liquid.
Scientists will observe how airglow changes during the eclipse to estimate oxygen densities at different altitudes in the upper atmosphere. The Polar spacecraft, equipped with a UVImager and other cameras, will take images of the Earth's shadow as the Moon's shadow moves across the globe.
The discovery of glowing hydrogen gas on Io, a moon of Jupiter, was made using the Hubble Space Telescope. The findings indicate that hydrogen may be concentrated at the poles in the form of hydrogen sulfide frost, which could be broken up into constituent hydrogen and sulfur atoms with glow.
Astronomers produce high-resolution images of Jupiter's auroras, revealing details about the planet's atmosphere and its moons. The new images, made possible by improved instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope, show comet-shaped swaths of light and a faint electromagnetic footprint from Ganymede.
Scientists have discovered oxygen locked in ice on Callisto, a moon of Jupiter, with sunlight playing a key role in separating hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Meanwhile, the Galileo team has found that sulfur dioxide emissions from Io are caused by both volcanic activity and frost sublimation.
University of Michigan scientists estimate moon age between 4.52 billion to 4.50 billion years ago through tungsten isotope analysis. The data supports the hypothesis that the moon was formed from a large object colliding with Earth.
The CU instrument package will study Saturn's spectacular ring system, moons and atmospheric gases. It will analyze the atmosphere of Titan, a moon with conditions similar to early Earth.
A team of researchers estimated that the moon formed in a year or less after a massive collision between Earth and a rogue 'protoplanet'. The study, published in Nature, suggests that only about half of the debris from the collision coalesced into the moon, with the rest falling back to Earth.
New Arecibo radar images show no signs of ice in permanently shadowed areas at the moon's poles. Researchers believe rough surfaces from impact craters may be responsible for observed reflections instead.
The Boston University team successfully captured the first-ever image of Hale-Bopp's three tails, providing new insights into the comet's composition. The team's innovative detector system and modest telescope size allowed them to detect faint signals from sodium gas, which is not visible to the naked eye.
Researchers find parallels between Mount St. Helens' recovery and the Indonesian volcano Krakatau's transformation from a devastated island to a thriving tropical rainforest. Plants establish a stable surface, holding back water and nutrients, allowing for gradual growth and revegetation. This process is key to understanding the renewa...
Researchers outline requirements for habitable moons, including stable orbit and atmosphere retention. Moons in the right position and size could support life on planets like Jupiter's Europa.
Observations by NASA's Galileo spacecraft indicate that UV radiation is breaking down Ganymede's ice into atomic hydrogen and atomic oxygen. This process could lead to the formation of molecular oxygen and ozone, which may be trapped in the ice or form a thin atmosphere above Ganymede's surface.
Astronomers have detected a thin oxygen atmosphere on Ganymede, the largest of Jupiter's moons. The presence of this atmosphere is similar to that of Earth and Jupiter itself, with evidence suggesting polar aurorae created by charged particles colliding with atmospheric gases.
Researchers analyzed sediment layers deposited by tides to study the moon's retreat from Earth. The study found that a day on Earth was approximately 18 hours long 900 million years ago, with the moon moving away at a constant rate. The analysis also revealed changes in tidal patterns over time.
The Arecibo Observatory has completed a $25 million upgrade, increasing its sensitivity by a factor of about 20 for radar studies of the solar system. The new system will allow scientists to listen into cellular phone calls on Venus and detect steel golf balls at moon distances.