Researchers at Imperial College London found that asteroid impact caused an impact winter decades long, decimating dinosaur habitats worldwide. In contrast, volcanic eruptions had a limited effect on global ecosystems.
Nonavian dinosaurs went extinct during the end-Cretaceous mass extinction due to a 10-15% reduction in sunlight caused by an asteroid impact. Simulations suggest that the asteroid impact was the main driver of nonavian dinosaur extinction, while volcanism might have mitigated its effects.
A new microscopy technique called Pulsed Force Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (PF-KPFM) has been developed, allowing for less than 10 nanometer measurements of work function and surface potential in a single-pass AFM scan. This breakthrough enables the characterization of the electrical properties of nanomaterials at the nanoscale.
Researchers found ancient stardust and water on asteroid Vesta, suggesting a possible mechanism for delivering water to young Earth. The study provides insights into the formation of our solar system and the origins of water in the inner solar system.
Scientists propose that asteroids Bennu and Ryugu were formed directly as spinning-top shapes due to a collision, with their equatorial craters ruling out recent re-shaping. The team's computer simulations suggest two possible explanations for the different hydration levels of the two bodies.
Numerical simulations suggest asteroids Ryugu and Bennu may have formed from the disruption of a single parent asteroid. Analysis of return samples will verify this by measuring their composition and determining their formation age.
The asteroid impact at an estimated 60-degree angle led to the release of massive amounts of sulphur into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and causing a nuclear winter. This event ultimately contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs and 75% of life on Earth 66 million years ago.
The ATLAS telescope has discovered an asteroid that exhibits cometary behavior, including a tail of dust or gas, near Jupiter's orbit. This finding challenges the long-held assumption that Jupiter Trojan asteroids should not display cometary characteristics.
Researchers propose a scheme to realize selective directional coupling of near-field longitudinal waves based on inherent geometric properties and symmetry analysis. The work enables the creation of Janus and Huygens sources, which selectively couple with one side or two sides of the near-field pattern, respectively.
Researchers used atom-probe tomography to study minerals from an asteroid over 4.5 billion years ago, discovering water precipitates that suggest the presence of sodium-rich fluids. These conditions are ideal for amino acid synthesis, potentially supporting microbial life formation as early as 4.5 billion years ago.
Researchers studied Hayabusa2's readings from the Ryugu asteroid, finding evidence of solar heating that changed its chemical properties. This discovery sheds light on the early history of the solar system and the formation of asteroids.
High-resolution images capture Ryugu's asteroid surface in exceptional detail, revealing its geological history and color variations. The touchdown operation also disturbed a dark coating that corresponds to the surface's reddish materials, suggesting rapid solar heating during a temporary orbital excursion.
Dione will collect energy input and ionospheric-thermospheric data, providing insights into atmospheric drag and improving space weather forecasts. The mission complements the Geospace Dynamics Constellation and marks a new era for CubeSats in gathering similar data.
A new neural probe design captures lost signals in brain activity, enabling experiments previously impossible. The probe's improved shielding and boron-infused silicon increase conductivity, allowing researchers to modulate neurons with high temporal resolution.
The Arecibo Observatory is tracking a near-Earth asteroid called 1998 OR2, which has unique topographic features that resemble a face mask. The asteroid's size and rotation period have been confirmed through observations, and monitoring its trajectory will help improve impact-risk mitigation technologies.
The Hayabusa2 spacecraft impacted asteroid Ryugu, creating an artificial crater that provided insights into the asteroid's age and surface cohesion. The results suggest a younger age estimate for Ryugu, with implications for surface age estimations of other rubble-pile asteroids.
Researchers find tiny iron crystals on asteroid Itokawa's surface, formed by space weathering and the release of iron from troilite minerals. The discovery provides insights into weathering processes on other celestial bodies and helps date asteroids.
Researchers have linked enriched chalcophile elements like copper and silver to the end-Cretaceous asteroid impact at the Yucatán Peninsula. These elements were likely supplied to the ocean through processes related to the impact, including iron oxides/hydroxides acting as a carrier phase.
Researchers from Curtin University analyzed volcanic meteorites from Antarctica to understand Asteroid Vesta's geological history. The study found that Vesta was volcanically active for at least 30 million years after its formation, contradicting previous models and suggesting pockets of magma survived on the asteroid.
Researchers develop framework to consider asteroid mass, momentum, and warning time to determine most successful deflection mission. The method could be used to design optimal mission configuration and campaign to deflect potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids.
According to a University of Warwick astronomer, the majority of stars in the universe will become luminous enough to blast surrounding asteroids into successively smaller fragments. This process will be triggered by the YORP effect, which creates an imbalance that spins up orbiting asteroids until they break apart.
A SwRI-led team used data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe to identify low-energy particles near the Sun, likely originating from solar wind interactions beyond Earth orbit. The particles are thought to be created by stream interaction regions and can pose a radiation threat to space travelers and technology.
Scientists at Curtin University have discovered the Yarrabubba crater, dated to 2.229 billion years ago, coinciding with the end of a global deep freeze known as Snowball Earth. The research suggests that the asteroid impact may have influenced global climate by vaporizing ice and releasing greenhouse gases.
A Yale-led team of researchers argue that asteroid impacts, not volcanoes, were the primary cause of the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs. The study's findings contradict recent work on the Deccan Traps, massive eruptions in India that occurred around the time of the K-Pg extinction event.
Researchers found that asteroid impact was primary cause of K/Pg mass extinction, while volcanic outgassing played role in shaping species after event. Volcanic emissions altered carbon cycle, allowing oceans to absorb CO2, limiting global warming and potentially influencing Cenozoic life.
Researchers create two-modal fluorogenic probe to monitor protein aggregation, enabling detailed assessment of polarity and unfolded protein load. The NTPAN-MI probe offers a sharper picture of cellular stress responses, allowing for more accurate knowledge of crosstalk between components.
Researchers have developed a noncontact laser ultrasound technique that generates and detects sound waves on the skin surface using eye- and skin-safe lasers. This method produces images with centimeter depths, comparable to clinical ultrasound, and shows sensitivity to tissue features currently detected by conventional ultrasound.
MIT engineers develop new laser ultrasound technique that remotely images inside a person, eliminating the need for direct contact. The method uses sound waves generated by a laser to create images comparable to conventional ultrasound, with potential applications in imaging infants, burn victims, and accident survivors.
Researchers identified secondary and tertiary fission clusters in young asteroid families formed by collision. The discovery challenges the long-held view that fission clusters and collisional families are distinct.
Fossilized seashells from Antarctica reveal that the Earth's oceans were undergoing significant changes in response to increased carbon dioxide from volcanic eruptions. These findings provide new insights into the causes of the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event, which led to the demise of the dinosaurs.
A new Hyb-Seq probe set has been validated for its effectiveness in reconstructing relationships among species within the diverse Asteraceae family. The study's findings highlight the importance of carefully selecting genes to sequence and optimizing data analysis pipelines to improve phylogenetic outcomes.
The Parker Solar Probe has returned significant data on the Sun's atmosphere, revealing insights into the solar wind and its effects on space weather. The probe's findings have shed light on magnetic disturbances in the solar wind and the processes that heat the Sun's outer atmosphere.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured images of material being ejected from asteroid Bennu's surface, revealing three discrete events of particle ejection. The authors suggest micro-meteorite impacts and dehydration as possible causes, with implications for the asteroid's evolution.
The Parker Solar Probe has mapped the source of the slow solar wind to coronal holes on the sun's surface, which are cooler and less dense than surrounding corona. The probe also detected switchbacks in the magnetic field that may accelerate particles toward Earth, posing potential damage to electrical grids and orbiting satellites.
The Parker Solar Probe has discovered new evidence on how the solar wind is accelerated away from the Sun's surface, finding that bursty 'spikes' originate in holes near the equator and are generated by magnetic reconnection. The probe also measured a sideways speed of the solar wind, which contradicts previous predictions.
The Parker Solar Probe has completed three passes through the Sun's atmosphere, revealing new information about the material and particles that speed away from the star. The data shows a complicated, active system with quick reversals in the magnetic field and sudden, faster-moving jets of material.
The Parker Solar Probe mission has unveiled a surprisingly chaotic world within the sun's corona, characterized by rogue plasma waves, flipping magnetic fields, and distant solar winds. The findings have significant implications for space weather forecasting and our understanding of the sun's behavior.
Researchers analyzed Ryugu asteroid's impact craters to understand its geological history. The study revealed that the eastern hemisphere was formed earlier than the western hemisphere, with more craters found at lower latitudes.
Astronomers using ESO's SPHERE instrument have observed Hygiea, the fourth largest asteroid in the belt, and found it could be classified as a dwarf planet due to its spherical shape. The team's observations put Hygiea's diameter at over 430 km.
A new study has confirmed that a massive asteroid impact led to the extinction of dinosaurs and much of life on Earth. The impact caused rapid ocean acidification, which lasted for tens of thousands of years before life forms recovered and the carbon cycle reached a new equilibrium.
A recent study from University of Alberta researchers suggests there may be no relationship between near misses and continued play, contrary to widely held beliefs. The study found that despite brain activity changes and subjective measurements, conclusive evidence for a near-miss effect on gambling persistence is lacking.
Researchers analyzed data from Galileo's 1995 fireball and found the recession rate exceeded predictions, highlighting issues with current heat shield models. New fluid dynamics models using faster computers and data from the probe have led to a better understanding of atmospheric entry vehicles.
The GLIDE spacecraft will reveal the structure and dynamic behavior of the Earth's outermost atmospheric layer, known as the exosphere. The mission will make unprecedented measurements of far ultraviolet light emitted by hydrogen atoms in the exosphere.
A new satellite mission, SWOT, will enhance flood modeling globally, even in extensively studied regions. It will provide more accurate floodplain maps and predictions for areas affected by snowmelt, hurricanes, and ice jam breakup.
A new study suggests that a giant asteroid collision 466 million years ago caused an ancient ice age by releasing massive amounts of extraterrestrial dust into the atmosphere, leading to global cooling. This phenomenon allowed life to adapt and thrive in changing temperatures.
Researchers from Lund University found that a massive asteroid impact 470 million years ago led to a unique ice age and increased biodiversity in the inner solar system. The study suggests that dust from such an event could be used to cool the planet and mitigate climate change.
Scientists confirm scenario that dinosaurs died due to global cooling after asteroid impact, with rocks recording wildfires and sulfur absence within 24 hours. The research provides the most detailed look yet into the aftermath of the catastrophe.
Images taken by Hayabusa2's lander on Ryugu's surface show rocks bearing similarities to primitive meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites, supporting theories that the asteroid formed during a cataclysmic event. The findings also reveal an unusual lack of fine particles or dust on the surface.
University of Arizona researchers are using the Catalina Sky Survey's near-Earth object telescopes to find optical counterparts to gravitational waves triggered by massive mergers. The team found several supernovae and a near-Earth object during their ongoing campaign, which began in April.
Tropical Depression 3 formed off central Florida's eastern coast, generating heavy rainfall northeast of its center. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission found rain falling at a rate of 25 mm/hour in this area.
The China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) has accomplished significant advancements in lunar research since its launch in 2007. The program plans to send the first sample-return mission to Earth, dubbed Chang'E 5, and establish a Lunar Scientific Research Station by 2030.
Researchers developed a new method to monitor neonicotinoids in living plants, allowing for spatial and temporal tracking of the insecticides. This probe could help pinpoint where and when bees are exposed to pesticides, informing efforts to protect pollinator populations.
Researchers at Washington State University have improved the software used to track thousands of near-Earth asteroids and comets, reducing modeling time from months to just hours. This breakthrough enables scientists to better predict asteroid orbits and potential collisions with Earth.
The SULIS mission aims to understand the nature of solar eruptions and track magnetic clouds of charged gas. It will also demonstrate new technologies in space and precision alignment of small satellites flying in formation.
Researchers developed a probe that accurately traces the sigma-1 receptor on ER surfaces, showing promise for studying neurological disorders and cancer. The probe was tested on prostate cancer cells, haloperidol-sensitive signal detected.
A hair-sized probe developed by scientists can measure key indicators of tissue damage deep in the lung, improving patient assessment and treatment. The technology offers fast, accurate measurements and flexibility to add more sensors, applicable to other body regions and inflammatory diseases.
Researchers have developed a hybrid device that uses near-infrared light to monitor blood flow, providing a quick and noninvasive diagnosis of cerebral ischemia. The device can record comprehensive profiles of hemodynamics, improving treatment effectiveness within the first few hours of stroke onset.
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 have discovered a large mass of material beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin, the Moon's largest crater. The mass, weighing over half a mile, may contain metal from an asteroid that crashed into the Moon and formed the crater.
Researchers believe a zone of preferential heating surrounds the sun's surface, with temperatures rising and individual elements heated to different levels. The Parker Solar Probe will test this theory by entering the zone in 2021, providing direct measurements of processes behind solar wind acceleration.