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.
A group of high school students from the Galaxy Explorer program made contributions to exoplanet research using backpack-sized digital smart telescopes. They observed and confirmed a warm and dense sub-Saturn planet, TIC 139270665 b, orbiting a metal-rich star.
A recent study challenges previous notions about the evolutionary path of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs), suggesting they can retain their original volatile ices for billions of years. This discovery could help explain phenomena like comet outburst activity, potentially changing our understanding of comets.
The James Webb Space Telescope has imaged dispersing gas in a young star's disk for the first time. The observations reveal winds driven by stellar photons or magnetic fields, shedding light on the end of planet formation and the evolution of circumstellar disks.
Researchers utilize the SETI Ellipsoid method to identify potential technosignatures in continuous sky surveys, enhancing detection capabilities. The method compensates for uncertainties in signal arrival times using observations spanning up to a year.
The COSMIC project uses cutting-edge technology to search for extraterrestrial signals, exploring new frequencies and enhancing our understanding of the universe. With its adaptability and future upgrades, COSMIC may cover more stars and unlock new explorations.
Researchers detected 35 FRBs from repeater FRB 20220912A, showcasing downward frequency drifting, bandwidth-center frequency connections, and changes in burst duration over time. The study also revealed an unexpected cosmic slide-whistle effect, highlighting the ATA's capabilities.
Scientists from SETI Institute and University of California Davis study humpback whale communication systems to develop filters for extraterrestrial intelligence search. A 20-minute conversational exchange with a humpback whale named Twain reveals potential for nonhuman intelligence communication.
Researchers used the NASA Exoplanet Archive and planetary system simulations to find that a drift rate of 53 nHz is sufficient in 99% of known-exoplanet cases. This threshold drops to 0.44 nHz for stars without known planets, reducing computing time and boosting efficiency for future SETI campaigns.
A record-breaking team of 123 citizen scientists contributed data to the study of supernova SN 2023ixf, a cosmic cataclysm in the Pinwheel Galaxy. The observations, conducted using Unistellar's eVscope, provided valuable insights into the behavior of this supernova.
The NANOGrav team has detected evidence of gravitational waves at very low frequencies, which they believe may be caused by the merger of supermassive black holes. The signal is thought to be a result of the gravitational wave background produced by these binary systems.
A team led by Akshay Suresh is searching for periodic signals in the Milky Way's core, which could be a strategic site for an extraterrestrial beacon. The Breakthrough Listen Investigation for Periodic Spectral Signals (BLIPSS) uses novel methodology to sift through data and identify potential evidence of advanced life forms.
A team of researchers used crowd-sourced data to simulate radio leakage from mobile towers and predict what an alien civilization might detect. The study suggests that some technical civilizations are likely to have more sensitive receiving systems, making the detectability of our mobile systems increase.
Researchers used AI to map sparse life hidden in salt domes, rocks, and crystals at Salar de Pajonales, a Martian analog. The study found that microbial life is concentrated in patchy biological hotspots linked to water availability, and AI can detect biosignatures up to 87.5% of the time.
Citizen scientists from Unistellar network observe and analyze NASA's DART impact, supporting the efficiency of kinetic impactor technique to deflect asteroids. The study confirms the success of planetary defense methods, making significant contributions to humanity's quest to understand the universe.
Researchers applied deep learning techniques to a previously studied dataset of nearby stars, uncovering eight previously unidentified signals of interest. The new approach enabled faster and more accurate results, with the potential to accelerate discovery of extraterrestrial life.
Researchers developed the first model of Mars' early atmosphere, linking high temperatures to ocean formation and showing water vapor condensed in the lower atmosphere, while molecular hydrogen escaped. This model supports findings from spacecraft data, indicating Mars was wet and had warm-to-hot oceans for millions of years.
The SETI Institute and Unistellar are launching a new exoplanet detection program that engages citizen scientists worldwide. Citizen astronomers will help confirm exoplanet candidates identified by NASA's TESS using Unistellar's eVscope or other telescopes.
Research on asteroid 2008 TC3 reveals that larger meteorites survived to the ground, contradicting previous assumptions about interior shielding. The study's findings provide new insights into asteroid fragmentation and the origins of space rocks.
The Unistellar network of app-controlled eVscopes is now the world's largest group of citizen astronomers, thanks to grants from the Lounsbery and Moore Foundations. The updated app will alert citizen scientists to night-sky phenomena, enabling them to participate in crucial planetary defense activities.
The SETI Institute has teamed up with Louisiana State University and Mississippi State University to assist in designing the science program for L-CAM 1, a lunar-based telescope. The team developed two science cases for observing targets based on understanding the benefits and limitations of a lunar observatory.
Researchers detected a planet in a 200-day orbit around two stars using TESS data from just one sector over 27 days. The discovery was made possible by observing the planet's transits and eclipses, providing new insights into circumbinary planets.
Dr. Sofia Sheikh has been awarded a Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to focus on fast radio bursts and develop improved technosignature detection methods. She will also mentor underrepresented students in physics and astronomy, leveraging the Allen Telescope Array's unique qualities.
The SETI Institute and Unistellar are providing eVscope telescopes to 25 community colleges in the US, along with training workshops and network collaboration opportunities. The eVscope is a powerful telescope that gives access to 200 times more targets than conventional telescopes, including galaxies, nebulae, and supernovae.
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.
An international team of researchers searched for pieces of the small asteroid 2018 LA, tracked in space and observed to impact Botswana on June 2, 2018. The recovered meteorites showed it likely came from Vesta, a second-largest asteroid in our Solar System.
Dr. Nathalie Cabrol proposes that modern life on Mars could be more widespread and accessible than previously believed, and that understanding patterns resulting from extreme environmental interactions is key to finding life. She suggests taking the approach of Mars as a biosphere to find signs of microbial habitability.
The SETI Institute has selected 30 teachers from 10 states to participate in the NASA-funded Airborne Astronomy Ambassador program. The program aims to improve science teaching and increase student learning and STEM engagement through immersive astrophysics and planetary science training.
The SETI Institute has launched the NASA Community College Network (NCCN) to bring NASA subject matter experts, research findings, and educational resources into science classrooms of community colleges. The program aims to amplify NASA's reach into America's community colleges where many students from underserved groups start their hi...
Researchers propose that underground salts and melting ice are responsible for Martian landslides, including the seasonal Recurring Slope Lineae features. Lab experiments suggest that thin layers of liquid-like water form near -50 °C, followed by gradual melting, which could lead to surface changes and dust storms.