Articles tagged with Planetary Surfaces
Experimental tests demonstrate that interactions between magma oceans and primitive atmospheres during early years can produce significant amounts of water. This process has major implications for the physical and chemical properties of planets' interiors, with potential effects on core development and atmospheric composition.
A new study has revealed chemical signatures of ancient Martian microbial life in the Bright Angel formation, a region of Jezero Crater known for its fine-grained mudstones rich in oxidized iron and organic carbon. The findings suggest that early microorganisms may have played a role in shaping these rocks through redox reactions.
New research finds Mars' mantle preserves a record of its violent beginnings, with chunky layers containing ancient fragments up to 4km wide. This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of rocky planets and challenges current understanding of planetary formation.
The University of Leicester's Space Park Leicester is designing a Double-Walled Isolator (DWI) to safely store and analyze extra-terrestrial materials, including Martian samples. The project aims to provide a high-level of containment and cleanliness to avoid cross-contamination.
New data from the James Webb Space Telescope suggests that Europa's icy surface is constantly changing due to interactions with charged particles. Laboratory experiments also found evidence of crystalline ice beneath the amorphous ice layer, indicating a possible liquid ocean beneath the surface.
Researchers analyzed Trans-Neptunian Objects using the James Webb Space Telescope, finding two distinct groups with varying surface ice methanol presence. The discovery sheds light on the formation and evolution of these distant icy worlds, revealing insights into the solar system's origins and potentially habitable exoplanets.
Scientists have discovered a planet with a comet-like tail, shedding surface minerals and evaporating away due to its close proximity to its star. The planet is estimated to disintegrate in about 1 million to 2 million years, leaving behind a long and dusty tail.
A new study from geologists at the University of Colorado Boulder found that ancient Mars was likely warm and wet, with valleys and channels formed by heavy precipitation. The team's findings add new evidence to a long-running debate in planetary science and suggest that water played a key role in shaping the Martian surface.
Researchers analyzing data from NASA's Perseverance rover uncover mineral-forming events beneath the Martian surface, bringing scientists closer to answering if life existed on Mars. Two separate generations of calcium-sulphate minerals are found in different regions, hinting at multiple potential windows for life to have existed.
Researchers have modeled the chemistry of TOI-270 d, an exoplanet between Earth and Neptune, finding evidence for a thick, hot atmosphere. The study suggests that the planet is unlikely to be habitable, but offers insights into alternative paths of planetary origins and evolution.
A recent study suggests that Saturn's moon Titan could support simple, microscopic life forms due to its abundant organic content. However, the amount of biomass that can exist in this environment is likely to be extremely limited, possibly only a few pounds.
Researchers have demonstrated that certain lichen species can survive Mars-like conditions, including ionizing radiation and harsh temperatures. The study suggests that lichens could potentially survive on Mars despite high doses of X-ray radiation.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis propose a new mechanism to explain Venus' geology: convection in the crust. If true, this process could influence volcano placement and type. High-resolution gravity measurements could detect differences in crust temperature and density.
New modeling by Southwest Research Institute-led researchers suggests that asteroid Donaldjohanson formed around 150 million years ago when a larger parent asteroid broke apart. The mission's data could shed light on the asteroid's peculiar shape and surface geology.
New Delhi's air pollution is more severe than previously estimated, with particles absorbing atmospheric water vapor leading to significant underestimation of particulate matter levels. The study highlights the importance of considering hygroscopic growth and its impact on air quality assessments.
The ARRAKIS project team aims to understand how microbial life thrives in extreme environments by studying the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes in Alaska. Researchers will use Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify and quantify organic compounds and measure ATP and total DNA.
Researchers from Curtin University and Geological Survey of Western Australia have discovered the world's oldest known impact crater, dating back to 3.5 billion years ago. The discovery was made in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and provides new insights into the origins of life on Earth.
Researchers from Tohoku University have improved a Mars climate model to account for the planet's non-uniform regolith properties. The enhanced model shows that highly absorptive regolith in mid- and low latitudes retains substantial amounts of absorbed water, which remains on the surface as stable adsorbed water.
New analysis of spacecraft observations and laboratory techniques reveals that Mars's red colour is better matched by ferrihydrite, an iron oxide containing water. This discovery transforms our understanding of why Mars is red and suggests that the planet rusted earlier than previously thought.
A Chinese rover has discovered underground beach deposits in an area thought to have once been the site of an ancient sea on Mars. The deposits, which are similar to those found on Earth, suggest that Mars had a long-lived body of water with wave action to distribute sediments along a sloping shoreline.
A Chinese rover has detected underground beach deposits on Mars, indicating the presence of an ancient sea that covered a significant portion of the planet. The deposits, which date back 4 billion years, were formed through wave action and sediment distribution, suggesting a long-lived body of water.
Researchers from Politecnico di Milano and Georgia Tech analyzed NASA's DART mission to asteroid Dimorphos, revealing a viable mechanism for ejecta evolution and understanding the impact of an asteroid's shape on deflection. The studies suggest that sending multiple smaller impactors can increase the asteroid push while reducing costs.
A recent study reveals a significant long-term decline in downward surface solar radiation globally, with significant decadal variations observed over land. The research highlights the role of water vapor in DSSR changes, which was previously overlooked, and shows that future DSSR changes will depend heavily on emission scenarios.
Scientists have retrieved handpicked samples from Mars, including rock cores and fragmented rocks, for the first time in history. The samples will help learn more about Mars' past life, climate, and geology, as well as provide insights into Earth's surface.
Lauren Berger, a Texas A&M University doctoral student, has been awarded a prestigious FINESST grant from NASA to study Martian dunes. She aims to analyze the shapes and patterns of compound dunes on Mars using high-resolution images, comparing them to similar dunes on Earth.
The study analyzed material from asteroid Bennu, finding evidence of building blocks of life, water, and energy. The team also discovered evaporites, which have been found on Earth in dried-out salt lakes, providing insights into the asteroid's formation.
Researchers discovered organic molecules on Ceres' surface but found no evidence of volcanic or tectonic activity. The deposits are thought to have originated from impacts by outer asteroid belt bodies, which could have introduced building blocks of life.
Researchers at Southwest Research Institute propose a new model for the formation of Pluto and Charon, suggesting they may have originated from a giant collision similar to the Earth-Moon system. The scenario supports Pluto's active geology and possible subsurface ocean, with implications for the Kuiper Belt.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida used the James Webb Space Telescope to analyze trans-Neptunian objects, revealing a clearer picture of how the outer solar system formed and evolved. The study found three distinct compositional groups among TNOs, shaped by ice retention lines that existed in the era when the solar syste...
Researchers discover surface chemistry unlike other centaurs on Chiron, with carbon dioxide and methane gases in its coma. The findings provide insight into the creation of our Solar System's origins and the unique processes producing Chiron's surface composition.
A recent study resolves contradictions in the Moon's age and composition. Researchers found that the Moon's crust was melted twice, with the second heating event resetting its geological clock and altering the age of lunar rocks. This discovery sheds light on the Moon's turbulent history and volcanic past.
A new study using the James Webb Space Telescope has reevaluated the atmospheric composition of Trappist-1 b, finding conditions that could support a thick CO2-rich atmosphere. Researchers propose that haze from hydrocarbon compounds in the upper atmosphere may explain this scenario.
The Juno mission has discovered that Io's volcanoes are likely fueled by their own chambers of roiling hot magma rather than an ocean of magma. This finding solves a long-standing mystery about the moon's subsurface origins and provides new insights into Io's volcanic activity.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered that relatively warm and sunny days may help to trigger major dust storms on Mars. The team found that roughly two-thirds of these storms are preceded by a sharp rise in surface temperatures, which can lead to explosive weather patterns.
Researchers at Texas A&M University developed a non-toxic pesticide using neem seed extract and nanotechnology. The new formulation shows improved targeting ability and reduces environmental pollution by up to 80-90% of sprayed pesticides missing their target entirely.
A team of astronomers from the University of Cambridge found that Venus' interior is too dry for liquid water to have existed on its surface. This conclusion challenges long-held theories and has implications for understanding Earth's uniqueness and searching for life elsewhere in the Solar System.
Researchers at University of Maryland have discovered that the South Pole-Aitken basin, the moon's oldest and largest visible crater, is more circular than previously believed. The team used high-resolution data to analyze mountain formations around the basin, revealing a rounder shape indicating a more vertical impact angle.
Researchers discovered that Titan's icy surface is warmed by an insulating layer of methane clathrate ice, which relaxes the impact craters' shape. This finding helps explain Titan's unique hydrological cycle and climate.
Researchers have discovered 48 lichen species at two Mars analog sites in North America and Canada. The study provides valuable information about the diversity of life on Earth as an analogue for understanding potential life on Mars.
Researchers from University of Texas at Arlington have identified 206 systems of interest for potential habitability, including one system where the planet is always situated in the HZ. The team analyzed data from NASA Exoplanet Archive and found F-type stars to be a promising case for life beyond Earth.
For the first time, researchers have witnessed nanosized water bubbles forming in real time using a novel method that enables atomic precision. The breakthrough discovery has significant implications for practical applications, such as rapid water generation in deep space environments without extreme conditions.
Researchers at Purdue University and NASA believe Ceres has a dirty ice crust and was once a muddy ocean world. The team used computer simulations to show that ice can be much stronger than previously predicted, contradicting the previous belief that Ceres was relatively dry.
Researchers discovered a mysterious subduction zone deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, reshaping our understanding of Earth's interior structure. The team found an unusually thick area in the mantle transition zone, suggesting the presence of colder material that slows down oceanic slabs as they sink through the mantle.
Researchers propose that Mars' early thick atmosphere could have been locked up in the planet's clay surface due to slow chain reactions between rocks and gases. The clay is estimated to hold up to 80% of the initial, early atmosphere, potentially recovered and converted into propellant for future missions.
Scientists have developed a comprehensive evaluation of spatiotemporal fusion techniques for monitoring eutrophic lakes. By addressing processing and modeling errors, they can generate high-resolution data on chlorophyll-a concentration, providing guidelines for future studies.
A team of Würzburg researchers is using a swarm of autonomous robots to explore the Martian canyon system, Valles Marineris. The robots will collect data on the canyon's geology and search for signs of liquid water and potentially life, shedding light on the planet's habitability.
A Pusan National University study reveals that increases in clear-sky downwelling longwave radiation and surface albedo feedback are the dominant factors behind Greenland's surface warming. This finding has significant implications for predicting future climate impacts and preventing further ice sheet melting.
The samples, obtained from river deposits in a dried-up lake on Mars, are crucial for understanding the Red Planet's water history. The fine-grained sediments in the rocks are believed to retain signs of past biological activity, including organic molecules, making them significant for searching for life on Mars.
A team of scientists has found evidence for a large underground reservoir of liquid water on Mars, which could be a promising place to look for life on the planet. The reservoir is estimated to cover most of the Martian surface and is located in tiny cracks and pores in rock beneath the surface.
A new study from the University of Illinois Chicago proposes an alternative theory for the formation of Earth's continents, challenging the long-held leading theory. The researchers used computer models to investigate the origin of Archaean zircons, which date back to 2.5-4 billion years ago.
The DART mission provided a unique opportunity for studying the geology of a near-Earth asteroid binary system, shedding light on its origin and evolution. Researchers found that Dimorphos likely spun off from Didymos in a large mass shedding event, with Dimorphos having a surface age 40-130 times older than Didymos.
MIT researchers detected a clear signal of human influence on upper tropospheric ozone trends, separate from climate noise. The study provides insights into specific human activities driving this trend.
A new study by MIT and University of Chicago scientists pin down the origins of the moon's tenuous atmosphere, finding that meteorite impacts are the primary process. Over billions of years, these constant impacts have kicked up lunar soil, vaporizing certain atoms and lofting particles into a thin atmosphere.
Researchers detected distinct 'morning' and 'evening' sides on the exoplanet WASP-39b using James Webb Space Telescope data. The study found that the morning side was significantly cooler (600°C) compared to the evening side (800°C), with cloudier conditions also prevalent in the morning.
Researchers propose that lunar swirls are caused by subsurface magma, which creates a magnetic anomaly. The team's experiments show that ilmenite can react and form iron metal under the right conditions, producing a magnetizing effect.
A new study published in Nature Geoscience presents evidence for the origin of Mars' organic material, revealing that it was formed through atmospheric photochemical reactions without life. The discovery confirms a decade-old theory and provides crucial insights into the formation of life's building blocks.
A new imaging technique allows scientists to visualize the Earth's rocky interior using GPS data, revealing details about the planet's crust and mantle. This method has the potential to improve earthquake predictions by combining it with other techniques.
Researchers at Imperial College London have discovered that Mars experiences around 280-360 meteorite impacts per year, exceeding previous estimates. This new tool, known as a 'cosmic clock,' can help scientists date planetary surfaces across the Solar System more accurately.
A new study using NASA's InSight Lander data reveals that Mars may be getting bombarded by space rocks more frequently than previously estimated. The research team detected eight new impact craters from meteoroids not seen before, including two of the largest impacts ever recorded on the Red Planet.
Researchers estimate that between 280 to 360 meteorites strike Mars each year, forming impact craters greater than 8 meters across. The study uses seismic data from the NASA InSight Mission to make this estimate, which is five times higher than previously thought.