This baby exoplanet is made of different stuff than its birth cloud

Planets can differ from the swirling envelopes of gas and dust from which they are born, astronomers have found. The revelation seems to indicate that the planet formation model favored by scientists may be overly simple. A team led by researchers from Northwestern University in Illinois made this discovery while observing a still-forming planet and … Read more

Human artifacts abandoned on Mars should be cataloged to track our migration beyond Earth

Scientists are calling for the cataloging of human artifacts left on Mars — from spacecraft and landers to rovers, probes, and other debris — to document humanity’s earliest steps in interplanetary exploration. “Our main argument is that Homo sapiens are currently undergoing a dispersal, which first started out of Africa, reached other continents, and has … Read more

The JWST Looked Over the Hubble’s Shoulder and Confirmed that the Universe is Expanding Faster

It’s axiomatic that the Universe is expanding. However, the rate of expansion hasn’t remained the same. It appears that the Universe is expanding more quickly now than it did in the past. Astronomers have struggled to understand this and have wondered if the apparent acceleration is due to instrument errors. The JWST has put that … Read more

James Webb Space Telescope catches monster black hole napping after ‘overeating’ in the early universe

Napping after overfeeding on food is a dilemma many of us will be fortunate to face on Christmas Day. New research has shown that, billions of years ago, some early black holes also had to nap after overindulging. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers spotted a dormant supermassive black hole that existed just … Read more

Starris: Optimax Space Systems and LLNL announce commercialization partnership for monolithic telescope technology to support tactically responsive space missions

This is a customer submitted press release. Submit your press release. Ontario, N.Y. / Livermore, Calif. — Starris: Optimax Space Systems and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) announce a commercialization partnership for LLNL’s patented monolithic telescope technology — which accelerates rapid deployment of modular optical designs for high-resolution or high sensitivity space imagery. Starris has … Read more

Earth’s gravity gave the Moon an early facelift

Current theories of the Moon’s formation favor both the Earth and Moon forming from the debris created by the collision of a Mars-sized world with the proto-Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. New research, however, suggests that the Moon later underwent a second melting event that reset the apparent age of many geological samples. Credit: … Read more

‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ episode 4: What happened on At Achrann?

Skeleton Crew continues to be the rare sort of on-screen Star Wars that’s content with just doing its own thing. Somehow, we’re already at the halfway point of the season, and while we’re still crossing our fingers that a deepfaked Luke Skywalker doesn’t show up to derail this fun romp with a link to the … Read more

Hubble trouble or Superbubble? Astronomers need to escape the ‘supervoid’ to solve cosmology crisispro

New research suggests that a troubling disparity in the rate of expansion of the universe, known as the Hubble constant, may arise from the fact Earth sits in a vast underdense region of the cosmos. The issue has come to be known as the “Hubble tension.” It arises from the fact that there are two … Read more

Axiom Space revises space station assembly plans

WASHINGTON — Axiom Space is revising the assembly sequence for its commercial space station, a move it says will allow it to get to a free-flying station sooner while addressing NASA’s needs to prepare for the deorbiting of the International Space Station. The company announced Dec. 18 a revised sequence of modules it will deploy … Read more

Frontgrade Gaisler Leads European Initiative for Ultra Deep Sub-Micron Semiconductor Technology for Space Applications

This is a customer submitted press release. Submit your press release. Gothenburg, Sweden (16 December 2024) – Under a newly signed contract with the European Space Agency (ESA), Frontgrade Gaisler is leading an ambitious initiative to secure European sovereignty in advanced semiconductor technologies for space applications. This project aims to develop foundational technology for some … Read more