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☆ Opinion: Precious samples from Mars have been collected. Now it’s up to Congress to get them back
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Opinion Jonathan I. Lunine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He served on the NASA Mars Sample Return Independent Review Board in 2023. Within these tubes are priceless samples of Mars that hold the clues to when and how Mars went from Earth-like habitability to uninhabitable desolation. Mars Sample Return is among the most challenging and complex robotic missions ever attempted, requiring the largest lander ever put on Mars, which would carry a rocket to launch the samples off the surface into Martian orbit. Mars holds secrets about what makes it possible for a planet to support life, locked in the samples that await return to Earth. NASA must provide that plan to Congress as soon as possible so that Congress can move forward with adequate funding.

Persons: Jonathan Lunine, David C, Duncan, Jonathan I, Mars Organizations: Cornell University, NASA, CNN, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, Apollo, European Space Agency, US National Academy of Sciences, MSR, Planetary Science Locations: Washington, DC, China

☆ A signal linked to aliens by a Harvard professor may have been caused by a passing truck
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewYet another study is calling into question a Harvard professor's claims that metallic balls discovered under the ocean may have been made by aliens . Johns Hopkins University-led (JHU-led) research said a blip on the seismometer that Loeb used to pinpoint the crash site may simply have been caused by the vibrations of a passing truck. AdvertisementPinpointing the crash siteIn 2019, Loeb and his team searched databases for unusual meteors that were moving rapidly. The meteor, dubbed by Loeb's team IM1, was first spotted by the Department of Defense's (DoD) sensors. Loeb's team recovered 805 spherules.

Persons: —, Avi Loeb, Loeb, Ben Fernando, It's, Fernando, it's, Charles Hoskinson, Undeterred Organizations: Service, Harvard, Business, Johns Hopkins University, JHU, Department of Defense's, DoD, Planetary Science Conference, Galileo, Space Force Locations: Papua, Guinea, 2401.09882, Papua New Guinea, Houston

☆ NASA’s DART mission: Spacecraft impact reshaped Dimorphos asteroid
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —When NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft intentionally slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos in September 2022, the impact may have caused “global deformation” of the space rock, according to new research. Dimorphos is a moonlet asteroid that orbits a larger parent asteroid known as Didymos. The DART mission ended upon impact, but prior to colliding with Dimorphos, the spacecraft transmitted an incredibly detailed view of the little asteroid’s boulder-covered surface that is helping researchers learn more about how the space rock formed. Rather than forming a simple crater on Dimorphos, the DART impact reshaped the entire asteroid, the results have suggested. Recreating the DART impactA team of researchers modeled the impact using the Bern smoothed-particle hydrodynamics shock physics code to achieve their results.

Persons: Dimorphos, It’s, ”, Dr, Sabina Raducan, Japan’s, ” Raducan, Martin Jutzi, Hera, Raducan, Sir Brian May, Claudia Manzoni Organizations: CNN, DART, Dimorphos, University of Bern’s Physics Locations: Italian, Dimorphos, Bern, Switzerland

☆ Water molecules found on asteroids thought to be ‘completely dry’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Water molecules have been detected on the surface of asteroids for the first time, proving that these remnants from the formation of our solar system aren’t just dried-up space rocks. Searching for water across the solar systemThe researchers attempted to look for water on two other asteroids using SOFIA, but the detection was too faint. Now, the team is using the James Webb Space Telescope to zero in on different asteroids and search for water signatures. “We really weren’t expecting to find water on these silicate-rich asteroids,” Arredondo said. I want to know if the carbon-rich asteroids have significantly more water than silicate-rich asteroids, or if they have similar amounts.”

Persons: Iris, Massalia, SOFIA, Anicia, Maggie McAdam, Arredondo, ” Arredondo, McAdam’s, James Webb, Webb, “, ” Webb, REx Organizations: CNN, Astronomy, Boeing, SOFIA, Science, Southwest Research Institute, NASA’s Ames Research Locations: SOFIA, San Antonio, Mountain View , California, Iris

The East Coast Is Sinking New satellite-based research reveals how land along the coast is slumping into the ocean, compounding the danger from global sea level rise. SINKING BY 2050 RISING –5 +5 cm –20 –15 –10 0 Atlantic City is sinking up to 4 centimeters per decade. SINKING BY 2050 RISING –5 +5 cm –20 –15 –10 0 Several hotspots in Maryland are sinking over 10 centimeters per decade, while other areas are rising. SINKING BY 2050 RISING –5 +5 cm –20 –15 –10 0 Charleston, S.C., which is affected by groundwater pumping, is sinking up to 5.7 centimeters per decade. Portland, Maine 47.0 cm 45.8 cm +40 cm 40.6 cm Relative sea level rise 33.8cm +30 cm +20 cm SUBSIDENCE +10 cm Change since 1925 Global sea level rise 1925 2023 1925 2023 1925 2023 1925 2023 Sources: Dangendorf (2019) and the National Oceanography Centre.

Persons: ”, Leonard Ohenhen, Kenneth Miller, Inner Harbor BOSTON Charles, “, Miller, “ We’ve, Sandy, we’ve, Sandy Hertz, Hertz Organizations: Virginia Tech, U.S . Geological Survey, NASA, Rutgers University ., Places New, National Oceanography, The New York Times, East Boston Charleston East Cambridge Airport, Inner, Pleasure, Roxbury, Boston City Archives, Boston Public Library, Boston Groundwater Trust, PNAS, Rutgers University, American Society of Civil Engineers, Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of Transportation Locations: Boston, New York City, Long, Maryland, Hampton, Va, Charleston, S.C, Florida, Miami, Places New York City, N.Y, Atlantic City, N.J, Mass, Portland , Maine, York City, New Jersey, East, Inner Harbor BOSTON, Pleasure Bay, Savin, Roxbury Grove, Shirzaei, Cape Canaveral, exurbs, Delaware, Atlantic, East Coast

☆ Crucial ocean current system could be on course to collapse with catastrophic impacts on global weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This new study provides an “important breakthrough,” said René van Westen, a marine and atmospheric researcher at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and study co-author. It’s the first time a collapse has been detectable using these complex models, representing “bad news for the climate system and humanity,” the report says. “But we can at least say that we are heading in the direction of the tipping point under climate change,” van Westen said. The AMOC’s collapse could also cause sea levels to surge by around 1 meter (3.3 feet), van Westen said. “(It) adds significantly to the rising concern about an AMOC collapse in the not too distant future,” he said.

Persons: ”, René van Westen, van Westen, ” van Westen, Stefan Rahmstorf, Rahmstorf, Joel Hirschi, Jeffrey Kargel, Hirschi, “ Organizations: CNN, Northern, University of Utrecht, Southern, Potsdam University, National Oceanography, Planetary Science Institute Locations: Atlantic, Netherlands, Europe, Germany, Arizona

☆ Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon is hiding an internal ocean, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Astronomers have uncovered additional evidence that one of Saturn’s smallest moons, Mimas, is hiding a global ocean beneath its icy surface. Discovered in 1789 by English astronomer William Herschel as a tiny dot near Saturn, Mimas was first imaged from space by the Voyager probes in 1980. Craters cover the surface of Mimas, but the largest one is 80 miles (about 130 kilometers) across and causes the moon to resemble the Death Star from the “Star Wars” films. But Saturn’s Enceladus appears younger because active geysers have contributed to resurfacing, or depositing of new, fresh material on that moon’s surface. “Mimas certainly demonstrates that moons with old surfaces can be hiding young oceans, which is pretty exciting,” Rhoden said.

Persons: Mimas, Cassini, William Herschel, Observatoire, Dr, Valéry Lainey, Lainey, ”, Nick Cooper, Saturn, ” Lainey, “, Triton, Frédéric, ” Cooper, “ Lainey, Matija Ćuk, Alyssa Rose Rhoden, Rhoden Organizations: CNN —, Saturn, Voyager, “, Physical, Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, NASA, Clipper, SETI Institute, Southwest Research Locations: Paris, California, Colorado

☆ Yes, the moon is shrinking but that's not the disturbing news scientists discovered that could threaten future NASA missions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementDanger at the lunar south poleArtemis III plans to land astronauts near the moon's south pole , which contains water ice, among other vital resources. Even small tremors at the moon's south pole could trigger landslides, according to a NASA press release, which may be dangerous to astronauts. Asteroids and comets have also broken up the lunar surface, Nicholas Schmerr, a co-author on the study, said in a statement . Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). The setback will likely also delay NASA's later missions and the agency's aspirations to build a permanent base at the moon's south pole.

Persons: Artemis, —, Artemis III, Tom Watters, Watters, Shackleton, Nicholas Schmerr, James B, Irwin, Artemis II Organizations: Service, NASA, Science, Newsweek, BBC, Lunar, Apollo, CNN, Orion

☆ The moon is shrinking, and it could be a problem for astronauts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

On the lunar surface, however, it’s a different story. “We also knew that the largest of the shallow moonquakes detected by the Apollo seismometers was located near the south pole. As part of the mission, two astronauts will spend about a week living and working on the lunar surface. They can be an opportunity to better study the moon as we do on the Earth with earthquakes,” Husker said. Studying moonquakes at the south pole will tell us more about the Moon’s interior structure as well as its present-day activity.”

Persons: India’s, Russia’s Luna, Artemis, ”, Thomas R, Watters, ” Watters, LRO, “, Renee Weber, ” Weber, Weber, Yosio Nakamura, Nakamura, Allen Husker, Husker, Jeffrey Andrews, Hanna Organizations: CNN, NASA, National Air, Space Museum’s, for, Planetary Studies, Lunar, Science, Apollo, University of Texas, California Institute of Technology, University of Arizona Locations: China, Austin

☆ Sea of Nectar: What you should know about the moon area where Japan’s lander touched down
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

If the lander turns on again, it could make good on its objectives to collect unprecedented information about a region called the Sea of Nectar. The 1969 US moon mission Apollo 11 captured this oblique view of the large crater Theophilus at the northwest edge of the Sea of Nectar. Here's the first picture sent back by the Moon Sniper after it landed on the lunar surface. The Sea of Nectar is much smaller than its neighbor the Sea of Tranquility, which is over 540 miles (875 kilometers) across and is similarly smooth and flat. “After the Apollo missions, we brought back samples and learned they were essentially massive lava planes,” Osinski said.

Persons: Smart, SLIM —, Moon, Theophilus that’s, ”, Gordon Osinski, who’s, Artemis, Osinski, we’ve, ” Osinski, Sara Russell, haven’t, Russell, “, SLIM, ” “, John Pernet, Fisher, Pernet, it’s, Tranquillity, Canada’s, maria ”, “ It’s, NASA’s Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, NASA, Western University, Lunar Reconnaissance, Planetary Materials, Ritsumeikan University, Aizu, University of Manchester, Planetary Institute, Apollo, Getty Locations: Japan, , Ontario, Shioli, United Kingdom

☆ Lunar Anthropocene: Humans may have kicked off a new geological period on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Touching down on the lunar surface is incredibly difficult, as evidenced by numerous crashes that have made their mark and created new craters. Ultimately, 12 NASA astronauts walked on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. Declaring a Lunar Anthropocene could make it clear that the moon is changing in ways it wouldn’t naturally due to human exploration, the researchers said. But a propulsion issue noticed hours after liftoff means that Peregrine won’t be able to attempt a moon landing, and currently, its fate is uncertain. NASA/JSCThe Apollo 11 lunar landing marked the first time humans set foot on another world.

Persons: —, ”, Justin Holcomb, ” Holcomb, bootprints, NASA’s, Micrometeorites, Eugene A, Cernan, It's, ‘, landers, Russia’s Luna, Astrobotic, Peregrine won’t, “, we’re Organizations: CNN, NASA, Geoscience, Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas, ”, Humanity, ASU, Apollo, JSC, Navajo Locations: Soviet, Mare Imbrium, Kansas, Canada, ’, Africa

☆ NASA unlocks last of OSIRIS-Rex asteroid sample trapped by stuck fasteners
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Two stubborn fasteners trapped invaluable material sampled from an asteroid — but after a monthslong process, it has finally been released, NASA announced Thursday. The space agency already harvested about 2.5 ounces (70 grams) of rocks and dust from its OSIRIS-REx mission, which traveled nearly 4 billion miles to collect the unprecedented sample from the near-Earth asteroid called Bennu. But NASA revealed in October that some material remained out of reach in a capsule hidden inside an instrument called the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism — a robotic arm with a storage container at one end that collected the sample from Bennu. The sampler head is held shut by 35 fasteners, according to NASA, but two of them proved too difficult to open. What the asteroid sample has revealed so farAs of Thursday afternoon, NASA said the trapped sample material had not yet been revealed.

Persons: REx, ”, Nicole Lunning, REx curation, NASA’s, Dante Lauretta Organizations: CNN, NASA, Space Center, Johnson Space Center, University of Arizona Locations: Houston

☆ A rogue star could save Earth from extinction in a billion years by knocking it out past Pluto
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An unexpected rescue mission could come in the form of a star flying by the solar system. There's a slim chance the star could pull the Earth to a more habitable zone, a study suggested. The researchers ran 12,000 simulations to see what would happen if a star passed within 100 astronomical units (about 9.3 billion miles) from Earth. In 92% of cases, the solar system would remain almost intact even as a star passed by the solar system. In some simulations, Earth remained in the solar system but was pulled to a region beyond Pluto that's about 10% cooler than our current orbit.

Persons: —, Sean Raymond, there's, Raymond, that's Organizations: Service, University of Bordeaux, Planetary Science Institute, New, Royal Astronomical Society Locations: France, Tucson , Arizona

☆ The mystery of how the moon formed is still puzzling scientists. The secret could lie deep within our planet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AdvertisementHere are four leading theories of how the moon was formed, and why the secret to uncovering the truth could lie deep within our planet. The moon wandered by the Earth and was captured into its orbitAccording to the capture theory, the moon was wandering through the universe like a giant asteroid. NASA/NOAAThe moon formed alongside the EarthThe accretion hypothesis ties the moon to the birth of the Earth. The problem is that while the moon and the Earth share isotopes, the way they put them together is very different. The moon also pulls as the earth, scientists have found.

Persons: we're, —, Elon Musk, Sara Russell, Russell, Russel, it's, Vincent Eke, Jacob A, Theia, Deng, Artemis Organizations: Service, NASA, Elon, Apollo, NOAA, Chinese Academy of Sciences, ESA Locations: Theia

☆ Researchers explored pitch-black pits in Yucatán's labyrinthine underwater caves to unlock the secrets of the rivers that provide drinking water to millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThe Sac Actun cave system on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula contains many wonders, from a 13,000-year-old skeleton to human artifacts and fossils of giant sloths. The underwater cave microbial communityThe cave system is a network of over 900 miles of connected caves that contain a mix of freshwater and saltwater. Caves flooded with coastal seawater had different microbes than The Pit, a deep cenote exposed to the surface, for example. For example, she noted that a planned train system from Cancún to the Yucatán Peninsula could affect the cave system. The potential for contamination is a problem anywhere there are caves, Osburn said.

Persons: —, It's, Magdalena, Osburn, Natalie Gibb, Comamonadaceae Organizations: Service, Northwestern University, Microbiology, Reuters Locations: Cancún, In Kentucky

☆ Scientists discern internal structure of mysterious dwarf planet Eris
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An artist's concept of the dwarf planet Eris and its moon Dysnomia is seen in this undated illustration released by NASA. Most likely there is no liquid ocean inside Eris," Nimmo added. Eris has a diameter of about 1,445 miles (2,326 km), slightly smaller than Pluto's 1,473 miles (2,370 km). Because of its greater concentration of rock, which is denser than ice, Eris has about 25% more mass than Pluto. "Just like the Earth-moon system, tides on Eris slowly push Dysnomia away and slow down the spin of Eris.

Persons: Pluto, Eris, Francis Nimmo, Nimmo, Mike Brown, Dysnomia, " Nimmo, Brown, we've, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NASA, JPL, Caltech, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, of California, Astronomical Union, Thomson Locations: of California Santa Cruz, Neptune

☆ Iceland volcano: What’s going on and what are the risks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

So, what do we know about this potential eruption, what are its risks, how could it affect travel and why is Iceland, an island of just 103,000 square kilometers (40,000 square miles), home to so much seismic activity? “If it erupts undersea, it could cause a Surtseyan eruption similar to the one that happened in 1963, also in Iceland, and created the island of Surtsey. Iceland is accustomed to volcanic eruptions, though they often occur in the wilderness, away from populated areas. The Bárðarbunga volcanic system situated in the center of the country erupted in 2014, producing lava that covered 84 square kilometers (32 square miles) of highland that didn’t damage any communities. It also didn’t threaten populated areas and even become a tourist attraction as people flocked to witness a volcanic eruption.

Persons: Ragnar Visage, ” Michele Paulatto, Bill McGuire, “, ”, Dave McGarvie, –, ” Paulatto, “ Eyjafjallajökull, Lionel Wilson, Micah Garen Organizations: CNN, Iceland, Iceland’s Met, Civil Protection Agency, Imperial College London, Geophysical, University College London, University of Lancaster, Authorities, Planetary Sciences, Lancaster University, Police, North Locations: Grindavík, Iceland, Vestmannaeyjar, Surtsey, ”, Iceland’s, Reykjavík, Reykjavik, Keflavík, North America, Eurasia

☆ A volcano could erupt in Iceland within hours. Experts say you shouldn't cancel your flights — yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThere's no reason to cancel your travel plans to Iceland, despite the country warning of potentially dangerous volcanic activity happening within the next few hours or days, experts told Insider. Iceland declared a state of emergency after an unexpected acceleration of activity at Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano near the town of Grindavik. It is always difficult to know exactly how a volcanic eruption will develop, but the latest developments in the peninsula took volcanologists by surprise, McGarvie said. While the Reykjanes peninsula was known to have volcanic activity, and its volcano had had fairly mild eruptions over the past decade, this activity accelerated drastically since mid-October. "It is not something that's ever been observed in Iceland, certainly monitored in Iceland, in the last few decades," he said.

Persons: —, Dave McGarvie, Raul Moreno, Andrew Hooper, Lionel Wilson, Hooper, McGarvie Organizations: Service, University of Lancaster, Emergency Management, —, Getty, Geophysics, Leeds, University of Leeds, Planetary Sciences, Lancaster University, UK's Science Media, Icelandic, Iceland Google Locations: Grindavik, Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull, Reykjavik, tktktk

☆ A volcano could erupt in Iceland within hours, but maybe don't cancel your international flights yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But that shouldn't affect your travel plans, though the Blue Lagoon may be off-limits, experts said. AdvertisementAdvertisementThere's no reason to cancel your travel plans to Iceland, despite the country warning of potentially dangerous volcanic activity happening within the next few hours or days, experts told Insider. Iceland declared a state of emergency after an unexpected acceleration of activity at Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano near the town of Grindavik. It is always difficult to know exactly how a volcanic eruption will develop, but the latest developments in the peninsula took volcanologists by surprise, McGarvie said. "It is not something that's ever been observed in Iceland, certainly monitored in Iceland, in the last few decades," he said.

☆ NASA probe to observe near-Earth asteroid's 2029 close encounter
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

When it does, a spacecraft launched by NASA in 2016 is expected to be in position to provide a detailed examination of this rare close encounter. The tidal pull of Earth's gravity likely will cause measurable disturbances to the asteroid's surface and motion, changing its orbital path and rotational spin. The spacecraft is set to observe the asteroid's Earth flyby as it nears and ultimately catches up with Apophis. PLANETARY SCIENCE AND DEFENSELike other asteroids, Apophis is a relic of the early solar system. Close examination of Apophis could give planetary defense experts valuable information about the structure and other properties of asteroids.

Persons: NASA's, Michael Nolan, It's, Nolan, it's, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: NASA, APEX, NASA's Goddard Space, Empire, University of Arizona, SPACECRAFT'S SECOND, Planetary Science, Thomson Locations: Utah, Africa, Europe, Apophis, Los Angeles

☆ Astronomers find seven planets being 'fried' by their star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Astronomers using data obtained by NASA's now-retired Kepler space telescope have identified seven planets orbiting a star in our Milky Way galaxy, with all of them suffering the wrath of their star - radiant energy - even more brutally than Mercury. This is the second-most planets so far discovered around any star beyond our solar system. All seven are larger than Earth, the biggest of our solar system's four rocky planets, but littler than Neptune, the smallest of our solar system's four gas planets. Scientists have to date identified more than 5,500 exoplanets - planets outside our solar system - and spotted hundreds of stars with multiple exoplanets. "The chance of life on any of these seven planets is indeed pretty remote," Lissauer said.

Persons: NASA's, Jack Lissauer, Kepler, Lissauer, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NASA's Ames Research Center, Planetary Science, Thomson Locations: California

☆ Did the same collision that formed the moon create mysterious blobs inside Earth?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The theory, called the giant-impact hypothesis, explains many fundamental features of the moon and Earth. And many scientists assumed any debris Theia left behind on Earth was blended in the fiery cauldron of our planet’s interior. They were already aware that there are two massive, distinct blobs that are embedded deep within the Earth. That’s when he learned new details about Theia, the mysterious projectile that presumably struck Earth billions of years ago. And, as a trained geophysicist, he knew of those mysterious blobs hidden in Earth’s mantle.

Persons: Qian Yuan, Yuan, ” Yuan, Hernán, ”, Steve Desch, it’s, wouldn’t, Desch, “, Dr, Seth Jacobson, —, Jacobson, Theia, ” Jacobson Organizations: CNN —, California Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, Arizona State’s School of Earth, Exploration, Arizona State, Caltech, NASA’s Ames Research Center, Michigan State University Locations: Africa, Arizona, Shanghai

☆ Webb telescope spots never-before-seen jet stream in Jupiter’s atmosphere
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The astronomers spied a high-speed jet stream in Jupiter’s lower stratosphere, an atmospheric layer about 25 miles (40 kilometers) above the clouds. “What we have always seen as blurred hazes in Jupiter’s atmosphere now appear as crisp features that we can track along with the planet’s fast rotation,” he said. Jet stream revelationsResearchers compared winds detected by Webb at high altitudes with those within the lower layers picked up by Hubble and tracked changes in wind speed. Both space observatories were necessary to detect the jet stream, as Webb spotted small cloud features and Hubble provided a look at the equatorial atmosphere, including storms not related to the jet. Future observations of Jupiter using the Webb telescope may uncover more insights into the jet stream, such as whether its speed and altitude shift over time, as well as other surprises.

Persons: James Webb, Webb, ”, Ricardo Hueso, Cassini, Imke de Pater, Hubble, Michael Wong, “, Leigh Fletcher, — it’ll Organizations: CNN, James Webb Space, University of, Hubble, University of California, University of Leicester Locations: Basque, Bilbao, Spain, Berkeley, United Kingdom

☆ Orionid meteor shower: Keep an eye out for meteors in the sky this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —If you are looking for a spectacular show this weekend, look up to find the Orionid meteor shower shining bright through Saturday and Sunday night. This weekend, the moon will be in its first quarter phase and will set near midnight, according to the American Meteor Society. If possible, it is ideal to get away from light pollution and find a spot with a clear view of the dark sky, King said. In early May, Earth passes through a different section of Halley’s orbit trail, resulting in the meteor shower known as the Eta Aquariids. From 2006 to 2009, the Orionids saw anywhere between 50 to 75 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society.

Persons: Ashley King, King, “, ”, Comet Halley, ” King, Leonids, Geminids, Ursids Organizations: CNN, American Meteor Society, NASA, Farmers Locations: —, London, North, Central, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, South Africa, Earth’s

☆ How to watch the ‘ring of fire’ eclipse
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —On Saturday, a celestial spectacle will occur over North, Central and South America as an annular solar eclipse creates a “ring of fire” in the sky. The annular solar eclipse will begin in the United States at 9:13 a.m. PT (12:13 p.m. To view the annular eclipse safely, wear certified ISO 12312-2 compliant solar eclipse glasses or use a handheld solar viewer. Eclipse glasses allow for the safe viewing of all phases of an annular or partial solar eclipse. The small holes will reflect the sun’s crescent during a partial eclipse or a ring during the annular eclipse.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Mitzi Adams, Alberto Buzzola, you’ll, Kelly Korreck, David Gray, Bill Ingalls Organizations: CNN, NASA, Science, Marshall Space, American Eclipse, American Astronomical Society Locations: North, Central, South America, United States, Oregon, Gulf Coast, Texas, Nevada , Utah, New Mexico, California , Idaho , Colorado, Arizona, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Natal, Brazil, Taiwan, Alaska, Albuquerque , New Mexico, Kerrville , Texas, White Sands , New Mexico

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