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☆ Planet 9: Inside the search for a hidden planet in our solar system
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

“It could completely reshape our understanding of the solar system and of other planetary systems, and how we fit into that context. Brown and his colleague, planetary scientist Konstantin Batygin, reported having strong evidence of a hidden planet on the fringes of our solar system. “If you look at these bodies, their lifetimes are tiny compared to the age of the solar system,” Batygin said. “By now, we expected to have found many more of these extreme trans-Neptunian objects,” Sheppard said in an email. Finding a smaller planet would also spark excitement, Rice added, because every solar system planet is immensely useful for extrapolating information about the thousands of comparable exoplanets that researchers are uncovering across the galaxy.

Persons: Mike Brown, Pluto, ”, Brown, Pluto’s, Malena Rice, ” Rice, Konstantin Batygin, Neptune, they’ve, Brown’s, “, we’re, Scott Sheppard, Chadwick Trujillo, Trujillo, ” Brown, Batygin, ” Batygin, Patryk Sofia Lykawka, ” Lykawka, Lykawka, Rice, Hur, Renu Malhotra, Malhotra, Sheppard, ” Sheppard, ” Malhotra, she’s, “ It’s, Sigurd Naess, ” Naess, Vera C, Rubin, That’s Organizations: CNN, Caltech, NASA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Research, International Astronomical, ESA, Yale University, Getty, California Institute of Technology, Planet Nine, Carnegie Institution for Science, Northern Arizona University, Sheppard, Kindai University, Rice of Yale University, University of Arizona, Survey Telescope, Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, US National Science Foundation, Stanford University, Rubin, Rubin Observatory, Nine Locations: Pasadena , California, AFP, Washington ,, Japan, Neptune, Hawaii, Chile, Norway

☆ Mercury could have an 11-mile underground layer of diamonds, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

This mechanism, the researchers say, can not only give us more insight into the secrets hidden below Mercury’s surface, but on planetary evolution and the internal structure of exoplanets with similar characteristics. Mercury owes its gray surface to the widespread presence of graphite, which is a form of carbon. Also known as the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging mission, it gathered data about the planet’s geology, chemistry and magnetic field, before the spacecraft ran out of fuel and impacted the surface. “However, some lavas at the surface of Mercury have been formed by melting of the very deep mantle. “Only future missions to the planet Mercury will tell whether these predictions were correct.

Persons: ”, Bernard Charlier, it’s, Yanhao Lin, ” Charlier, Lin, Charlier, —, Giuseppe “ Bepi ”, Sean Solomon, Solomon, landers, ” Solomon, BepiColombo, Manley, Felipe González, González, ” González, “ Organizations: CNN, Mercury, University of Liège, NASA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington Mysterious, Center for, Science, Technology, Research, Nature Communications, MESSENGER, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Columbia University, ESA, University of California Locations: Mercury, Belgium, Beijing, Italian, Giuseppe “ Bepi ” Colombo, New York City, Berkeley

☆ First confirmed moon cave could provide future astronauts shelter
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The surface feature is Mare Tranquillitatis, or the Sea of Tranquility, where the Apollo 11 mission landed on the afternoon of July 20, 1969. Scientists have discovered a large lunar cave connected to a pit found within the moon's Sea of Tranquility. NASA/Goddard/Arizona State UniversityScientists have found a subterranean cavity beneath the Sea of Tranquility, and it may provide shelter for future lunar astronauts in the form of a cave. Lunar caves, or underground passages formed by volcanic processes during the moon’s early history, are connected to pits covering the lunar surface. The long, wide cave, found by reviewing archival NASA data, could be used to protect astronauts from harsh radiation and extreme temperature swings as well as provide a new avenue to study lunar rocks.

Persons: revel, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Artemis, Ramses, Hamilton, Lori Hilton, Maine coons, squint, ”, Dana Varble, Sharp, Jürgen, Missy Elliott’s, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, Goddard, Arizona State University Scientists, European Space Agency, French bulldogs, North American Veterinary Community, Space Agency, Sharks, New, CNN Space, Science Locations: Maine, Hamilton, Mexico, Mexican, Nuevo, Argentina, Americas, New Zealand, —, Cambodia, New York City, New Jersey

☆ Unusual world offers astronomers a glimpse into how planets become ‘hot Jupiters’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The star is one of a binary pair, so the planet orbits the primary star, while the primary star orbits a secondary star. While Jupiter takes 4,000 Earth days to complete one orbit around the sun, hot Jupiters complete one orbit every few days. Astronomers use “eccentric” to refer to the shape of a planet’s orbit on a scale from zero to 1. “It’s a pretty extreme process in that the changes to the planet’s orbit are massive,” Millholland said. Discovering a second hot Jupiter precursor is helping astronomers to confirm the idea that high-mass gas giants transform into hot Jupiters as they migrate from eccentric to circular orbits, the researchers said.

Persons: —, ”, Arvind Gupta, NOIRLab, Gupta, Suvrath Mahadevan, Verne, Willaman, Jason Wright, ” Wright, ” Gupta, Sarah Millholland, “, ” Millholland, Wright, James Webb Organizations: CNN —, Penn State, Astronomy, Mercury, NASA, Massachusetts Institute, Technology’s Kavli, for Astrophysics, Space Research, chrysalis Locations: Kitt, Arizona

☆ Bronze Age-style ship recreates a 4,000-year-old journey
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Fast-forward to seventh century East Anglia in the United Kingdom, where an Anglo-Saxon warrior king was buried alongside exquisite goods within a massive ship. Researchers are hoping to reconstruct the ship — and it’s not the only vessel gaining new life centuries after disappearing from time. Emily Harris/Zayed National MuseumUsing a supply list written on a clay tablet, a team of experts in the United Arab Emirates has reconstructed a Bronze Age ship. Once upon a planetScientists excavated a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth skin from the Siberian permafrost. Love Dalén/Stockholm UniversityThe freezing temperatures of the Siberian permafrost preserved a piece of 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth skin so well that it contains a first-of-its-kind genetic treasure trove.

Persons: it’s, Emily Harris, Shipwrights, Jacob, Alex Braczkowski, Griffith University Jacob, Tibu, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, James Webb, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, East, Zayed National, United Arab Emirates, Zayed National Museum, Griffith University, Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth, International Space Station, NASA, Boeing, European Space Agency, James Webb Space, Penguin, —, CNN Space, Science Locations: Siberia, East Anglia, United Kingdom, Persian, Mesopotamia, Zayed, Abu Dhabi, Sweden, Denmark, Peru, Machu Picchu, Uganda’s, Stockholm, Western Australia

☆ Webb telescope reveals the smelly atmosphere of nearby giant planet
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Now, data from the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed another intriguing feature of the planet known as HD 189733b: It smells like rotten eggs. Located only 64 light-years from Earth, HD 189733b is the nearest hot Jupiter that astronomers can study as the planet passes in front of its star. HD 189733b only takes about two Earth days to complete a single orbit around its star, Fu said. Webb’s data also showed levels of heavy metals on HD 189733b that are similar to those found on Jupiter. “HD 189733b is a benchmark planet, but it represents just a single data point,” Fu said.

Persons: James Webb, ”, Guangwei Fu, Fu, ” Fu, Webb, they’re, “ Organizations: CNN, Johns Hopkins University

☆ NASA is putting an 'artificial star' in orbit around Earth
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NASA recently approved the $19.5 million Landolt Space Mission to launch the mini satellite into Earth's orbit. AdvertisementA revolutionary new tool for astronomersLandolt, which is about the size of a bread box, is designed to fire lasers at observatories on Earth to help astronomers study the stars. Related storiesWhat makes this "artificial star" better than a real one is that astronomers will know exactly how much light it's emitting. Landolt can help astronomers catch minute details they've otherwise been missing in the data. How Landolt could revolutionize astronomyAstronomers are excited that Landolt could help them find more Earth-like exoplanets that might harbor life.

Persons: —, Tyler Richey, Eliad Peretz, unquote, Richey, Arlo Landolt, Yowell Organizations: Service, Business, NASA, Lowell Observatory, Yowell Locations: Richey

☆ A mysterious Jupiter-sized planet that shouldn't exist is as puffy as a marshmallow and astronomers finally think they know why
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

WASP 107b: The exoplanet that shouldn't existAn artist's impression of WASP 107b passing in front of its host star. But models suggested that WASP 107b's core would be too small to have formed a gas giant. Scientific models didn't align with observationsHubble images of WASP 107b didn't solve the mystery of its large size and low density. Venom82Why it took astronomers years to understand WASP 107b's mysterious origins stems from what many astronomers face: a lack of information due to technological limits. But WASP 107b's surface temperature was cold enough that it should have had more methane than what JWST observed.

Persons: —, they've, it's, David Sing, NASA's, Luis Welbanks, Sagan, James Webb, Welbanks —, Sing, Welbanks, Ralf Crawford, we're, Scott Gaudi, Gaudi, Olmsted, Russo Organizations: Service, Business, ESA, Hubble, NASA, Kornmesser, Bloomberg, Johns Hopkins University, WASP, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, ESO, Arizona State University, Telescope, Sing, WASP 107b's, CSA, JHU, Ohio State University

☆ Scientists have discovered a theoretically habitable, Earth-size planet
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Two teams of scientists have discovered a theoretically habitable planet, smaller than Earth but bigger than Venus, orbiting a small star about 40 light-years away. Working on the assumption that the exoplanet doesn’t have an atmosphere, scientists calculated its surface temperature to be around 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). Once temperate Earth-size planets have been identified, scientists can then analyze them to determine which elements are contained in their atmospheres and, crucially, whether water is present to sustain life. This method involves capturing starlight that shines through an exoplanet’s atmosphere and seeing which wavelengths are absorbed by certain molecules, revealing their presence in the atmosphere. As well as shedding light on the exoplanet itself, Palethorpe said scientists are hoping that this work can help us understand our own planet better.

Persons: “ We’ve, ”, Masayuki Kuzuhara, Akihiko Fukui, “, ” Larissa Palethorpe, —, Palethorpe, James Webb Organizations: CNN, Royal Astronomical Society, Astrobiology, University of Tokyo, University of Edinburgh and University College London, James Webb Space Telescope Locations: Tokyo, ”

☆ Giant oddball planet has the density of fluffy cotton candy, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

An international coalition of astronomers has newly discovered an unusual planet, dubbed WASP-193b, that’s about 50% bigger than Jupiter and somehow still the second lightest planet ever found. Because of how small the mass signal was, it took the team four years to gather data and calculate WASP-193b’s mass, Barkaoui explained. Eventually the team discovered the planet’s mass is a measly 14% that of Jupiter, despite being so much bigger. But a bigger size means a bigger “extended atmosphere,” said study coauthor Julien de Wit, an associate professor of planetary science at MIT. “WASP-193b is an outlier of all planets discovered to date,” he said.

Persons: puffy, Kepler, Jupiters, Khalid Barkaoui, James Webb, ”, Barkaoui, Francisco Pozuelos, Julien de Wit, Wit, Stone, puffy Jupiters, it’s Organizations: CNN, James Webb Space Telescope, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, WASP, Spain’s Institute of Astrophysics, MIT Locations: Andalucia

☆ Fossil found on a beach by tween reveals massive marine reptile
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. CNN —As Earth Day approaches and the Wonder Theory newsletter celebrates three years of arriving in your inboxes, I look to the future with hope. “And it’s up to you to choose what sort of impact you make.”Ocean secretsDr. Dean Lomax, (from left) Ruby Reynolds, Justin Reynolds and Paul de la Salle are shown with the fossil discovery in 2020. Dean LomaxIn May 2020, Ruby Reynolds, then 11, and her father, Justin, were searching for fossils on a Somerset beach along the English coast when she spotted something unusual. And when it came to sheer size, the marine reptile likely rivaled the blue whale, currently the largest living animal.

Persons: Jane Goodall, Goodall nurtures, Goodall, ” Goodall, Dean Lomax, Ruby Reynolds, Justin Reynolds, Paul de, Justin, ”, Gaia BH3, Nigel Raine, Dr, Matt Kasson, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Paul de la Salle, Indian Institute of Technology, ESA, West Virginia University, Explorations, NASA, International, CNN Space, Science Locations: Somerset, India, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Guatemala, France, Australia, Naples , Florida, what’s, Canada

☆ Rainbow-like phenomenon may glow on hellish exoplanet WASP-76b
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Observations from the European Space Agency’s Cheops space telescope, or Characterising ExOplanet Satellite, detected a “glory effect” on WASP-76b, an ultra-hot exoplanet 637 light-years from Earth. Cheops captured data from WASP-76b as the planet passed in front of its star, making 23 observations over three years. But the glory effect is created as light moves through a narrow opening and bends, creating colorful, patterned rings. An artist's illustration shows the night-side view of the exoplanet WASP-76b, where iron rains down from the sky. Lueftinger said she believes that the James Webb Space Telescope or Ariel may be able to help prove the presence of the glory effect on WASP-76b.

Persons: Cheops, ”, Olivier Demangeon, Wilson, ” Demangeon, Matthew Standing, —, “, Theresa Lueftinger, Lueftinger, James Webb, Ariel Organizations: CNN —, WASP, Astrophysics, of Astrophysics, Space Sciences, ESA, Hubble, Spitzer, Telescope, European Space Agency, “, James Webb Space Locations: Portugal, Cheops

☆ Astronomers discover a possible water world in the search for a habitable planet, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But a Canadian research group said the planet is likely too hot for liquid water. Related storiesA liquid ocean is the preferred premise set out in a paper published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Tea Temim (Princeton University)The James Webb telescope has played a key role in advancing the search for habitable planets beyond Earth. AdvertisementOne key that scientists look for in a potentially habitable planet is the presence of liquid water. Planets in this zone are neither too hot nor too cold to support liquid water.

Persons: NASA's James Webb, —, Nikku, Madhusudhan, Björn Benneke, Temim, James Webb Organizations: Guardian, Service, University of Cambridge, NASA, Astrophysics, Cambridge, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, ESA, CSA, Princeton University Locations: TOI

☆ Astronomers spot a ‘super-Earth’ 137 light-years away
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Astronomers have discovered a “super-Earth,” or a world larger than our planet, orbiting a star about 137 light-years away. The super-Earth exoplanet, known as TOI-715b, orbits a red dwarf star that is cooler and smaller than our sun. “This discovery is exciting as it’s the first super-Earth from TESS to be found within the conservative habitable zone,” Dransfield said. If the Earth-size planet is confirmed, it will become the smallest planet yet that TESS has found in a habitable zone. TOI-715b’s star has only shown a couple of flares within the past two years and isn’t considered active, making it an old star, Dransfield said.

Persons: TESS, Georgina Dransfield, Dransfield, James Webb, Webb, “, isn’t, PLATO, ” Dransfield, ” Organizations: CNN —, Royal Astronomical Society, Researchers, University of Birmingham’s School of Physics, Astronomers, James Webb Space Telescope Locations: United Kingdom

☆ Mars Perseverance rover loses its trusty scout
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And it’s time to bid farewell to one of the most delightfully plucky robots ever to explore Mars. Other worldsThe Ingenuity helicopter, seen here on Mars in an image taken by the Perseverance rover on August 2, 2023, has flown for the last time. Ingenuity served as the Perseverance rover’s faithful companion and aerial scout for nearly three years since its maiden flight on April 19, 2021. A long time agoAiming to trace syphilis' origins, researchers used paleopathology techniques to study ancient human bones at the site Jabuticabeira II in Brazil's Santa Catarina state. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: ”, Theodore Roosevelt, Teddy Tzanetos, Thomas Jefferson, it’s, Jose Filippini, Samson Acoca, Pierre, Olivier Cheptou, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, European Space Agency, NASA, JPL, Caltech, University of Montpellier, Hubble, —, CNN Space, Science Locations: Pasadena , California, United States, Brazil's Santa Catarina, Brazil, France, British

☆ Hubble finds water vapor in small exoplanet’s atmosphere
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have detected water molecules in the atmosphere of a small, blazing-hot exoplanet 97 light-years from Earth. The planet, named GJ 9827d, is about twice Earth’s diameter, and it’s the smallest exoplanet found to have water vapor in its atmosphere, according to a new study. Starlight filtering through the planet’s atmosphere helped astronomers measure the signature of water molecules. It’s possible that the planet is a mini-Neptune with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere that contains water vapor. Or astronomers suspect that GJ 9827d could be a warmer version of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which contains an ocean beneath a thick, icy crust.

Persons: ”, Laura Kreidberg, Max Planck, Björn Benneke, Hubble, Ian Crossfield, Pierre, Alexis Roy, we’re, ” Benneke, “, GJ, Benneke, Thomas Greene, James Webb, Webb, ” Kreidberg Organizations: CNN —, Hubble, Max, Max Planck Institute, Astronomy, University of Montreal’s Trottier Institute for Research, University of Kansas, University of Montreal’s Trottier Institute, GJ 9827d, NASA’s Ames Research, James Webb Space Telescope, ”, 9827d Locations: Heidelberg, Germany, Lawrence , Kansas, Silicon

☆ Puzzlingly massive planet found orbiting a small star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The planet, about the mass of Neptune and more than 13 times as massive as Earth, was detected orbiting an ultracool M-dwarf star called LHS 3154 — which is nine times less massive than our sun. This graphic compares the sizes of our sun and Earth with the smaller, cooler LHS 3154 star and its orbiting planet, LHS 3154b. For example, small M dwarf stars are the most common throughout the Milky Way galaxy, and they typically have small, rocky planets orbiting them, rather than gas giant planets. “The planet-forming disk around the low-mass star LHS 3154 is not expected to have enough solid mass to make this planet,” Mahadevan said. A team of scientists led by Mahadevan built the HPF, which was designed to detect planets orbiting within the habitable zone of small, cool stars.

Persons: ”, Suvrath Mahadevan, Verne M, ” Mahadevan, Mahadevan, “, Megan Delamer, ” Delamer Organizations: CNN —, LHS, Penn, Penn State, McDonald Observatory Locations: Texas

☆ Six exoplanets spotted in a cosmic waltz around nearby star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And the planets, labeled b through g, revolve around the star in a celestial dance known as orbital resonance. For every six orbits completed by planet b, the closest planet to the star, the outermost planet g completes one. As planet c makes three revolutions around the star, planet d does two, and when planet e completes four orbits, planet f does three. Detecting a mysteryResearchers first took notice of the star system in 2020 when NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, detected dips in the brightness of HD110067. “It shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched.”The discovery is the second time Cheops has helped reveal a planetary system with orbital resonance.

Persons: TESS, Rafael Luque, Cheops, ”, Luque, “ Cheops, ” Luque, Maximilian Günther, they’re, James Webb, Webb, Jo Ann Egger Organizations: CNN —, ESA, University of Chicago’s, “, James Webb Space, Telescope, University of Bern Locations: Switzerland

☆ NASA scientists think some planets are shrinking because powerful radiation from their cores is pushing away their atmospheres
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Planets beyond our solar system have a size gap, where worlds seem to shrink past a certain range. Scientists think this is because some sub-Neptunes shrink — losing their atmospheres and speeding through the size gap until they are as small as a super-Earth. AdvertisementThe planets themselves may be pushing their atmospheres awayShrinking exoplanets may lack the mass (and therefore the gravity) to hold their atmospheres close. AdvertisementThe other hypothesis, called photoevaporation, says that a planet's atmosphere is dissipated by the radiation of its host star. AdvertisementThe scientists found that most of the planets there retained their atmosphere, making the core-powered mass loss a more likely cause of eventual atmosphere loss.

Persons: —, Jessie Christiansen, Mark Garlick, NASA's, Christiansen Organizations: NASA, Service, JPL, Caltech, Kepler Space, Harvard

☆ Massive cosmic explosion creates rare elements in space
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The James Webb Space Telescope and other observatories witnessed a massive explosion in space that created rare chemical elements, some of which are necessary for life. Tracking stellar explosionsAstronomers have long believed that neutron star mergers are the celestial factories that create rare elements heavier than iron. What was unusual about this burst is that it lasted for 200 seconds, making it a long gamma-ray burst. One of the pair exploded as a supernova, leaving behind a neutron star, and then the same thing happened to the other star. Finding cosmic elementsAstronomers have been trying to determine how chemical elements are created in the universe for decades.

Persons: James Webb, ”, Andrew Levan, Levan, Webb, Fermi, Neil Gehrels, “, Dmitri Mendeleev, ” Levan, it’s, supernovas, Eric Burns, Om Sharan Salafia, Nancy Grace, “ Webb, Ben Gompertz, ” Gompertz Organizations: CNN, James Webb Space Telescope, Way Galaxy, Telescope, Radboud University, Observatory, Royal Society of Chemistry, Astronomers, Louisiana State University, National Institute for Astrophysics, Institute, Gravitational, School of Physics, University of Birmingham Locations: Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom

☆ How seaweed shaped the past and could shape our future
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Too often seaweed is portrayed as a slimy, smelly nuisance that disrupts beach trips and ocean swims. In fact, seaweed, officially a type of marine algae, is an untapped resource that could transform the planet and our health. Farmer Jean-Marie Pedron picks edible seaweed along a beach of Le Croisic in western France in March 2021, for a three-starred chef. As well as offering hope for the future, seaweed indelibly shaped our past, as a fascinating finding released this week has revealed. Hassanain Qambari & Jayden Dickson/Nikon Small World Photomicrography CompetitionCaffeine crystals in a kaleidoscope of color.

Persons: CNN —, Farmer Jean, Marie Pedron, Loic Venance, Vincent Doumeizel, Karen Hardy, —, James Webb, Luke Farritor, Salvatore Laporta, ”, papyrologist Michael McOsker, Farritor, Svante Pääbo, hominins, Hassanain Qambari, Jayden Dickson, Mona Lisa ”, Leonardo da Vinci, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Getty, United Nations, Telescope, National, AP, University of Nebraska, University College London, Diabetes, Nikon, Lions Eye Institute, CNN Space, Science Locations: Le Croisic, France, AFP, Orkney, Scotland, Mount, Naples, Italy, Europe, Altai, Central Asia, Australia, Alaska

☆ Quartz crystals detected swirling in atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-17b
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have for the first time detected tiny quartz crystals containing silica — a common mineral on Earth — within the atmosphere of a blazing hot exoplanet. An artist's concept depicts what the exoplanet WASP-17b could look like. What the quartz crystals reveal about WASP-17bWasp-17b takes 3.7 Earth days to complete one orbit around its star. Webb detected quartz crystals in the atmosphere of WASP-17b. While the clouds can drift around the planet, they likely vaporize on the hot day side, which could send the quartz particles swirling.

Persons: James Webb, Ralf Crawford, “, ”, David Grant, Hannah Wakeford, ” Grant, Wakeford Organizations: CNN —, NASA, ESA, CSA, University of Bristol, WASP, Minerals, “ WASP

☆ Strange ‘earthquake lights’ explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —I once felt the immense force unleashed by an earthquake in 1999 when I was living in Taipei, Taiwan. It was a feeling I was reminded of again this week when writing about a mysterious seismic phenomenon witnessed during Morocco’s recent devastating earthquake. Force of natureReports of multicolor “earthquake lights,” such as the ones seen in videos captured before Morocco’s 6.8 magnitude quake on September 8, go back centuries to ancient Greece. Researchers are beginning to understand the different forms the lights take and where they might appear. One 2014 study found the mystery lights could result from certain rocks when put under stress, but there is still no consensus on exactly what causes these outbursts.

Persons: CNN —, James Webb, Rhea Seddon, Anna Fisher, Judy Resnik, Shannon Lucid, Sally Ride, Kathy Sullivan, dryly, Arabella, Anita, Miss Baker, wasn’t, Jesse Rorabaugh, ”, Mattia Menchetti, Frank Rubio, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, United, of Evolutionary, CNN Space, Science Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Greece, Mexico City, Thailand, Africa, Guam, North America, United Nations, Europe, Italy, Spain

☆ Webb telescope spies signs of water on habitable-zone exoplanet
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Webb telescope, which can detect infrared light invisible to the human eye, searched for exactly what elements are featured in the planet’s atmosphere. On Earth, dimethyl sulfide “is only produced by life,” according to NASA. Hot ocean worldsThe discoveries about its atmospheric composition suggest it could be a “Hycean exoplanet,” a theoretical type of exoplanet that runs hot but is covered in oceans and has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. There are no confirmed Hycean exoplanets just yet. “This means our work here is but an early demonstration of what Webb can observe in habitable-zone exoplanets.”

Persons: CNN — Waters, James Webb, Webb, Nikku Madhusudhan, Madhusudhan, —, ” Madhusudhan, ”, Savvas Constantinou Organizations: CNN, James Webb Space Telescope, NASA, Hubble, University of Cambridge, Astrophysical

☆ Astronomers aren't crying 'aliens' yet, but NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is making this planet look a lot more habitable
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovered signs of a vast ocean on the planet K2-18 b. Astronomers can't directly look at the surface of the planet, called K2-18 b, but Webb analyzed its atmosphere for hints of what may lie below. That's a strong mark against the molecule's existence on K2-18 b. Confirming these findings requires a lot more observation of K2-18 b. As Blain put it: "K2-18 b is not exactly an Earth twin."

Persons: NASA's James Webb, Webb, James Webb, Madhusudhan, That's, Aaron Gronstal, Doriann Blain, Max Planck, Blain, peered, Webb’s, Crawford, J, Olmsted, haven't, Eliza Kempton, we've, Markus Scheucher, Kempton, I'd, there's, Marianne Guenot Organizations: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, Service, NASA, University of Cambridge, DMS, Max, Max Planck Institute, Astronomy, Hubble, European Space Agency, CSA, ESA, Cambridge University, Astrophysical Journal, University of Maryland, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Locations: Wall, Silicon

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