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☆ Hubble telescope captures Jupiter’s Great Red Spot contracting like a stress ball
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —New observations of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot captured by the Hubble Space Telescope show that the 190-year-old storm wiggles like gelatin and shape-shifts like a squeezed stress ball. Although storms are generally considered unstable, the Great Red Spot has persisted for nearly two centuries. Recently, a separate team of astronomers peered into the heart of the Great Red Spot using the James Webb Space Telescope to capture new details in infrared light. The Great Red Spot seems to wiggle like a bowl of gelatin over the 90-day period. NASA/ESA/STScI/Amy SimonThe new Hubble study fills in more pieces of the puzzle about the Great Red Spot, Fletcher said.

Persons: Hubble, it’s, ”, Amy Simon, we’ve, ” Simon, James Webb, Leigh Fletcher, Simon, ” Fletcher, Joseph DePasquale, Mike Wong, “, Wong, Fletcher Organizations: CNN, Hubble, Science, Planetary Sciences, Goddard Space Flight, NASA, ESA, of Geophysical Research, UK’s University of Leicester, University of California Locations: Boise , Idaho, Greenbelt , Maryland, Berkeley

☆ Data reveals how the Artemis I mission fared against space radiation
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission was successfully recovered on December 11, 2022, off the coast of Baja California. Regan Geeseman/NASARadiation worriesNASA has studied the impact of space radiation on human health for decades, dating back to the first crewed space missions of the 1960s. Long-duration space missions to the moon and Mars will expose astronauts to radiation from cosmic rays, or high energy particles that move through space. Courtesy NASAPlanning for Artemis IIIf a solar storm were to occur while the Artemis astronauts were in space, it could last for days. NASA astronaut Christina Koch participates on August 1 in crew geology training in Iceland ahead of the Artemis II mission.

Persons: Artemis II, Artemis I, Artemis, torsos, Helga, Zohar, ”, Sergi Vaquer Araujo, Araujo, ” Araujo, NASA’s, Regan Geeseman, Earth’s Van Allen Belts, Van Allen Belts, Stuart George, Kim Shiflett, ” George, George said, Artemis III, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Robert Markowitz, Kelsey Young Organizations: CNN, Orion, European Space Agency, NASA’s Orion, NASA, Space, Apollo, Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Canadian Space Agency, Goddard Space Flight Locations: Artemis, Baja California, Earth’s, Houston, Mars, Florida, Iceland, Greenbelt , Maryland

☆ Turbulent skies of Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’ may align with a scientific theory
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The dappled starlight and swirling clouds of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” are thought to reflect the artist’s tumultuous state of mind when he painted the work in 1889. Now, a new analysis by physicists based in China and France suggests the artist had a deep, intuitive understanding of the mathematical structure of turbulent flow. Batchelor’s scaling mathematically represents how small particles, such as drifting algae in the ocean or pieces of dust in the wind, are passively mixed around by turbulent flow. “I think this physical relationship must be embedded in his mind so that’s why when he made this famous ‘Starry Night’ painting, it mimics the real flow,” Huang said. “What I take away from studies like this is that (van Gogh) captured some of this universality in the beautiful (‘Starry Night’),” Beattie added.

Persons: Vincent van Gogh’s, ”, Yongxiang Huang, Van Gogh, mutilating, van Gogh's, Huang, Andrey Kolmogorov, John Constable, De Agostini, James Beattie, Beattie wasn’t, van Gogh, ” Huang, Beattie, “, Van Gogh’s, Yinxiang, Gogh, ” Beattie Organizations: CNN, State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science & College of Ocean, Sciences, Xiamen University, Princeton University, NASA's, NASA Goddard Space, NASA’s, Museum of Modern Art Locations: China, France, Saint, Provence, Soviet, Brighton, British, New Jersey, New York

☆ The 2024 harvest moon is the 2nd supermoon and last lunar eclipse this year. Here's the best time to see it when it rises Tuesday.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-15 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The best time to watch the super harvest moon and partial lunar eclipseThe harvest moon is the full moon that occurs nearest to the first day of autumn. AdvertisementThe best time to catch any full moon, including the harvest moon, is right around moonrise. A full moon, also a harvest moon, rises past thunder clouds. Tuesday's partial eclipse is the last lunar eclipse of the year. The harvest moon is the second supermoon of 2024If the full moon looks larger than normal, that's because it is.

Persons: —, you'll, Mike Blake That's, moonrise, Noah Petro, Marcos del Mazo, Larry Wasserman Organizations: Service, Business, NASA, Chicago, Houston, Goddard Space Flight, Lowell Observatory, Anadolu Locations: moonrise, New York, Los Angeles, North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Arizona

☆ NASA’s Europa Clipper gets the green light to launch
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The approval was a relief to the Europa Clipper team after the discovery in May of a possible issue with transistors on the spacecraft. Europa Clipper carries 10 science instruments that could determine whether life is possible on another place in our solar system besides Earth. Now, Europa Clipper has been approved to launch, with no changes to the mission plan, goals or trajectory. Exploring an ocean worldWhen Curt Niebur, Europa Clipper program scientist, began working at NASA in 2003, he faced the task of pushing a Europa mission forward. Each year, the effort to get Europa Clipper designed and built has seemed more difficult, he said.

Persons: NASA’s, we’re, ”, Nicola Fox, Jupiter’s, Jordan Evans, Evans, “, ” Evans, Curt Niebur, ” Niebur, It’s, we’ve, That’s, Niebur, Laurie Leshin Organizations: CNN, Clipper, NASA, Europa Clipper, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight, Science, JPL, “, Juno Locations: Pasadena , California, Laurel , Maryland, Greenbelt , Maryland, flybys, Europa, gush

☆ VIPER moon rover: Inside the scramble to save NASA’s canceled lunar vehicle
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

And the availability of the VIPER spacecraft piqued the company’s interest for future projects, Intuitive Machines told CNN. To get reach that goal, Intuitive Machines will likely have to dip into its own funds to complete VIPER’s finishing touches before liftoff. The Simulated Lunar Operations Lab at NASA Glenn Research Center tested planetary roving vehicle systems and components for vehicles such as the VIPER Rover. The Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander (pictured here in a rendering) is now slated to take off no earlier than late 2025. The lunar lander was designed to carry NASA’s VIPER rover as its main payload.

Persons: There’s, ”, Jack Kiraly, VIPER, Tim Crain, Thomas Zurbuchen, Aubrey Gemignani, Crain, ” Crain, “, Josh Marshall, it’s, Astrobotic, Griffin, John Thornton, Chandan Khanna, Griffin’s, Thornton, ” Thornton, Kiraly, I’m, Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, luncheons, Craig Hudson, Jerry Moran, ” Kiraly, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Exploration Rover, NASA, Planetary Society, Research, Goddard Space Flight, Machines, NASA Glenn Research Center, VIPER Rover, Technology, United, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Getty, VIPER, Republican, Reuters Lawmakers, Commerce, Justice, Science, Kansas Republican Locations: Houston, Maryland, Nova, California, Pittsburgh, Cape, Cape Canaveral , Florida, West Virginia, Washington, Washington ,, China, Kansas

☆ Young climate activists favor Harris over Biden, despite his environmental wins
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Elysee Barakett | Elysee Barakett Is A Health Intern At Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The Summary Many young climate advocates see Kamala Harris as stronger on environmental issues than Joe Biden. President Joe Biden may have passed the United States’ most significant climate legislation ever, but many young environmental activists say they see Kamala Harris as stronger on the issue. But several young climate activists ages 16 to 29 said for them, the expansion of the fossil fuel industry during Biden’s presidency has clouded those successes. Harris’ young supporters have highlighted the settlements she secured as California attorney general with Chevron, BP and ConocoPhillips over their handling of hazardous materials. Sunrise Movement protesters gather near Vice President Harris' Brentwood home on April 14, calling on her to urge President Biden to declare a climate emergency.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Harris, Biden, ”, Aru Shiney, Ajay, Donald Trump, “, Keanu Arpels, Greta Thunberg, Kent Nishimura, Dana Fisher, it’s, ” Fisher, ’ ” Fisher, Fisher, Harris ’, “ Biden, Kamala isn’t, Iris Zhan, “ Donald Trump, Sen, Gavin Newsom, Carlos Avila Gonzalez, Zanagee Artis, ” Young, Natalie Bookout, Robert Gauthier, Heather Hargreaves, “ there’s, “ She’s, NASA's, Olivier Douliery, Stephen Perkins, We’ve Organizations: Biden, Green, Deal, Big Oil, Sunrise Movement, Green New Deal Network, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, Getty, Center for Environment, Community, Equity, American University, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, Research, “, Gov, San Francisco, Brentwood, Climate Power, NASA's Goddard Space, American Conservation Coalition, Pew Research Locations: United States, Alaska, Virginia, West Virginia, Lake Mead, California, Wilmington , Delaware, San Francisco, Mar, Pineridge, Calif, Charlotte , North Carolina, Greenbelt , Maryland, AFP

☆ How Xs and Cs spotted in the ionosphere could disrupt life on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Earth’s electric and magnetic fields and gravity cause charged particles in the ionosphere to flow away from Earth’s magnetic equator. Typically, plasma bubbles are long and straight because they form along Earth’s magnetic field lines. GOLD observations captured C-shaped and reverse C-shaped plasma bubbles close together in the ionosphere on October 12, 2020, and December 26, 2021. So far, GOLD has only observed two instances of the close pairings, but the C-shaped bubbles have the potential to disrupt communications. “Due to such wide view and continuous measurements, GOLD has allowed us to observe these mysteries within the ionosphere,” Karan said.

Persons: Jeffrey Klenzing, “, it’s, ”, NASA SVS, Fazlul Laskar, —, Laskar, ” Klenzing, Karan et, Deepak Karan, Karan, ” Karan, John Deere, Tim Marquis, ” Laskar Organizations: CNN, International Space Station, NASA SVS, Goddard Space Flight, NASA, of Geophysical Research, University of Colorado’s Laboratory, Atmospheric Locations: Tonga, Greenbelt , Maryland, Baltimore, Boston

☆ Asteroid Bennu has a surprisingly watery past, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —An early analysis of a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu suggests that the space rock had an unexpectedly water-rich past — and it may have even splintered off from an ancient ocean world. But the compound from the Bennu sample is purer and has larger grains. Rocks and dust were collected from asteroid Bennu and returned to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission. Erika Blumenfeld/Joseph Aebersold/NASA“The sample we returned is the largest reservoir of unaltered asteroid material on Earth right now,” Lauretta said. “Each week, analysis by the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team provides new and sometimes surprising findings that are helping place important constraints on the origin and evolution of Earth-like planets.”

Persons: REx, ”, Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS, Connolly, Dante Lauretta, “, Erika Blumenfeld, Joseph Aebersold, ” Lauretta, Nick Timms, Harold Connolly Jr Organizations: CNN, NASA, Planetary, Goddard Space Flight, Japan Aerospace, Earth, University of Arizona, Bennu, Curtin University’s School of, Planetary Sciences, Rowan University’s School of Earth Locations: Greenbelt , Maryland, Tucson, Glassboro , New Jersey

☆ China Prepares to Bring Rocks From Moon’s Far Side to Earth
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Katrina Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

On Tuesday, a capsule carrying soil from the far side of the moon will parachute into the desert in China’s Inner Mongolia region. The sample, retrieved by the Chinese National Space Administration’s Chang’e-6 lander, is expected to be the latest accomplishment in a series of near-flawless executions of Chinese lunar exploration missions since 2007. Here’s what you need to know about the Chang’e-6 mission’s return to Earth. China’s space agency has yet to confirm when the mission will conclude. But according to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Chang’e-6 sample return capsule is expected to land at 1:41 a.m. Eastern time, which is 1:41 p.m. local time in the Siziwang Banner area of Inner Mongolia, a region in northern China.

Persons: NASA’s Organizations: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Locations: Mongolia, Siziwang, Inner Mongolia, China

☆ Solar storm hits Mars, creating planet-engulfing auroras, NASA says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —When the sun unleashed an extreme solar storm and hit Mars in May, it engulfed the red planet with auroras and an influx of charged particles and radiation, according to NASA. Solar radiation hits MarsThe most extreme storm occurred on May 20 after an X12 flare released from the sun, according to data collected by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft currently studying the sun. The Curiosity rover, currently exploring Gale Crater just south of the Martian equator, took black-and-white images using its navigation cameras during the solar storm. But Mars lost its magnetic field billions of years ago, which means the planet has no shield from incoming energized solar particles. By tracing the data from multiple Martian missions, scientists were able to watch how the solar storm unfolded.

Persons: Gale, “, ”, Don Hassler, ” Auroras, Mars, Deborah Padgett, MAVEN, Christina Lee Organizations: CNN, NASA, Solar Orbiter, Goddard Space Flight, Mars, Caltech, JPL, Southwest Research, Exploration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, University of California, Space Sciences Laboratory Locations: Northern California, Alabama, Greenbelt , Maryland, Boulder , Colorado, Pasadena , California

☆ Nova: ‘New star’ will appear in the night sky after stellar explosion
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

While a supernova is the explosive death of a massive star, a nova refers to the sudden, brief explosion from a collapsed star known as a white dwarf. The dwarf star remains intact, releasing material in a repetitive cycle that can occur for thousands of years. “It’s incredibly exciting to have this front-row seat.”T Coronae Borealis, otherwise known as the “Blaze Star,” is a binary system in the Corona Borealis that includes a dead white dwarf star and an aging red giant star. The red giant becomes increasingly unstable over time as it heats up, casting off its outer layers that land as matter on the white dwarf star. Cooke recalled that the last nova he witnessed — Nova Cygni in 1975 — had a similar brightness to what is expected from T Coronae Borealis.

Persons: “ It’s, ”, Rebekah Hounsell, ” Hounsell, “, Burchard, William J, Cooke, Vega, skywatchers, Elizabeth Hays, ” Hays, they’ll, Hounsell, ” Cooke, —, Koji Mukai Organizations: CNN —, NASA, Goddard Space Flight, “ Blaze, Blaze Star, Coronae, Polaris, North Star, Northern Hemisphere, Northern Crown, Northern, Corona, NASA Goddard, “ Citizen, ” Locations: Greenbelt , Maryland, Ursberg, Germany

☆ The Hubble Space Telescope makes a big change to keep observing the universe
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Hubble Space Telescope will transition to a new way of operating that aims to prevent the space observatory from experiencing lapses in its ability to observe the universe, according to NASA officials. The storied telescope, which has captured breathtaking images of the cosmos for 34 years, has traditionally operated using six gyroscopes. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope eyes the universe in May 2009 after one of the space shuttle missions to service the space observatory. Hubble is expected to operate into the mid-2030s, with its cosmic observations providing a complement to the work of the James Webb Space Telescope and future observatories that haven’t launched yet, Clampin said. “We do not see Hubble as being on its last legs,” Crouse said, “and we think it’s a very capable observatory.”

Persons: Mark Clampin, Hubble, Clampin, Patrick Crouse, Crouse, ” Clampin, James Webb, “, ” Crouse Organizations: CNN, Hubble, NASA, Astrophysics, NASA's Hubble, Goddard Space Flight, James Webb Space Telescope Locations: Greenbelt , Maryland

☆ 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

☆ NASA Lucy mission: A space rock got a moon after sun-driven quake
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Astronomers were in for a surprise when NASA’s Lucy mission flew by an asteroid named Dinkinesh in November and spotted a contact binary — two smaller space rocks that touch each other — orbiting the asteroid like a moon. “Basically, the planets formed when zillions of smaller objects orbiting the Sun, like asteroids, ran into each other. The Lucy mission captured additional imagery revealing that the asteroid Dinkinesh’s moon is actually two space rocks that are touching one another. Too distant to be seen in detail with telescopes, the asteroids will get their close-up when Lucy reaches the Trojans in 2027. The mission borrows its name from the Lucy fossil, the remains of an ancient human ancestor discovered in Ethiopia in 1974.

Persons: NASA’s Lucy, Dinky ”, ”, Hal Levison, Lucy, Dinkinesh, Goddard, Johns Hopkins, Keith Noll, Jessica Sunshine, ” Levison, Sunshine, Selam, “ I’m, “, NASA Galileo, Ida, Lucy’s, NASA Lucy, ” Sunshine, Dinky Organizations: CNN —, Southwest Research, NASA, Goddard Space Flight, University of Maryland, College Locations: Boulder , Colorado, Greenbelt , Maryland, Dinkinesh, Ethiopia, Jupiter

☆ NASA isn’t just creating a lunar time zone. It’s establishing an entirely new time scale
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

They’re also going to be communicating with one another or driving their moon buggies while on the lunar surface. Lunar clockworkWhat scientists know for certain is that they need to get precision timekeeping instruments to the moon. Exactly who pays for lunar clocks, which type of clocks will go, and where they’ll be positioned are all questions that remain up in the air, Gramling said. Focke Strangmann/APThe new time scale would underpin an entire lunar network, which NASA and its allies have dubbed LunaNet. But how future astronauts living and working on the lunar surface will experience time is a different question entirely.

Persons: aren’t, Cheryl Gramling, NASA’s, Gramling, Omer Tarsuslu, They’re, ” Gramling, Albert Einstein, Paco, Sao, Sundials, —, ”, Bruce Betts, Kevin Coggins, you’ve, ” Coggins, “, Bijunath, Patla, ” Patla, Focke Strangmann, It’s, “ It’s, Betts, Artemis III, Arizona State University “ It’ll Organizations: CNN, NASA, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight, Getty, White, Astronauts, Planetary Society, NASA’s Space Communications, Navigation, US National Institute of Standards, Technology, Vehicles, Physical, National, European Space Agency, International Astronomical Union, Reconnaissance, Arizona State University Locations: United States, China, Maryland, Kars, Turkey, Anadolu, German, Sao Miguel, Evora , Portugal, Germany, Malapert Massif

☆ Someday, Earth Will Have a Final Total Solar Eclipse
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Katherine Kornei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The total solar eclipse visible on Monday over parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada was a perfect confluence of the sun and the moon in the sky. But it’s also the kind of event that comes with an expiration date: At some point in the distant future, Earth will experience its last total solar eclipse. That’s because the moon is drifting away from Earth, so our nearest celestial neighbor will one day, millions or even billions of years in the future, appear too small in the sky to completely obscure the sun. “We’ll only ever have annular eclipses,” said Noah Petro, a planetary scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, referring to “ring of fire” eclipses like the one that crossed the Americas in October. But putting an exact date on Earth’s final total solar eclipse is a serious computational challenge involving a variety of scientific disciplines.

Persons: it’s, We’ll, ”, Noah Petro Organizations: NASA Goddard Space Flight Locations: Mexico, United States, Canada, Americas

☆ This new photo of a supermassive black hole is unlike any before, showing powerful magnetic fields spiraling around it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewThe supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy has a side you've never seen before. A new image reveals powerful magnetic fields swirling around our hometown black hole, which is called Sagittarius A* (pronounced "A-star"). EHT had previously imaged its first black hole, Messier 87, in polarized light as well, though it doesn't look quite as striking:The Messier 87 supermassive black hole imaged in polarized light. EHT CollaborationSince both black holes have similar structures of magnetic fields, despite their immense difference in size, the EHT scientists now suspect that all supermassive black holes might have magnetic structures like this. Bigger black hole breakthroughs may be in storeFurther imaging with new innovative techniques and technologies could reveal even more secrets of supermassive black holes, both big and small.

Persons: —, EHT, Sara Issaoun, Issaoun, We've, NASA's, Michael Johnson, Johnson, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Messier, Harvard, Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, American Astronomical Society Locations: Greenland

☆ An exploding star nova is due to show up in our skies soon. Here's how to spot it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA nearby exploding star is due to offer a spectacular show that could outshine our North Star this year. The star, which is 3,000 light-years from Earth, is expected to burst in a gigantic explosion — known as a nova — in the coming months. This cosmic blast happens when a tiny white dwarf — the core of a dead star — is locked in the orbit of a giant red star. An artist's impression of a white dwarf exploding near a red giant. Nearby is an arc of four visible stars called the Corona Borealis.

Persons: —, Bradley Schaefer, NASA's, Schaefer, Vega, Pons, Brooks Organizations: Service, Star, NASA, Business, Louisiana State University, New York Times, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, Times, Corona, Canada Locations: Canada

☆ Mars could be creating 'giant whirlpools' deep within our planet's oceans
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mars may be 140 million miles away, but its gravitational pull could be impacting Earth's oceans. Scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia believe the red planet's tug is creating "giant whirlpools" in the oceans called eddies, which can shift the deep-sea floor. This, they claim, is part of a 2.4-million-year climate "grand cycle" on Earth that has been ongoing for at least 40 million years. The red planet's orbit and ours are locked in an intricate dance, and every so often, these line up so that Mars' gravitational pull on Earth is just a little more intense — this is called resonance. This information is crucial when refining models helping us see how our planet's intricate climate will progress over time.

Persons: Adriana Dutkiewicz, NASA's, Dietmar Müller, Malin, Matthew England, Benjamin Mills, wasn't, Mills Organizations: Service, University of Sydney, Business, NASA's Goddard Space, geosciences, Nature Communications, Mars NASA, JPL, Systems, University of New, New, University of Leeds Locations: Australia, Japan, New, University of New South Wales, Sydney

☆ What happened to the extra copies of the Voyager mission's golden records
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Elon Musk posted on X that he has a Voyager golden record. Two golden records went to space on the twin Voyager spacecraft. AdvertisementBut his post had me wondering: Who has the original golden records? When I started looking into the golden records, I noticed conflicting numbers for how many originals were created. While the golden records on the Voyager spacecraft are expected to last over a billion years, Lomberg said the probes will probably crash on another planet or star eventually.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Musk, Carter, U.N, General Waldheim, Carter couldn't, Jon Lomberg, Lomberg, Carl Sagan, wasn't, Sagan, Calla Cofield, Cofield Organizations: NASA, Service, SpaceX, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, Propulsion Laboratory, Space Center Kennedy Space Center Glenn Research Center Langley Research Center Goddard Space Flight, National Air & Space Museum, Smithsonian The, United Nations, Langley Research Center, Sotheby's

☆ NASA had an ambitious $2 billion plan to refuel satellites in orbit using robotic arms. A decade later, it's in shambles.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is giving up its mission to refuel old satellites in orbit, putting an end to an ambitious $2 billion project plagued by delays and technical setbacks. The administration said on Friday that it's discontinuing the effort after an independent review, citing "continued technical, cost, and schedule challenges." NASA said it's working on mitigating the impact of the OSAM-1's cancellation on staff at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA and Maxar did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Persons: —, wasn't, Maxar, it's Organizations: Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Business, Technologies, Staff, Goddard Space Flight, CNBC Locations: California, Greenbelt , Maryland

☆ NASA shuts down $2 billion satellite refueling project after contractor Maxar is criticized for poor performance
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

NASA is shutting down a $2 billion project to test satellite refueling in space, it announced Friday, after the agency's auditor criticized the program's lead contractor, Maxar, citing "poor performance." The space agency said in a statement that the OSAM-1 — On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 — project was being discontinued after nearly a decade of work. NASA did not respond to CNBC's request for comment on how many personnel will be affected as a result of OSAM-1's cancellation. Maxar was taken private by private equity firm Advent International in May 2023 before being split into two businesses: Maxar Intelligence, focused on satellite imagery and analytics, and Maxar Space Systems, focused on spacecraft manufacturing. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland was leading the work on OSAM-1, with Maxar Space Systems as the project's prime contractor under multiple deals.

Persons: Eric Glass, Maxar, NASA's, Goddard, General Organizations: NASA, Space Systems, CNBC, International, Maxar Intelligence, Systems, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, Maxar, U.S, Northrop Locations: Maryland, Goddard

☆ Space photos from 5 recent moon-landing missions show how tiny engineering errors can cause big problems, like crashing or landing sideways
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Houston-based company's uncrewed Odysseus lander was almost lost to one of the tiniest possible mistakes. The view from the Intuitive Machines Odysseus lander as it descended to its landing site. Intuitive MachinesWith less than two hours to go before landing, Intuitive Machines engineers frantically whipped up a new navigation system. Indeed, several robotic moon landing attempts have crashed or otherwise malfunctioned in the last few years. Similarly, Intuitive Machines' success on Thursday shows that small errors don't necessarily have to spell the end of a mission.

Persons: Steve Altemus, Trent Martin, Odysseus, Astrobotic —, Peregrine, Astrobotic Astrobotic, Astrobotic, Vikram, SpaceNews, Robert Braun, Kailasavadivoo Sivan, ispace, NASA's, Braun, Japan's Smart Lander, SLIM, LEV, Takara Tomy Organizations: US, Business, NASA, Reconnaissance, Goddard, Arizona State University, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, freefall, JAXA, Takara, Sony Group Corporation, Doshisha Locations: India, Japan, Houston

☆ Weeks after the Peregrine lunar lander failed, NASA is launching the IM-1 mission to touch down on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Houston-based company Intuitive Machines, in collaboration with NASA, is launching its first mission to the moon atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. AdvertisementUnlike China, India, and Japan, the US hasn't put anything on the lunar surface in more than 50 years. AdvertisementThrough a $118 million contract, the agency is sponsoring Intuitive Machines to launch its first mission, called IM-1, toward the moon early Wednesday. SOPA Images/Getty ImagesThe mission's Nova-C lander should descend to the lunar surface just one week later, on February 22. To date, only India has landed in the lunar south pole region.

Persons: —, NASA hasn't, NASA’s, SLIM, TAKARA TOMY, ispace, Trent Martin, we've Organizations: Service, SpaceX, NASA, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight, Arizona State University, Russia, TAKARA, Sony, Doshisha University, Reuters, AP Locations: Houston, China, India, Japan, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Russia

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