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☆ Crab Nebula glows in a new light in Webb telescope image
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Crab Nebula is a well-studied supernova remnant located 6,500 light-years away in the Taurus constellation. The Crab Nebula has been studied by other space observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble's Crab Nebula — Hubble's Crab Nebula NASA/ESA/J. Loll Webb's Crab Nebula — Webb's Crab Nebula NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Tea TemimCapturing aspects of the ever-expanding Crab NebulaHubble captured the celestial object using an optical wavelength in 2005 (above left), while Webb’s latest infrared image (above right) revealed more of its structural details and inner workings. Yellow-white and green filaments, made of dust grains, appear in the Webb image for the first time.

Persons: James Webb, ”, Hester, Hubble, Webb Organizations: CNN, Telescope, Hubble, Princeton University, NASA, ESA, CSA, Webb Locations: China, Japan, New Jersey

☆ NASA's James Webb Space Telescope imaged a stunning supernova remnant and revealed details Hubble couldn't capture
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NASA's James Webb Telescope has captured never-before-seen details of the Crab Nebula. AdvertisementAdvertisementNASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured new views of a stunning nebula, revealing never-before-seen details. It's the heart of the Crab Nebula, called the Crab Pulsar. The Crab Nebula as shown by the Hubble Space Telescope in optical light (left) and the James Webb Space Telescope in infrared light (right). The Crab Nebula photographed by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

Persons: NASA's James Webb, —, James Webb, JWST, Temim, Hubble, Hester Organizations: NASA's James Webb Telescope, Service, Telescope, NASA, ESA, CSA, Princeton University, Hubble, James Webb Space, Arizona State University, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

☆ James Webb Space Telescope discovers Jupiter has a jet stream whipping around the planet at 320 mph, twice as fast as Earth's fiercest hurricanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

NASA scientists were surprised to discover a high-speed jet stream near Jupiter's equator. Previous telescopes couldn't see Jupiter's atmosphere in such detail so they missed the fierce winds. AdvertisementAdvertisementNASA's James Webb Space Telescope has helped scientists discover that Jupiter has a thin jetstream whipping around the planet at 320 miles per hour — twice as fast as Earth's strongest hurricanes. The JWST's predecessor, Hubble, was not strong enough to clearly capture images of the hazier parts of Jupiter's atmosphere, NASA said in a press release detailing its findings. The JWST was only able to detect the jet stream when it looked at a particular band of infrared light, which revealed changes in atmospheric features at varying altitudes.

Persons: —, James Webb, Ricardo Hueso Organizations: NASA, Service, Telescope, Hubble

☆ 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

☆ Scientists surprised by source of largest quake detected on Mars
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We concluded that the largest marsquake seen by InSight was tectonic, not an impact. "Most of the marsquakes we've detected thus far have been associated with a region called Cerberus Fossae, located eastward of InSight. The energy it released surpassed the cumulative energy from all the other marsquakes InSight recorded. With future human missions to Mars in mind, a greater understanding of Martian seismic activity is pertinent. Charalambous said the location of the majority of the marsquakes detected by InSight remained uncertain, with a poor understanding of the mechanisms that triggered them.

Persons: Ben Fernando, Constantinos Charalambous, Fernando, Charalambous, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: NASA Hubble, NASA, Handout, Reuters, Rights, University of Oxford, Research, Imperial College London, United Arab, Thomson Locations: England, InSight's, U.S, United Arab Emirates

☆ 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

☆ NASA launches a spacecraft to visit Psyche, an unseen metal world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Psyche mission lifted off at 10:19 a.m. The Psyche mission lifted off Friday morning. “This will be our first time visiting a world that has a metal surface. The Psyche spacecraft will arrive at Mars in May 2026 and use the planet’s gravity to effectively slingshot its trajectory to Psyche. Psyche may have little metal spikes, spires and even tiny pieces that resemble a type of metal sand within the crater, said Elkins-Tanton.

Persons: NASA’s, Chandan Khanna, David Oh, ”, Lindy Elkins, Tanton, ” Elkins, “, Joe Skipper, Henry Stone, Oh, Elkins, Ben Weiss, Psyche, Weiss, It’s, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, NASA, SpaceX, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Falcon, Getty, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Arizona State University’s School of Earth, Exploration, JPL, Caltech, ASU Scientists, Hubble, Reuters, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Mars, Optical Communications, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Locations: Florida, Pasadena , California, Massachusetts, Cape Cod, California, Elkins, Tanton

☆ NASA's Hubble spots a mysterious flash in the middle of nowhere that defies science
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scientists had previously thought Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transients were caused by dying stars. AdvertisementAdvertisementA bright flash of blue light appearing in the middle of seemingly empty space has scientists confused. Scientists previously thought they knew what could cause such a bright burst of energy. That's much too far for a core-collapse supernova to travel. There are a few more hypotheses for what could cause the bright blue flashes.

Persons: —, Ashley Chrimes, Finch, hasn't, James Webb Organizations: Service, NASA, Space Agency Research, Space Flight, Royal Astronomical Society

☆ Webb spots a building block of life on Jupiter’s moon Europa
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A building block of life may exist inside the global ocean on Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons. Scientists have long questioned whether Europa’s ocean contained carbon and other chemicals necessary for life. Astronomers used the Webb telescope to observe Jupiter's icy moon Europa. Carbon dioxide appears to be concentrated in a region of “chaos terrain” on Europa called Tara Regio. Future observations of Europa with the Webb Telescope could help astronomers determine whether there are other concentrated regions of carbon dioxide on the surface, Trumbo said.

Persons: James Webb, ”, Geronimo Villanueva, Tara Regio, Samantha Trumbo, ” Trumbo, ” Villanueva, Webb, Heidi Hammel, Trumbo, “ Organizations: CNN, Goddard Space Flight, NASA, ESA, CSA, Webb, Cornell University, Hubble, Webb's, Association of Universities for Research, Astronomy, NASA’s, Clipper, Europa Clipper Locations: Europa, Greenbelt , Maryland

☆ 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

☆ I was told I couldn't direct planes because I was a woman. I ended up a mission planner for the world's most powerful space telescope, the James Webb, instead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Kari Bosley is the lead mission planner for the James Webb Space Telescope at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Thirteen years ago, I landed a job in the grants department at Space Telescope Science Institute. They support the daily activities of NASA's different space missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope, Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and James Webb Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful space telescope ever built, and has led to numerous scientific discoveries and firsts since it was launched to space. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured the Ring Nebula in unprecedented detail with its mid-infrared instrument.

Persons: Kari Bosley, James Webb, wasn't, Amelia Earhart, Nancy Grace, Getty, NASA’s James Webb, Webb, Barlow, Cox, It's Organizations: Telescope Science, Service, Telescope Science Institute, NASA, Challenger, Space Telescope Science Institute, Hubble, James Webb Space Telescope, Space, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, ESA, CSA, UCL, Wesson, Cardiff University, Communications, JPL, Caltech Locations: Wall, Silicon, California

☆ US SEC approves new fee rules on market data surveillance system
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Douglas Gillison | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - Wall Street's top regulator on Wednesday approved new rules on the funding of a comprehensive market data surveillance system to split its operating costs among buyers, sellers and the stock exchanges where they trade. This shifts away from a structure based on message traffic and market share, while allowing stock exchanges several years to recoup hundreds of millions already spent. The new rules aim to split the cost burden into equal thirds between exchanges, buyers and sellers, according to SEC officials. While the CAT system is partially operational, buyers and sellers have yet to begin paying in, officials said prior to the vote. A year ago, the SEC cited CAT data in the prosecution of an alleged $47 million front-running scheme.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Kara Stein, Douglas Gillison, Chizu Nomiyama, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Audit, CAT, SEC, The Securities Industry, Financial Markets Association, Thomson Locations: Washington ,

☆ Japan launches X-ray satellite, ‘Moon Sniper’ lunar lander
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A revolutionary satellite that will reveal celestial objects in a new light and the “Moon Sniper” lunar lander lifted off Wednesday night. The XRISM satellite (pronounced “crism”), also called the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, is a joint mission between JAXA and NASA, along with participation from the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency. NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterAlong for the ride is JAXA’s SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. Previously, Japanese company Ispace’s Hakuto-R lunar lander fell 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) before crashing into the moon during a landing attempt in April. If SLIM is successful, JAXA contends, it will transform missions from “landing where we can to landing where we want.”

Persons: Ray, SLIM, Smart Lander, ”, Richard Kelley, James Webb, XRISM, Taylor Mickal, ” Kelley, “, Xtend, Brian Williams, NASA’s, Goddard, Ispace’s Organizations: CNN, Japanese Space Agency, YouTube, Ray Imaging, JAXA, NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, NASA Goddard Space Flight, Goddard Space Flight, Space Center, Soviet Locations: Japan, Greenbelt , Maryland, XRISM, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Insider Today: Gen Z is out on college
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter. In today's big story, we're looking at why college isn't part of the plan for some Gen Zers. Between skyrocketing tuition costs and underwhelming salaries, some Gen Zers are skipping college altogether, writes Charlotte Lytton. A recent survey found that 40% of business leaders think recent Gen Z college grads are unprepared when they enter the workforce. The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor and anchor, in New York City.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, weren't, Zers, Chelsea Jia Feng, Zers aren't, Charlotte Lytton, It's, Alix Earle, NFTs, TikTok hasn't, Earle, Alix Earle's TikToks, @alixearle, Spencer Platt, Goldman Sachs, we've, David Rosenberg, Rosenberg, Kevin Dietsch, Marc Benioff, they're begrudgingly, Arantza Pena Popo, Corizon, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, James Webb, Stephen King, Holly Gibner, Rice, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Electric, Wall, Tech, University of Miami, Getty, JPMorgan, Amazon, James, James Webb Telescope, Hubble, NASA, ESA, CSA, Costco, Kirkland Locations: Wall, Silicon, NFTs, Blackstone, Bridgewater, Seoul, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ Black holes mysteriously burp up fragments of stars they destroyed years earlier, and scientists have no idea why
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Black holes have been spotted spitting up remnants of stars years after gobbling them up. AdvertisementAdvertisementSince then, the collaborators have been turning their instruments to monitor 24 black holes for years on end. In another two of the cases, Cendes noticed the black holes peaking, then fading, then turning on again. Everything we know about accretion disks may be wrongThe findings could mean we need to rethink how black holes swallow up stars, Cendes said. The new findings suggest astronomers will have to rethink the relationship between stars and black holes.

Persons: Yvette Cendes, we'd, Cendes, They've, She's, Cendres, I've Organizations: Service, Harvard, Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, ESO, ESA, Hubble, Kornmesser Locations: Wall, Silicon, TDEs

☆ A new image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope blows past Hubble again, revealing an iconic supernova in unprecedented detail
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has revealed stunning new details of a famous supernova remnant. Supernova 1987A was first discovered in 1987, as its name suggests. Webb's portrait of the Supernova 1987A remnant. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Supernova 1987A remnant within the Large Magellanic Cloud, as captured by Hubble. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe parts of the supernova remnant as captured by the James Webb Space Telescope in 2023.

Persons: NASA's James Webb, Webb, James Webb, Mikako Matsuura, Richard Arendt, Claes Fransson, Josefin Larsson, Hubble, Chandra, Robert P, Kirshner, Max Mutchler, Roberto Avila, couldn't, Matsuura, Arendt, NASA’s, J, Larsson Organizations: Service, Hubble, NASA, ESA, CSA, Cardiff University, Stockholm University, Astronomers, AUI, NSF, Moore Foundation, James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center & University of Maryland, Royal Institute of Technology Locations: Wall, Silicon, Stockholm, Baltimore County

☆ Is There a Crisis in Cosmology? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Adam Frank | Marcelo Gleiser | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

A potent mix of hard-won data and rarefied abstract mathematical physics, the standard model of cosmology is rightfully understood as a triumph of human ingenuity. It has its origins in Edwin Hubble’s discovery in the 1920s that the universe was expanding — the first piece of evidence for the Big Bang. Over the past 60 years, cosmology has become ever more precise in its ability to account for the best available data about the universe. Cosmic inflation is an example of yet another exotic adjustment made to the standard model. There is nothing inherently fishy about these features of the standard model.

Persons: Edwin Hubble’s, can’t

☆ Side-by-side images of a whirlpool galaxy show details NASA's James Webb telescope captured but Hubble missed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Ellie Zolfagharifard | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The James Webb telescope captured an image of M51, a galaxy 27 million light-years away. An image of M51 – also known as NGC 5194 or the Whirlpool Galaxy – taken by the James Webb Telescope. NASA/ESA/JWSTAstronomers hope the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will shed new light on how stars form in galaxies other than Milky Way. Before Webb came along, the Hubble telescope provided a glimpse of star formation in galaxies such as M51. Dark red regions show the cosmic dust that permeates the M51 galaxy in this zoomed in image from the James Webb telescope.

Persons: James Webb, Webb, JWST, Hubble Organizations: Service, Hubble, NASA, Whirlpool, Webb's, James, James Webb Telescope, ESA, James Webb Space, JWST, European Space Agency Locations: Wall, Silicon

That's because the Federal Reserve has been hiking interest rates since March 2022 in an effort to cool inflation. So the question remains: When will we finally see interest rates start to come down? CNBC Select asked three experts to give their take on what lies ahead for interest rates. What we'll coverWhen will interest rates come back down? Existing loans with a variable rate may also start charging less interest as the Fed lowers interest rates.

Persons: Amy Hubble, hasn't, Preston Caldwell, Caldwell, Hubble, Elliot Eisenberg, you'll, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, CNBC, Federal, Market, Morningstar Research Services, Ally Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, Jumbo, Navy Federal Credit, PNC Bank, PNC Bank Mortgage, Savings, Axos Bank, FDIC, CNBC Select's, Facebook, Twitter Locations: U.S

☆ Colorful Ring Nebula shines in new Webb images
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed colorful new portraits of the iconic Ring Nebula. Webb previously captured a different perspective on the Ring Nebula, as well as the similar-looking Southern Ring Nebula. A longtime favorite of astronomers, the Ring Nebula has been studied for years due to its observability and the insight it can provide into the lifetime of stars. Messier and astronomer Darquier de Pellepoix discovered the Ring Nebula in 1779. As the dying star was throwing off its atmosphere, the companion star shaped the outflow and sculpted it.”

Persons: James Webb, Webb, Charles Messier, Messier, Darquier de Pellepoix, ”, Roger Wesson, Wesson, ” Wesson Organizations: CNN, Cardiff University, NASA, Hubble, ESA, Webb, CSA Locations: MIRI

☆ Japan’s X-ray satellite, ‘Moon Sniper’ lunar lander are ready to launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A revolutionary satellite that will reveal celestial objects in a new light and the “Moon Sniper” lunar lander are expected to lift off Sunday night. The XRISM satellite (pronounced “crism”), also called the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, is a joint mission between JAXA and NASA, along with participation from the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency. Along for the ride is JAXA’s SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. Previously, Japanese company Ispace’s Hakuto-R lunar lander fell 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) before crashing into the moon during a landing attempt in April. If SLIM is successful, JAXA contends, it will transform missions from “landing where we can to landing where we want.”

Persons: Ray, SLIM, Smart Lander, ”, Richard Kelley, James Webb, XRISM, Taylor Mickal, ” Kelley, “, Xtend, Brian Williams, NASA’s, Goddard, Ispace’s Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, YouTube, Ray Imaging, JAXA, NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, Goddard Space Flight, NASA Goddard Space Flight, Space Center, Soviet Locations: Japan, Greenbelt , Maryland, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Japan prepares to launch X-ray satellite, ‘Moon Sniper’ lunar lander
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A revolutionary satellite that will reveal celestial objects in a new light and the “Moon Sniper” lunar lander are preparing for launch. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, is expected to launch its XRISM mission, pronounced “crism,” from Japan on Sunday evening. Along for the ride is JAXA’s SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. Moon Sniper sets its sights on a craterMeanwhile, SLIM will use its own propulsion system to head toward the moon. Previously, Japanese company Ispace’s Hakuto-R lunar lander fell 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) before crashing into the moon during a landing attempt in April.

Persons: Ray, SLIM, Smart Lander, ”, Richard Kelley, James Webb, Taylor Mickal, XRISM, Ispace’s Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Ray Imaging, NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, YouTube, Goddard Space Flight, Center, Soviet Locations: ”, Japan, Greenbelt , Maryland, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Mysterious dark spot detected on Neptune
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Astronomers have spotted a large and mysterious dark spot within Neptune’s atmosphere, and it has an unexpectedly bright companion. “Since the first discovery of a dark spot, I’ve always wondered what these short-lived and elusive dark features are,” said lead study author Patrick Irwin, professor of planetary physics at the University of Oxford, in a statement. Gas giants and dark spotsGiant gaseous planets in our solar system, including Neptune, are known for the dark spots that appear in their atmospheres, such as Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, a centuries-old storm. The Great Dark Spot on Neptune, the nickname given to the largest storm witnessed by Voyager 2, was so large that it could contain Earth. The unusual cloud appeared in the observation as a smaller bright spot next to the larger dark spot, and both are on the same atmospheric level.

Persons: I’ve, ”, Patrick Irwin, Hubble, Neptune, Irwin, Irwin et, Michael Wong, ” Wong, “ Organizations: CNN —, Southern, Hubble, University of Oxford, Gas, NASA, Irwin’s, European Southern Observatory, University of California Locations: Chile, Northern, Berkeley

☆ Neptune’s disappearing clouds linked to solar cycle
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The findings are “extremely exciting and unexpected, especially since Neptune’s previous period of low cloud activity was not nearly as dramatic and prolonged,” Chavez added. The findings also contradict the idea of the clouds being affected by Neptune’s four seasons, which each last about 40 years. Additionally, Neptune storms rising from the deep atmosphere do influence the planet’s cloud cover — but aren’t related to clouds formed in the upper atmosphere. That variable could interfere with studies looking at correlations between photochemically produced clouds and the solar cycle. More research could also suggest how long the near absence of clouds on Neptune might last.

Persons: ”, Imke de Pater, Neptune brightened, Erandi Chavez, ” Chavez, Neptune, Patrick Irwin, wasn’t, Irwin, Carlos Alvarez, ” Irwin, “ Organizations: CNN —, University of California, NASA, Hubble, Keck, Lick, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, JPL, Caltech, University of Oxford, Keck Observatory Locations: Berkeley, Hawaii, California

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