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Planetary Sciences news
Could you find what a lunar crater is made of by shooting it?
Americans are famously fond of their guns. So it should come as no surprise that a team of NASA scientists has devised a way to "shoot" a modified type of sensor into the soil of an otherworldly body and determine what it ...
Planetary Sciences
14 hours ago
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Scientists have found evidence of past extreme solar storms—they could be disastrous for technology-based society
In September 1859, the same year that Darwin published "On the Origin of Species," telegraph systems across Europe and North America stopped working and started sparking, leading to fires in some cases.
Planetary Sciences
17 hours ago
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Work is underway on NASA's next-generation asteroid hunter
The mirrors for NASA's Near-Earth Object Surveyor space telescope are being installed and aligned, and work on other spacecraft components is accelerating.
Astronomy
18 hours ago
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From earthquakes to starquakes: Seismology research helps understand exoplanet migration
When Jared Bryan talks about his seismology research, it's with a natural finesse. He's a fifth-year Ph.D. student working with MIT Assistant Professor William Frank on seismology research, drawn in by the lab's combination ...
Astronomy
19 hours ago
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Hidden craters reveal Earth may once have had a ring—like Saturn
The rings of Saturn are among the most famous and spectacular features in the solar system. Earth may once have had something similar.
Planetary Sciences
Sep 18, 2024
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Astronomers discover new feature in exoplanet distribution that's between the Neptunian Desert and Savanna
Astronomers have uncovered the "Neptunian Ridge," a newly identified feature in the distribution of exoplanets. This discovery, led by an international team including members of the University of Geneva, The NCCR PlanetS ...
Planetary Sciences
Sep 17, 2024
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176
Europa Clipper: 8 things to know about NASA's mission to an ocean moon of Jupiter
The first NASA spacecraft dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth, Europa Clipper aims to find out whether the ice-encased moon Europa could be habitable.
Space Exploration
Sep 17, 2024
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An ambitious mission to Neptune could study both the planet and Triton
Mission concepts to the outer solar system are relatively common, as planetary scientists are increasingly frustrated by our lack of knowledge of the farthest planets. Neptune, the farthest known planet, was last visited ...
Space Exploration
Sep 17, 2024
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Astronomers are getting better at detecting asteroids before they hit Earth—and it could save us from catastrophe
On September 4 2024, astronomers discovered an asteroid, 1 meter in diameter, heading towards Earth. The space rock would burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere near the Philippines later that day, officials announced. Nevertheless, ...
Astronomy
Sep 17, 2024
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Supermoon and partial lunar eclipse rising over Kansas City soon: When to look up
If you look up in the Kansas and Missouri skies on Tuesday, Sept. 17, you may be able to catch a glimpse at not only a supermoon—but also a partial lunar eclipse.
Space Exploration
Sep 17, 2024
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NASA's Artemis II crew uses Iceland terrain for lunar training
Black and gray sediment stretches as far as the eye can see. Boulders sit on top of ground devoid of vegetation. Humans appear almost miniature in scale against a swath of shadowy mountains. At first glance, it seems a perfect ...
Space Exploration
Sep 16, 2024
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New hypothesis suggests Mars's unique shape may be due to long lost moon
An astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory has developed a hypothesis to explain the unique shape and terrain of Mars. He suggests both are due to a long-lost moon. Michael Efroimsky has published a paper outlining the hypothesis ...
Earth may have had a ring system 466 million years ago
In a discovery that challenges our understanding of Earth's ancient history, researchers have found evidence suggesting that Earth may have had a ring system that formed around 466 million years ago, at the beginning of a ...
Planetary Sciences
Sep 16, 2024
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Catch a partial lunar eclipse during September's supermoon
Get ready for a partial lunar eclipse and supermoon, all rolled into one.
Space Exploration
Sep 15, 2024
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Astronomers discover new planet in Great Bear constellation
Astronomers from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun have discovered a new planet in the constellation of the Great Bear. It has a mass as much as 11 times that of Jupiter, orbits its star in 14 years and has a temperature ...
Planetary Sciences
Sep 13, 2024
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354
Gravity study gives insights into hidden features beneath lost ocean of Mars and rising Olympus Mons
Studies of gravity variations at Mars have revealed dense, large-scale structures hidden beneath the sediment layers of a lost ocean. The analysis, which combines models and data from multiple missions, also shows that active ...
Planetary Sciences
Sep 13, 2024
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Earth to have new mini-moon for two months
A pair of asteroid dynamics researchers from Universidad Complutense de Madrid Ciudad Universitaria have found that a small asteroid will make one orbit around the Earth starting this month before departing back into other ...
Solar storms may cause faint auroras overnight in parts of Northern Hemisphere
Solar storms may bring faint but visible auroras to the Northern Hemisphere starting late Thursday and extending into early Friday morning.
Planetary Sciences
Sep 12, 2024
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Odds of asteroid 99942 Apophis striking Earth slightly higher than thought
An astrophysicist at the University of Western Ontario finds that the odds of the asteroid 99942 Apophis striking Earth are slightly higher than previously thought. In his study, published in The Planetary Science Journal, ...
Supermoon will soon appear in sky over California—along with partial eclipse: How to watch
Stargazers will be in for a special treat when the next full moon shines over California. A partial lunar eclipse will coincide with a harvest supermoon on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
Space Exploration
Sep 12, 2024
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