If life is abundant in the universe, atmospheric methane may be the first sign of life beyond Earth detectable by astronomers. Although nonbiological processes can generate methane, a new study by scientists at UC Santa Cruz ...
Astrobiology
Mar 28, 2022
1
731
India's Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched last summer and its Vikram lander touched down on the moon's surface last August. Shortly thereafter, it released a rover called Pragyan. Since that time, the rover has been meandering ...
The ongoing volcanic eruption in Tonga began in December 2021, but it wasn't until 5:15pm local time on January 15 2022 that the powerful explosion occurred. It generated an enormous cloud of ash, earthquakes, and tsunamis ...
Environment
Jan 19, 2022
0
36
SBUDNIC, built by an academically diverse team of students, was confirmed to have successfully reentered Earth's atmosphere in August, demonstrating a practical, low-cost method to cut down on space debris.
Space Exploration
Aug 24, 2023
0
154
On May 11, a gorgeous aurora surprised stargazers across the southern United States. That same weekend, a tractor guided by GPS missed its mark.
Planetary Sciences
Aug 16, 2024
1
232
By analyzing the data from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) telescope, an international team of astronomers has discovered cesium in the atmosphere of a hot white dwarf known as HD 149499B. The finding, reported ...
The Greenland Ice Sheet covers 1.7 million square kilometers (660,200 square miles) in the Arctic. If it melts entirely, global sea level would rise about 7 meters (23 feet), but scientists aren't sure how quickly the ice ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 27, 2023
41
737
Two University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists have discovered a new type of "whistler," an electromagnetic wave that carries a substantial amount of lightning energy to the Earth's magnetosphere.
Planetary Sciences
Aug 17, 2024
2
539
If not for the soupy, fast-moving atmosphere on Venus, Earth's sister planet would likely not rotate. Instead, Venus would be locked in place, always facing the sun the way the same side of the moon always faces Earth.
Astronomy
Apr 20, 2022
29
1206
The sun has emitted a strong solar flare that peaked at 10:33 p.m. ET on March 28, 2023. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event.
Astronomy
Mar 29, 2023
0
198
