Chinese scientists have developed a comprehensive mission to study asteroids. One of its targets could be the asteroid Apophis.

The asteroid Apophis has a diameter of 375 meters. On April 13, 2029, it will make a close flyby of Earth, passing at a distance of 32,000 km from its surface (i.e., inside the orbits of geostationary satellites). At that moment, the asteroid will be visible to the naked eye across most of Europe and Africa, as well as in some parts of Asia. The encounter with Earth is expected to affect the asteroid and cause landslides and shifts on it.

According to scientists’ estimates, such large objects approach Earth on average once every 5,000 to 10,000 years. It is not surprising that Apophis’ visit has attracted increased attention, and a number of countries and space agencies are considering options for sending missions to it. Currently, ESA and JAXA are working on the Ramses spacecraft, while NASA is focusing on the OSIRIS-APEX mission, which previously studied the asteroid Bennu.

Chinese scientists do not intend to miss such a rare opportunity and are also working on their own mission. It has been named CROWN/Apophis and is part of a larger project called CROWN, which aims to launch six different probes to study near-Earth objects in heliocentric orbits similar to those of Venus. 

The main task of CROWN/Apophis will be to measure the fundamental properties of this potentially dangerous asteroid and the consequences of its approach to Earth. The goal of the project is to observe the processes that will occur on the surface of Apophis and how it interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere.

CROWN/Apophis will consist of two spacecraft. The larger one, weighing 44 kg, will use a combined chemical and ion propulsion system and will be equipped with cameras, a microwave rangefinder/Doppler system, and low-frequency radar. The 8 kg CubeSat will be equipped with some of the same systems as the main spacecraft.

The devices are proposed to be launched as accompanying cargo as part of a mission that has not yet been determined. After that, they will fly to the L1 Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system, where they will wait for Apophis to arrive. They will make a close flyby of the asteroid shortly after it visits the vicinity of our planet. This will happen on April 13, 2029.

• According to Spacenews

• Posted in News, Tech

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09-09-2025 om 20:42 geschreven door peter  

NASA specialists conducted a series of key tests on components of the Dragonfly drone. These tests were successful, allowing them to move on to the next stage of mission development.

Development of the Dragonfly mission began in 2019. As part of this mission, NASA plans to send a rotary-wing aircraft with a total mass of about 450 kg to Titan. It will be equipped with four twin propellers, allowing it to travel at speeds of around 36 km/h and rise to an altitude of up to 8 km. The drone will use a radioisotope generator as its power source.

Dragonfly’s primary mission is to search for complex organic molecules and assess the overall suitability of this celestial body for past and present life. The drone will be able to collect samples from the Titanian surface and conduct chemical analysis on them. Dragonfly will also study the moon’s terrain, atmosphere, and hydrocarbon reservoirs. The spacecraft is designed to operate on Titan for at least three years.

To date, the mission has already gone far beyond computer concepts. In April, its design underwent critical review. This allowed engineers to begin manufacturing and testing the drone’s components. One of the most important tests was conducted in a wind tunnel. For a month, engineers from NASA and the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) immersed a sensor-equipped drone model in a stream of heavy gas simulating Titan’s dense atmosphere. The collected data helped to understand the kind of loads that the device, its rotary system, and blades would be subjected to. This will enable the preparation of the software necessary for drone flights.

APL engineers also completed structural and thermal testing of the foam insulation for the Dragonfly lander, confirming that it will retain its shape and protect the internal components from the environment, which reaches temperatures of approximately -185 °C on Titan. The landing module body will be covered with a 7.6 cm thick layer of solimide-based foam.

In addition, APL engineers have completed the development of onboard radio stations that will serve as receivers and transmitters during Dragonfly’s flight to Titan and its work on the surface. Employees at the Goddard Space Flight Center have completed work on the DraMS mass spectrometer in search of biosignatures. And Lockheed Martin specialists conducted the first series of tests on the aerodynamic fairing that would protect Dragonfly during its re-entry into the moon’s atmosphere.

The success of all these tests made it possible to move on to the next stage of mission development. In January, engineers will begin assembling the device components and conducting comprehensive testing. The launch of Dragonfly is scheduled for July 2028, with landing on Titan planned for 2034.

• According to NASA

• Posted in News, Tech

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09-09-2025 om 20:32 geschreven door peter  

Scientists investigated the source of radiation Sh 2-283-1a SMM1. It is a stream of matter emitted by a newborn star located at the very edge of the Galaxy. Its chemical composition shows that it contains far fewer heavy elements than similar objects observed to date, but the general patterns of physical processes remain the same.

Jets from a newborn star

Research conducted using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) may help us better understand the processes of star formation. This giant radio telescope observed the radiation source Sh2-283-1a SMM1. It is located 26,000 light-years away from us and 51,000 light-years from the center of the Galaxy.

In fact, it consists of jets of matter emitted by a newborn star. This phenomenon is not new and has been observed more than once. A large amount of matter falls onto the newly formed star, and part of it is ejected back into space due to the large angular momentum.

What makes Sh 2-283-1a SMM1 unusual is the star’s location. Not only is it far away from us, but it is also at the very edge of the Galaxy. Scientists have not yet observed such a phenomenon so far from the center of the Galaxy, and this should be an interesting region, because even compared to the vicinity of the Sun, it is poor in metals, i.e., elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.

Research results

Observations made with ALMA have provided insight into the chemical composition of the jets. It has been confirmed that it is much poorer in heavy elements than similar structures that have been observed previously. In particular, the ratio of silicon oxide to carbon oxide was significantly lower than in jets emanating from young stars near the Sun.

At the same time, this object is a “hot core” — a hot structure rich in chemical elements. They are quite common in star-forming regions closer to the center of the galaxy, but this is only the second time such an object has been observed at its edge. 

The luminosity of the core is 6,700 times greater than that of the Sun, which suggests that the star, when fully formed, will be of average or large mass. The jets are not emitted continuously, but at intervals of 900–1400 years.

ALMA also detected increased activity in four other young stars on the outskirts of the Galaxy. This indicates that the processes of star formation here are quite intense and, in general, follow the same patterns as in the center of the Galaxy.

• According to phys.org

• Posted in News, Science

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09-09-2025 om 20:19 geschreven door peter  

Oumuamua comet, interstellar object passing through the Solar System, unusual shaped asteroid

(3d space rendering) | Shutterstock

On October 19 2017, Robert Weryk, a Canadian astronomer working at the University of Hawaii, discovered the first-ever known interstellar object in our solar system. If that sounds a bit strange, what with all the relatively regular sightings of asteroids and comets popping up in the news, it’s important to understand the significance of the phrase ‘in our solar system’.

Unlike previous interstellar objects, ‘Oumuamua which means ‘a message from afar arriving first’ in Hawaiian) had entered the zone controlled by the sun’s gravity. What’s potentially more alarming is that ‘Oumuamua had come closer to Earth than any other known interstellar object, and we still don't know much about it.

So what do we know? 'Oumuamua, a shining object that measured approximately 400-800 metres in length, entered our Solar System travelling 57,000 miles per hour (that's 16 miles per second). It sped straight down towards the Sun but curled underneath due to the star's gravitational pull. This sent the object off on a new trajectory, which was once again altered slightly as it passed Mercury. At its closest point, 'Oumuamua was 15 million miles away from the Earth, which may seem like a lot, but can be classed as a near-miss in the grand scheme of things. The whole process lasted forty days.

But no-one knows what 'Oumuamua really was. An asteroid comprised of metal and rocks, a comet made up of rocks, dust and ice, or a spinning, intensely bright, cigar-shaped (or 'prolate ellipsoid' to give it the technical description) alien probe?

The popular conclusion that ‘Oumuamua was most probably a cosmic iceberg, a mass of frozen hydrogen, is based upon observed findings that ‘Oumuamua couldn’t have contained any water, carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, as found in asteroids and comets, because they would have been visible phenomena.

Perhaps more contentiously, astronomers also discovered that the object was accelerating as it left the solar system, yet it had no antitail as one might expect to find on a comet. The theory was that tails on comets and asteroids (though less common) act like rocket engines, but a frozen lump of hydrogen could have rocket-engine like propulsion, while the tail remained invisible from the gaze of the telescope.

Based on this, the general conclusion is that ‘Oumuamua was a highly luminescent, half-billion old chunk of planet from outside the Solar System., However, the theory is in a perpetual case of dispute. There are also a growing number of high-profile voices, such as Harvard astrophysicist Professor Avi Loeb, that claim ‘Oumuamua might have been an alien spacecraft from the far reaches of space.

His theory that ‘Oumuamua was a fully operational probe sent intentionally to the Earth’s vicinity by an alien civilization, was based on exactly the same observations that deemed it a cosmic iceberg.

In the series finale of Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies, Craig Charles and astrophysicist Sarah Cruddas investigate ‘Oumuamua in an attempt to get one step closer to the answer. They speak to Professor Loeb who warns that the object could be a ‘message in a bottle telling us we’re not alone’. Sarah and Craig also speak with members of the SETI Institute who offer their hypotheses about the event and ponder the existence of intelligent life outside of Earth.

Is Oumuamua an alien probe sent from another galaxy, as Professor Loeb believes or a cosmic glacier? We’ll probably never know for sure, but let's leave you with this: the Drake Formula. Formulated in 1961 by Dr Frank Drake, this provides the formula for a probabilistic argument to estimate the number of communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in our galaxy. The answer is 12,600, and that’s just in the Milky Way. The Hubble Telescope has revealed an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the universe and the James Webb Telescope will probably double that…

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08-09-2025 om 22:09 geschreven door peter  

Humanity is advancing into space rather slowly – astronauts landed on the moon 55 years ago, and since then, we have not been able to boast of any achievements of a similar scale. But our journey through the Solar System will continue, and its next destination will obviously be Mars.

While some scientists are trying to figure out how colonists can protect themselves and adapt to Martian conditions, others are proposing to change the planet itself. Is it possible to make the Martian environment more suitable for future colonists, and is it worth doing? Let’s try to figure it out.

The greenhouse effect: enemy of Earth, friend of Mars?

The technology for creating conditions on the surface of a celestial body that are as close as possible to those on Earth is called “terraforming”. The term was first used by American science fiction writer Jack Williamson in his 1942 novel Collision Course.

In 1971, astronomer and science popularizer Carl Sagan became the first scientist to propose terraforming Mars, which currently has a thin atmosphere consisting almost entirely of carbon dioxide with small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases. He suggested that by releasing gases from various sources on the Red Planet, it would be possible to artificially thicken its gas envelope and increase the chances of liquid water appearing on the surface due to the greenhouse effect.

NASA took an interest in the concept. Carbon dioxide and water vapor are the only greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere and ice deposits on Mars and beneath the planet’s surface. Carbon dioxide molecules are excellent at trapping the Sun’s infrared rays. So if enough of this substance is released by melting the ice caps and filling the atmosphere with it, it will create a greenhouse effect that will raise the average temperature and thus “warm” the cold planet. This is literally the same effect that is currently causing climate change on our planet.

For its part, increased pressure will contribute to the appearance of water bodies on the surface of Mars. And although it will not be possible to breathe fresh Martian air for a long time, at least it will be possible to do without airtight compression suits there.

However, in 2018, after a series of studies, NASA scientists abandoned the project. It turned out that there was not enough carbon dioxide on the Red Planet. Based on data from the MAVEN, Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Mars Odyssey missions, experts calculated that even if all Martian carbon dioxide were completely evaporated, the atmospheric pressure would only rise to 15 mbar (for comparison: the average pressure at the Earth’s surface is 987 mbar). The project was closed with the conclusion: “Terraforming Mars is impossible with current technology. Any such plans are only possible in the very distant future”.

Regional terraforming

Of course, they decided not to stop there. Researchers from Harvard University, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL NASA), and the University of Edinburgh came up with the idea that it is not necessary to change the climate of the entire planet – it is enough to influence only certain regions where the colonists will live. The scientists proposed using silica aerogel, one of the best insulating materials that mimics the greenhouse effect in the Earth’s atmosphere. These aerogels are currently used in several engineering projects, including the Mars Exploration Rovers mission probes. Through modeling and experiments, scientists have shown that a two- to three-centimeter-thick aerogel shield without any internal heat source can transmit enough visible light for photosynthesis, block dangerous ultraviolet radiation, and raise and maintain the surface temperature above the melting point of water ice. This material can be used to build dwellings or even autonomous biospheres on Mars.

Artistic illustration of the stages of terraforming Mars.

Source: Daein Ballard

Controlled heating of limited areas would not require large amounts of energy or maintenance of modular settlements to keep the area warm for a long time. The results of studies simulating the Martian surface showed that a thin layer of aerogel generally increased surface temperatures in the mid-latitudes of Mars to those found on Earth. However, further research is needed to build such “greenhouses”. In addition, this miracle material does not solve the problem of the harsh climate of the entire planet, and it is also quite fragile and requires large-scale production.

Nuclear bombing, or Musk’s method

Even the eccentric billionaire Elon Musk has become fascinated with the seductive idea of terraforming Mars, in his own style, through nuclear bombing. Musk is the most famous contemporary proponent of colonizing the fourth planet from the Sun. He has repeatedly shared his plans to populate it by 2050 with more than a million colonists who will live under the glass domes of Martian cities. However, he also has a long-term goal – to make Mars more like Earth.

Musk also proposes to use the greenhouse effect. First, it is necessary to heat the frozen carbon dioxide reserves at the Martian poles, which can be accomplished by detonating nuclear bombs above them. In response to comments about the insufficient amount of carbon dioxide in frozen deposits, the billionaire emphasized that Martian soil may also contain a “huge amount” of this substance. Its release will help warm the planet, melt frozen glaciers, and further thicken the atmosphere, causing warming.

Therefore, scientists point out the shortcomings of this method of transforming Mars into a blooming oasis. Even if there were enough frozen CO₂, such a strategy would require the use of an almost unattainable amount of nuclear weapons. According to some estimates, 3,500 half-megaton nuclear warheads would need to be detonated every day for seven weeks straight. And even at that rate, the subsequent terraforming process would take several millennia.

Giant orbital mirrors

Another popular method of terraforming Mars is to build giant mirrors in orbit around the planet, which will reflect and direct more sunlight and heat its surface. Among the most prominent proponents of this method are Christopher McCain, a planetary scientist and researcher at NASA, and Robert Zubrin, an American aerospace engineer, writer, and founder of the Mars Society.

The idea is to build orbital mirrors with a radius of about 100 km from thin aluminized thermoplastic film (a similar material is used to make solar sails). Such mirrors would weigh about 200,000 tons! If they were manufactured in space using resources from the Moon or asteroids, the production of the necessary aluminum would require a huge amount of energy, not to mention time.

According to Zubrin, we do not have enough data to claim that there are insufficient carbon dioxide deposits on Mars. Until now, experts have relied on data from the MAVEN satellite and several Mars rovers, which have only penetrated a few centimeters into the Martian soil. There may be more deposits of volatile substances deeper underground. Further research involves drilling several hundred meters deep in various locations on the planet.

Asteroid bombardments

Another way to raise the temperature is to direct small asteroids or comets toward the surface of Mars. For decades, humanity has been developing programs to track potentially hazardous objects and creating systems to protect Earth from collisions. Therefore, one or more of these methods could be used to arrange for such objects to collide with Mars. The energy from the crash would then serve as a source of heat.

Asteroids can be selected based on their “usefulness” – for example, based on their ammonia content, which, when released into the Martian atmosphere, will further enhance the greenhouse effect, or based on the presence of water, which will turn into water vapor.

However, NASA believes that thousands of such asteroids will be needed, and there is currently no ready-made technology for their targeted transportation to Mars.

The hardest part is still ahead

There are other methods of bringing conditions on Mars closer to those on Earth by importing ammonia, hydrogen, or bacteria capable of living and serving as a nutrient substrate for plants in Martian regolith. However, scientists believe that instead of fighting the consequences, we should look at the root of the problem. More precisely, at the core. After all, any attempts to create an atmosphere on the Red Planet will be futile without a magnetosphere to hold it in place. A terraformed Mars will need a reinforced magnetosphere, similar to the one that protects Earth from the flow of charged particles from the Sun.

It is believed that about 4 billion years ago, Mars lost its magnetic field due to the cessation of core rotation. Without a magnetosphere to serve as a shield, solar winds began to bombard and destroy the atmosphere. Leading NASA scientist James Green, who has worked at the agency for 40 years, proposes creating a huge magnetic shield to prevent our star from destroying the future Martian atmosphere. As a result, the planet will be able to retain heat near the surface, pressure will increase, and the climate will improve and become suitable for life. According to the scientist, this method will entail the least amount of interference and destruction, and then Mars will begin to terraform on its own. However, he does not provide estimates of the cost of the project, the necessary technological capabilities, or the time required for such long-term processes.

Ethical issues and the benefits of concepts and research for the Earth

Although humanity is still quite far from realizing its plans to terraform Mars, we must nevertheless consider the ethical and appropriateness of such projects. Similar to protected wilderness areas on Earth, Mars has extreme, historically important, and aesthetically valuable regions. Any interference with the planet’s natural development will lead to irreversible changes. Mars will forever lose its unique historical and research value for future generations.

Another problem with terraforming Mars is the high cost of such missions. And if, say, humanity had such resources, wouldn’t it be more expedient to use them for the benefit of Earth? Scientists around the world are already sounding the alarm about climate change, the destruction of fertile land, the depletion of fresh water and mineral resources, and the lack of preparedness for possible epidemics.

We should not forget the history of colonization, which has always been accompanied by tragedy. Even today, destructive wars continue over territory, resources, religious beliefs, and so on. So, have we reached the point of moral development where we can become wise guests in the Universe, rather than destructive invaders?

We will have to find answers to these and other questions in the future. However, similar research, such as improving soil quality or developing protection against asteroids, can also be used on our planet. Like many other technologies that are part of our everyday life, thanks to space developments. And in the event of an inevitable catastrophe, Mars would become “plan B” for the salvation of the human race.

• Author: Anastasiia Bernatska, journalist
• This article was published in issue No. 1 (190) of Universe Space Tech magazine in 2024. You can purchase this issue in print or electronic format from our store.

• Posted in Articles, Questions

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08-09-2025 om 20:53 geschreven door peter  

In a world limited to three dimensions, imagining a fourth is incredibly difficult, especially for an unprepared reader. But one genius scientist found a way to show people the hidden world using an ordinary apple. 

As it happens, the human mind is attuned to perceiving only three dimensions: height, width, and depth. Representing the fourth dimension seems like an impossible task, because our brains are limited by the physical world around us. But what if there is a dimension that we simply cannot see? Legendary science popularizer Carl Sagan comes to the rescue.

Known for his research into space, Sagan possessed a unique gift — the ability to explain complex scientific theories through simple stories and vivid analogies. He could turn the most complex concept into a fascinating adventure for the mind.

In search of the fourth dimension

Time is often referred to as the fourth dimension. This is logical: to determine the position of an object in the Universe, you need three coordinates in space and one in time. But there is another, more theoretical concept — a space where all four dimensions are spatial. It is precisely this concept that is so difficult to understand.

Sagan begins his explanation with a simple analogy. He invites us to imagine a two-dimensional world — a Flat World whose inhabitants have no concept of “up” or “down.” When a three-dimensional object, such as an apple, passes through this flat world, its inhabitants see only a strange phenomenon.

They do not see the apple as a whole. They only observe the point of contact that appears when the apple crosses their world. When an object moves, this point may change shape, split into several parts, or disappear. For a resident of the Flat World, this is an incomprehensible phenomenon, a set of changing forms that cannot be explained in his/her world.

From apple to hypercube

The same logic, Sagan notes, applies to us when we try to imagine the fourth dimension. We are like those inhabitants of the Flat World. Our minds cannot comprehend anything beyond our three dimensions. But we can see its “imprint” in our world.

To demonstrate this, the scientist uses a tesseract — a four-dimensional hypercube. We cannot see a real tesseract, but we can observe its three-dimensional projection, just as the inhabitants of Flat world saw only a two-dimensional trace of an apple. This projection looks like a complex cube, as if nested within itself. It is only a shadow, an attempt by our brain to reproduce something much more complex.

Truth beyond reach

Sagan’s work is not just an interesting scientific trick. Studying measurements that lie beyond our immediate experience is key to understanding the fundamental laws of the Universe. Many phenomena in physics, such as black holes or the curvature of space-time, cannot be adequately described in only three dimensions.

Carl Sagan not only dispelled the myth that complex concepts are inaccessible. He showed that the best way to understand something is through clear explanations, vivid metaphors, and engaging stories. His lesson on the fourth dimension remains a brilliant example of how to talk about the most complex things in a simple way.

Earlier, we reported on how Carl Sagan was responsible for the most famous photograph of Earth from space.

• According to upworthy.com

• Posted in News, Science

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08-09-2025 om 20:33 geschreven door peter  

Artist's concept of Earth's core

(Credit: NASA/JPL)

Researchers have made a discovery involving how the Earth’s core initially froze and crystallized millions of years ago, suggesting that a previously unexpected amount of carbon,  as revealed in a new paper published in Nature Communications.

Accounting for 3.8% of the Earth’s interior, such a percentage is far higher than researchers believed was likely to exist in the planet’s core, which is primarily believed to be rich in iron. Presently, it continues to grow as more of its molten surroundings cool to join the core’s mass in a process that scientists have debated for decades.

Understanding The Earth’s Inner Core

Forming a solid inner core requires more than just cooling—it depends on the precise chemistry of the molten material. The process can be compared to hail formation: water droplets in clouds must reach temperatures well below water’s normal freezing point before crystallizing into ice. Similarly, molten iron in Earth’s core must become “supercooled,” dropping roughly 800–1000 °C below its normal freezing point to solidify.

However, geological evidence suggests Earth’s core has never cooled this far. Simulations show such extreme cooling would have caused runaway core growth and likely collapsed the planet’s magnetic field—an event that never appears to have happened. Data instead indicate the core cooled by less than 250 °C below its melting point.

Reconciling A Warm Core

To explain how the core could crystallize without extreme supercooling, researchers from the University of Oxford, the University of Leeds, and University College London turned to computer simulations. Lacking direct access to the planet’s center, they modeled how elements like carbon, oxygen, sulfur, and silicon—known to exist in the mantle—would influence crystallization if present in the core.

A diagram of the Earth’s inner and molten cores, displaying how convection generates the magnetic field.

Credit: Dr Alfred Wilson

The First Steps Of Freezing

The team simulated atomic-scale interactions, tracking how roughly 100,000 atoms behaved under high pressure and supercooled conditions similar to those in the inner core. They focused on “nucleation,” the moment when small crystal clusters first form, marking the beginning of freezing.

The results were striking. Elements like silicon and sulfur, once thought to be major components of the core, actually slowed freezing and required greater supercooling. Carbon, by contrast, accelerated freezing, bringing models closer to observed conditions. A 2.4% carbon mixture still fell short, but at 3.8% carbon, the simulations aligned perfectly with expectations—producing an inner core temperature requiring just 266 °C of supercooling. No other combination reproduced the core’s observed nucleation and size.

Continuing to Investigate the Core

“It is exciting to see how atomic-scale processes control the fundamental structure and dynamics of our planet,” said lead author Dr Alfred Wilson of the University of Leeds. “By studying how Earth’s inner core formed, we are not just learning about our planet’s past. We’re getting a rare glimpse into the chemistry of a region we can never hope to reach directly and learning about how it could change in the future.”

The study also lends new data to the ongoing debate over the age of Earth’s core. Some scientists argue it began crystallizing more than two billion years ago, while others suggest it solidified less than half a billion years ago. The new evidence, pointing to carbon’s crucial role, may help resolve this long-standing question.

• The paper, “Constraining Earth’s Core Composition from Inner Core Nucleation,” appeared in Nature Communications on September 4, 2025.
• Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.

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05-09-2025 om 21:29 geschreven door peter  

A conceptual image of an interstellar alien probe

(Image: AI generated)

With the recent discovery of the mysterious space object 3I/ATLAS, the third-known interstellar object directly observed by astronomers, debate over its origins—and even the possibility that it might be of technological origin—has captured the public imagination.

Now, an international team of astronomers suggests that the rare appearances of interstellar objects passing through our solar system could provide scientists with an opportunity to search for signs of extraterrestrial technology.

While the available evidence strongly supports the view that 3I/ATLAS is a comet, albeit one bearing some rather unusual qualities, the team behind the recent study nonetheless suggests that there are good reasons to consider interstellar objects passing through our solar system as potential candidates in the search for alien technosignatures.

3I/ATLAS: A Comet, or Alien Technology?

Following the discovery of 3I/ATLAS on July 1, 2025, speculations about the object’s nature and origin have entertained a range of possibilities based on some of its unusual characteristics. Among these is the idea proposed by Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb and colleagues in a preprint paper earlier this year, which examined whether the object’s trajectory and non-gravitational motion through the solar system might suggest that it bears the qualities astronomers could expect from an intelligently controlled spacecraft.

Notably, Loeb and his co-authors stated in the paper that their examination of the potentially technological origins of 3I/ATLAS had been largely pedagogical, although they maintained that such views should not be dismissed outright, even if the likeliest interpretation by far remains that the object is an interstellar comet.

 Now, in a new study by an international team of scientists that reviews decades of speculation and outlines concrete strategies for examining interstellar comets and asteroids, the paper’s authors similarly argue that 3I/ATLAS and its predecessors, 1I/‘Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, bore all the qualities of comets, but that the search for genuine alien technosignatures associated with interstellar objects that make our way to our solar system is not unwarranted.

Cosmic Hitchhikers

“Since humanity has sent many of our own spacecraft on interstellar trajectories, we know that it is possible to send probes to other stars,” the study’s authors write. Equally, they argue that a range of different types of technosignatures could essentially “hitchhike” across interstellar distances and arrive with an interstellar object.

“Technology could either be active throughout an object’s interstellar journey, or wake from a dormant state upon arrival in the Solar System,” the authors write. “Defunct technology may also be found, such as spacecraft whose power supplies have long since become inactive.”

Other possibilities include technology that might be buried beneath the surface of an interstellar object. According to this premise, as the surface material begins to sublimate as the object begins to approach our Sun—the same processes producing the Sun-facing coma or “halo” of cometary material currently surrounding 3I/ATLAS—any alien technologies may be revealed through such natural processes. This would allow for the deployment of a once-buried probe, but only if its interstellar carrier manages to reach the vicinity of a star like our Sun.

Other possibilities include interstellar asteroids that are modified to produce “world ships, objects which may include natural structures and other technological features that would allow any “interstellar nomads” on board to utilize generational habitats that could be carried along with any prospective comets capable of spanning interstellar distances.

“Given the extreme distance between star systems, sending physical objects between stars may be advantageous for an extraterrestrial civilization, compared with direct communication,” the authors note.

Four Avenues for Technosignature Searches

In their paper, the team examines four primary categories of potential searches for technosignatures, which include

1) anomalous trajectories (the presence of unexpected accelerations or maneuvers that can’t be explained by natural outgassing or radiation pressure),

2) spectral or coloration anomalies (including unusual reflectance, coatings, or waste heat detectable in the infrared),

3) objects with unnatural shapes such as cylinders or thin “light-sails,” and

4) any detectable transmissions in the form of narrowband radio or optical signals, including lasers, that could indicate intentional or incidental communication.

Interestingly, such observations were made of ‘Oumuamua and Borisov, although no detectable signatures were discernible. As it continues its journey through our solar system, 3I/ATLAS has already been targeted by the Allen Telescope Array and observed by multiple observatories, including NASA’s Webb and Hubble telescopes. Based on all the available data, everything astronomers have observed thus far suggests that these objects have natural origins.

Nonetheless, the authors of the new paper emphasize that there remains a chance that even a few mundane observations—such as monitoring a comet’s rotation, its color, or how it accelerates—could still provide some critical context that may be helpful in identifying potential outliers that might arrive in the future.

Why Technosignature Searches Matter

Currently, with the Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time expected to discover anywhere from six to more than 50 interstellar objects in the next decade, the team behind the new study argues that technosignature investigations should not be overlooked and must be incorporated into routine follow-ups. Coordinated campaigns that scour radio, optical, infrared, and radar frequencies could maximize the chances of spotting anything unusual, in the unlikely event that it existed.

For now, although speculation about alien probes captures public imagination, the real value of taking such studies seriously lies in building a systematic framework for distinguishing natural phenomena from any potential anomalies we might find.

“Any potential detection of technosignatures from an [interstellar space object] will require the most stringent and detailed confirmation possible,” the paper’s authors write, underscoring the need for rigorous protocols and independent verification if—or perhaps when—we spot something truly anomalous.

The team’s paper, “Technosignature Searches of Interstellar Objects,” by James R.A. Davenport, et al, appeared on the preprint arXiv.org server on August 22, 2025.

• Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.

{ https://thedebrief.org/category/space/ }

05-09-2025 om 21:10 geschreven door peter  

Story by MARCIA DUNN

 

Interstellar Come

© Uncredited

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Telescope observations reveal a growing tail on the comet that’s visiting from another star.

Released Thursday, the pictures taken by the Gemini South telescope in Chile late last month are the most detailed yet of the recently discovered comet. They show a wide coma of dust and gas around the ice ball as it speeds toward the sun, and also a tail that’s more extended than it was in previous shots.

These new images confirm that the comet is becoming more active as it plows harmlessly through our solar system, according to the National Science Foundation's NoirLab, which operates the telescope. It’s only the third known interstellar object to venture our way.

As of Thursday, the comet known as 3I-Atlas was 238 million miles (384 million kilometers) from Earth and growing ever nearer, according to NASA. It will make its closest approach to the sun at the end of October and then pass closest to Earth in December from 167 million miles (269 million kilometers) away — farther from Earth than the sun.

Interstellar Comet

© Uncredited

This story was first published on Sep. 4, 2025. It was updated on Sep. 5, 2025 to correct the name of the agency that operates the telescope. It is the National Science Foundation, not the National Space Foundation.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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{ Associated Press News }

05-09-2025 om 20:39 geschreven door peter  

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

05-09-2025 om 20:26 geschreven door peter  

In August 2025, the GMOS spectrograph on the Gemini South telescope in Chile took a unique image of comet 3I/ATLAS. This object attracts the attention of scientists around the world because it is an interstellar traveler that has come to us from beyond our planetary system. Its incredible speed — over 200,000 km/h — undeniably confirms its origin in interstellar space.

Scientific value of the photograph

The magnificent color photograph clearly shows the coma — a cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the comet’s nucleus and expands as it approaches the Sun. Astronomers were particularly struck by the comet’s expressive tail, which had grown significantly longer compared to previous observations. Its length in the sky reaches 1/120 of a degree, which is comparable to the width of your pinky finger when you look at it with your arm outstretched.

In addition to its aesthetic appeal, this photograph has enormous scientific value. The main purpose of the observations was to study the colors of the comet and obtain its spectra. By analyzing the wavelengths of light emitted by the comet, scientists can accurately determine the chemical composition of dust particles in its coma and directly measure its chemical composition.

Discovery that brings worlds together

Despite its exotic origin, spectral analysis of comet 3I/ATLAS revealed something surprising: its composition is very similar to comets that originated in our own Solar System. This discovery leads to a revolutionary assumption: comets in different parts of our galaxy are formed from similar materials and according to the same laws, regardless of their star system.

Karen Meech, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii who led the observations, notes that scientists have for the first time been able to see the chemical composition of such a comet from its spectrum and track changes in its particles.

Space traveler

Comets like 3I/ATLAS are extremely rare. It is only the third confirmed interstellar comet in history, joining the famous comets discovered in 2017 and 2019. 

Unlike ordinary comets, which often perish when they approach the Sun, this traveler has a hyperbolic orbit. This means that it has only visited us temporarily and will soon return to the abyss of interstellar space, taking with it new knowledge about the Universe.

• Earlier, we reported on how to distinguish a natural object from an alien spacecraft.
• According to noirlab.edu

• Posted in News, Science

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{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

05-09-2025 om 20:11 geschreven door peter  

Dozens of mysterious blobs discovered inside Mars may be the remnants of 'failed planets

Mars is a single-plate planet, meaning that its crust remains fully intact, unlike Earth's, which is divided into tectonic plates. As pieces of Earth's crust subduct through plate boundaries, they sink into the mantle, which causes the molten rock within our planet to rise and fall via convection. But on Mars, this does not happen, which means its mantle is fixed in place and does not fully melt.

The newly discovered blobs are further proof that Mars' interior is much less active than Earth's.

"Their survival to this day tells us Mars' mantle has evolved sluggishly over billions of years," Charalambous said. "On Earth, features like these may well have been largely erased."

Because Mars has no tectonic activity, Marsquakes are instead triggered by landslides, cracking rocks or meteoroid impacts, which frequently pepper the planet's surface. These tremors have also been used to detect other hidden objects beneath the Red Planet's surface, including a giant underground ocean discovered using InSight data last year.

In total, InSight captured data on 1,319 Marsquakes during its roughly four-year-long mission. However, scientists were still surprised that they could map the planet's insides in such great detail.

"We knew Mars was a time capsule bearing records of its early formation, but we didn't anticipate just how clearly we'd be able to see with InSight," study co-author Tom Pike, a space exploration engineer at Imperial College London, said in the statement.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

03-09-2025 om 23:37 geschreven door peter  

In the vast expanse of our galaxy, the discovery of interstellar objects passing through our solar system has long fascinated astronomers and the general public alike. Among these, ‘Oumuamua—an enigmatic object detected in October 2017—stands out as one of the most intriguing and debated celestial phenomena in recent history. Its peculiar characteristics have sparked widespread speculation about its nature, with some proposing it could be an extraterrestrial craft. This essay aims to analyze the evidence surrounding ‘Oumuamua, evaluate the plausibility of it being an alien spacecraft, and explore the likelihood of its return to our solar system.

Discovery and Initial Observations

‘Oumuamua was first observed by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii on October 19, 2017. Its name, derived from Hawaiian, means “scout” or “messenger,” reflecting its status as the first known interstellar object detected passing through our solar system. Unlike typical comets or asteroids, ‘Oumuamua exhibited several unusual features that defied easy classification. Its trajectory was hyperbolic, indicating an origin outside our solar system, and its high velocity suggested it had come from interstellar space, traveling at an impressive speed of approximately 87.3 kilometers per second relative to the Sun.

The initial observations revealed that ‘Oumuamua had an elongated shape, estimated to be about 400 meters long and only 40 meters wide, giving it a striking aspect ratio of approximately 10:1. Its surface reflected sunlight unevenly, leading to a brightness variation as it rotated—indicative of an irregular shape. The object displayed a brightness variation of about 2.5 magnitudes over a rotation period of roughly 8 hours, implying a highly elongated or flattened structure. Moreover, telescopic observations showed that ‘Oumuamua lacked a visible coma or tail, which are typical features of comets when they approach the Sun and begin to outgas.

One of the most intriguing aspects of ‘Oumuamua was its non-gravitational acceleration. As it moved away from the Sun, its velocity increased slightly beyond what would be expected from gravitational influences alone. This subtle acceleration suggested that ‘Oumuamua was experiencing some form of outgassing, releasing material that provided a small push. However, unlike typical comets, no detectable gas or dust emissions were observed, leading to considerable debate among astronomers about the precise nature of this outgassing—or whether it was caused by some other process altogether.

Further observations using various telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories, confirmed these unusual features. Spectroscopic analysis revealed a featureless, reddish surface, similar to some primitive asteroids and comets. Its lack of detectable activity and peculiar shape made ‘Oumuamua an unprecedented object in our solar system—an interstellar visitor that challenged existing theories about small body formation and behavior in space. This initial discovery sparked a wave of scientific interest, leading to numerous hypotheses about its origin, composition, and the possibility of artificial or extraterrestrial nature, making ‘Oumuamua one of the most fascinating objects ever encountered in our cosmic neighborhood.

Theories on ‘Oumuamua’s Nature

The unusual features of ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object passing through our Solar System, sparked widespread scientific debate and numerous hypotheses about its true nature. The initial consensus among astronomers was that ‘Oumuamua was a natural object, likely a fragment of a larger body that was ejected from its parent star system due to gravitational interactions, such as close encounters with massive planets or other celestial events. Many researchers believed it to be an elongated asteroid, perhaps a remnant of a collision or disruption event in another star system. Its highly elongated shape, with estimates suggesting it was at least five to ten times longer than it was wide, was unusual compared to typical asteroids within our Solar System.

One of the key features that puzzled scientists was the absence of a visible coma or tail. Comets generally develop a glowing envelope of gas and dust—called a coma—when their ices sublimates as they approach the Sun, creating a characteristic tail. ‘Oumuamua, however, showed no such features despite passing relatively close to the Sun at about 0.25 astronomical units. This lack of outgassing was initially interpreted as evidence that it might be a rocky or metallic object, similar to an asteroid, rather than a comet.

Yet, the most intriguing aspect of ‘Oumuamua was its observed non-gravitational acceleration—an unexplained push that slightly altered its trajectory without any corresponding visible outgassing. This phenomenon challenged the traditional understanding that such acceleration is caused solely by the sublimation of volatile ices. The absence of detectable gases or dust in the observational data led some scientists to question whether ‘Oumuamua was a typical comet or asteroid.

Several hypotheses emerged to explain this acceleration. One prominent idea was that ‘Oumuamua could be a comet with outgassing composed of materials that are difficult to detect, such as molecular hydrogen or other volatiles that produce minimal observable gases. Alternatively, some scientists suggested that the acceleration might be caused by radiation pressure—solar photons exerting a force on ‘Oumuamua. This hypothesis would imply that the object has an extremely low mass-to-area ratio, possibly indicating a thin, sheet-like structure or an artificial origin.

The radiation pressure hypothesis gained further attention because it could account for the observed acceleration without the need for detectable outgassing. If ‘Oumuamua were a thin, lightweight object—perhaps a spacecraft or a light sail—solar radiation could effectively push it, influencing its trajectory. Although this idea was met with skepticism and considered speculative, it opened up new discussions about the possibility, however remote, of extraterrestrial technology.

Additional theories proposed that ‘Oumuamua could be a fragment of an interstellar comet or asteroid that had undergone surface processing, such as space weathering, which might suppress outgassing signatures. Others suggested it could be a piece of alien technology, like a probe or a fragment of a larger artificial object, although such hypotheses remain highly controversial and lack concrete evidence.

In conclusion, the true nature of ‘Oumuamua remains an open question. Its unusual shape, lack of visible activity, and unexplained acceleration continue to inspire debate. While the majority of scientists favor a natural origin, the peculiar characteristics of this interstellar visitor have broadened our understanding of the diversity of objects that exist beyond our Solar System and have highlighted the need for further observations and research into such enigmatic objects.

The Alien Craft Hypothesis

A more provocative and controversial theory was proposed by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, along with his colleague Shmuel Bialy, in 2018. They suggested that ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object passing through our solar system, could potentially be an artificially manufactured artifact—a piece of alien technology rather than a natural cosmic body. This hypothesis garnered significant attention both within the scientific community and the public, as it challenged conventional understanding of such objects.

Loeb and Bialy’s proposition was primarily based on the unusual physical characteristics observed in ‘Oumuamua, particularly its acceleration and shape. Unlike typical asteroids or comets, ‘Oumuamua exhibited a non-gravitational acceleration—that is, it moved faster than could be explained solely by the Sun’s gravitational pull. Interestingly, astronomers did not detect any signs of outgassing, such as cometary jets, which are usually responsible for such acceleration in natural objects. This lack of outgassing was perplexing because the observed acceleration appeared to be consistent with the effect of radiation pressure— the push exerted by sunlight on a small, lightweight object.

Based on these observations, Loeb and Bialy hypothesized that ‘Oumuamua could be a form of artificial structure—a light sail. A light sail is a type of spacecraft propulsion technology that harnesses radiation pressure from sunlight to propel itself through space. Such a design would imply that ‘Oumuamua was not a natural asteroid or comet, but an engineered object, possibly a probe or a piece of alien spacecraft technology. The object’s elongated shape and high velocity further supported this idea, as these features could be consistent with a deliberately crafted artificial object intended for interstellar travel or exploration.

Supporters of the alien craft hypothesis argued that the peculiar features of ‘Oumuamua—its unusual shape, its rapid acceleration without observable outgassing, and its high velocity—could be more straightforwardly explained if the object were an extraterrestrial probe or artifact. They suggested that an advanced civilization might have sent such a probe to explore the galaxy, and that ‘Oumuamua was simply a chance encounter with this technological relic.

While the hypothesis remains speculative and controversial within the scientific community, it has sparked a great deal of debate and further investigation into the nature of interstellar objects. Critics argue that natural explanations, such as a fragment of an extinct comet, could still account for ‘Oumuamua’s properties, citing the lack of direct evidence for alien technology. Nonetheless, the idea that ‘Oumuamua could be an alien spacecraft continues to inspire discussions about the possibility of detecting other extraterrestrial artifacts and the potential for intelligent life beyond Earth.

In summary, the alien craft hypothesis presents a provocative perspective that challenges traditional astrophysics. It emphasizes the importance of open-mindedness in scientific inquiry and encourages further research into the mysterious objects traveling through our solar system, which could hold clues to the existence of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations.

An illustration of bizarre interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua 

(Image credit: VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)

Criticisms and Counterarguments

The alien craft hypothesis has faced significant criticism within the scientific community, with many experts emphasizing the importance of natural explanations over speculative theories. A primary argument against the extraterrestrial origin hypothesis is that the observed properties of ‘Oumuamua can be adequately explained by well-understood natural phenomena. For instance, some astrophysicists propose that ‘Oumuamua is a fragment of a larger parent body, such as an asteroid or comet, that was tidally disrupted during a close passage to its host star. This process can produce elongated, irregular shapes similar to what is observed. Additionally, the object’s unusual acceleration as it moved away from the Sun can be attributed to outgassing—where volatile materials, like hydrogen or other sublimating substances, escape from the surface of the object. Importantly, such outgassing can occur without forming a visible coma or tail, especially if the materials are less volatile or the outgassing is highly anisotropic, which means the gases are released unevenly, providing a recoil effect that alters the trajectory.

This simulation depicts the interstellar object 'Oumuamua as a mass of fragments forced into an elongated shape by stellar tidal forces. 

(Image credit: ZHANG Yun/background by ESO/M. Kornmesser)

Furthermore, the lack of direct evidence supporting artificiality remains a core challenge for proponents of the alien hypothesis. No definitive signals or artifacts have been detected that would indicate technological origins. The rarity of interstellar objects passing through our solar system also raises questions; such objects are expected to be extremely uncommon, making it statistically less likely that ‘Oumuamua is an alien probe or spacecraft. Critics argue that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence—a principle rooted in scientific rigor. Invoking extraterrestrial technology without concrete proof risks undermining the credibility of scientific inquiry and diverts attention from more plausible natural explanations.

Another important aspect of criticism involves cognitive biases, such as apophenia—the tendency to perceive meaningful patterns or connections where none actually exist. Given the limited data and the enigmatic nature of ‘Oumuamua, it is easy for observers to interpret ambiguous signals as evidence of alien technology. This psychological tendency can lead to overinterpretation of uncertain observations, especially in the face of a mysterious object that defies easy classification. Skeptics caution against jumping to conclusions based on circumstantial evidence, emphasizing the need for caution and rigorous analysis.

In conclusion, while the idea of an alien craft is intriguing and captures popular imagination, the scientific consensus favors natural explanations for ‘Oumuamua’s peculiar properties. Ongoing observations and future interstellar object detections will be crucial in providing more data to settle these debates. Until then, the hypothesis of extraterrestrial origin remains speculative and not sufficiently supported by empirical evidence.

Recent Developments and Ongoing Research

In 2021, the scientific community received a wealth of new data from the Hubble Space Telescope, along with observations from other ground-based and space-based observatories, such as the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT). These observations aimed to unravel the mysteries surrounding ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object detected passing through our Solar System. The data collected provided increasingly detailed information about its physical characteristics, trajectory, and possible origins. Despite these advances, conclusive evidence about its true nature remains elusive, fueling ongoing debates among astronomers and astrophysicists.

The collected data reinforced the idea that ‘Oumuamua was an unusual natural object with peculiar features that set it apart from typical comets or asteroids. For instance, its elongated shape, estimated to be about 400 meters long and 40 meters wide, was extraordinary. Additionally, ‘Oumuamua exhibited non-gravitational acceleration—an unexpected change in its trajectory that could not be explained solely by gravitational forces from the Sun and planets. Some scientists theorized that this might be due to outgassing, similar to comets, but no visible tail or coma was observed, leading others to propose more exotic explanations, including the possibility of artificial origin or manufactured components.

Looking ahead, the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located in Chile, is set to revolutionize the detection of interstellar objects. Scheduled to begin full operations in the near future, this observatory will survey the entire sky with unprecedented sensitivity and frequency. Its wide-field telescope is expected to discover dozens of interstellar visitors over the coming years, vastly increasing the potential for in-depth study of these enigmatic objects. Such data will be instrumental in providing a broader statistical understanding of their composition, trajectories, and physical properties, helping scientists distinguish between natural and potentially artificial origins.

In addition to observational efforts, plans are underway for more direct exploration of interstellar objects. The European Space Agency’s proposed Comet Interceptor mission aims to visit a pristine, unaltered interstellar object in the near future. Unlike previous missions that targeted known comets or asteroids, the Comet Interceptor will be launched to rendezvous with an object that has recently entered our Solar System, offering a unique opportunity to study its composition and physical properties up close. This mission could yield invaluable insights into the building blocks of planetary systems and the processes involved in their formation.

Furthermore, the recent emergence of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has garnered significant attention. Discovered in late 2017, 3I/ATLAS was notable for its hyperbolic trajectory, confirming its interstellar origin. Its passage through the Solar System provided another valuable dataset, especially regarding its brightness variations and spectral properties. Studying objects like 3I/ATLAS helps scientists understand the diversity of interstellar visitors and refine models of their origin and evolution.

The combined data from these observations and upcoming missions will deepen our understanding of interstellar objects. They may also shed light on the possibility that some objects could possess artificial characteristics, potentially originating from extraterrestrial technological civilizations. While such claims remain speculative, the scientific community continues to explore all possibilities with rigorous analysis and open-minded inquiry.

In conclusion, recent advancements—from detailed observations of ‘Oumuamua to the anticipated discoveries by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and dedicated missions like the Comet Interceptor—are paving the way for a new era of interstellar exploration. These efforts will not only improve our knowledge of these mysterious visitors but also enhance our understanding of the broader cosmos and the potential for extraterrestrial life or technology. The discovery of the interloper 3I/ATLAS serves as a reminder of the richness of interstellar phenomena and the importance of continued vigilance and innovation in astronomical research.

Will ‘Oumuamua Return?

Given its hyperbolic trajectory, ‘Oumuamua is highly unlikely to return to our solar system. Objects on hyperbolic paths are not gravitationally bound to the Sun; instead, they are interstellar travelers passing through our solar neighborhood at high speeds. Once ‘Oumuamua passed perihelion—its closest approach to the Sun—its velocity increased significantly due to gravitational acceleration, and it is now receding from our solar system at an estimated speed of approximately 26 kilometers per second relative to the Sun. This rapid departure means that, barring extraordinary gravitational influences or unforeseen cosmic events, it will not return.

‘Oumuamua’s trajectory through the inner Solar System.

Credit: Tom Ruen via Wikimedia Commons.

The probability of ‘Oumuamua making a second pass is effectively zero. Its trajectory indicates a one-time visit, highlighting the importance of developing advanced detection and tracking systems to identify interstellar objects early on. Such preparedness would allow scientists to study these visitors more comprehensively and potentially gather valuable data about their composition, origin, and trajectories. Understanding ‘Oumuamua's characteristics—such as its elongated shape, unusual acceleration, and surface properties—has already sparked debates about its nature, with some researchers suggesting it could be an alien probe or artifact, though mainstream science remains cautious.

The discovery of additional interstellar objects, like 2I/Borisov, which was identified in 2019, will provide a broader context for understanding these visitors. Each new object offers crucial insights into the composition, diversity, and frequency of interstellar bodies passing through our solar system. These findings could eventually help scientists piece together the history of material exchange between star systems, shedding light on the formation and evolution of planetary systems across the galaxy.

In conclusion, while ‘Oumuamua itself is unlikely to revisit our solar system, its passage has opened an exciting new chapter in astronomy. Continued efforts to detect and analyze interstellar objects could not only enhance our understanding of the cosmos but also possibly reveal signs of extraterrestrial technology or life, should such evidence exist. The future of interstellar object research promises to be a fascinating and rapidly evolving field, offering much to explore beyond our solar neighborhood.

Conclusion

In sum, ‘Oumuamua remains one of the most perplexing interstellar objects observed to date. While some have proposed that it could be an extraterrestrial craft, the majority of scientific evidence supports a natural origin—most likely as a fragment of a larger body from another star system. Its peculiar shape, acceleration, and lack of typical cometary features have fueled speculation, but no definitive proof has emerged to confirm an artificial origin.

The question of whether ‘Oumuamua is an alien spacecraft ultimately hinges on the quality and interpretation of available data. As our observational capabilities improve and we detect more interstellar visitors, the scientific community will be better equipped to answer these profound questions. For now, ‘Oumuamua remains a fascinating natural enigma, reminding us of the vast unknowns that lie beyond our solar neighborhood. Its passing has underscored the importance of continued exploration and vigilance in the search for extraterrestrial life and technology.

References

• Meech, K. J., et al. (2017). "A brief visit from a strange interstellar visitor." Nature, 552(7685), 378–381.
• Bialy, S., & Loeb, A. (2018). "Could Solar Radiation Pressure Explain ‘Oumuamua’s Peculiar Acceleration?" Astrophysical Journal Letters, 868(2), L1.
• Loeb, A., & Bialy, S. (2018). "Could ‘Oumuamua be a lightsail from an alien civilization?" Astrophysical Journal Letters, 857(2), L3.
• Jewitt, D. (2022). "Interstellar objects: A review." The Astrophysical Journal, 927(2), 123.
• NASA. (2018). "'Oumuamua: First Interstellar Object Detected Passing Through Our Solar System." NASA Fact Sheet.

In conclusion, while the hypothesis that ‘Oumuamua is an extraterrestrial craft is intriguing and has garnered significant media attention, the prevailing scientific consensus attributes its unusual characteristics to natural phenomena. Its unlikely return underscores the importance of ongoing and future observations to better understand interstellar objects. As our detection capabilities improve, so too will our understanding of these cosmic visitors, possibly revealing more about the universe’s hidden wonders and the potential for extraterrestrial life.

RELATED 

The asteroid size distribution.  Even though there are only a handful of large asteroids, those objects outweigh all of the small ones.

Credit: Marco Colombo, DensityDesign Research Lab via  Wikimedia Commons.

A simulation of how a cigar-like shape for ‘Oumuamua would match its large observed brightness oscillations. 

Credit: nagualdesign via Wikimedia Commons.

Artist’s view of the potential, pancake-like shape of ‘Oumuamua.

Credit: William K. Hartmann.

{ PETER2011 }

03-09-2025 om 20:56 geschreven door peter  

Strange blobs found inside Mars could be remnants of something ancient, astronomers say

Findings also have implications for our understanding of Earth’s history

Strange blobs found inside Mars by Nasa’s InSight lander may be remnants of the ancient “embryo” that eventually developed into the planet we see today, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the journal Science, may change what we know about the formation of rocky planets like Mars, Venus and the Earth.

The first four planets from the Sun are often depicted in textbooks as having smooth, layered interiors, with crust, mantle and core stacked like a millionaire’s shortbread.

However, seismic anomalies detected on Mars by the InSight mission reveal that the mantle is far from smooth and contains rough lumps of ancient fragments up to 4km wide, preserving the planet’s violent early history like geological fossils.

The solar system’s rocky planets formed about 4.5 billion years ago when dust and rock orbiting the young Sun clumped together under gravity.

As Mars took shape, it was struck by giant objects the size of entire planets in cataclysmic collisions similar to the kind thought to have formed our Moon.

“These colossal impacts unleashed enough energy to melt large parts of the young planet into vast magma oceans,” Constantinos Charalambous, an author of the study from Imperial College London, said. “As those magma oceans cooled and crystallised, they left behind compositionally distinct chunks of material, and we believe it’s these we’re now detecting deep inside Mars.”

Cutaway view of Mars in artist’s concept shows debris from ancient impacts scattered through planet’s mantle 

(Nasa)

These cataclysmic collisions mixed fragments of the planet's crust and mantle from its “embryo” with debris from the impacting objects.

Then, as Mars cooled, these diverse chunks were trapped in a sluggishly churning mantle, “like ingredients folded into a Rocky Road brownie mix”, the study said. However, the mixing of these “ingredients” was too weak to fully smooth things out.

Unlike the Earth, where plate tectonics constantly recycle the crust and mantle, the interior of Mars is sealed up beneath a stagnant outer crust, preserving a geological time capsule.

“The fact that we can still detect its traces after four and a half billion years shows just how sluggishly Mars’s interior has been churning ever since,” Dr Charalambous said.

Astronomers uncovered these lumps by analysing data from eight marsquakes detected by the InSight lander, including two triggered by recent meteorite impacts that left almost 150m-wide craters on the planet.

The lander is equipped with instruments to detect seismic waves on Mars travelling through the mantle.

The researchers found that seismic waves of higher frequencies took longer to reach the lander sensors from the impact site. This revealed that the interior was chunky rather than smooth.

“These signals showed clear signs of interference as they travelled through Mars’s deep interior,” Dr Charalambous said.

“That’s consistent with a mantle full of structures of different compositional origins – leftovers from Mars's early days.”

The latest findings, the study notes, have implications for our understanding of the histories of other rocky planets as well.

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{ https://www.independent.co.uk/space }

03-09-2025 om 18:46 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

03-09-2025 om 16:44 geschreven door peter  

Planetoïden die bijna onze planeet raakten

©Shutterstock

Planetoïden die bijna onze planeet raakten
Asteroïden zijn rotsachtige objecten die rond de zon draaien, en meteoren zijn stukken van asteroïden (of kometen) die de atmosfeer van de aarde binnendringen. Ze variëren sterk in grootte en bedreiging voor ons hier op aarde. Terwijl kleine meteoren elke dag voorkomen, zijn grote meteoren of asteroïden veel zeldzamer. Volgens NASA komt een asteroïde zo groot als een auto meestal één keer per jaar de atmosfeer van de aarde binnen. Deze grootte verbrandt voordat hij de grond raakt, wat een indrukwekkende vuurbal oplevert. Ruwweg elke 2000 jaar raakt een object ter grootte van een voetbalveld de aarde en richt aanzienlijke schade aan.

Geïntrigeerd? Lees dan verder om een aantal van de close calls van de afgelopen 20 jaar te ontdekken.

©iStock

Wat zijn meteoren?
Volgens NASA komt zo'n incident voor wanneer een meteoroïde de atmosfeer van onze planeet binnendringt en verdampt. Dit noemt men ook wel een vallende ster.

©Shutterstock

Wat is een meteoroïde?
Een meteoroïde is een klein afgebroken stuk die afkomstig is van een komeet of planetoïde.

©iStock

Hoe vaak dringen meteoroïden de atmosfeer binnen?
Dagelijks komen er meer dan 100.000 stofdeeltjes ten grootte van een zandkorrel op onze planeet terecht.

©iStock

Hoe groot kunnen meteoroïden worden?
NASA stelt dat ongeveer elke 2000 jaar een meteoroïde ter grootte van een voetbalveld de aarde treft.

©Shutterstock

Wat is een meteoriet?
Een meteoriet is in wezen een meteoroïde die erin slaagt de atmosfeer binnen te dringen en het oppervlak van de planeet te raken.

©Shutterstock

Hoe zit het met kometen?
Kometen zijn relatief kleine objecten die bestaan uit ijs dat in zonlicht kan verdampen. Wat bijzonder aan ze is, is dat ze een laag van stof en gas vormen die soms lijkt op een staart.

©iStock

Hoe groot kunnen kometen worden?
Asteroïden zijn tamelijk kleine, inactieve, stukken rots die in een baan om de zon draaien. Vele hiervan komen gevaarlijk dicht in de buurt van de aarde. De bewegingen van asteroïden worden voortdurend in de gaten gehouden. Ongeveer één keer per jaar dringt een asteroïde ter grootte van een auto de atmosfeer binnen, maar deze gaat in vlammen op voordat hij het oppervlak van de planeet bereikt.

©Getty Images

Wat is een planetoïde?
Een planetoïde is een klein rotsachtig object, die kleiner zijn dan een planeet maar groter dan meteoroïde. Ze bevinden zich in een baan om de zon, meestal tussen Mars en Jupiter. Ze variëren van 1 tot 1000 km in afmeting.

©iStock

Data en afmetingen
In het volgende deel van de galerij volgen een van de belangrijkste aardscheerders (zoals meteorieten, asteroïden, etc.) die vlakbij onze planeet zijn waargenomen, gerangschikt op de datum waarop ze zich het dichtst bij de aarde bevonden en hun grootte.

©iStock

18 december 2018
Pas kort geleden werd er een enorme vuurbal waargenomen. Volgens NASA was het de op één na grootste vuurbal in dertig jaar.

©Shutterstock

18 december, 2018
Op 18 december 2018 ontplofte een grote meteoor, die tien keer krachtiger was dan de atoombom van Hiroshima, in de atmosfeer. Het is echter nog niet zo lang geleden dat deze ontdekking werd gedaan. De explosie werd door een Amerikaanse militaire satelliet waargenomen en vervolgens kenbaar gemaakt aan NASA.

©iStock

2018 GE3
Datum: 15 april 2018

Grootte: 46-100 meter

Deze asteroïde had een aanzienlijke impact kunnen hebben als hij de aarde had geraakt.

©Getty Images

2017 EA
Datum: 2 maart 2017

Grootte: 1-5 meter

Astronomen ontdekten deze asteroïde slechts zes uur voor het moment waarop hij het dichtst bij de aarde was.

©iStock

2017 GM
Datum: 4 april 2017

Grootte: 2-7 meter

Deze meteoor was zo groot als een auto!

©iStock

2017 UJ2
Datum: 20 oktober 2017

Grootte: 1-5 meter

Dit was de asteroïde die in 2017 op één asteroïde na het dichtste bij de aarde in de buurt kwam.

©Getty Images

2016 DY30
Datum: 25 februari 2016

Grootte: 2-5 meter

Dit was een van objecten die in 2016 het dichtst in de buurt van de aarde kwam.

©Shutterstock

2016 EF195
Datum: 11 maart 2016

Grootte: 16-31 meter

Deze werd pas vier dagen nadat hij langs de aarde scheerde ontdekt.

©Shutterstock

2016 AH164
Datum: 12 januari 2016

Grootte: 3-7 meter

Ook deze asteroïde is eerder dicht in de buurt van de aarde gekomen.

©Shutterstock

2015 SK7
Datum: 22 september 2015

Grootte: 3-14 meter

Deze was zo groot als een bus!

©Shutterstock

2015 VY105
Datum: 15 november 2015

Grootte: 4–9 meter

Deze bevond zich dichter in de buurt van onze planeet dan tv- en weersatellieten.

©Shutterstock

367943 Duende
Datum: 15 februari 2013

Grootte: 30 meter

Gezien zijn omvang zou deze asteroïde, als hij onze planeet had geraakt, flinke verwoestingen hebben veroorzaakt.

©iStock

2012 KT42
Datum: 29 mei 2012

Grootte: 9 meter

NASA beschikt over videobeelden van deze asteroïde.

©iStock

2011 CQ1
Datum: 4 februari 2011

Grootte: 1 meter

Deze kleine asteroïde werd pas 14 uur voordat hij onze planeet passeerde opgemerkt.

©iStock

2011 MD
Datum: 27 juni 2011

Grootte: 14 meter

Wetenschappers zagen deze asteroïde eerst aan voor een stuk ruimteschroot.

©Getty Images

2010 WA
Datum: 17 november 2010

Grootte: 2–6 meter

De snelheid waarmee deze asteroïde ronddraaide verbaasde wetenschappers.

©iStock

2009 VA
Datum: 6 november 2009

Grootte: 4–13 meter

Deze asteroïde werd ongeveer 15 uur voordat hij de aarde naderde opgemerkt door de Catalina Sky Survey, een door NASA gesteund project.

©iStock

2004 FU162
Datum: 31 maart 2004

Grootte: 4–12 meter

Het zwaartekrachtveld van de aarde zorgde ervoor dat deze asteroïde van koers veranderde.

Zie ook: Foto's van Mars: Zo ziet de planeet er echt uit

Bronnen:

• (NASA)
• (Gizmodo)
• (Space)
• (The Watchers)
• (Bended Reality)
• (EarthSky)
• (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)
• (MIT)
• (The Atlantic)
• (New Scientist)

{ Starsinsider.com }

02-09-2025 om 21:46 geschreven door peter  

The province of Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia has attracted the attention of the global astronomical community. A photograph of the night sky above this region was selected by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as its “Astronomy Picture of the Day.” All because the astrophotographer managed to capture a bright green meteor against the backdrop of the Pleiades star cluster. The photograph, taken with a one-hour exposure, is not only visually stunning, but also confirms Al-Ula’s status as one of the most attractive places on the planet for stargazing.

Perfect sky for astronomy

Why Al-Ula? The answer lies in the region’s crystal clear, dark skies. Thanks to the almost complete absence of light pollution, it is rated among the top 5% of places in the world for astronomical observations. This unique status was officially confirmed by DarkSky International, which awarded the prestigious Dark Sky certificate to two sites in the province: the ancient archaeological complex of Hegra, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Gharameel Nature Reserve. This makes Makkah Region the destination for astrophotographers and stargazers from around the world.

The author named the photograph “The Meteor and the Star Cluster.” For the first time in history, NASA has highlighted the work carried out in Al-Ula. This achievement was made possible thanks to the efforts of Manarat AlUla, an organization that is working hard to ensure a night sky free of light pollution and to develop the region as a global center for space research and astro-tourism. NASA’s choice highlights not only the incredible beauty of this corner of Saudi Arabia for those who seek to glimpse the deepest secrets of the universe.

• According to nasa.gov

• Posted in News, Science

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

02-09-2025 om 17:01 geschreven door peter  

Astronomers are racing to study our solar system's newest 'interstellar visitor.' Here's why.

Related: 

• Watch newly discovered 'interstellar visitor' 3I/ATLAS shoot toward us in first livestream

Experts say studying 3I/ATLAS could potentially tell us about alien star systems and how exoplanets form — and we may even be able to trace it back to its origins.

Initial discovery

3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1 from data collected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) and immediately piqued researchers' interests due to its trajectory and extreme speed, which exceeds 130,000 mph (210,000 km/h). Within 24 hours of its discovery, NASA had confirmed that it was an interstellar object.

A day later (July 3), a group of more than 40 astronomers, led by Seligman, had uploaded the first paper describing the extrasolar entity to the preprint database arXiv. All data so far indicates that 3I/ATLAS is a large comet surrounded by a cloud of ice, dust and gas up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) across.

Prior to this discovery, only two other interstellar objects (ISOs) had been spotted: 1I/'Oumuamua, a space rock that was discovered in 2017; and 2I/Borisov, a comet spotted in 2019. This makes the newly discovered comet particularly appealing to astronomers.

However, there is a limited window to study 3I/ATLAS. The comet, which is currently around 4.5 times farther from the sun than Earth, will reach its closest point to the sun, or perihelion, on Oct. 30, before beginning its journey out of the solar system, when it will get much harder to spot. It will also be out of view between late September and early December, when it is positioned on the opposite side of the sun to Earth.

Observing an interstellar visitor

Over the next few weeks and months, researchers will attempt to use "any and all telescopes" they can to make observations of 3I/ATLAS, Sean Raymond, a planetary scientist at the University of Bordeaux in France, told Live Science in an email.

This will be especially true for observatories in the Southern Hemisphere, which will have a better view of the increasingly bright comet, Aster Taylor, a graduate student at the University of Michigan and co-author of the arXiv study, told Live Science in an email.

Experts are particularly excited about the possibility of imaging 3I/ATLAS with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory — the world's most powerful optical telescope, which recently released its first images. The observatory, located in Chile, has already proved to be adept at imaging never-before-seen asteroids and will undoubtedly target the interstellar comet when it comes fully online in a few months time.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Hubble Space Telescope, meanwhile, could help reveal the interloper's chemical composition because of their ability to study the object in multiple wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum Pedro Bernardinelli, a planetary scientist at the University of Washington's DiRAC Institute, told Live Science in an email.

Some researchers have also proposed using NASA's Mars rovers to snap pictures of the comet as it makes a close pass by the Red Planet a few weeks before it reaches perihelion. The robots have previously been used to spy on dangerous sunspots lurking on the sun's far side from Earth.

Another intriguing option is to send a spacecraft to collect samples from 3I/ATLAS. However, the general consensus among experts is that such a mission is unlikely to happen

Alien star systems

Studying 3I/ATLAS provides a rare opportunity for us to glean insights into alien star systems and potential exoplanets.

"Interstellar objects are probably the leftovers of the formation of exoplanets," Raymond said. "Studying them can open a window into understanding other planetary systems' formation and evolution."

In this way, ISOs like 3I/ATLAS also "connects the solar system with its galactic environment," Amir Siraj, a doctoral candidate at Princeton University who has previously studied ISOs, told Live Science.

While it is still unclear where 3I/ATLAS came from, it's possible we can pinpoint its origins, especially if researchers can work out how old it is, Wes Fraser, an astronomer with National Research Council Canada, told Live Science in an email. And as the comet reaches perihelion, the amount of ice and other "volatile" substances that get burned off the interloper will help us narrow this down, Fraser added.

However, even then "we probably won't ever be able to pin it down to a single star system," Taylor argued.

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{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

01-09-2025 om 20:36 geschreven door peter  

Cosmic Butterfly Unlocks Secrets of How Rocky Planets Form

By Mark Thompson  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

01-09-2025 om 18:36 geschreven door peter  

NASA reveals the dwarf planet Ceres had a hidden 'energy source' that may have sparked alien life

In recent years, scientists have learned a lot about Ceres thanks to NASA's Dawn probe, which visited the object between 2014 and 2018. One of the most intriguing discoveries from the Dawn mission is that the giant space rock is likely a water world: Traces of water and salty minerals on the dwarf planet's icy surface suggest a large reservoir of brine is trapped miles below. Other studies have hinted that this underground ocean could also contain organic carbon, which is a key component of all life on Earth.

However, until now, scientists thought that life was unlikely to have emerged on Ceres because the dwarf planet has no energy source capable of kick-starting life.

But in a new study, published Aug. 20 in the journal Science Advances, researchers revealed this was not always the case.

Related: 

• James Webb telescope spots potential conditions for life on 2 dwarf planets beyond Neptune

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The study team created computer models based on data collected by the Dawn mission to simulate how the rocky body's core changed over time. This revealed that the dwarf planet's innards probably used to emit large amounts of energy in the form of heat — raising hopes that tiny alien microbes could have emerged within Ceres' hidden ocean.

This could also have "big implications" for the potential of finding life in other parts of the solar system, study lead author Samuel Courville, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University and a former intern at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a NASA statement.

The researchers believe that Ceres' core once emitted significant amounts of heat from the gradual decay of radioactive isotopes. The team believes that this heating lasted between 0.5 and 2 billion years after the giant rock was created, which was likely shortly after the rest of the solar system, around 4.6 billion years ago. At its hottest, the core likely reached around 530 degrees Fahrenheit (280 degrees Celsius), the researchers wrote.

This is not the first time that scientists have proposed that Ceres had a radioactive core. However, this is the best evidence yet that it generated enough heat to potentially support life.

In addition to heating the dwarf planet's subsurface ocean to a habitable temperature, the radiation could also have caused jets of hot, mineral-rich water to shoot up through the ocean's floor, similar to the hydrothermal vent systems on Earth that support diverse microbial communities in the crushing dark depths of our oceans.

"On Earth, when hot water from deep underground mixes with the ocean, the result is often a buffet for microbes — a feast of chemical energy," Courville said.

Astrobiologists have proposed that similar systems may support extraterrestrial life on other water worlds in the solar system, including Saturn's moons Enceladus and Titan, as well as Jupiter's moons Europa and Ganymede.

However, since Ceres' radioactive core went dead around 2.5 billion years ago, any alien microbes would likely have died out from the cold, meaning there is practically zero chance that the dwarf planet supports life today, the researchers said.

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{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

31-08-2025 om 23:10 geschreven door peter