New research suggests an impact recently rattled Mars deeper than thought.

Something really rang the Red Planet’s bell. Research involving two NASA missions—the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the late InSight lander—has shed light on meteorite impacts and the seismic signals they produce. In a crucial finding, these signals may penetrate deeper inside Mars than previously thought. This could change how we view the interior of Mars itself.

The study comes from two papers published this week in the journal of Geophysical Research Letters. The primary data comes from NASA’s InSight mission, the first dedicated geodesy mission to Mars. Insight landed in the Elysium Planitia region of Mars on November 26^th, 2018, and carried the first ever dedicated seismometer to the Red Planet. During its four years of operation, Insight detected over 1,300 ‘marsquakes,’ until the mission’s end in 2022. Most were due to geologic activity, while a few were due to distant meteorite impacts. Occasionally, InSight would even see ‘land tides’ due to the passage of the moon Phobos overhead.

A Distant Mars Impact

As on Earth, the detection of seismic waves gives us the opportunity to probe the interior of Mars, providing clues as to the density, depth and thickness of the crust, mantle and core. To be sure, impacts have been correlated to seismic waves captured by InSight in the past. A fresh crater seen by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) in 2022 was correlated to an impact in the Amazonis Planitia region. But this was the first time an impact in the quake-prone Cerberus Fossae area was linked to InSight detections. The find is especially intriguing, as the area is quarter of a world away from the InSight landing site, at 1,640 kilometers (1,019 miles) distant.

The discovery of the 21.5-meter (71 foot) crater about the length of a semi-truck immediately presented scientists with a mystery. The smoking gun impact crater was more distant than thought. Typically, the Martian crust was thought to have a dampening effect on distant impacts. This means that the impact-generated waves took a more direct route via a ‘seismic highway,’ through the deeper mantle of the planet itself.

This discovery has key implications for what we generally think about the interior of Mars. This may also imply that our understanding and model for the planet’s interior may be due for an overhaul.

“Composition of the crust and how seismic waves from impacts travel through them is one factor,” Andrew Good (NASA-JPL) told Universe Today. “No current plans for follow-on seismometers on Mars, but there is a seismometer planned for the Moon in the near future,” says Good, in reference to the Farside Seismic Suite planned for 2026.

A New View of the Interior of Mars?

InSight team member Costantinos Charalambous of Imperial College London explains the finding in more detail, in an email to Universe Today:

The detection of this impact changes our understanding of Mars’ interior, particularly its crust and upper mantle, both immediately and in the longer term. However, in the latter case, it will take further work to know quite how!

The immediate shift in our understanding is that many more of the seismic events we detected at InSight have penetrated much deeper into the planet than we thought. Previously, we had thought that the crust would trap most of the high-frequency seismic energy, guiding it around the planet from the point of impact to InSight’s seismometer. We thought any high-frequency energy that penetrated more deeply into the mantle was quickly lost. But it now appears the Martian mantle is much better at propagating this seismic energy than we thought, allowing it to travel more quickly and farther. This tells us that the mantle has a different elemental composition that previously assumed, likely with a lower iron oxide content than earlier models predicted.

Additionally, because this impact was detected in Cerberus Fossae – a region where many recorded marsquakes likely originate – it provides a unique opportunity to distinguish seismic signatures generated by seismic activity driven by deeper, internal (tectonic) forces versus shallower, external (impact) sources.

Therefore, in the longer term, we will be re-examining the data from seismic events that we had previously assumed didn’t penetrate deeper into Mars. This work is ongoing, but these findings suggest new features of Mars’ upper mantle that we are seeking to confirm. Watch this space!

MRO’s Hunt For Impacts

Just how researchers imaged the tiny crater is the amazing second part of the story. NASA’s venerable MRO generates tens of thousands of images of the surface of Mars. These come mainly via the spacecraft’s onboard Context Camera. For years, researchers have used a machine learning algorithm to sift through the images. This looks for fresh impact sites that do not appear in previous frames. These areas are in turn flagged for closer scrutiny with the mission’s 0.5-meter High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera. The AI program was developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

To date, the team has found 123 new craters within 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) of the InSight landing site. 49 of these (including the Cerberus Fossae impact) are potential matches with InSight seismology data.

“Done manually, this would be years of work,” says InSight team member Valentin Bickel (University of Bern, Switzerland) in a recent press release. “Using this tool, we went from tens of thousands of images to just a handful in a matter of days.”

InSight’s Legacy

InSight provided a wealth of seismology and geological information about Mars. The Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument worked as planned. The Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP^3) failed, however, to reach its target depth for returning useful science about the planet’s interior. Unfortunately, no dedicated follow on geology mission is set to head to Mars. This sort of exciting science will probably have to wait until the hoped for crewed missions of the 2030s.

InSight was a collaborative effort between NASA, the German Space Agency (DLR) and the French Space Agency (CNES). Other international partners also participated in the ground-breaking mission.

Still, it’s great to see missions like InSight still generating scientific results, long after they’ve fallen silent.

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

07-02-2025 om 18:07 geschreven door peter  

Terrifying simulation reveals exactly what will happen if asteroid Bennu crashes into Earth in 2182

• READ MORE: NASA video captures first look at 'city-destroying' asteroid 

By WILIAM HUNTER

Of the thousands of space rocks whizzing through the solar system, there is one that has astronomers more worried than any other.

Astronomers predict that the 500-metre-wide asteroid Bennu has a one in 2,700 chance of hitting the planet in 2182 - similar odds to flipping a coin 11 times and getting the same outcome each time.

While the chances of an impact are slim, a terrifying new simulation has revealed exactly what would happen if this deadly asteroid crashed into Earth.

Researchers found that, in addition to a huge blast triggering earthquakes and tsunamis, Bennu's impact would kick up enough dust to trigger a two-year-long 'impact winter'.

Using a supercomputer and cutting-edge climate simulations, researchers from Pusan National University in South Korea predicted what would happen as Bennu injected millions of tonnes of dust into the atmosphere.

As dust blocks out light from the sun, the world would become cold and dry with temperatures falling 4˚C (7.2˚F) and global rainfall reducing by 15 per cent.

In some areas, including North America, precipitation would plummet between 30 and 60 per cent, making it nearly impossible to grow crops.

Lead author Dr Lan Dai, says: 'This would likely cause massive disruptions in global food security.'

Scientists have calculated what would happen if the asteroid Bennu hit the Earth. Their simulations show that the world would become colder, darker, and drier in a years-long 'impact winter' (stock image) 

The 500-metre wide asteroid Bennu (pictured) has a one in 2,700 chance of hitting the planet in 2182 - similar odds to flipping a coin 11 times and getting the same outcome each time.

Unlike the Chicxulub asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, a collision with Bennu wouldn't necessarily trigger a mass extinction event.

Asteroids the size of Bennu are believed to hit Earth every 100,000-200,000 years, so it is likely that our early ancestors have already survived one of these impacts.

But what both Chicxulub and Bennu's impact would have in common is the massive disruption of global climate patterns.

Just like the theorised 'nuclear winter' that would follow a thermonuclear war, the explosion of an asteroid impact would eject a vast column of dust into the atmosphere.

If Bennu hit Earth, Dr Dai and his co-authors estimate that 100 to 400 million tonnes of dust would linger above Earth for around two years.

Those dust particles would act like a vast planet-wide umbrella, shading Earth from the sun's radiation and reflecting heat energy back out into space.

At its peak, the amount of shortwave radiation reaching Earth would fall by 28 per cent in the worst-case scenario.

Likewise, global temperature averages would fall by 1.6°C (2.9°F), 2.7°C (4.9°F), 3.4°C (3.1°F), and 4.0°C (7.2˚F) for dust injections of 100, 200, 300, and 400 million tonnes of dust respectively.

If Bennu (illustrated) hit Earth it would first cause an explosion big enough to trigger earthquakes and tsunamis. However, the more lasting impact would come from the 100-400 million tonnes of dust that would be ejected into the atmosphere 

The simulations show that the dust would banket Earth, blocking out the sun and leading to massive reductions in light (purple graph), surface temperature (pink graph), and precipitation (green graph)

Eurasia and North America would experience the most severe and rapid cooling as the dust concentrates in the northern hemisphere during the winter.

The simulation shows that global cooling will persist for up to four years after the impact, with a slow recovery starting after 24 months.

In the worst-case scenario, the rapid 'impact winter' would be equivalent to the disastrous global cooling caused by the Toba eruption which occurred around 74,000 years ago.

Believed to be the worst natural disaster in the past 2.5 million years, the Toba supervolcano triggered a six-year winter which led to mass die-offs and the near extinction of the human species.

Additionally, the researchers predict that the disruption to patterns of evaporation over the oceans will lead to 'massive drying' in many parts of the world.

Six months after the impact, global mean precipitation will be 0.46mm per day less, a reduction of around 15 per cent.

However, this will be accompanied by large increases in precipitation in some areas of the subtropics and severe droughts in others.

To make matters worse, the Bennu dust cloud would also cause rapid erosion of the ozone layer as radiation and heat become trapped in the upper atmosphere.

These maps show the predicted reductions in temperature (top) and precipitation (bottom) for the first two years after an impact. These show that the temperatures would fall by 4˚C (7.2˚F) and global rainfall would reduce by 15 per cent

These conditions would trigger huge reductions in the productivity in land (top) and marine (bottom) ecosystems. That would lower crop yields and destabilise global agriculture. On these maps darker regions show areas of greater reduction. 

The researchers predict that the global ozone column could be depleted by 32 per cent.

Although it would be offset by the blanketing dust, this could lead to dangerous increases in levels of UV radiation which causes sunburns, blindness, and cancer.

In their paper, published in Science Advances, the researchers say these changes would 'severely reduce the habitat suitability for humans'.

Dr Dai says: 'The abrupt "impact winter" would provide unfavourable climate conditions for plants to grow, leading to an initial 20–30 per cent reduction of photosynthesis in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.'

During the first summer after the impact, the rate at which ecosystems grow and store biomass, known as net primary productivity, would fall by 36 per cent on land and 25 per cent in the oceans.

Meanwhile, crop yields in East Asia could fall by as much as 50 per cent, potentially triggering widespread starvation.

However, some of Earth's ecosystems could actually stand to benefit from such a disaster.

Although they initially take a hit, the simulation shows that marine ecosystems would not only survive but thrive in the years after the impact.

If Bennu contains a large amount of iron, it could actually help marine ecosystems flourish by effectively fertilising the oceans. Pictured: A sample of Bennu prepared for testing

As the iron enters the ocean it would lead to an algae bloom, like this one seen over a tropical reef, which would support support the marine ecosystem. The researchers say this could help humanity feed itself during the years of impact winter 

After just six months, plankton in the ocean would have already recovered and would continue to increase to levels not even seen under normal climate conditions.

This unexpected bloom would be caused by a high proportion of iron in the asteroid's dust.

Iron is a key nutrient for plankton's growth but many areas such as the Southern Ocean and the eastern tropical Pacific are naturally iron-poor.

As the dust from the asteroid settles it would trigger a bloom of photosynthesising diatoms which in turn would attract zooplankton, small predators which feed on the diatoms.

'The simulated excessive phytoplankton and zooplankton blooms might be a blessing for the biosphere and may help alleviate emerging food insecurity related to the longer-lasting reduction in terrestrial productivity,' says Dai.

KILLING OFF THE DINOSAURS: HOW A CITY-SIZED ASTEROID WIPED OUT 75 PER CENT OF ALL ANIMAL AND PLANT SPECIES

Around 66 million years ago non-avian dinosaurs were wiped out and more than half the world's species were obliterated.

This mass extinction paved the way for the rise of mammals and the appearance of humans.

The Chicxulub asteroid is often cited as a potential cause of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.

The asteroid slammed into a shallow sea in what is now the Gulf of Mexico.

The collision released a huge dust and soot cloud that triggered global climate change, wiping out 75 per cent of all animal and plant species.

Researchers claim that the soot necessary for such a global catastrophe could only have come from a direct impact on rocks in shallow water around Mexico, which are especially rich in hydrocarbons.

Within 10 hours of the impact, a massive tsunami waved ripped through the Gulf coast, experts believe.

Around 66 million years ago non-avian dinosaurs were wiped out and more than half the world's species were obliterated. The Chicxulub asteroid is often cited as a potential cause of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event (stock image)

This caused earthquakes and landslides in areas as far as Argentina. 

While investigating the event researchers found small particles of rock and other debris that was shot into the air when the asteroid crashed.

Called spherules, these small particles covered the planet with a thick layer of soot.

Experts explain that losing the light from the sun caused a complete collapse in the aquatic system.

This is because the phytoplankton base of almost all aquatic food chains would have been eliminated.

It's believed that the more than 180 million years of evolution that brought the world to the Cretaceous point was destroyed in less than the lifetime of a Tyrannosaurus rex, which is about 20 to 30 years.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

06-02-2025 om 18:48 geschreven door peter  

BREAKING NEWS - NASA gives major update on stranded astronauts' rescue mission after Trump demanded they be brought home

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

NASA is bringing forward a new rescue mission for stranded astronauts after mounting political pressure.

Insiders say the space agency will bring Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore home around March 19 — about two weeks earlier than the original early April return.

By that date, they will have spent 286 days in space. 

Williams and Willmore have been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024, bringing them close to eight months on the orbiting laboratory when they were originally scheduled for an eight-day stay.

The new plan should allow the spacecraft that will bring Williams and Wilmore home to depart from the ISS earlier than previously scheduled. 

The move comes less than one week since President Donald Trump told Elon Musk to 'go get' the pair after they were 'virtually abandoned by the Biden administration.'

Thus, Musk and Trump may see this scheduling change as a political win. 

But NASA sources told Ars Technica that this contingency plan was set into motion before Trump took office and was just recently greenlit. 

NASA is expected to announce a new return date for astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stuck on the ISS for more than eight months

The Space X Crew-10 mission was initially scheduled to launch in February, but a technical issue with the new Dragon capsule SpaceX intended to use prompted NASA to push the launch back to March. 

This decision also delayed Williams and Wilmore's flight back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS), with NASA giving an estimated return date of early April. 

That's because the stranded astronauts are planning to hitch a ride home on the SpaceX Crew-9 return flight. The Crew-9 astronauts and their spacecraft have been at the ISS with Williams and Wilmore since September 29.

But they cannot depart from the space station until the Crew-10 astronauts arrive to replace them. 

That is because NASA protocol necessitates a 'handover period,' or a window of time where the previous ISS crew overlaps with the incoming crew to share information with them and ensure a smooth transition between the two teams. 

Therefore, getting the Crew-10 mission off the ground sooner would also allow Williams and Wilmore to come home earlier. 

The Dragon capsule SpaceX was originally planning to use for this mission — called C213 — is still under development, and the Crew-10 mission was supposed to be its maiden voyage.

But SpaceX and NASA are currently working to resolve a technical issue with C213 Dragon, which may be related to batteries on the spacecraft, Ars Technica reported. 

As a result, NASA decided that C213 would not be ready to launch until late April. 

At first, NASA opted to push back the Crew-9 return date in order to accommodate the Crew-10 mission delay. 

But at this point, if NASA waited for C213 to be ready to launch the Crew-10 mission, the astronauts currently on board the ISS 'would start to approach "redlines" on food, water and other supplies,' Ars Technica reported.  

So, in the interest of returning NASA's stranded astronauts to Earth 'as soon as possible' (as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently promised to do) NASA and SpaceX have reportedly decided to replace C213 with the C210 vehicle, which was used for the Crew-7 mission that returned to Earth in March 2024. 

Known as 'Endurance,' this spacecraft will now be used to launch the Crew-10 mission no earlier than March 12, sources told Ars Technica. 

If Crew-10 launches on time, Williams, Wilmore and the Crew-9 astronauts could return to Earth on March 19. 

By that date, Williams and Wilmore will have spent 286 days in space, which is far longer than their mission was originally intended to be. 

One June 5, these two NASA astronauts flew to the ISS for what was supposed to be an eight-day aboard the floating laboratory. 

But their spacecraft, Boeing's Starliner, was mired by technical issues before, during and after the launch, prompting NASA to delay the astronauts' return while the agency worked with Boeing to resolve the issues.

Ultimately, Starliner was deemed unfit to carry Williams and Wilmore home, and thus the spacecraft returned to Earth uncrewed in September. 

Since then, the two astronauts have been waiting to come home aboard the Crew-9 spacecraft, which arrived at the ISS later that same month. 

On January 28, Elon Musk made a post on his social media platform, X, stating: 'The [President of the United States] has asked [SpaceX] to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the as soon as possible. We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.'

President Donald Trump confirmed the plan in a post on his own social media site, Truth Social: 'I have just asked Elon Musk and [SpaceX] to “go get” the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration. 

'They have been waiting for many months on [the ISS]. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!'

The statements spurred confusion as they seemed to convey that Musk himself would be flying to the ISS (which is not the case) and undermined the fact that SpaceX had already been tasked with bringing Williams and Wilmore home. 

With NASA now moving to bring the Starliner crew home two weeks earlier just days after these statements were made, it may appear as though the schedule change was politically motivated. 

But Ars Technica reported that the scheduling change was made spurred by 'pragmatism,' not politics.

Prior to the Crew-10 spacecraft swap, Endurance was not scheduled to fly again until later this spring, when it would launch the private Axiom-4 mission to the space station.

As a result, Axiom-4's will be delayed, sources said. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

06-02-2025 om 18:16 geschreven door peter  

A structure that large simply has to affect its surroundings, and understanding those effects is critical to understanding the cosmos. According to new research, studying Quipu and its brethren can help us understand how galaxies evolve, help us improve our cosmological models, and improve the accuracy of our cosmological measurements.

The research, titled “Unveiling the largest structures in the nearby Universe: Discovery of the Quipu superstructure,” has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. Hans Bohringer from the Max Planck Institute is the lead author.

“For a precise determination of cosmological parameters, we need to understand the effects of the local large-scale structure of the Universe on the measurements,” the authors write. “They include modifications of the cosmic microwave background, distortions of sky images by large-scale gravitational lensing, and the influence of large-scale streaming motions on measurements of the Hubble constant.”

Superstructures are extremely large structures that contain groups of galaxy clusters and superclusters. They’re so massive they challenge our understanding of how our Universe evolved. Some of them are so massive they break our models of cosmological evolution.

Quipu is the largest structure we’ve ever found in the Universe. It and the other four superstructures the researchers found contain 45% of the galaxy clusters, 30% of the galaxies, 25% of the matter, and
occupy a volume fraction of 13%.

The image below helps explain why they named it Quipu. Quipu are recording devices made of knotted cords, where the knots contain information based on colour, order, and number. “This view gives the best impression of the superstructure as a long filament with small side filaments, which initiated the naming of Quipu,” the authors explain in their paper.

In their work, Bohringer and his co-researchers found Quipu and four other superstructures within a distance range of 130 to 250 Mpc. They used X-ray galaxy clusters to identify and analyze the superstructures in their Cosmic Large-Scale Structure in X-rays (CLASSIX) Cluster Survey. X-ray galaxy clusters can contain thousands of galaxies and lots of very hot intracluster gas that emits X-rays. These emissions are the key to mapping the mass of the superstructures. X-rays trace the densest regions of matter concentration and the underlying cosmic web. The emissions are like signposts for identifying superstructures.

The authors point out that “the difference in the galaxy density around field clusters and members of superstructures is remarkable.” This could be because field clusters are populated with less massive clusters than those in the superstructure rather than because the field clusters have lower galaxy density.

Regardless of the reasons, the mass of these superstructures wields enormous influence on our attempt to observe, measure, and understand the cosmos. “These large structures leave their imprint on cosmological observations,” the authors write.

The superstructures leave an imprint on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which is relic radiation from the Big Bang and key evidence supporting it. The CMB’s properties match our theoretical predictions with near-surgical precision. The superstructures’ gravity alters the CMB as it passes through them according to the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect, producing fluctuations in the CMB. These fluctuations are foreground artifacts that are difficult to filter out, introducing interference into our understanding of the CMB and, hence, the Big Bang.

The superstructures can also impact measurements of the Hubble constant, a fundamental value in cosmology that describes how fast the Universe is expanding. While galaxies are moving further apart due to expansion, they also have local velocities, called peculiar velocities or streaming motions. These need to be separated from expansion to understand expansion clearly. The great mass of these superstructures influences these streaming motions and distorts our measurements of the Hubble constant.

The research also notes that these massive structures can alter and distort our sky images through large-scale gravitational lensing. This can introduce errors in our measurements.

On the other hand, simulations of the Lambda CDM produce superstructures like Quipu and the four others. Lambda CDM is our standard model of Big Bang cosmology and accounts for much of what we see in the Universe, like its large-scale structure. “We find superstructures with similar properties in simulations based on Lambda-CDM cosmology models,” the authors write.

It’s clear that these superstructures are critical to understanding the Universe. They hold a significant portion of its matter and affect their surroundings in fundamental ways. More research is needed to understand them and their influence.

“Interesting follow-up research on our findings includes, for example, studies of the influence of these environments on the galaxy population and evolution,” the authors write in their conclusion.

According to the study, these superstructures won’t persist forever. “In the future cosmic evolution, these superstructures are bound to break up into several collapsing units. They are thus transient configurations,” Bohringer and his co-researchers explain.

“But at present, they are special physical entities with characteristic properties and special cosmic environments deserving special attention.”

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

06-02-2025 om 15:11 geschreven door peter  

NASA researchers have identified geological structures on Mars that are unlike anything found on Earth. From spider-like formations shaped by underground CO₂ eruptions to towering geysers blasting dark dust over the planet’s poles, these findings continue to puzzle scientists. The discovery provides new insights into the planet’s geological activity and raises intriguing questions about Mars’ dynamic environment.

Dense gravitational structures in the northern hemisphere. 

(Root et al.)

The Enigma of Spider-Like Patterns on Mars

High-resolution images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have captured an extraordinary sight: vast, web-like formations stretching across the Martian southern polar region. These patterns, known as araneiform terrain, are formed through a process unlike anything seen on Earth. Trapped carbon dioxide gas builds up beneath a thick layer of seasonal ice and erupts in sudden outbursts, carving intricate channel-like structures into the surface.

On Earth, landscapes are shaped primarily by water, wind, and tectonic activity. However, Mars’ extreme conditions allow for an entirely different process. During the Martian winter, CO₂ accumulates under the ice cap. When spring arrives and sunlight warms the ground beneath, the trapped gas sublimates—turning directly from solid to gas—until pressure forces an eruption, leaving behind these strange formations.

This colorized image of the surface of Mars was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The line of three volcanoes is the Tharsis Montes, with Olympus Mons to the northwest. Valles Marineris is to the east.

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University)

CO₂ Geysers and the Changing Martian Surface

In addition to the spider-like formations, scientists have observed massive dark patches appearing across Mars’ surface. These marks result from CO₂ geysers—violent gas eruptions that propel dust and sediment into the thin Martian atmosphere. First described in 2006, these “Keiffer geysers” are believed to be seasonal, forming when trapped gas suddenly breaks through the ice cap.

As sunlight penetrates the frozen CO₂ layer, it heats the ground below, creating an increasing buildup of pressure. When this pressure exceeds the ice’s ability to contain it, gas and dust erupt in powerful jets, leaving behind vast dark stains. These seasonal changes challenge previous notions that Mars’ polar caps are static, revealing an active and evolving environment.

The Daedalus crater on the far side of the moon as seen from the Apollo 11 spacecraft NASA

Implications for Future Mars Exploration

Studying these processes is crucial for future Mars missions. By analyzing how CO₂ accumulates and escapes, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of Mars’ atmospheric behavior and subsurface composition. Some researchers speculate that similar gas-trapping mechanisms may have once involved water, offering potential clues about Mars’ past habitability.

This research is also relevant for human exploration. If subsurface gas reservoirs exist, they could impact future settlements, resource extraction, or even strategies for sustaining human life on Mars. These findings not only provide a deeper understanding of Martian geology but could also influence the design of future missions and habitats.

What Else Might Be Hidden Beneath Mars’ Surface?

The discovery of these seasonal Martian eruptions suggests that the planet is far more geologically active than previously assumed. Could these same processes have played a role in Mars’ past climate shifts? Might similar gas-driven eruptions occur elsewhere in the solar system?

These discoveries highlight that Mars is a far more dynamic world than once believed, with seasonal processes actively reshaping its surface. Understanding these unique geological mechanisms could provide valuable insights into Mars’ past climate and the possibility of subsurface resources. Future missions may uncover even more hidden processes, potentially bringing us closer to answering whether Mars once harbored life.Could similar gas-driven eruptions exist on other planets or moons in our solar system? What implications do these findings have for future human exploration of Mars? Share your thoughts in the comments!

• Based on content from www.dailygalaxy.com and own research.

{ https://www.sciencealert.com/  }

05-02-2025 om 22:19 geschreven door peter  

Scientists: Moon’s Grand Canyons Formed In 10 Minutes

The famous Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck formed in a matter of minutes after an impact of monumental proportions created the Schrödinger crater.

The ejecta resulted in multiple secondary impact events, some of which formed long depressions called valleys radiating from the crater. The longest of these are the Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck. They are 270 and 280 kilometres long, about 20 and 27 kilometres wide, and about 2.7 and 3.5 kilometres deep, respectively.

Spectral studies have revealed heterogeneity of the material in the Schrödinger crater and surrounding areas. This material not only contains traces of later volcanic activity but also carries information about the most ancient events in the geological history of the Moon. The fact is that during the formation of the crater (presumably as a result of the fall of a body with a diameter of about 25 kilometres at a speed of 15 kilometres per second), rocks of the lunar crust were exposed from a depth of up to 30 kilometres. In addition, ancient ejecta from the South Pole-Aitken impact basin, which includes mantle material, were scattered across the surface.

To clarify the distribution of the Schrödinger crater’s ejecta and the model of its formation, American and British planetologists used photogeological and topographic mapping of its secondary structures, the Schrödinger and Planck valleys, based on data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The diameters, depths, and distances to the centre of the Schrödinger crater and to the intersection point of the rays that continue the valleys were measured for all secondary craters that form the valleys. Based on the results obtained, the scientists calculated the speeds and directions of material ejecta from the Schrödinger crater.

It took approximately 10 minutes for the Moon’s Grand Canyons to form

For the ejecta that formed Vallis Schrödinger, the ejecta velocity ranged from 0.95 to 1.05 kilometres per second, and the angle at which the material was ejected ranged from 45 to 20 degrees (given the circular shape of the secondary craters, the ejection angle was probably closer to the upper limit of this range). The flight time of the debris ranged from 4.9 to 15.0 minutes.

The maximum velocity of the ejecta that formed Vallis Planck was higher (1.23–1.28 kilometres per second), and the material travelled a greater distance in a time of 5.2 to 15.4 minutes. The duration of the secondary bombardments in both cases did not exceed five minutes.

At such ejection velocities, theoretical estimates of the average size of the ejected fragments range from 0.02 to 0.05 times the diameter of the primary impactor, in this case from 0.5 to 1.25 kilometres. This is consistent with the diameters of the secondary craters in Vallis Planck, as most of them are less than two kilometres. On the other hand, the estimated sizes of the debris that resulted in the formation of Vallis Schrödinger are significantly larger than theoretical: 2.3–5.2 kilometres.

Apparently, this valley, located closer to the point of the asteroid impact, was formed as a result of a nearly simultaneous impact of an entire cluster of ejected fragments, rather than a series of individual falls. The debris was tightly grouped since the secondary craters overlap each other greatly. In contrast, in the remote part of Vallis Planck, the secondary craters were formed as a result of the falls of individual fragments, rather than a continuous stream of ejecta.

Calculations have shown that for the formation of Vallis Schrödinger, the kinetic energy of the ejected material must have been 3.39×10 ²⁰ joules, and for Vallis Planck – about 1.21×10 ²¹ joules. The axes of the valleys, indicating the direction of the emissions, converge not in the centre of the Schrödinger crater, but at its edge, where the primary impact occurred.

The direction of the asteroid’s flight was also established along the line connecting the centre with this point: south-southeast-north-northwest. Its fall at a small (less than 45 degrees) angle caused not a point explosion, but the appearance of a distributed impact zone and an asymmetric pattern of the distribution of emissions.

Clarification of this pattern will help to detail the stratigraphy of impactites in the region and more effectively plan the collection of soil samples during future missions, in particular, within the framework of the Artemis program.

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

05-02-2025 om 20:50 geschreven door peter  

The moon has a secret underground CAVE: Scientists discover an empty lava tube beneath the lunar surface - and say it could be the perfect base for future settlers

• A pit on the moon has a 'subsurface cave conduit, tens of metres long'
• READ MORE: Hole spotted on Mars could be a gateway to ancient alien life

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX are planning to send humans back to the moon later this decade. 

But on the lunar surface, astronauts will be exposed to potentially deadly cosmic rays and extreme temperatures.

Now, scientists may have found a suitable hiding place from these unforgiving conditions.

The experts in Italy say they have identified the first cave on the moon, which extends from inside a pit located in the Sea of Tranquility. 

It could be a promising site for a lunar base, as it offers shelter from 'the harsh surface environment' and could support long-term human exploration of the moon. 

The cave extends from inside Mare Tranquillitatis Pit (pictured) which is located at the moon's famous Sea of Tranquillity - close to where humans landed in 1969

The pit leads to a 'lava tube' - a natural conduit formerly occupied by flowing molten lava - which could provide shelter for astronauts 

'These caves have been theorized for over 50 years, but it is the first time ever that we have demonstrated their existence,' said study author Lorenzo Bruzzone, professor at the University of Trento in Italy. 

Since pits were first discovered on the moon by JAXA's SELENE spacecraft in 2009, scientists have wondered if they led to caves that could be explored or used as shelters. 

There are more than 200 pits moon, around 16 of which are thought to be collapsed 'lava tubes' – natural conduits formerly occupied by flowing molten lava.

If the ceiling of a solidified lava tube collapses, it opens a pit – but whether these pits provide access to caves has long been uncertain. 

The team focused on a roughly cylindrical pit in a part of the moon's northern hemisphere, known as the Sea of Tranquility, or Mare Tranquillitatis.

Tranquility Base, the location of the first manned landing on the moon in July 1969,  is located in the south-western corner of the Sea of Tranquility. 

Researchers focused on a roughly cylindrical 100-meter-deep depression, about the length and width of a football field, in an area of the moon, known as the Sea of Tranquillity or Mare Tranquillitatis (marked here with a red circle) 

Researchers processed images from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment - a thermal camera on NASA's robotic Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (depicted here in space)

Mare Tranquillitatis Pit is the deepest known pit on the moon – an estimated depth of 328 feet (100 meters) and up to 377 feet (115 meters) across – about the length of a football pitch. 

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which launched in 2009, captured radar data from the pit during a flyover more than a decade ago. 

But the team have now reanalysed the radar data with new 'complex signal processing techniques'. 

According to the findings, a portion of the radar reflections originating from the put can be identified as a 'subsurface cave conduit, tens of metres long'. 

'Thanks to the analysis of the data we were able to create a model of a portion of the conduit,' said Leonardo Carrer, researcher at University of Trento. 

'[We] have discovered radar reflections from the area of the pit that are best explained by an underground cave conduit. 

'This discovery provides the first direct evidence of an accessible lava tube under the surface of the moon.'

Pictured, the researchers' illustration of the shape of the cave descending from Mare Tranquillitatis Pit 

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which launched in 2009, captured radar data from the pit during a flyover more than a decade ago. But the team have now reanalysed the radar data with new 'complex signal processing techniques'

This new research has implications for the development of missions to the moon, where the environment is hostile to human life. 

The moon is know for temperatures that are too extreme to sustain life – up to a scorching 260°F during the day and down to an icy -280°F at night. 

But temperatures in a shady cave such as this are thought to be a 'comfortable' 63°F (17°C) – suggesting they could be the perfect locations for lunar base camps.

They could also provide shelter from cosmic rays and the thousands of meteorites that are thought to hit the moon every year. 

It also opens up the possibility of other lunar pits leading to cave, which would give spacefarers more options when planning to establish settlements. 

NASA hopes to develop a sustainable lunar exploration program starting from 2028. This artist's illustration shows what NASA's Artemis base camp could look like

Tranquility Base, the location of the first manned landing on the moon in July 1969, is located in the south-western corner of the Sea of Tranquility. Pictured is Buzz Aldrin during the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969

Rather than going to the Sea of Tranquility, NASA's upcoming Artemis III mission plans to land a crew at the moon's south polar region in a SpaceX craft. 

Eventually as part of its Artemis programme, NASA plans to have set up a base camp in the lunar south region by the end of this decade.

READ MORE

• Mysterious hole spotted on Mars could be a gateway to ancient alien life

Building a lunar base in a pit or cave is not currently part of the official plan, but the study authors suggest it will be worth considering in the future. 

'A complete survey of all known lunar pits would allow us to identify the most promising accesses for subsurface lunar exploration and provide information on the potential for installing human lunar base in environments protected from cosmic radiation and with stable temperatures,' they conclude. 

Their new study has been published today in the journal Nature Astronomy.  

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

05-02-2025 om 17:59 geschreven door peter  

The lunar Grand Canyon: Our moon has two gigantic basins that were carved out in just 10 MINUTES (despite being even bigger than the one in Arizona!)

• READ MORE: The moon has a secret underground CAVE, scientists say 

By WILIAM HUNTER

A visit to the Grand Canyon is a true bucket list item for anyone on a US road trip.

But Arizona isn't the only place where an ambitious explorer can find a Grand Canyon.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has snapped pictures of two gigantic basins on the lunar surface.

Named Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck, these measure 168 miles (270 km) long and 1.7 miles (2.7 km) deep, and 174 miles (280 km) long and 2.2 miles (3.5 km) deep, respectively.

That makes them just as long as the Grand Canyon and more than three times as deep at their lowest points. 

While Earth's canyon was formed by the Colorado River over six to seven million years, the researchers say these were carved out in just 10 minutes.

The moon's canyons stretch out from the Schrödinger impact basin, a 200-mile-wide (320 km) crater located near the moon's south pole, which was formed when a meteor slammed into the lunar surface.

The researchers think that these lunar valleys were cut into the rock by a stream of rocks thrown out from that violent impact 3.81 billion years ago. 

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has snapped stunning pictures of the moon's answer to the Grand Canyon (pictured), two enormous valleys carved into the lunar surface  

The canyons, named Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck, are just as long as the Grand Canyon (pictured) and over three times as deep at their lowest points 

The Schrödinger impact basin is located on the outer margins of the moon's 1,500-mile-wide (2,400 km) South Pole–Aitken basin.

Scientists believe it was formed when a large meteor tore into the lunar surface, creating an extremely violent explosion and tossing debris up to 310 miles (500km) from the crater rim.

Lead author Dr David Kring, a space geologist from the Lunar and Planetary Institute, told MailOnline: 'Variations in the crust of the Moon may have generated concentrated streams of rock within the curtain of debris that was ejected to form the crater.'

This led to debris falling in long, straight lines called ejecta rays which created deep channels of overlapping craters like Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck.

'Such rays are commonly observed on the Moon. For example, backyard astronomy enthusiasts will be familiar with the rays around Tycho and Copernicus craters on the near side of the Moon,' says Dr Kring.

Now, using photographs from NASA's probe, researchers have created a three-dimensional map of these valleys to model the direction and speed of the debris flow.

In their paper, published in Nature Communications, the researchers calculate that the debris must have been travelling at speeds between 2,125 and 2,863 miles per hour (3,420-4,608 kmph).

In turn, this velocity suggests that the fragments which formed the canyon would be between two and five per cent the size of the original meteor.

The Schrödinger impact basin (right and down from centre) is extremely close to the South Pole. On this map you can also see the two Lunar Grand Canyons stretching away from the crater to the right and downwards 

Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck measure 168 miles (270 km) and 174 miles (280 km) long respectively. On average Vallis Plank is almost a kilometre deeper than the Grand Canyon, as shown in this diagram 

That means each fragment could have been up to 1,250 metres wide - more than 60 times larger than the Chelyabinsk meteor which exploded over Russia in 2013.

Dr Kring says: 'The energy to produce the two grand canyons of the moon was equal to 130 times the energy of the world’s total inventory of nuclear weapons.

'The research shows that lunar canyons the size of Earth’s Grand Canyon can form in minutes rather than millions of years. Impact-generated streams of rock on the Moon are far more capable of carving canyons than is water on Earth.'

By tracing the ejecta rays back to the point where they meet, the researchers have also been able to identify the meteor's probable impact location.

Interestingly, this point is not at the centre of the Schrödinger crater as you might expect, but rather further to the South at 78.2° South and 143.7° East.

This detail implies that the meteor probably hit the lunar surface at a fairly low angle, spraying debris away from the moon's South Pole.

Beyond being an interesting geological detail, this is extremely good news for NASA's upcoming Artemis moon landing mission currently scheduled for 2026.

The intended Artemis landing site is just 77 miles (125 km) from the rim of the Schrödinger basin.

Researchers say these canyons were carved into the moon by streams of rock ejected by a meteor impact which formed the Schrödinger crater (pictured) 

As the debris from the impact fell down to the moon, it produced long lines of overlapping craters (highlighted green) which formed the canyons in just ten seconds 

The researchers estimated that the canyons (pictured) were formed using 130 times the energy of the world’s total inventory of nuclear weapons

By tracing the canyons back to where they overlap, the researchers predict the original meteor's likely impact point. This suggests that most of the debris would have been thrown away from the South Pole, this is good news for NASA which plans to land its Artemis Missions to the south of the Schrödinger basin 

If the meteor impact had sprayed debris evenly over the surrounding area, it would have made landing a spacecraft more difficult and made it harder for explorers to get samples from the original lunar surface below.

However, this study suggests that this isn't likely to be too much of a problem.

Dr Kring says: 'The research suggests most of the debris ejected from the Schrödinger basin landed outside the Artemis exploration zone.

'Artemis astronauts will find it easier to collect rocks older than the Schrödinger impact.

'The Schrödinger impact formed near the end of a period of early Solar System bombardment. Geologic samples collected by missions to the lunar south polar region should help decipher the magnitude and duration of that bombardment of asteroids and comets.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

05-02-2025 om 17:24 geschreven door peter  

NASA warns three giant asteroids will skim past Earth TODAY

• READ MORE:  Scientists warn 'city-destroying' asteroid is hurtling towards Earth

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

NASA is keeping a close eye on three giant asteroids that are set to make close approaches to Earth today.

One of them will come within just 77,200 miles of our planet, which is roughly one-third of the average distance between Earth and the moon.

That asteroid, called '2025 CF,' is an estimated 12 feet wide and has not had a close encounter with Earth since 2013.

The space rock will make another fly-by of our planet in January 2033.

The other two space rocks, 2025 CD and 2025 CE, are an estimated 22 feet and 43 feet wide, respectively.

That makes each of them approximately the size of a bus, but they will keep further away from our planet when they pass by today.

Asteroid 2025 CD's closest approach will be 396,000 miles, and 2025 CE's will be 680,000 miles.

Two more bus-sized asteroids will also zip through Earth's cosmic neighborhood today, but will remain millions of miles away. 

NASA is keeping a close eye on three vehicle-sized asteroids that will make close approaches to Earth today

These recently discovered space rocks likely hail from the main asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter.

According to NASA, more than one million asteroids travel around the sun within this belt, following elliptical orbits and often rotating erratically as they go.

Occasionally, the massive gravitational force of Jupiter can pull asteroids out of the belt and send them hurtling in random directions.

Sometimes they shoot toward the inner solar system and enter Earth's vicinity, encountering our planet in what's known as a 'fly-by.'

These fly-bys are harmless the vast majority of the time. None of the asteroids that will approach Earth today pose any threat to our planet, according to NASA. 

But the agency's Planetary Defense Coordination Office always keeps a watchful eye on any Near Earth Objects (NEOs), including asteroids, to monitor their impact risk.

Recently, the agency detected one space rock that does have a slight chance of hitting Earth in the near future.  

That asteroid, called 2024 YR4, is estimated to be nearly 200 feet wide and currently has a more than one percent chance of directly hitting Earth on December 22, 2023, according to NASA.

One of them will come within just 77,200 miles of our planet, which is roughly one third of the average distance between Earth and the moon

Astronomers have also calculated a predicted impact zone that stretches from South America across the Atlantic Ocean to sub-Saharan Africa.

The asteroid has the potential to cause significant damage, especially if it lands in a densely populated area like a major city.

Astronomers believe it is roughly the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which entered Earth's atmosphere and exploded in the air over Siberia in 1908.

The blast was equivalent to detonating 50 million tons of TNT. 

If 2024 YR4 infiltrates Earth's atmosphere, it could cause a similar event, astronomers say. 

Alternatively, it could remain intact during the descent and slam into the ground, creating a massive crater and decimating human communities in the impact zone.

But the odds of a direct-hit are very slim, with astronomers estimating a 1.2 to 1.3 percent chance. 

It is much more likely that 2024 YR4 safely whizzes by our planet just like these three smaller asteroids will today.

Astronomers have calculated a predicted impact zone for 2024 YR4 that stretches from South America across the Atlantic Ocean to sub-Saharan Africa.

Analysis of 2024 YR4's orbit indicates that the asteroid will come within 66,000 miles of Earth on December 22, 2032. Though there is a slight chance it could hit Earth, it is much more likely that this asteroid safely passes by our planet, astronomers say

That's not to say that a large asteroid could never impact our planet though, which is why NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office is developing strategies to  protect Earth from an incoming threat. 

The agency's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission launched from California in November 2021 and finally completed its 10-month journey when it hit the asteroid Dimorphos in September 2022.

Dimorphos, around 560 feet in diameter, orbits a larger asteroid called Didymos, both of which are around 6.8 million miles away from our planet.

DART hit the space rock at more than 14,000 miles per hour and was destroyed upon impact, while Dimorphos received a 'small nudge' intended to alter its trajectory by a fraction.

The mission demonstrated that the kinetic impactor technique - which involves deliberately ramming a spacecraft into an asteroid - is an effective way to alter an asteroid's trajectory.

In the event that a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) were headed towards Earth, NASA could one day use this technique to save our planet.

But scientists are still studying DART's aftermath to ensure that NASA could do this safely.

That's why the European Space Agency (ESA) is launched the Hera mission in October last year.

The Hera spacecraft is currently on its way to Dimorphos to perform a detailed survey of the damage and debris created by the DART.

This will help astronomers on Earth verify that the kinetic impactor technique can be used safely and responsibly to save our planet from an approaching asteroid. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

05-02-2025 om 15:24 geschreven door peter  

This Stunning Green Aurora Filmed by an Astronaut Is Unlike Anything You’ve Seen Before

Over the past weeks, the Sun has been hyperactive, releasing massive bursts of energy, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

“Flying over aurora; intensely green.” 

(Don Pettit/X)

Capturing Rare Auroral Moments

Astronauts aboard the ISS have a unique vantage point for observing auroras, providing insights unattainable from Earth’s surface. Don Pettit’s video is part of a growing collection of auroral imagery shared from space, following iconic photos by astronauts like Thomas Pesquet, Josh Cassada, and Koichi Wakata.

As the Sun approaches its solar maximum—a peak in its 11-year activity cycle—auroras are becoming more frequent and intense. With advanced satellite technology and high-resolution cameras, future observations will likely unveil even more extraordinary views of this natural phenomenon.

The northern lights over Iceland.

(Arctic-images/Stone/Getty)

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

04-02-2025 om 21:19 geschreven door peter  

It seems everyone is talking about the Moon and everyone wants to get their foot in the door with the renewed passion for lunar exploration. ESA too have jumped into the lunar landing game having just signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space to build its Argonaut Lunar Lander. Compared to other landers, it will be unique in its ability to handle the harsh night and day conditions on the lunar surface. Each mission is planned to have a 5 year life and will have a standard descent and cargo module but with different payloads determined by the Moon. If all goes to plan then the first lander will fly in 2031. 

The Moon, Earth’s only natural satellite, is a celestial body that has fascinated us for centuries. It orbits Earth at an average distance of about 384,400 kilometres and is a barren, rocky surface covered in craters, mountains, and vast plains of solidified lava. Its lack of atmosphere results in extreme temperature fluctuations, with daytime temperatures reaching up to 127°C and nighttime temperatures plummeting as low as -173°C. 

Since the Apollo missions of the 1960’s lunar exploration has become a central part of space science.  The first major milestone was achieved in 1959 when the Soviet Luna 2 mission became the first human-made object to impact the Moon. This was followed by Luna 9, which successfully landed and transmitted images from the surface. This was followed by Apollo 11 and humanity’s first steps on another celestial body. Since then robotic missions like China’s Chang’e program, India’s Chandrayaan missions, and NASA’s Artemis program have aimed to study lunar water ice, geology, and sustainability for long-term human presence. 

The European Space Agency have got in on the act now with their plans to build Argonaut, an autonomous lunar lander. It will launch on regular missions to the moon and can be used for delivering rovers, infrastructure, instrumentation or resources to the Moon for lunar explorers. The lander will compose of the descent module, the payload and the cargo platform which will act as the interface between the lander and the payload and will integrate operations between the two. 

ESA signed their contract with Thales Alenia Space in Italy, a joint venture and prominent player in the global space market. They have been delivering high-tech solutions for navigation, telecommunication and Earth observation for over 40 years. They will be leading the European group to build the descent module with the remaining core team from the Group’s UK and France. 

Once complete, Argonaut will become a key part of ESA’s lunar exploration strategy and will integrate with their Lunar Link on the new lunar Gateway. This new international space station is planned to orbit the Moon as part of the NASA Artemis programme. Argonaut will become one of Europe’s main contributions to international lunar exploration as nations work together to establish permanent presence on our nearest celestial neighbour. 

Source : 

• Argonaut: a first European lunar lander

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

04-02-2025 om 21:01 geschreven door peter  

Modern astronomy generates vast volumes of data and algorithms and automated processing are needed to comb through it all. So far, COSMIC has observed more than 950,000 objects, and the results of the effort are in a new paper. It’s titled “COSMIC’s Large-Scale Search for Technosignatures during the VLA sky Survey: Survey Description and First Results” and will be published in The Astronomical Journal. The lead author is Chenoa Tremblay from SETI.

“The place of humanity in the Universe and the existence of life is one of the most profound and widespread questions in astronomy and society in general,” the authors write. “Throughout history, humans have marvelled at the starry night sky.”

In our modern technological age, we marvel not only with our eyes but with powerful telescopes. The Karl G. Jansky Array is one of those telescopes, though it’s actually 28 radio dishes working together as an interferometer. Each one is 25 meters across, and they’re all mounted on movable bases that are maneuvered around railway tracks. This gives the system the ability to change its radius and density so it can balance its angular resolution and its sensitivity.

The Array is used to observe astronomical objects like quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, and black holes. It’s also used to search trillions of systems quickly for signs of radio transmissions.

Currently, the VLA is engaged in the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS), a long-term effort to detect transient radio signals in the entire visible sky. The elegance of the COSMIC system is that it can “tag along” as VLASS progresses. “COSMIC was designed to provide an autonomous real-time pipeline for observing and processing data for one of the largest experiments in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence to date,” the authors write.

One of the problems facing modern astronomy is the deluge of data. There aren’t enough astronomers or students to possibly manage it. “The idea is that we are receiving increasing quantities of data that must be sorted in new ways in order to find information of scientific interest,” the authors write. “Developing algorithms to search through data efficiently is a challenging part of searching for signs of technology beyond our solar system.”

COSMIC is a digital signal processing pipeline that VLASS data flows through. It searches for signals that display temporal and spectral characteristics consistent with our idea of what an artificial technological signal would look like.

The sky is full of radio signals from astrophysical objects. In order for a signal to be considered a technosignature, it needs to be a narrowband signal, and its frequency should change over time as a result of the Doppler effect. That still leaves potentially millions of hits. Researchers are forced to make other assumptions about what might constitute a technosignature, and COSMIC filters through signals based on those assumptions. “In this pipeline, extraterrestrial technosignatures are characterized by a set of assumptions and conditions that, if not met, are used to eliminate hits that do not meet these assumptions,” Tremblay and her co-authors write. “The output of this search is a database of “hits” and small cutouts of the phase-corrected voltage data for each antenna around the hits called “postage stamps.”

COSMIC examined more than 950 million objects in space for technosignatures and found nothing. But that’s okay. SETI scientists still learned things from the effort by testing their system.

“As shown in <Figure 15>, within the last 11 months of operation, COSMIC has observed over 950,000 fields and is rapidly becoming one of the largest SETI experiments ever designed,” the authors write.

Though COSMIC has observed almost 1 million sources, researchers focused on a small subset to rigorously test the postprocessing system. In a test field of 30 minutes of data, they searched toward 511 stars from the Gaia catalogue. “In this search, no potential technosignatures were identified,” the authors write.

However, this is just the beginning and constitutes a successful test of the system. Future efforts with COSMIC will be both faster and more automated, which is necessary to manage the vast volume of data in modern astronomy.

“This work overall represents an important milestone in our search,” the authors write in their paper’s conclusion. “With the rapidly growing database, we need new methods for sorting through the data, and this paper describes a rapid and viable filtering mechanism.”

Research: 

• COSMIC’s Large-Scale Search for Technosignatures during the VLA Sky Survey:
  Survey Description and First Results

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

04-02-2025 om 18:39 geschreven door peter  

6 Things to Know About SPHEREx, NASA’s Newest Space Telescope

Credit: BAE Systems/NASA/JPL-Caltech

Expected to launch no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 27, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, NASA’s SPHEREx space observatory will provide astronomers with a big-picture view of the cosmos like none before. Short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, SPHEREx will map the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colors, illuminating the origins of our universe, galaxies within it, and life’s key ingredients in our own galaxy. Here are six things to know about the mission.

1. The SPHEREx space telescope will shed light on a cosmic phenomenon called inflation.

In the first billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second after the big bang, the universe increased in size by a trillion-trillionfold. Called inflation, this nearly instantaneous event took place almost 14 billion years ago, and its effects can be found today in the large-scale distribution of matter in the universe. By mapping the distribution of more than 450 million galaxies, SPHEREx will help scientists improve our understanding of the physics behind this extreme cosmic event.

2. The observatory will measure the collective glow from galaxies near and far.

Scientists have tried to estimate the total light output from all galaxies throughout cosmic history by observing individual galaxies and extrapolating to the trillions of galaxies in the universe. The SPHEREx space telescope will take a different approach and measure the total glow from all galaxies, including galaxies too small, too diffuse, or too distant for other telescopes to easily detect. Combining the measurement of this overall glow with other telescopes’ studies of individual galaxies will give scientists a more complete picture of all the major sources of light in the universe.

3. The mission will search the Milky Way galaxy for essential building blocks of life.

Life as we know it wouldn’t exist without basic ingredients such as water and carbon dioxide. The SPHEREx observatory is designed to find these molecules frozen in interstellar clouds of gas and dust, where stars and planets form. The mission will pinpoint the location and abundance of these icy compounds in our galaxy, giving researchers a better sense of their availability in the raw materials for newly forming planets.

Molecular clouds like this one, called Rho Ophiuchi, are collections of cold gas and dust in space where stars and planets can form. SPHEREx will survey such regions throughout the Milky Way galaxy to measure the abundance of water ice and other frozen molecules.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

4. It adds unique strengths to NASA’s fleet of space telescopes.

Space telescopes like NASA’s Hubble and Webb have zoomed in on many corners of the universe to show us planets, stars, and galaxies in high resolution. But some questions — like how much light do all the galaxies in the universe collectively emit? — can be answered only by looking at the big picture. To that end, the SPHEREx observatory will provide maps that encompass the entire sky. Objects of scientific interest identified by SPHEREx can then be studied in more detail by targeted telescopes like Hubble and Webb.

5. The SPHEREx observatory will make the most colorful all-sky map ever.

The SPHEREx observatory “sees” infrared light. Undetectable to the human eye, this range of wavelengths is ideal for studying stars and galaxies. Using a technique called spectroscopy, the telescope can split the light into its component colors (individual wavelengths), like a prism creates a rainbow from sunlight, in order to measure the distance to cosmic objects and learn about their composition. With SPHEREx’s spectroscopic map in hand, scientists will be able to detect evidence of chemical compounds, like water ice, in our galaxy. They’ll not only measure the total amount of light emitted by galaxies in our universe, but also discern how bright that total glow was at different points in cosmic history. And they’ll chart the 3D locations of hundreds of millions of galaxies to study how inflation influenced the large-scale structure of the universe today.

6. The spacecraft’s cone-shaped design helps it stay cold and see faint objects.

The mission’s infrared telescope and detectors need to operate at around minus 350 degrees Fahrenheit (about minus 210 degrees Celsius). This is partly to prevent them from generating their own infrared glow, which might overwhelm the faint light from cosmic sources. To keep things cold while also simplifying the spacecraft’s design and operational needs, SPHEREx relies on an entirely passive cooling system — no electricity or coolants are used during normal operations. Key to making this feat possible are three cone-shaped photon shields that protect the telescope from the heat of Earth and the Sun, as well as a mirrored structure beneath the shields to direct heat from the instrument out into space. Those photon shields give the spacecraft its distinctive outline.

More About SPHEREx

SPHEREx is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the agency’s Astrophysics Division within the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. BAE Systems (formerly Ball Aerospace) built the telescope and the spacecraft bus. The science analysis of the SPHEREx data will be conducted by a team of scientists located at 10 institutions in the U.S., two in South Korea, and one in Taiwan. Data will be processed and archived at IPAC at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. The mission principal investigator is based at Caltech with a joint JPL appointment. The SPHEREx dataset will be publicly available at the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive.

For more information about the SPHEREx mission visit:

• https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/spherex/

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.nasa.gov/ }

03-02-2025 om 23:12 geschreven door peter  

Space photo of the week: James Webb and Hubble telescopes unite to solve 'impossible' planet mystery

• Why it's so special: This James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) image has helped astronomers untangle a long-standing mystery about how planets form. The mystery arose more than 20 years ago, when the Hubble Space Telescope spotted the universe's oldest known planet, which formed earlier in the universe's history than scientists thought was possible.

Stars form in large clouds of gas and dust called molecular clouds. Any remaining gas and dust gather in disks around the stars. Planets, in turn, form from these disks. Scientists believed that early stars didn't have planets because there was a lack of heavier elements, such as carbon and iron, which are created by stars' nuclear fusion and supernova deaths. They thought that these heavier elements were essential for planet-forming disks to exist long enough for planets to form.

Related: 

• Space photo of the week: The tilted spiral galaxy that took Hubble 23 years to capture

But in 2003, Hubble detected a massive planet orbiting an ancient star in the M4 globular cluster, which is about 5,600 light-years distant in the Milky Way. Globular clusters are extremely old and, therefore, lack heavier elements. The exoplanet is about 13 billion years old, which suggests that planets may have formed earlier in the universe's history than scientists thought was possible. But astronomers were unsure exactly how it formed so early in the universe's history

To learn more about the early universe, astronomers use proxies that have similar conditions to ancient galaxies. One such proxy is the star cluster NGC 346, a star-forming region within the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a dwarf galaxy that orbits the Milky Way. Like early galaxies, the SMC lacks heavier elements and is made up mainly of hydrogen and helium.

When astronomers pointed Hubble at NGC 346, they found signs that planet-forming disks existed around stars for 20 million to 30 million years — about 10 times longer than theories predicted such disks could survive. However, the signs were faint, so astronomers needed further proof.

In 2023, JWSTused the unprecedented sensitivity and resolution provided by its Near Infrared Spectrograph and Mid-Infrared Instrument to confirm the existence of long-lived planet-forming disks in NGC 346.

The findings, published Dec. 16, 2024, in The Astrophysical Journal, affirm the Hubble result and suggest that the lack of heavier elements may slow the star's ability to disperse its planet-forming disk — giving planets more time to form. Another theory is that the initial gas cloud from which the star forms might be larger, resulting in a more massive, longer-lived disk.

• For more sublime space images, check out our Space Photo of the Week archives.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

02-02-2025 om 22:11 geschreven door peter  

High-Resolution Imaging of Dyson Sphere Candidate Reveals no Radio Signals

Dyson Spheres are a class of megastructures originally proposed by physicist Freemon Dyson, who proposed how advanced civilizations could create structures large enough to enclose their stars (thus harnessing all of their energy). Project Hephaestos, led by Prof. Erik Zackrisson, has published numerous papers exploring possible Dyson Sphere candidates using different methods and data sources. The fourth and most recent paper in the series focused on seven potential candidates (designated A to G) around M-type stars from a sample of 5 million detected by the ESA’s Gaia Observatory.

Previously, Ren and his team have investigated these candidates to identify possible natural explanations. As they explored in a previous paper, these include dust-rich debris disks that absorb light and re-emit it as infrared radiation. This will lead to an observed infrared excess, which Dyson proposed as a possible indication of his proposed megastructure. However, as they indicate in their most recent paper, the Project’s measurements do not appear to resemble typical debris disks. As Garrett explained to Universe Today via email:

“When I saw the original results from Project Hephaestos last year, I was skeptical – they had surveyed 5 million stars, and if you do that, there is a good chance your measurements might include emission from background sources. You don’t expect stars to show radio emission at this level, and it basically tells you that the radio emission is probably coming from background (radio) galaxies. But then you also need a special kind of galaxy that is faint in the optical but very bright in the infrared – the only galaxies I knew that had this characteristic are DOGs – Dust Obscured Galaxies.”

The team was also inspired by another paper by Jason T. Wright, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State, the director of the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center (PSETI), and a member of the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds (CEHW). In this paper, Wright hypothesized that a true Dyson Sphere might use radio emissions to discharge waste heat. This led them to consider the possibility that these candidates were indeed Dyson Spheres.

As Tongtian explained, they were also inspired by previous research by Garrett:

“Mike briefly argued in 2015 that even in a Kardashev Type I Civilization, where energy consumption is significantly higher than that of humans on Earth, their radio communication signals are too weak to detect. However, the Dyson Spheres could correspond to a Kardashev Type II Civilization—one that harnesses over a billion times more energy than a Type I Civilization. Therefore, regardless of whether the beings reside on planets or elsewhere near the Dyson Sphere, it might be possible to detect their use of similar electromagnetic technologies.”

To investigate these possibilities further, the team searched through data obtained by the enhanced Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) and the European VLBI Network (EVN) for data on the brightest radio source (candidate G). To their surprise, they found that three candidates from Project Hephaestos had radio counterparts in the astronomy databases. As Tongtian explained, the most logical explanation is that these signals (including candidate G) were due to contamination from bright radio sources – Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) – in the background:

“They shouldn’t belong to one civilization. Otherwise, many anomalous stars would be connected as a swarm in the sky, not isolated seven. At that moment, we realized that either different extraterrestrial civilizations located hundreds of light-years away all have mastered the same or similar advanced radio emission technologies, or these signals originate from some form of natural contamination. We preferred to assume that they were some natural objects beyond the Milky Way – and most likely to be hot DOGS.”

These results effectively confirmed their earlier hypothesis that at least some of the candidates identified by Project Hephaistos are contaminated by bright radio sources that are also very bright in the infrared wavelength. This causes them to mimic the characteristics that Freeman Dyson predicted and what astronomers expect from Dyson Spheres. However, this does not rule out the remaining six candidates and highlights the importance of thoroughly analyzing each candidate with high-resolution radio observations.

“We don’t know that all of the candidates are contaminated, but some, maybe all, probably are. I really hope some of them are indeed good Dyson Sphere candidates,” said Garrett. “This all shows that a multiwavelength approach is really required when looking for candidates in order to rule out background contamination.”

“The development of new astronomical instruments does not follow the rapid update cycles of consumer electronics—it takes decades,” added Tongtian. “Gaia (launched in 2013 and recently decommissioned) and WISE (launched in 2009 and expired in 2024) provided a crucial observational window. The next generation of similar probes may not be available for a long time, making it unlikely that a large-scale Dyson Sphere search program like Project Hephaistos will be conducted again in the near future. So the current seven Dyson Sphere candidates deserve to be carefully examined.”

Further Reading: 

• arXiv,
• MNRAS

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

02-02-2025 om 21:39 geschreven door peter  

Stranded NASA astronaut says she's lost ability to perform vital bodily function after being in space so long

• READ MORE:  NASA's stranded astronaut leaves ISS for the first time in months
• PODCAST: On Welcome to MAGAland - Trump’s response to the tragic D.C plane crash, plus is project 2025 really a myth?

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

One of NASA's stranded astronauts has revealed she has lost the ability to perform several basic tasks after being stranded in space for eight months. 

Sunita Williams admitted this week that she has forgotten what it's like to walk after spending 234 days in microgravity.

'I've been up here long enough, right now I've been trying to remember what it's like to walk. I haven't walked. I haven't sat down. I haven't laid down,' she said during a video call with students at Needham High School in Massachusetts on Monday. 

Williams, 59 and her crewmate, Barry Wilmore, 62, were supposed to spend eight days on the ISS when they embarked on their mission on June 5, but the Boeing capsule that took them was plagued by technical issues.

The capsule has since returned to Earth empty, leaving the two astronauts stuck on the ISS until at least late March when they can catch a ride home on SpaceX's Crew-9 spacecraft.

President Donald Trump said 'the two brave astronauts' were 'virtually abandoned by the Biden administration' and asked Elon Musk and SpaceX to 'go get' them.

'Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe,' the president said. 'Good luck Elon!!!'

The 53-year-old billionaire vowed in a post to retrieve Wilmore and Sunita Williams 'as soon as possible.' 

otten how to walk after spending 234 days in microgravity Sunita Williams admitted this week that she has forg

Musk said he was asked by President Donald Trump to bring NASA's stranded astronauts home as soon as possible 

Musk's SpaceX was already tasked with bringing astronauts Williams and Wilmore back from the ISS prior to this new order due to Boeing's Straliner malfunctioning in space.

The capsule experienced helium leaks and thruster malfunctions before, during and after its launch.

By August, NASA decided Starliner was unfit to safely bring the astronauts home, and announced that Williams and Wilmore would instead hitch a ride back to Earth on SpaceX's Crew-9 capsule, which is currently docked to the ISS.

NASA previously said that Crew-9 would return home as soon as February, but the agency changed the mission timeline in December.

In a statement, officials explained that SpaceX needed more time to complete work on the Crew-10 capsule, which must launch to the ISS before Crew-9 can leave the ISS. 

Thus, the astronauts' return was pushed back to late March. By that time, they will have spent eight months in space. 

During long space missions, microgravity takes a toll on astronauts' bodies, causing significant muscle and bone deterioration.

For every month in space, astronauts' weight-bearing bones become roughly one percent less dense if they don't take precautions to counter this loss, according to NASA.

If Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams do return in late March as expected, they will have spent 10 months on the ISS, which is two months longer than a standard long-term ISS mission

President Donald Trump asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to 'go get' two astronauts who remain stuck in space

And their muscles which are usually activated by simply moving around on Earth also weaken because they no longer need to work as hard, the agency says. 

When astronauts return from long-term space missions, it's not uncommon for them not to be able to walk under their own power.  

The recent statements from Musk and President Trump suggest the timing of Williams and Wilmore's rescue mission could change again, potentially bringing them home sooner. 

There are a couple ways SpaceX might do this, according to astrophysicist and science communicator Scott Manley.

One option is to launch Crew-10 earlier, which would also allow the Crew-9 capsule to bring Williams and Wilmore home earlier, he explained in a recent X post. 

Welcome to MAGALAND: Insider Trump's Second 100 Days - The podcast bringing you the latest news and gossip from the White House. Listen here. 

This would require SpaceX to finish work on the spacecraft ahead of schedule, but the company has not said that it is on track to do so. 

Option two is to allow Crew-9 to return to Earth before Crew-10 launches, Manley said. 

This would go against NASA protocol, which requires the agency to maintain a critical mass of astronauts on the ISS during the 'handover process,' or the overlap between a departing ISS crew's time on the space station and a new crew's arrival. 

This period allows the departing crew (in this case, Crew-9 and the Starliner crew) to share any lessons learned with the newly arrived crew (Crew-10) and support a better transition for ongoing science and maintenance at the complex, according to NASA.

The handover process helps operations on the ISS run smoothly, but it is not an absolute necessity. 

Should NASA opt to let the Crew-9 capsule leave the ISS before Crew-10 arrives, Russian Soyuz astronauts would be there to receive the Crew-10 astronauts. 

SpaceX's Crew-9 capsule launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket in September. The capsule is currently docked on the ISS and ready to bring its crew plus Williams and Wilmore home by late March, unless NASA and SpaceX move its departure up

There are a couple ways SpaceX might do this, according to astrophysicist and science communicator Scott Manley.

One option is to launch Crew-10 earlier, which would also allow the Crew-9 capsule to bring Williams and Wilmore home earlier, he explained in a recent X post. 

This would require SpaceX to finish work on the spacecraft ahead of schedule, but the company has not said that it is on track to do so. 

Option two is to allow Crew-9 to return to Earth before Crew-10 launches, Manley said. 

This would go against NASA protocol, which requires the agency to maintain a critical mass of astronauts on the ISS during the 'handover process,' or the overlap between a departing ISS crew's time on the space station and a new crew's arrival. 

This period allows the departing crew (in this case, Crew-9 and the Starliner crew) to share any lessons learned with the newly arrived crew (Crew-10) and support a better transition for ongoing science and maintenance at the complex, according to NASA.

The handover process helps operations on the ISS run smoothly, but it is not an absolute necessity. 

Should NASA opt to let the Crew-9 capsule leave the ISS before Crew-10 arrives, Russian Soyuz astronauts would be there to receive the Crew-10 astronauts.

It's also possible that the timing of the Starliner crew's return will not change at all. 

When Musk stated he would bring the astronauts home 'as soon as possible,' he may actually have been referring to the current mission schedule, Manley said. 

What's more, it could be that 'Elon is trolling,' he added. In other words, these statements from Musk and Trump may be displays of political showmanship that do not actually promise any real changes to the rescue mission's timeline.

Neither SpaceX, NASA, nor the White House have made any official public  statements regarding a revised return date for Williams and Wilmore.

In an emailed statement, NASA told DailyMail.com: 'NASA and SpaceX are expeditiously working to safely return the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore as soon as practical, while also preparing for the launch of Crew-10 to complete a handover between expeditions.' 

SpaceX and the White House did not  immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.  

Despite the astronauts' dramatically extended stay on the ISS, NASA has repeatedly stated that they are not stranded. 

The agency has also emphasized that NASA astronauts always train for lengthy missions, and that medical experts have been closely monitoring the Starliner crew's health as they endure the harsh conditions aboard the ISS, including low-gravity, heightened radiation exposure and the psychological stress of confinement. 

If Williams and Wilmore do return home in late March as expected, their mission will have lasted two months longer than a standard long-term ISS mission, which typically lasts six months.

But they will not break astronaut Frank Rubio's record for the longest stretch of time spent on the ISS, which is 371 consecutive days. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

02-02-2025 om 01:10 geschreven door peter  

NASA says chances of 'city-destroying' asteroid hitting Earth have increased

• READ MORE: Study confirms asteroid Bennu contains building blocks of life

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

The odds of a 'city-killer' asteroid smashing into the Earth on December 22, 2032 appear to have ticked up slightly.

NASA previously estimated that Asteroid 2024 YR4, a nearly 200-foot-wide space rock, has a one-in-83 chance (1.2 percent) of striking our planet.

But now, the agency's 'Sentry' Earth Impact Monitoring system reports a one-in-77 chance (1.3 percent) of a direct hit.

Astronomers have also calculated a predicted impact zone that stretches from South America across the Atlantic Ocean to sub-Saharan Africa.

The asteroid has the potential to cause significant damage, especially if it lands in a densely populated area like a major city due to it being the size of another space rock that hit Earth in 1908 with a blast equivalent to detonating 50 million tons of TNT.

Though estimates suggest a very small increase in the likelihood of impact, astronomer and professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Richard P Binzel told DailyMail.com that it is nothing to worry about. 

'The difference between 1.2 percent and 1.3 percent doesn't matter,' he said. 

'Until the data are sufficient to pinpoint which of these two final answers is correct, we can expect the probability numbers to wobble around a bit. This is simply how scientific data measurements play out,' he added. 

The current 'risk corridor,' or the geographical area where the 2024 YR4 is most likely to hit, runs from South America across the Atlantic Ocean to sub-Saharan Africa

Regardless, the odds of this asteroid impacting our planet are still very low.

Astronomers say it is much more likely to safely pass us by, coming within roughly 66,000 miles of Earth. 

Astronomers believe 2024 YR4 is roughly the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which caused the most explosive impact in recorded history when it shot through Earth's atmosphere in 1908, reportedly killing three people.

It exploded in the air over Siberia in what's known as an 'air burst,' flattening an estimated 80 million trees over 830 square miles of forest.

If 2024 YR4 infiltrates Earth's atmosphere, it could cause a similar event, astronomers say. 

Alternatively, it could remain intact during the descent and slam into the ground, creating a massive crater and decimating human communities in the impact zone. 

Asteroid 2024 YR4 shot to the top of NASA's automated Sentry risk list that ranks known Near Earth Objects (NEOs) on how likely they are to collide with our planet. 

NEOs are asteroids and comets that orbit the sun and pass close to Earth. 

The recently found space rock, however, is currently the most threatening NEO astronomers are aware of, ranking as a three out of 10 on the Torino risk scale,  a tool for categorizing potential Earth impact events. 

It's a scale from zero to 10, with higher numbers indicating a greater risk of impact. 

Most NEOs never reach higher than two on the scale. 

Analysis of 2024 YR4's orbit indicates that the asteroid will come within 66,000 miles of Earth on December 22, 2032. But when orbital uncertainties are factored in, it turns out there is a 1.2 percent chance of it directly hitting out planet 

Asteroid 2024 YR4 is about the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which caused the largest impact event in recorded history when it shot through Earth's atmosphere in 1908

The Tunguska asteroid exploded in the air over Siberia in what's known as an 'air burst,' and a blast equivalent to detonating 50 million tons of TNT that flattened an estimated 80 million trees over 830 square miles. Experts say Asteroid 2024 YR4 could cause a similar event

While NASA and astronomers worldwide are keeping a close eye on the incoming asteroid, they are unable to predict how much damage it would cause. 

Experts will need to determined the asteroid's composition and true size before calculated its impact, which can only be done when it moves closer to our planet Rankin told Space.com. 

'Size and composition are big players in possible damage, along with impact location,' he said. 

'It's hard to constrain size and composition with the current orbital situation, as it's outbound,' or moving away from us, he added.

Experts still aren't 100 percent sure how much damage a direct hit from 2024 YR4 would cause (STOCK)

But best way to measure an asteroid's size is with radar observations, he added.

This technique reflects radio waves or microwaves off an asteroid's surface and then analyzes the reflections to calculate its size. 

Astronomers may have a chance to perform radar observations in 2028 when the asteroid passes within roughly five million miles of Earth, Rankin said. 

Until then, astronomers must rely on the asteroid's absolute magnitude, or brightness, to indirectly estimate its size.

This calculation gives them a rough diameter of 196 feet, but this estimate assumes that the asteroid's surface has a certain level of reflectivity that may not be accurate. 

'If the asteroid has a darker surface, that number is too small; if it has a more reflective surface, that number is too high,' Rankin said.

Asteroid reflectivity depends on its composition, which also plays an important role in how space rocks behave once they penetrate Earth's atmosphere.  

'If [asteroid 2024 YR4] is made of stony material, it could cause a significant air burst and fireball reaching the ground,' Rankin said. 

'If made of iron, it will punch right through the atmosphere with little trouble and make an impact crater. This is why understanding not just the orbit but also the composition and size are so critical.'

Due to these risk scenarios, astronomers will closely study and monitor 2024 YR4 in the years leading up to its approach. 

But 'people should absolutely not worry about this yet,' Rankin said. 

'Impact probability is still very low, and the most likely outcome will be a close approaching rock that misses us,' he said.

Now that 2024 YR4 has been identified as a potential — but unlikely — threat, the race to learn as much about it as possible before 2032 is on. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

02-02-2025 om 00:43 geschreven door peter  

Scientists Discover Vast Traces of Life Deep Beneath Earth’s Surface

The study shows that microbial life deep in Earth’s crust is far more diverse than previously thought, rivaling or even surpassing surface ecosystems in some cases.

An illustration of the interior of the Earth.

Credit: Shutterstock

“It’s commonly assumed that the deeper you go, the less energy is available, and the fewer cells can survive,” said Emil Ruff, a microbial ecologist at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory and lead author of the study. “But our research demonstrates that in some subsurface environments, diversity can match or exceed that of the surface.”

The researchers identified a universal ecological principle showing that subsurface microbial ecosystems are not anomalies but a significant and thriving part of Earth’s biosphere.

The Global Collaboration Behind the Discovery

This breakthrough is the result of an eight-year international effort that analyzed over 1,400 datasets from microbial ecosystems worldwide. A lack of standardization in microbial DNA data had long hindered global comparisons, but that changed with a project led by molecular biologist Mitchell Sogin of the Bay Paul Center.

Sogin and his team worked to harmonize data collection and analysis techniques, enabling researchers to compare microbial samples from diverse environments, such as caves in Utah and subsurface layers in Spain. This collaborative approach revealed striking similarities in microbial diversity across vastly different regions.

Kimberlites are complex rocks that came to the Earth's surface from great depths. The picture shows a thin section of a carbonate-?rich kimberlite.

(Photograph: David Swart / Messengers of the Mantle Exhibition)

The study not only highlights the resilience of life on Earth but also provides a template for exploring life in extreme environments elsewhere in the solar system.

The discovery of microbial ecosystems thriving under extreme conditions has profound implications beyond Earth. These microbes rely on chemical energy rather than sunlight, making them analogous to potential life forms that might exist in subsurface environments on Mars or the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

This research serves as a reminder of the untapped potential within Earth’s hidden ecosystems and reinforces the importance of international collaboration in uncovering the planet’s secret

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

01-02-2025 om 22:21 geschreven door peter  

“RESILIENCE knows what it means to be alone in the vastness of space. Looking back at Earth on Jan. 25, 2025, the lander was about 10,000km from our Blue Marble, poignantly capturing Point Nemo, the most remote place on our planet, about 2,688 kilometres from the nearest land.”

The most well-known picture of our Blue Marble came from astronauts on Apollo 17 in 1972. It appeared during a boom in environmental activism and helped people around the world understand the planet they live on and consider its future and our impact on it.

The second most well-known image of Earth is probably Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot image. Voyager 1 captured that image in 1990 on its way to the outer Solar System. The spacecraft captured the image from 6 billion km away when it passed Saturn. Carl Sagan proposed the idea not for scientific reasons but to drive home the idea that humanity’s home was just a tiny dot in the dark.

It seems de rigueur now for space missions to turn around and capture an image of Earth on their way to their destinations.

OSIRIS REx did it.

So did Artemis 1’s Orion spacecraft.

So have Lucy and many others. Now, they’re as common as pictures of their homes that young people take as they leave for college.

Yet, we don’t seem to ever tire of them. For some reason.

Maybe it’s because we’re accustomed to looking at maps with borders and labels on them, emphasizing how we see our planet through a political and historical lens. In those images, the context is human.

"The RESILIENCE lander remains in excellent health as it continues to orbit Earth in its planned trajectory towards the Moon!" ispace updated about its lander's health as it shared the visual.

But images of Earth from space have none of that. They show the true context of our planet. It’s a brilliant blue sphere, rippling with life, delicate and precious. It’s at the mercy of greater events that go on elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond, events beyond our control.

The people at ispace might not have intended their image to trigger this type of thinking. But regardless, this image takes its place in a long lineage of images of Earth captured by our departing spacecraft.

Hopefully, that lineage will continue for a long time.

ALSO SEE: 

• Moon Lander Captures Eye-Watering Views Of Earth During Lunar Journey; Watch

 { https://www.universetoday.com/ }

01-02-2025 om 18:24 geschreven door peter  

The research was conducted by Cole Nypaver and Thomas R. Watters, a postdoctoral student and Senior Geologist with the NASM’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian Institute. They were joined by Jackie Clark, an Assistant Research Scientist with UMD’s Department of Geology. The paper detailing their findings, “Recent Tectonic Deformation of the Lunar Farside Mare and South Pole–Aitken Basin,” recently appeared in the Planetary Science Journal.

Based on previous research, scientists have determined that the Moon once had a magnetic field. Like Earth’s, this field was powered by a dynamo in the Moon’s interior caused by a liquid outer core (surrounding a solid inner core) that rotated opposite to its axial rotation. However, crystallization began in the Moon’s core about 4 billion years ago, causing this dynamo to disappear between 2.5 and 1 billion years ago. This led to the disappearance of its magnetosphere and volcanic activity, ceasing about 3 billion years ago. As Clark summarized in a recent UMD press release:

“Many scientists believe that most of the Moon’s geological movements happened two and a half, maybe three billion years ago. But we’re seeing that these tectonic landforms have been recently active in the last billion years and may still be active today. These small mare ridges seem to have formed within the last 200 million years or so, which is relatively recent considering the moon’s timescale.”

Using advanced mapping and modeling, Nypang, Watters, and Clark found 266 previously unknown small ridges on the Moon’s far side. These were largely arranged in groups of 10 to 40 ridges that likely formed in narrow areas 3.2 to 3.6 billion years ago where underlying weaknesses in the lunar crust may have existed. Based on a technique known as “crater counting,” the team found that these ridges were notably younger than other features in their surroundings.

“Essentially, the more craters a surface has, the older it is; the surface has more time to accumulate more craters,” said Clark. “After counting the craters around these small ridges and seeing that some of the ridges cut through existing impact craters, we believe these landforms were tectonically active in the last 160 million years.”

The team also noted that the ridges observed on the far side of the Moon were similar in structure to ones found on the near side. This suggests both were created by the same forces, possibly by shallow moonquakes first detected by the Apollo missions. Scientists have since deduced that these are caused by a combination of shifts in the Moon’s orbit and its gradual shrinking – which explains why the Moon still experiences landslides. Understanding the factors that shape the lunar surface is of immense importance to future lunar missions.

As Clark indicated, this presents opportunities for further studies of lunar evolution:

“We hope that future missions to the moon will include tools like ground penetrating radar so researchers can better understand the structures beneath the lunar surface. Knowing that the moon is still geologically dynamic has very real implications for where we’re planning to put our astronauts, equipment and infrastructure on the moon.”

Further Reading: 

• University of Maryland, 
• The Planetary Science Journal

 { https://www.universetoday.com/ }

01-02-2025 om 18:06 geschreven door peter