Copernical Team
Europe space telescope's sight restored after de-icing procedure
The vision of the Euclid space telescope has been restored following a delicate operation that successfully melted a thin layer of ice that had been clouding its sight, the European Space Agency announced on Tuesday.
There had been fears that the creeping ice could delay the mission of Europe's space telescope, which blasted off in July on the world's first mission to investigate the cosmic mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.
However a de-icing procedure to gently warm up an optimal mirror on the telescope "performed significantly better than hoped", the ESA said.
"After the very first mirror was warmed by just 34 degrees, Euclid's sight was restored," it added.
In November, scientists on the ground noticed that they were losing a little light coming into the telescope's visible light imager.
They determined that the problem was a layer of ice—thought to be just the width of a strand of DNA—building up on the telescope's optical surfaces.
Best geologic map for a European rover on Mars
A team of European scientists have published the most detailed geologic map of Oxia Planum – the landing site for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover on Mars. This thorough look at the geography and geological history of the area will help the rover scout the once water-rich terrain, in the search for signs of past and present life.
Marvel at stunning echo of 800-year-old explosion
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In the year 1181 a rare supernova explosion appeared in the night sky, staying visible for 185 consecutive days. Historical records show that the supernova looked like a temporary ‘star’ in the constellation Cassiopeia shining as bright as Saturn.
Ever since, scientists have tried to find the supernova’s remnant. At first it was thought that this could be the nebula around the pulsar (dead star) 3C 58. However closer investigations revealed that the pulsar is older than supernova 1181.
In the last decade, another contender was discovered; Pa 30 is a nearly circular nebula with a central star in
BurstCube: NASA's Compact Satellite Takes on the Cosmos' Most Explosive Mysteries
In a significant step toward unlocking the universe's most explosive phenomena, NASA's BurstCube has embarked on its journey to the International Space Station. This compact, shoebox-sized satellite, aboard SpaceX's 30th Commercial Resupply Services mission, launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, aims to explore short gamma-ray bursts - the universe's most intense explosions.
Af New Study Unveils Inadequacies in Traditional Theories of Van Allen Belts
A new study spearheaded by the University of Birmingham has thrown a challenge at the space science community to deepen our understanding of the hazardous zones close to Earth, known as the Van Allen Belts. This research marks a major advance towards evolving new theories and methodologies capable of predicting and analyzing the dynamics of space particles more accurately.
Historically, th Penn State's Satellite Technique Predicts Severe Storm Impact
A new technique developed by researchers at Penn State, leveraging satellite data, has shown promise in enhancing the accuracy of severe weather forecasts. This method, which integrates microwave data from low-Earth-orbit satellites into conventional computer weather models, has successfully predicted the intensity and location of surface gusts during the severe Midwest Derecho of 2020.
Yu Aireon and Airbus Enhance Partnership to Distribute Space-Based ADS-B Data to Wider Audience
Aireon has broadened its partnership with Airbus through an expanded distribution deal, facilitating greater accessibility to its cutting-edge space-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data. This strategic move will see Airbus incorporating Aireon's comprehensive ADS-B data into its suite of advanced flight analytics and digital solutions, offering unprecedented benefits to China elevates atmospheric and space onitoring capabilities with new satellite
On Thursday afternoon, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation announced the successful launch of a Long March 2D carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. This launch marked the deployment of the second batch of Yunhai 2-series satellites into orbit, further bolstering China's capabilities in atmospheric monitoring and space environment observation.
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