Copernical Team
Decaying orbits of exoplanets linked to stellar magnetic fields
Researchers at Durham University have identified a new mechanism potentially explaining the orbital decay of exoplanets around sun-like stars, a phenomenon observed in systems such as WASP-12b.
The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlights how stellar magnetic fields may significantly influence the gravitational tides between these stars and their closely orbiting ' NASA Scientists Gear Up for Solar Storms at Mars
The Sun will be at peak activity this year, providing a rare opportunity to study how solar storms and radiation could affect future astronauts on the Red Planet.
In the months ahead, two of NASA's Mars spacecraft will have an unprecedented opportunity to study how solar flares - giant explosions on the Sun's surface - could affect robots and future astronauts on the Red Planet.
That China aims to retrieve Martian soil samples by 2030
China is on course to potentially be the first nation to return Martian soil to Earth, in what is considered a significant scientific and engineering feat, according to a prominent space scientist.
Wu Weiren, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a leading figure at the China National Space Administration, remarked this week in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, that China Unveiling the space-weathered features of asteroid Ryugu
New insights into the magnetic and physical environment of interplanetary space have been revealed through the analysis of asteroid Ryugu samples, retrieved by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft of the Japanese Space Agency. The research led by Professor Yuki Kimura of Hokkaido University, along with colleagues from 13 other Japanese institutions, is detailed in the journal Nature Communications.
Th Einstein Probe commences wide-angle X-ray sky surveillance
Revealed at the 7th workshop of the Einstein Probe consortium in Beijing, the first images from the mission showcase the operational readiness of its innovative optics inspired by lobster eyes, designed to observe the X-ray spectrum. These initial captures highlight celestial bodies, indicating the satellite's comprehensive observational capabilities.
Launched on January 9, 2024, the Einst European satellite giant SES to buy US rival Intelsat
European telecommunications satellite operator SES said Tuesday it would acquire US rival Intelsat for $3.1 billion as competition for space-based internet service gathers pace.
The merger follows year-long talks for a deal and comes as tech billionaire Elon Musk already has his own constellation of internet satellites and Amazon's Jeff Bezos has launched test satellites.
"In a fast-movi EarthCARE mission card with tagline
EarthCARE: cloud and aerosol mission
SpaceX lines up pair of Space Coast launches for the weekend
SpaceX has launches set for Saturday and Sunday from the Space Coast.
First up from is a Falcon 9 on the Galileo L12 mission carrying global navigation satellites for the European Commission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A targeting 8:34 p.m. Saturday with a backup Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
The first-stage booster is flying for a record-tying 20th time, but will be expended getting the payload to medium-Earth orbit.
Space Launch Delta 45's weather squadron forecasts a 75% chance for good conditions Saturday, which improves to 80% on Sunday.
The second launch this weekend is planned for Sunday when a Falcon 9 carrying 23 Starlink satellites aims to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 targeting the opening of a four-hour window from 5:50-9:50 p.m. with a backup Monday during a four-hour window that opens at 5:25 p.m.
The first-stage booster is flying for the 13th time and will attempt a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic.
These mark the 31st and 32nd launches of 2024 from the Space Coast, all but two of which have been by SpaceX.
America's 'big glass' dominance hangs on the fate of two powerful new telescopes
More than 100 years ago, astronomer George Ellery Hale brought two Pasadena institutions together to build what was then the largest optical telescope in the world. The Mount Wilson Observatory changed the conception of humankind's place in the universe and revealed the mysteries of the heavens to generations of citizens and scientists alike. Ever since then, the United States has been at the forefront of "big glass."
In fact, the institutions, Carnegie Science and Caltech, still help run some of the largest telescopes for visible-light astronomy ever built.
But that legacy is being threatened as the National Science Foundation, the federal agency that supports basic research in the U.S., considers whether to fund two giant telescope projects. What's at stake is falling behind in astronomy and cosmology, potentially for half a century, and surrendering the scientific and technological agenda to Europe and China.
In 2021, the National Academy of Sciences released Astro2020. This report, a road map of national priorities, recommended funding the $2.5 billion Giant Magellan Telescope at the peak of Cerro Las Campanas in Chile and the $3.9 billion Thirty Meter Telescope at Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
NASA's Hubble pauses science due to gyro issue
NASA is working to resume science operations of the agency's Hubble Space Telescope after it entered safe mode April 23 due to an ongoing gyroscope (gyro) issue. Hubble's instruments are stable, and the telescope is in good health.
The telescope automatically entered safe mode when one of its three gyroscopes gave faulty readings. The gyros measure the telescope's turn rates and are part of the system that determines which direction the telescope is pointed. While in safe mode, science operations are suspended, and the telescope waits for new directions from the ground.
This particular gyro caused Hubble to enter safe mode in November after returning similar faulty readings.