Week in images: 07-11 October 2024
Friday, 11 October 2024 12:10
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Week in images: 07-11 October 2024
Discover our week through the lens
Planning our lunar return? Get a telescope
Friday, 11 October 2024 11:00Shijian-19 reusable satellite lands after 2 weeks in space
Friday, 11 October 2024 09:55Earth from Space: Hardap Dam, Namibia
Friday, 11 October 2024 07:00
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Image:
Resembling a Martian-like surface, this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image shows part of the Hardap region in south-central Namibia on the western edge of the Kalahari Desert.
Japan’s H3 to launch Emirati asteroid mission
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:39Leicester Spinout Perpetual Atomics to Pioneer Space Nuclear Power Solutions
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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London, UK (SPX) Oct 10, 2024
A new start-up, Perpetual Atomics, is poised to revolutionize space missions by leveraging nuclear technology to provide reliable power in the harsh conditions of deep space. The company, launched from the University of Leicester's Space Park Leicester, aims to commercialize over 20 years of research in space nuclear power, transforming the way space exploration is powered. Perpetual Atomi
A new start-up, Perpetual Atomics, is poised to revolutionize space missions by leveraging nuclear technology to provide reliable power in the harsh conditions of deep space. The company, launched from the University of Leicester's Space Park Leicester, aims to commercialize over 20 years of research in space nuclear power, transforming the way space exploration is powered. Perpetual Atomi
UT Astronomers Rush to Capture Image of Planet Orbiting Nearby Star
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 10, 2024
AF Lep b, a gas giant outside our solar system, continues to make history. First directly observed in 2023, it holds the distinction of being the lowest-mass planet to have its mass measured through astrometry, a technique that tracks minute movements of its host star to reveal the properties of orbiting planets. Now, astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have made AF Lep
AF Lep b, a gas giant outside our solar system, continues to make history. First directly observed in 2023, it holds the distinction of being the lowest-mass planet to have its mass measured through astrometry, a technique that tracks minute movements of its host star to reveal the properties of orbiting planets. Now, astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have made AF Lep
Bright Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Becomes Visible in Evening Sky
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 10, 2024
Starting October 11th, Northern Hemisphere observers will have the chance to see Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in the evening sky for the first time in years. The comet will make its first evening appearance on Friday, visible low in the west during twilight. It will rise higher and become more easily visible throughout the weekend, reaching its peak visibility early next week. Comet Tsuch
Starting October 11th, Northern Hemisphere observers will have the chance to see Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in the evening sky for the first time in years. The comet will make its first evening appearance on Friday, visible low in the west during twilight. It will rise higher and become more easily visible throughout the weekend, reaching its peak visibility early next week. Comet Tsuch
Near-Earth asteroid data offers insights into possible fifth force in the universe
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 10, 2024
In 2023, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission returned a sample of dust and rocks from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Beyond the immediate scientific value of the samples, data from OSIRIS-REx has opened the door to investigating new physics. A study published in *Communications Physics*, a Nature journal, details how an international research team led by Los Alamos National Laboratory used Bennu's trackin
In 2023, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission returned a sample of dust and rocks from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Beyond the immediate scientific value of the samples, data from OSIRIS-REx has opened the door to investigating new physics. A study published in *Communications Physics*, a Nature journal, details how an international research team led by Los Alamos National Laboratory used Bennu's trackin
UChicago scientists unveil efficient method for detecting atmospheres on distant planets
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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Chicago IL (SPX) Oct 10, 2024
Finding planets that could support life is a critical objective in astronomy, with the presence of an atmosphere being a key factor in determining a planet's habitability. Though scientists have discovered Earth-like exoplanets, none have been confirmed to possess atmospheres. A new study led by Qiao Xue, a PhD student at the University of Chicago, introduces a simpler and more efficient m
Finding planets that could support life is a critical objective in astronomy, with the presence of an atmosphere being a key factor in determining a planet's habitability. Though scientists have discovered Earth-like exoplanets, none have been confirmed to possess atmospheres. A new study led by Qiao Xue, a PhD student at the University of Chicago, introduces a simpler and more efficient m
NASA selects two mission proposals for new astrophysics program studies
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 07, 2024
NASA has chosen two mission proposals to undergo further review as part of its new Probe Explorers class, a major step in its astrophysics research. The missions, focused on observing X-ray and far-infrared light from space, were announced by the agency on Thursday. Each proposal team will receive $5 million to conduct a 12-month study to refine their concepts. NASA expects to make a final selec
NASA has chosen two mission proposals to undergo further review as part of its new Probe Explorers class, a major step in its astrophysics research. The missions, focused on observing X-ray and far-infrared light from space, were announced by the agency on Thursday. Each proposal team will receive $5 million to conduct a 12-month study to refine their concepts. NASA expects to make a final selec
Evidence of volcanic spatter cone on Mars
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 04, 2024
A team led by the University of Idaho has identified what appears to be a volcanic spatter cone on Mars, marking the first confirmed evidence of such a feature on the planet. This discovery was made during a collaborative research project involving postdoctoral researcher Ian T.W. Flynn, who worked under Erika Rader, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences at the U
A team led by the University of Idaho has identified what appears to be a volcanic spatter cone on Mars, marking the first confirmed evidence of such a feature on the planet. This discovery was made during a collaborative research project involving postdoctoral researcher Ian T.W. Flynn, who worked under Erika Rader, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences at the U
Artemis Student Challenges: NASA selects teams for launch, payload competitions
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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Washington DC (UPI) Oct 4, 2024
NASA announced the selection of 71 student teams that will build and launch amateur rockets and scientific payloads in a competition they hope will inspire the next generation of space explorers. The 71 teams are divided into a college division and high-school/middle-school division. The final on-site events will start April 30 with the final launches on May 3 at Bragg Farms in T
NASA announced the selection of 71 student teams that will build and launch amateur rockets and scientific payloads in a competition they hope will inspire the next generation of space explorers. The 71 teams are divided into a college division and high-school/middle-school division. The final on-site events will start April 30 with the final launches on May 3 at Bragg Farms in T
Rocket Lab wins NASA contract to study martian rock sample return mission
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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Sydney, Australia (SPX) Oct 08, 2024
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has been chosen by NASA to conduct a study on retrieving rock samples from Mars and transporting them back to Earth. This mission aims to meet key exploration goals, potentially answering critical questions about life on Mars and helping prepare for future human expeditions to the planet. The NASA Rapid Mission Design Studies for Mars Sample Return initi
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has been chosen by NASA to conduct a study on retrieving rock samples from Mars and transporting them back to Earth. This mission aims to meet key exploration goals, potentially answering critical questions about life on Mars and helping prepare for future human expeditions to the planet. The NASA Rapid Mission Design Studies for Mars Sample Return initi
TESS spots record-breaking stellar triplets
Thursday, 10 October 2024 20:28
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Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 04, 2024
Professional and amateur astronomers teamed up with artificial intelligence to find an unmatched stellar trio called TIC 290061484, thanks to cosmic "strobe lights" captured by NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). The system contains a set of twin stars orbiting each other every 1.8 days, and a third star that circles the pair in just 25 days. The discovery smashes the reco
Professional and amateur astronomers teamed up with artificial intelligence to find an unmatched stellar trio called TIC 290061484, thanks to cosmic "strobe lights" captured by NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). The system contains a set of twin stars orbiting each other every 1.8 days, and a third star that circles the pair in just 25 days. The discovery smashes the reco