This September saw the completion of a critical milestone for the construction of ESA's new deep space communication antenna in New Norcia, Australia: the lifting of the 122-tonne reflector dish.

Paris (AFP) Oct 1, 2024
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected carbon dioxide on the frozen surface of Pluto's biggest moon, Charon, for the first time, research revealed on Tuesday. The discovery of CO2, along with another chemical hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), could shed light on the icy worlds in the mysterious outer reaches of our Solar System. Pluto was long known as the ninth planet fro

Paris (AFP) Oct 1, 2024
A rare exoplanet smaller than Earth has been discovered orbiting one of the closest stars to the Sun, although its surface is far too hot to sustain life, astronomers said on Tuesday. The planet orbits Barnard's Star, which is just six light years away, according to observations made over five years by the Very Large Telescope in the Chilean desert. The astronomers were looking for plan

Puerto San Julian, Argentina (AFP) Oct 2, 2024
An annual solar eclipse will create a rare "ring of fire" phenomenon visible in parts of South America on Wednesday. A "ring of fire" occurs when the Moon lines up between the Sun and the Earth to create a solar eclipse but does not block out the Sun's light entirely. This year, the Moon will be further from the Earth than usual, so those in parts of Chile and Argentina will be able to w