Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 22, 2024
The origins of life's preference for left-handed amino acids, a defining trait of life on Earth, remain unresolved following new NASA-supported research. The study found that RNA, a critical molecule in early life theories, can drive protein building blocks toward either left- or right-handed configurations, adding complexity to the mystery of why life exclusively uses one orientation. The findi

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 22, 2024
Deep beneath the Apennine mountains in Italy, an international team of scientists is unraveling profound questions in particle physics at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory, home to the coldest temperatures in the known universe. Among them is California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) physics professor Thomas Gutierrez, leading a student team with support from a $340,000 grant funded by

Berkeley CA (SPX) Nov 22, 2024
The elusive nature of dark matter, which makes up 85% of the universe's mass, could soon be revealed with the help of a nearby supernova and precise timing, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. Astrophysicists suggest that a supernova within the Milky Way or a satellite galaxy could produce a flood of axions, a leading dark matter candidate particle. If axion

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 22, 2024
"For the first time, we have succeeded in taking a zoomed-in image of a dying star in a galaxy outside our own Milky Way," said Keiichi Ohnaka, an astrophysicist from Universidad Andres Bello in Chile. Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), scientists captured the red supergiant star WOH G64, located 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 22, 2024
NASA's supercomputers are providing unprecedented insights into the Sun's dynamic and complex behavior. Drawing on data from a suite of solar observation spacecraft, researchers are using advanced simulations to deepen understanding of the Sun's turbulent inner processes. The latest visualizations highlight the strength of turbulent motions within the Sun's inner layers. These motions rese

London, UK (SPX) Nov 22, 2024
A galaxy traveling at an extraordinary speed of 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h) has collided with Stephan's Quintet, creating a dramatic shockwave now observed in unprecedented detail by one of Earth's most advanced telescopes. Stephan's Quintet, a group of five galaxies discovered nearly 150 years ago, is a cosmic meeting point where past galactic collisions have left a debris-filled env

Paris (AFP) Nov 21, 2024
Scientists said Thursday they have taken the first ever close-up image of a star outside of the Milky Way, capturing a blurry shot of a dying behemoth 2,000 times bigger than the Sun. Roughly 160,000 light years from Earth, the star WOH G64 sits in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our home Milky Way. It is a red supergiant, which is the largest type of star in the univer

Stanford CA (SPX) Nov 22, 2024
For decades, scientists have used the Milky Way as a model for understanding how galaxies form. But a trio of new studies raises questions about whether the Milky Way is truly representative of other galaxies in the universe. "The Milky Way has been an incredible physics laboratory, including for the physics of galaxy formation and the physics of dark matter," said Risa Wechsler, the Human

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 22, 2024
Lunar Outpost, a leader in lunar mobility, robotics, and space resource development, has finalized an agreement with SpaceX to transport its Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) to the Moon aboard a SpaceX Starship. This collaboration positions Lunar Outpost to support NASA Artemis astronauts with advanced surface mobility while also establishing vital infrastructure for sustainable lunar and space-based

Image: Proba-3: Firing laser!