Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jan 27, 2023
Scientists have discovered the first gamma-ray eclipses from a special type of binary star system using data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. These so-called spider systems each contain a pulsar - the superdense, rapidly rotating remains of a star that exploded in a supernova - that slowly erodes its companion. An international team of scientists scoured over a decade of Fermi

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 27, 2023
A giant diffuse tail of stars has been discovered emanating from a large, faint dwarf galaxy. The presence of a tail indicates that the galaxy has experienced recent interaction with another galaxy. This is an important clue for understanding how so called "ultra-diffuse" galaxies are formed. Astronomers using the Subaru Telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope found a tail of star

Rochester NY (SPX) Jan 27, 2023
Scientists on the hunt for a previously undetected type of gravitational waves believe they are getting close and have refined techniques to use in upcoming observational runs. Researchers from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration outlined the most sensitive search to date for continuous gravitational waves from a promising source in a paper recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Edwards AFB CA (SPX) Jan 27, 2023
selected nine space technologies for flight testing to advance innovations that address mission needs for both the agency and the commercial space industry. Selected as part of the NASA's 2022 TechFlights solicitation, these technologies will fly aboard commercial suborbital vehicles such as high-altitude balloons, aircraft following parabolic flight profiles, suborbital rocket-powered sys

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 27, 2023
What do the Perseverance rover and Superman have in common? They both can "see" through solid rock! Superman has X-ray vision whereas Perseverance has RIMFAX, a ground penetrating radar or GPR, located on the lower rear of the rover. RIMFAX uses radio waves to image the subsurface rock layers as the rover drives along. It is the first instrument of its kind sent by NASA to Mars and can "se

Huntsville AL (SPX) Jan 27, 2023
NASA continues to evaluate data and learn more about the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's debut performance during the agency's Nov. 16 Artemis I launch. Following an initial data assessment and review that determined the SLS rocket met or exceeded all performance expectations, SLS engineers are now taking a closer look at the Moon rocket's performance to prepare for the first crewed Artemis m

San Antonio TX (SPX) Jan 27, 2023
The JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft did not acquire all planned images during the orbiter's most recent flyby of Jupiter on Jan. 22. Data received from the spacecraft indicates that the camera experienced an issue similar to one that occurred on its previous close pass of the gas giant last month, when the team saw an anomalous temperature rise after the camera was powered on in pre

Washington DC (SPX) Jan 27, 2023
Earth's potassium arrived by meteoritic delivery service finds new research led by Carnegie's Nicole Nie and Da Wang. Their work, published in Science, shows that some primitive meteorites contain a different mix of potassium isotopes than those found in other, more-chemically processed meteorites. These results can help elucidate the processes that shaped our Solar System and determined the com

Video: 00:04:25

An iceberg around the size of Greater London broke off Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf due to a natural process called ‘calving’. The iceberg, measuring 1550 sq km, detached from the 150 m-thick ice shelf a decade after scientists first spotted massive cracks in the shelf.

For more information on the newly-birthed A81 iceberg, click here.

Bothell WA (SPX) Jan 24, 2023
Lockheed Martin achieved first light from the Directed Energy Interceptor for Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense System (DEIMOS) system, which verifies that the laser's optical performance parameters align with the system design parameters. Lockheed Martin's 50 kW-class DEIMOS system is a ruggedized, tactical laser weapon system that can be integrated into the Stryker combat vehicle to deliv