Copernical Team
How special is the Milky Way Galaxy?
Is our home galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy, a special place? A team of scientists started a journey to answer this question more than a decade ago. Commenced in 2013, the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs (SAGA) Survey studies galaxy systems like the Milky Way. Now, the SAGA Survey just published three new research articles that provide us with new insights into the uniqueness of our own Milky Wa
Mars' missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight
Mars wasn't always the cold desert we see today. There's increasing evidence that water once flowed on the Red Planet's surface, billions of years ago. And if there was water, there must also have been a thick atmosphere to keep that water from freezing. But sometime around 3.5 billion years ago, the water dried up, and the air, once heavy with carbon dioxide, dramatically thinned, leaving only
Key negotiator Norway sees 'positive signals' ahead of plastic talks
In the single week that world leaders convened for high-level UN talks in New York, nearly 100,000 water bottles' worth of microplastics swirled through the city's air, posing known and still unknown risks to human health. "We talk a lot about plastic in the marine environment, but it's all around," Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, the Norwegian international development minister who is helping lead
NASA selects Firefly Aerospace for NOAA QuickSounder mission launch
NASA has chosen Firefly Aerospace, Inc., based in Cedar Park, Texas, to provide launch services for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) QuickSounder mission. This selection falls under NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. The VADR contract offers fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity awards over
US and South Korea Strengthen Aerospace Partnership
NASA and the Republic of Korea's newly established Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) have signed a joint statement of intent aimed at expanding cooperation in space exploration, science, and aeronautics. The signing ceremony took place at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., marking KASA's first official visit since its creation in May 2024. "Building on years of work together both o
China expands food options for deep-space missions
China is preparing to offer a broader variety of food for astronauts in future deep-space exploration missions, as discussed at the Second Frontier Forum of Space Medicine in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, East China. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, a holiday celebrating family unity, the crew of Shenzhou XVIII aboard China's space station had a special treat of "space mooncakes" filled with
Hera mission to unlock the secrets of Dimorphos asteroid
A new mystery in space is leading to a groundbreaking planetary defense mission aimed at making Earth safer. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Hera mission is now preparing to follow up on a critical experiment that began in 2022. On September 26, 2022, NASA's DART spacecraft impacted the Dimorphos asteroid at 6.1 km/s. This event altered Dimorphos's orbit around its larger companion, Didy
The EU vs X: How big could the fines be for Musk?
Elon Musk's X is in hot water with the EU for allegedly breaking new content rules - and the world's richest man risks multibillion-dollar fines even he might find prohibitive. The European Union could decide within months to take action against X, including possible fines, as part of a probe into whether the social platform is breaching a landmark content moderation law, the Digital Servic
WASP-107b reveals new atmospheric features thanks to Webb Telescope
New findings about the "popcorn planet" WASP-107b have emerged, thanks to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This gas giant, previously noted for its exceptionally low density and puffed-up atmosphere, has provided scientists with even more unexpected details through advanced atmospheric observations. WASP-107b, a gas planet roughly the size of Jupiter but only one-tenth as massive,
Magnetic Halo in the Milky Way Tied to Powerful Galactic Outflows
A study led by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), with contributions from Radboud University's Marijke Haverkorn, has provided critical new insights into the Milky Way. The research reveals a magnetic halo surrounding our galaxy, challenging existing models of its structure and evolution. The discovery highlights magnetised structures extending over 16,000 light-years (150 qua