Washington (AFP) Mar 28, 2024
When a rare total solar eclipse sweeps across North America on April 8, scientists will be able to gather invaluable data on everything from the Sun's atmosphere to strange animal behaviors - and even possible effects on humans. It comes with the Sun near the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, setting the stage for a breathtaking display: The corona will glow spectacularly from the Moon's sil

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Mar 28, 2024
A team led by Curtin University researchers has made a groundbreaking discovery, identifying a rare dust particle within an ancient meteorite that originates from a star beyond our Solar System. This significant finding was achieved under the guidance of lead researcher Dr. Nicole Nevill during her PhD tenure at Curtin, in collaboration with the Lunar and Planetary Science Institute and NASA's J

Stanford CA (SPX) Mar 28, 2024
Ever since its discovery, dark matter has remained invisible to scientists, despite the launch of multiple ultra-sensitive particle detector experiments around the world over several decades. Now, physicists at the Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are proposing a new way to look for dark matter using quantum devices, which might be naturally tuned to detec

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Mar 28, 2024
The mystery of the Sun's differential rotation, characterized by varying rotational speeds at different latitudes, has long been a subject of scientific curiosity. At the poles, a rotation cycle is completed in about 34 days, whereas at the equator, it takes approximately 24 days. Despite decades of observation and theoretical models suggesting a minor temperature variation between the solar pol

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 28, 2024
In a pioneering effort to uncover the mysteries of planet formation, astronomers have directed the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) advanced capabilities toward protoplanetary disks, the birthplaces of planets. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the study of these nascent celestial bodies and their environments. Spearheaded by researchers from the University of Michigan, Univers

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 28, 2024
A groundbreaking study by Brown University and the SETI Institute has unveiled unexpected characteristics of distant solar system objects, specifically highlighting a phenomenon involving so-called "space snowmen," like Kuiper Belt Object 486958 Arrokoth. This research suggests that these objects may house ancient, volatile ices, challenging previous scientific assumptions about their thermal ev

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 28, 2024
The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) marked a significant achievement on March 25 with the discovery of the 5000th comet by its Sungrazer Project, utilizing data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. The Sungrazer Project, a NASA-funded initiative hosted by NRL for over two decades, empowers global

Paris (ESA) Mar 28, 2024
The European Space Agency (ESA) has embarked on a groundbreaking mission with the unveiling of the Juventas CubeSat, a compact spacecraft integral to the Hera mission aimed at exploring the Didymos binary asteroid system. This pioneering endeavor will mark the first radar investigation within an asteroid, focusing on the Dimorphos moonlet, comparable in size to the Great Pyramid. Michael K

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Mar 28, 2024
In a significant advancement of China's space endeavors, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) successfully launched the Yunhai 3B satellite into orbit using the Long March 6A carrier rocket. The launch occurred at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province at 6:51 am on Wednesday, marking a notable achievement in the country's space mission portfolio. T

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Mar 28, 2024
In a groundbreaking study, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team has provided new insights into the complex environment surrounding the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), located 27,000 light-years from Earth. This latest research unveils images of spiral magnetic fields encircling Sgr A*, a phenomenon previously observed in the larger M87* black hole, suggesting pote