Tokyo, Japan (SPX) May 21, 2025
To shed light on the evolutionary roots of the cyanobacterial circadian clock, a Japanese research team has traced the development of timekeeping proteins from ancient bacterial ancestors. Their study focused on the oscillatory behavior of KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC proteins, comparing the mechanisms in modern cyanobacteria to those of ancestral versions. "Extant cyanobacteria utilize a circadia

San Diego CA (SPX) May 21, 2025
My telescope, set up for astrophotography in my light-polluted San Diego backyard, was pointed at a galaxy unfathomably far from Earth. My wife, Cristina, walked up just as the first space photo streamed to my tablet. It sparkled on the screen in front of us. "That's the Pinwheel galaxy," I said. The name is derived from its shape - albeit this pinwheel contains about a trillion stars.

Changes to regulations and processes will introduce new restrictions on the use of hazardous chemicals in the EU. These could impact space programmes, the space sector and its supply chains – PFAS, chromates and the REACH revision take centre stage. Register for ESA’s free workshop on 17 June providing clarification on these changes and join us for a panel discussion.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 22, 2025
Small satellites have redefined access to space, enabling startups, academic teams, and emerging space programs to launch missions once limited to major players. Their low cost, compact size, and rapid development cycles make them ideal for today's fast-moving space sector. However, this democratization comes with a high price: a failure rate nearing 40% over the past two decades, according to N

Berlin, Germany (SPX) May 22, 2025
Astronomers have captured a rare cosmic encounter in which a galaxy armed with a powerful quasar bombards a companion, drastically altering its ability to form stars. The discovery, detailed in Nature, showcases a previously unseen phenomenon of quasar radiation interfering with galactic star formation. Using data from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 22, 2025
New research from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) reveals that solar events significantly influence the velocity and behavior of helium pickup ions-particles that originate from neutral interstellar atoms and are later ionized within the heliosphere. Led by Dr. Keiichi Ogasawara, the study shows that helium pickup ions play a crucial role in the formation of solar energetic particles (

Osaka,Japan (SPX) May 22, 2025
Lightning has long captivated scientists, but a new study from The University of Osaka has shed unprecedented light on the high-energy physics behind it. Researchers have captured the first-ever detailed observation of a terrestrial gamma-ray flash (TGF) occurring precisely in sync with a lightning discharge. TGFs are extremely brief but intense bursts of gamma rays, lasting mere microseco

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 22, 2025
A newly identified planetary system, labeled 2M1510, may be home to one of the most unusual planetary orbits ever observed. A candidate planet appears to loop above and below the poles of a pair of brown dwarfs-celestial bodies too massive to be planets yet too light to ignite like stars. These two brown dwarfs orbit each other closely, while a third brown dwarf circles them at a much greater di

University Park PA (SPX) May 22, 2025
The fundamental building blocks for planet formation can exist even in environments with extreme ultraviolet radiation, according to a new study by an international collaboration led by Penn State astronomers. The study leveraged the unparalleled capabilities of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and sophisticated thermochemical modeling to investigate a protoplanetary disk - the dust and

Pasadena CA (JPL) May 22, 2025
Understanding Jupiter's early evolution helps illuminate the broader story of how our solar system developed its distinct structure. Jupiter's gravity, often called the "architect" of our solar system, played a critical role in shaping the orbital paths of other planets and sculpting the disk of gas and dust from which they formed. In a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy,