Ars Technica glimpsed a possible future at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory: a solar simulator “that can shine with the intensity of 20 Suns…” “They think it could be the key to interstellar exploration.” “It’s really easy for someone to dismiss the idea and say, ‘On the back of an envelope, it looks great, but if you actually build…
Tag: jet propulsion laboratory
To Explain Away Dark Matter, Gravity Would Have To Be Really Weird
To discard the theory of dark matter, “you’ll need to replace it with something even more bizarre: a force of gravity that, at some distances, pulls massive objects together and, at other distances, pushes them apart.” That’s how Science magazine describes a new study, adding that “The analysis underscores how hard it is to explain away dark matter” — even though…
Field geology at Mars’ equator points to ancient megaflood
Floods of unimaginable magnitude once washed through Gale Crater on Mars’ equator around 4 billion years ago—a finding that hints at the possibility that life may have existed there, according to data collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover and analyzed in joint project by scientists from Jackson State University, Cornell University, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Hawaii. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-11-field-geology-mars-equator-ancient.html…
Does Jupiter’s moon Europa have geysers? If so, what’s their source?
If watery plumes do burst from Europa’s surface, they might originate not in the moon’s underground ocean, but instead in pockets of brine trapped in the moon’s crust. If that’s so, it could be a source of frustration for those who want to probe Europa’s ocean for possible life. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/jupiter-moon-europa-plumes-salty-water-in-crust…
Does Europa glow in the dark?
The icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa may glow on its nightside, the side facing away from the sun. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/jupiter-moon-europa-glows-radiation…
New NASA posters feature cosmic frights for Halloween
Check out these 3 new posters from NASA’s Galaxy of Horrors, featuring cosmic frights for Halloween. They’re free to download, and available in English and Spanish. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/nasa-halloween-2020-free-posters…
NASA’s Probe Sampled Too Much From Asteroid Bennu and Now It’s Leaking
Iwastheone shares some space news from OPB: A NASA spacecraft sent out to collect a sample of rock and dust from an asteroid has nabbed so much that it’s created an unexpected problem. Rocks are jammed in the device in a way that’s keeping a Mylar flap open, creating a gap that’s letting some of the collected pebbles and dust drift…
Pluto’s snowcapped mountains are unlike any on Earth
A new study shows how methane snow accumulates on Pluto’s mountain peaks. These snowcaps – first seen by New Horizons in 2015 – look a lot like ones on Earth, but form in a very alien environment. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/methane-snowcapped-mountains-on-pluto-new-horizons…
Scientists use AI to find tiny craters on Mars
All these years, NASA scientists have laboriously sifted through spacecraft images, to identify and classify markings on Mars. Now they’re using a new “classifier,” powered by artificial intelligence. What takes a human 40 minutes takes the AI tool an average of just 5 seconds. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/nasa-artifical-intelligence-spots-craters-on-mars…
Are there active geysers at Enceladus’ north pole?
Water-vapor geysers erupt from cracks at the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Scientists using Cassini data now have evidence for fresh ice at the moon’s north pole, too. Could it be more geysers for this fascinating ice moon? Source: https://earthsky.org/space/fresh-ice-enceladus-north-pole-geologic-activity…