The zodiacal light is a strange pyramid of light that extends from the eastern or western horizon, before dawn or as true darkness falls. It was known to stem from dust moving in the plane of our solar system. The Juno spacecraft has found that Mars might be the source of the dust. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/zodiacal-light-source-mars-dust-storms-juno…
Tag: Space
Spectacular fireball display in UK leads to rare meteorite recovery
UK scientists and meteor experts have recovered pieces of a rare meteorite, just days after it entered Earth’s atmosphere and streaked across the sky. Researchers are ecstatic. “Normally we have to send spacecraft to collect bits of other worlds, but this time one has fallen right into our laps!” one said. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/rare-meteorite-recovered-in-uk-after-feb28-2021-fireball…
Hypergiant star’s mysterious dimming explained
Remember in late 2019, when the famous red star Betelgeuse suddenly and mysteriously began dimming in brightness? Astronomers studying a similar star – VY Canis Majoris, one of the largest and brightest stars in our galaxy – commented that it’s “behaving a lot like Betelgeuse on steroids.” Source: https://earthsky.org/space/red-hypergiant-star-vy-canis-majoris-dimming-explained-hubble-space-telescope…
Astronomers spy a nearby, blazing hot super-Earth
Most exoplanets orbiting close to their stars don’t have atmospheres. But Gliese 486b – orbiting a red dwarf star only 24 light-years away – does. It’s close enough to see well. Astronomers will be watching it! Source: https://earthsky.org/space/gliese-486b-hot-super-earth-with-atmosphere…
First-ever ‘space hurricane’ detected over the North Pole
Astronomers detected the first-known ‘space hurricane’ raging over the North Pole for 8 hours in 2014, a new study found. Source: https://www.livescience.com/space-hurricane-over-north-pole.html
New ‘eyewear’ to deepen the view of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be able to explore even more cosmic questions, thanks to a new near-infrared filter. The upgrade will allow the observatory to see longer wavelengths of light, opening up exciting new opportunities for discoveries from the edge of our solar system to the farthest reaches of space. Source: https://phys.org/news/2021-03-eyewear-deepen-view-nasa-roman.html…
A potential model for a real physical warp drive
A pair of researchers at Applied Physics has created what they describe as the first general model for a warp drive, a model for a space craft that could travel faster than the speed of light, without actually breaking the laws of physics. Alexey Bobrick, and Gianni Martire have written a paper describing their ideas for a warp drive and have…
Giant iceberg breaks off Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica
A giant iceberg, about twice the size of Chicago, broke off from Antartica’s Brunt Ice Shelf in late February 2021. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/giant-iceberg-breaks-off-antarctica-brunt-ice-shelf…
Chinese astronauts training for space station crewed flights
China said Thursday a cohort of astronauts is training for four crewed missions this year as the country works to complete its first permanent orbiting space station. Source: https://phys.org/news/2021-03-chinese-astronauts-space-station-crewed.html…
Space Hurricane Seen Above Magnetic North Pole Was Raining Electrons
The first space hurricane ever was spotted in August 2014, consisting of “an eddy of plasma, a type of superhot, charged gas found throughout the solar system,” reports Business Insider. “And instead of rain, this storm brought showers of electrons.” From the report: In August 2014, satellites observed a swirling mass with a quiet center more than 125 miles above the…