Thanks to abnormal weather patterns in the upper atmosphere over Antarctica, this year’s ozone hole is the smallest since the ozone hole was 1st observed in 1982. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/2019-ozone-hole-smallest-since-its-discovery-video…
Tag: space flight
Blue Origin assembles space industry dream team to build moon lander
Jeff Bezos’ space flight company Blue Origin has announced three established companies from the space industry as partners for its 2024 lunar lander Blue Moon Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2220765-blue-origin-assembles-space-industry-dream-team-to-build-moon-lander/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Virgin Galactic unveils commercial space suits
The date for the world’s first commercial space flight is not even confirmed yet, but future passengers’ Star Trek-like outfits are ready and waiting. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-10-virgin-galactic-unveils-commercial-space.html…
What’s the source of the ice at the moon’s south pole?
A new study from Brown University suggests that different deposits of south polar moon ice not only have different sources, but also vary greatly in age. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/different-sources-ice-moons-south-pole…
Astrophysicist suggests light might be a problem for life on a planet orbiting a black hole
Jeremy Schnittman, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has taken what he describes as a tongue-in-cheek look at the issues that might stand in the way of life existing on a planet orbiting a black hole. He has written a paper outlining his thoughts on the idea posted on the arXiv preprint server. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-10-astrophysicist-problem-life-planet-orbiting.html…
‘Impossible’ exoplanet and an alternate planet-formation theory
The discovery of exoplanet GJ 3512b – a planet “too big for its star” – adds fuel to the competition between 2 theoretical models of how planets form. It suggests many more Jupiter-like planets are waiting to be found, orbiting nearby sunlike stars. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/theories-planet-formation-gj-3512b-favors-disk-instability…
2019’s Arctic sea ice minimum 2nd-lowest on record
Arctic sea ice likely reached its smallest extent for 2019 on September 18. At 1.6 million square miles (4.15 million square km), that minimum is now in a 3-way tie for 2nd-smallest in the satellite record. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/2019-arctic-sea-ice-minimum-2nd-lowest-video…
NASA creates stunning new black hole visualization
For decades, astronomical theorists have told us that a black hole’s powerful gravity would warp the space around it. This new visualization from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is the best yet at showing exactly how. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/black-hole-visualization-from-side-schnittman-goddard…
Scientists use drones to probe earthly dust devils, with an eye toward Mars
Dust devils are common are common on Earth, but ubiquitous on Mars, a desert world. Scientists are using drones carrying cameras and other instruments to gain new insights. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/scientists-use-drones-dust-devils-earth-mars…
Scientists detect towering balloon-like feature near Milky Way’s center
It’s a huge bipolar structure, centered on the galactic center and near the central supermassive black hole. In that way, it’s like the Fermi Bubbles, found some years ago. But … there are differences. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/balloon-like-feature-near-milky-way-center…