Tag: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dark storm on Neptune changes direction, escapes deadly fate

Astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to observe unusual weather on the planet Neptune, not observed until now. They saw a large, dark storm on Neptune unexpectedly changing direction, thereby saving itself from looming destruction and possibly producing a smaller companion storm. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/large-dark-storm-change-direction-neptune…

Leaf-Cutter Ants Have Rocky Crystal Armor, Never Before Seen in Insects

Leaf-cutter ants are named for their Herculean feats: they chomp foliage and carry unwieldy pieces, like green flags many times their size, long distances to their colonies. There they chew up the leaves to feed underground fungus farms. Along the way, the insects brave all manner of predators — and regularly engage in wars with other ants. But these insects are…

Giant ‘survivor’ planet found orbiting dead star

For the first time, astronomers have detected a planet orbiting a white dwarf star. If further confirmed, the discovery shows that some planets could survive the destruction of their sun-like stars, and some might even remain potentially habitable. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/survivor-planet-wd-1856-b-orbiting-white-dwarf…

Research reveals an enormous planet quickly orbiting a tiny, dying star

Thanks to a bevy of telescopes in space and on Earth—and even a pair of amateur astronomers in Arizona—a University of Wisconsin-Madison astronomer and his colleagues have discovered a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting at breakneck speed around a distant white dwarf star. The system, about 80 light years away, violates all common conventions about stars and planets. The white dwarf is the…

Venus Might Host Life, New Discovery Suggests

There is something funky going on in the clouds of Venus. Telescopes have detected unusually high concentrations of the molecule phosphine — a stinky, flammable chemical typically associated with feces, farts and rotting microbial activity — in an atmospheric layer far above the planet’s scorching surface. From a report: The finding is curious because here on Earth, phosphine is essentially always…

Global warming is making hurricanes stronger

As Earth gets warmer, hurricanes are expected to get stronger. A study of 40 years of satellite data suggests it’s already happening. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/new-research-shows-hurricanes-are-getting-stronger…

NASA issues a Venus rover design challenge

NASA has issued a public challenge where you can help design a critical sensor that would be needed for a future rover on Venus. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/venus-aree-rover-sensor-public-challenge…

Could A Scalp-Zapping Cap Help Reverse Male Balding?

“An electric patch makes hairless mice grow fur and may reverse balding in men when fitted inside a specially designed baseball cap,” reports New Scientist: At the moment, men who don’t want to go bald can treat hair loss using minoxidil lotion, finasteride pills or hair transplant surgery. But minoxidil doesn’t work for everyone, finasteride can reduce sex drive and fertility,…

Could microbes be affecting Venus’ climate?

Unusual dark patches in Venus’ atmosphere – called “unknown absorbers” – play a key role in the planet’s climate and albedo, according to a new study. But what are they? That’s still a mystery. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/could-microbes-be-affecting-venus-climate…