May 6, 2022 | Daily Space, Neutron Stars / Pulsars, Science, Sky Watching, Supermassive Black Holes, The Sun
The flash of a pulsar about 3,000 light-years from our solar system was caused by a ‘black widow’ binary consuming a smaller star. Intriguingly, a third companion star is orbiting the pair, which may have originated near the Milky Way’s center. Plus, the Sun is ramping up, Chandra releases more sonification videos, and this week’s What’s Up is all about occultations.
May 4, 2022 | Daily Space, Jupiter, Mars, Rocket Lab, Rockets, ROSCOSMOS, Space China, Space History, Spacecraft, SpaceX, Starlink, Supernovae, The Sun, Titan
Using spherical grains called ooids, found on Earth in shallow, tropical waters, scientists have found a possible mechanism for the formation of hydrocarbon sand on Titan. Plus, rocket launches, Jupiter and Mars, space explosions, and this week in rocket history, we look back at Britain’s Ariel satellite program.
May 2, 2022 | Asteroids, Astrobiology, Comets, Daily Space, Earth, Exoplanets, JWST, Moon, Our Solar System, Review, Rockets, Space China
Using data from TESS, a new paper presents evidence for the discovery of thirty potential comets orbiting in the Beta Pictoris system. Plus, astrobiology research, water on the Moon, solar system formation, and a review of “The Adam Project” starring Ryan Reynolds.
Apr 29, 2022 | Daily Space, Earth, Galaxies, Mars, Perseverance, Science, Sky Watching, Supernovae
An analysis of images taken by the Spirit rover of olivine-rich rocks in Gusev crater has revealed a much more violent volcanic origin than originally thought and one that likely occurred early in Mars’s history. Plus, balloon science, more Mars, more volcanoes, pretty Hubble images, and What’s Up (a supernova!).
Apr 28, 2022 | Crewed Space, Curiosity, Daily Space, Exoplanets, Jupiter, KBOs, Mars, Moon, Random Space Fact, Rockets, Space History, Spacecraft, SpaceX, Stars, Supernovae
Remember that new object, COW, named for a strange supernova? We’ve seen four more of these Fast Blue Optical Transits, and new research may even have figured out just how and why they occur. Plus, Crew-4 launches, a bunch of planetary science news, micronovae, and this week in rocket history, we look back at the San Marco program.
Apr 27, 2022 | Asteroids, Astrobiology, Climate Change, Crewed Space, Daily Space, Earth, Guest Interview, Lucy, Mars, OSIRIS-REx, Rockets, Space China, Spacecraft, SpaceX, Starlink
An analysis of sediment core samples taken at the Salmon River Estuary in Oregon provides evidence that the massive 1700 Cascadia earthquake caused 15 meters of slip along the shoreline, which lead to over a meter of coastal subsidence. Plus, all the rocket launches, a few mission updates, making Mars bricks with urea, and an interview with Maggie Thompson from UC Santa Cruz about using methane as a biosignature.