Stars Archives - Page 6 of 29

Differences Fall Away Like Sand on Titan

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.

Martian Volcanoes Once Chose Violence

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!).

Stellar Death Just Got More Lit

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.

Seafloor Spreading Slowing Globally

Apr 18, 2022 | Book Club, Climate Change, Daily Space, Earth, Review, Stars, Supernovae

An analysis of the relative movements of 18 tectonic ridges over the past 19 million years finds that the rate of seafloor spreading has dropped by about 40% on average globally. Plus, stars are getting naked, climate change is heating things up, and we review “Impact: How Rocks from Space Led to Life, Culture, and Donkey Kong” by Greg Brennecka.

Early Bacterial Life May Have Formed Far Earlier Than Thought

Apr 15, 2022 | Asteroids, Astrobiology, Comets, Crewed Space, Daily Space, Earth, Galaxies, JWST, Lucy, Mars, Mercury, Moon, Neptune, Saturn, Sky Watching, Stars, Supermassive Black Holes, Venus

An analysis of microscopic features in rocks from the Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt in Quebec, Canada, which date back between 3.75 and 4.28 billion years, finds evidence of possible microbial life. Plus, a supermassive black hole precursor, temperatures on Neptune, check-ins with various spacecraft, and our weekly What’s Up segment.

Protoplanet Image Supports Alternate Formation Theory

Apr 6, 2022 | Active Galaxies, Artemis, Crewed Space, Daily Space, Exoplanets, Galaxies, Jupiter, JWST, Rocket Lab, Rockets, Spacecraft, SpaceX, Stars

In a joint discovery announced by the Subaru and Hubble telescopes, researchers have captured images of a gas giant protoplanet whose distant formation supports the disk instability theory. Plus, galaxies, more galaxies, a couple of rocket launches, and updates on JWST and SLS.