SpaceX Crew DEMO-2 Mission
After years of development and a single weather-related delay, on May 30, 2020, at 1922 UTC, Space X launched a Dragon Crew Capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket with two humans on board: Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken.
Space Station Replenisher “Konotori” No. 9
A JAXA H-2B rocket launched the HTV-9 mission (aka Kounotori 9) on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, at 5:31 PM (UTC).
Hot stars are plagued by giant magnetic spots, ESO data shows
Most of us are familiar with sunspots – dark, cool blemishes on the surface of the Sun that appear and disappear. Now, astronomers using the European Southern Observatory telescopes announced that they have found stellar spots that are hotter and brighter than the surface of their stars.
Scientists Detect Crab Nebula Using Innovative Gamma-Ray Telescope, Proving Technology Viability
For those observing gamma rays, there is a new telescope array in town. The prototype Schwarzchild-Couder Telescope is testing a new design for detecting the cascades of light created when high-energy gamma rays strike our atmosphere.
Astronomers capture a pulsar ‘powering up’
Graduate student Adelle Goodwin has made the first-ever start-to-finish observations of a cataclysmic variable star. This system consists of a neutron star, a regular companion star, and a whole lot of gravity that is tearing material off the companion star and pulling it into a disk around the neutron star.
Asteroids Ryugu and Bennu; Comet ATLAS; Chicxulub Impact
Take a look at recent stories on asteroids and comets, including our own dinosaur-killer, Bennu, Ryugu, and Comet ATLAS.
ESPRESSO confirms the presence of an Earth around the nearest star
ESPRESSO, a new spectroscope on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), has, for instance, determined that the nearest star to Earth, Proxima Centauri, has a 1.17 Earth-mass planet in its habitable zone.
Astronomers Discover New Class of Cosmic Explosions
Our first story of the day came out last week while we were on hiatus, and it came out with the title “The ‘Cow’ Mystery Strikes Back” and the most confusing scientist quote we’ve ever seen: “When I reduced the data, I thought I made a mistake. The ‘Koala’ resembled the ‘Cow’ but the radio emission was as bright as a gamma-ray burst!”
Virgin Orbit set to launch cubesat into orbit
Today, Virgin Orbit is going to attempt to launch a cubesat on its LauncherOne rocket from the belly of a modified 747. This Richard Branson-owned company is a sister to Virgin Galactic, and like its sibling, this company looks to avoid the hold-ups in access to space that can happen at spaceports like Kennedy.
Cosmic ring of fire discovered
Today, we have just one science story, and it has one terribly large hole poked through the center of it; a literal hole scientists are having fun explaining. This artist’s rendition shows you what appears to be a messy ring of star formation with nothing in the center.
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