Carolyn Collins Petersen
Solar Orbiter Captures the First Ever Image of a Magnetic Solar Switchback on the Sun
On March 25, 2022, the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft closed in on the Sun, getting ready to study it during…
Saturn Might Have Torn a Moon Apart to Make its Rings
Saturn is a world of surprises. The Voyager 1 and 2 flybys and later on, the Cassini mission, opened our…
Without Water and Life, Geology on Mars is Driven by the Wind
On Earth, we all know what changes our landscapes: water and wind erosion, tectonic activity, and volcanism. Today on Mars,…
The Webb Image you’ve Been Waiting For: the Orion Nebula
This is it, folks. Feast your eyes! It's what we've been training for—seeing the James Webb Space Telescope's first detailed…
Just 2,000 Years Ago, Betelgeuse Was Yellow, Not Red
Compared to the lifespan of stars, human lives are pretty short. Stars such as Betelgeuse (in Orion) live for millions…
What’s Being Done to Protect Astronauts From Radiation in Deep Space?
In 1982, author James Michener published his sprawling Space Race novel, Space. In it, he describes a fictional Apollo 18…
Yeast Will Fill in for Humans on Artemis I, Soaking up a Lunar Mission’s Worth of Radiation
When Artemis 1 finally takes flight (possibly this Saturday), twelve bags of baker's yeast will go along for the ride.…
Astronomers Find the Oldest Planetary Nebula
Planetary nebulae are short-lived "leftovers" of sun-like stars. Most of these "star ghosts" only last—at most—about 25,000 years. Usually, their…
A Merger Completely Shut Down Star Formation
What's the recipe for forming stars? Yep, lots of gas and dust. Galaxies rich in these materials get to make…
Problem Solved! Voyager 1 is no Longer Sending Home Garbled Data!
Earlier this year, the teams attached to the Voyager 1 mission noticed that the venerable spacecraft was sending weird readouts…