Space and astronomy news
The Sun is midway through its life of fusion. It’s about five billion years old, and though its life is far from over, it will undergo some pronounced changes as it ages. Over the next billion years, the Sun will continue to brighten.
That means things will change here on Earth.
Continue reading “Life Might Thrive on the Surface of Earth for an Extra Billion Years”
Is it time for space lasers yet? Almost.
As time passes, ideas that were once confined to the realm of science fiction become more realistic. It’s true of things like using robots to explore other worlds. Space lasers are a well-used element in science fiction, and we’re approaching the time when they could become a reality.
Where would we put them, and what could we use them for?
Continue reading “There are Plenty of Uses for Powerful Lasers in Space. But Where Should We Put Them?”
Saturn is well known for its ring system and many recognise that the planets Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune also have rings. Did Earth ever have rings though? A team of researchers suggests that a worldwide collection of impact craters points to the existence of a ring around Earth millions of years ago. It’s possible that Earth captured and destroyed an asteroid that passed too close 466 million years ago. The asteroids torn up debris orbited the Earth as a ring and then the individual chunks entered the atmosphere, landed on the surface and produced the craters observed today.
Continue reading “Earth Might Have Had Rings Half a Billion Years Ago”
With all of humanity’s telescopic eyes on the sky, it’s rare for an asteroid to take us by surprise. But that’s what happened this morning in the sky over the Philippines. Only hours after it was detected, it burned up in a bright flash above the island of Luzon.
Continue reading “A Surprise Asteroid Lit Up the Sky Over the Philippines”
Where on Earth did life originate, and where else could it occur? A comprehensive answer is most likely a long way off. But it might depend on how many suitable sites for abiogenesis there are on different worlds.
Continue reading “Asking the Big Question: Where Did Life Originate?”
The term ‘habitable zone’ is a broad definition that serves a purpose in our age of exoplanet discovery. But the more we learn about exoplanets, the more we need a more nuanced definition of habitable.
New research shows that vegetation can enlarge the habitable zone on any exoplanets that host plant life.
Continue reading “How Vegetation Could Impact the Climate of Exoplanets”
Scientists have discovered that Earth has a third field. We all know about the Earth’s magnetic field. And we all know about Earth’s gravity field, though we usually just call it gravity.
Now, a team of international scientists have found Earth’s global electric field.
Continue reading “A NASA Rocket Has Finally Found Earth’s Global Electric Field”
It’s time to take a thorough, more serious look at using geoengineering to protect the planet’s icesheets, according to a group of scientists who have released a new report examining the issue. Glacial geoengineering is an emerging field of study that holds some hope for Earth’s diminishing glaciers and ice sheets.
Continue reading “Can Geoengineering Protect Earth’s Icesheets?”
Our CO2 emissions are warming the planet and making life uncomfortable and even unbearable in some regions. In July, the planet set consecutive records for the hottest day.
NASA is mapping our emissions, and while what they show us isn’t uplifting, it is visually appealing in a ghoulish way. Maybe the combination of visual appeal and ghoulishness will build momentum in the fight against climate change.
Continue reading “Our Carbon Dioxide Emissions Have a Mesmerizing Side”
Next time you’re visiting the seaside or a large lake, or even sipping a frosty glass of water, think about where it all originated. There are many pathways that water could have taken to the infant Earth: via comets, “wet asteroids”, and outgassing from early volcanism. Aster Taylor, a University of Michigan graduate student has another idea: dark comets. They’re something of a cross between asteroids and comets and could have played a role in water delivery to our planet.
Continue reading “More Than Half of Near Earth Objects Could Be “Dark Comets””