Week in images: 14-18 August 2023
Space News & Blog Articles
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We could be 16 years into a methane-fueled 'termination' event significant enough to end an ice age
Methane emissions from tropical wetlands have been soaring since 2006 and accelerating at the same breakneck speed as they have when Earth's climate flipped from a glacial to an interglacial period.
NASA rolls Artemis 2 mobile launch tower to pad for tests (photos)
The mobile launch platform that supports NASA's Space Launch System rocket was rolled to the pad for testing ahead of next year's crewed Artemis 2 mission to the moon.
Surf’s Up: Waves Might Be Breaking on This Star
An unusual star system that brightens and fades every month might have giant plasma waves breaking on its surface.
See the moon and Mars enjoy the sunset together tonight
The moon will make a close approach to Mars in the evening on Friday, Aug. 18 as the two celestial bodies enjoy the sunset together.
Astronomers find first evidence of heavy black hole seeds in the early universe
The way in which supermassive black holes grew to tremendous sizes in the early universe has been a mystery for astronomers, but the puzzle could soon be solved.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 18 – 27
The waxing Moon passes Spica and then will occult Antares for much of North America. Saturn reaches opposition this week. The Andromegasus Dipper scoops up as summer wanes.
Comet P1 Nishimura Could Be Bright Over the Next Few Weeks
New Comet P1 Nishimura graces the August dawn sky…but how bright will it get?
The Largest Impact Crater on Earth, 520 km Across, Might Be Hiding Under Australia
Asteroid impacts have arguably killed off more species than almost any other type of disaster since life began on Earth. The most famous of these, the Chicxulub impactor, killed the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago, along with 76% of all species on the planet at the time. But that was by no means the worst disaster; as far as we can tell, it wasn’t even the biggest asteroid. That title currently goes to the Vredefort crater in South Africa. Coming in at over 300 kilometers wide, it was the largest asteroid crater so far found, at least when it was formed about 2 billion years ago. But that might be about to change if a theory from Andrew Glikson and Tony Yeates of New South Wales is correct. They have found what they believe to be the biggest impact crater on Earth since the Late Heavy Bombardment in their own Australian province of New South Wales, and they think it might have caused one of the other five mass extinction events.
No Surprise, July 2023 Was the Hottest Month on Record Since 1880
In case you missed it, the weather’s been hot. From warmer-than-usual temperatures in northern climes to melting ice sheets in the polar regions, July 2023 was a record-breaking month. That’s not just some random perception. NASA has been keeping records and the agency confirms what most of us have observed for ourselves. It was a warm one.
Neptune's clouds have vanished, and the sun may be to blame (video)
Thanks to the sun's 11-year-long cycle, Neptune might be systematically purged of its clouds.
Maui satellite photo shows full scale of deadliest US fire in more than a century
The Landsat 8 satellite captured the deadly flames that burned through the town of Lahaina in Hawaii and killed at least 99 people.
Take an interstellar cruise into the cosmos in new limited series 'The Space Between' (exclusive)
An exclusive first peek at Boom! Studios' new sci-fi limited series, 'The Space Between.'
This Sure Looks Like the Movements of a Glacier Across Ancient Mars
It is a scientific certainty that Mars was once a much different place, with a denser atmosphere, warmer temperatures, and where water once flowed. Evidence of this past is preserved in countless surface features, ranging from river channels and alluvial deposits to lakebeds. However, roughly 4 billion years ago, the planet began to change into what we see today, an extremely cold and desiccated environment. Between all that, it is possible Mars experienced glacial and interglacial periods, which is evidenced by images like the one taken by the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shown above.
Satellites watch wildfires rage across Canadian northwest (photos)
Satellite images reveal the scope of devastating wildfires in the Canadian northwest where an entire capital city had to be evacuated due to approaching flames.
Russia's Luna-25 moon lander snaps 1st photo of lunar surface
Luna-25, Russia's first moon mission since 1976, has snapped its first detailed photo of the lunar surface.
James Webb Space Telescope confirms 'Maisie's galaxy' is one of the earliest ever seen
The universe's age when Maisie's galaxy was seen by the James Webb Space Telescope has been confirmed, proving that this realm is one of the earliest galaxies ever observed.
Powerful helium star could finally reveal secrets about highly magnetic stellar corpses
A newly discovered, highly magnetic and massive helium star could explain how magnetars, stellar corpses with the universe's strongest magnetic fields, are born.
Astronomers Find Strange Star Is a Powerful Magnet
Astronomers have found a star that has a magnetic field rivaling the strongest magnet humans have ever built — and it might explain the origin of highly magnetic cinders known as magnetars.
We Might Be Able to Measure Dark Energy Through the Milky Way's Collision With Andromeda
The Universe is expanding, and it’s doing so at an ever-increasing pace. Whether due to a dark energy field throughout the cosmos or due to a fundamental of spacetime itself, the cosmos is stretching the space between distant galaxies. But nearby galaxies, those part of our local group, are moving closer together. And how they are falling toward each other could tell us about the nature of cosmic expansion.
