Week in images: 28 March - 1 April 2022
Space News & Blog Articles
Tune into the SpaceZE News Network to stay updated on industry news from around the world.
The speed of sound on Mars is different from Earth, Perseverance rover finds
Sound travels much more slowly on the Red Planet than it does on Earth but also behaves in some unexpected ways that could have strange consequences for communication on the planet.
Critical test for NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission kicks off today
NASA plans to begin the three-day Artemis 1 "wet dress rehearsal" this afternoon (April 1) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Most of the action will happen on Sunday, however.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, April 1 – 9
The evening Moon climbs toward the Arch of Spring, then through it. Orion's Belt levels, the Leaps of the Gazelle cross the zenith, and Saturn and Mars conjoin near brilliant Venus in early dawn.
Earth from Space: Barranquilla, Colombia
Barranquilla, the capital of the Atlántico department in northwest Colombia, is featured in this image taken by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
Live coverage: SpaceX rideshare mission set for launch Friday, weather permitting
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The Transporter 4 mission will launch 40 small payloads from customers around the world. Follow us on Twitter.
April: Dancing Planets at Dawn
With the arrival of April, you’re likely to spend more time outdoors under the stars. So why not bring along our monthly Sky Tour astronomy podcast? It provides an informative and entertaining 12-minute guided tour of the nighttime sky. Download the April episode to explore the fascinating movement of four planets in the sky before dawn.
New Simulation Recreates an Early Time in the Universe That Still Hasn't Been Seen Directly
The fields of astronomy and astrophysics are poised for a revolution in the coming years. Thanks to next-generation observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists will finally be able to witness the formation of the first stars and galaxies in the Universe. In effect, they will be able to pierce the veil of the Cosmic Dark Ages, which lasted from roughly 370,000 years to 1 billion years after the Big Bang.
Rocket Lab, SpaceX launching missions Friday: Watch them live
Rocket Lab and SpaceX both plan to launch missions on Friday (April 1), and you can watch the space doubleheader live.
Blue Origin space tourist carries Ukrainian flag to final frontier
Blue Origin passenger Jim Kitchen, a professor and entrepreneur, carried a symbol of support and solidarity for Ukraine with him to space on Thursday (March 31).
German imaging satellite gets top billing on next SpaceX rideshare launch
The EnMAP spacecraft at its factory in Bremen, Germany. Credit: OHB/H. von der Fecht
A $330 million German hyperspectral Earth-imaging satellite will hitch a ride to orbit from Cape Canaveral with 39 smaller commercial payloads on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket set for blastoff Friday.
NASA astronaut comes home to Houston after record-setting 355-day space mission
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is finally home.
Solar storms can destroy satellites with ease — a space weather expert explains the science
Geomagnetic storms occur when space weather hits and interacts with Earth. Space weather is caused by fluctuations within the sun that blast electrons, protons and other particles into space.
Europa Could be Pulling Oxygen Down Below the Ice to Feed Life
Jupiter’s moon Europa is a prime candidate in the search for life. The frozen moon has a subsurface ocean, and evidence indicates it’s warm, salty, and rich in life-enabling chemistry.
5 ways to save on a skywatching trip
Skywatching can get expensive, so here are five ways to save on a skywatching trip.
Explore Science in the City of Astronomy
Join us in Pasadena 12-16 June for exceptional science at the 240th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
It’s Not Conclusive, But Methane is Probably the Best Sign of Life on Exoplanets
When the James Webb Space Telescope aims at exoplanet atmospheres, it’ll use spectroscopy to identify chemical elements. One of the things it’s looking for is methane, a chemical compound that can indicate the presence of life.
NASA, SpaceX delay Crew-4 launch to April 20 due to busy space schedule
NASA and SpaceX are pushing the Crew-4 mission back one day because of a jam-packed launch schedule, officials announced today (March 31).
Hubble's stellar discovery given a Tolkien-inspired name
Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope just made a remarkable discovery, and they gave it quite a unique name.
Supermassive Black Holes Shut Down Star Formation
One of the key aspects of galactic evolution is star production. On a basic level, stars form within a galaxy’s gas and dust all the time, and where they form can help determine a galaxy’s shape and size. But there seems to be a sweet point when star production in a galaxy is particularly strong. Galaxies often have a period of rapid star production which then drops off. Astronomers are still trying to understand what causes this drop-off.
When did M&M's first fly in space? Setting the sweet record correct
Jack Lousma does not remember having M&M's while he was in space. As a NASA astronaut, Lousma commanded the third space shuttle mission 40 years ago, which flew the first candy-coated chocolates.
