A new theory suggests that Titan’s majestic dune fields may have come from outer space. Researchers had always assumed that the sand making up Titan’s dunes was locally made, through erosion or condensed from atmospheric hydrocarbons. But researchers from the University of Colorado want to know: Could it have come from comets?
Space News & Blog Articles
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The Solar Wind is Stripping Oxygen and Carbon Away From Venus
The BepiColombo mission, a joint effort between JAXA and the ESA, was only the second (and most advanced) mission to visit Mercury, the least explored planet in the Solar System. With two probes and an advanced suite of scientific instruments, the mission addressed several unresolved questions about Mercury, including the origin of its magnetic field, the depressions with bright material around them (“hollows”), and water ice around its poles. As it turns out, BepiColombo revealed some interesting things about Venus during its brief flyby.
Sweden becomes 38th country to sign NASA's Artemis Accords for moon exploration
Sweden is the latest nation to sign onto NASA's Artemis Accords on April 16, following Switzerland's signing earlier this week.
Ingenuity team says goodbye to pioneering Mars helicopter
The Ingenuity Mars helicopter team met one last time on Tuesday (April 16) to oversee a transmission from the little rotorcraft.
The Solar Eclipse Like We’ve Never Seen it Before
You had to be in the right part of North America to get a great view of the recent solar eclipse. But a particular telescope may have had the most unique view of all. Even though that telescope is in Hawaii and only experienced a partial eclipse, its images are interesting.
Boom's XB-1 test plane gets FAA green light for supersonic flight
Boom Supersonic's XB-1 experimental jet has been cleared for supersonic flight by the FAA.
Amateur Astronomers Caught Sungrazing Comet during Solar Eclipse
Wide-field photos of the total solar eclipse taken by several astronomers along the path of totality, caught a comet approaching the Sun.
Saturn's 'Death Star' moon Mimas may have gotten huge buried ocean from ringed planet's powerful pull
The discovery of vast subsurface seas on Saturn's tiny moon Mimas has redefined our view of what an ocean world can be. We may now know how this buried ocean was formed, revealing it is shockingly young.
Mysterious dark matter may leave clues in 'strings of pearls' trailing our galaxy
Starting in late 2025, the Vera C. Rubin observatory will image the outskirts of our galaxy in search of dark matter clues.
The Milky Way’s Most Massive Stellar Black Hole is Only 2,000 Light Years Away
Astronomers have found the largest stellar mass black hole in the Milky Way so far. At 33 solar masses, it dwarfs the previous record-holder, Cygnus X-1, which has only 21 solar masses. Most stellar mass black holes have about 10 solar masses, making the new one—Gaia BH3—a true giant.
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 rocket on Starlink mission from Kennedy Space Center
A Falcon 9 rocket stands in launch position at Launch Complex 39A ahead of the Starlink 6-51 mission on April 17, 2024. Image: Spaceflight Now
SpaceX is preparing for its latest Falcon 9 launch from pad 39A NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Starlink 6-51 mission comes about a week-and-a-half after the launch of its first Bandwagon-1 rideshare mission from that pad.
James Webb Space Telescope's 'shocking' discovery may hint at hidden exomoon around 'failed star'
JWST's surprise discovery of methane emissions and likely aurorae over a distant brown dwarf could indicate this "failed star" is orbited by an active moon.
Amazing Amateur Images of April 8th’s Total Solar Eclipse
The last total solar eclipse across the Mexico, the U.S. and Canada for a generation wows observers.
'I really like these suits.' Boeing's snazzy (and flexible) Starliner spacesuits have astronauts buzzing (exclusive)
Starliner will make its first trip to space with astronauts no earlier than May 6. The historic flight also marks the crewed debut of a new generation of Boeing blue spacesuits.
Eyes hurt after the eclipse? Signs of retinal damage, explained
The total solar eclipse on April 8 plunged Syracuse, New York's Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology into darkness for 90 seconds, creating a wondrous and memorable totality.
ESA selects four new Earth Explorer mission ideas
As humans exert greater pressure on natural processes, understanding the intricate workings of our Earth system is increasingly vital for effective action on mitigation and adaption strategies. ESA’s Earth Explorer missions yield a wealth of astonishing findings, serving as the bedrock of scientific research in this field. Now, four new concepts have been selected to undergo assessment study, one of which is destined to be the twelfth in this family of world-leading satellite missions.
SETI chief says US has no evidence for alien technology. 'And we never have'
For the chief leader of the SETI Institute, established to search for and understand life beyond Earth, there's a need to step back and cuddle up to a cup of cosmic reality.
SpaceX launching 23 Starlink satellites from Florida this evening
SpaceX plans to launch another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Space Coast this evening (April 17).
Organic Chemistry: Why study it? What can it teach us about finding life beyond Earth?
Universe Today has recently had the privilege of investigating a myriad of scientific disciplines, including impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, planetary atmospheres, planetary geophysics, cosmochemistry, meteorites, radio astronomy, and extremophiles, and how these multidisciplinary fields can help both scientists and space fans better understand how they relate to potentially finding life beyond Earth, along with other exciting facets. Here, we will examine the incredible field of organic chemistry with Dr. Andro Rios, who is an Assistant Professor in Organic Chemistry at San José State University, regarding why scientists study organic chemistry, the benefits and challenges, finding life beyond Earth, and potential paths for upcoming students. So, why is it so important to study organic chemistry?
Jupiter Meets Uranus in Twilight; Supernova Erupts in Nearby Spiral Galaxy
Jupiter aligns with distant Uranus before it exits the evening sky as a bright supernova flares in the southern galaxy NGC 3621.
What's left of the 2024 solar eclipse lives in our hearts
The 2024 solar eclipse, as seen from Indianapolis, connected strangers across a famous racetrack.
