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Supernova immersion model suggests Earth-like planets are more common in the universe

Rocky planets like our Earth may be far more common than previously thought, according to new research published in the journal Science Advances. It suggests that when our solar system formed, a nearby supernova (the massive explosion of a star near the end of its life) bathed it in cosmic rays containing the radioactive ingredients […]

Why SpaceX IPO plan is generating so much buzz

More than 20 years after founding SpaceX, the record-breaking company that transformed the global space industry, Elon Musk is planning to take the enterprise public.

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Comet 3I/ATLAS displays greenish hue in new Gemini North telescope images

Gemini North captured new images of Comet 3I/ATLAS after it reemerged from behind the sun on its path out of the solar system. The data were collected during a Shadow the Scientists session—a unique outreach initiative that invites students around the world to join researchers as they observe the universe on the world’s most advanced […]

SpaceX launches 1st of 5 missions on tap in next 8 days on Florida’s Space Coast

SpaceX and United Launch Alliance are combining for a busy week of rocket launches on the Space Coast.

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Musk signals plan to launch IPO for SpaceX

Elon Musk has signaled plans to soon seek a public stock listing of SpaceX, confirming a report that links the strategic shift to a near-term need for more capital.

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Parker Solar Probe spies solar wind ‘U-turn’

Images captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe as the spacecraft made its record-breaking closest approach to the sun in December 2024 have now revealed new details about how solar magnetic fields responsible for space weather escape from the sun—and how sometimes they don’t.

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Unlocking the sun’s magnetic secrets: AI-powered mapping reveals intricate 3D details

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy (IfA) are helping reshape how scientists study the sun. The UH-led team has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can map the sun’s magnetic field in three dimensions with unprecedented accuracy, supporting research tied to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye […]

Reading the ‘light fingerprints’ of dead satellites

There are already tens of thousands of pieces of large debris in orbit, some of which pose a threat to functional satellites. Various agencies and organizations have been developing novel solutions to this problem, before it turns into full-blown Kessler Syndrome. But many of them are reliant on understanding what is going on with the […]

NASA robot rover shows that sparks fly in dust storms on Mars

Sometimes you get a small electric shock from touching your car door handle on a dry summer’s day.

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NASA-JAXA XRISM finds elemental bounty in supernova remnant

For the first time, scientists have made a clear X-ray detection of chlorine and potassium in the wreckage of a star using data from the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) spacecraft.

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Record-breaking cosmic explosion challenges astronomers’ understanding of gamma-ray bursts

Astronomers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have helped uncover new clues about the longest-lasting cosmic explosion ever observed, a gamma-ray burst that lasted nearly seven hours. The event, known as GRB 250702B, challenges decades of understanding about how and why these bursts occur.

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Webb reveals double helium tails escaping from a ‘hot Jupiter’

For the first time, scientists have continuously monitored a planet’s escaping atmosphere over a complete orbit, revealing that the gas giant WASP-121 b is surrounded by not one but two massive helium tails stretching more than halfway around its star.

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China outlines future plans in new video, including finding Earth 2.0

In a recent Hot Take segment, the China Global Television Network recently released an interesting video detailing China’s future plans for space. Titled “Earth 2.0? China’s plan to find new Earth,” the video actually details four missions that the China National Space Agency (CNSA) has planned as part of the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). […]

NASA selects two instruments for Artemis IV lunar surface science

NASA has selected two science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the moon during the Artemis IV mission to the lunar south polar region. The instruments will improve our knowledge of the lunar environment to support NASA’s further exploration of the moon and beyond to Mars.

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Peculiar supernova SN 2021ukt transitions from Type IIn to Type Ib

Astronomers from the University of California (UC), Berkeley and elsewhere have performed spectroscopic and photometric study of a peculiar supernova designated SN 2021ukt, which underwent a transition from Type IIn to Type Ib. Results of the new study, presented Nov. 28 on the arXiv pre-print server, shed more light on the nature of this supernova. […]