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A breath of fresh data: Sentinel-4 innovates for clean air

From its vantage point outside Earth’s atmosphere, more than 36,000 km above Earth’s surface, the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission will detect major air pollutants over Europe in unprecedented detail. It will observe how they vary on an hourly basis—a real breakthrough for air quality forecasting.

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Astronomers observe the Sausage cluster at very low radio frequencies

Using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), European astronomers have investigated a galaxy cluster designated CIZA J2242.8+5301, dubbed the Sausage cluster. The observations conducted at very low radio frequencies provide more insights into the properties of radio relics in this cluster. The new findings are presented in a research paper published May 29 on the arXiv […]

Fighter pilot takes next giant step for India’s space plans

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla blasts off into space next week as the first Indian to join the International Space Station (ISS), bearing with him New Delhi’s dreams of its own manned space flight.

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Private Japanese lunar lander heads toward a touchdown in the moon’s far north

A private lunar lander from Japan is closing in on the moon, aiming for a touchdown in the unexplored far north with a mini rover.

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A deep look at Cosmic Noon: Prodigious star formation by special galaxies reveals Milky Way’s origin story

Researchers led by a Rutgers University-New Brunswick astrophysicist, who looked deeply into space at a period known as “Cosmic Noon,” about 2 billion to 3 billion years after the Big Bang, have found that a special class of galaxies were busy experiencing their first major burst of star formation.

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Harvesting the data in the stars

If you’re lucky, when you look up at the night sky, you’ll see thousands and thousands of points of light. These lights each help tell the story of the universe—how it began, what worlds are out there now, and where new phenomena might develop. Unlocking the mysteries of the cosmos helps scientists better understand the […]

Galaxy clusters are on course to crash again, according to Chandra X-ray Observatory

New observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have captured a rare cosmic event: Two galaxy clusters have collided and are now poised to head back for another swipe at each other.

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What life on Europa needs

As the years go by, the chances of Europa hosting life seem to keep going down. But it’s not out of contention yet.

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Reusable Chinese rocket soft-lands in the ocean in a new test

Chinese rocket startup Space Epoch put on a show recently, with a demonstration test launch of their reusable Yanxingzhe-1 rocket booster.

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Biggest boom since Big Bang: Astronomers uncover most energetic explosions in universe

Astronomers from the University of Hawaiʻi’s Institute for Astronomy (IfA) have discovered the most energetic cosmic explosions yet discovered, naming the new class of events “extreme nuclear transients” (ENTs). These extraordinary phenomena occur when massive stars—at least three times heavier than our sun—are torn apart after wandering too close to a supermassive black hole. Their […]

What if the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning? Research suggests it may have taken place inside a black hole

The Big Bang is often described as the explosive birth of the universe—a singular moment when space, time and matter sprang into existence. But what if this was not the beginning at all? What if our universe emerged from something else—something more familiar and radical at the same time?

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Do the clouds of Venus really host life?

On the surface (you’re welcome for the joke), Venus is not even close to being hospitable to life. But that’s not the end of the story.

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Rubin Observatory to detect millions of new solar system objects in vivid detail, simulations suggest

A group of astronomers from across the globe, including a team from the University of Washington and led by Queen’s University Belfast, have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects will be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later in 2025.

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Sols 4556-4558: It’s all in a day’s (box)work—Mars rover team assesses boxwork terrain structures

When you are scheduled to participate in Science Operations for the rover’s weekend plan, you know it’s going to be a busy morning. Assembling the activities for Friday through Sunday (Sols 4556 through 4558) was no exception.

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NASA Kennedy digs latest robot test

NASA’s RASSOR (Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot) undergoes testing to extract simulated regolith, or the loose, fragmental material on the moon’s surface, inside of the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 27. Ben Burdess, mechanical engineer at NASA Kennedy, observes RASSOR’s counterrotating drums digging […]