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Researchers’ autonomous system makes it easier to transport cargo on the moon

Autonomy algorithms developed by researchers at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) could one day make cargo transport on the moon safer and more efficient for astronauts.

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Follow-up observations by Webb confirm GRB 250702B is most energetic cosmic explosion ever recorded

Considering the immense size of the universe, it’s no surprise that space still holds plenty of secrets for us. Recently, astronomers believe they stumbled upon a kind of cosmic blast never seen before, and it’s challenging what we thought we knew about how stars die.

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How to watch the Orionid meteor shower, debris of Halley’s comet

The Orionids—one of two major meteor showers caused by remnants from Halley’s comet—will peak with the arrival of a new moon, providing an excellent opportunity to see shooting stars without interference from moonlight.

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AI-powered model enhances atmospheric calibration precision for astronomical observation and geodetic measurement

Researchers from the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a hybrid deep learning model that can accurately predict atmospheric delay, a key source of error in astronomical observations and geodetic measurements. The study is published in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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SpaceX hits landmark 500th Falcon 9 booster landing after Space Coast launch

The 85th orbital launch from the Space Coast in 2025 also marked a milestone for SpaceX with the 500th successful landing of a Falcon 9 rocket booster.

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Planet formation depends on when it happens: New model shows why

A new study led by UNLV scientists sheds light on how planets, including Earth, formed in our galaxy—and why the life and death of nearby stars are an important piece of the puzzle.

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Two green comets shine bright. How to spot them in the night sky

Two bright green comets are streaming through the skies and are visible to skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Mysterious glow in Milky Way could be evidence of dark matter

Johns Hopkins researchers may have identified a compelling clue in the ongoing hunt to prove the existence of dark matter. A mysterious diffuse glow of gamma rays near the center of the Milky Way has stumped researchers for decades, as they’ve tried to discern whether the light comes from colliding particles of dark matter or […]

A hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy of space immunology

With the advent of commercial spaceflight, an increasing number of people may be heading into space in the coming years. Some will even get a chance to fly to the moon or live on Mars.

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Unexpected discovery on Saturn’s moon challenges view on chemistry before life emerged

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and the US space agency NASA have made an unexpected discovery that challenges one of the basic rules of chemistry and provides new knowledge about Saturn’s enigmatic moon Titan.

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Webb sheds more light on composition of planetary debris around nearby white dwarf

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have performed infrared observations of a planetary debris disk around a nearby white dwarf known as GD 362. Results of the new observations, presented October 8 on the arXiv preprint server, yield important insights into the chemical composition of this disk.

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Foldable solar sails could help with aerobraking and atmospheric reentry

Use cases for smart materials in space exploration keep cropping up everywhere. They are used in everything from antenna deployments on satellites to rover deformation and reformation.

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First-ever detection of ‘heavy water’ in a planet-forming disk

The discovery of ancient water in a planet-forming disk reveals that some of the water found in comets—and maybe even Earth—is older than the disk’s star itself, offering breakthrough insights into the history of water in our solar system.

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A new attempt to explain the accelerated expansion of the universe

Why is the universe expanding at an ever-increasing rate? This is one of the most exciting yet unresolved questions in modern physics. Because it cannot be fully answered using our current physical worldview, researchers assume the existence of a mysterious “dark energy.” However, its origin remains unclear to this day.

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Team uncovers intrinsic binary fraction of blue horizontal-branch stars

A research team from the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has conducted a study on the binary fraction of blue horizontal-branch (BHB) stars. Their findings, recently published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, provide the intrinsic binary fraction and reveal its relationship with metallicity, kinematics, and effective temperature.

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