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The most pristine star yet found in the known universe

An unusual team of astronomers used Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V (SDSS-V) data and observations on the Magellan telescopes at Carnegie Science’s Las Campanas Observatory in Chile to discover the most pristine star in the known universe, called SDSS J0715-7334. Their work is published in Nature Astronomy.

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Artemis II astronauts rocket toward the moon after spending a day around Earth

NASA’s Artemis II astronauts fired their engines and blazed toward the moon Thursday night, breaking free of the chains that have trapped humanity in shallow laps around Earth in the decades since Apollo.

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The unseen challenges of life on the moon

For the first time since the Apollo era, humans are preparing not just to visit the moon, but to live and work there for weeks, months—and eventually years.

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Ghostly particles: Dark radiation may have masqueraded as neutrinos

New research suggests that neutrinos in the early universe may have transformed into a previously unknown form of radiation. A study from Washington University in St. Louis offers a new way to explain certain puzzling observations about how the universe evolved.

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‘Serendipitous’ discovery of Martian ripple marks reveals an ancient sandstorm

The search for life on Mars involves the efforts of scientists from many different disciplines. An important aspect of that search is to study Martian sedimentary rocks for information about the planet’s environment when it is likely that the surface environment hosted abundant water and therefore more habitable, around three to four billion years ago. […]

Early data from Vera C. Rubin Observatory reveals over 11,000 new asteroids

Using preliminary data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scientists have discovered over 11,000 new asteroids. The data were confirmed by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center (MPC), making this the largest single batch of asteroid discoveries submitted in the past year. The discoveries were made using data from Rubin’s early optimization surveys and […]

Artemis II to test new models that predict solar particle storms up to a day ahead

During the Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, NASA will test out a pair of new solar radiation forecasts, developed at University of Michigan Engineering, designed to protect astronauts venturing away from Earth. The forecasts will provide warnings of harmful solar radiation released by solar flares and eruptions up to 24 hours in advance. NASA’s Space […]

Astronomers find a third galaxy missing its dark matter, validating a violent cosmic collision theory

Astronomers have long argued that dark matter is the invisible scaffolding that holds galaxies together. Without its immense gravitational pull, the rotational spins of galaxies would force them to simply fly apart. But now, scientists have found a string of galaxies that seem to be missing their dark matter entirely. The latest in this string, […]

Giant ‘forbidden planet’ orbiting small star shows an unusually low-metal atmosphere

Scientists have discovered that a highly unusual giant planet—sometimes called “forbidden”—could have an atmosphere with fewer heavier elements than its host star. University of Birmingham astrophysicist Dr. Anjali Piette worked with an international research team to analyze James Webb Space Telescope data from the exoplanet TOI-5205 b. This is a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a star […]

Artemis II’s moonbound toilet is working again to astronauts’ relief after overnight fix

NASA’s moonbound astronauts have reason to celebrate, and not just because their launch went so well. Their toilet is now working.

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Artemis astronauts await green light for lunar orbit

The four Artemis astronauts circling Earth were awaiting the green light from NASA on Thursday to head for the moon and carry out the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years.

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Protostars ‘sneeze’ and produce rings of gas and magnetic flux as they grow

Researchers have uncovered new insights into the early development of baby stars. As published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, a research team from Kyushu University and Kagawa University reports that during the early growth period of a baby star, the protostellar disk—the dense disk of gas and dust that surrounds the star—expels magnetic flux and […]

NASA’s Artemis II mission launches on first crewed lunar flyby in 50 years

Four astronauts blasted off aboard a massive NASA rocket Wednesday on a long-anticipated journey around the moon, the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years.

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Europe to negotiate with NASA on lunar missions: ESA

The European Space Agency will negotiate future participation in NASA missions after the US space agency revamped its lunar program, the ESA head told AFP Wednesday.

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Mercury scout mission concept with solar sail propulsion

The planet Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, and also the most difficult for spacecraft to visit and explore. This is because as spacecraft get closer to Mercury, the sun’s enormous gravity pulls in the spacecraft, greatly increasing its speed and making it hard to slow down without large amounts of fuel. But […]