Space exploration, astronomy & astrophotography news
Radio signals detected from rare ‘Blue Eye Pulsar’ after decades of silence For the first time, astronomers have detected radio pulses from a class of neutron star that was thought to be intrinsically radio-silent. The discovery of faint radio signals from the so-called “Blue Eye Pulsar,” a young neutron star at the center of a […]
NASA and SBA partner to unlock private capital for space technology startups NASA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have signed a memorandum of agreement aimed at channeling private capital into small businesses developing space technologies, the agencies announced July 5. The deal leverages the SBA’s existing Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program, which […]
Nearby super-Earth GJ 3378b may be more habitable than first thought A planet 25 light-years away that was once thought to be too massive to support life has received a dramatic revision. New measurements show GJ 3378b is a rocky super-Earth with only 2.3 times Earth’s mass, placing it squarely within the habitable zone of […]
As Starlink deorbits hundreds of satellites, scientists warn of atmospheric pollution and regulators seek exemptions SpaceX deorbited more than 260 Starlink satellites in the past six months, sending roughly 318 metric tons (350 tons) of spacecraft incinerating through Earth’s upper atmosphere at a rate of one to two satellites per day. As the pace of […]
As Starlink deorbits hundreds of satellites, scientists warn of atmospheric pollution and regulators seek exemptions SpaceX deorbited more than 260 Starlink satellites in the past six months, sending roughly 318 metric tons (350 tons) of spacecraft incinerating through Earth’s upper atmosphere at a rate of one to two satellites per day. As the pace of […]
Mysterious ‘space balls’ found on Queensland beaches may contain toxic rocket fuel Six black spherical objects have washed ashore on beaches in north Queensland, Australia, prompting a hazardous materials response and an investigation by the Australian Space Agency. The objects, which experts say are consistent with titanium alloy fuel tanks from rocket upper stages, may […]
Mysterious ‘space balls’ found on Queensland beaches may contain toxic rocket fuel Six black spherical objects have washed ashore on beaches in north Queensland, Australia, prompting a hazardous materials response and an investigation by the Australian Space Agency. The objects, which experts say are consistent with titanium alloy fuel tanks from rocket upper stages, may […]
As Starlink deorbits hundreds of satellites, scientists warn of atmospheric pollution and regulators seek exemptions SpaceX deorbited more than 260 Starlink satellites in the past six months, sending roughly 318 metric tons (350 tons) of spacecraft incinerating through Earth’s upper atmosphere at a rate of one to two satellites per day. As the pace of […]
Quantum Information Theory Could Sharpen Exoplanet Imaging to Theoretical Limits Featured image: [Artist’s impression of a direct exoplanet observation with a coronagraph; credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech] A new study applies tools from quantum information theory to coronagraph design, showing how spatial mode-sorting can push exoplanet detection to the theoretical quantum limit even for the most challenging observational […]
Sun’s Chemical Peculiarity Traced to Galactic Evolution, Not Planetary Swallowing Featured image: [The Sun imaged in extreme ultraviolet; credit: NASA/SDO] The Sun may not be as chemically unusual as previously thought, according to a new study that reanalyzes high-resolution spectra of 79 solar twins using a Bayesian framework. The research attributes most of the Sun’s […]
