Starlink has landed what is likely its biggest partnership yet as it signed recently to provide a prominent company with internet service.
Category: space – Page 161
Does quantum gravity exist?
Several thousand sensors distributed over a square kilometer near the South Pole are tasked with answering one of the large outstanding questions in physics: does quantum gravity exist?
The sensors monitor neutrinos —particles with no electrical charge and almost without mass—arriving at the Earth from outer space. A team from the Niels Bohr Institute (NBI) at the University of Copenhagen have contributed to developing the method which exploits neutrino data to reveal if quantum gravity exists.
“If as we believe, quantum gravity does indeed exist, this will contribute to unite the current two worlds in physics. Today, classical physics describes the phenomena in our normal surroundings such as gravity, while the atomic world can only be described using quantum mechanics. The unification of quantum theory and gravitation remains one of the most outstanding challenges in fundamental physics. It would be very satisfying if we could contribute to that end,” says Tom Stuttard, assistant professor at NBI.
Geologists expect Chang’e-6 lunar surface samples to contain volcanic rock and impact ejecta
On June 25, China’s Chang’e-6 (CE-6) lunar probe is set to return to Earth, carrying the first surface samples collected from the farside of the moon. In anticipation of this historic event, scientists from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences are publishing their predictions for the unique materials that may be found in the CE-6 samples in the journal The Innovation.
Do protons decay? The answer might be on the moon
Does proton decay exist and how do we search for it? This is what a recently submitted study to the arXiv preprint server hopes to address as a team of international researchers investigate a concept of using samples from the moon to search for evidence of proton decay, which remains a hypothetical type of particle decay that has yet to be observed and continues to elude particle physicists.
When Giants Moved: Tracing Planetary Shifts That Formed the Moon
Researchers from the University of Leicester have linked the shift of the Solar System’s giant planets 60–100 million years after its formation to the creation of the Moon.
They combined simulations, meteorite analysis, and observations to trace these movements, suggesting that this shift influenced the development and habitability of the Solar System.
Uncovering the Solar System’s Past.
Webb travels back in time to better understand supernovae
The cosmos has always fascinated scientists, and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is now offering unprecedented views of supernovae from the early universe.
Recently, a team of researchers used Webb’s data to identify ten times more supernovae than were previously known, uncovering some of the most distant examples ever observed.
These findings, presented at the 244th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Madison, Wisconsin, are revolutionizing our understanding of the universe’s expansion.
New Technique Offers More Precise Maps of the Moon’s Surface
A new study by Brown University researchers may help redefine how scientists map the surface of the Moon, making the process more streamlined and precise than ever before.
Published in the Planetary Science Journal, the research by Brown scholars Benjamin Boatwright and James Head describes enhancements to a mapping technique called shape-from-shading. The technique is used to create detailed models of lunar terrain, outlining craters, ridges, slopes and other surface hazards. By analyzing the way light hits different surfaces of the Moon, it allows researchers to estimate the three-dimensional shape of an object or surface from composites of two-dimensional images.
Accurate maps can help lunar mission planners to identify safe landing spots and areas of scientific interest, making mission operations smoother and more successful.
Oops! Geoengineering Trick to Cool Brutal Heat Could Spike Temperature Elsewhere, Scientists Say
Researchers are warning that geoengineering efforts to help cool temperatures in California could trigger heatwaves in Europe, a “scary” implication given the sheer lack of regulation controlling such measures across the globe.
As The Guardian reports, scientists have suggested spraying aerosols into clouds over the ocean to cool down the surface below, a practice called “marine cloud brightening.” As the name suggests, the idea is to brighten clouds to make them reflect more of the Sun’s radiation back into space.
Last month, a team of University of Washington researchers attempted to do just that in the San Francisco Bay using a machine that sprays tiny sea-salt particles, amid criticism from environmentalists. The experiment was later shut down by city officials, citing health concerns.