A new demo from Caltech will test the viability of unlimited solar power beamed back to Earth from orbit.
A new demo from Caltech is set to launch in January 2023, and it could shake up the way we collect and harvest solar power in the future.
Continue reading “We’re about to get our first demonstration of space-based solar power” »
If one were to argue that space is made of food, one such moon of Saturn would make a great case for it, as this ravioli-shaped object orbits the ringed planet while exhibiting a ring of its own, only it’s a lot more solid than Saturn’s massive hula hoops and is often referred to as its equatorial bulge. This is Saturn’s moon, Pan, which was discovered by M.R. Showalter in 1990 after examining Voyager 2 images from 1981.
According to a new study the X-ray light emitted by a certain magnetar – a highly magnetized dead star – appears to indicate that the star has a solid surface and no atmosphere.
A study published in the journal Science has used data from NASA
Established in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its vision is “To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity.” Its core values are “safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion.”
In the grand scheme of the cosmic story, a single year isn’t all that significant. But over time, the annual changes really add up!
Water on the Moon has been a hot topic in the research world lately. Since its first unambiguous discovery back in 2008. Since then, findings of it have ramped up, with relatively high concentration levels being discovered, especially near the polar regions, particularly in areas constantly shrouded in shadow. Chang’e 5, China’s recent sample return mission, didn’t land in one of those permanently shadowed areas. Still, it did return soil samples that were at a much higher latitude than any that had been previously collected. Now, a new study shows that those soil samples contain water and that the Sun’s solar wind directly impacted that water.
The amount of water on the lunar surface varies widely both based on the time of the lunar day and the latitude it is located at. There is so much variability that the water content of the lunar soil can be 200 ppm higher or lower at different times of the day. With that much variability, it seems clear that the Sun plays a significant role in the hydrological cycle there is on the Moon.
Continue reading “The Solar Wind is Creating Water on the Surface of the Moon” »
Year 2022 face_with_colon_three
From the rise of ‘synthetic creativity’ to a study of doppelgängers and a road trip to the edge of the universe, these were the stories we loved in 2022.
Continue reading “These Were Our Favorite 25 Tech Stories From Around the Web in 2022” »
Extended special relativity describes how the universe would look if you broke the speed of light.
Scientists from the University of Warsaw in Poland and the National University of Singapore are pushing the limits of relativity with a new theory called the “extension of special relativity,” a report from Science Alert reveals.
The scientists’ new study suggests that objects may be able to go faster than the speed of light without completely shattering our current laws of physics.
Continue reading “A new physics-defying theory describes the effects of faster-than-light travel” »
What causes meteor Showers?
Meteor showers are a cool reminder that we live on a giant ball of rock flying through space. As it circles the Sun, Earth sometimes runs into dusty debris trailing in the wake of comets — or, in the case of the Quadrantids, the wake of a small asteroid. Dust grains fall into our atmosphere, and they’re moving so fast that the friction of the air rushing past is enough to disintegrate them, creating the tiny streaks of light we see during meteor showers.
Most of our planet’s encounters with these dusty debris trails happen at about the same point in its orbit, so you can think of annual meteor showers like the Quadrantids as Earth passing a familiar landmark in space.
It’s called the C/2022 E3 (ZTF) comet.
A comet that last appeared in the night sky during the Ice Age will soon make a reappearance in February 2023, according to a NASA statement published last week. Called the C/2022 E3 (ZTF) comet, it orbits the sun every 50,000 years. It will now pass within 26 million miles of Earth on February 1st, 2023.
It could also be visible to the naked eye in mid-to-late January. The comet can be seen using binoculars and low-level telescopes when the skies are clear.
Continue reading “A comet not seen since 50,000 years will be visible again in early 2023” »
Now picture a random object, or a scene from your childhood, and ask yourself the same questions. How vividly can you ‘see’ it in your mind?
Some people cannot see anything. Nothing. Their mind’s eye is blank. They experience a neural phenomenon called aphantasia.
Aphantasia is a condition in which a person cannot visualize mental images. In other words, when they attempt to imagine or think about something they cannot create an internal mental image or picture. Because of this, individuals who experience aphantasia can have a hard time recalling things like past experiences and the visual details associated with those memories. They also tend to have difficulty with tasks that require visualizing or imagining physical objects and how they move and rotate in space. This can have an impact on their spatial reasoning.
