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Scientists have discovered a planet 10 times as massive as Jupiter orbiting a pair of stars in another solar system, according to new research.

The research, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, points to the discovery of a planet named b Centauri (AB)b or b Centauri b, with an image captured by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.

The planet is 10 times as massive as Jupiter and “one of the most massive planets ever found,” according to the observatory.

On April 28, 2021, at 933 UT (3:33 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time), NASA’s Parker Solar Probe reached the sun’s extended solar atmosphere, known as the corona, and spent five hours there. The spacecraft is the first to enter the outer boundaries of our sun.

The results, published in Physical Review Letters, were announced in a press conference at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2021 on December 14. The manuscript is open-access and freely available to download.

Continue reading “Parker Solar Probe: A spacecraft has ‘touched’ the sun for the first time” »

Tesla CEO Elon Musk isn’t one to follow rules, particularly when he thinks they’re bogus.

The billionaire likes to envision a world, or perhaps a much smaller society on Mars, in which everybody can do as they please without a greater hierarchy of power.

“If there’s a utopia where people have access to any goods or services that they want, there’s plenty for everyone,” Musk told Time magazine after being named the Person of the Year today. “If we have a highly automated future with the robots that can do anything, then any work you do will be because you want to do it, not because you have to do it.”

Dear SRI Friends and Supporters.

Many thanks, to you all, for following and supporting the Space Renaissance during 2021!

Continue reading “Goodbye 2021! Special, with the SRI President Prof. Bernard Foing” »

When Jeff Bezos announced he was blasting off to space in the summer, there was a petition that he shouldn’t return to Earth. Actually, there were quite a few. Questions like this often pop up online: “Why do people like Elon Musk and dislike Jeff Bezos?” And Musk has just been named the 2021 Time person of the year.

We’re going to examine the reasons Musk has an army of fangirls and fanboys whereas Bezos not so much, and why Musk is starting to alienate some people as well.

A Quora user gave his two cents on why he thinks Musk is more likable: Maybe because…He engages people more via his social media. Musk loves to respond to the general public on Twitter, allowing him to build a powerful connection with his 65 million and counting followers.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia and the University of Manchester have helped conduct a 16-year long experiment to challenge Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

The international team looked to the stars — a pair of extreme stars called pulsars to be precise – through seven radio telescopes across the globe.

And they used them to challenge Einstein’s most famous theory with some of the most rigorous tests yet.

Humans have been dreaming of living on the Moon, but what would that look like exactly?

Put simply, an outpost (or outposts) on the Moon could benefit humanity in numerous ways. It would allow for regular access to the lunar surface, enable vital research into low-gravity and its effects on terrestrial organisms, and shave billions off of the cost of missions destined for Mars and other locations in deep space.

Continue reading “The Logistics of Going ‘Interplanetary’: What Does It Take to Live on the Moon?” »

What To Watch For In The Night Sky This Week: December 13–19, 2021 An era-defining rocket launch happens this week. Much-delayed, over budget and high on science promises, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will—finger’s crossed—finally go skywards this week… though it might be wise to expect delays. Also this week is the year’s most prolific meteor shower and a final full Moon for fall—the “Cold Moon.”

Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing, moon-watching and rocket launches this week:

Continue reading “Biggest Space Telescope In History Will Launch Just As 2021’s Smallest Full Moon Rises: What You Can See In The Night Sky This Week” »