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Category: space – Page 35

Mysterious moon rust explained by oxygen coming from Earth’s ‘wind’

In 2020, scientists reported the detection of hematite, an iron oxide mineral otherwise known as rust, distributed through the higher latitudes of the moon, particularly on the nearside. This came as a surprise, considering the low concentrations of oxygen—which is required for the formation of rust—on the moon. Researchers proposed several theories to account for the origins of the oxygen in moon rust, including the degassing of volatiles from lunar magma, asteroids, comets, or large impact events.

However, the only explanation that could account for the distribution patterns of the hematite was that oxygen ions were being transported to the moon by Earth’s magnetosphere. This occurs during the five or so days per month when Earth sits between the sun and moon, allowing parts of its atmosphere to be blown onto the surface of the moon. The phenomenon is referred to as “Earth wind.” At other times, the moon is primarily exposed to the low energy hydrogen ions from solar wind.

A group of scientists has recently provided more evidence backing up this theory. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, sought to test whether Earth wind could produce the hematite by setting up a series of lab experiments mimicking the conditions on the lunar surface. The team did this by irradiating various iron-bearing minerals found on the moon with oxygen and hydrogen at energies expected from particles in Earth wind, as well as hydrogen ions, like those from solar wind.

New approach to gravitational wave detection opens the milli-Hz frontier

Scientists have unveiled a new approach to detecting gravitational waves in the milli-Hertz frequency range, providing access to astrophysical and cosmological phenomena that are not detectable with current instruments.

Gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime predicted by Einstein—have been observed at high frequencies by ground-based interferometers such as LIGO and Virgo, and at ultra-low frequencies by pulsar timing arrays. However, the mid-band range has remained a scientific blind spot.

Developed by researchers at the Universities of Birmingham and Sussex, the new concept uses cutting-edge optical cavity and atomic clock technologies to sense gravitational waves in the elusive milli-Hertz frequency band (10⁻⁵–1 Hz).

Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus Blasts Water Into Space: New Simulations Decode Its Secrets

Simulations indicate that Saturn’s moon Enceladus ejects less ice into space than previously estimated. In the 1600s, astronomers Christiaan Huygens and Giovanni Cassini aimed their telescopes at Saturn and made a groundbreaking discovery. What appeared to be glowing bands around the planet were no

Mystery Ozone Surge Discovered in Mars’s Winter Darkness

Scientists have captured rare insights into Mars’s north polar vortex, where temperatures plunge far below those outside its boundaries and darkness triggers an unusual surge in ozone. New observations of Mars’s north polar vortex during winter reveal that conditions inside it are far more extrem

Six billion tons a second: Rogue planet found growing at record rate

Astronomers have identified an enormous “growth spurt” in a so-called rogue planet. Unlike the planets in our solar system, these objects do not orbit stars, free-floating on their own instead. The new observations, made with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), reveal that this free-floating planet is eating up gas and dust from its surroundings at a rate of six billion tons a second. This is the strongest growth rate ever recorded for a rogue planet, or a planet of any kind, providing valuable insights into how they form and grow.

Data from dark-energy observatories indicate universe may ‘end in a big crunch’ at 33 billion years old

The universe is approaching the midpoint of its 33-billion-year lifespan, a Cornell physicist calculates with new data from dark-energy observatories. After expanding to its peak size about 11 billion years from now, it will begin to contract—snapping back like a rubber band to a single point at the end.

Mission Impossible? Asteroid the Size of a House Poses New Challenge for Hayabusa2

Astronomers have discovered that asteroid 1998 KY26, the target of Japan’s Hayabusa2 extended mission, is far smaller and faster-spinning than previously thought. Astronomers have conducted a new study of the asteroid 1998 KY26 using observatories across the globe, including the European Southern

An Asteroid’s Billion-Year-Old Secret Is a “Genuine Surprise” to Scientists

A group of scientists, including researchers from the University of Tokyo, has found evidence that liquid water once moved through the body of the asteroid that eventually gave rise to the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu. Remarkably, this activity occurred more than a billion years after the asteroid originally formed.

The discovery comes from the study of tiny rock fragments collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The results challenge the long-standing belief that water-related processes on asteroids happened only during the earliest stages of solar system history. This new understanding could influence models of how Earth itself was formed.

Although scientists have developed a fairly detailed picture of how the solar system came together, important questions remain. One of the biggest mysteries is how Earth acquired such an abundance of water. For decades, researchers have suspected that carbon-rich asteroids, such as Ryugu, which were created from ice and dust in the outer regions of the solar system, played a major role in supplying that water. Ryugu was visited by the Hayabusa2 mission in 2018, marking the first time a spacecraft both studied such an asteroid directly and returned samples to Earth. These precious materials are now helping researchers address some of the most fundamental questions about the origins of our planet.

Cyborgs: We examine the concepts of cyborgs, clarify what they are and how they differ from bionics, androids, and similar concepts

We also discuss some of the lesser known options for augmentation and explore the notion of man-machine integration.

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Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jak… by: Dexter Britain “Seeing the Future” Lombus “Hydrogen Sonata” Sergey Cheremisinov “Labyrinth” Kai Engel “Endless Story about Sun and Moon” Frank Dorittke “Morninglight” Koalips “Kvazar” Kevin MacLeod “Spacial Winds” Lombus “Amino” Brandow Liew “Into the Storm”

Music by:
Dexter Britain.
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