Space Archives - Page 3 of 10

Dec232024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Nasa’s Parker Solar Probe to Make Historic Christmas Eve Flyby of Sun

In a groundbreaking event Nasa's Parker Solar Probe is set to make its closest approach to the Sun on Christmas Eve December 24, 2024. The spacecraft will pass within approximately 6.1 million kilometers of the Sun's surface at 5:23 pm IST, marking the closest any human-made object has ever ventured toward a star. Mission operators at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland last communicated with the probe on December 21, confirming that all systems were functioning normally. However, during the critical close approach, the spacecraft will lose contact with Earth as it endures the intense conditions near the Sun. Nick Pinkine, mission operations manager for the Parker Solar Probe, expressed excitement about the flyby, calling it an unprecedented opportunity. “N...

Dec212024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Christmas Eve Asteroid Alert 120-Foot Space Rock to Pass by Earth

Breaking News, Disasters, Space, Tech

Astronomers are closely observing asteroid 2024 XN1, a 120-foot-wide space rock set to pass Earth on Christmas Eve, December 24. Despite its proximity, scientists emphasize that the asteroid poses no danger to the planet. The asteroid will fly by at a distance of 4,480,000 miles approximately 16 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon traveling at an astonishing speed of 14,743 miles per hour. Classified as a "near miss" by experts, the flyby serves as a crucial reminder of the need for ongoing planetary defense efforts. Asteroids like 2024 XN1 provide valuable insights into the formation of the early solar system and help refine techniques to monitor and predict the paths of similar objects. NASA is actively tracking 2024 XN1 using its Asteroid Watch dashboard, a tool that...

Dec202024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

ispace & Firefly Aerospace to Share SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch for Lunar Missions

Breaking News, Space

Japanese lunar exploration company ispace has confirmed that its second mission to the moon, featuring the Resilience lander, will share a ride with Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch is set for a six-day window in mid-January, as announced during an online presentation by ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada on December 17. Details of the Dual Launch Sequence: Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander will deploy first, followed by an upper-stage burn, then ispace’s Resilience lander. Routes: Blue Ghost will orbit Earth for 25 days before performing a translunar injection, reaching the moon in four days and spending 16 days in lunar orbit before attempting a landing. Resilience will follow a low-energy trajectory, taking it over one million kilome...

Dec192024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Moon Could Be Much Older Than Previously Believed: New Study Reveals a 4.51 Billion-Year History

Breaking News, Learning & Developments, Space

A groundbreaking study published in Nature suggests the Moon may be over 100 million years older than previously thought, dating its formation to approximately 4.51 billion years ago. This challenges the long-standing estimate of 4.35 billion years and offers fresh insights into the Moon's tumultuous early history. For decades, scientists have theorized that the Moon formed after a Mars-sized object collided with early Earth. However, the new study, led by Francis Nimmo of the University of California, Santa Cruz, suggests that the Moon formed earlier, with a later event known as "re-melting" reshaping its surface. This re-melting occurred as the Moon gradually drifted away from Earth. Earth's gravitational pull generated intense tidal heating, resetting the "clocks" of lunar mineral...

Dec192024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Astronomers Discover Twin Stars Orbiting Galactic Black Hole: A World-First Revelation

Breaking News, Learning & Developments, Space

In an unprecedented discovery, astronomers led by Florian Peißker from the University of Cologne, Germany, have identified a binary star system named D9 orbiting the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of the Milky Way. This groundbreaking find, published in Nature Communications, unravels mysteries surrounding hypervelocity stars and the extreme environment near black holes. Binary star systems, where two stars orbit each other, are common in the universe, but none have been observed near a supermassive black hole until now. Using the Very Large Telescope, the team detected D9 through subtle shifts in its starlight, known as the Doppler effect, confirming its binary nature. The D9 system, approximately 2.7 million years old, likely formed elsewhere in the galaxy bef...

Dec112024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Big Bang to Boundless Expansion: A Physicist’s Guide to the Ever-Growing Universe

Breaking News, Space

Have you ever tried to imagine how the Universe expands? Picture baking a muffin. As it bakes, the batter rises, and chocolate chips spread apart. The Universe’s expansion works similarly except there's no pan or edge. It grows into itself, an idea that’s as fascinating as it is hard to grasp. Unlike a muffin expanding into a baking pan, the Universe doesn’t expand into anything. It’s all dough no pan. Even if a pan existed, it would also be part of the Universe and would expand with it. This concept is mind-boggling because it’s so different from anything we experience in daily life. It’s like asking what’s farther north than the North Pole. Yet scientists define the Universe’s expansion by observing galaxies moving away from us, not by needing something for the Universe to expand i...

Dec112024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Indian Astronomers Unravel Mysteries of Planet Formation in Unique Tri-Star System

Breaking News, Idea & Innovations, Space

December 11, 2024 – In a groundbreaking achievement, Indian astronomers from the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Odisha, have unveiled new insights into planetary formation within the unique tri-star system, GG Tau A, located 489 light-years from Earth. Using the advanced Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) radio telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert, the team, led by scientist Liton Majumdar, has detected molecular emissions within the protoplanetary disk a giant rotating disk of gas and dust. These emissions, originating from the coldest and densest regions of the system, serve as fundamental building blocks for planet formation. GG Tau A, an infant solar system approximately 5 million years old, features three stars orbiting one another, surrounded by ...

Dec92024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

NASA Announces $20,000 Reward for Lunar Rescue System Design

Breaking News, Idea & Innovations, Space

NASA has launched a unique challenge to engage creative minds worldwide in designing a life-saving system for rescuing astronauts stranded on the Moon. With a prize of up to $20,000, the agency is seeking innovative ideas to transport astronauts in spacesuits across the Moon’s treacherous south pole terrain. This initiative, part of NASA’s South Pole Safety Challenge: Lunar Rescue System, comes as preparations intensify for the Artemis mission, slated for launch in September 2026. NASA aims to ensure astronaut safety in extreme lunar conditions, where rocky surfaces, large craters, and steep inclines pose significant challenges. The Challenge Participants must develop a system capable of: Safely transporting an incapacitated astronaut in a spacesuit over a distance of at leas...

Dec92024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Indian Astronomers Detect Ultraviolet Emissions from Novae in Andromeda

Breaking News, Space

Astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have achieved a groundbreaking discovery, detecting far ultraviolet (FUV) emissions from novae in the Andromeda galaxy for the first time. Novae are transient astronomical phenomena marked by a sudden outburst of light from a star-like object, which gradually fades over time. Using data from the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) aboard India's AstroSat, the IIA team identified these emissions while analyzing archival observations of Andromeda. AstroSat, India’s first dedicated space observatory, features UVIT as a key payload developed by IIA. During their study, the team uncovered ultraviolet emissions from 42 novae in Andromeda, including four captured during their explosive outburst phase. This discovery is significant...

Dec92024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

ISRO Successfully Launches ESA’s Proba-3 Satellites, Advancing Solar Research

Breaking News, Space, Tech

In a major milestone for space exploration, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 satellites aboard the PSLV-C59 rocket. This groundbreaking mission, a collaboration between ISRO and ESA, is expected to revolutionize the study of the Sun's corona and solar wind, marking a new chapter in solar physics. Proba-3 focuses on the Sun's corona, the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere that is inexplicably hotter than its surface. The mission aims to analyze the solar wind a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun and its impact on space weather conditions. Former ISRO scientist PV Venkitakrishnan highlighted that Proba-3’s advanced design will replicate the effects of a total solar eclipse, offering continuous ob...