This artist’s illustration shows planetisimals around a young star. New research shows that planetesimals are blasted by headwind, losing debris into space. Credit: NASA/JPL Before planets form around a young…
Category: Planetary Science
Solar electric propulsion systems could be just what we need for efficient trips to Mars
Artist’s impression of a solar electric propulsion system. Credit: NASA There are many different ways to get to Mars, but there are always tradeoffs. Chemical propulsion, proven the most popular,…
Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detects surprise gamma-ray feature beyond our galaxy
This artist’s concept shows the entire sky in gamma rays with magenta circles illustrating the uncertainty in the direction from which more high-energy gamma rays than average seem to be…
Old stars may be the best places to search for life
Composite image illustrating 51 Pegasi system and its measured magnetic field. The detected “Weak Magnetic Braking” of 51 Peg represents a relatively sudden change that makes the magnetic environment more…
Webb finds signs of possible aurorae on isolated brown dwarf
This artist concept portrays the brown dwarf W1935, which is located 47 light-years from Earth. Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope found infrared emission from methane coming from W1935.…
Questions about NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission put JPL jobs in jeopardy
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Jet Propulsion Laboratory laid off 100 contractors last week and will scale back part of the first-ever effort to bring pieces of Mars to Earth,…
Should we send humans to Pluto?
Image of Pluto obtained by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft during its flyby in July 2015, which reveals the smooth, nitrogen plains of Sputnik Planitia (heart-shaped region) and vast, water-ice mountain ranges.…
India’s Sun probe reaches solar orbit
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain India’s solar observation mission on Saturday entered the Sun’s orbit after a four-month journey, the latest success for the space exploration ambitions of the world’s most…
The most massive neutron stars probably have cores of quark matter
Illustration of a quark core in a neutron star. Credit: Jyrki Hokkanen, CSC – IT Center for Science Atoms are made of three things: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Electrons are…
Rocket carrying American lunar lander rolls to launchpad
This image released by NASA shows Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander being encapsulated in the payload fairing, or nose cone, of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket. Final preparations were underway Friday…
