Category: Planetary Science
‘City killer’ asteroid now has 3.1% chance of hitting Earth: NASA
This handout picture provided by NASA shows asteroid 2024 YR4 as observed by the Magdalena Ridge 2.4m telescope at the New Mexico Institute of Technology on January 27, 2025. An…
Does planetary evolution favor human-like life? Study ups odds we’re not alone
A new model upends the decades-old “hard steps” theory that intelligent life was an incredibly improbable event and suggests that maybe it wasn’t all that hard or improbable. The team…
Asteroid Ryugu samples suggest presence of salty water in outer solar system
Colorized microscopic image of sodium carbonate deposit on Ryugu sample. Credit: KyotoU/Toru Matsumoto Asteroids that orbit close to the Earth inevitably cause us some anxiety due to the even remote…
From collisions to stellar cannibalism—the surprising diversity of exploding white dwarfs
The Palomar 48 inch telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California with an image of the Milky Way in the background. The stars represent the number of supernovae discovered in…
Jumping workouts could help astronauts on the moon and Mars
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Jumping workouts could help astronauts prevent the type of cartilage damage they are likely to endure during lengthy missions to Mars and the moon, a new…
Tidal energy measurements help scientists understand Titan’s composition and orbital history
SwRI scientists have determined that at the rate Titan’s orbit is changing, it should have acquired a circular orbit within about 350 million years. The fact that Titan currently has…
