Science
First 360-degree image of the far side of the Moon released
- January 12, 2019
The far side of the moon, which previously remained unexplored, will now be studied by CNSA for the first time. The rover, which had been put in "standby" mode to protect it from the Sun's heat, was then switched on and, along with the Chang'e-4 probe, took pictures of the landing site and its surroundings. (more...)
- January 12, 2019
The far side of the moon, which previously remained unexplored, will now be studied by CNSA for the first time. The rover, which had been put in "standby" mode to protect it from the Sun's heat, was then switched on and, along with the Chang'e-4 probe, took pictures of the landing site and its surroundings. (more...)
Billions of white dwarf stars are crystallising, say astronomers
- January 11, 2019
One of Discover's favorite space artists and regular contributors, Mark Garlick, created this impression of a white dwarf star solidifying to accompany the announcement. That, in turn, has an impact on our understanding of the stellar groupings these white dwarfs are a part of. The team selected 15,000 white dwarf candidates that were located within 300 light-years of Earth , and analyzed their brightness and colors. (more...)
- January 11, 2019
One of Discover's favorite space artists and regular contributors, Mark Garlick, created this impression of a white dwarf star solidifying to accompany the announcement. That, in turn, has an impact on our understanding of the stellar groupings these white dwarfs are a part of. The team selected 15,000 white dwarf candidates that were located within 300 light-years of Earth , and analyzed their brightness and colors. (more...)
Astronomers detect another batch of mysterious repeating fast radio bursts
- January 11, 2019
Known by its acronym CHIME , the world's most powerful radio telescope, spread across an area as big as a football pitch, is poised to detect many more of the enigmatic pulses now that it is fully operational. The new repeating FRB has another unusual characteristic as well. Having two sets of repeating bursts could also allow scientists to understand what distinguishes them from single bursts, helping them understand more about their source and watch for future blasts. (more...)
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- January 11, 2019
Known by its acronym CHIME , the world's most powerful radio telescope, spread across an area as big as a football pitch, is poised to detect many more of the enigmatic pulses now that it is fully operational. The new repeating FRB has another unusual characteristic as well. Having two sets of repeating bursts could also allow scientists to understand what distinguishes them from single bursts, helping them understand more about their source and watch for future blasts. (more...)
NASA’s Hubble Takes Incredible 665-Million Pixel Image of Triangulum Galaxy
- January 11, 2019
The galaxy is usually visible as a faint, blurry object under dark-sky conditions. Astronomers have measured Triangulum to be around 60,000 light-years across and contain around 40 billion stars - by comparison, the Milky Way spans an estimated 150,000 light-years and has hundreds of billions of stars. (more...)
- January 11, 2019
The galaxy is usually visible as a faint, blurry object under dark-sky conditions. Astronomers have measured Triangulum to be around 60,000 light-years across and contain around 40 billion stars - by comparison, the Milky Way spans an estimated 150,000 light-years and has hundreds of billions of stars. (more...)
Blood Moon on show for much of the world
- January 10, 2019
If the Great American Eclipse of August 2017 left you hungry for another colossal cosmic event, then you're in luck-sort of. This event blocks the Sun's light from directly falling on the Moon making the moon look red. If you were on the moon, you would see an orange ring around the earth . How long the Eclipse lasts in January? . Although eclipses are typically thought of as being when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, technically speaking they also describe when a planet appears to ... (more...)
- January 10, 2019
If the Great American Eclipse of August 2017 left you hungry for another colossal cosmic event, then you're in luck-sort of. This event blocks the Sun's light from directly falling on the Moon making the moon look red. If you were on the moon, you would see an orange ring around the earth . How long the Eclipse lasts in January? . Although eclipses are typically thought of as being when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, technically speaking they also describe when a planet appears to ... (more...)
Mysterious radio signals from outer space detected
- January 10, 2019
The new FRBs are are also at unusually low radio frequencies. The existence of a second repeating burst suggests there could be many more of the mysterious signals in the cosmos. CHIME measures scattering more precisely than other instruments because it operates at lower frequencies. (The fact that it repeats gives them a good chance of spotting it again.) They hope that tracing the radio signal back a known visible object may reveal what produced it. (more...)
- January 10, 2019
The new FRBs are are also at unusually low radio frequencies. The existence of a second repeating burst suggests there could be many more of the mysterious signals in the cosmos. CHIME measures scattering more precisely than other instruments because it operates at lower frequencies. (The fact that it repeats gives them a good chance of spotting it again.) They hope that tracing the radio signal back a known visible object may reveal what produced it. (more...)
Speaker Bercow caught in Brexit storm
- January 10, 2019
Conservative former cabinet minister Ken Clarke earlier said he found it "unbelievable" that some MPs were trying to stop the Commons expressing its opinion on the matter. He said: "That sticker on the subject of Brexit happens to be affixed to or in the windscreen of my wife's auto, and I'm sure he wouldn't suggest for one moment that a wife is somehow the property or chattel of her husband". (more...)
- January 10, 2019
Conservative former cabinet minister Ken Clarke earlier said he found it "unbelievable" that some MPs were trying to stop the Commons expressing its opinion on the matter. He said: "That sticker on the subject of Brexit happens to be affixed to or in the windscreen of my wife's auto, and I'm sure he wouldn't suggest for one moment that a wife is somehow the property or chattel of her husband". (more...)
Distant, Possibly Habitable Planet Spotted by Citizen Scientists
- January 09, 2019
The latest discovery - an exoplanet called HD 21749b , has the longest orbital period at 36 days. The first two candidates - known as Pi Mensae c and LHS 3844b - were reported in September , and they've now taken their place as the first two confirmed planets on TESS' list. (more...)
- January 09, 2019
The latest discovery - an exoplanet called HD 21749b , has the longest orbital period at 36 days. The first two candidates - known as Pi Mensae c and LHS 3844b - were reported in September , and they've now taken their place as the first two confirmed planets on TESS' list. (more...)
Thousands of Beachgoers Stung in Bluebottle Jellyfish Ambush
- January 08, 2019
As many as 13000 or more stings were recorded in Queensland alone last week. The aforementioned expert notes that typically, just 25,000 to 45,000 people are stung over the course of an entire year in all of Australia . Bluebottle jellyfish colonies appear like blue-tinged sacs which measure up to 15 cm long. "I have never seen anything like this - ever", Sturges said. (more...)
- January 08, 2019
As many as 13000 or more stings were recorded in Queensland alone last week. The aforementioned expert notes that typically, just 25,000 to 45,000 people are stung over the course of an entire year in all of Australia . Bluebottle jellyfish colonies appear like blue-tinged sacs which measure up to 15 cm long. "I have never seen anything like this - ever", Sturges said. (more...)
Chinese lunar rover first to step on far side of the Moon
- January 07, 2019
Previous landings, including one by China's Chang'e 3 in 2013, have been on the near side. Lunar exploration chief Wu Weiren echoed Neil Armstrong's famous quote, telling state media the event marked a "huge stride" for China. While China's space program still lags America's, He said "China has already positioned itself at least as good as Russian Federation and the European Union". (more...)
- January 07, 2019
Previous landings, including one by China's Chang'e 3 in 2013, have been on the near side. Lunar exploration chief Wu Weiren echoed Neil Armstrong's famous quote, telling state media the event marked a "huge stride" for China. While China's space program still lags America's, He said "China has already positioned itself at least as good as Russian Federation and the European Union". (more...)
China's Spacecraft Makes the First-Ever Landing on Moon's Dark Side
- January 06, 2019
Xinhua, a state-run news agency, reports that the China National Space Administration's Chang'e-4 touched down on the moon's surface at 10:26 a.m., Beijing time, on January 3, 2019. 27, 2008, Chinese astronaut Zhai Zhigang walks outside the orbit module of the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft for a spacewalk after docking with the Chinese space station Tiangong 1. (more...)
- January 06, 2019
Xinhua, a state-run news agency, reports that the China National Space Administration's Chang'e-4 touched down on the moon's surface at 10:26 a.m., Beijing time, on January 3, 2019. 27, 2008, Chinese astronaut Zhai Zhigang walks outside the orbit module of the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft for a spacewalk after docking with the Chinese space station Tiangong 1. (more...)
First meteor shower of the year peaks Thursday night
- January 06, 2019
During flawless conditions, anywhere from 60 to over 100 meteors per hour can be seen during the peak. Best chances: Those in the Northern Hemisphere, like Europe and nearby areas, will have the best chances to see it, Fox 6 reports . (more...)
- January 06, 2019
During flawless conditions, anywhere from 60 to over 100 meteors per hour can be seen during the peak. Best chances: Those in the Northern Hemisphere, like Europe and nearby areas, will have the best chances to see it, Fox 6 reports . (more...)
Chance to see meteor shower in skies over north-east tonight
- January 05, 2019
Tonight, the Quadrantids meteor shower will reach its peak for a few glorious hours. If, however the peak is delayed, North America may be treated to more of the peak, but there will likely still be clouds locally. To view this meteor shower, look for a spot away from street lights. You will get ample opportunity to see meteor showers in 2019. Similar to an eclipse, the event will be the first since 2016 and will not occur again for another thirteen years. (more...)
- January 05, 2019
Tonight, the Quadrantids meteor shower will reach its peak for a few glorious hours. If, however the peak is delayed, North America may be treated to more of the peak, but there will likely still be clouds locally. To view this meteor shower, look for a spot away from street lights. You will get ample opportunity to see meteor showers in 2019. Similar to an eclipse, the event will be the first since 2016 and will not occur again for another thirteen years. (more...)
China’s mission to land spacecraft on moon’s unexplored dark side
- January 05, 2019
China's ambitious space program is going where no other program has gone before: the far side of the moon. What would the lander and rover do? The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating at the same rate that it orbits our planet, so the far side is never visible from Earth. (more...)
- January 05, 2019
China's ambitious space program is going where no other program has gone before: the far side of the moon. What would the lander and rover do? The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating at the same rate that it orbits our planet, so the far side is never visible from Earth. (more...)
Sharper New Horizons photos reveal Ultima Thule as a reddish space "snowman"
- January 04, 2019
The US space agency's craft, the New Horizons , has been busy investigating it which is no small feat as it's pretty dark that far away from the sun. Before that flyby, the only image scientists had was a blurry one showing Ultima Thule's oblong shape, resembling something like a bowling pin or a peanut. (more...)
- January 04, 2019
The US space agency's craft, the New Horizons , has been busy investigating it which is no small feat as it's pretty dark that far away from the sun. Before that flyby, the only image scientists had was a blurry one showing Ultima Thule's oblong shape, resembling something like a bowling pin or a peanut. (more...)
Annual meteor shower should be visible in southern Colorado
- January 04, 2019
The last time that Qatar had an encounter with meteor showers was back in November previous year when annual meteors "Taurid and Leonid" appeared in the skies of Doha. Those in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in Europe, could wind up seeing the most meteors. The shower will happen between the Big Dipper and Bootes constellations. (more...)
- January 04, 2019
The last time that Qatar had an encounter with meteor showers was back in November previous year when annual meteors "Taurid and Leonid" appeared in the skies of Doha. Those in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in Europe, could wind up seeing the most meteors. The shower will happen between the Big Dipper and Bootes constellations. (more...)
China probe readies to land on the moon
- January 03, 2019
For the first time in three years, the United States will be able to experience a total lunar eclipse. "Unfortunately, the almost full moon will block out many of the meteors this year, but the Geminids are so bright and numerous that it could still be a good show", the website says. (more...)
- January 03, 2019
For the first time in three years, the United States will be able to experience a total lunar eclipse. "Unfortunately, the almost full moon will block out many of the meteors this year, but the Geminids are so bright and numerous that it could still be a good show", the website says. (more...)
Chinese spacecraft makes first landing on Moon's far side
- January 03, 2019
China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe is expected to make the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon. Previous spacecraft have seen the far side of the moon but none has landed on it. The rover's instruments have to withstand those fluctuations and it has to generate enough energy to sustain it during the long night. Chinese state media said at the time that the area being targeted was the Aitken Basin in the lunar south pole region and 10 experiments would be performed - six from ... (more...)
- January 03, 2019
China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe is expected to make the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon. Previous spacecraft have seen the far side of the moon but none has landed on it. The rover's instruments have to withstand those fluctuations and it has to generate enough energy to sustain it during the long night. Chinese state media said at the time that the area being targeted was the Aitken Basin in the lunar south pole region and 10 experiments would be performed - six from ... (more...)
Corporations Should Step Up to Save Our National Parks
- January 03, 2019
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Hetch Hetchy, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow Campgrounds, and all snow play areas were also closed . Handwritten signs urged visitors: "Pack out your trash". In Joshua Tree, dozens of volunteers have come together to try to maintain the park. As news outlets such as the Washington Post have reported, many of these same businesses are pitching in to complete the jobs the NPS and its contractors manage - as in picking up garbage, cleaning the bathrooms and ... (more...)
- January 03, 2019
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Hetch Hetchy, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow Campgrounds, and all snow play areas were also closed . Handwritten signs urged visitors: "Pack out your trash". In Joshua Tree, dozens of volunteers have come together to try to maintain the park. As news outlets such as the Washington Post have reported, many of these same businesses are pitching in to complete the jobs the NPS and its contractors manage - as in picking up garbage, cleaning the bathrooms and ... (more...)
NASA New Horizons image shows weird Ultima Thule looks like a snowman
- January 03, 2019
Ultima Thule is one of hundreds of thousands of space rock in the uncharted heart of the Kuiper Belt , a ring of icy celestial bodies just outside Neptune's orbit. The researchers learned that the unexpectedly low variation in the light curve came from the shape-two spheres rotating have a smaller change in their surface area from the spacecraft's point of view than an ellipse would. (more...)
- January 03, 2019
Ultima Thule is one of hundreds of thousands of space rock in the uncharted heart of the Kuiper Belt , a ring of icy celestial bodies just outside Neptune's orbit. The researchers learned that the unexpectedly low variation in the light curve came from the shape-two spheres rotating have a smaller change in their surface area from the spacecraft's point of view than an ellipse would. (more...)
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