Fraser Cain

I'm the publisher of Universe Today and co-host of Astronomy Cast

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Last Notes

2024-06-28 20:01:10

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@npub16ng…7jj7 Yes, of course. But this sets constraints on where to look.

2024-06-12 20:40:19

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@npub13qt…v8gs Yikes. Are you sure you're not a supervillian?

2024-03-29 22:36:03

Astronomers have discovered many free-floating rogue planets in the Milky Way, planets without a star. Did they form like mini-stellar systems, or were they kicked out? Researchers think they've got a way to find out where they're coming from. It all comes down to their velocity. If rogue planets are kicked out of star systems, they'll have higher velocities than those formed within a nebula.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.18481
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/112/181/127/604/416/432/original/2a026a983c67eb91.jpg

2024-03-22 17:48:02

There are two gravitationally stable regions ahead and behind every planet in orbit. These are known as the Trojan regions, and they're known to collect asteroids. In fact, Jupiter's Trojans contain as many space rocks as the main asteroid belt. Astronomers have found the second Trojan asteroid in Mars's L4 region, designated 2023 FW14, which was once part of a larger asteroid that was smashed up billions of years ago.
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2024/03/aa49688-24/aa49688-24.html
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/112/140/358/931/796/926/original/a92b67bb5ea4508d.jpg

2024-03-20 18:47:03

It's impossible to communicate with missions exploring the far side of the Moon, so the Chinese Space Agency launches communication relay satellites to the area. The first, Queqiao-1, coordinated communications with the Chang'e-4 landers, and now they've launched Queqiao-2 to support future far-side exploration by Chang'e-6, which is due for launch in May. This satellite will also be used for the upcoming Chang'e-7 and 8 missions due for launch in 2027 and 2028.
https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/china-launches-satellite-queqiao-2-upcoming-lunar-missions-2024-03-20/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/112/129/266/370/343/305/original/84d2e2344bdc47be.jpg

2024-03-14 19:26:03

In November 2023, NASA's Voyager 1 mission sent home garbled data, effectively stopping useful communication with the spacecraft. NASA engineers narrowed the problem to one of its onboard computers, the flight data system (FDS). A new signal from Voyager 1 contained a memory dump of the entire FDS system, which engineers are using to troubleshoot the system and develop a fix. They can still send commands to Voyager 1 and hope to get it back online.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/sunspot/2024/03/13/nasa-engineers-make-progress-toward-understanding-voyager-1-issue/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/112/095/445/863/064/969/original/f2a0039453533262.jpg

2024-02-28 02:02:03

We've seen that missions to the Moon have very short lifespans. As soon as the two-week-long lunar night sets in, temperatures drop so low rovers and landers can't keep their batteries warm, ending their missions. A new paper proposes that a spacecraft in a halo orbit on the far side of the Moon could stay in perpetual sunlight and then beam power wirelessly to rovers and landers, helping them survive the lunar night and communicate from the far side.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.16320
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/112/006/406/024/576/655/original/efa708eb375bc7c7.jpg

2024-02-20 17:54:18

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@npub1w4v…p4kn Yes, have you ever gotten pollen on your car? Even if you use a brush, it's still there.

2024-02-19 19:25:05

Solar panel dust buildup is a big problem on Mars and has doomed several rovers and landers. This dust clings to surfaces with static electricity, making it difficult to remove by tilting the panels or brushing them off. Researchers have been testing out a new technology that could remove the dust electrostatically. They showed that 95% of particles could be removed when in direct contact with the surface of the removal system, but it doesn't work on spacesuit fabrics.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576524000808?dgcid=rss_sd_all
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/959/546/606/696/024/original/950c25ee818b130f.jpg

2024-02-02 00:26:03

How can we send spacecraft to other star systems? One proposed by Breakthrough Foundation is the Starshot, which uses high-powered lasers to accelerate tiny spacecraft to 10% the speed of light. What keeps the sail balanced as the laser strikes it and accelerates it? A new paper suggests that the laser can be tuned so that the forces are balanced on the sail, automatically correcting if any dangerous oscillations build-up that could destroy the sail.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.16924
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/858/808/499/494/917/original/85943b1ccba98425.jpg

2024-01-31 00:23:02

The European Space Agency has estimated tens of millions of pieces of space debris in low Earth orbit, ranging in size from a millimeter to larger. Although small, the junk can reflect sunlight, causing a brief flare seen from the ground. It's not a problem for most telescopes, but the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory is so sensitive that many flares from space junk of all sizes will contaminate its field of view, especially during dawn and dusk.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2401.15697
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/847/472/016/499/588/original/8a818baf9c2d6d3a.jpg

2024-01-30 23:49:02

Most galaxies contain supermassive black holes, which astronomers assume grew over the eons through mergers by less massive black holes. But, the "final parsec problem" suggests that supermassive black hole mergers should stall out when they're within a couple of light-years of each other and would need billions of years to coalesce. A new paper proposes that self-interacting dark matter in the vicinity would produce enough friction to keep the black holes merging.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2401.14450
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/847/338/331/462/966/original/0e066a4392499a03.webp

2024-01-26 22:49:09

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@npub1h55…jfjp I don't think it gives an answer either way, it just helps explain the variability.

2024-01-26 19:22:03

One ongoing mystery on Mars is the detection of atmospheric methane by Curiosity. Where does it come from? Scientists have proposed an interesting theory: the methane is being sucked out of the ground by changes in pressure in the Martian atmosphere. Researchers simulated how methane moves underground on Mars through networks of underground fractures and found that seasonal changes can force the methane onto the surface for a short time.
https://discover.lanl.gov/news/0124-mars-methane-pulses/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/823/639/235/267/000/original/875da6074bfadbfa.jpg

2024-01-25 20:06:02

Astronomers have used Hubble to measure the atmosphere of a relatively small exoplanet, sensing water vapor. Designated GJ 9827d, the planet is roughly twice the size of Earth and orbits a red dwarf star every 6.2 days. Hubble measured the planet's atmosphere during 11 transits over three years, confirming the presence of water vapor. Here's the downside: the planet is as hot as Venus, measuring roughly 425 degrees Celcius. It could be a mini-Neptune or a super-Europa.
http://esahubble.org/news/heic2403/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/818/149/904/043/061/original/443fe1757d8cfcda.jpg

2024-01-18 23:52:03

Your body's cells use water to dissolve chemicals. It's the same with all life on Earth. But could other fluids work as a solvent? A new paper reviews the potential for different liquid solvents to support life and proposes some surprising candidates, like liquid carbon dioxide, ammonia, and even concentrated sulfuric acid. Each of these solvents is liquid in dramatically different conditions, helping expand the possibilities for life as we don't know it.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2401.07296
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/779/402/441/192/158/original/cb57ed9a2d289592.jpg

2024-01-18 20:48:02

Astronomers using the MeerKAT Radio Telescope have found a rapidly spinning object about 40,000 light-years away in a globular cluster. One hope is that it's a radio pulsar-black hole binary, giving astronomers a valuable tool to test various predictions about Einstein's general relativity. But there are other exciting possibilities: it could be the heaviest neutron star ever seen, or the lightest black hole.
https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/lightest-black-hole-or-heaviest-neutron-star-manchester-astronomers-uncover-a-mysterious-object-in-milky-way/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/778/678/827/225/100/original/38a3f766b3755b39.jpg

2024-01-15 20:42:02

While Mars is cold and dry today, the evidence is mounting that it was once warmer and wetter. Liquid water probably existed on its surface for eons. New research shows that those early times weren't as clear-cut as previously believed. Instead, Martian river valley networks were probably formed over hundreds of millions of years, during intermittent periods when the planet was warmer and wetter. It finally completely dried up about 3 billion years ago.
https://www.psi.edu/blog/water-may-have-flowed-intermittently-in-martian-valleys-for-hundreds-of-millions-of-years/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/761/668/313/974/571/original/e17580be42ebfe97.jpg

2024-01-15 20:37:03

On November 18th, we saw the second test of SpaceX's Starship and SuperHeavy booster. While the combined rocket stack got off the ground and didn't tear its launch pad apart, the booster and Starship failed to complete their full flights. At a recent SpaceX event, Elon Musk explained that Starship exploded because it was venting oxygen near the end of its burn. It was doing that to compensate for a lack of payload, so in theory, it's an easy enough fix for next time.
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1745941814165815717
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/761/648/771/406/413/original/e4beb1812e59a683.jpg

2024-01-12 22:51:02

Astronomers have known about compact objects like black holes and neutron stars for decades, and even ancient people saw supernovae in the sky. It's assumed they're connected, but direct evidence has been hard to find. New observations of a supernova that detonated in galaxy NGC 157 in 2022 have revealed a brightness in the wreckage that oscillates every 12 days. The former star was in a binary system, and now the remnant is orbiting its companion, causing the variation.
https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2401/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/745/188/674/051/584/original/c46e3c2dde3fe2ed.jpg

2024-01-11 20:39:12

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@npub1484…8nrr I'm very aware of the counter arguments, especially from Casey Handmer: https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2019/08/20/space-based-solar-power-is-not-a-thing/
But this is a report from NASA, and this is their conclusion: https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/otps-sbsp-report-final-tagged-approved-1-8-24-tagged.pdf

2024-01-11 18:47:03

Solar panels on Earth have several downsides, providing less energy in cloudy weather and none at night. Space is the perfect place for solar power, and scientists have been working on plans for space-based power generation for decades. The problem is that launching satellites's always too expensive compared to just building more panels on the ground. A new NASA report suggests that space-based power might finally be operational sometime in the 2050s.
https://www.nasa.gov/organizations/otps/space-based-solar-power-report/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/738/566/960/231/886/original/c785ca77a609a598.jpg

2024-01-10 00:27:03

Astronomers are continuing to see earlier into the history of the Universe and finding supermassive black holes were already there. For nearby galaxies, the ratio of a galaxy to SMBH is about 1000 to 1, but in the early Universe, that ratio was more like 100 to 1... or 10 to 1, or even 1 to 1. This new survey of galaxies could help astronomers learn how these supermassive black holes formed. Did they start as less massive, merge, or form directly out of huge gas clouds?
https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/unexpectedly-massive-black-holes-dominate-small-galaxies-distant-universe
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/728/579/244/193/004/original/7af937f1e5b5e30f.jpg

2024-01-09 21:50:04

Astronomers were surveying a region of the sky using the Green Bank Telescope when they discovered a primordial galaxy, composed entirely of gas. There might be stars, but they were unable to resolve them. It's believed it formed too far from any other galaxies, preventing the interactions that trigger star formation. This discovery was made by accident; the telescope was inadvertently pointed at the wrong coordinates, leading to the finding of this bizarre object.
https://greenbankobservatory.org/astronomers-accidentally-discover-dark-primordial-galaxy/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/727/961/993/843/988/original/b930d4564c4dd7db.webp

2024-01-09 20:55:01

When the Artemis program was first announced, the plan was to return humans to the Moon by 2024. Artemis 1 is complete, but the rest of the Artemis program is getting delayed. Originally planned for late 2024, Artemis 2's flight around the Moon will now happen in September 2025. NASA announced on Tuesday that the Arremis 3 moon landing mission is getting pushed back a year, from 2025 to 2026. Artemis IV, to build the Gateway lunar station remains on track for 2028.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-shares-progress-toward-early-artemis-moon-missions-with-crew/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/727/745/551/355/496/original/df8fa022b78e2d5d.jpg

2024-01-08 22:00:06

One longstanding puzzle in astronomy is the mystery of young stars at the edges of galaxies. Stars form in giant molecular clouds, which are more common in the high-density cores at the galactic centers. A new study examined the outer regions of galaxy M83 and found that dense clouds are present in the outer disk as well. These are places where stars can form, pulling in additional material from large reservoirs of diffuse atomic gas.
https://greenbankobservatory.org/mystery-of-star-formation-revealed-by-hearts-of-molecular-clouds/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/722/339/115/493/736/original/f4b4bda23fe6df2e.jpeg

2024-01-08 19:54:03

One explanation for dark matter is not a particle but a change to how gravity works at the largest distances, known as Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND). In theory, wide binary stars are at the perfect distance where the effects of MOND should just barely be detectable. Researchers have been arguing back and forth whether observations from Gaia show this result is more or less likely. A new paper claims an even stronger detection of MOND in Gaia data.
https://en.sejong.ac.kr/eng/academics/Research_News.do?mode=view&articleNo=23129&article_offset=0
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/721/843/500/454/958/original/d5c3a6c5dcfdc5fb.png

2024-01-08 19:32:03

On Sunday night, a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket blasted off for the first time, demonstrating the company's new rocket design works well. The rocket was carrying an Astrobotic Peregrine lander carrying a mix of NASA and commercial payloads to the Moon. The rocket performed well, delivering the lander exactly the right trajectory to the Moon. Still, NASA later reported technical glitches with the lander's propulsion system failing to aim toward the Sun.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-science-heads-to-moon-on-first-us-private-robotic-artemis-flight/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/721/757/003/475/845/original/621c16af15a31964.webp

2024-01-05 23:18:03

Where did life on Earth come from? Most scientists believe it evolved here on the planet, but the theory of panspermia suggests that life passed from world to world within the Solar System. With the discovery of interstellar objects like Oumuamua, could comets and asteroids from other star systems have delivered life to Earth? A new paper calculates that the chances for Earth are very low, but millions or billions of Earthlike worlds could have been seeded this way.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2401.02390
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/705/658/688/036/016/original/46a60e1966736dc8.webp

2024-01-05 21:28:02

At the center of this collection of galaxies is a fantastic example of an Einstein Ring, where a foreground galaxy acts like a natural telescope lens, magnifying a more distant object. The bright central dot in the image is the foreground galaxy that's 2.7 billion light-years away. Surrounding it is the distorted ring of a galaxy whose light has been traveling for over 11 billion years. Another galaxy is nestled right up against the foreground galaxy.
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2024/01/So_near_or_so_far
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/705/226/135/125/626/original/8b613183e62e6594.jpg

2024-01-05 00:24:05

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@npub1e0s…n6zr Yeah, the hope was that planets could somehow survive the intense flares.

2024-01-05 00:23:42

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@npub1h55…jfjp It's essentially the same team.

2024-01-04 19:49:02

While the surface of Venus is a hostile pressure cooker, the upper atmosphere is relatively hospitable, with reasonable temperatures and pressures. However, there is one significant problem: its clouds are made of sulfuric acid. Researchers tested 20 biogenic amino acids in the same concentration of sulfuric acid found on Venus. They discovered that 19 of these acids remained unreactive in that hostile environment and might even use sulfuric acid as a solvent.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.01441
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/699/174/515/598/353/original/11008b49338c6d9b.jpg

2024-01-04 19:13:04

Astronomers have searched red dwarf star exoplanetary atmospheres, and the results haven't been hopeful. The first two planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 have turned out to be airless super-mercurys, and now the sub-earth GJ 367 b shares the same fate. Astronomers used JWST to search for an atmosphere around the extremely dense metal planet and found nothing. The planet orbits so close to its star that the day side would be molten, destroying any volatiles it ever had.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2401.01400
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/699/033/093/895/689/original/de1e382fdcf77e97.png

2024-01-03 20:43:03

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter continues its exploration of Mars, recently completing its 70th flight on December 22nd, 2023. That flight was fairly average, completing 260 meters. The previous two were record breakers, with flight 68 going 702 meters and #69 flying 705 meters across the Martian surface. With the helicopter having completed its primary objectives, NASA is finding its limits, pushing it farther, higher, and faster than ever.
https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/#Flight-Log
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/693/724/601/363/296/original/b90d10d014427a3c.jpg

2024-01-03 19:33:09

The European Space Agency wants you to know they're working on many cool projects. Today, they released a new video showcasing everything they're working on, from traditional rockets like Ariane-6 and Vega to its new reusable Space Rider. It also focuses on new technologies like a carbon neutron rocket, methane-oxygen engines, and even a rocket engine using kerosene fuel from waste plastic.
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2024/01/ESA_s_future_of_space_travel
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/693/449/747/997/117/original/8aa0a05f94afc969.png

2024-01-02 20:44:53

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@npub16ng…7jj7 I think it's about maximum micronutrients for minimum fertilizer. So maybe poppy seeds have some micronutrient in a higher concentration than other seeds?

2024-01-02 19:57:03

While the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is finally gaining support from funding agencies, China's SETI program has grown through local support and international collaborations. Several programs have used China's Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) to conduct targeted searches for signals from extraterrestrials. In 2023, the Far Neighbour Project directed FAST at nearby stars, exoplanets, and more to scan for signals.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2312.16847
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/687/881/413/922/223/original/7baedbfb527819f2.jpg

2023-11-08 19:58:05

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@npub1cfp…94fe But it's seven spacecraft flying through various parts of the magnetosphere. So cool. Mars has plenty of spacecraft. I'd probably go with Theseus, though. Or write in a mission to Enceladus. That's legal, right?

2023-11-08 19:23:02

The European Space Agency started with 27 proposals for its next M-class mission, due for launch in the mid-2030s. After reviewing the missions, they winnowed the list down to ten, then five, and now they're down to three. The choice is between M-Matisse, which would study Mars with spacecraft, the seven-spacecraft Plasma Observatory to study Earth's magnetosphere, and Theseus to look at gamma-ray bursts. One mission will be chosen by mid-2026
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Final_three_for_ESA_s_next_medium_science_mission
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/376/320/617/301/961/original/c34535a5cf86efcb.png

2023-10-27 17:22:02

An extremely advanced civilization might want to send power from star to star across their galactic empire. How could they do this? A new paper suggests that it could be done with multiple gravitational lenses, focusing the energy from one star into a tight beam and then another receiving lens to receive the power. It would take much more advanced technology than anything we can do, but it might be another way to search for civilizations in the Universe.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2310.17578
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/307/661/159/415/788/original/6adeeaa60ce74e26.jpeg

2023-10-25 18:06:34

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@npub1qdj…5saz But you set this as a Podcast playlist within YouTube right? Or did they just slurp in your existing podcast RSS feed?

2023-10-17 17:27:03

According to a new infographic from NASA, we live in a cosmic shooting gallery. We all suspected it, but here are some interesting numbers to keep you awake at night. There are 32,412 known near-earth asteroids of all sizes. Probably only 50 1-km objects are left to discover, but still around 14,000 in the 140-meter range. Upcoming observatories like Vera Rubin and NEA Scout will fill those gaps nicely.
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/smd/near-earth-asteroids-as-of-august-31-2023/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/251/057/755/322/047/original/791d9901e11d70a3.jpeg

2023-09-27 19:14:03

Day Has Returned, but India's Lander and Rover have Failed to Wake Up
After the successful landing on the Moon, ISRO's Vikram lander and Pragyaan rover had to work quickly while the Sun shone. Once the Sun set after 14 days, it was expected temperatures would drop so low that the solar-powered spacecraft would no longer be able to keep themselves warm enough. Mission controllers received the final data at the end of August and then waited for the end of the 14-day lunar night. Day has returned, but the explorers have received no messages, so it's assumed they didn't survive the night.
#chandrayaan3
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66909524
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/138/232/317/062/359/original/d5ea497dbaeec4a3.png

2023-09-22 21:34:04

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@npub162z…a839 Eventually more planets in the catalog than people. 🙂

2023-09-22 17:07:51

My favorite new question to ask people I'm interviewing is, "what are you obsessed with right now?" It gives me a sneak peek into the future of astronomy and space exploration. It's going to be my final question in every interview I do from here on out.

2023-09-20 22:18:03

How Did Supermassive Black Holes Get So Massive? They Ate Quickly
Astronomers have been puzzling over the mystery of supermassive black holes. In just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, they've already packed millions or even billions of times the mass of the Sun. How do they gain so much mass so quickly? A new study suggests that previous theories have dramatically underestimated how quickly black holes consume material. According to their 3D simulations, black holes set up multiple rings of material around themselves, feeding material into the event horizon surprisingly efficiently.
#supermassiveblackholes
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2023/09/black-holes-eat-faster-than-previously-expected
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/111/099/319/610/444/063/original/7c4f49974007ca7d.jpg

2023-09-02 04:32:09

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@npub1dgy…a5xe You could aerobrake at Mars. Anything with an atmosphere provides you a braking system.

2023-09-01 19:45:06

Solar Sails Could Reach Mars in Just 26 Days
While SpaceX is working on Starship to carry huge payloads to Mars, the fastest flight times could be accomplished with solar sails. A new paper suggests that a 1 kg payload with a 100 square meter solar sail could reach 65 km/s relative to Mars. They could blast out of the solar system going 109 km/s, and if it's first directed towards the Sun, they could reach 148 km/s, getting to the heliopause in just 4.2 years. This opens up a range of possible missions, like the outer planets, interstellar space, and the solar gravitational lens.
#solarsail
http://arxiv.org/abs/2308.16698
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/991/134/281/758/843/original/415964d03356e843.jpg

2023-08-30 22:58:03

The Space Station is Getting Gigabit Internet
Astronauts have been living aboard the International Space Station for over 20 years, helping humanity live in space and communicating their science back to Earth. Unfortunately, their internet bandwidth is pretty slow compared to anything the astronauts would experience back on Earth. But that will change with a new high-speed laser communications system in 2023. There's a relay satellite already in orbit, and now NASA is sending a transmitter/receiver to the ISS, which will beam high-speed data through the laser relay. They should get 1.2 gigabits-per-second transmission speeds.
#InternationalSpaceStation
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-to-demonstrate-laser-communications-from-space-station
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/980/568/393/273/118/original/d6dc25c128152445.jpeg

2023-08-30 20:34:03

If Earth Was an Exoplanet, JWST Would Know There's an Intelligent Civilization Here
JWST is the most powerful instrument astronomers have to study the atmospheres of exoplanets, looking for trace gases that might indicate life on another world. What if Earth was an exoplanet orbiting a nearby star? What could JWST learn about our planet? In a new study, astronomers took observations of Earth from various spacecraft and then simulated what JWST would see if it got our home planet in the crosshairs. The telescope could detect various chemicals, from water vapor to methane, but it could also sense the presence of chlorofluorocarbons resulting from our industrial infrastructure.
#exoplanets #jwst
http://arxiv.org/abs/2308.14804
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/980/002/142/951/010/original/c565e789a1e3abdb.jpg

2023-08-30 20:09:05

There's No Wind on the Moon, So How Dust Shift and Swirl so Quickly?
"Lunar swirls" are one of the Moon's many fascinating mysteries. These are reflective patterns on the surface of the Moon that shift and change over time. It was initially believed to result from magnetic particles in the solar wind interacting with the lunar surface. Another possibility is that lunar dust levitates off the Moon, shifting to new locations and depositing again. A new study suggests that there's no single explanation, that a combination of factors is working together to cause these movements.
#moon
https://www.psi.edu/blog/psi-study-shows-evidence-of-highly-mobile-lunar-regolith/
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/979/903/975/168/776/original/af5d189e187ac9cb.jpg

2023-08-29 20:39:03

Do Advanced Civilizations Know We're Here?
Although humans have only sent a couple of tentative signals into space, many are concerned about the risks. Should we let alien civilizations know we're here? According to a new paper, humanity has already been broadcasting its existence for thousands of years, and civilizations with advanced enough technology should be able to observe us. It's science fiction to us, but megastructure space telescopes could have baselines of millions of kilometers, powerful enough to detect structures on the surface of Earth from thousands of light-years away.
#technosignature
https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.08689
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/974/359/518/460/449/original/81600f43e869dee5.jpg

2023-08-29 20:23:02

The Outer Space Treaty was Signed in 1967. Can it Handle the Future of Space Exploration?
The Outer Space Treaty was signed in 1967 to define what humanity can and can't do in space (especially no nukes in space). There are now 110 signatories to the treaty, including every nation with spacefaring capability. According to the treaty, everything in space is the "province of all mankind." This was fine when we were making our first tentative steps into the cosmos. But over 50 years later, we have probes flung across the Solar System and even entering interstellar space. What changes could be made as we become interplanetary?
#spaceexploration
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2308.11076.pdf
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/974/296/575/059/102/original/48cfea0c7006e919.jpg

2023-08-29 20:02:03

If Astronomers See These Chemicals in a Planet's Atmosphere, There's Likely an Advanced Civilization There
Astronomers are searching for a biosignature to prove life on an exoplanet. This has been tricky since natural processes can produce many chemicals life generates. But there are chemicals that humanity has created due to an industrial process, which probably don't have a natural source. A recent paper suggests that nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) could be ideal technosignature gases, unable to form naturally but the result of industrial processes.
#technosignature
https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.13667
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/974/214/048/272/689/original/6d966813cbb9b412.jpg

2023-08-24 18:47:01

I've been running my own Mastodon server for months. I'm happy I did this strategy instead of joining an existing server. h/t @npub1kja…e5gq for the rec.
Most people are best served by running their server, but it's impractical. You need skills or resources to build and maintain it.
These feel like solvable problems, technically (and business models).
But we know what happens when you sign up for a FREE service. Someone pays for it and needs to monetize eventually. You're the product.
#mastodon

2023-08-24 17:33:29

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@npub1zxm…zzy9 That's what I did. m.universetoday.com is my own Mastodon server. One account for me and one for Universe Today. The decentralized concept is amazing, but if you're on someone else's server, you still run all the risks of small community politics. You also get to block entire servers with a single button. And let me tell you, that's... satisfying.

2023-08-24 17:27:48

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@npub1zxm…zzy9 Hah, welcome back. I think you'll find this place is active and civilized. I suggest you roll your own Mastodon server if you can. And then you're the only user. Yeah, you can definitely redirect people to whatever is your canonical account.

2023-08-18 19:14:08

Neptune's Cloud Cover is Linked to the Solar Cycle
Whenever Neptune reaches its closest point in the sky, its portrait is taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and other ground-based observatories. Watching the planet from 1994 to 2020, astronomers have seen how its clouds come and go in a cycle that seems to sync up with the Sun's 11-year cycle, as it shifts from solar maximum to solar minimum or vice versa. This is surprising since Neptune is so far from the Sun and receives about 0.1% of Earth's sunlight. The global cloud cover seems to be linked to the solar cycle and not its 40-year-long seasons.
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/hubble-neptunes-disappearing-clouds-linked-to-the-solar-cycle
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/911/740/208/180/509/original/269bc70dd0766d1f.png

2023-08-15 18:50:42

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@npub1fah…ya3h I guess we can close the book on that mystery, then.

2023-08-15 18:30:05

The Largest Impact Crater on Earth, 520 km Across, Might Be Hiding Under Australia
The largest confirmed impact crater on Earth is the near-300km-wide Vredefort impact structure in South Africa, but there could have been even larger asteroid strikes to early Earth. Erosion hides the evidence of these massive impacts, so they're tricky to find. A geologist team believes they've found one that's even bigger, spanning 520 kilometers across New South Wales, Australia. They found magnetic ripples in rocks from the region that match the roughly circular shape of an impact crater. Deep core drilling will help confirm if it's true.
https://theconversation.com/new-evidence-suggests-the-worlds-largest-known-asteroid-impact-structure-is-buried-deep-in-southeast-australia-209593
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/894/580/032/418/231/original/6570096d3aa87262.jpeg

2023-08-09 17:53:23

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@npub162z…a839 Good thing you don't contemplate the Sun, though. I mean, that's a giant thermonuclear explosion going on, and it's RIGHT THERE!

2023-08-08 21:25:03

Researchers Match Up 12 Meteorites with the Near-Earth Asteroids they Came From
Meteorites reach the ground across the planet all the time. Each of these chunks of rock or metal probably came from a larger object that might still be orbiting in our neighborhood. Researchers have traced the source of 12 meteorites to the asteroids they came from and estimate they were blasted off the progenitor in the vicinity of tens of thousands of years ago. They also estimate that a quarter of meteorites don't come from the main belt but are caused by interactions between near-Earth objects in the inner Solar System.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2308.01931
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/855/631/880/321/475/original/33e221a07afddb82.jpeg

2023-08-08 20:31:04

Evidence for Modified Gravity Found in the Motions of Binary Stars
There are two leading explanations for dark matter, massive particles that don't interact with regular matter apart from gravity and a subtle difference in how gravity behaves at large distances. Astronomers have studied the interactions of over 20,000 binary stars with wide orbits cataloged in Gaia data. They found that orbital accelerations of the stars match the predictions made by modified Newtonian gravity and provide compelling evidence for the MOND hypothesis over the dark matter being a particle.
http://en.sejong.ac.kr/eng/academics/Research_News.do?mode=view&articleNo=22444&article.offset=0&articleLimit=9
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/855/419/589/184/154/original/c2eeb09b0576c0da.png

2023-08-05 16:47:39

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@npub1x2v…ar98 Of course, all of this gets us closer to the original open internet. If everyone just reverted to RSS I think I'd be happiest.

2023-08-04 21:57:22

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@npub1y93…0kr4 I'm sure archeologists would prefer if nothing gets recycled. It'll be a balance.

2023-08-04 20:22:37

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@npub1484…8nrr @npub1lsl…9c2x I agree with this philosophy, and that helps you gain a larger audience. But I'm talking about speaking directly by video with actual fans as a way to connect you directly to your audience. The virtual version of meeting up with a fan for a pint at the pub and chatting for an hour.

2023-08-04 20:06:11

Creators... talk to your fans
As an online creator, my experience can often be negative, with trolls and targeted harassment. It can make me feel a little sad.
For the last few years, I've asked all my new patrons if I can personally interview them. To get feedback about what we do but also to just talk with someone who enjoys and appreciates our content. It feels really good, lifts my spirits, and reminds me why I do this.
If you're a creator, figure out a way to talk directly to your fans

2023-08-04 20:02:15

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@npub198z…nquz Maybe, but I wonder how far you'd get if you couldn't even make fire?

2023-08-04 19:06:03

Curiosity Had to Route Around a 23-Degree Slope to Reach a Fascinating Field of Craters
NASA's Curiosity Rover is continuing to explore the slopes of Mount Sharp; Its next destination required navigating up a 23-degree slope covered in sand and rocks to reach a region covered in small impact craters. Drivers have attempted the slope a few times over the last few months and were forced to back the rover up again to try somewhere else. They finally gave up the direct approach and found a detour that added a few weeks but allowed the rover to crest the slope and explore the crater-filled terrain.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-curiosity-rover-faces-its-toughest-climb-yet-on-mars
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/832/436/063/458/464/original/ecfb733829f3b939.jpg

2023-08-04 16:08:09

I've just got to say how happy I am with the Mastodon community, especially all the science/space people that I'm following. This place is the clear winner after the social media meltdown, despite its outstanding issues and missing features.
What makes me even more excited is that it's open and unmonetized, so it's completely immune to shareholder demands or the whim of a billionaire.
Don't worry if your friends aren't here yet, we're your new friends.

2023-08-03 18:54:03

Two Stars Orbiting Each Other So Closely They Could Fit Inside the Sun
Astronomers have discovered a brown dwarf orbiting a low-mass star so closely that you could fit both stars and their entire orbit inside the Sun. The brown dwarf takes only 1.9 hours to orbit the star, dimming its light each time. It's believed that the two stars were once much farther apart and have shrunk their orbit by a factor of 5 since their formation.
http://arxiv.org/abs/2307.15729
https://m.universetoday.com/system/media_attachments/files/110/826/726/556/560/710/original/834f32c58b4ed5df.jpg

2023-07-27 17:28:30

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@npub1c2x…w0nm I need to figure out a way to run a better microphone through my phone. Merlin only picks up a fraction of the birds I can hear. I'm so curious about what's out there.