Lund, Sweden (SPX) Sep 25, 2022
Using data from the Gaia space telescope, a team led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden has shown that large parts of the Milky Way's outer disk vibrate. The ripples are caused by a dwarf galaxy, now seen in the constellation Sagittarius, that shook our galaxy as it passed by hundreds of millions of years ago. Our cosmic home, the Milky Way, contains between 100 and 400 billion st

Brussels, Belgium (SPX) Sep 25, 2022
Details of the orbits of 450 candidate exoplanet targets of the European Space Agency's Ariel space mission have been presented this week at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022, and submitted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. The study, coordinated by the ExoClock (www.exoclock.space) project, has been co-authored by 217 professional and amateur astronomers,

Brussels, Belgium (SPX) Sep 25, 2022
Super-thin planet nurseries have a boosted chance of forming big planets, according to a study announced this week at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022 in Granada, Spain. An international team, led by Dr Marion Villenave of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), observed a remarkably thin disc of dust and gas around a young star, and found that its structure accelerated the process of g

Pasadena CA (JPL) Sep 25, 2022
On Thursday, Sept. 29, at 2:36 a.m. PDT (5:36 a.m. EDT), NASA's Juno spacecraft will come within 222 miles (358 kilometers) of the surface of Jupiter's ice-covered moon, Europa. The solar-powered spacecraft is expected to obtain some of the highest-resolution images ever taken of portions of Europa's surface, as well as collect valuable data on the moon's interior, surface composition, and ionos

Brussels, Belgium (SPX) Sep 25, 2022
An unexpected 'heat wave' of 700 degrees Celsius, extending 130,000 kilometres (10 Earth diameters) in Jupiter's atmosphere, has been discovered. James O'Donoghue, of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has presented the results this week at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022 in Granada. Jupiter's atmosphere, famous for its characteristic multicoloured vortices, is a

Lemont IL (SPX) Sep 25, 2022
A year ago, scientists got their first look at material gathered from nearby asteroid 162173 Ryugu. Now the results of those studies have been revealed, and they shed light on the history of our solar system and the long trek of this cosmic wanderer. At its closest orbit, asteroid 162173 Ryugu is only about 60,000 miles from Earth. That's only a quarter of the distance to the moon. But acc

Tucson AZ (SPX) Sep 25, 2022
The first analysis of samples from the asteroid Ryugu returned to Earth by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft offers new insights into Ryugu's formation history. Laboratory analysis of 17 individual grains from the samples collected by Hayabusa2 found CO2-bearing water in an iron-nickel sulfide crystal, indicating the parent body formed in the outer Solar System,

Brussels, Belgium (SPX) Sep 25, 2022
Lunar enthusiasts of all ages are challenged to help identify features on the Moon that might pose a hazard to rovers or astronauts exploring the surface. The 2022 EXPLORE Lunar Data Challenge is focused on the Archytas Dome region, close to the Apollo 17 landing site where the last humans set foot on the Moon 50 years ago this December. The Machine Learning Lunar Data Challenge is open to

Frankfurt, Germany (SPX) Sep 25, 2022
Frank Brenker and his team are world leaders in a method that makes it possible to analyse the chemical composition of material in a three-dimensional and entirely non-destructive way and without complicated sample preparation - yet with a resolution of under 100 nanometres. Resolution expresses the smallest perceptible difference between two measured values. The method's long name is "Synchrotr

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Sep 25, 2022
Stone samples brought back to Earth from asteroid Ryugu have had their elemental composition analyzed using an artificially generated muon beam from the particle accelerator in J-PARC. Researchers found a number of important elements needed to sustain life, including carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, but also found the oxygen abundance relative to silicon in asteroid Ryugu was different from all met