Bonn, Germany (SPX) Dec 04, 2023
The universe is expanding. How fast it does so is described by the so-called Hubble-Lemaitre constant. But there is a dispute about how big this constant actually is: Different measurement methods provide contradictory values. This so-called "Hubble tension" poses a puzzle for cosmologists. Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and St. Andrews are now proposing a new solution: Using an alter

Austin TX (SPX) Dec 04, 2023
It first appeared as a glowing blob from ground-based telescopes and then vanished completely in images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Now, the ghostly object has reappeared as a faint, yet distinct galaxy in an image from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Astronomers with the COSMOS-Web collaboration have identified the object AzTECC71 as a dusty star-forming galaxy. Or, in other w

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 04, 2023
Pentoses are essential carbohydrates in the metabolism of modern lifeforms, but their availability during early Earth is unclear since these molecules are unstable. A new study led by the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, reveals a chemical pathway compatible with early Earth conditions and by which C6 aldonates could have acted as a source of pentoses

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 04, 2023
NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) has recently achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing Key Decision Point D (KDP-D). This vital step permits the transition of the IMAP mission from its development and design phase to the crucial stages of assembly, testing, and integration. The progress marks a pivotal moment for this ambitious project, aligning it on

Paris, France (SPX) Dec 04, 2023
The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) is taking a significant leap in space education by partnering with the Erasmus+ program, aiming to captivate the young minds of primary and secondary students through the fascinating world of asteroids, meteors, and planetary defense. The initiative, named StudenTs As plaNetary Defenders (StAnD), is a novel approach by COSPAR's Panel on Education, dedicat

Nagoya, Japan (SPX) Dec 04, 2023
In early November of this year, the night skies were adorned with aurora borealis, visible as far south as Italy and Texas, signaling the impacts of a solar coronal mass ejection on Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. This event, while significant, pales in comparison to the February 1872 Chapman-Silverman storm, one of the largest magnetic storms in recorded history. An international team of

Washington DC (SPX) Dec 04, 2023
In microgravity, without the continuous load of Earth's gravity, the tissues that make up bones reshape themselves. Bone cells readjust their behaviors-the cells that build new bone slow down, while the cells that break down old or damaged bone tissue keep operating at their normal pace so that breakdown outpaces growth, producing weaker and more brittle bones. For every month in space, astronau

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 04, 2023
Sierra Space has commenced a comprehensive testing campaign for its Shooting Star cargo module at NASA's Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. This significant step marks a critical phase in preparing the spacecraft for its first mission to the International Space Station (ISS), focusing on its resilience to the harsh conditions of space and the rigors of launch. The Sierra Space