Liverpool UK (SPX) Jan 13, 2022
Scientists have witnessed for the first time exactly what happens to the most massive stars at the end of their lives. Most very large stars explode in a fiery supernova explosion that leaves behind a neutron star in a process frequently witnessed by Earth's most powerful telescopes. But some - the most massive, 30 times the size of the Sun or more - are believed to undergo a less vi

Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Jan 13, 2022
Every living thing requires energy. This is also true of microorganisms. This energy is frequently generated in the cells by respiration, that is by the combustion of organic compounds, in other words: food. During this process, electrons are released which the microorganisms then need to get rid of. In the absence of oxygen, microorganisms can use other methods to do so, including transporting

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 13, 2022
The upcoming satellite experiment LiteBIRD is expected to probe the physics of the very early Universe if the primordial inflation happened at high energies. But now, a new paper in Physical Review Letters shows it can also test inflationary scenarios operating at lower energies. Cosmologists believe that in its very early stages, the Universe underwent a very rapid expansion called "cosmi

Montreal, Canada (SPX) Jan 13, 2022
The days of the U.S.-Soviet Space Race are over, and the domain of space exploration is expanding daily to include more countries than ever before. With the advent of private companies such as Elon Musk's SpaceX, which aim to reduce the costs of space transportation, expeditions into our extraterrestrial surroundings are no longer limited to just two contenders. Though it may seem like we

London, UK (SPX) Jan 13, 2022
An international team of researchers, led by postgraduate student Alexis Andres, has found that the black hole at the centre of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*, not only flares irregularly from day to day but also in the long term. The team analysed 15 years' worth of data to come to this conclusion. The research was initiated by Andres in 2019 when he was a summer student at the University of Amster

Gottingen, Germany (SPX) Jan 13, 2022
Planets like Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn with global magnetic fields of their own are surrounded by so-called radiation belts: Trapped in the magnetic field, fast moving charged particles such as electrons, protons, and heavier ions whiz around thus forming the invisible, torus-shaped radiation belts. With their high velocities reaching almost the speed of light, the particles can ionize other mo

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jan 13, 2022
Today Curiosity is doing a little bit of everything: some contact science, some targeted science, and a little driving. When we started planning this morning, we had a beautiful view of the small ledge in front of us, named "The Prow," which shows some amazing layering. We also can see some disturbances in the sand that may be sliding caused by our approach. We, the rover planners, were bu

Tucson AZ (SPX) Jan 13, 2022
Megaripples, intermediate-scale bedforms caused by the action of the wind, have been studied extensively and thought to be largely inactive relics of past climates, save for a few exceptions. A new paper by Planetary Science Institute Research Scientist Matthew Chojnacki shows that abundant megaripple populations were identified across the north polar region of Mars and were found to be migratin

New Delhi (Sputnik) Jan 13, 2022
India's flagship human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, has completed the design and testing phases. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch two uncrewed missions ahead of the final mission in 2023. India's space exploration agency ISRO achieved a significant milestone with the successful long-duration cryogenic engine test for the Gaganyaan project on Wednesday.