NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft unfurled its robotic arm Tuesday, and in a first for the agency, briefly touched an asteroid to collect dust and pebbles from the surface for delivery to Earth in 2023. This well-preserved, ancient asteroid, known as Bennu, is currently more than 200 million miles […]
Studying the sun as a star to understand stellar flares and exoplanets
(Newswise)–New research shows that sunspots and other active regions can change the overall solar emissions. The sunspots cause some emissions to dim and others to brighten; the timing of the changes also varies between different types of emissions. This knowledge will help astronomers characterize the conditions of stars, which has important implications for finding exoplanets […]
Global survey using NASA data shows dramatic growth of glacial lakes
In the largest-ever study of glacial lakes, researchers using 30 years of NASA satellite data have found that the volume of these lakes worldwide has increased by about 50% since 1990 as glaciers melt and retreat due to climate change. The findings, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, will aid researchers assessing the potential […]
Hubble uses Earth as a proxy for identifying oxygen on potentially habitable planets around other stars
(Newswise)–Taking advantage of a total lunar eclipse, astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have detected Earth’s own brand of sunscreen – ozone – in our atmosphere. This method simulates how astronomers and astrobiology researchers will search for evidence of life beyond Earth by observing potential “biosignatures” on exoplanets (planets around other stars). Hubble did not look at […]
A new idea on how Earth’s outer shell first broke into tectonic plates
(Newswise)–The activity of the solid Earth – for example, volcanoes in Java, earthquakes in Japan, etc.- is well understood within the context of the ~50-year-old theory of plate tectonics. This theory posits that Earth’s outer shell (Earth’s “lithosphere”) is subdivided into plates that move relative to each other, concentrating most activity along the boundaries between […]
NASA announces new James Webb Space Telescope target launch date
NASA is now targeting Oct. 31, 2021, for the launch of the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope from French Guiana, due to impacts from the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as technical challenges. This decision is based on a recently completed scheduled risk assessment of the remaining integration and test activities prior to launch. […]
Birch Aquarium O-Fish-Ally opens
LA JOLLA–After three days of member previews, Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego officially reopened to the public. Those returning to the aquarium will notice a number of changes aimed at keeping guests — as well as staff and volunteers — safe and healthy. Guest capacity will be limited during this […]
Anaplasmosis bacterium tinkers with tick’s gene expression to spread to new hosts
(Newswise)–For the first time, scientists have shown that the bacterium that causes the tick-borne disease anaplasmosis interferes with tick gene expression for its survival inside cells and to spread to a new vertebrate host. Girish Neelakanta of Old Dominion University and colleagues report these findings in a study published July 2 in PLOS Genetics. In […]
Landmark NASA SpaceX commercial crew test flight launch Wednesday
FLORIDA–NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight on Wednesday, May 27, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station. NASA and SpaceX are targeting 1:33 p.m. Wednesday for the launch of the first commercially-built and operated American rocket and spacecraft […]
Scientists see through glass frogs’ translucent camouflage
(Newswise)–Glass frogs are well known for their see-through skin but, until now, the reason for this curious feature has received no experimental attention. A team of scientists from the University of Bristol, McMaster University, and Universidad de Las Américas Quito, sought to establish the ecological importance of glass frog translucency and, in doing so, have […]
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