Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a giant exoplanet named Beta Pictoris d hidden within the Beta Pictoris system, 63 light-years from Earth, using a breakthrough spectroscopic technique that bypasses the star’s bright debris disk. According to NASA, the discovery makes this system only the second known planetary system to host at … Read more
NASA astronaut Don Pettit captured microscopic images and video aboard the International Space Station revealing that potassium chloride crystals grow in an unusual step-like structure known as “hopper growth” when formed in microgravity, according to NASA and social media posts shared by Pettit. On Earth, the substance—frequently used as a salt substitute in foods and … Read more
Solar storm risks to Earth’s infrastructure may be significantly underestimated because there is no known upper limit to how the planet responds to solar wind, according to a study published in Nature. Research led by Nithin Sivadas of NASA and Maria Walach from Lancaster University suggests that previous beliefs in a “leveling off” of atmospheric … Read more
Physicists from Georgia State University (GSU) and Bolivia’s Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) have deployed a low-cost cosmic-ray detector at the Chacaltaya high-altitude observatory. This installation integrates Bolivia into the global gLOWCOST network, a project designed to monitor space-weather phenomena that threaten Earth’s power grids and infrastructure by tracking muon particles from the upper … Read more
Experts at Advancing Earth and Space Sciences (AGU) propose using orbiting spacecraft to release mass-loading material into Earth’s magnetosphere to mitigate solar storms. This artificial plasma shield could reduce the impact of geomagnetic disturbances on technology, spacecraft, and power grids by 50% or more. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured a strong solar flare released … Read more
Researchers at Boston University are proposing “StormWall,” a theoretical defense system that would use spacecraft to release plasma-forming material into Earth’s magnetosphere to reduce geomagnetic storm intensity. By increasing plasma density, the system aims to shield global power grids and satellite infrastructure from geomagnetic storm intensity, according to research lead Brian Walsh, an associate professor … Read more
July features several rare astronomical events, including a Mars-Uranus conjunction on July 4 and Earth reaching aphelion on July 6. Stargazers can also observe lunar conjunctions with Saturn, Mars, and Venus, followed by a full moon and Jupiter’s solar conjunction on July 29, according to astronomical data from NASA and the College of Southern Idaho. … Read more
NASA has selected the Dynamic Atmosphere-Ionosphere Explorer (DAPHNE) mission to study how Earth’s lower atmosphere drives space weather, a move intended to protect GPS, satellite communications, and future lunar astronauts. Led by Aimee Merkel of the University of Colorado, Boulder, the mission will enter Phase B development using twin satellites to map thermospheric conditions. According … Read more
A fireball 16 times brighter than Venus streaked across the U.S. night sky, spanning over a dozen states before disintegrating over Missouri, according to NASA. The meteor, which traveled at 56,000 mph, was captured by NASA meteor cameras and dashcam footage, offering scientists critical data on atmospheric entry and the frequency of high-intensity space rock … Read more
Researchers using the Space Weather Around Young Suns (SWAYS) program have identified potential limitations in detecting stellar radio bursts, suggesting that the dense, hot coronae of active stars may suppress the instabilities necessary for type II and III solar-type emissions. According to a study published in the Astrophysical Journal, the program combined 900 hours of … Read more