Space

Souped-up supernovas may produce much of the universe’s heavy elements 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 8, 2021
Analysis of a rare, ancient star suggests a new birthplace for elements like uranium and silver

By David Aragorn
Chinese researchers propose deflecting ‘Armageddon’ asteroids with rockets 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 8, 2021
Chinese researchers want to send more than 20 of China’s largest rockets to practice turning away a sizable asteroid – a technique that may eventually be crucial if a killer rock is on a collision course with Earth.

By David Aragorn
Mars’ auroras caught in highest detail ever by Hope spacecraft 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 7, 2021
The UAE’s Mars orbiter spied discrete auroras hovering over the last vestiges of the Red Planet’s decaying magnetic field.

By David Aragorn
NASA’s helicopter on Mars just keeps flying and flying 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 7, 2021
For NASA, taking some risk has paid off handsomely.

By David Aragorn
Why science can’t resist the allure of Venus: new missions to Earth’s nearest planetary neighbour 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 7, 2021
With a surface hot enough to melt lead, Venus has been left alone by space agencies for a decade. Now we are about to learn more about its climate – and the chances of life on other planets

By David Aragorn
Enormous white dwarf deciphered with help of Hawaiʻi telescopes 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 6, 2021
Astronomers are revelling at the discovery of a white dwarf that is the largest ever seen. White dwarfs are the collapsed remnants of stars, and this latest find is roughly the size of the Moon and 1.35 times more massive than the Sun. Researchers at the Zwicky Transient Facility at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory made the discovery. To help characterize the dead star, astronomers turned to the W.M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea and University of Hawaiʻi’s Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System) on Haleakalā, Maui.

By David Aragorn
Astronauts at China’s new space station conduct first spacewalk 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 6, 2021
Two astronauts work for seven hours outside Tiangong station, in first of two spacewalks planned for mission

By David Aragorn
Black holes imaged gobbling up neutron stars ‘like Pac Man’0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 3, 2021
For the first time, astronomers have observed black holes gobbling up neutron stars “like Pac Man.”

By David Aragorn
CLAY DUG UP BY NASA MARS ROVER MAKES IT SEEM LIKE RED PLANET COULD’VE SUPPORTED LIFE 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 2, 2021
THE SAMPLES ARE AN INDICATION THAT MARS MAY HAVE HAD HOSPITABLE CONDITIONS FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS.

By David Aragorn
‘Killer’ asteroid headed our way! When to fear space rocks 0
- From Around the Web, Space
- July 2, 2021
On Asteroid Day, a reminder. The ones to worry about are almost never the ones in the alarmist headlines.

By David Aragorn