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    Category Astronomy/Space

    Investigating the Origins of the Crab Nebula

    June 19, 2024, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    This image by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) shows different structural details of the Crab Nebula. The supernova remnant is comprised of several different components, including doubly ionized sulfur (represented in green), warm dust (magenta), and synchrotron emission (blue). Yellow-white mottled filaments within the Crab’s interior represent areas where dust and doubly ionized sulfur coincide. The observations were taken as part of General Observer program 1714.
    : NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, T. Temim (Princeton University)

    A team of scientists used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to parse the composition of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus...

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    NASA is considering Other Ways of getting its Mars Samples Home

    June 17, 2024, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    In 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover landed in the Jezero Crater on Mars. For the next three years, this astrobiology mission collected soil and rock samples from the crater floor for eventual return to Earth. The analysis of these samples is expected to reveal much about Mars’ past and how it transitioned from being a warmer, wetter place to the frigid and desiccated place we know today. Unfortunately, budget cuts have placed the future of the proposed NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission in doubt.

    As a result, NASA recently announced that it was seeking proposals for more cost-effective and rapid methods of bringing the samples home. This will consist of three studies by NASA and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL).

    In addition, NASA has selecte...

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    Laser Tests reveal New Insights into Key Mineral for Super-Earths

    June 16, 2024, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    View of laser-driven experiments of shock-compressed magnesium oxide (MgO) within the chamber at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. High-power laser beams are used to compress MgO samples to pressures beyond those found in the center of Earth. A secondary source of X-rays is used to probe MgO’s crystal structure. Brighter regions are glowing plasma emission over nanosecond timescales.
    IMAGE CREDIT: JUNE WICKS/JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

    Scientists have for the first time observed how atoms in magnesium oxide morph and melt under ultra-harsh conditions, providing new insights into this key mineral within Earth’s mantle that is known to influence planet formation.

    High-energy laser experiments — which subjected tiny crystals of the mineral to the type of heat and pressure found deep ...

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    NASA’s Roman Mission Gets Cosmic ‘Sneak Peek’ From Supercomputers

    June 14, 2024, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    This graphic highlights part of a new simulation of what NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could see when it launches by May 2027. The background spans about 0.11 square degrees (roughly equivalent to half of the area of sky covered by a full Moon), representing less than half the area Roman will see in a single snapshot. The inset zooms in to a region 300 times smaller, showcasing a swath of brilliant synthetic galaxies at Roman’s full resolution. Having such a realistic simulation helps scientists study the physics behind cosmic images –– both synthetic ones like these and future real ones. Researchers will use the observations for many types of science, including testing our understanding of the origin, evolution, and ultimate fate of the universe.
    C. Hirata and K...
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