Asteroid grains shed light on the outer solar system’s origins

A weak magnetic field likely pulled matter inward to form the outer planetary bodies, from Jupiter to Neptune.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News • mit
Nov. 6, 2024 ~8 min

Carl Sagan’s scientific legacy extends far beyond ‘Cosmos’

On what would’ve been the astronomer’s 90th trip around the Sun, here’s a look at his legacy as a scientist, advocate and communicator.

Jean-Luc Margot, Professor of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles • conversation
Nov. 5, 2024 ~8 min


How can Jupiter have no surface? A dive into a planet so big, it could swallow 1,000 Earths

Jupiter’s composition is more similar to that of the Sun than that of the Earth.

Benjamin Roulston, Assistant Professor of Physics, Clarkson University • conversation
Nov. 4, 2024 ~7 min

Apophis: a new European space mission could get up close with a large asteroid that’s set to brush by Earth

Ramses, a European space mission to study the asteroid Apophis, has been approved for perparatory work.

Or Graur, Associate Professor of Astrophysics, University of Portsmouth • conversation
Nov. 1, 2024 ~8 min

Recruiting the world’s first disabled astronaut doesn’t mean space travel is inclusive – here’s how to change that

Disabled astronauts have lots to offer, but spaceflight has traditionally been limited to the able-bodied.

Vanja Garaj, Professor of Design and Director of Research, Brunel University of London • conversation
Oct. 31, 2024 ~9 min

It all started with a Big Bang – the quest to unravel the mystery behind the birth of the universe

Can we really understand what happened at the beginning of the universe?

Konstantinos Dimopoulos, Reader in Particle Cosmology, Lancaster University • conversation
Oct. 31, 2024 ~16 min

Mars may have been habitable much more recently than thought

Study bolsters theory that protective magnetic field supporting life-enabling atmosphere remained in place longer than estimates

Harvard Gazette • harvard
Oct. 29, 2024 ~5 min

Japan-style ‘tiny forests’ are taking root in British cities

Interviews with tree experts reveal that while half of them supported the Miyawake method, especially in specific urban areas, concerns remained about tree mortality and high costs.

Nicola Dempsey, Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield • conversation
Oct. 28, 2024 ~5 min


The US is now at risk of losing to China in the race to send people back to the Moon’s surface

Nasa’s Moon programme has been hit by delays, while China aims to land by 2030.

Jacco van Loon, Reader in Astrophysics, Keele University • conversation
Oct. 25, 2024 ~8 min

Scientists discover molecules that store much of the carbon in space

The discovery of pyrene derivatives in a distant interstellar cloud may help to reveal how our own solar system formed.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
Oct. 24, 2024 ~8 min

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