Tag Archives | solar system

NASA has selected four Discovery Program investigations to develop concept studies for new missions. To source

Solar Orbiter, a new collaborative mission between ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA to study the Sun, launched at 11:03 p.m. EST Sunday on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. To source

NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft has discovered “layers” and “rifts” in the electrically charged part of the upper atmosphere of Mars. The phenomenon is common at Earth and causes unpredictable disruptions to radio communications. The unexpected discovery by MAVEN shows that Mars is a unique laboratory to better understand this disruptive phenomenon. To source

After more than 16 years studying the universe in infrared light, revealing new wonders in our solar system, our galaxy, and beyond, NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope’s mission has come to an end. To source

NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) scientists will discuss Solar Orbiter, the agencies’ collaboration set to launch next month on its journey to the Sun, during two media teleconferences on Monday, Jan. 27. To source

Researchers may have found a way that NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope can quickly identify nearby planets that could be promising for our search for life, as well as worlds that are uninhabitable because their oceans have vaporized. To source

NASA researchers will present new findings on a wide range of astrophysics and other space science topics at the 235th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Saturday, Jan. 4, through Wednesday, Jan. 8, in Honolulu. To source

Researchers have created the first map of wind circulation in the upper atmosphere of a planet besides Earth, using NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, helping scientists to better understand the workings of the Martian climate. To source

After a year scoping out asteroid Bennu’s boulder-scattered surface, the team leading NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission has officially selected a sample collection site. To source

A type of Martian aurora first identified by NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft in 2016 is actually the most common form of aurora occurring on the Red Planet, according to new results from the mission. The aurora is known as a proton aurora and can help scientists track water loss from Mars’ atmosphere. To source

NASA researchers will present new findings on a wide range of Earth and space science topics at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), Dec. 9-13 in San Francisco. To source

The Sun is revealing itself in dramatic detail and shedding light on how other stars may form and behave throughout the universe – all thanks to NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. To source

An international team has found sugars essential to life in meteorites, supporting the hypothesis that meteorite bombardment on ancient Earth may have assisted the origin of life with a supply of life’s building blocks. To source