Nasa Scientists

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  Enceladus' Geysers May Not Come from Underground Ocean, Study Suggests

  Enceladus, one of Saturn’s most intriguing moons, has long been thought to have water plumes erupting from its underground ocean. However, a recent study proposes an alternative explanation, suggesting the plumes may originate from a semi-liquid layer within the moon’s ice shell. Researchers believe shear heating along fractures creates slushy,...

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  Astronaut Captures Rare ‘Gigantic Jet’ Lightning Extending 50 Miles Above Earth

  A rare ‘gigantic jet’ lightning was captured by an astronaut aboard the ISS on November 19, 2024. This massive bolt extended nearly 50 miles into the atmosphere, likely originating from a thunderstorm near New Orleans. The image, later discovered in NASA’s archives, highlights an unusual lightning event that travels upwards instead of strikin...

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  Private Venus Mission Plans to Retrieve Cloud Samples for Life Research

  A privately-led space mission is being developed to retrieve and analyse cloud samples from Venus. Scientists believe the planet’s sulfuric acid clouds might sustain organic molecules necessary for life. The mission, named Morning Star, involves deploying probes to collect mist from Venus' atmosphere. The collected samples would be returned to Ea...

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  NASA’s IM-2 Mission Brings Ice Mining, Mobile Robots, and More on Moon

  NASA is launching IM-2, the second lunar mission under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, to explore the Moon’s South Pole. The Nova-C lander, built by Intuitive Machines, will carry groundbreaking technologies, including an ice-mining drill, a mobile hopping drone, and a lunar 4G network. These innovations will help scienti...

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  New Research Reveals Mars’ Red Colour Linked to Ancient Water Presence

  A recent study suggests that Mars’ red hue originates from ferrihydrite, an iron oxide that forms in water-rich environments. Scientists recreated Martian dust in labs and found that the mineral remained stable despite the planet’s dry conditions. Data from orbiting spacecraft and rovers confirm this discovery, reshaping theories about Mars’ ...

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  Mini Galaxy On Fringes Of Solar System, Hidden In Mysterious Icy Cloud Found: Study

  Scientists used NASA's Pleiades supercomputer to model the structure of the Oort Cloud.

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  NASA Confirms Asteroid 2024 YR4 Will Not Hit Earth, Risk Reduced to Zero

  NASA has reassured the public that asteroid 2024 YR4 no longer poses any threat to Earth. Initially, the asteroid had a 1-in-32 chance of impact, making it a Level 3 risk on the Torino Scale. However, new observations have reduced the probability to zero. The asteroid will make close flybys in 2028 and 2032, providing scientists with an opportunity...

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  3 Billion-Year-Old Beach Buried On Mars Discovered By Scientists

  Data from Zhurong provide an unprecedented look into rocks buried near a proposed shoreline billions of years old. The researchers claim to have found beach deposits from an ancient Martian ocean.

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  Hubble Captures Stunning Tarantula Nebula Image, Revealing Cosmic Dust and Star Formation

  A new image from the Hubble Space Telescope highlights the Tarantula Nebula’s complex structure, featuring dense cosmic dust clouds and vibrant star-forming regions. This nebula, located 160,000 light-years away, plays a vital role in understanding stellar evolution. The captured details offer insights into how cosmic dust contributes to star and...

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  Unusual X-ray Flash in Large Magellanic Cloud Puzzles Astronomers

  A brief yet intense X-ray flash, XRT 200515, was detected in NASA's Chandra telescope data from 2000. The signal, originating from the Large Magellanic Cloud, has left scientists debating its cause. Possible explanations include a neutron star pulling in gas from a companion star or a powerful flare from a distant magnetar. Researchers also specula...

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  NASA Lowers Risk of Asteroid 2024 YR4 Impact

  NASA has significantly lowered the risk of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032. Initial estimates placed the impact probability at 1 in 32, but updated calculations have reduced it to just 1 in 360 (0.28 percent). Experts believe the risk will continue to decline as more data is collected. Despite being the riskiest asteroid on NASA’s Sentry ...

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  James Webb Space Telescope Captures Sagittarius A Emitting Continuous Flares in Milky Way’s Core

  The James Webb Space Telescope has captured Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, emitting flares continuously. These bursts, varying in intensity and duration, have been observed over multiple sessions. Scientists believe the activity may be linked to magnetic interactions within the accretion disk. The phenomenon appears rand...

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  Curiosity Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars, Expanding Habitability Timeline

  Reports from NASA’s Curiosity rover reveal evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging previous models. Images from Gale Crater show wave-like ripples, similar to Earth’s lakebeds. Scientists suggest the findings indicate Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which allowed liquid water to exist longer than previously believed. This disco...

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  Solar Sail Satellites Could Enhance Space Weather Forecasting and Alerts

  Solar sail satellites, harnessing sunlight for propulsion, are being developed to improve space weather forecasting. NOAA and NASA’s Solar Cruiser project aims to extend geomagnetic storm alert times by 50%, reducing risks to power grids, GPS, and air traffic. The new spacecraft, expected to launch in 2029, will move beyond traditional observatio...

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  A Neptune-Like Exoplanet Is Racing Through Space at Record Speed

  Scientists have detected an exoplanet racing through space at 1.2 million mph, making it the fastest known planet. The Neptune-sized world orbits a hypervelocity star, first hinted at in 2011 via gravitational microlensing. Astronomers, using Keck Observatory and Gaia data, have confirmed the system’s extreme speed, suggesting it may even leave t...