The Kuiper Belt is a super cool part of space. It’s full of icy objects and dwarf planets like Pluto. These objects tell us a lot about our Solar System. In this article, we’ll look at what makes up the Kuiper Belt, the special objects there, and the missions exploring
Do you know about the Oort Cloud? It’s a big, icy place far away in space. We call it the edge of our Solar System. Scientists think it’s full of icy rocks and comets. It was discovered by a smart guy named Jan Oort. In this article, we will talk
The term “dwarf planet” has become increasingly relevant in our understanding of the solar system. In this article, originally published on The Conversation and written by Vahe Peroomian, professor of physics and astronomy at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, we explore what defines a dwarf planet and
The allure of Space Exploration has captivated humanity for centuries, with dreams of journeying through the cosmos to discover new planets, life forms, and opportunities. The field of Space Exploration is not just a pursuit of curiosity but a crucial endeavor that offers profound benefits. While some may question the
Asteroid Rocks are central to the groundbreaking research being conducted by researchers at Curtin University and their global collaborators. In September of last year, following a seven-year journey, NASA’s billion-dollar OSIRIS-REx mission successfully returned samples from the asteroid Bennu. These asteroid rocks have been distributed to research laboratories worldwide, including
Origins of Lunar Metallic Iron have been significantly clarified in a groundbreaking study published in Nature Astronomy. Profs. Shen Laiquan, Bai Haiyang, and their colleagues from Prof. Wang Weihua’s group at the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have made substantial progress in understanding this phenomenon. Their
The time passes on the moon was more accurately calculated by a team of physicists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and compared with time on Earth. The paper describing the math used for these calculations and their results has been posted to the arXiv
The size of the solar system is defined by the volume of space over which the sun’s influence exceeds those of other nearby stars in the Milky Way galaxy. This influence derives from two fundamental forces of nature: gravity and magnetism. Understanding the size of the solar system helps us
Differences between the bright and dark patches in lunar swirls go beyond albedo variations; they include differences in the structure of the lunar soils and the grains within those soils. Lunar swirls are alternating high- and low-albedo markings on the moon found in both mare—dark, level basalt plains—and the bright
When considering human efforts to settle on another planet, much attention is given to travel times, food, and radiation risks. The harsh environment of deep space poses significant challenges, prompting some experts to suggest genome editing as a way to ensure humans can tolerate these severe conditions as they venture
The Kuiper Belt is a super cool part of space. It’s full of icy objects and dwarf planets like Pluto. These objects tell us a lot about our Solar System. In this article, we’ll look at what makes up the Kuiper Belt, the special objects there, and the missions exploring it. You’ll learn why the Kuiper Belt is so important and what scientists think about it. Let’s dive in and explore the wonders of the Kuiper Belt together! Understanding the
Do you know about the Oort Cloud? It’s a big, icy place far away in space. We call it the edge of our Solar System. Scientists think it’s full of icy rocks and comets. It was discovered by a smart guy named Jan Oort. In this article, we will talk about what the Oort Cloud is, its structure and size, how it formed, and why it’s so important. You will also learn about the latest research and discoveries. What is
The term “dwarf planet” has become increasingly relevant in our understanding of the solar system. In this article, originally published on The Conversation and written by Vahe Peroomian, professor of physics and astronomy at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, we explore what defines a dwarf planet and why this category matters in astronomy. The word “planet” originates from ancient Greek, meaning “wandering star.” This term aptly describes how planets move across the night sky, unlike the seemingly
The allure of Space Exploration has captivated humanity for centuries, with dreams of journeying through the cosmos to discover new planets, life forms, and opportunities. The field of Space Exploration is not just a pursuit of curiosity but a crucial endeavor that offers profound benefits. While some may question the value of the significant investments in this fild, the impact of this field extends far beyond the stars. In this article, we delve into the top five reasons why Space
Asteroid Rocks are central to the groundbreaking research being conducted by researchers at Curtin University and their global collaborators. In September of last year, following a seven-year journey, NASA’s billion-dollar OSIRIS-REx mission successfully returned samples from the asteroid Bennu. These asteroid rocks have been distributed to research laboratories worldwide, including Curtin University, for detailed analysis. A new study published in Meteoritics and Planetary Science unveils the initial findings from these asteroid rocks—and there are intriguing surprises in store. The samples
Origins of Lunar Metallic Iron have been significantly clarified in a groundbreaking study published in Nature Astronomy. Profs. Shen Laiquan, Bai Haiyang, and their colleagues from Prof. Wang Weihua’s group at the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have made substantial progress in understanding this phenomenon. Their research sheds light on how irradiation and impacts contribute to the formation of metallic iron nanoparticles (npFe0) on the moon. The study, based on detailed observations of glass beads returned
The time passes on the moon was more accurately calculated by a team of physicists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and compared with time on Earth. The paper describing the math used for these calculations and their results has been posted to the arXiv preprint server. Over the past decade, several entities have made clear their intentions to intensify research and economic activities on the moon. Such activities have led many in the field
The size of the solar system is defined by the volume of space over which the sun’s influence exceeds those of other nearby stars in the Milky Way galaxy. This influence derives from two fundamental forces of nature: gravity and magnetism. Understanding the size of the solar system helps us comprehend the vastness of our celestial neighborhood. Let’s tackle gravity first. Every object in the solar system experiences a gravitational pull from the sun; the farther away one is from
Differences between the bright and dark patches in lunar swirls go beyond albedo variations; they include differences in the structure of the lunar soils and the grains within those soils. Lunar swirls are alternating high- and low-albedo markings on the moon found in both mare—dark, level basalt plains—and the bright highland terrains. Their origin remains a point of debate. “The scientific community has long been examining the differences between the bright and dark regions in these distinctive albedo markings,” said
When considering human efforts to settle on another planet, much attention is given to travel times, food, and radiation risks. The harsh environment of deep space poses significant challenges, prompting some experts to suggest genome editing as a way to ensure humans can tolerate these severe conditions as they venture further to settle on another planet. In January, I had the opportunity to attend a much-anticipated debate between astronomer royal Lord Martin Rees and Mars exploration advocate Dr. Robert Zubrin.
