SCIENCE - Page 11

Astronomers using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have detected signs of auroral activity on an isolated brown dwarf outside the Solar System. Known as W1935, the failed star is more massive than Jupiter but lacks the mass required to sustain nuclear fusion and become a real star. It also exhibited infrared emissions from methane, a finding that has puzzled scientists due to the brown dwarf’s cold nature and its lack of a host star to provide energy for

The Peregrine lunar lander encountered critical propulsion issues moments after it separated from the Vulcan rocket to begin its journey to the Moon. The spacecraft, which was to land on the Moon on February 23, has become a flyby mission with less than 40 hours of life remaining. Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic has confirmed what appeared to be a fuel leak on the craft, leading it to lose enough propellant to no longer achieve the necessary altitude for a landing. The company

The first American spacecraft to attempt to land on the moon in more than half a century blasted off early Monday — but this time, private industry is leading the charge. A brand new rocket, United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur, lifted off at 2:18 am (0718 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on its maiden voyage. It carried Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander. The spacecraft, which carries no people, is expected to make the first soft landing

Among the many exciting events in the night sky this month are an annual meteor shower, a close approach of two bright planets to each other, and a rare comet visible to the naked eye. The best time to watch these events is in the pre-dawn hours. Venus and Jupiter Make a Pair Venus and Jupiter are easily spotted with binoculars or the unaided eye during their late evening encounter. The second-from-sunset show is a treat for those located far

On Thursday, the Falcon Heavy rocket of SpaceX, the company owned by billionaire Elon Musk, launched a US military plane that has generated a lot of interest in the space community in recent years. The uncrewed, reusable, experimental test vehicle, the X-37B, is shaped like a mini space shuttle and used by the Defense Department to send instruments into orbit, sometimes for years. However, the details of X-37B missions, from their flight plans to their primary payloads, tend to be

Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 300 pounds, NASA’s humanoid robot Valkyrie is an imposing figure. Now, with the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials set to kick off next month in Florida, it’s about to prove that it can also take space exploration to the next level. The DARPA-funded contest pits 20 teams of scientists and engineers against each other in a simulated competition designed to mimic astronauts’ challenges on a mission to Mars. The teams issue computer commands

Experts have slammed one of the year’s most sensational science stories. Researchers claimed last month that the Gunung Padang site in Indonesia is the world’s most ancient pyramid, constructed 25,000 years ago. That would make it more than double the age of Egypt’s pyramids and even older than Stonehenge. If true, it suggests that advanced construction practices existed when agriculture had not been invented. However, many archaeologists have slammed the research by a team led by Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of

The Tonga explosion that rocked the Pacific Ocean sent shockwaves across the planet and was more than a spectacular eruption. It triggered a tsunami that swept inland and into Japan and the western coasts of the Americas. It turned Tonga’s main island into a grey moonscape and cut off communications by severing a single underwater fiber-optic cable. It also sent an atmospheric shock wave that ripped through Earth’s upper atmosphere, creating hurricane-like winds and “unusual electric currents” in the ionosphere.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ space company set out Tuesday morning on the first commercial flight for its New Shepard rocket and capsule. It was to send four civilians to the edge of space and beyond, about 13 miles farther than rival Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic reached last week with his SpaceShipTwo rocket and ship. The company’s stubby rocket and capsule rose from its launch pad at the heart of the West Texas desert, with a thin jet of fire streaming off

Stargazers rejoice; the Geminid meteor shower peaks later this week, and this year’s sky show is particularly spectacular. The dazzling display will be visible worldwide on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning local time. At its peak, the Geminids could produce a hundred or more shooting stars per hour. Unlike most meteor showers, which are best seen after midnight, the Geminids offer viewers generous viewing hours, with activity occurring from about 10 p.m. and continuing into the early morning hours.