SCIENCE - Page 9

The last nine batteries released from the International Space Station to crash on Earth this week are expected to reach the planet’s surface sometime Friday. They will naturally reenter Earth’s upper atmosphere, where they are expected to deteriorate and burn up. This is a safe procedure for the batteries, which have a mass of 2.6 metric tonnes. The reentry is forecast to occur within an area centered on 51.6 degrees South and 53 degrees North latitudes. The reentry area can

In February, the world’s oceans experienced a heat wave that pushed them well beyond a long-term warming trend driven by human greenhouse gas emissions. The result is a nine-month streak of record-breaking global temperatures, a critical escalation in the climate emergency that threatens marine ecosystems and the planet’s health. “This February, the average global sea surface temperature was the highest ever recorded in our ERA 5 dataset, which goes back to 1979,” the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, integral to the well-being of humanity, offer invaluable advantages. Although their benefits may be perceived as immeasurable, in our market-oriented society, quantifying the economic worth of the environment proves beneficial in rallying support for its conservation. This prompted our recent research, where we meticulously analyzed the economic contributions of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, encompassing fisheries, tourism, and diverse natural processes essential for the Earth’s functionality.  These services are known as “ecosystem services.” For example,

Imagine a star, once a vibrant ball of burning gas, transformed into a dim, hot ember – a white dwarf, the fate that awaits our very own Sun. Now, picture this “dead” star, in a surprising twist, actively consuming the remnants of its planetary system, leaving behind a unique and lasting mark. This is the story of a “zombie star,” WD 0816-310, and its tell-tale metal scar. Astronomers have known that certain white dwarfs, like WD 0816-310, exhibit a peculiar

In a potentially catastrophic occurrence revealing the ruthless nature of the universe, two colossal planets situated beyond our solar system have collided. This collision resulted in the expulsion of the outer layers of both planets, leaving behind a luminous, heated cloud of dust and gas that astronomers have recently observed. Nature reports that this discovery marks the initial evidence of a substantial collision between ice-giant exoplanets located outside our solar system. The researchers spotted the aftermath of the cosmic collision

In April 2020, a Chinese rocket experienced a malfunction soon after liftoff, resulting in the destruction of the $220 million Nusantara-2 satellite and causing disruption to the communication networks of the archipelago. This incident dealt a setback to the region’s endeavors to fortify its communication infrastructure. However, it also created an opening for Elon Musk, the proprietor of SpaceX, the world’s preeminent rocket-launching company. The accident prompted Indonesia to pivot away from its long-time reliance on China and its Chinese-backed

On Saturday, Japan’s space agency celebrated the triumphant launch of its latest flagship rocket, marking the third attempt for the H3 after facing years of delays and two prior unsuccessful tries. JAXA, the space agency, described the H3 rocket as flexible and cost-effective. An official from JAXA informed AFP that the rocket was successfully placed into orbit, following its launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan at 9:22 am (0022 GMT). The successful flight of H3 marked an

Half a century after the last Apollo lunar missions, two private companies are racing to make their mark on the Moon. Pittsburgh’s Astrobotic Technology plans to lift off a lander Monday aboard a new rocket from United Launch Alliance. At the same time, Houston’s Intuitive Machines hopes to fly its Nova-C Moon lander in mid-February. They’re part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to jumpstart the commercial Moon economy as the agency shifts its focus to

Less than two hours before Wednesday’s liftoff time, the upcoming launch of a robotic lunar lander built by Houston-based aerospace company Intuitive Machines was called off and postponed for at least one day. The mission, dubbed IM-1, would have marked the first privately owned moon landing since NASA’s last Apollo flight 50 years ago. However, the launch team was forced to scrub the effort because of “off-nominal methane temperatures before stepping into methane load,” SpaceX, the private rocket and satellite

Just when we were getting used to the idea that it would be a while before our planet’s subsequent close encounter with a dangerously sized space rock, an asteroid spotted by scientists on Monday is scheduled for a breathtakingly close flyby this Friday. The massive cosmic visitor, designated 2024 BR4, will be moving at nearly the speed of light when it whizzes past our planet at less than twelve times the distance to the Moon. Measuring between 140 and 310