Archive for the ‘space’ category
Oct 9, 2021
Arid meteor shower: You need to see October’s most fascinating space event
Posted by Atanas Atanasov in category: space
A new meteor shower may be on the way.
The new Arid meteor shower may be making itself known in early October 2021. Here’s how to see the cosmic event.
Oct 9, 2021
Launching Lucy, NASA’s First Mission to the Trojan Asteroids
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: evolution, media & arts, space
On Oct. 16 2021, our Lucy spacecraft will begin its journey to visit a record-breaking number of asteroids. The 12-year mission starts from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center where it’ll launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket. From there, Lucy will be the first spacecraft to visit a record number of destinations in independent orbits around the sun – one main belt asteroid and seven of Jupiter’s Trojan Asteroids. Like the mission’s namesake – the fossilized human ancestor, “Lucy,” whose skeleton provided unique insight into humanity’s evolution – Lucy will revolutionize our knowledge of planetary origins and the formation of the solar system.
Lucy’s first launch attempt in its 21-day launch window is scheduled for 5:34 a.m. EDT on Oct. 16. Launch coverage starts at 5 a.m. EDT on NASA TV, the NASA app, and @NASA social media. Be a part of Lucy’s historic launch day by using the hashtag #LucyMission!
Continue reading “Launching Lucy, NASA’s First Mission to the Trojan Asteroids” »
Oct 9, 2021
Something Blinking On The Moon But Nobody Knows What
Posted by Alberto Lao in category: space
Oct 9, 2021
Conversations For The Future: BRINGING SPACE HOME
Posted by Chris J. Kent in categories: habitats, space
Oct 8, 2021
Lunar rock samples show lava flowed on the moon 2 billion years ago
Posted by Quinn Sena in category: space
The first lunar rocks returned to Earth in more than 40 years show that the moon was volcanically active later than scientists thought.
Oct 8, 2021
You need to see this elusive planet at its brightest in the October night sky
Posted by Atanas Atanasov in category: space
Mercury will be at its greatest western elongation on October 25.
Mercury is at greatest western elongation on October 25 2021, giving the best view of the Solar System’s smallest planet. Here’s your guide to see it shine.
Oct 7, 2021
A Planet B strategy, taking care of Planet A!
Posted by Adriano Autino in category: space
Oct 6, 2021
Researchers transform water into a metallic material that conducts electricity
Posted by Quinn Sena in categories: materials, space
It is a well-known fact that pure, distilled water is an almost perfect insulator and does not conduct electricity. It consists of H2O molecules that are loosely linked to one another via hydrogen bonds. However, any impurities, like salts, in the water enable it to conduct electricity. To create a conduction band with freely moving electrons, water would have to be pressurized to such an extent that the orbitals of the outer electrons overlap, something that only exists deep inside of large planets such as Jupiter.
Now, a team of researchers from 11 institutions around the world have used a completely different approach to create metallic water for the first time. They have achieved that feat by forming a thin layer of gold-colored metallic water on the outside of a droplet of liquid metal and documented this phase transition at the BESSY II facility in Berlin.
The key to the breakthrough was to pair the water with alkali metals, which release their outer electron very easily.
Continue reading “Researchers transform water into a metallic material that conducts electricity” »
