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Europa is one of the largest of more than 90 moons in orbit around the planet Jupiter. It is also one of the best places to look for alien life. Often termed an “ocean world” by scientists, observations to date strongly suggest that beneath Europa’s icy crust, there could be a liquid saltwater ocean containing twice as much water as Earth’s oceans. Now, Nasa’s Europa Clipper – the largest spacecraft ever developed by the US space agency for a planetary mission – may have the tools to detect it. As the Clipper spacecraft undergoes final testing and preparations before its October 2024 launch, scientists using one of the nine instrumen...... Read Full article on HadNews

A total solar eclipse takes place on April 8 across North America. These events occur when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the Sun’s face. This plunges observers into a darkness similar to dawn or dusk. During the upcoming eclipse, the path of totality, where observers experience the darkest part of the Moon’s shadow (the umbra), crosses Mexico, arcing north-east through Texas, the Midwest and briefly entering Canada before ending in Maine. Total solar eclipses occur roughly every 18 months at some location on Earth. The last total solar eclipse that crossed the US took place on August 21 2017. An internation...... Read Full article on HadNews

Our Sun is both our best friend and our worst enemy. On the one hand, we owe our very existence to our star. Earth and the other planets in the Solar System formed out of the same cloud of gas and dust as the Sun. And without its light, there could be no life on this planet. On the other hand, there will come a day when the Sun ends all life on Earth and, eventually, destroys Earth itself. The risks that stars can pose to their planets are highlighted by a new study published in Nature. The authors looked at stars similar to our Sun and found that at least one in 12 stars exhibits traces of metals in its atmosphere. These are thought...... Read Full article on HadNews

3 Mysteries of the Universe — and a New Force That Might Explain Them | Alex Keshavarzi | TED In the world of particle physics, there are still many mysteries about the universe that scientists are trying to unravel. Three major mysteries include dark energy, dark matter, and the matter-antimatter asymmetry. Dark energy, which makes up 74 percent of the energy content of the universe, is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. Dark matter, comprising 21 percent of the energy content, is necessary to explain the gravitational effects on galaxies. The matter-antimatter asymmetry, where antimatter seems to have disappeared, ...... Read Full article on HadNews

The video titled “How Big is The Universe?” takes viewers on an incredible journey through the vastness of space, from our familiar Earth to the outer reaches of the observable universe. Beginning with our home planet, we zoom out to the Moon, our closest neighbor, and then journey through our solar system, marveling at the immense distances to Mars, Neptune, and beyond. As we venture further into space, we encounter the Voyager 1 probe, the Oort Cloud, and even the neighboring star system Alpha Centauri. The video invites us to contemplate our place in the Milky Way, the Local Group, and the colossal Laniakea Supercluster, where our e...... Read Full article on HadNews

The mystery of interstellar objects visiting our solar system continues to intrigue astronomers and scientists alike. The first known interstellar object, Oumuamua, made its appearance in 2017, sparking a wave of curiosity and speculation. Its unusual elongated shape and reddish hue left experts puzzled, leading to various theories about its origins and composition. As more interstellar objects have been discovered, such as Comet 2i Borisov in 2019, the possibility of more visitors from distant star systems becomes increasingly likely. These interstellar travelers offer a unique opportunity to study the formation and evolution of other...... Read Full article on HadNews

During the most recent total solar eclipse visible in the U.S., on Aug. 21, 2017, the skies darkened as the Moon crossed in front of the Sun. It blocked out all sunlight – except for that from a golden ring visible around the Moon’s shape, called the corona. Not surprisingly, solar power generation across North America plummeted for several hours, from the first moment the Moon began to obscure the Sun to when the Sun’s disk was clear again. On April 8, 2024, another total solar eclipse will track across the U.S., causing perhaps an even greater loss of solar power generation. Although this will be the second total solar eclipse visib...... Read Full article on HadNews

The idea of terraforming the Moon may seem like a far-fetched concept from science fiction, but in reality, it is a possibility that could one day become a reality. In a recent video on Science and Futurism with Isaac Arthur, the host explored the idea of transforming the Moon into a habitable world with seas and sky, making it a blue and green gem in our sky. Terraforming the Moon would involve a monumental task that would require advanced technologies and a strong desire to make it happen. There are different approaches to terraforming, including terraforming, para-terraforming, and bioforming, which involve making the Moon more Eart...... Read Full article on HadNews

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revolutionized the field of astronomy with its impressive capabilities. This giant, golden eye in space is like the superhero of telescopes, equipped with X-ray vision for infrared light. With its impressive mirror, JWST can capture distant cosmic wonders six times faster than its predecessor, the Hubble telescope. The JWST has provided groundbreaking insights into the universe, from exploring the birthplaces of stars and planets to unraveling the mysteries of ancient galaxies. Its ability to see in the infrared spectrum allows it to peer through the dust and gas clouds of nebulae and observe ...... Read Full article on HadNews

The video “Tier List of Cosmic Threats” explores the various existential dangers that humanity may face from the deep void of space. The host begins by highlighting the lack of technology needed to make us a multiplanetary civilization, stressing the importance of increasing our survival chances in space. The video goes on to discuss several potential threats, categorizing them into different tiers of danger. Some of the threats include rogue planets, rogue black holes, and the collision of the Milky Way with the Andromeda galaxy. The risks posed by extraterrestrial super pathogens and ultra-relativistic electron beams are also discuss...... Read Full article on HadNews

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Why does a leap year have 366 days? Does the Earth move slower every four years? – Aarush, age 8, Milpitas, California You may be used to hearing that it takes the Earth 365 days to make a full lap, but that journey actually lasts about 365 and a quarter days. Leap years help to keep the 12-month calendar matched up with Earth’s movement around the Sun. After four years, those leftover hours add u...... Read Full article on HadNews

Some of us remember August 24 2006 like it was yesterday. It was the day Pluto got booted from the exclusive “planets club”. I (Sara) was 11 years old, and my entire class began lunch break by passionately chanting “Pluto is a planet” in protest of the information we’d just received. It was a touching display. At the time, 11-year-old me was outraged – even somewhat inconsolable. Now, a much older me wholeheartedly accepts: Pluto is not a planet. Similar to Sara, I (Rebecca) vividly remember Pluto’s re-designation to dwarf status. For me, it wasn’t so much that the celestial body had been reclassified. That is science, after all, and...... Read Full article on HadNews

Japan landed its Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon, or SLIM, craft on the surface of the Moon on Jan. 20, 2024. Despite a power issue with the lander, the event holds both political and technical importance. It’s Japan’s first lunar landing – making it only the fifth country in the world to successfully land on the Moon. This is a significant achievement and solidifies Japan’s position as a leader in space technology. While the craft landed successfully on the lunar surface and deployed its rovers, SLIM’s solar cells were not functioning properly – meaning that the craft could likely only operate for a few hours. I’m a scholar...... Read Full article on HadNews