Story by MARCIA DUNN

 

Interstellar Come

© Uncredited

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Telescope observations reveal a growing tail on the comet that’s visiting from another star.

Released Thursday, the pictures taken by the Gemini South telescope in Chile late last month are the most detailed yet of the recently discovered comet. They show a wide coma of dust and gas around the ice ball as it speeds toward the sun, and also a tail that’s more extended than it was in previous shots.

These new images confirm that the comet is becoming more active as it plows harmlessly through our solar system, according to the National Science Foundation's NoirLab, which operates the telescope. It’s only the third known interstellar object to venture our way.

As of Thursday, the comet known as 3I-Atlas was 238 million miles (384 million kilometers) from Earth and growing ever nearer, according to NASA. It will make its closest approach to the sun at the end of October and then pass closest to Earth in December from 167 million miles (269 million kilometers) away — farther from Earth than the sun.

Interstellar Comet

© Uncredited

This story was first published on Sep. 4, 2025. It was updated on Sep. 5, 2025 to correct the name of the agency that operates the telescope. It is the National Science Foundation, not the National Space Foundation.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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05-09-2025 om 20:39 geschreven door peter  

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05-09-2025 om 20:26 geschreven door peter  

In August 2025, the GMOS spectrograph on the Gemini South telescope in Chile took a unique image of comet 3I/ATLAS. This object attracts the attention of scientists around the world because it is an interstellar traveler that has come to us from beyond our planetary system. Its incredible speed — over 200,000 km/h — undeniably confirms its origin in interstellar space.

Scientific value of the photograph

The magnificent color photograph clearly shows the coma — a cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the comet’s nucleus and expands as it approaches the Sun. Astronomers were particularly struck by the comet’s expressive tail, which had grown significantly longer compared to previous observations. Its length in the sky reaches 1/120 of a degree, which is comparable to the width of your pinky finger when you look at it with your arm outstretched.

In addition to its aesthetic appeal, this photograph has enormous scientific value. The main purpose of the observations was to study the colors of the comet and obtain its spectra. By analyzing the wavelengths of light emitted by the comet, scientists can accurately determine the chemical composition of dust particles in its coma and directly measure its chemical composition.

Discovery that brings worlds together

Despite its exotic origin, spectral analysis of comet 3I/ATLAS revealed something surprising: its composition is very similar to comets that originated in our own Solar System. This discovery leads to a revolutionary assumption: comets in different parts of our galaxy are formed from similar materials and according to the same laws, regardless of their star system.

Karen Meech, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii who led the observations, notes that scientists have for the first time been able to see the chemical composition of such a comet from its spectrum and track changes in its particles.

Space traveler

Comets like 3I/ATLAS are extremely rare. It is only the third confirmed interstellar comet in history, joining the famous comets discovered in 2017 and 2019. 

Unlike ordinary comets, which often perish when they approach the Sun, this traveler has a hyperbolic orbit. This means that it has only visited us temporarily and will soon return to the abyss of interstellar space, taking with it new knowledge about the Universe.

• Earlier, we reported on how to distinguish a natural object from an alien spacecraft.
• According to noirlab.edu

• Posted in News, Science

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05-09-2025 om 20:11 geschreven door peter  

Dozens of mysterious blobs discovered inside Mars may be the remnants of 'failed planets

Mars is a single-plate planet, meaning that its crust remains fully intact, unlike Earth's, which is divided into tectonic plates. As pieces of Earth's crust subduct through plate boundaries, they sink into the mantle, which causes the molten rock within our planet to rise and fall via convection. But on Mars, this does not happen, which means its mantle is fixed in place and does not fully melt.

The newly discovered blobs are further proof that Mars' interior is much less active than Earth's.

"Their survival to this day tells us Mars' mantle has evolved sluggishly over billions of years," Charalambous said. "On Earth, features like these may well have been largely erased."

Because Mars has no tectonic activity, Marsquakes are instead triggered by landslides, cracking rocks or meteoroid impacts, which frequently pepper the planet's surface. These tremors have also been used to detect other hidden objects beneath the Red Planet's surface, including a giant underground ocean discovered using InSight data last year.

In total, InSight captured data on 1,319 Marsquakes during its roughly four-year-long mission. However, scientists were still surprised that they could map the planet's insides in such great detail.

"We knew Mars was a time capsule bearing records of its early formation, but we didn't anticipate just how clearly we'd be able to see with InSight," study co-author Tom Pike, a space exploration engineer at Imperial College London, said in the statement.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

03-09-2025 om 23:37 geschreven door peter  

In the vast expanse of our galaxy, the discovery of interstellar objects passing through our solar system has long fascinated astronomers and the general public alike. Among these, ‘Oumuamua—an enigmatic object detected in October 2017—stands out as one of the most intriguing and debated celestial phenomena in recent history. Its peculiar characteristics have sparked widespread speculation about its nature, with some proposing it could be an extraterrestrial craft. This essay aims to analyze the evidence surrounding ‘Oumuamua, evaluate the plausibility of it being an alien spacecraft, and explore the likelihood of its return to our solar system.

Discovery and Initial Observations

‘Oumuamua was first observed by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii on October 19, 2017. Its name, derived from Hawaiian, means “scout” or “messenger,” reflecting its status as the first known interstellar object detected passing through our solar system. Unlike typical comets or asteroids, ‘Oumuamua exhibited several unusual features that defied easy classification. Its trajectory was hyperbolic, indicating an origin outside our solar system, and its high velocity suggested it had come from interstellar space, traveling at an impressive speed of approximately 87.3 kilometers per second relative to the Sun.

The initial observations revealed that ‘Oumuamua had an elongated shape, estimated to be about 400 meters long and only 40 meters wide, giving it a striking aspect ratio of approximately 10:1. Its surface reflected sunlight unevenly, leading to a brightness variation as it rotated—indicative of an irregular shape. The object displayed a brightness variation of about 2.5 magnitudes over a rotation period of roughly 8 hours, implying a highly elongated or flattened structure. Moreover, telescopic observations showed that ‘Oumuamua lacked a visible coma or tail, which are typical features of comets when they approach the Sun and begin to outgas.

One of the most intriguing aspects of ‘Oumuamua was its non-gravitational acceleration. As it moved away from the Sun, its velocity increased slightly beyond what would be expected from gravitational influences alone. This subtle acceleration suggested that ‘Oumuamua was experiencing some form of outgassing, releasing material that provided a small push. However, unlike typical comets, no detectable gas or dust emissions were observed, leading to considerable debate among astronomers about the precise nature of this outgassing—or whether it was caused by some other process altogether.

Further observations using various telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories, confirmed these unusual features. Spectroscopic analysis revealed a featureless, reddish surface, similar to some primitive asteroids and comets. Its lack of detectable activity and peculiar shape made ‘Oumuamua an unprecedented object in our solar system—an interstellar visitor that challenged existing theories about small body formation and behavior in space. This initial discovery sparked a wave of scientific interest, leading to numerous hypotheses about its origin, composition, and the possibility of artificial or extraterrestrial nature, making ‘Oumuamua one of the most fascinating objects ever encountered in our cosmic neighborhood.

Theories on ‘Oumuamua’s Nature

The unusual features of ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object passing through our Solar System, sparked widespread scientific debate and numerous hypotheses about its true nature. The initial consensus among astronomers was that ‘Oumuamua was a natural object, likely a fragment of a larger body that was ejected from its parent star system due to gravitational interactions, such as close encounters with massive planets or other celestial events. Many researchers believed it to be an elongated asteroid, perhaps a remnant of a collision or disruption event in another star system. Its highly elongated shape, with estimates suggesting it was at least five to ten times longer than it was wide, was unusual compared to typical asteroids within our Solar System.

One of the key features that puzzled scientists was the absence of a visible coma or tail. Comets generally develop a glowing envelope of gas and dust—called a coma—when their ices sublimates as they approach the Sun, creating a characteristic tail. ‘Oumuamua, however, showed no such features despite passing relatively close to the Sun at about 0.25 astronomical units. This lack of outgassing was initially interpreted as evidence that it might be a rocky or metallic object, similar to an asteroid, rather than a comet.

Yet, the most intriguing aspect of ‘Oumuamua was its observed non-gravitational acceleration—an unexplained push that slightly altered its trajectory without any corresponding visible outgassing. This phenomenon challenged the traditional understanding that such acceleration is caused solely by the sublimation of volatile ices. The absence of detectable gases or dust in the observational data led some scientists to question whether ‘Oumuamua was a typical comet or asteroid.

Several hypotheses emerged to explain this acceleration. One prominent idea was that ‘Oumuamua could be a comet with outgassing composed of materials that are difficult to detect, such as molecular hydrogen or other volatiles that produce minimal observable gases. Alternatively, some scientists suggested that the acceleration might be caused by radiation pressure—solar photons exerting a force on ‘Oumuamua. This hypothesis would imply that the object has an extremely low mass-to-area ratio, possibly indicating a thin, sheet-like structure or an artificial origin.

The radiation pressure hypothesis gained further attention because it could account for the observed acceleration without the need for detectable outgassing. If ‘Oumuamua were a thin, lightweight object—perhaps a spacecraft or a light sail—solar radiation could effectively push it, influencing its trajectory. Although this idea was met with skepticism and considered speculative, it opened up new discussions about the possibility, however remote, of extraterrestrial technology.

Additional theories proposed that ‘Oumuamua could be a fragment of an interstellar comet or asteroid that had undergone surface processing, such as space weathering, which might suppress outgassing signatures. Others suggested it could be a piece of alien technology, like a probe or a fragment of a larger artificial object, although such hypotheses remain highly controversial and lack concrete evidence.

In conclusion, the true nature of ‘Oumuamua remains an open question. Its unusual shape, lack of visible activity, and unexplained acceleration continue to inspire debate. While the majority of scientists favor a natural origin, the peculiar characteristics of this interstellar visitor have broadened our understanding of the diversity of objects that exist beyond our Solar System and have highlighted the need for further observations and research into such enigmatic objects.

The Alien Craft Hypothesis

A more provocative and controversial theory was proposed by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, along with his colleague Shmuel Bialy, in 2018. They suggested that ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object passing through our solar system, could potentially be an artificially manufactured artifact—a piece of alien technology rather than a natural cosmic body. This hypothesis garnered significant attention both within the scientific community and the public, as it challenged conventional understanding of such objects.

Loeb and Bialy’s proposition was primarily based on the unusual physical characteristics observed in ‘Oumuamua, particularly its acceleration and shape. Unlike typical asteroids or comets, ‘Oumuamua exhibited a non-gravitational acceleration—that is, it moved faster than could be explained solely by the Sun’s gravitational pull. Interestingly, astronomers did not detect any signs of outgassing, such as cometary jets, which are usually responsible for such acceleration in natural objects. This lack of outgassing was perplexing because the observed acceleration appeared to be consistent with the effect of radiation pressure— the push exerted by sunlight on a small, lightweight object.

Based on these observations, Loeb and Bialy hypothesized that ‘Oumuamua could be a form of artificial structure—a light sail. A light sail is a type of spacecraft propulsion technology that harnesses radiation pressure from sunlight to propel itself through space. Such a design would imply that ‘Oumuamua was not a natural asteroid or comet, but an engineered object, possibly a probe or a piece of alien spacecraft technology. The object’s elongated shape and high velocity further supported this idea, as these features could be consistent with a deliberately crafted artificial object intended for interstellar travel or exploration.

Supporters of the alien craft hypothesis argued that the peculiar features of ‘Oumuamua—its unusual shape, its rapid acceleration without observable outgassing, and its high velocity—could be more straightforwardly explained if the object were an extraterrestrial probe or artifact. They suggested that an advanced civilization might have sent such a probe to explore the galaxy, and that ‘Oumuamua was simply a chance encounter with this technological relic.

While the hypothesis remains speculative and controversial within the scientific community, it has sparked a great deal of debate and further investigation into the nature of interstellar objects. Critics argue that natural explanations, such as a fragment of an extinct comet, could still account for ‘Oumuamua’s properties, citing the lack of direct evidence for alien technology. Nonetheless, the idea that ‘Oumuamua could be an alien spacecraft continues to inspire discussions about the possibility of detecting other extraterrestrial artifacts and the potential for intelligent life beyond Earth.

In summary, the alien craft hypothesis presents a provocative perspective that challenges traditional astrophysics. It emphasizes the importance of open-mindedness in scientific inquiry and encourages further research into the mysterious objects traveling through our solar system, which could hold clues to the existence of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations.

An illustration of bizarre interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua 

(Image credit: VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)

Criticisms and Counterarguments

The alien craft hypothesis has faced significant criticism within the scientific community, with many experts emphasizing the importance of natural explanations over speculative theories. A primary argument against the extraterrestrial origin hypothesis is that the observed properties of ‘Oumuamua can be adequately explained by well-understood natural phenomena. For instance, some astrophysicists propose that ‘Oumuamua is a fragment of a larger parent body, such as an asteroid or comet, that was tidally disrupted during a close passage to its host star. This process can produce elongated, irregular shapes similar to what is observed. Additionally, the object’s unusual acceleration as it moved away from the Sun can be attributed to outgassing—where volatile materials, like hydrogen or other sublimating substances, escape from the surface of the object. Importantly, such outgassing can occur without forming a visible coma or tail, especially if the materials are less volatile or the outgassing is highly anisotropic, which means the gases are released unevenly, providing a recoil effect that alters the trajectory.

This simulation depicts the interstellar object 'Oumuamua as a mass of fragments forced into an elongated shape by stellar tidal forces. 

(Image credit: ZHANG Yun/background by ESO/M. Kornmesser)

Furthermore, the lack of direct evidence supporting artificiality remains a core challenge for proponents of the alien hypothesis. No definitive signals or artifacts have been detected that would indicate technological origins. The rarity of interstellar objects passing through our solar system also raises questions; such objects are expected to be extremely uncommon, making it statistically less likely that ‘Oumuamua is an alien probe or spacecraft. Critics argue that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence—a principle rooted in scientific rigor. Invoking extraterrestrial technology without concrete proof risks undermining the credibility of scientific inquiry and diverts attention from more plausible natural explanations.

Another important aspect of criticism involves cognitive biases, such as apophenia—the tendency to perceive meaningful patterns or connections where none actually exist. Given the limited data and the enigmatic nature of ‘Oumuamua, it is easy for observers to interpret ambiguous signals as evidence of alien technology. This psychological tendency can lead to overinterpretation of uncertain observations, especially in the face of a mysterious object that defies easy classification. Skeptics caution against jumping to conclusions based on circumstantial evidence, emphasizing the need for caution and rigorous analysis.

In conclusion, while the idea of an alien craft is intriguing and captures popular imagination, the scientific consensus favors natural explanations for ‘Oumuamua’s peculiar properties. Ongoing observations and future interstellar object detections will be crucial in providing more data to settle these debates. Until then, the hypothesis of extraterrestrial origin remains speculative and not sufficiently supported by empirical evidence.

Recent Developments and Ongoing Research

In 2021, the scientific community received a wealth of new data from the Hubble Space Telescope, along with observations from other ground-based and space-based observatories, such as the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT). These observations aimed to unravel the mysteries surrounding ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object detected passing through our Solar System. The data collected provided increasingly detailed information about its physical characteristics, trajectory, and possible origins. Despite these advances, conclusive evidence about its true nature remains elusive, fueling ongoing debates among astronomers and astrophysicists.

The collected data reinforced the idea that ‘Oumuamua was an unusual natural object with peculiar features that set it apart from typical comets or asteroids. For instance, its elongated shape, estimated to be about 400 meters long and 40 meters wide, was extraordinary. Additionally, ‘Oumuamua exhibited non-gravitational acceleration—an unexpected change in its trajectory that could not be explained solely by gravitational forces from the Sun and planets. Some scientists theorized that this might be due to outgassing, similar to comets, but no visible tail or coma was observed, leading others to propose more exotic explanations, including the possibility of artificial origin or manufactured components.

Looking ahead, the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located in Chile, is set to revolutionize the detection of interstellar objects. Scheduled to begin full operations in the near future, this observatory will survey the entire sky with unprecedented sensitivity and frequency. Its wide-field telescope is expected to discover dozens of interstellar visitors over the coming years, vastly increasing the potential for in-depth study of these enigmatic objects. Such data will be instrumental in providing a broader statistical understanding of their composition, trajectories, and physical properties, helping scientists distinguish between natural and potentially artificial origins.

In addition to observational efforts, plans are underway for more direct exploration of interstellar objects. The European Space Agency’s proposed Comet Interceptor mission aims to visit a pristine, unaltered interstellar object in the near future. Unlike previous missions that targeted known comets or asteroids, the Comet Interceptor will be launched to rendezvous with an object that has recently entered our Solar System, offering a unique opportunity to study its composition and physical properties up close. This mission could yield invaluable insights into the building blocks of planetary systems and the processes involved in their formation.

Furthermore, the recent emergence of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has garnered significant attention. Discovered in late 2017, 3I/ATLAS was notable for its hyperbolic trajectory, confirming its interstellar origin. Its passage through the Solar System provided another valuable dataset, especially regarding its brightness variations and spectral properties. Studying objects like 3I/ATLAS helps scientists understand the diversity of interstellar visitors and refine models of their origin and evolution.

The combined data from these observations and upcoming missions will deepen our understanding of interstellar objects. They may also shed light on the possibility that some objects could possess artificial characteristics, potentially originating from extraterrestrial technological civilizations. While such claims remain speculative, the scientific community continues to explore all possibilities with rigorous analysis and open-minded inquiry.

In conclusion, recent advancements—from detailed observations of ‘Oumuamua to the anticipated discoveries by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and dedicated missions like the Comet Interceptor—are paving the way for a new era of interstellar exploration. These efforts will not only improve our knowledge of these mysterious visitors but also enhance our understanding of the broader cosmos and the potential for extraterrestrial life or technology. The discovery of the interloper 3I/ATLAS serves as a reminder of the richness of interstellar phenomena and the importance of continued vigilance and innovation in astronomical research.

Will ‘Oumuamua Return?

Given its hyperbolic trajectory, ‘Oumuamua is highly unlikely to return to our solar system. Objects on hyperbolic paths are not gravitationally bound to the Sun; instead, they are interstellar travelers passing through our solar neighborhood at high speeds. Once ‘Oumuamua passed perihelion—its closest approach to the Sun—its velocity increased significantly due to gravitational acceleration, and it is now receding from our solar system at an estimated speed of approximately 26 kilometers per second relative to the Sun. This rapid departure means that, barring extraordinary gravitational influences or unforeseen cosmic events, it will not return.

‘Oumuamua’s trajectory through the inner Solar System.

Credit: Tom Ruen via Wikimedia Commons.

The probability of ‘Oumuamua making a second pass is effectively zero. Its trajectory indicates a one-time visit, highlighting the importance of developing advanced detection and tracking systems to identify interstellar objects early on. Such preparedness would allow scientists to study these visitors more comprehensively and potentially gather valuable data about their composition, origin, and trajectories. Understanding ‘Oumuamua's characteristics—such as its elongated shape, unusual acceleration, and surface properties—has already sparked debates about its nature, with some researchers suggesting it could be an alien probe or artifact, though mainstream science remains cautious.

The discovery of additional interstellar objects, like 2I/Borisov, which was identified in 2019, will provide a broader context for understanding these visitors. Each new object offers crucial insights into the composition, diversity, and frequency of interstellar bodies passing through our solar system. These findings could eventually help scientists piece together the history of material exchange between star systems, shedding light on the formation and evolution of planetary systems across the galaxy.

In conclusion, while ‘Oumuamua itself is unlikely to revisit our solar system, its passage has opened an exciting new chapter in astronomy. Continued efforts to detect and analyze interstellar objects could not only enhance our understanding of the cosmos but also possibly reveal signs of extraterrestrial technology or life, should such evidence exist. The future of interstellar object research promises to be a fascinating and rapidly evolving field, offering much to explore beyond our solar neighborhood.

Conclusion

In sum, ‘Oumuamua remains one of the most perplexing interstellar objects observed to date. While some have proposed that it could be an extraterrestrial craft, the majority of scientific evidence supports a natural origin—most likely as a fragment of a larger body from another star system. Its peculiar shape, acceleration, and lack of typical cometary features have fueled speculation, but no definitive proof has emerged to confirm an artificial origin.

The question of whether ‘Oumuamua is an alien spacecraft ultimately hinges on the quality and interpretation of available data. As our observational capabilities improve and we detect more interstellar visitors, the scientific community will be better equipped to answer these profound questions. For now, ‘Oumuamua remains a fascinating natural enigma, reminding us of the vast unknowns that lie beyond our solar neighborhood. Its passing has underscored the importance of continued exploration and vigilance in the search for extraterrestrial life and technology.

References

• Meech, K. J., et al. (2017). "A brief visit from a strange interstellar visitor." Nature, 552(7685), 378–381.
• Bialy, S., & Loeb, A. (2018). "Could Solar Radiation Pressure Explain ‘Oumuamua’s Peculiar Acceleration?" Astrophysical Journal Letters, 868(2), L1.
• Loeb, A., & Bialy, S. (2018). "Could ‘Oumuamua be a lightsail from an alien civilization?" Astrophysical Journal Letters, 857(2), L3.
• Jewitt, D. (2022). "Interstellar objects: A review." The Astrophysical Journal, 927(2), 123.
• NASA. (2018). "'Oumuamua: First Interstellar Object Detected Passing Through Our Solar System." NASA Fact Sheet.

In conclusion, while the hypothesis that ‘Oumuamua is an extraterrestrial craft is intriguing and has garnered significant media attention, the prevailing scientific consensus attributes its unusual characteristics to natural phenomena. Its unlikely return underscores the importance of ongoing and future observations to better understand interstellar objects. As our detection capabilities improve, so too will our understanding of these cosmic visitors, possibly revealing more about the universe’s hidden wonders and the potential for extraterrestrial life.

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The asteroid size distribution.  Even though there are only a handful of large asteroids, those objects outweigh all of the small ones.

Credit: Marco Colombo, DensityDesign Research Lab via  Wikimedia Commons.

A simulation of how a cigar-like shape for ‘Oumuamua would match its large observed brightness oscillations. 

Credit: nagualdesign via Wikimedia Commons.

Artist’s view of the potential, pancake-like shape of ‘Oumuamua.

Credit: William K. Hartmann.

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03-09-2025 om 20:56 geschreven door peter  

Strange blobs found inside Mars could be remnants of something ancient, astronomers say

Findings also have implications for our understanding of Earth’s history

Strange blobs found inside Mars by Nasa’s InSight lander may be remnants of the ancient “embryo” that eventually developed into the planet we see today, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the journal Science, may change what we know about the formation of rocky planets like Mars, Venus and the Earth.

The first four planets from the Sun are often depicted in textbooks as having smooth, layered interiors, with crust, mantle and core stacked like a millionaire’s shortbread.

However, seismic anomalies detected on Mars by the InSight mission reveal that the mantle is far from smooth and contains rough lumps of ancient fragments up to 4km wide, preserving the planet’s violent early history like geological fossils.

The solar system’s rocky planets formed about 4.5 billion years ago when dust and rock orbiting the young Sun clumped together under gravity.

As Mars took shape, it was struck by giant objects the size of entire planets in cataclysmic collisions similar to the kind thought to have formed our Moon.

“These colossal impacts unleashed enough energy to melt large parts of the young planet into vast magma oceans,” Constantinos Charalambous, an author of the study from Imperial College London, said. “As those magma oceans cooled and crystallised, they left behind compositionally distinct chunks of material, and we believe it’s these we’re now detecting deep inside Mars.”

Cutaway view of Mars in artist’s concept shows debris from ancient impacts scattered through planet’s mantle 

(Nasa)

These cataclysmic collisions mixed fragments of the planet's crust and mantle from its “embryo” with debris from the impacting objects.

Then, as Mars cooled, these diverse chunks were trapped in a sluggishly churning mantle, “like ingredients folded into a Rocky Road brownie mix”, the study said. However, the mixing of these “ingredients” was too weak to fully smooth things out.

Unlike the Earth, where plate tectonics constantly recycle the crust and mantle, the interior of Mars is sealed up beneath a stagnant outer crust, preserving a geological time capsule.

“The fact that we can still detect its traces after four and a half billion years shows just how sluggishly Mars’s interior has been churning ever since,” Dr Charalambous said.

Astronomers uncovered these lumps by analysing data from eight marsquakes detected by the InSight lander, including two triggered by recent meteorite impacts that left almost 150m-wide craters on the planet.

The lander is equipped with instruments to detect seismic waves on Mars travelling through the mantle.

The researchers found that seismic waves of higher frequencies took longer to reach the lander sensors from the impact site. This revealed that the interior was chunky rather than smooth.

“These signals showed clear signs of interference as they travelled through Mars’s deep interior,” Dr Charalambous said.

“That’s consistent with a mantle full of structures of different compositional origins – leftovers from Mars's early days.”

The latest findings, the study notes, have implications for our understanding of the histories of other rocky planets as well.

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{ https://www.independent.co.uk/space }

03-09-2025 om 18:46 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

03-09-2025 om 16:44 geschreven door peter  

Planetoïden die bijna onze planeet raakten

©Shutterstock

Planetoïden die bijna onze planeet raakten
Asteroïden zijn rotsachtige objecten die rond de zon draaien, en meteoren zijn stukken van asteroïden (of kometen) die de atmosfeer van de aarde binnendringen. Ze variëren sterk in grootte en bedreiging voor ons hier op aarde. Terwijl kleine meteoren elke dag voorkomen, zijn grote meteoren of asteroïden veel zeldzamer. Volgens NASA komt een asteroïde zo groot als een auto meestal één keer per jaar de atmosfeer van de aarde binnen. Deze grootte verbrandt voordat hij de grond raakt, wat een indrukwekkende vuurbal oplevert. Ruwweg elke 2000 jaar raakt een object ter grootte van een voetbalveld de aarde en richt aanzienlijke schade aan.

Geïntrigeerd? Lees dan verder om een aantal van de close calls van de afgelopen 20 jaar te ontdekken.

©iStock

Wat zijn meteoren?
Volgens NASA komt zo'n incident voor wanneer een meteoroïde de atmosfeer van onze planeet binnendringt en verdampt. Dit noemt men ook wel een vallende ster.

©Shutterstock

Wat is een meteoroïde?
Een meteoroïde is een klein afgebroken stuk die afkomstig is van een komeet of planetoïde.

©iStock

Hoe vaak dringen meteoroïden de atmosfeer binnen?
Dagelijks komen er meer dan 100.000 stofdeeltjes ten grootte van een zandkorrel op onze planeet terecht.

©iStock

Hoe groot kunnen meteoroïden worden?
NASA stelt dat ongeveer elke 2000 jaar een meteoroïde ter grootte van een voetbalveld de aarde treft.

©Shutterstock

Wat is een meteoriet?
Een meteoriet is in wezen een meteoroïde die erin slaagt de atmosfeer binnen te dringen en het oppervlak van de planeet te raken.

©Shutterstock

Hoe zit het met kometen?
Kometen zijn relatief kleine objecten die bestaan uit ijs dat in zonlicht kan verdampen. Wat bijzonder aan ze is, is dat ze een laag van stof en gas vormen die soms lijkt op een staart.

©iStock

Hoe groot kunnen kometen worden?
Asteroïden zijn tamelijk kleine, inactieve, stukken rots die in een baan om de zon draaien. Vele hiervan komen gevaarlijk dicht in de buurt van de aarde. De bewegingen van asteroïden worden voortdurend in de gaten gehouden. Ongeveer één keer per jaar dringt een asteroïde ter grootte van een auto de atmosfeer binnen, maar deze gaat in vlammen op voordat hij het oppervlak van de planeet bereikt.

©Getty Images

Wat is een planetoïde?
Een planetoïde is een klein rotsachtig object, die kleiner zijn dan een planeet maar groter dan meteoroïde. Ze bevinden zich in een baan om de zon, meestal tussen Mars en Jupiter. Ze variëren van 1 tot 1000 km in afmeting.

©iStock

Data en afmetingen
In het volgende deel van de galerij volgen een van de belangrijkste aardscheerders (zoals meteorieten, asteroïden, etc.) die vlakbij onze planeet zijn waargenomen, gerangschikt op de datum waarop ze zich het dichtst bij de aarde bevonden en hun grootte.

©iStock

18 december 2018
Pas kort geleden werd er een enorme vuurbal waargenomen. Volgens NASA was het de op één na grootste vuurbal in dertig jaar.

©Shutterstock

18 december, 2018
Op 18 december 2018 ontplofte een grote meteoor, die tien keer krachtiger was dan de atoombom van Hiroshima, in de atmosfeer. Het is echter nog niet zo lang geleden dat deze ontdekking werd gedaan. De explosie werd door een Amerikaanse militaire satelliet waargenomen en vervolgens kenbaar gemaakt aan NASA.

©iStock

2018 GE3
Datum: 15 april 2018

Grootte: 46-100 meter

Deze asteroïde had een aanzienlijke impact kunnen hebben als hij de aarde had geraakt.

©Getty Images

2017 EA
Datum: 2 maart 2017

Grootte: 1-5 meter

Astronomen ontdekten deze asteroïde slechts zes uur voor het moment waarop hij het dichtst bij de aarde was.

©iStock

2017 GM
Datum: 4 april 2017

Grootte: 2-7 meter

Deze meteoor was zo groot als een auto!

©iStock

2017 UJ2
Datum: 20 oktober 2017

Grootte: 1-5 meter

Dit was de asteroïde die in 2017 op één asteroïde na het dichtste bij de aarde in de buurt kwam.

©Getty Images

2016 DY30
Datum: 25 februari 2016

Grootte: 2-5 meter

Dit was een van objecten die in 2016 het dichtst in de buurt van de aarde kwam.

©Shutterstock

2016 EF195
Datum: 11 maart 2016

Grootte: 16-31 meter

Deze werd pas vier dagen nadat hij langs de aarde scheerde ontdekt.

©Shutterstock

2016 AH164
Datum: 12 januari 2016

Grootte: 3-7 meter

Ook deze asteroïde is eerder dicht in de buurt van de aarde gekomen.

©Shutterstock

2015 SK7
Datum: 22 september 2015

Grootte: 3-14 meter

Deze was zo groot als een bus!

©Shutterstock

2015 VY105
Datum: 15 november 2015

Grootte: 4–9 meter

Deze bevond zich dichter in de buurt van onze planeet dan tv- en weersatellieten.

©Shutterstock

367943 Duende
Datum: 15 februari 2013

Grootte: 30 meter

Gezien zijn omvang zou deze asteroïde, als hij onze planeet had geraakt, flinke verwoestingen hebben veroorzaakt.

©iStock

2012 KT42
Datum: 29 mei 2012

Grootte: 9 meter

NASA beschikt over videobeelden van deze asteroïde.

©iStock

2011 CQ1
Datum: 4 februari 2011

Grootte: 1 meter

Deze kleine asteroïde werd pas 14 uur voordat hij onze planeet passeerde opgemerkt.

©iStock

2011 MD
Datum: 27 juni 2011

Grootte: 14 meter

Wetenschappers zagen deze asteroïde eerst aan voor een stuk ruimteschroot.

©Getty Images

2010 WA
Datum: 17 november 2010

Grootte: 2–6 meter

De snelheid waarmee deze asteroïde ronddraaide verbaasde wetenschappers.

©iStock

2009 VA
Datum: 6 november 2009

Grootte: 4–13 meter

Deze asteroïde werd ongeveer 15 uur voordat hij de aarde naderde opgemerkt door de Catalina Sky Survey, een door NASA gesteund project.

©iStock

2004 FU162
Datum: 31 maart 2004

Grootte: 4–12 meter

Het zwaartekrachtveld van de aarde zorgde ervoor dat deze asteroïde van koers veranderde.

Zie ook: Foto's van Mars: Zo ziet de planeet er echt uit

Bronnen:

• (NASA)
• (Gizmodo)
• (Space)
• (The Watchers)
• (Bended Reality)
• (EarthSky)
• (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)
• (MIT)
• (The Atlantic)
• (New Scientist)

{ Starsinsider.com }

02-09-2025 om 21:46 geschreven door peter  

The province of Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia has attracted the attention of the global astronomical community. A photograph of the night sky above this region was selected by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as its “Astronomy Picture of the Day.” All because the astrophotographer managed to capture a bright green meteor against the backdrop of the Pleiades star cluster. The photograph, taken with a one-hour exposure, is not only visually stunning, but also confirms Al-Ula’s status as one of the most attractive places on the planet for stargazing.

Perfect sky for astronomy

Why Al-Ula? The answer lies in the region’s crystal clear, dark skies. Thanks to the almost complete absence of light pollution, it is rated among the top 5% of places in the world for astronomical observations. This unique status was officially confirmed by DarkSky International, which awarded the prestigious Dark Sky certificate to two sites in the province: the ancient archaeological complex of Hegra, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Gharameel Nature Reserve. This makes Makkah Region the destination for astrophotographers and stargazers from around the world.

The author named the photograph “The Meteor and the Star Cluster.” For the first time in history, NASA has highlighted the work carried out in Al-Ula. This achievement was made possible thanks to the efforts of Manarat AlUla, an organization that is working hard to ensure a night sky free of light pollution and to develop the region as a global center for space research and astro-tourism. NASA’s choice highlights not only the incredible beauty of this corner of Saudi Arabia for those who seek to glimpse the deepest secrets of the universe.

• According to nasa.gov

• Posted in News, Science

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

02-09-2025 om 17:01 geschreven door peter  

Astronomers are racing to study our solar system's newest 'interstellar visitor.' Here's why.

Related: 

• Watch newly discovered 'interstellar visitor' 3I/ATLAS shoot toward us in first livestream

Experts say studying 3I/ATLAS could potentially tell us about alien star systems and how exoplanets form — and we may even be able to trace it back to its origins.

Initial discovery

3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1 from data collected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) and immediately piqued researchers' interests due to its trajectory and extreme speed, which exceeds 130,000 mph (210,000 km/h). Within 24 hours of its discovery, NASA had confirmed that it was an interstellar object.

A day later (July 3), a group of more than 40 astronomers, led by Seligman, had uploaded the first paper describing the extrasolar entity to the preprint database arXiv. All data so far indicates that 3I/ATLAS is a large comet surrounded by a cloud of ice, dust and gas up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) across.

Prior to this discovery, only two other interstellar objects (ISOs) had been spotted: 1I/'Oumuamua, a space rock that was discovered in 2017; and 2I/Borisov, a comet spotted in 2019. This makes the newly discovered comet particularly appealing to astronomers.

However, there is a limited window to study 3I/ATLAS. The comet, which is currently around 4.5 times farther from the sun than Earth, will reach its closest point to the sun, or perihelion, on Oct. 30, before beginning its journey out of the solar system, when it will get much harder to spot. It will also be out of view between late September and early December, when it is positioned on the opposite side of the sun to Earth.

Observing an interstellar visitor

Over the next few weeks and months, researchers will attempt to use "any and all telescopes" they can to make observations of 3I/ATLAS, Sean Raymond, a planetary scientist at the University of Bordeaux in France, told Live Science in an email.

This will be especially true for observatories in the Southern Hemisphere, which will have a better view of the increasingly bright comet, Aster Taylor, a graduate student at the University of Michigan and co-author of the arXiv study, told Live Science in an email.

Experts are particularly excited about the possibility of imaging 3I/ATLAS with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory — the world's most powerful optical telescope, which recently released its first images. The observatory, located in Chile, has already proved to be adept at imaging never-before-seen asteroids and will undoubtedly target the interstellar comet when it comes fully online in a few months time.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Hubble Space Telescope, meanwhile, could help reveal the interloper's chemical composition because of their ability to study the object in multiple wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum Pedro Bernardinelli, a planetary scientist at the University of Washington's DiRAC Institute, told Live Science in an email.

Some researchers have also proposed using NASA's Mars rovers to snap pictures of the comet as it makes a close pass by the Red Planet a few weeks before it reaches perihelion. The robots have previously been used to spy on dangerous sunspots lurking on the sun's far side from Earth.

Another intriguing option is to send a spacecraft to collect samples from 3I/ATLAS. However, the general consensus among experts is that such a mission is unlikely to happen

Alien star systems

Studying 3I/ATLAS provides a rare opportunity for us to glean insights into alien star systems and potential exoplanets.

"Interstellar objects are probably the leftovers of the formation of exoplanets," Raymond said. "Studying them can open a window into understanding other planetary systems' formation and evolution."

In this way, ISOs like 3I/ATLAS also "connects the solar system with its galactic environment," Amir Siraj, a doctoral candidate at Princeton University who has previously studied ISOs, told Live Science.

While it is still unclear where 3I/ATLAS came from, it's possible we can pinpoint its origins, especially if researchers can work out how old it is, Wes Fraser, an astronomer with National Research Council Canada, told Live Science in an email. And as the comet reaches perihelion, the amount of ice and other "volatile" substances that get burned off the interloper will help us narrow this down, Fraser added.

However, even then "we probably won't ever be able to pin it down to a single star system," Taylor argued.

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{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

01-09-2025 om 20:36 geschreven door peter  

Cosmic Butterfly Unlocks Secrets of How Rocky Planets Form

By Mark Thompson  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

01-09-2025 om 18:36 geschreven door peter  

NASA reveals the dwarf planet Ceres had a hidden 'energy source' that may have sparked alien life

In recent years, scientists have learned a lot about Ceres thanks to NASA's Dawn probe, which visited the object between 2014 and 2018. One of the most intriguing discoveries from the Dawn mission is that the giant space rock is likely a water world: Traces of water and salty minerals on the dwarf planet's icy surface suggest a large reservoir of brine is trapped miles below. Other studies have hinted that this underground ocean could also contain organic carbon, which is a key component of all life on Earth.

However, until now, scientists thought that life was unlikely to have emerged on Ceres because the dwarf planet has no energy source capable of kick-starting life.

But in a new study, published Aug. 20 in the journal Science Advances, researchers revealed this was not always the case.

Related: 

• James Webb telescope spots potential conditions for life on 2 dwarf planets beyond Neptune

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The study team created computer models based on data collected by the Dawn mission to simulate how the rocky body's core changed over time. This revealed that the dwarf planet's innards probably used to emit large amounts of energy in the form of heat — raising hopes that tiny alien microbes could have emerged within Ceres' hidden ocean.

This could also have "big implications" for the potential of finding life in other parts of the solar system, study lead author Samuel Courville, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University and a former intern at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a NASA statement.

The researchers believe that Ceres' core once emitted significant amounts of heat from the gradual decay of radioactive isotopes. The team believes that this heating lasted between 0.5 and 2 billion years after the giant rock was created, which was likely shortly after the rest of the solar system, around 4.6 billion years ago. At its hottest, the core likely reached around 530 degrees Fahrenheit (280 degrees Celsius), the researchers wrote.

This is not the first time that scientists have proposed that Ceres had a radioactive core. However, this is the best evidence yet that it generated enough heat to potentially support life.

In addition to heating the dwarf planet's subsurface ocean to a habitable temperature, the radiation could also have caused jets of hot, mineral-rich water to shoot up through the ocean's floor, similar to the hydrothermal vent systems on Earth that support diverse microbial communities in the crushing dark depths of our oceans.

"On Earth, when hot water from deep underground mixes with the ocean, the result is often a buffet for microbes — a feast of chemical energy," Courville said.

Astrobiologists have proposed that similar systems may support extraterrestrial life on other water worlds in the solar system, including Saturn's moons Enceladus and Titan, as well as Jupiter's moons Europa and Ganymede.

However, since Ceres' radioactive core went dead around 2.5 billion years ago, any alien microbes would likely have died out from the cold, meaning there is practically zero chance that the dwarf planet supports life today, the researchers said.

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{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

31-08-2025 om 23:10 geschreven door peter  

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

31-08-2025 om 18:57 geschreven door peter  

Scientists Discover Unusual Plasma Waves in Jupiter's Aurora

By Mark Thompson 

RELATED VIDEOS

Alien Aurora: Lysak, Sulaiman and Elliott find new plasma regime in Jupiter’s aurora

Professor Robert Lysak, Assistant Professor Ali Sulaiman and Researcher Sadie Elliott, of the School of Physics and Astronomy recently published a paper in Physics Review Letters, “New Plasma Regime in Jupiter’s Auroral Zones,” on the first-ever detailed observation and analysis of a new type of plasma wave in Jupiter’s auroral zone. Their findings were featured in an article in the New Scientist magazine, under the headline “Astronomers found a completely new type of plasma wave near Jupiter.”

Sulaiman and Elliott brought their expertise in observation to data from NASA’s Juno probe, which made its historic low orbit flight over Jupiter’s north pole. “James Webb (Space telescope) has given us some infrared images of the aurora, but Juno is the first spacecraft in a polar orbit around Jupiter,” Sulaiman says.  What the astronomers observed was an entirely new phenomenon in auroral physics which has mainly been based on examples tuned to the magnetic field of the Earth. Jupiter by comparison is vastly more magnetic, due to its large size, fast rotation, and complex interactions with its moons.  The dynamo in the interior of Jupiter generates a field many times larger than that of Earth. 

Fig 1.

The space around these magnetized planets is filled with superheated particles that form a plasma, a state of matter where extremes of temperature cause the atoms to break into electrons and ions. These particles are accelerated down toward the planet, where they ignite gases in the upper atmosphere (on Earth, Oxygen and Nitrogen) leading to their familiar blue and green colors. Jupiter’s upper atmosphere is very different from Earth's and its aurora tends to be invisible to the naked eye and can only be observed with UV and Infrared instruments. 

The observational astronomers turned to Lysak, one of the world’s leading experts on these mechanics for help in describing the alien aurora. Plasma can exhibit the behavior of a fluid in that it travels in a wave. Unlike fluids, plasmas can have their own magnetic field and are influenced by external fields as well. Lysak studies Alfven Waves, a discipline named after Hannes Alfven who in 1942 first theorized that plasma could be understood by combining fluid mechanics with Electromagnetic field theory.

The data showed that due to the extremely low density of the plasma in Jupiter’s polar region, the frequency of the plasma waves was very low especially compared to the frequency of similar waves on Earth, combined with Jupiter’s supercharged magnetic field system, Juno showed a type of wave unlike anything ever observed before.

Figure 2

Lysak used what he called “basic plasma theory” to unpack the problem and to explain how combination of low plasma density and strong magnetic fields led to the new type of wave.  At Earth, the aurora forms a typical donut pattern of auroral activity around the polar cap shown in figure 2b, while the polar cap itself is usually dark. The complex mechanics of the Jupiter’s magnetic field intermittently allow these particles to flood into the zone over the polar caps as shown in Figure 2a. 

Elliott’s part of the project was to study how the field lines interact with upgoing electrons from the field lines which cause the plasma to diffuse out to 30 -50 times the radius of the gas giant. These electrons play a role in exciting the new plasma wave mode.  The group hopes to be able to learn more about this phenomenon when Juno makes further passes around Jupiter. Unfortunately, the planned extended mission to Jupiter is doubtful given the uncertain state of funding of the American space program, but they have some hope that JUICE and Europa Clipper, due to arrive at Jupiter at the end of the decade, may be able to accommodate this research. 

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

31-08-2025 om 18:45 geschreven door peter  

Mars' interior is more like Rocky Road than Millionaire's Shortbread, scientists find

• READ MORE: NASA discovery sparks life on Mars claims

By SHIVALI BEST, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

If you haven't had your dinner yet, look away now. 

A mouth–watering new study has revealed exactly what the interior of Mars looks like – with scientists comparing the structure to a Rocky Road. 

Until now, it has been widely assumed that the inside of Mars is smooth and uniform. 

In fact, scientists have suggested the planet's crust, mantle, and core are stacked like the biscuit base, caramel, and chocolate of a neat slice of Millionaire's Shortbread.

However, data collected by NASA's InSight mission reveals that this isn't actually the case. 

Instead, the Red Planet's mantle is rather messy, according to experts from Imperial College London. 

Rock fragments measuring up to 2.5 miles (4km) wide are dotted throughout the interior – much like the marshmallows and biscuit pieces in a Rocky Road. 

These ancient fragments are 'preserved like geological fossils from the planet's violent early history,' according to the team. 

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A mouth–watering new study has revealed exactly what the interior of Mars looks like – with scientists comparing the structure to a Rocky Road

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Rock fragments measuring up to 2.5 miles (4km) wide are dotted throughout the interior – much like the marshmallows and biscuit pieces in a Rocky Road

We already know that Mars formed about 4.5 billion years ago, as dust and rock orbiting the young Sun gradually clumped together. 

Once Mars was almost fully formed, it was struck by a giant, planet–sized objects, in a series of 'near–cataclysmic collisions.'

'These colossal impacts unleashed enough energy to melt large parts of the young planet into vast magma oceans,' said lead researcher Dr Constantinos Charalambous.

'As those magma oceans cooled and crystallised, they left behind compositionally distinct chunks of material – and we believe it's these we're now detecting deep inside Mars.'

These impacts mixed fragments of Mars' early crust and mantle into the molten interior. 

Then, as Mars cooled, these ancient chunks became trapped in the mantle – like the marshmallows and biscuit in a Rocky Road mix. 

Finally, Mars sealed up its stagnant outer crust, leaving the ancient chunks trapped inside.  

'Most of this chaos likely unfolded in Mars's first 100 million years,' says Dr Charalambous. 

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We already know that Mars formed about 4.5 billion years ago, as dust and rock orbiting the young Sun gradually clumped together. Once Mars was almost fully formed, it was struck by a giant, planet–size objects, in a series of 'near–cataclysmic collisions'

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Scientists have previously suggested Mars' crust, mantle, and core are stacked like the biscuit base, caramel, and chocolate of a neat slice of Millionaire's Shortbread

'The fact that we can still detect its traces after four and a half billion years shows just how sluggishly Mars's interior has been churning ever since.' 

In their new study, the team analysed seismic data collected by NASA's InSight lander. 

As suspected, the data confirmed that the interior of Mars is chunky rather than smooth. 

'What happened on Mars is that, after those early events, the surface solidified into a stagnant lid,' Dr Charalambous said. 

'It sealed off the mantle beneath, locking in those ancient chaotic features — like a planetary time capsule.'

The ancient chunks detected inside Mars follow a 'striking' pattern, according to the experts. 

A few large fragments, measuring roughly 2.5 miles (4km) wide, are surrounded by many smaller ones. 

Professor Tom Pike, who worked with Dr Charalambous to unravel what caused these chunks, said: 'What we are seeing is a 'fractal' distribution, which happens when the energy from a cataclysmic collision overwhelms the strength of an object. 

'You see the same effect when a glass falls onto a tiled floor as when a meteorite collides with a planet: it breaks into a few big shards and a large number of smaller pieces. It's remarkable that we can still detect this distribution today.' 

The researchers hope the findings will help to unravel the mystery of not only how Mars formed, but also the other planets in our solar system. 

'InSight's data continues to reshape how we think about the formation of rocky planets, and Mars in particular,' said Dr Mark Panning of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

'It's exciting to see scientists making new discoveries with the quakes we detected!'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

30-08-2025 om 21:51 geschreven door peter  

Forget a planet far far away! Aliens once lived here in our solar system, scientists say

• READ MORE: Scientists discover a giant gas planet in 'Earth's neighbourhood'

By WILIAM HUNTER, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

The search for aliens has led astronomers to scour the farthest reaches of the cosmos for signs of life.

But a new study suggests that we might not need to look so far from home.

According to NASA researchers, the icy dwarf planet Ceres may once have been home to microbial life.

Although scientists aren't sure that living creatures ever emerged, they are now certain that Ceres had the right conditions to help that life survive.

Previous research has shown that Ceres has hidden lakes of salt water beneath the surface and organic carbon molecules – two of the necessary ingredients for life.

But the dwarf planet is still lacking anything for microbes to eat.

Now, using computer models to simulate Ceres' past, researchers have shown that this was not always the case.

Between 2.5 and four billion years ago, radioactively warmed water would have created a 'buffet for microbes' that could have supported simple forms of life.

Scientists say that the dwarf planet Ceres could have once had the conditions to support abundant microbial life 

Today, Ceres, which sits between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, is a barren frozen wasteland.

In 2018, NASA's Dawn mission found that reflective layers on the planet's surface were actually the leftover salt from liquid that had once bubbled up through the ground.

This liquid came from vast, underground reservoirs of brine, which are now around –63°C (–81°F) – far too cold to support any known forms of life.

However, between 500 million and two billion years after Ceres formed, the decay of radioactive minerals in the rocky interior would have produced a steady supply of hot water.

According to the researchers' simulations, water near the core would have reached temperatures exceeding 270°C (530°F).

That hot water would have surged up towards the surface, mixing with the cold water and injecting a stream of dissolved minerals and gases.

That might not sound anything like food as we would recognise it, but these sorts of hot water vents can actually be key to developing life.

Lead researcher Sam Courville, now a PhD candidate at Arizona State University, says: 'On Earth, when hot water from deep underground mixes with the ocean, the result is often a buffet for microbes — a feast of chemical energy.

Although the dwarf planet, which orbits between Mars and Jupiter, is now a frozen wasteland, around 2.5 to four billion years ago, it may have been warm enough to support life

As radioactive materials decay, they heat water that pushes to the surface, carrying a stream of dissolved gases and minerals. Those chemicals then enter the cold reservoir of salty water and provide the fuel for life 

'So it could have big implications if we could determine whether Ceres’ ocean had an influx of hydrothermal fluid in the past'

If life had emerged on Ceres, a type of microbe known as a chemotroph that gets its energy from chemical reactions could have survived on the supply of hot water.

Professor Helen Williams, an expert on planetary formation from the University of Cambridge who was not involved in the study, told Daily Mail: 'This research is really exciting because it shows that Ceres may once have had water at its surface.

'Water acts as a means of transporting and concentrating elements that are also essential to life.

'These elements are also concentrated in rocks, so water percolating through those rocks would transport and concentrate those elements near the planet’s surface, creating conditions extremely favourable for the development of life .'

Unfortunately, scientists say that our window for finding alien life on this distant dwarf planet has long since closed.

The radioactive materials that provided the heat decayed billions of years ago, removing the source of fuel.

Unlike some moons, such as Saturn's moon Enceladus or Jupiter's moon Europa, Ceres isn't heated by the intense gravitational push and pull of a nearby planet, so it is now too cold for life.

Scientists had previously found that Ceres contained liquid water and organic carbon–based molecules, which are both necessary ingredients for life. Now they also know that it once had a supply of food for life to feed on 

However, today Ceres is once again frozen. As this diagram shows, the oceans have frozen as the radioactive minerals decayed, leaving only a thin layer of brine that is too cold to support life 

However, the researchers say that this discovery opens the possibility of finding forms of life elsewhere.

Professor Williams says: 'These results certainly tell us that a wider class of planets could be habitable, although this depends on many other factors, such as the distance these planets are from the central star in their solar systems.'

Since Ceres was able to become habitable purely through its own inherent radioactivity, the same could be true of objects of a similar size.

In their study, published in Science Advances, Mr Courville and his co–authors write: 'Being in large numbers, these bodies might represent the most abundant type of habitable environment in the early solar system.'

That means there could be many more planets out there with the capacity to support life than researchers had previously thought.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

30-08-2025 om 20:24 geschreven door peter  

Scientists issue chilling update on the famous 'WOW!' signal first detected in 1977 - and say they can't rule out aliens

• READ MORE: Aliens once lived here in our solar system, scientists say

By WILIAM HUNTER, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

In 1977, scientists discovered a mysterious signal beaming from space that was so powerful it prompted astronomer Jerry Ehman to write 'Wow!' on the telescope's readout.

For decades, scientists have debated whether this so-called 'Wow! signal' could have been an attempt at communication from a distant alien civilisation.

Now, a team of experts has re-examined the signal's data with modern techniques and found that it could be even stranger than previously thought.

According to the new analysis, the Wow! signal was more than four times stronger than earlier estimates suggested.

The scientists were also able to definitively dismiss a number of natural or human explanations.

There were no known TV stations at that time which could have created the signal, nor were there any satellites passing overhead.

And although scientists believe that the Wow! signal is likely to have a natural cause, they say alien sources can't yet be ruled out.

Co–author Dr Hector Socas-Navarro, director of the European Solar Telescope Foundation, told Daily Mail: 'While aliens aren’t completely off the table, it seems that the signal may have originated by a natural astrophysical source. Our goal now is to find that source.'

For decades, scientists have struggled to find any natural process capable of producing the 72–second burst which prompted astronomer Jerry Ehman to write 'WOW!' on the telescope's readout

Using new data, the scientists also refined the area of the sky from which the signal emerged. This map shows the new refined regions (yellow) compared to the previous estimates (grey)

The Wow! signal was detected by astronomers at the Big Ear Observatory in Delaware, Ohio, back in 1977. 

Scientists at the observatory were scanning the sky for radio waves as part of a hunt for extra-terrestrials when the telescope picked up an extraordinary signal.

The sudden burst of radio waves was not only exceptionally powerful, but it was also abnormally long-lasting – continuing for a full 72 seconds.

Additionally, scientists noted that the signal's frequency was in the so-called hydrogen line, which is a band of frequencies emitted by atomic hydrogen.

Since hydrogen is so abundant in the universe, some suggested that advanced civilisations might be using its frequency as a calling card for signalling to other intelligent species.

Strangely, the signal never repeated, and scientists haven't yet found another burst in the same frequency that is nearly as intense.

However, further study of the Wow! signal has been made difficult by the fact that all the data from the Big Ear Observatory is on paper printouts.

In this new paper, a team of researchers and volunteers painstakingly digitised over 75,000 pages of data from the observatory.

Researchers and volunteers analysed over 750,000 pages of data from the Big Ear Radio Observatory in Ohio, where the Wow! Signal was spotted

What are the theories to explain the signal?

For the first time ever, this allowed for the computational analysis of data about the Wow! signal.

Dr Hector Socas-Navarro says: 'The paper basically rewrites the basic stats of the Wow! signal.'

In addition to showing that the signal had been stronger than previously thought, the researchers have been able to characterise the burst much more accurately.

They narrowed the part of the sky that the signal came from to two small regions, each of which produced a different component of the signal.

The researchers were also able to determine this location with two-thirds greater statistical certainty.

Additionally, this new data slightly revises the signal's frequency – putting it at 1420.726 MHz rather than 1420.4556 MHz.

That keeps the signal solidly within the hydrogen line, but that small change suggests that whatever produced the signal must have been spinning a lot faster than previously thought.

This means the source must be moving at about 46 miles per second (74 km/s), over double the previous estimate of 18 miles per second (30 km/s/).

The researchers say that the most likely cause of the Wow! signal is an intense beam of energy from a dying star hitting a cloud of cold hydrogen, causing it to produce a laser-like burst which hit Earth 

'This means that when we look for candidates, the ones moving at that speed will stand out, like a very tall person in a large crowd, and it will be easier to identify the emitting source,' says Dr Socas-Navarro.  

Importantly, this research also rules out some natural phenomena that had been suggested as possible explanations.

It had been proposed that a man-made signal could have bounced off the moon and been mistakenly picked up by the observatory.

However, this new analysis clearly shows that the moon would have been on the wrong side of the planet at this time, so nothing could have bounced off it.

Likewise, the sun was not active enough during the year 1977 to produce anything close to the Wow! signal's intensity.

That means the Wow! signal really must have come from somewhere outside our solar system.

However, there are still many questions remaining about the origins of this mysterious radio beam.

Lead author Professor Abel Mendez, of the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, told Daily Mail: 'We can’t rule out an extraterrestrial communication signal explanation for the Wow! Signal yet, but the evidence points to a natural origin.'

The dying star could have been a magnetar, which produce the most powerful magnetic fields in the Universe and are rare, explaining why the Wow! Signal has not been repeated

Professor Méndez suggests the burst was created when the energy from a dying star called a magnetar hit a cloud of cold hydrogen gas floating through the universe.

If this happened, it would energise the cloud of gas and produce a burst like a giant microwave laser.

Previous research has spotted several signals which appeared to be extremely similar to the Wow! signal, albeit considerably fainter.

Four of those originated from the tiny red dwarf star, Teegarden's Star, which is just 12.5 light-years from Earth, and is surrounded by clouds of pure hydrogen.

Professor Méndez says: 'The most likely origin of the Wow! Signal is a maser flare or superradiance emission from a neutral hydrogen cloud. 

'Small clouds emit consistent narrowband signals similar to the Wow! Signal but much weaker, so a cloud became temporarily much brighter due to any of these processes.'

WHAT IS THE FERMI PARADOX?

The Fermi Paradox questions why, given the estimated 200-400 billion stars and at least 100 billion planets in our galaxy, there have been no signs of alien life. 

The contradiction is named after its creator, Italian physicist Enrico Fermi.

He first posed the question back in 1950.

Fermi believed it was too extraordinary that a single extra-terrestrial signal or engineering project has yet to be detected in the universe — despite its immense vastness. 

Fermi concluded there must a barrier that limits the rise of intelligent, self-aware, technologically advanced space-colonising civilisations.

This barrier is sometimes referred to as the 'Great Filter'.

Italian physicist Enrico Fermi devised the so-called Fermi Paradox in the 1950s, which explores why there is no sign of alien life, despite the 100 billion planets in our galaxy

If the main obstacle preventing the colonisation of other planets is not in our past, then the barrier that will stop humanity's prospects of reaching other worlds must lie in our future, scientists have theorised.  

Professor Brian Cox believes the advances in science and engineering required by a civilisation to start conquering the stars will ultimately lead to its destruction.

He said: 'One solution to the Fermi Paradox is that it is not possible to run a world that has the power to destroy itself.

‘It may be that the growth of science and engineering inevitably outstrips the development of political expertise, leading to disaster.'

Other possible explanations for the Fermi Paradox include that intelligent alien species are out there, but lack the necessary technology to communicate with Earth.

Some believe that the distances between intelligent civilisations are too great to allow any kind of two-way communication.

If two worlds are separated by several thousand light years, it's possible that one or both civilisations would become extinct before a dialogue can be established. 

The so-called Zoo hypothesis claims intelligent alien life is out there, but deliberately avoids any contact with life on Earth to allow its natural evolution. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

30-08-2025 om 20:10 geschreven door peter  

Interstellar object caught emitting mysterious metal that suggests 'technological origin'

• READ MORE: Mysterious interstellar object aiming at Earth 'not natural'

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

An interstellar object speeding through our Solar System has been spotted spewing a metal unlike anything seen in natural comets.

The Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile detected an unusual nickel plume from the object, known as 3I/ATLAS. Unlike natural comets, which always emit nickel alongside iron, 3I/ATLAS shows the metallic element without any detectable iron. 

Harvard physicist Avi Loeb highlighted the anomaly described in a new study, noting that this nickel signature is a hallmark of industrial production of nickel alloys.

'Is this anomaly another clue for a possible technological origin of 3I/ATLAS?' Loeb wrote in a blog post.

'The paper suggests that chemical formation occurs through the nickel carbonyl channel, an extremely rare process in comets, but a standard technique in industrial nickel refining,' he added.

The new study, published by astrophysicists in Chile on Wednesday, found that 3I/ATLAS is shedding nickel at roughly five grams per second and cyanide at 20 grams per second, with both rising sharply as the object moves closer to the sun. 

Researchers noted that the mechanisms driving these emissions are not typical of natural cometary processes.

They hypothesized that nickel might be released from dust through gentle processes, such as sunlight, causing it to evaporate or breaking down small nickel-containing compounds.

A new study has revealed that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is releasing nickel without iron, an anomaly that a Harvard physicist said could hint at industrial or technological processes

Traditional comets are typically water-rich and release gases such as water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide as they approach the sun.

They also emit nickel and iron together, as both elements are produced in the same cosmic processes, like supernova explosions.

3I/ATLAS, however, deviates sharply from this pattern by releasing nickel without any detectable iron.

Additionally, both nickel and cyanide emissions rise steeply as it approaches the sun, unlike the more gradual outgassing seen in normal comets.

NASA also released new observations of 3I/ATLAS this week, taken by SPHEREx and the James Webb Space Telescope, showing that its gas plume is dominated by carbon dioxide and only five percent water.

This makes it unlike the vast majority of comets seen because most of its brightness comes from the cloud of dust around it, not its solid core. 

'These results add to the chemical anomalies implied by the SPHEREx space observatory and Webb space telescope [are] very different from an expected water-rich comet,' Loeb shared in a blog post.

'The idea that the nucleus is much smaller than the 29-mile diameter inferred from the 1-micron data collected by SPHEREx requires a dense coma of dust to reflect nearly all the sunlight from 3I/ATLAS. 

NASA's James Webb captured its first look at the interstellar object this month, showing it is not 12 miles in diameter as originally thought. It's closer to 1.7 miles long

'In that case, the dust would be pushed by solar radiation pressure to trail the nucleus, forming a prominent cometary tail.'

Loeb added that observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope failed to identify a cometary tail.

The object was first identified in July 2025 by the ATLAS telescope network, which searches for objects that might hit Earth.

Earlier images taken by the Vera C Rubin Observatory in Chile had unknowingly photographed the object, but no one realized it was there at the time.

Until now, 3I/ATLAS has been a total mystery, as early scans suggested the object was larger than anything that had ever passed through the solar system, and might even be generating its own light.

These characteristics have led Loeb to suggest other possibilities, such that 3I/ATLAS is an artificial craft developed by an extraterrestrial civilization.

The idea has been dismissed by many scientists, including Chris Lintott, an astronomer at the University of Oxford, who said Loeb's theory is 'nonsense on stilts,' calling it 'an insult to the exciting work going on to understand this object.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

30-08-2025 om 18:26 geschreven door peter  

The interior of Mars is not smooth and uniform, as depicted in the familiar illustrations in textbooks. New research shows that it is more like an uneven cake than a glazed cookie, as it is usually depicted. The reason for this is traces of ancient collisions.

InSight mission data

We often imagine rocky planets such as Earth and Mars as having a smooth, layered internal composition — with a crust, mantle, and core stacked on top of each other like the biscuit base, caramel center, and chocolate coating of a Millionaire’s Shortbread cookie. But the reality for Mars is somewhat less neat.

Seismic vibrations detected by NASA’s InSight mission revealed minor anomalies, prompting scientists from Imperial College London and other institutions to uncover a more chaotic reality: Mars’ mantle contains ancient fragments up to 4 km wide, preserved since its formation, like geological fossils. 

History of Giant Collisions

Mars and other rocky planets formed about 4.5 billion years ago when dust and rocks orbiting the young Sun gradually coalesced under the influence of gravity. 

When Mars was almost fully formed, giant objects the size of planets fell onto it as a result of a series of near-catastrophic collisions — the kind that probably also formed Earth’s moon. 

“These colossal impacts released enough energy to melt large parts of the young planet, turning them into huge magma oceans,” said lead researcher Dr. Constantinos Charalambous from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at Imperial College London. “When these magmatic oceans cooled and crystallized, they left behind pieces of material with an excellent composition — and we believe that this is what we are now discovering in the depths of Mars.”

These early impacts and their aftermath scattered and mixed fragments of the planet’s early crust and mantle — and possibly debris from fallen objects — into the molten inner core. As Mars slowly cooled, these chemically diverse chunks became stuck in the slowly stirring mantle, like ingredients added to a Rocky Road chocolate chip cookie mix, and the stirring was too weak to completely mix everything together.

Unlike Earth, where tectonic plates constantly reshape the crust and mantle, Mars closed early under a fixed outer crust, preserving its inner core as a geological time capsule.

Listening to Mars

The evidence comes from seismic data recorded by NASA’s InSight lander, specifically from eight particularly clear Martian quakes, including two caused by two recent meteorite impacts that left craters 150 meters wide on the surface of Mars. 

InSight detects seismic waves passing through the mantle, and scientists were able to see that higher-frequency waves took longer to reach its sensors from the impact site. These signs of interference, they say, indicate that the interior of the planet is rough rather than smooth.

“These signals showed clear signs of interference as they traveled through Mars’s deep interior,” said Dr. Charalambous. “That’s consistent with a mantle full of structures of different compositional origins—leftovers from Mars’s early days.”

Differences between the geological structure of Mars and Earth

By comparison, the Earth’s crust is constantly shifting slowly and recycling material from the surface into the mantle of our planet — on tectonic plates such as the Cascadia subduction zone, where part of the plates forming the bottom of the Pacific Ocean are subducting beneath the North American continental plate.

The debris found in the mantle of Mars has a striking shape: several large fragments — up to 4 km wide — are surrounded by many smaller ones. Scientists have discovered that the so-called “fractal distribution” of debris in the mantle of Mars occurs when the energy of a catastrophic collision exceeds the strength of the object. In this case, the object breaks into several large fragments and a large number of smaller pieces, as, for example, when a meteorite falls on a planet.

This discovery may be significant for our understanding of how other rocky planets, such as Venus and Mercury, have evolved over billions of years. This new discovery of Mars’ preserved interior composition provides a rare opportunity to glimpse what may lie beneath the surface of immobile worlds.

• According to phys.org

• Posted in News, Science

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

29-08-2025 om 23:57 geschreven door peter  

SpaceX has released high-resolution photos and videos taken in the Indian Ocean. They show the moment the Starship spacecraft splashed down.

Starship was launched on August 27 from Starbase in Texas. Unlike previous tests, which ended in accidents, this time the super-heavy rocket performed at its best. The Super Heavy booster successfully completed its mission, then separated from the spacecraft and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America. During the descent, SpaceX conducted a series of tests with it, including an experiment to shut down one of the engines and replace it with a backup.

As for Starship, it was launched into a suborbital trajectory. During the flight, the spacecraft deployed eight full-scale Starlink satellite simulators. Despite some “glitches,” such as collisions between models and the gateway during unloading, this stage was completed successfully.

The decisive test for Starship was its entry into the atmosphere. SpaceX specialists deliberately removed a number of heat shield tiles from the most vulnerable parts of the spacecraft to test what damage it would sustain and whether it would be able to survive landing. In addition, in the 47th minute of flight, a mysterious explosion occurred in the engine compartment, damaging the Starship.

Despite all these problems, Starship showed remarkable resilience and managed to splashdown at the designated point, where the SpaceX buoy was located. The images it took show that passing through the atmosphere caused a change in the color of the spacecraft’s heat shield, which appeared to have “rusted.”

The photographs also clearly show dark marks where Space engineers removed heat shield tiles and damage to the back skirt and flaps caused by the explosion. And what seems even more incredible is that, despite everything, the spacecraft was able to perform a rollover and landing maneuver that placed it approximately 3 meters from its target splashdown point.

• Posted in News, Science

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

29-08-2025 om 23:48 geschreven door peter