Category: Space News
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Hubble Telescope Back in Action After Fixing Gyroscope Issue
A malfunctioning gyroscope forced the Hubble Space Telescope into automatic safe mode in November. Hubble Telescope Restarts After Gyroscope Fix NASA currently reports that the telescope is operational. The agency stated on December 8 that the iconic observatory is healthy and employing all three gyroscopes to continue science operations. Incorrect readings from one of Hubble’s…
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China Marks 500th Long March Rocket Launch with Successful Deployment of Yaogan-39 Satellites
The Long March 2D rocket, taking flight from Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 8:58 p.m. EST on Dec. 9 (0158 GMT, or 9:58 a.m. Beijing time, Dec. 10), left a streak of purple and orange amidst the blue skies, fueled by its hypergolic propellant mix. China’s Long March rocket soared into action once again, launching…
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The Geminid meteor shower brightens the night sky during December’s new moon
The December new moon is a great time to observe the Geminid meteor shower, one of the year’s most numerous. December’s New Moon Brings Dark Skies, Geminid Meteor Shower Takes Center Stage Dark skies are perfect for meteor shower observation on December 12 at 6:32 p.m. Eastern during the new moon. The Geminids, which produce…
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Consecutive Launch Attempts by SpaceX for X-37B Spaceplane and 23 Starlinks Scrubbed
SpaceX had to cancel their Florida back-to-back missions. A Falcon Heavy rocket carrying an unpiloted X-37B spaceplane for the U.S. Space Force was an ambitious idea. Falcon 9s were intended to transport 23 Starlink broadband satellites. SpaceX Faces Setback as Falcon Heavy and Starlink Launches Scrubbed Due to Ground Equipment Issues Ground equipment problems canceled…
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From Earth to Moon: The Anthropocene Epoch Echoed in Lunar History by Human Influence
According to a group of scholars, the Anthropocene epoch event heralded a new phase in the moon’s natural history, echoing the transformative impact of human activity on our planet. The era of the Anthropocene epoch on the moon was seemingly initiated in 1959 when the Soviet Luna 2 probe crashed onto the lunar surface, marking…
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Life’s Origins and Beyond Tracing the Big Bang’s Potential Role in Life’s Emergence
If life arose here, chances are it could have emerged elsewhere, perhaps even mere seconds post-the Big Bang. Life on Earth has thrived for about 4 billion years, a noteworthy chunk of the universe’s 13.77 billion-year existence since “the Big Bang” initiated everything Pinpointing life’s beginnings entails defining it, a task complicated by over 200…
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Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research Casts Doubt on Exomoon Discoveries Beyond Our Solar System
The Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research’s findings, based on an extensive analysis using a specialized algorithm called “Pandora,” challenge the accuracy of the alleged detections and raise significant hurdles in identifying these distant celestial bodies. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research have cast doubt on the recent claims of…
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Sun Solar Flares Unlock Secrets of Distant ‘Superflares’ from Bright Stars, Scientists Reveal
These “superflares” dwarf the sun solar flares we experience from our sun, capable of disrupting global communications and power systems. Researchers investigating sun solar flares from stars, far brighter than our sun, might have unraveled the secrets behind these colossal eruptions Scientists, led by Kai Yang and Xudong Sun from the University of Hawaii, utilized…
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Unprecedented Sun Coronal Hole Emerges, Directs Solar Wind Streams Towards Earth
Discovered near the sun’s equator on December 2, this gigantic sun coronal hole expanded to a width exceeding 60 Earths, reaching a maximum span of approximately 497,000 miles within a mere 24 hours, as reported by Spaceweather.com. In an unprecedented celestial event, a colossal dark opening, identified as a sun coronal hole, has manifested on…
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Unveiling Cosmic Anomalies: Gas Giant Planets’ Absence of Moons Explored, Exomoons Challenge Traditional Formation Theories
In our solar system, various types of moons exist, including rocky, oceanic, and frozen-ice moons. A gas giant planet is a celestial body known for its massive size and gaseous composition However, gas moons, despite being absent from our system, are not impossible. Recent discoveries in exoplanet studies have unveiled two potential gas giant moons,…