Posted on by Evan Gough

Lunar Outpost Shows off their New Rover that will Crawl the Moon, Searching for Resources

The space technology start-up Lunar Outpost has unveiled their Lunar Prospector rover, which is designed to explore the Moon for resources. Image: Lunar Outpost
The space technology start-up Lunar Outpost has unveiled their Lunar Prospector rover, which is designed to explore the Moon for resources. Image: Lunar Outpost

Space technology company Lunar Outpost has unveiled their new Lunar Prospector rover that will explore the surface of the Moon to search for and map resources. The Lunar Prospector is designed to drill for and analyze sub-surface samples. The first of the smallish robots was recently demonstrated on simulated Lunar regolith at the Colorado School of Mines.
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Posted on by Evan Gough

So Cool! Japanese Space Research Center will be Suspended Over a Moonlike Crater

The robotics research center will be suspended 18 meters above the man-made "crater", which is actually an old mine site. Image: Clouds Architecture Office.
The robotics research center will be suspended 18 meters above the man-made "crater", which is actually an old mine site. Image: Clouds Architecture Office.

The architectural design behind Japan’s new space research center is mind-boggling. The futuristic building will incorporate elements of spacecraft design, which emphasize light weight and high functionality. The whole thing will be suspended over a man-made, Moon-like crater.

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Posted on by Evan Gough

Honey, Where’s the Space Sperm? It’s in Low-Earth Orbit, Dear

Space sperm. A new company called SpaceLife Origin wants to store your sperm and eggs in space. Image: SpaceLife Origin.
Space sperm. A new company called SpaceLife Origin wants to store your sperm and eggs in space. Image: SpaceLife Origin.

It’s always wise to be prepared for a disaster, but space sperm is taking it a little too far. Having things like food, water, and medicines on hand constitutes a reasonable level of preparation. But now one company wants to freeze your eggs and sperm in space.

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Posted on by Evan Gough

Gaia Spots an Enormous Ghost Galaxy Right Next Door that’s Being Dismantled by the Milky Way

From left to right: Large Magellanic Cloud, the Milky Way, and Antlia 2, our next door neighbor and so-called ghost galaxy. Credit: V. Belokurov based on the images by Marcus and Gail Davies and Robert Gendler
From left to right: Large Magellanic Cloud, the Milky Way, and Antlia 2, our next door neighbor and so-called ghost galaxy. Credit: V. Belokurov based on the images by Marcus and Gail Davies and Robert Gendler

Astronomers combing through data from the ESA’s Gaia spacecraft have discovered what they’re calling a ghost galaxy. The galaxy, named Antlia 2 (Ant 2) is an extremely low-density dwarf galaxy that was formed in the early days of the universe. And it is being stripped of its mass by the tidal forces of the Milky Way.
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Posted on by Evan Gough

Not all the Earth’s Water Came From Comets

This view of Earth’s horizon was taken by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station, using a wide-angle lens while the Station was over the Pacific Ocean. A new study suggests that Earth's water didn't all come from comets, but likely also came from water-rich planetesimals. Credit: NASA
This view of Earth’s horizon was taken by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station, using a wide-angle lens while the Station was over the Pacific Ocean. A new study suggests that Earth's water didn't all come from comets, but likely also came from water-rich planetesimals. Credit: NASA

We have comets and asteroids to thank for Earth’s water, according to the most widely-held theory among scientists. But it’s not that cut-and-dried. It’s still a bit of a mystery, and a new study suggests that not all of Earth’s water was delivered to our planet that way.

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Posted on by Evan Gough

That Rectangular Iceberg Took a Long, Hazardous Journey

The rectangular iceberg spotted in mid-October had a much longer and more perilous journey than we thought. Image Credit: NASA/Jeremy Harbeck
The rectangular iceberg spotted in mid-October had a much longer and more perilous journey than we thought. Image Credit: NASA/Jeremy Harbeck

That stunning rectangular iceberg that was photographed in mid-October by NASA scientist Jeremy Harbeck had a much more harrowing journey than we thought. Scientists looked back through satellite images to retrace the ‘berg’s journey. They found that it calved from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in November 2017.

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Posted on by Evan Gough

We Could Build a Powerful Laser and Let Any Civilizations Within 20,000 Light-Years Know We’re Here. Although… Should We?

Should we build a powerful laser to advertise our presence to any other civilizations out there? Image: MIT News
Should we build a powerful laser to advertise our presence to any other civilizations out there? Image: MIT News

A powerful laser is just the thing to announce our presence as a technological species in this arm of the galaxy. Engineers would line up to work on that project. But is it a good idea to let any mysterious galactic neighbours know we’re here?
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Posted on by Evan Gough

Timelapse Shows the Glowing Wreckage from Supernova 1987a Expanding Outward Over 30 Years

The remnant of supernova 1987a. Image: Yvette Cendes, University of Toronto.
The remnant of supernova 1987a. Image: Yvette Cendes, University of Toronto.

Supernovae are the granddaddies of all cosmic light shows, and Supernova 1987a is one of the most studied objects in the history of astronomy. As its name makes clear, it was first observed in 1987, and it’s the closest supernova observed since the telescope was invented. The ‘a’ was added to its name because it was the first supernova spotted that year.

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Posted on by Evan Gough

This is What Icebergs Look Like at the End of Their Lives. This One’s 18 Years Old

The coffin-shaped iceberg B-15T is drifting to its death after 18 years of "life." Image Credit: NASA/Jeremy Harbeck.
The coffin-shaped iceberg B-15T is drifting to its death after 18 years of "life." Image Credit: NASA/Jeremy Harbeck.

Nothing lasts forever, especially an iceberg drifting away from its frigid home. This coffin-shaped iceberg was spotted by astronauts on the International Space Station as it drifted northwards. It split off from a much larger iceberg about 18 years ago, and is moving into warmer and warmer waters.

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Posted on by Evan Gough

Parker Solar Probe Became the Closest Thing We’ve Ever Sent to the Sun. And it’s Just Getting Started.

An artist's illustration of the Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun. Image: NASA
An artist's illustration of the Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun. Image: NASA

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is now the closest object to the Sun that we’ve ever sent into space. On Oct. 29, 2018, at about 1:04 p.m. EDT, NASA’s probe broke the old record for the close-to-Sun distance of 42.73 million km (26.55 million miles). That record was held by the German-American Helios 2 spacecraft in 1976. And the probe will keep getting closer to the Sun.

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