Interplanetary shock wave angles are key to infrastructure threat

Giant shock waves emanating from the Sun can give us some breathtaking auroras here on Earth. They can also cause energy surges that can damage our infrastructure, says a new study that looks at how their angles of impact shape their consequences.Conti… Continue reading Interplanetary shock wave angles are key to infrastructure threat

Video: Death by black hole looks absolutely stunning

What would it look like to fall into a black hole? It’s a question basically everyone has pondered, and now NASA has finally given us a first-person view of the experience with scientifically-accurate visualizations produced by a supercomputer.Continue… Continue reading Video: Death by black hole looks absolutely stunning

Earth’s airglow to give NASA a window into space weather waves

Next month, NASA will place a new piece of equipment on the International Space Station (ISS). It will examine a phenomenon known as Earth’s airglow for signs of weather-produced waves that can reach the mesopause and disrupt satellite communications.C… Continue reading Earth’s airglow to give NASA a window into space weather waves

New Earth-sized planet discovered, and it may be able to support life

A new, Earth-sized planet has been discovered only 90 light-years away from us. In astronomical terms, that’s right next door. What’s more, it might be capable of supporting life.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: Exoplanet, TESS, Spitzer, v… Continue reading New Earth-sized planet discovered, and it may be able to support life

Tiny quantum cascade laser could help astronauts find water on the Moon

Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center have developed a tiny but powerful laser that could one day help astronauts find water on the Moon. Smaller than a US quarter, the laser makes use of quantum mechanical effects to produce a beam in the te… Continue reading Tiny quantum cascade laser could help astronauts find water on the Moon