Why are we abandoning our research on Mars?
The three big questions about life — What is life? How did life originate? Is there extraterrestrial life? (Are we alone?) — are the raison d'être of space exploration. Life is why we explore.
Yet despite exploring for all of human history, we have found only one example of life (that of Earth) and don't know how it came to be. The mystery of how chemistry begot biology — that is, how the molecules of the universe came together to create life — is still undetermined. We do not even know whether life is an inevitable result of the chemical and physical processes of our universe or a random mathematical accident of nature — rarely repeated, if at all.
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9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scientists find temperate planet in nearby system full of rocky worlds
A tiny red star not far from Earth is turning out to be a heavyweight in the search for rocky worlds. Nestled just 35 light-years away in space, the star L 98-59 is home to a tight-knit pack of exoplanets, including one that now appears to orbit at just the right distance to harbor liquid water. Using data from NASA's TESS space telescope and a pair of high-precision instruments in Chile, scientists led by the Université de Montréal have confirmed a fifth planet in the system — and this one is in the so-called habitable zone. The team thinks it could receive as much warmth from its star as Earth does from the sun. And it's not alone. The L 98-59 system already has a reputation for its wide variety of intriguing exoplanets. "With its diversity of rocky worlds and range of planetary compositions, L 98-59 offers a unique laboratory to address some of the field's most pressing questions," said René Doyon, one of the study's researchers, in a statement. "What are super-Earths and sub-Neptunes made of? Do planets form differently around small stars? Can rocky planets around red dwarfs retain atmospheres over time?" Red dwarf stars like L 98-59, sometimes referred to as M-type stars, are the most ubiquitous kind in the Milky Way, yet nobody knows whether planets closely orbiting them can hold onto atmospheres, Néstor Espinoza, a Space Telescope Science Institute researcher, previously told Mashable. Though these host stars aren't as hot as the sun, nearby worlds would be exposed to their extreme stellar radiation. Most astronomers agree that detecting atmospheres in general is crucial in the search for habitable worlds. NASA has playfully called Earth's own atmosphere its "security blanket": Without it, the type of life flourishing here wouldn't exist. This cocoon holds oxygen in the air and filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, all while keeping the world warm. Furthermore, it creates pressure that allows liquid water to pool on the surface. Espinoza is a leader in the new massive James Webb Space Telescope study of rocky worlds, specifically to find out if planets around red dwarfs could have air. The campaign, first reported by Mashable, will take a closer look at a dozen nearby-ish planets outside the solar system over the next two years. One of the exoplanets in the L 98-59 system, located in the constellation Volans, has already gotten a first look from Webb. A separate research team revealed that L 98-59 d, a bit larger and heavier than Earth, could have a sulfur-rich atmosphere that reeks of burnt matches and rotten eggs. Agnibha Banerjee, one of the researchers, said the team will need more observations to confirm those findings. "If these findings can be confirmed and turn out to be true, this planet won't be pleasant on human noses," Banerjee previously told Mashable. "Then again, if a human in the far future were to ever visit, the smell would be the least of their problems — in the midst of crushing pressure, boiling temperatures, and toxic gases." The latest discovery by the Montreal team of a fifth planet, known as L 98-59 f — along with insights into its planetary neighbors — will be presented in a new paper accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal. "These new results paint the most complete picture we've ever had of the fascinating L 98-59 system," said Charles Cadieux, first author of the paper, in a statement. "It's a powerful demonstration of what we can achieve by combining data from space telescopes and high-precision instruments on Earth, and it gives us key targets for future atmospheric studies with the James Webb Space Telescope." To discover the planet, the scientists didn't need new telescope time. Instead, they used cutting-edge techniques to squeeze more juice out of existing data. For instance, L 98-59 f doesn't cross in front of its star from Earth's point of view, making it invisible to planet-hunting cameras. But researchers were able to detect it through subtle wobbles in the star's motion, caused by the tug of the unseen planet's gravity. By combining and reanalyzing records, they also dramatically improved estimates of the other planets' sizes, weights, and orbits. One planet is smaller and lighter than Earth — a rare confirmed "sub-Earth" — while others show signs of being rich in water or heated by internal volcanic activity like Jupiter's moon Io, thanks to gravitational stretching. Many planet hunters haven't been this optimistic about the search for habitable worlds since the tantalizing TRAPPIST-1 system. "With these new results," said coauthor Alexandrine L'Heureux in a statement, "L 98-59 joins the select group of nearby, compact planetary systems that we hope to understand in greater detail over the coming years." Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Double meteor shower to peak this week: When and where to best see the shooting stars
NASA says you should give your eyes about 30 minutes to adapt to the darkness outside before you can see the meteors. Two meteor showers will peak at the same time in the early morning hours on Wednesday, a relatively uncommon astronomical occurrence caused by the Earth's orbit passing through two comets' debris trails. The Southern Delta Aquariid and the Alpha Capricornid showers have both been active since July 18 and July 12, respectively, but will peak late Tuesday night, around midnight, and continue into the early hours of Wednesday morning. These two showers combined could produce up to 20 to 30 meteors per hour, Nick Moskovitz, a planetary astronomer with the Lowell Observatory, estimates, according to NPR. Here's what to know about how to prepare for this summer's double meteor shower. What is a meteor shower? Meteorites are falling pieces of debris from comets, asteroids or meteoroids that land on Earth every day, according to NASA. When the material starts to vaporize in Earth's atmosphere, its trail can be visible to people on Earth. This is what we call 'shooting stars.' A meteor shower is what happens when there is a higher-than-usual number of meteors falling in a short period of time. What to know about the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower The Southern Delta Aquariid shower has been active since July 18, but its peak will be late at night on July 29 until the early morning hours on July 30, NASA reported. It will remain active until about Aug. 12 and is best seen in the Southern Hemisphere. The meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Aquarius, which is where the shower originates, and the third brightest star in that constellation, which is the Delta Aquarii, reports. What to know about the Alpha Capricornid meteor shower The Alpha Capricornid shower is 'not very strong,' according to the American Meteor Society, and rarely showcases more than five meteors per hour. It has been active since July 12 and will stay active until Aug. 12. What is notable about the Alpha Capricornid shower is that it produces bright, slow-moving fireballs during its activity, which will be visible during its peak on July 29 and July 30. How to watch the meteor showers No special equipment is necessary to watch the meteor showers, but NASA does recommend that viewers try to get as far away from city lights as possible and put away their phones. 'In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors,' NASA says. 'Be patient — the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.' The best time to try to see the showers will be in the early hours on July 30, after midnight, astronomer Moskovitz told NPR. Stargazers in North America should try to find the best view of the southern part of the sky, specifically for the Southern Delta Aquariid shower, Moskovitz added. The moon is another light source that can sometimes make it hard to see meteor showers from Earth, especially if it's fully visible. Fortunately for stargazers, the moon will be in a Waxing Crescent Phase through Thursday night this week, which means it will be about 25% full, according to Astronomy magazine, so it should not impact the showers' visibility.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Double meteor shower to peak this week: When and where to best see the shooting stars
NASA says you should give your eyes about 30 minutes to adapt to the darkness outside before you can see the meteors. Two meteor showers will peak at the same time in the early morning hours on Wednesday, a relatively uncommon astronomical occurrence caused by the Earth's orbit passing through two comets' debris trails. The Southern Delta Aquariid and the Alpha Capricornid showers have both been active since July 18 and July 12, respectively, but will peak late Tuesday night, around midnight, and continue into the early hours of Wednesday morning. These two showers combined could produce up to 20 to 30 meteors per hour, Nick Moskovitz, a planetary astronomer with the Lowell Observatory, estimates, according to NPR. Here's what to know about how to prepare for this summer's double meteor shower. What is a meteor shower? Meteorites are falling pieces of debris from comets, asteroids or meteoroids that land on Earth every day, according to NASA. When the material starts to vaporize in Earth's atmosphere, its trail can be visible to people on Earth. This is what we call 'shooting stars.' A meteor shower is what happens when there is a higher-than-usual number of meteors falling in a short period of time. What to know about the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower The Southern Delta Aquariid shower has been active since July 18, but its peak will be late at night on July 29 until the early morning hours on July 30, NASA reported. It will remain active until about Aug. 12 and is best seen in the Southern Hemisphere. The meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Aquarius, which is where the shower originates, and the third brightest star in that constellation, which is the Delta Aquarii, reports. What to know about the Alpha Capricornid meteor shower The Alpha Capricornid shower is 'not very strong,' according to the American Meteor Society, and rarely showcases more than five meteors per hour. It has been active since July 12 and will stay active until Aug. 12. What is notable about the Alpha Capricornid shower is that it produces bright, slow-moving fireballs during its activity, which will be visible during its peak on July 29 and July 30. How to watch the meteor showers No special equipment is necessary to watch the meteor showers, but NASA does recommend that viewers try to get as far away from city lights as possible and put away their phones. 'In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors,' NASA says. 'Be patient — the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.' The best time to try to see the showers will be in the early hours on July 30, after midnight, astronomer Moskovitz told NPR. Stargazers in North America should try to find the best view of the southern part of the sky, specifically for the Southern Delta Aquariid shower, Moskovitz added. The moon is another light source that can sometimes make it hard to see meteor showers from Earth, especially if it's fully visible. Fortunately for stargazers, the moon will be in a Waxing Crescent Phase through Thursday night this week, which means it will be about 25% full, according to Astronomy magazine, so it should not impact the showers' visibility.
