Space

Work presented today at European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting showed said that a lack of difference in a range of sperm characteristics observed in frozen sperm samples exposed to microgravity and those maintained in ground conditions. That means male gametes may safely travel in space. Human colonization elsewhere is a long way off, of course, and will remain so if future U.S. presidents do what the last two have done and cancel programs of their predecessors to replace those with something bearing their own name. But the effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular…

RR Auction in Boston has a selection of pretty interesting Apollo program stuff, but you have to bid before 7PM. This is the perfect time to sell, the 50th anniversary of the moon landing is a month away, so it may not be the perfect time to buy. I have made a decent amount of money selling key comics a month before the next Marvel movie release and buying identical or better copies a year later from people who made impulse buys. Up for grabs is an American flag flown into orbit on Apollo 11, signed by Command Module pilot Michael Collins. There is also a burn chart page from the flight plan…

Astronomers using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory have discovered a dizzying cosmic choreography among typical star-forming galaxies; their cool halo gas appears to be in step with the galactic disks, spinning in the same direction.  This is the first-ever direct observational evidence showing that corotating halo gas is not only possible, but common. Their findings suggest that the whirling gas halo will eventually spiral in towards the disk. Nearly a decade ago, theoretical models predicted that the angular momentum of the spinning cool halo gas partially offsets the…

A familiar table salt ingredient has been hiding in plain sight on the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa, finds a recent analysis. Using a visible light spectral analysis, planetary scientists have discovered that the yellow color visible on portions of the surface of Europa is actually sodium chloride, a compound known on Earth as table salt, which is also the principal component of sea salt. The discovery suggests that the salty subsurface ocean of Europa may chemically resemble Earth's oceans more than previously thought, challenging decades of supposition about the composition of those…

A mysterious large mass of material has been discovered beneath the Moon's South Pole-Aitken basin, the largest crater in our solar system. The crater, thought to have been created about 4 billion years ago, is oval-shaped and as wide as 2,000 kilometers (roughly the distance between Waco, Texas, and Washington, D.C.) and several miles deep. Despite its size, it cannot be seen from Earth because it is on the far side of the Moon.  To measure subtle changes in the strength of gravity around the Moon, researchers analyzed data from spacecrafts used for the National Aeronautics and…

This asteroid is now known to miss. It was always classified as NO HAZARD so it was no surprise at all when they proved it couldn’t hit. UPDATE - they proved it would miss in July through non detection. On July 4th and 5th they focused on the small patch of sky where it would have to be if approaching Earth. It wasn't there, so can't hit. It is the first example of ruling out an impact through non deteciton. ESA and ESO confirm asteroid will miss Earth in September | EarthSky.org UPDATE: It was removed from the database on 2019-08-11 23:49:11. This means it is known that it can’t hit…

This asteroid is now known to miss. It was always classified as NO HAZARD so it was no surprise at all when they proved it couldn’t hit. UPDATE - they proved it would miss in July through non detection. On July 4th and 5th they focused on the small patch of sky where it would have to be if approaching Earth. It wasn't there, so can't hit. It is the first example of ruling out an impact through non deteciton. ESA and ESO confirm asteroid will miss Earth in September | EarthSky.org UPDATE: It was removed from the database on 2019-08-11 23:49:11. This means it is known that it can’t hit…

NASA welcoming private space flight participants is not new and it is misleading to call these people "tourist". The ISS being open to tourist is not new.   Roscosmos and its predecessor agency of Russia hosted tourist on the ISS long before this day.  Those were Dennis Tito (Soyuz TM-32 2001), Mark Shuttleworth (Soyuz TM-34, 2002) , and Anousheh Ansari (Soyuz TMA-9, 2006).  These brave souls were both highly qualified having educations like those of NASA astronauts, but they had made their careers in industry, unlike most government astronauts.   Most government…

Last night I was absolutely mesmerized by observing the transit of Ganymede and Io, two of Jupiter's largest four moons, on Jupiter's disk. Along with them, their respective ink-black shadows slowly crossed the illuminated disk of the gas giant. The show lasted a few hours, and by observing it through a telescope I could see a three-dimensional view of the bodies, and appreciate the dynamics of that miniature planetary system.  In this post I wish to explain to you, dear reader, just why the whole thing is so fascinating and fantabulous to see, in the hope that, should you have a chance…

Sulfurihydrogenibium yellowstonense (Sulfuri), the bacterium that controls the formation of rocks that look like pasta on Earth is ancient and thrives in harsh environments that are similar to conditions on Mars. That's why cute robots on the surface might want to look for fusilli or some other noodle. The bacterium belongs to a lineage that evolved prior to the oxygenation of Earth roughly 2.35 billion years ago. It can survive in extremely hot, fast-flowing water bubbling up from underground hot springs. It can withstand exposure to ultraviolet light and survives only in environments with…