The Sky Today on Sunday, May 18: Jupiter and Zeta Tauri

The bright beacon of Jupiter stands 2° due north of Zeta (ζ) Tauri in the evening sky tonight. Look west and hour after sunset to find the magnitude –1.9 gas giant still 11° high. Zeta Tau, which shines at magnitude 3, lies to the planet’s lower left. Near this pairing is the location of M1,Continue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, May 18: Jupiter and Zeta Tauri” The post The Sky Today on Sunday, May Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Sunday, May 18: Jupiter and Zeta Tauri

Astronauts Could See Auroras on Mars with their Eyes

Earth’s magnetosphere channels particles from solar storms into stunning auroras. Mars lacks a planet-wide magnetic field and has patchy auroras barely detectable with instruments. Or so we thought. New images captured by NASA’s Perseverance Rover with its Mastcam-Z instrument show green auroras in visible light. When humans finally walk on Mars and look to the skies, they could possibly see faint auroras there, too.

Do these Buddhist gods hint at the purpose of China’s super-secret satellites?

Mission patches are a decades-old tradition in spaceflight. They can range from the figurative to the abstract, prompting valuable insights or feeding confusion. Some are just plain weird. Ars published a story a few months ago on spaceflight patches from NASA, SpaceX, Russia, and the NRO, the US government’s spy satellite agency, which is responsible for some of the most head-scratching mission logos. Until recently, China’s entries in the realm of spaceflight patches often lacked the Continue ReadingDo these Buddhist gods hint at the purpose of China’s super-secret satellites?

Twin spacecraft mission reveals there might be a ‘hot’ side of the moon

The moon’s nearside (that is, the side facing Earth) is dark-colored and dominated by ancient lava flows, whereas the farside is more rugged—and NASA researchers now suggest it’s due to a wonky lunar interior. Using data from twin spacecraft named Ebb and Flow, they found a 2–3% difference in the moon mantle’s ability to deform on each side. They say this data could be explained by the nearest hemisphere’s insides being up to 170°C hotter than the farside.

Saturday Citations: Protoplanetary cornucopia; trees abound; the importance of diversity in corporate boards

This week, paleontologists reported finding new details in an Archaeopteryx fossil via CT scanning and UV light exposure. NASA engineers revived a set of thrusters aboard Voyager 1 that had been considered inoperable in 2004. And researchers are challenging a set of evolutionary assumptions regarding the importance of an ancient protein motif.

The Sky Today on Saturday, May 17: Mars crosses Cancer

Visible for some five hours after sunset is Mars, making its way through Cancer. Shining at 1st magnitude, this ruddy point of light is easy to find in the western sky during May evenings, standing directly above the bright star Procyon in Canis Minor as these constellations set.  Through a telescope, Mars’ disk spans justContinue reading “The Sky Today on Saturday, May 17: Mars crosses Cancer” The post The Sky Today on Saturday, May 17: Continue ReadingThe Sky Today on Saturday, May 17: Mars crosses Cancer