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Returning samples from a Mars moon: Inside the science of Japan's bold MMX mission

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Japan's mission to Mars is one of the most ambitious in spaceflight history. It aims to become the first spacecraft to return to Earth from Mars orbit, carrying with it the first-ever samples from the Red Planet system. The mission, known as Martian Moons eXploration (MMX), is a first-of-its-kind endeavor to study the origin of Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos. The robust undertaking includes a landing on Phobos to collect the samples — which will likely be the first from the Mars system to return to Earth — and a search for evidence that could shed light on events during the formation of the solar system billions of years ago. MMX is scheduled to launch on an H3 rocket from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center on Monday (Oct. 19) at 3:41 p.m. EDT (1941 GMT; 4:41 a.m. local time in Japan, Oct. 20). After a 10-month journey to reach Mars, the spacecraft will spend about three years stud...
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NASA discovers hidden fires burning beneath the Amazon rainforest

El Niño is fueling a dangerous cascade of wildfires across the tropics, with the Amazon rainforest now experiencing widespread burning and scientists warning that the worst may still be ahead. NASA researchers are uncovering dozens of previously undetected fires, suggesting the destruction could be even more extensive than satellite records show. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ExAHdPk
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Astronomers want your help finding 'missing' black holes in the Milky Way

Astronomers estimate that our home galaxy, the Milky Way, has churned out more than 10 million black holes over its 13-billion-year history. Yet so far, they have found only 70. Now, a group of astronomers in the U.K. is trying to close that vast gap by enlisting the public. Their project, called Black Hole Hunters , is looking for volunteers with a computer and a few spare minutes to sift through troves of data gathered by a NASA space telescope. By flagging recognizable patterns that could point to a "missing" black hole , volunteers can help fast-track a search that would otherwise take years, the team says. "You'll be narrowing down precisely where we need to point our telescopes next," project co-lead Adam McMaster, an astronomer at the University of Southampton in the U.K., said in a statement , "and you might be the one to discover a black hole." Cosmic ma...
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10 best places to see the 2027 total solar eclipse in Spain

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Spain is one of the easiest places in the world to experience the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027 . The so-called "eclipse of the century" first makes landfall in Andalucía, where totality will last up to 4 minutes and 40 seconds during mid-morning, with the sun comfortably high at around 38-42 degrees above the horizon in the eastern sky. Excellent roads, plentiful accommodation and Málaga's international airport make this an obvious alternative to North Africa and the Middle East. However, choosing where to watch requires some thought. Southern Spain's narrowing shape funnels the path toward the Strait of Gibraltar, potentially concentrating huge numbers of eclipse chasers around Tarifa, the Costa del Sol and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar during the peak summer holiday season. From busy Mediterranean beaches to mountain villages, here's where to see the ...
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'Let's all choose to make tomorrow better', Artemis II astronauts honored with Stephen Hawking Medal at Starmus

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TENERIFE, CANARY ISLANDS — The Artemis II astronauts may have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles away from Earth to the moon, but they made sure the rest of us didn't miss out on the adventure. Now, their efforts to bring the wonders of space exploration back down to Earth have earned them one of science communication's most prestigious honors: the Stephen Hawking Medal. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover , alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen , accepted the award on Saturday (Oct. 17), during the opening ceremony of the Starmus VIII festival. The honor recognizes all four crew members, including NASA astronaut Christina Koch , who wasn't in attendance. For Wiseman, the experience of seeing our home planet from the vicinity of the moon carried a powerful message. "If we could take each of you 250,000 miles away from this planet, 400,000 kilome...
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When not to watch a meteor shower — why I'm not staying up for the Orionids

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I used to think being interested in the night sky meant I had to try every meteor shower. If a calendar said "peak," I interpreted that as an instruction. I'd set an alarm, find several layers of clothing and go outside at around 2:00 a.m. when even the neighborhood cats seemed surprised to see me. Then I'd spend an increasingly resentful 45 minutes staring upward, occasionally see one meteor and wonder whether I was somehow doing it all wrong. As I've grown into stargazing, I've become much more selective. The Orionids peak next week, and normally I'd be tempted. These fast meteors come from debris from Halley's Comet , which is enough of a connection to make almost anyone want to go outside. However, another object is in the sky this year — a big, bright waxing gibbous moon that will brighten the night sky and make "shooting stars" very hard to see. ...
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SpaceX thrusters just made a Tesla Roadster 'fly' (and Elon Musk's car is still out there in space)

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Well, that was a memorable debut. Tesla unveiled its highly anticipated new Roadster last night (Oct. 16) with a spectacular stunt, using SpaceX thrusters to make the vehicle "fly." "This is not necessarily a safety-optimized car, OK?" Elon Musk , who runs both companies, said during the livestreamed reveal, which was held at SpaceX's rocket-testing facility in McGregor, Texas. "But it takes the the fun meter to 11 out of 10." Tesla's next-gen, thruster-equipped Roadster launches itself over other vehicles during an unveiling event on Oct. 15, 2026. (Image credit: Tesla) Tesla first announced the next-gen Roadster in 2017, saying at the time that it would be released in 2020 . In 2018, Musk announced that the new car would incorporate some SpaceX tech. "SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamles...
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