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Crazy big orbits on those little guys
Because the planet’s orbit is just seven days long, the gravitational forces from this orbital path tug at the star until plasma erupts from the surface...Heat causes the air to swell, increasing the cross‑section that stellar ultraviolet rays can hit, and leading to a vicious cycle that accelerates mass loss. ... read full post
Listen to the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft as it flew past Mercury on 8 January 2025. This sixth and final flyby used the little planet's gravity to steer the spacecraft on course for entering orbit around Mercury in 2026. ... read full post
The Curiosity rover was sent up the Mount Sharp, the biggest sediments stack on Mars. On the way, it collected samples that indicated a portion of carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere might have been sequestered in the sedimentary rocks, just as it happens with limestone on Earth. This would have drawn carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, reducing the greenhouse effect that warmed the planet. ... read full post
The burgeoning space industry and the technologies society increasingly relies on – electric grids, aviation and telecommunications – are all vulnerable to the same threat: space weather. ... read full post
A picture snapped from the International Space Station (ISS) by NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers has captured a lesser-seen view of an extraordinary atmospheric phenomenon known as a red sprite.