Universe Today

Since it launched in 2010, the Solar Dynamics Observatory has helped scientists understand how the Sun’s magnetic field is generated and structured, and what causes solar flares. One of the main goals of the mission was to be able to create forecasts for predicting activity on the Sun.    Using mission data from the past …

Continue reading "New Solar Model Successfully Predicted Seven of the Sun’s Last Nine Big Flares"

The post New Solar Model Successfully Predicted Seven of the Sun’s Last Nine Big Flares appeared first on Universe Today.

Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley just returned from the ISS, completing the first crewed mission from US soil in almost a decade.

The post NASA Astronauts are Back on Earth After a Successful Crew Dragon Splashdown appeared first on Universe Today.

Yesterday, SpaceX moved one step closer to sending people to the Moon and Mars when its SN5 prototype successfully made a 150 m (~500 ft) hop test!

The post Finally! SpaceX Starship Prototype SN5 Flies Just Over 150 Meters Into the Air appeared first on Universe Today.

Mars’ massive cloud is back. Every year during Mars’ summer solstice, a cloud of water ice forms on the leeward side of Arsia Mons, one of Mars’ largest extinct volcanoes. The cloud can grow to be up to 1800 km (1120 miles) long. It forms each morning, then disappears the same day, only to reappear …

Continue reading "There’s One Cloud on Mars That’s Over 1800 km Long"

The post There’s One Cloud on Mars That’s Over 1800 km Long appeared first on Universe Today.

A new study by a team of astronomers and planetary scientists calculate that some stars could have as many as 7 habitable planets orbiting them!

The post Some Stars Could Support as Many as 7 Habitable Planets appeared first on Universe Today.

The Universe is about 10% smoother than we expect, and astronomers aren't entirely sure why.

The post The Universe is the Same, Everywhere We Look. Even More than Cosmologists Predicted appeared first on Universe Today.

At the bottom of the ocean in the South Pacific Gyre, there’s a sediment layer that is among the most nutrient-starved environments on Earth. Because of conditions in that area, there’s almost no “marine snow”—the shower of organic debris common in the ocean—that falls to the ocean floor. Without all that organic debris falling to …

Continue reading "Microbes Were Dormant for Over 100 Million Years, But They Were Able to Spring Back to Life"

The post Microbes Were Dormant for Over 100 Million Years, But They Were Able to Spring Back to Life appeared first on Universe Today.

NASA's Perseverance rover experienced some hiccups shortly after launch, but is back on track and making its seven-month journey to Mars.

The post Perseverance Went Into Safe Mode Shortly After Launch, But it’s Fine appeared first on Universe Today.

SpaceX successfully completed a static fire test with its SN5, which will be followed shortly by a hop test!

The post SpaceX Just Completed a Static Fire of Starship Prototype SN5. Next Comes the Hop appeared first on Universe Today.

A strange celestial tension could be caused by a cosmic tango between events at very small and very large scales.

The post How Loop Quantum Gravity Could Match Anomalies in the CMB with Large Structures in the Modern Universe appeared first on Universe Today.