The valence state of iron in majorite, a major mineral in the deep interiors of Earth and Mars, was determined using high-pressure experiments and X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) analysis. The results show that majorite contains moderate amounts of Fe³⁺, suggesting that it may have played an important role in controlling the oxidation state of planetary mantles and in the formation of oxidized magmas near the surface after planetary formation.

A University of Iowa-led research team has documented how energy from the sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field and moves closer to our planet, using detailed electron measurements. The study marks the first published results from TRACERS, the approximately $170 million NASA-funded mission and the largest external research award in university history. Results appear in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

The collapse of a star at the end of its life cycle could lead not only to a black hole but also to an ultra-compact star – a so-called gravastar – which resembles a black hole from the outside. This is the conclusion reached by two theoretical physicists at Goethe University. They have discovered a solution to the equations of Einstein’s General Relativity according to which the gravitational collapse of a star does not necessarily have to end in a black hole. According to their calculations, a new mini universe could form inside the collapsing star. The Big Bang would reverse the enormous gravitational forces and give rise to a gravastar filled with dark energy.

Astronomers have debunked recent claims of a crisis in cosmology and confirmed that the universe’s expansion continues to accelerate as previously understood.

Our universe's expansion is still accelerating despite recent claims suggesting otherwise, an international team of astrophysicists say. They refuted a study published last year claiming the growth of the universe is slowing and insist there is no flaw in the widely-accepted theory that a mysterious force known as dark energy is driving the expanding cosmos. The researchers, who include two Nobel Laureates and represent institutions worldwide, say the debate that followed last November’s revelations was the result of a scientific misunderstanding rather than a cosmic grenade threatening to blow apart everything we know about the universe. Their paper has been published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

A new telescope technology — measuring just six millimeters in diameter — could improve how future space missions study and monitor the Sun while simplifying onboard hardware and reducing costs. The technology is built from a metasurface, which is a device engineered with nanoscale structures that manipulate light in unusual ways. In tests at the Dunn Solar Telescope in New Mexico, the metasurface captured scientifically meaningful data of the Sun's magnetic fields and sunspots.