Astrophysicists have unearthed a surprising diversity in the ways in which white dwarf stars explode in deep space after assessing almost 4,000 such events captured in detail by a next-gen astronomical sky survey. Their findings may help us more accurately measure distances in the Universe and further our knowledge of “dark energy” . 

A major milestone has been achieved in our understanding of these explosive transients with the release of a major dataset, and associated 21 publications in an Astronomy & Astrophysics Special Issue, published today. 

This unique dataset of nearly 4,000 nearby supernovae is many times larger than previous similar samples and has allowed crucial breakthroughs in understanding how these white dwarfs explode. 

Kyoto, Japan -- Asteroids that orbit close to the Earth inevitably cause us some anxiety due to the even remote possibility of a collision. But their proximity also offers ample opportunities to learn more about the universe. Ryugu, a 900-meter diameter asteroid in the Apollo belt, has recently proven useful in our search for signs of life's precursors elsewhere in our Solar System.

A team of researchers at Kyoto University have found evidence of salt minerals in samples recovered from Ryugu during the initial phase of Japan's Hayabusa2 mission. The discovery of these deposits, containing sodium carbonate, halite, and sodium sulfates, suggest that liquid saline water once existed within a parent body of Ryugu.

Before examining the samples, the team expected that sample grains returned from the asteroid might contain substances not generally found in meteorites. They anticipated that these could be highly water-soluble materials, which readily react with moisture in Earth's atmosphere and are difficult to detect unless examined in their pristine state as preserved in the vacuum of space.

MIT researchers demonstrated the first fully 3D-printed, droplet-emitting electrospray engine. The low-cost device can be fabricated more quickly than traditional thrusters, potentially from on board a spacecraft, and could enable CubeSats to perform precise, in-orbit maneuvers, aiding space research projects.

The MiFly system enables a drone to determine its precise position space — including its six degrees of freedom — in indoor, dark, or low-visibility environments using radio frequency waves. 

Jumping workouts could help astronauts prevent the type of cartilage damage they are likely to endure during lengthy missions to Mars and the Moon, a new Johns Hopkins University study suggests.

New findings from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope explain the Phoenix cluster’s mysterious starburst. Data confirm the cluster is actively cooling and able to generate a huge amount of stellar fuel on its own.