Category Archives: Science News

Seeking truth, learning how things work, using that knowledge to make new tools

Exoplanets, Air, and the Marshmallow Planet

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) took that image of Jupiter, its rings and moons, a few months back. Aside from being, as one of my daughter’s noted, “shiny,” the picture gives scientists a new look at the Solar System’s … Continue reading

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DART: Trick Shot by OpNav, and a Successful Test

On September 26, 2022, the NASA/APL DART mission changed the orbit of an asteroid: Dimorphos, a satellite of 65803 Didymos. “NASA Confirms DART Mission Impact Changed Asteroid’s Motion in Space“Josh Handal, Justyna Surowiec; press release; NASA, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics … Continue reading

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DART Mission, Successful Planetary Defense Test; What’s Next

Update (October 11, 2022) Early results are in. Looks like the DART mission successfully shortened Dimorphos’ orbit by 32 minutes. As a NASA press release said: “…This marks humanity’s … first full-scale demonstration of asteroid deflection technology….” Excerpt from the … Continue reading

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Back to the Moon, Onward to Mars: Artemis I

Nobody’s in the Artemis I Mission’s Orion capsule. But if today’s test flight goes well, Artemis II will carry four folks around the Moon before returning to Earth. And Artemis III will bring humans to the Moon’s surface for the … Continue reading

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Meanwhile, Back on Mars, New Dust Storm Data

It’s been a year since I wrote about the Mars 2020 mission. This seemed like a good time to catch up on what the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter have been up to in Jezero Crater. The Ingenuity helicopter has … Continue reading

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