Space and planetary science – Page 6
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NewsPerseverance rover’s suite of chemical tools will search for signs of ancient life on Mars
Upgraded probe is better equipped to investigate the red planet
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PodcastHexasilabenzene
Brian Clegg discovers what a six-membered silicon ring can tell us about alien life
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FeatureDo asteroids hold the key to life on Earth?
A series of missions are set to reveal the hidden secrets of the asteroids. Nina Notman explores the science of space rocks
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ResearchYeast thriving in hydrogen hints at possibility of life on exoplanets
First demonstration of non-adapted microorganisms growing in 100% H2 shows that life could exist even under seemingly hostile conditions
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ResearchSpectroscopy from space lets satellites spy out ocean plastic patches
The technique could show where and how floating plastic patches form, and raise awareness of plastic pollution in the oceans
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ResearchSuperconductivity discovered in extra-terrestrial objects for the first time
Material in meteorites is likely to have formed under intense conditions
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ResearchMystery of where early Earth’s life-fuelling phosphates came from may have been solved
Meteorites have been source of building blocks for primordial life
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ResearchIron rain every evening on ultra-hot giant exoplanet
Spectral data shows iron condensing on planet’s nightside
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ResearchMetallic trihydrogen oxide could explain ice giants’ strange magnetic fields
Compound stable under extreme conditions might be source of Uranus’ and Neptune’s enigmatic magnetosphere
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OpinionThe indomitable Toshiko Mayeda
Matthew Shindell traces one female scientist’s story from an internment camp to studying the chemistry of the solar system
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ResearchComputer says no to membrane-bound life on Titan
Scientists quash inside–out cell membrane theory but don’t completely rule out possibility of life on cryogenic liquid hydrocarbon worlds
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ResearchCrystals reveal the site of the world’s oldest meteorite strike
Mineral chemistry suggests the massive impact 2.3 billion years ago could have made our entire planet much warmer
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NewsQueen’s speech reveals new research agency planned for UK
Government plans transformative research body based on US’s Arpa to deliver new technologies
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ResearchCryogenic properties could promote silkworm fibres into space exploration
Combination of intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms allows silks to retain both toughness and ductility at extremely low temperatures
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ResearchMineral never before seen in nature found inside Australian meteorite
Black-and-red rock that fell to Earth 68 years ago contains iron carbide compound
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ResearchMoon may be millions of years older than previously calculated
Analysis of hafnium and tungsten in Apollo 17 samples suggests the moon formed 50 million years after the solar system
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ResearchCorrections promise more accurate CO2 measurements from space
Improvements to cavity ring-down spectroscopy could also benefit quantum science
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ResearchSilica aerogel could heat the surface of Mars enough to sustain life
Insulating material could replicate the effects of Earth’s atmosphere on the red planet, warming it by 50°C
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FeatureWhat is the moon made of?
Mike Sutton looks at what we’ve learned about the moon’s chemistry in the 50 years since Apollo 11