Science
Flickering X-rays shed light on supermassive black holes
Flickering X-rays shed light on supermassive black holes Flickering X-rays from the NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory telescope have provided insight into the relationship between galaxies and their supermassive black holes, shedding light on how the universe developed over the past 14 billion years. Researchers analyzed 15 years of data collected by Chandra to reconstruct the […]
🔬 Science
First Results from the Eclipse Soundscapes Project: Webinar on May 7
First Results from the Eclipse Soundscapes Project: Webinar on May 7 The Eclipse Soundscapes project collected over 25 terabytes of audio data during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse using AudioMoth recorders. More than 500 volunteers participated in the project, making it a collaborative effort to study the impact of solar eclipses on life […]
🔬 Science
Eye on Infinity: NASA Celebrates Hubble’s 35th Year in Orbit
Eye on Infinity: NASA Celebrates Hubble’s 35th Year in Orbit Hubble was launched on April 24, 1990, and has since revolutionized our understanding of the universe with its stunning images and groundbreaking scientific discoveries. The telescope has captured breathtaking views of galaxies, nebulae, stars, and planets, including a record-breaking 20,000 images of the cosmos. Hubble’s […]
🔬 Science
Ancient land bridge let humans, animals move between continents
Ancient land bridge let humans, animals move between continents New research explores how ancient land bridge activity led to human and animal migration between Asia and Africa. A plume of hot rocks from the Earth’s mantle, which formed millions of years ago, may have played a crucial role in human evolution. The formation of a […]
🔬 Science
Scientists found a potential sign of life on a distant planet – an astronomer explains why many are still skeptical
Scientists found a potential sign of life on a distant planet – an astronomer explains why many are still skeptical A team of astronomers has found potential evidence for life on a distant planet called K2-18b, which orbits a star about 120 light-years from Earth. The discovery was made using the James Webb Space Telescope, […]
🔬 Science
Stabilized Z-Pinch Fusion Driven Electromagnetic Propulsion
Stabilized Z-Pinch Fusion Driven Electromagnetic Propulsion The University of Texas at Austin is working on a fusion propulsion system based on z-pinch technology. The system will use electrical current to compress and heat plasma, producing fusion reactions that will be accelerated by an electromagnetic accelerator. The goal of the project is to design, build, and […]
🔬 Science
Power on the Dark Side: Stimulus-Responsive Adsorbents for Low-Energy Controlled Storage and Delivery of Low Boiling Fuels to Mobile Assets in Permanently Shaded Regions
Power on the Dark Side: Stimulus-Responsive Adsorbents for Low-Energy Controlled Storage and Delivery of Low Boiling Fuels to Mobile Assets in Permanently Shaded Regions Researchers are developing stimulus-responsive adsorbents to store low-boiling fuels for mobile assets in permanently shaded regions. The project focuses on Metal Oxide Frameworks (MOFs) that can store methane and oxygen, which […]
🔬 Science
Lightweight Deployable Solar Reflectors
Lightweight Deployable Solar Reflectors Stanford University researchers are developing lightweight, low-cost modular solar reflectors for use on the Moon. The reflectors will be designed to concentrate sunlight into permanently shadowed areas of the Moon, potentially powering photovoltaics or other applications. The team will utilize recently developed origami design algorithms to enable compact and reversible stowage […]
🔬 Science
Early Career Faculty 2024
Early Career Faculty 2024 Researchers are preparing for next moonwalk simulations using advanced propulsion systems, including a high-voltage multiphase dual-rotor generator and rectifier. A team at Purdue University is working on concept demonstrations of directed energy propulsion using metasurface lightsails, which could potentially revolutionize space travel. Scientists are developing innovative power systems to enable small-scale […]
🔬 Science
NASA Glenn to Test Air Quality Monitors Aboard Space Station
NASA Glenn to Test Air Quality Monitors Aboard Space Station NASA Glenn Research Center is sending three air quality monitors to the International Space Station to test them for potential future use on the Moon. The monitors will be launched on April 21 aboard the 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission and will test onboard […]
🔬 Science
Hubble Spies Cosmic Pillar in Eagle Nebula
Hubble Spies Cosmic Pillar in Eagle Nebula Hubble Space Telescope has released a new image series revisiting stunning targets, including the Eagle Nebula, as part of its 35th anniversary celebrations. The Eagle Nebula features a towering structure of billowing gas and dark, obscuring dust that is 9.5 light-years tall and 7,000 light-years away from Earth. […]
🔬 Science
All models are wrong − a computational modeling expert explains how engineers make them useful
All models are wrong − a computational modeling expert explains how engineers make them useful Engineering models are not perfect and can have limitations that lead to failures if not properly understood. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse in 1940 was caused by a fatal engineering assumption: that wind could not cause bridges to move up […]
🔬 Science
Hubble SpotsxA0a Squid in the Whale
Hubble SpotsxA0a Squid in the Whale Hubble Spots Squid in the Whale: The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of the spiral galaxy Messier 77, also known as the Squid Galaxy, which sits 45 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale). The Squid Galaxy was previously mistaken for a star cluster or […]
🔬 Science
‘Power bars’ could keep bees thriving without pollen
‘Power bars’ could keep bees thriving without pollen Scientists have developed a new food source for honey bees that can sustain them indefinitely without natural pollen, addressing one of the growing challenges faced by the species: lack of adequate nutrition. The innovative “power bar” resembles human energy bars and contains all the nutrients honey bees […]
🔬 Science
Why people with autism struggle to get hired − and how businesses can help by changing how they look at job interviews
Why people with autism struggle to get hired − and how businesses can help by changing how they look at job interviews People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle to get hired due to first impressions that are shaped by superficial cues, such as appearance or social behaviors. Research shows that job seekers with […]
🔬 Science
What’s the secret of the longevity of crocodile relatives?
What’s the secret of the longevity of crocodile relatives? A new study has uncovered the secret to the longevity of crocodile relatives, which could help conservationists better protect vulnerable species. Crocodylians are surviving members of a 230-million-year lineage called crocodylomorphs, which includes living crocodiles, alligators, and gharials, and their many extinct relatives. They have persisted […]
🔬 Science
Space Shuttle Discovery Lifts Off
Space Shuttle Discovery Lifts Off Space Shuttle Discovery launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1985, at 8:59 a.m. ET, marking its 51-D mission. The seven-member crew of STS-51D was the 16th flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle program and Discovery’s fourth flight. Discovery carried out 39 missions, including deploying and repairing the Hubble Space […]
🔬 Science
Science Meets Art: NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Turns the Camera on Science
Science Meets Art: NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Turns the Camera on Science NASA astronaut Don Pettit recently completed a seven-month mission aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 72, contributing to research that benefits humanity and future space missions. Pettit demonstrated “science of opportunity” by experimenting with his surroundings, showcasing how art, science, […]
🔬 Science
Samples from the moon reveal scary risks to astronauts
Samples from the moon reveal scary risks to astronauts New research on lunar samples reveals scary risks to astronauts, including dust that could interfere with spacesuit seals, micrometeorites that could puncture suits, and breathing in dust that causes respiratory issues. The study used nanoscale analysis tools for the first time to examine space-weathered lunar samples, […]
🔬 Science
Origins Uncertain: ‘Skull Hill’ Rock
Origins Uncertain: ‘Skull Hill’ Rock The NASA Mars 2020 rover has encountered a unique rock called ‘Skull Hill’ while exploring the Jezero crater rim, which features a dark-toned float rock with angular surface and pits. Scientists are unsure about the origin of ‘Skull Hill’, but it may have formed via erosion or scouring by wind, […]
🔬 Science
NASA’s Curiosity Rover May Have Solved Mars’ Missing Carbonate Mystery
NASA’s Curiosity Rover May Have Solved Mars’ Missing Carbonate Mystery NASA’s Curiosity Rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars that may help explain the planet’s missing ancient atmosphere. The rover found evidence of siderite, an iron carbonate mineral, in rocks beneath the surface of Mount Sharp in Gale Crater, which suggests that carbonate minerals […]
🔬 Science
Meet the Space Ops Team: Becky Brocato
Meet the Space Ops Team: Becky Brocato Becky Brocato, Ph.D., is an Element Scientist in NASA’s Human Health Countermeasures division, where she oversees research to reduce medical risks for astronauts during spaceflight. Brocato’s passion for understanding human physiology and reducing medical risks in space began at a young age, inspired by her father and grandfather […]
🔬 Science
How does your brain create new memories? Neuroscientists discover ‘rules’ for how neurons encode new information
How does your brain create new memories? Neuroscientists discover ‘rules’ for how neurons encode new information Researchers have identified “rules” for how neurons encode new information in the brain, revealing that different groups of synapses on a neuron follow different learning rules. The traditional Hebbian rule, where neurons that consistently fire together wire together, does […]
🔬 Science
Building for a Better World: Norfolk Students Bring STEM to Life with NASA Partnership
Building for a Better World: Norfolk Students Bring STEM to Life with NASA Partnership Norfolk Technical Center students partner with NASA to build weather instrument shelters for local schools as part of the NASA eClips project. The students, under the guidance of instructor Jordan Crawford, built 20 high-quality shelters using precise construction plans provided through […]
🔬 Science
Testing in the Clouds: NASA Flies to Improve Satellite Data
Testing in the Clouds: NASA Flies to Improve Satellite Data NASA’s ER-2 science aircraft flew instruments designed to improve satellite data products and Earth science observations in February 2025, as part of the GSFC Lidar Observation and Validation Experiment (GLOVE). The GLOVE experiment aims to validate satellite data about cloud and airborne particles in the […]
🔬 Science
NASA’s SpaceX 32nd Commercial Resupply Mission Overview
NASA’s SpaceX 32nd Commercial Resupply Mission Overview NASA’s SpaceX CRS-32 mission will launch on [date] carrying approximately 6,700 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station. The mission includes a replacement catalytic reactor unit for the station’s water recycling system, as well as spare parts for various other systems. Some of the returned cargo from […]
🔬 Science
Scrub Jay at the Vehicle Assembly Building
Scrub Jay at the Vehicle Assembly Building NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is home to over 65 amphibian and reptile species, 25 mammal species, 117 fish species, and 330 bird species. The Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is where Artemis launch vehicles are stacked and processed for future missions to the […]
🔬 Science
Hubble Provides New View of Galactic Favorite
Hubble Provides New View of Galactic Favorite The European Space Agency (ESA) has released a new image series of the Sombrero Galaxy, also known as Messier 104, as part of Hubble’s 35th anniversary celebrations. The new image reveals finer detail in the galaxy’s disk and more background stars and galaxies than previous images, showcasing its […]
🔬 Science
Wide variety of old-growth ecosystems across the US makes their conservation a complex challenge
Wide variety of old-growth ecosystems across the US makes their conservation a complex challenge Old-growth ecosystems across the US face complex conservation challenges due to their diverse range of landscapes, unique needs, and varying levels of threat from human activity and climate change. The nation’s old-growth forests are characterized by different types, such as longleaf […]
🔬 Science
Miami researchers are testing a textured seawall designed to hold back water and create a home for marine organisms
Miami researchers are testing a textured seawall designed to hold back water and create a home for marine organisms Miami researchers are testing a new seawall design called BIOCAP (Biodiversity Improvement by Optimizing Coastal Adaptation and Performance) to improve coastal resilience and restore ecological balance along urban shorelines. The BIOCAP tiles, made of 3D-printed concrete, […]
🔬 Science