Science
Reproducibility may be the key idea students need to balance trust in evidence with healthy skepticism
Reproducibility may be the key idea students need to balance trust in evidence with healthy skepticism Reproducibility is key to balancing trust in scientific evidence with healthy skepticism, allowing researchers to scrutinize each other’s studies for rigor and credibility. Proper documentation of research methods, materials, and data is essential for reproducibility, enabling others to evaluate […]
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NASA’s PACE Mission Reveals a Year of Terrestrial Data on Plant Health
NASA’s PACE Mission Reveals a Year of Terrestrial Data on Plant Health NASA’s PACE Mission Reveals Year-Long Terrestrial Data on Plant Health: The mission has gathered a complete year of data to show changes in plant health, using three pigments: chlorophyll, anthocyanins, and carotenoids. Improved Visualization: The combination of these three pigments allows scientists to […]
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NASA’s IXPE Obtains First X-ray Polarization Measurement of Magnetar Outburst
NASA’s IXPE Obtains First X-ray Polarization Measurement of Magnetar Outburst NASA’s IXPE mission has obtained the first X-ray polarization measurement of a magnetar outburst, providing new insights into these extreme events. Magnetars are young neutron stars that display some of the most extreme physics in the universe, and their magnetic fields can be up to 10 […]
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NASA Earth Scientist Elected to National Academy of Sciences
NASA Earth Scientist Elected to National Academy of Sciences NASA Earth Scientist Compton J. Tucker has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for his work on tracking the planet’s changing vegetation from space. Tucker’s research, spanning nearly 50 years at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, involves identifying wavelengths of light absorbed or reflected […]
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Jack Kaye Retires After a Storied Career at NASA
Jack Kaye Retires After a Storied Career at NASA Jack Kaye, NASA’s Associate Director for Research, Earth Science Division, has retired after 42 years of service to the agency. Kaye’s career at NASA spans multiple roles, including researcher, program scientist, and deputy director, where he focused on helping early-career investigators secure their first awards and […]
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In Memoriam: Dr. Stanley Sander
In Memoriam: Dr. Stanley Sander Dr. Stanley Sander dedicated over five decades to atmospheric science at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), making foundational contributions to our understanding of stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric air pollution, and climate science related to greenhouse gases. He authored over 180 peer-reviewed publications, including work on sulfur dioxide oxidation, chlorine, bromine, […]
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ICESat-2 Applications Team Hosts Satellite Bathymetry Workshop
ICESat-2 Applications Team Hosts Satellite Bathymetry Workshop The NASA ICESat-2 Applications Team recently hosted a satellite bathymetry workshop to discuss the current state and future needs of satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) using data from ICESat-2’s Advanced Topographic Laster Altimetry System (ATLAS). The workshop, held in conjunction with the US-Hydro meeting, brought together SDB end-users, algorithm developers, […]
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Auburn Team Wins 2025 NASA Moon and Mars Design Competition
Auburn Team Wins 2025 NASA Moon and Mars Design Competition Auburn University’s team “Dynamic Ecosystems for Mars Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) Testing, Evaluation, and Reliability (DEMETER)” won top prize in NASA’s 2025 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition Forum. The RASC-AL Competition is a unique initiative that bridges the gap […]
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Sols 4559-4560: Drill Campaign — Searching for a Boxwork Bedrock Drill Site
Sols 4559-4560: Drill Campaign — Searching for a Boxwork Bedrock Drill Site The NASA Curiosity rover has decided to collect a drill sample from the outer edge of the boxwork-forming geologic unit, as geochemical measurements suggest changes in mineralogy. However, the team was unable to find a suitable spot for drilling due to fractured or […]
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Your left and right brain hear language differently − a neuroscientist explains how
Your left and right brain hear language differently − a neuroscientist explains how Research suggests that the left and right hemispheres of the brain process language differently, with the left hemisphere typically dominating speech perception. The development of neural circuits in the auditory cortex, responsible for processing sound, follows a specific timeline, with the right […]
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Robots run out of energy long before they run out of work to do − feeding them could change that
Robots run out of energy long before they run out of work to do − feeding them could change that Robots currently lack endurance due to their limited battery life, which is a major challenge in their ability to perform tasks that require sustained energy. The main issue with current batteries is their low energy […]
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New model helps to figure out which distant planets may host life
New model helps to figure out which distant planets may host life The search for life beyond Earth is challenging due to the difficulty in interpreting biosignatures and determining habitability. A new approach called the quantitative habitability framework has been developed to identify potentially habitable planets or moons and interpret potential biosignatures by modeling how […]
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NASA, ISRO Research Aboard Fourth Private Astronaut Mission to Station
NASA, ISRO Research Aboard Fourth Private Astronaut Mission to Station NASA and ISRO are collaborating on Axiom Mission 4 to launch scientific investigations aboard the International Space Station, including muscle regeneration, plant growth, microalgae growth, tardigrade survival, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity. The mission aims to study how microgravity affects metabolism in […]
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I Am Artemis: Lili Villarreal
I Am Artemis: Lili Villarreal Lili Villarreal, Artemis Landing & Recovery Director at NASA, has been working on space exploration since she was a child and fell in love with it after visiting the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Villarreal joined NASA in 2007 and has held various roles, including deputy flow director for the […]
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It’s miller moth season in Colorado – an entomologist explains why they’re important and where they’re headed
It’s miller moth season in Colorado – an entomologist explains why they’re important and where they’re headed Miller moths are an important species in Colorado, migrating from southeastern Colorado to the Front Range to forage for food and pollinate plants. The caterpillars of miller moths, also known as “army cutworms,” can be a nuisance but […]
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Hubble Captures Cotton Candy Clouds
Hubble Captures Cotton Candy Clouds The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy located 160,000 light-years away from Earth. The image features wispy gas clouds that resemble brightly colored cotton candy due to the use of specialized filters on the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument. […]
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How a Childhood Telescope Launched a NASA Career
How a Childhood Telescope Launched a NASA Career Christina Zeringue’s passion for astronomy was sparked at age 10 when she looked through her new telescope and saw the Moon and planets, inspiring her to pursue a career in space exploration. Zeringue worked as a contractor for NASA Stennis for 14 years before joining the organization […]
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Galaxy Clusters on Course to Crash Again, NASA’s Chandra Finds
Galaxy Clusters on Course to Crash Again, NASA’s Chandra Finds Galaxy clusters PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 are on course to collide again for the second time, with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes capturing evidence of this rare cosmic event. The galaxy cluster, located 2.8 billion light-years from Earth, has already experienced a collision about a […]
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Core Components for NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Pass Major Shake Test
Core Components for NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Pass Major Shake Test NASA’s Roman Space Telescope has successfully completed vibration testing, ensuring it can withstand extreme shaking during launch. The test simulated launch conditions as closely as possible and was considered equivalent to a severe earthquake, but with key differences in terms of frequency and amplitude. […]
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A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names
A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names The system of scientific naming, known as taxonomy, was developed in the 1700s by Carl Linnaeus to provide precise and consistent names for organisms. The binomial nomenclature system uses a two-word combination, where the first word is the genus (a group […]
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America’s First Spacewalk
America’s First Spacewalk On June 3, 1965, NASA astronaut Ed White became the first American to perform a spacewalk during the Gemini IV mission. White used a Hand-Held Maneuvering Unit (informally called a “zip gun”) to control his movements outside the spacecraft and provide thrust for propulsion. Fellow crew member James A. McDivitt remained inside […]
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3 Black Holes Caught Eating Massive Stars in NASA Data
3 Black Holes Caught Eating Massive Stars in NASA Data A new study using NASA, ESA, and other institutions’ data has discovered three extreme examples of supermassive black holes feasting on massive stars, releasing more energy than 100 supernovae. The events, known as “extreme nuclear transients,” are rare occurrences that can help unveil massive supermassive […]
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Sols 4554–4555: Let’s Try That One Again…
Sols 4554–4555: Let’s Try That One Again… The Curiosity rover on Mars successfully completed its second attempt at collecting data after a temporary issue with the arm prevented it from doing so on Tuesday. The rover collected additional mosaics of nearby features, including a 15×2 Mastcam mosaic of the “Mishe Mokwa” hill and an 11×2 […]
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Solar panels’ shade helps boost Colorado grassland productivity in dry years
Solar panels’ shade helps boost Colorado grassland productivity in dry years Solar panels on grasslands can boost productivity during dry years by providing shade, reducing water stress, and creating microclimates that redirect rain. A four-year study in northern Colorado found that grasses growing under solar arrays were more productive than those in full sun during […]
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Prime numbers, the building blocks of mathematics, have fascinated for centuries − now technology is revolutionizing the search for them
Prime numbers, the building blocks of mathematics, have fascinated for centuries − now technology is revolutionizing the search for them Prime numbers are numbers that cannot be divided evenly by any other number except for 1 and themselves, and have been a subject of fascination for centuries. The search for prime numbers has been revolutionized […]
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June’s Night Sky Notes: Seasons of the Solar System
June’s Night Sky Notes: Seasons of the Solar System Two planets, Uranus, are shown side-by-side for comparison, highlighting their unique seasonal patterns. Uranus’ seasons last around 40 years due to its tilted axis and slow orbit. Mars experiences a Martian Autumn every year, lasting about 687 Earth days, with temperatures ranging from -18°F to -12°F […]
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If it looks like a dire wolf, is it a dire wolf? How to define a species is a scientific and philosophical question
If it looks like a dire wolf, is it a dire wolf? How to define a species is a scientific and philosophical question The de-extinction project by Colossal Biosciences that claimed to have “restored” the dire wolf is a complex issue, as it only edited a small number of gray wolf genes and implanted them […]
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Hubble Spies Paired Pinwheel on Its Own
Hubble Spies Paired Pinwheel on Its Own Hubble Spies Paired Pinwheel on Its Own: A stunning image from NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features the beautiful barred spiral galaxy NGC 3507, located about 46 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. NGC 3507 is part of a galaxy pair, with its partner NGC 3501 visible outside […]
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The rise and fall – and rise again – of white-tailed deer
The rise and fall – and rise again – of white-tailed deer White-tailed deer were nearly extinct in North America by the early 20th century, with only 300,000 individuals remaining, but their population has since rebounded to around 30-35 million. The species’ decline was largely due to European colonization and the introduction of a trans-Atlantic […]
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Summer Students Scan the Radio Skies with SunRISE
Summer Students Scan the Radio Skies with SunRISE High school students from across the US are participating in the SunRISE Ground Radio Lab campaign to collect, process, and analyze space weather data related to solar radio bursts. The students, led by the University of Michigan and NASA’s SunRISE mission, are identifying and categorizing solar radio […]
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