From ancient climate changes caused by our solar system’s galactic road trip to NASA’s dishwasher-sized Moon explorer and Australia launching Vegemite into space, this month’s space roundup has it all. Plus, if you ever need to call ET, the 21 cm hydrogen signal might be your best bet! And did you know rogue planets aren’t necessarily kicked-out exiles? They might actually form on their own. 🚀🌍✨
Mars isn’t just a rusty desert—it’s a rusty, once-beachy desert! 🌊🔴 Scientists have discovered that Mars’ red color might come from wet rust, not dry oxidation, hinting at a past with more water than we thought. Meanwhile, China’s Zhurong rover has uncovered ancient Martian shorelines, suggesting liquid water stuck around for longer—which means more time for potential alien microbes to evolve. And where did all that water go? New research shows Mars’ soil can trap and hold water, preserving ice beneath the surface. Could this hidden water still support life? 🚀🔬
The launch schedule for January, hopefully this will be more successful than last month where a few launches were postponed until this month for various reasons.
(And we can do something about it.)
Life needs CHNOPS, the six essential elements Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulphur. Curiosity found them on ancient Mars, but a new study shows Earth was born without them. Only a lucky impact with Theia made our world habitable. In contrast, Venus never stood a chance. Meet the three planetary siblings and discover why only Earth became a cradle for life.
Mars’s mantle contains ancient fragments up to 4km wide from its formation—preserved like geological fossils from the planet’s violent early history.
Cosmic rays are hitting the atmosphere constantly. One of the products of the collisions is muons, and we can detect muons on the surface of the Earth to learn about the cosmic rays.
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