From September 29 until November 25, 2024, Earth’s moon is going to have its own fun-sized replica. This little guy, with a diameter of only 33 feet, is expected to orbit around the Earth for the next two months before departing and continuing its journey through space. “Mini-moons” are near Earth objects (NEOs) that are […]
Earth’s new friend: A visiting mini-moon Read More »
On the morning of September 10th, SpaceX launched a crew of 4 non-professional astronauts 870 miles above Earth’s surface to test the performance of the company’s spacesuits while in orbit as part of its Polaris Dawn space mission. One of the members of this crew in particular is notable for the lead role he plays
The Polaris spacewalk: Do we need billionaires exploring the final frontier? Read More »
Litter is not uncommon when walking the streets of Boston. While unpleasant to look at and damaging to the environment, people may see it as a nuisance rather than an imminent threat to their well-being. However, there is a type of pollution that, while not visible to the naked eye, has the potential to be
The Kessler cascade Read More »
Scientists gathered in anticipation after new data was received from dark matter detectors around the world. These detectors used xenon in a novel way to detect neutrinos in an effort to deepen their understanding of dark matter in the universe. However, the anticipation proved ill-fated. As it turns out, this method is naturally flawed by
Into the fire and the fog Read More »
There are few things as mysterious as the creation of the universe. Before humans knew just how big the universe was, they still wondered why and how they existed and what was beyond the expansive sky. Humans as a species have always been curious about their beginnings, and although there are still a lot of
The Big Bang: An overview of the minds behind the theory Read More »
In the current age, satellites are an integral part of a person’s life. These useful tools improve and save lives around the globe. They provide GPS and weather forecast data, enable wireless financial transactions, and allow us to predict and track natural disasters. There are 8,261 satellites currently orbiting Earth, and 4,852 of them are
The crowded highways of the atmosphere Read More »
For centuries, the rare cosmic occurrences known as eclipses have both inspired and terrified onlookers. Signs of both spiritual and scientific marvels, solar eclipses have often coincided with major historical events, sometimes even rewriting their outcomes. According to ancient records, for example, a great shadow descended over a battle in 585 BCE between the Lydians
The end of the eclipse Read More »
Auroras — dazzling phenomena that paint the night sky with a myriad of colors — have fascinated humans for thousands of years. Occurring in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, they are known as the aurora borealis and australis, or northern and southern lights, respectively. At the start of 2024, auroras entered a super season,
Nature’s light show: Breaking down the 2024 aurora super season Read More »
As the possibility of deep space missions to Mars looms closer, scientists are actively addressing one of the biggest concerns: food. For previous space missions, scientists prioritized providing astronauts with necessary nutrition over food quality. However, this mindset is not sustainable when considering a long-term space mission. With factors like the weight of the food
A garden in the dark Read More »