NASA has published a new sequence showing the carbon monoxide plume generated by the wildfires in Brazil, tracking the changes each day starting from August 8. The country has experienced record wildfires this year, and, as of August 23, has more than 2,500 active fires throughout the Amazon. NASA's time-series map shows the carbon monoxide concentrations at an altitude of 18,000ft.
NASA's Artemis 2 mission is one step closer to launch, with the Orion spacecraft acing another fiery pre-takeoff test as it prepares to carry astronauts into space. Due to launch sometime by 2023, Artemis 2 will be the US space agency's deepest manned trip into the solar system so far, and as you'd expect NASA is taking no chances when it comes to safety.
NASA wants to explore the darkest regions of the Moon, but it'll need technology that enables it to study these areas. To expedite the development of those exploration tools, NASA has announced its latest BIG Idea Challenge, one that asks university teams to submit proposals detailing their ideas for technology that would enable this type of Moon activity.
NASA has announced that a new exoplanet has been discovered and the new exoplanet is called LTT 1445 A b. It was discovered using data from the TESS space telescope. A team from the Harvard Center for Astrophysics discovered the system when looking through TESS data. The team says that LTT 1445 A b is likely a rocky world and its orbits its parent star very quickly needing only five days for an orbit.
Scientists at Northeastern University have created a wearable device that claims to be able to predict aggressive outbursts from autistic people a minute before the outburst happens. The wearable device is designed to alert caretakers when stress levels are nearing the point where an aggressive episode could happen. The device was created by a behavioral scientist called Matthew Goodwin.
NASA is seeking American space companies that will make cargo runs to the lunar Gateway as part of the space agency's Artemis program. In a statement this week, NASA revealed that it has issued a Request for Proposals, which will give these companies a chance to propose their services for delivering supplies, science experiments, and cargo destined for the Moon.
Researchers with Cornell University have developed a low-fat, low-calorie alternative to butter, one that is made primarily from water. Though butter alternatives already exist, they often either feature similar calorie counts or unappealing textures, leaving users without a suitable diet-safe option. That may change in the future thanks to this new butter-like spread.
Scientists are studying Mars intently and know that in its distant past, the planet had water. The question the scientists want to answer is was the water that was present on the Red Planted frozen in ice, or was it liquid and flowing. Warm conditions would make life more likely.
Scientists are working to explore the oceans around the globe and to enable that MIT has invented a new type of sensor. These sensors will allow scientists to deploy the sensor arrays around the world without worrying about the sensors going offline because of a depleted battery. The sensors are described as using near-zero power to transmit sensor data.
NASA has announced that it has confirmed the next phase of the Europa Clipper mission is going to happen. The decision allows the mission to progress to completion of a final design. After the final design is completed, the construction and testing phase of the mission will commence.
India launched the Chandrayaan 2 lunar probe about four weeks ago, and this week the probe entered lunar orbit. Inserting itself into lunar orbit is one of the most challenging maneuvers that the probe had to pull off on its Moon mission. The trip to the Moon took four weeks, and the Indian Space Research Organisation has stated that the spacecraft has completed its Lunar Orbit insertion.
NASA has published a study detailing a rocky exoplanet called LHS 3844b discovered last December by the space agency's Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey (TESS) mission. This planet is located 48.6 light-years from our planet and has a mass about 1.3 times greater than that of Earth. According to the study, LHS 3844b doesn't have an atmosphere and its surface is likely covered by dark, cool lava rock.