“...all the past is but a beginning of a beginning, and that all that is and has been is but the twilight of dawn.”

— H.G. Wells
1902

Astronomy

<p><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod

APOD - 7 hours 32 min ago

What strange world is this?


Categories: Astronomy, NASA

A Conjunction of Crescents

APOD - 7 hours 32 min ago

A waxing crescent Moon and a waning crescent Venus are found at


Categories: Astronomy, NASA

LEDA 1313424: The Bullseye Galaxy

APOD - 7 hours 32 min ago

LEDA 1313424: The Bullseye Galaxy


Categories: Astronomy, NASA

IC 2574: Coddington's Nebula

APOD - 7 hours 32 min ago

IC 2574: Coddington's Nebula


Categories: Astronomy, NASA

<p><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod

APOD - 7 hours 32 min ago

Where is Comet ATLAS going?


Categories: Astronomy, NASA

<p><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod

APOD - 7 hours 32 min ago

Yes, but can your rainbow do this?


Categories: Astronomy, NASA

<p><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod

APOD - 7 hours 32 min ago

Is this the largest hummingbird ever?


Categories: Astronomy, NASA

SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites to orbit from California (photos)

Space.com - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 11:23pm
A new batch of SpaceX Starlink satellites are now in orbit after a successful launch from California on Monday (Feb. 10).
Categories: Astronomy

NASA Gets a Firm Grip on the Future of Space Exploration

Universe Today - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 6:30pm

As part of their ongoing mission to push the boundaries of space exploration, NASA’s cutting-edge robotic hand is bringing us one step closer to a future where machines can grab objects just like humans. The machine which has been designed for dexterity and precision, isn’t just about gripping objects—it’s about revolutionising how astronauts and robots work together in space. With applications ranging from spacecraft maintenance to cleaning up space junk, this high-tech hand is paving the way for a new era of spacecraft operations.


Satellites have revolutionised modern life, bringing us global communication and navigation to weather forecasting and scientific discovery. However, as space becomes increasingly crowded, a growing threat grows above us—space debris. Thousands of decommissioned or unused satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from past collisions now orbit Earth at high speeds, posing serious risks to spacecraft and future missions. As space agencies and private companies launch more satellites than ever before, finding solutions to manage and mitigate space debris has become a critical challenge for the future of space exploration.

An artist’s conception of ERS-2 in orbit. ESA

Space debris is a particular problem that NASA’s new Astrobee system is ideally placed to address. With over 36,000 pieces of debris larger than 10cm and over 100 million smaller than 1cm, all orbiting Earth at speeds in excess of up to 28,000 km per hour it’s a problem we must start to deal with. 

Orange balls of light fly across the sky as debris from a SpaceX rocket launched in Texas is spotted over Turks and Caicos Islands on Jan. 16, in this screen grab obtained from social media video. Credit: Marcus Haworth/Reuters

Astrobee is a free-flying robotic system that has been initially designed to help astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS.) The system is composed of three cube shaped robots that have been named Bumble, Honey and Queen! The system could navigate around the ISS without human intervention using their sensors to see. The system also comprises of an arm that allows it to grab onto handrails on board to stabilise itself and conserve energy. 

The International Space Station (ISS) in orbit. Credit: NASA

The system, that was designed at the NASA’s Ames Research Centre has been on board the ISS since 2019 but it could go much further. It’s certainly been of great help around the ISS but deployed into orbit with a suitable propulsion system and power source, the sensor guided robotic arm could grab onto and manipulate pieces of debris. It could ultimately be used to collect debris like a space based road cleaner. 

Astrobee isn’t the only approach being taken to cleaning up the debris in space. The European Space Agency have also been experimenting with robotic arms and nets in their  ClearSpace-1 programme which aims to capture debris using robotic arms or nets and deorbit it safely. There is also talk of using harpoons to capture debris too but, and whilst I love the idea of harpoons around to grab debris it feels like it could be a dangerous option. 

Lasers are another option that has been considered as has ground based tethers, the use of solar sails and other de-orbit technology. Whichever technique works, it’s great to see space agencies around the World taking space debris and its clean up seriously. Hopefully if Astrobee can prove itself it too can join the ranks of growing janitors to our Solar System. 

Source : Robot Gets a Grip

The post NASA Gets a Firm Grip on the Future of Space Exploration appeared first on Universe Today.

Categories: Astronomy

Risks with current Artemis 3 moon landing plan 'may be too high,' NASA safety group says

Space.com - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 6:00pm
An annual safety report to NASA has both praise and also underscores a number of cautionary woes, including the space agency's Artemis undertaking to return astronauts to the moon.
Categories: Astronomy

How the XB-1 aircraft went supersonic without a sonic boom

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 5:30pm
When the experimental XB-1 aircraft achieved supersonic speeds on a test flight, it did not create a disruptive sonic boom – thanks to a physics phenomenon called the Mach cutoff
Categories: Astronomy

How the XB-1 aircraft went supersonic without a sonic boom

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 5:30pm
When the experimental XB-1 aircraft achieved supersonic speeds on a test flight, it did not create a disruptive sonic boom – thanks to a physics phenomenon called the Mach cutoff
Categories: Astronomy

Mount Everest from Space

NASA Image of the Day - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 5:11pm
This view from space shuttle Columbia shows Mount Everest, which reaches 29,028 feet in elevation (8,848 meters), along with many glaciers. Mount Everest is to the left of the V-shaped valley.
Categories: Astronomy, NASA

What was the mysterious space signal scientists discovered in 2024? Here are some possibilities

Space.com - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 5:00pm
Scientists found a new kind of cosmic signal in 2024, and still aren't quite sure what's causing it.
Categories: Astronomy

Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander leaves Earth orbit to head for the moon

Space.com - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 4:00pm
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander is now headed for the moon after firing its engines to send it out of Earth orbit.
Categories: Astronomy

Yes, the Odds of an Asteroid Striking Earth Have Doubled. No, You Don’t Need to Worry

Universe Today - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 2:26pm

At the end of 2024, astronomers detected an asteroid in the night sky. It was given the designation Y, since it was discovered in the last half of December, and R4 since it was the 117th rock to be found in the last couple of weeks of December, and since it was discovered in 2024, it was assigned the name 2024 YR4. Naturally, once a rock is found, astronomers start keeping track of it, measuring its position to get a handle on its orbit. In this case, the estimated orbit put it at a 1% chance of striking Earth. As more measurements were taken, those odds have more than doubled. As of this writing, it now has a 2.3% chance of striking Earth on December 22, 2032. While you might think this resembles the plot of Don’t Look Up, none of this is too unusual.

You can see this in the image above, which indicates potential trajectory points. The 2.3% odds aren’t simply the chances of a die roll. What it means is that when astronomers run 1,000 orbital simulations based on the data we have, 23 of them impact Earth. The most probable trajectory currently estimates that it will have a close approach of 240,000 km from Earth, which is within the orbit of the Moon but not dangerously close. So while the odds have doubled, astronomers aren’t too worried. When 2024 YR4 had a risk of less than 1%, NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) ranked it a 3 on the Torino scale, meaning we should keep an eye on it. At a 2.3% risk, it is still a 3.

When it comes to tracking asteroids like this, the one thing we are certain of is that early estimates are uncertain. Unlike the orbits of planets, the orbits of asteroids can be remarkably fuzzy. Gravitational tugs from nearby objects can shift them around. In the case of 024 YR4, one big source of uncertainty is Earth itself. In 2028, it will pass within 8 million kilometers of Earth. This is actually when astronomers will be able to make much more precise measurements of its orbit. We will then see whether we need to start making plans. Even if astronomers find out the odds of impact are almost 100%, we still wouldn’t need to panic, for a few reasons.

Comparison of the dimensions of 2024 YR4 and other bodies. Credit: Wikipedia user Sinucep

The first is that we know it’s there. The real risk of asteroids isn’t from the ones slowly approaching Earth from the outer solar system. The bigger risks are ones such as Chelyabinsk which came from the direction of the Sun and caught us by surprise. We still have years to deal with 2024 YR4, and its orbit is such that we would have a good chance of deflecting it. And even if the absolute worst-case scenario were to occur, 2024 YR4 isn’t large enough to cause an extinction event. The absolute nightmare scenario is that it would strike Earth in a heavily populated area. We’d have to evacuate people from the risk zone, but we would have a few years to do that. An impact would be bad, but we could minimize the risk significantly.

Even with all that said, it’s important to keep in mind that early trajectory calculations can vary significantly. The odds may rise significantly again before dropping, but the most likely outcome is that the odds will eventually drop to zero.

If you want to keep tabs on 2024 YR4, check out NASA’s Planetary Defense Page.

The post Yes, the Odds of an Asteroid Striking Earth Have Doubled. No, You Don’t Need to Worry appeared first on Universe Today.

Categories: Astronomy

How to watch NASA's 1st Twitch stream from the ISS this week

Space.com - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 2:00pm
NASA's first-ever Twitch stream premieres at 11:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 12 on NASA's Twitch channel.
Categories: Astronomy

There’s a tiny chance the asteroid headed for Earth could hit the moon

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 1:40pm
If asteroid 2024 YR4 does smash down on the lunar surface, the explosion might be visible from Earth and would leave a new crater on the near side of the moon
Categories: Astronomy

There’s a tiny chance the asteroid headed for Earth could hit the moon

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 1:40pm
If asteroid 2024 YR4 does smash down on the lunar surface, the explosion might be visible from Earth and would leave a new crater on the near side of the moon
Categories: Astronomy

AI can now replicate itself — a milestone that has experts terrified

Space.com - Mon, 02/10/2025 - 1:00pm
Scientists say AI has crossed a critical 'red line' after demonstrating how two popular large language models could clone themselves.
Categories: Astronomy