Astronomy
Behind the scenes with MetOp-SG and Sentinel-5
Experience the preparation of the MetOp-SG-A1 satellite, hosting Copernicus Sentinel-5, scheduled for liftoff on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 August 2025 at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time). This timelapse video captures key stages from the encapsulation within the Ariane 6 fairing to the installation in the launch tower.
MetOp-SG-A1 is the first in a series of three successive pairs of satellites. The mission as a whole not only ensures the continued delivery of global observations from polar orbit for weather forecasting and climate analysis for more than 20 years, but also offers enhanced accuracy and resolution compared to the original MetOp mission – along with new measurement capabilities to expand its scientific reach.
This new weather satellite also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 mission to deliver daily global data on air pollutants and atmospheric trace gases as well as aerosols and ultraviolet radiation.
Were the Very First Stars Really That Massive?
New research suggests the first stars weren't the behemoths we expected them to be — which might explain why we haven't seen them yet.
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How This AI Breakthrough with Pure Mathematics and Reinforcement Learning Could Help Predict Future Crises
An artificial intelligence breakthrough uses reinforcement learning to tackle the Andrews-Curtis conjecture, solving long-standing counterexamples and hinting at tools for forecasting stock crashes, diseases and climate disasters
Pessimistic Dogs Are Better at Smelling Cancer—And Other Keys to Disease-Sniffing Success
New research is revealing how disease-smelling dogs can excel
Rogue Worlds May Not Be So Lonely After All, NASA’s Europa Mission Advances, and RFK, Jr., Pulls mRNA Vaccine Funds
From planets roaming space to major shifts in health funding, catch up with this week’s news roundup.
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 8 – 17
Set an alarm and take a peek east in early dawn to follow Venus and Jupiter through their spectacular conjunction this week.
The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 8 – 17 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Alpha Centauri Might Have a Planet, Webb Telescope Finds
Direct images from the James Webb Space Telescope show what could be a Saturn-mass planet around Alpha Centauri.
The post Alpha Centauri Might Have a Planet, Webb Telescope Finds appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Honoring the Women of Astronomy
Even today, the names of women in astronomy are not as well known as they should be.
The post Honoring the Women of Astronomy appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
