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Yet another faraway world has come to sharper focus thanks to the collective scientific muscle of citizen scientists.

Physicists report the first observations of quantum entanglement in top and anti-top quarks, the heaviest known fundamental particles and their antimatter counterparts, inside the Large Hadron Collider

Using the James Webb Space Telescope astronomers have found that a strange inflated exoplanet is even weirder than they realized finding a strange asymmetry in its atmosphere.

Cases of deadly heatstroke of children in cars have remained stubbornly persistent—here’s why they happen and how we can prevent them

The Orzorz Galaxy Lite is a star projector that rivals some of the best star projectors we've tested but is surprisingly affordable.

From spotless giraffes to secret squirrels, Janelle Shane probes the absurdity (and dangers) of generative AI

With just one week to go, the countdown to the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 2 is on. We're ready, are you?

A study reports higher prevalence of eating disorders among people with polycystic ovary syndrome, regardless of their body mass index.

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Smart TVs from Samsung and LG monitor what you are watching even when you are using the screens to display a feed from a connected laptop or video game console

Smart TVs from Samsung and LG monitor what you are watching even when you are using the screens to display a feed from a connected laptop or video game console

SpaceX launched 20 more of its Starlink broadband satellites, including 13 with direct-to-cell capability, from California early Wednesday morning (Sept. 25).

When a massive star explodes as a supernova, it does more than release an extraordinary amount of energy. Supernovae explosions are responsible for creating some of the heavy elements, including iron, which is blasted out into space by the explosion. On Earth, there are two accumulations of the iron isotope Fe60 in sea-floor sediments that scientists trace back about two or three million years ago and about five to six million years ago.

The explosions that created the iron also dosed Earth with cosmic radiation.

In new research submitted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters, scientists examine how much energy reached Earth from these explosions and how that radiation may have affected life on Earth. The paper is titled “Life in the Bubble: How a nearby supernova left ephemeral footprints on the cosmic-ray spectrum and indelible imprints on life.” The lead author is Caitlyn Nojiri from UC Santa Cruz.

“Life on Earth is constantly evolving under continuous exposure to ionizing radiation from both terrestrial and cosmic origin,” the authors write. Terrestrial radiation slowly decreases over billions of years. But not cosmic radiation. The amount of cosmic radiation that Earth is exposed to varies as our Solar System moves through the galaxy. “Nearby supernova (SN) activity has the potential to raise the radiation levels at the surface of the Earth by several orders of magnitude, which is expected to have a profound impact on the evolution of life,” they write.

The authors explain that the two million-year-old accumulation is directly from a supernova explosion, and the older accumulation is from when Earth passed through a bubble.

The bubble in the study’s title comes from a particular type of star called OB stars. OB stars are massive, hot, and short-lived stars that usually form in groups. These stars emit powerful outflowing winds that create “bubbles” of hot gas in the interstellar medium. Our Solar System is inside one of these bubbles, called the Local Bubble, which is almost 1,000 light-years wide and was created several million years ago.

An artist’s conception of the hot local bubble. Image Credit: NASA

The Earth entered the Local Bubble about five or six million years ago, which explains the older Fe60 accumulation. According to the authors, the younger Fe60 accumulation from two or three million years ago is directly from a supernova.

“It is likely that the 60Fe peak at about 2-3 Myr originated from a supernova occurring in the Upper Centaurus Lupus association in Scorpius Centaurus (~140 pc) or the Tucana Horologium association (~70 pc). Whereas the ~ 5-6 Myr peak is likely attributed to the Solar System’s entrance into the bubble,” the authors write.

The left panel shows the Local Bubble and nearby stellar associations, while the right panel shows their galactic coordinates. The right panel also shows a new Galactic bubble discovered in 2018. It’s likely the remnant of an SN that exploded in Upper Centaurus Lupus. Image Credit: Nojiri et al. 2024.

The Local Bubble is not a quiet place. It took multiple supernovae to create it. The authors write that it took 15 SN explosions over the last 15 million years to create the LB. “We know from the reconstruction of the LB history that at least 9 SN exploded during the past 6 Myrs,” they write.

The researchers took all the data and calculated the amount of radiation from multiple SNe in the LB. “It is not clear what would the biological effects of such radiation doses be,” they write, but they do discuss some possibilities.

This figure shows the average dose rate experienced at ground level as a function of the distance to the nearby SN. The average dose is calculated over the first 10 kyr (solid line) and over the first 100 kyr (dashed line) after the SN explosion. It’s not enough to trigger an extinction, but it could’ve driven species diversification. Image Credit: Nojiri et al. 2024.

The radiation dosage may have been strong enough to create double-strand breaks in DNA. This is severe damage and can lead to chromosomal changes and even cell death. But there are other effects in terms of the development of life on Earth.

“Double-strand breaks in DNA can potentially lead to mutations and jump in the diversification of species,” the researchers write. A 2024 paper showed that “the rate of virus diversification in the African Tanganyika lake accelerated 2-3 Myr ago.” Could this be connected to SN radiation?

“It would be appealing to better understand whether this can be attributed to the increase in cosmic-radiation dose we predict to have taking place during that period,” the authors tease.

The SN radiation wasn’t powerful enough to trigger an extinction. But it could’ve been powerful enough to trigger more mutations, which could lead to more species diversification.

Radiation is always part of the environment. It rises and falls as events unfold and as Earth moves through the galaxy. Somehow, it must be part of the equation that created the diversity of life on our planet.

“It is, therefore, certain that cosmic radiation is a key environmental factor when assessing the viability and evolution of life on Earth, and the key question pertains to the threshold for radiation to be a favourable or harmful trigger when considering the evolution of species,” the authors write in their conclusion.

Unfortunately, we don’t clearly understand exactly how radiation affects biology, what thresholds might be in place, and how they might change over time. “The exact threshold can only be established with a clear understanding of the biological effects of cosmic radiation (especially muons that dominate at ground level), which remains highly unexplored,” Nojiri and her co-authors write.

The study shows that, whether we can see it in everyday life or not, or even if we’re aware of it or not, our space environment exerts a powerful force on Earth’s life. SN radiation could’ve influenced the mutation rate at critical times during Earth’s history, helping shape evolution.

Without supernova explosions, life on Earth could look very different. Many things had to go just right for us to be here. Maybe in the distant past, supernova explosions played a role in the evolutionary chain that leads to us.

The post How a Nearby Supernova Left its Mark on Earth Life appeared first on Universe Today.

Astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol seeks answers to two key questions: Are we alone in the universe? How did life on Earth begin in the first place?

SpaceX and NASA have delayed the Crew-9 astronaut launch from Thursday (Sept. 26) to no earlier than Saturday (Sept. 28) due to a strengthening tropical storm.

STS-128 mission specialist José Hernández waits his turn to enter space shuttle Discovery at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the background are mission specialists Patrick Forrester (left) and Christer Fuglesang (back to camera).

NASA/Jim Grossmann

In this photo from Aug. 7, 2009, Jose Hernandez, mission specialist, smiles at the camera as he waits for his turn to enter the space shuttle Discovery as part of STS-128. It was the 128th Shuttle mission and the 30th mission to the International Space Station. While at the orbital lab, the STS-128 crew conducted three spacewalks.

Hernandez joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in 2001. There, he was a materials research engineer in the Materials & Processes branch; eventually, he became branch chief. In 2004, he was selected as an astronaut candidate, and in 2009, he became a crew member of STS-128.

Get to know some of our Hispanic colleagues, past and present, during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Image credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

The United States is partnering with India to establish a new factory that will manufacture microchips to enable next-generation technologies for the U.S. Space Force.

NASA has awarded a contract extension to Stanford University, California, to continue the mission and services for the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument on the agency’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).

The cost-reimbursement, no fee contract extension provides for support, operation, and calibration of the HMI instrument, which is one of three main instruments on SDO. In addition, the extension provides for operating and maintaining the Joint Science Operations Center – Science Data Processing facility at Stanford as well as the HMI team’s support for Heliophysics System Observatory science.

The period of performance for the extension runs Tuesday, Oct. 1, through Sept. 30, 2027. The extension increases the total contract value for HMI services by about $12.5 million — from $173.84 million to $186.34 million.

SDO’s mission is to help advance our understanding of the Sun’s influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying how the star changes over time and how solar activity is created. Understanding the solar environment and how it drives space weather is vital to protecting ground and space-based infrastructure as well as NASA’s efforts to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon with Artemis. The study of the Sun also teaches us more about how stars contribute to the habitability of planets throughout the universe.

The SDO mission launched in February 2010 with science operations beginning in May of that year. The HMI instrument on SDO studies oscillations and the magnetic field at the solar surface, or photosphere.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/

Jeremy Eggers
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
757-824-2958
jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov

3 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The inaugural murals for the relaunched NASA Art Program appear side-by-side at 350 Hudson Street, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in New York City. The murals, titled “To the Moon, and Back,” were created by New York-based artist team Geraluz and WERC and use geometrical patterns to invite deeper reflection on the exploration, creativity, and connection with the cosmos. NASA/Joel Kowsky

NASA launched the next phase of its art program with two new space-themed murals in New York’s Hudson Square neighborhood in Manhattan. The vision of the reimagined NASA Art Program is to inspire and engage the Artemis Generation with community murals and other art projects for the benefit of humanity. 

“To continue pushing the boundaries of discovery and exploration we’ll need future generations to think critically and use creativity and ingenuity to solve some of our biggest challenges, and art is essential in preparing young minds for this task,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “I am thrilled that NASA’s Art Program is returning with such an impactful project that will inspire the next generation – the Artemis Generation – to be curious, dream big, and hopefully join us in our work at NASA someday.”

For its inaugural project NASA collaborated with the Hudson Square Business Improvement District on an open call for New York-based artists to design and install a large-scale mural inspired by NASA’s work and missions.

The two side-by-side murals, titled To the Moon, and Back, are located at 350 Hudson Street and were created by New York-based artist team Geraluz and WERC. The team received a small award for design fees, materials, labor, and equipment, with a portion of funds provided by NASA and matched by Hudson Square Business Improvement District.

The piece illustrates a cosmic future with a universe of possibilities expressed through the dreams and aspirations of children. The use of geometrical patterns invites deeper reflection on the exploration, creativity, and our connection with the cosmos.

“We are thrilled to partner with NASA on this visionary project, bringing together the exciting world of space exploration and the vibrant, creative energy of Hudson Square. This installation is not just a celebration of NASA’s incredible mission, but a continuation of our commitment to transforming the public realm through groundbreaking public art,” said Samara Karasyk, president of Hudson Square Business Improvement District. “It will inspire the next generation, ignite curiosity about space exploration, and strengthen our neighborhood’s identity as a limitless hub for creativity, mirroring the infinite possibilities of outer space. We can’t wait to see how this installation captivates both locals and visitors alike.”

NASA has long used art to tell the story of its awe-inspiring missions. Soon after its inception, the agency started a formal program commissioning artists to develop inspiring pieces like portraits and paintings that highlighted an unexpected side of the agency. In 1962, NASA’s then Administrator James Webb tasked staffer and artist James Dean with implementing the new program, and with the help of the National Gallery of Art, Dean laid the framework to artistically capture the inspiration of NASA’s Apollo program. As the NASA Art Program continues to evolve, the agency remains focused on inspiring and engaging the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – in new and unexpected ways, including through art.

For more information on the NASA missions that will inspire future projects:

https://www.nasa.gov

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