
Planets may actually form more easily around double stars than around single stars like our sun, according to new research from astrophysicists at the University of Lancashire. Binary stars are common in our galaxy, yet for a long time astronomers believed that the gravitational tug-of-war between two stars would make it harder for circumbinary planets, worlds that orbit both stars, to form. Famous fictional worlds such as Tatooine from Star Wars, with its iconic twin sunsets, were thought to be cosmic curiosities rather than something nature routinely produces.

The moon has played a huge role in the development of Earth. It stabilizes the planet, tempers dramatic climate swings, and possibly even provides the tidal heating that might have led to the first life forms. So it's natural we would want to find a similar Earth/Luna system somewhere else in the cosmos. But astronomers have been searching for one for years at this point to no avail. And a new paper, available on the arXiv preprint server, from Emily Pass and her colleagues at MIT, Harvard, and the University of Chicago describes using the James Webb Space Telescope to track some of the most promising exomoon candidates—only to be foiled by the star they were orbiting.
NASA’s Perseverance, Curiosity Panoramas Capture Two Sides of Mars
Die Wissenschaft kommuniziert oft vorsichtiger als die Medien. Bei der Suche nach außerirdischem Leben zeigt sich das besonders deutlich. Der Kommunikationswissenschaftler Andreas Schwarz berät dazu eine #NASA Taskforce 👇 https://www.wissenschaftskommunikation.de/wir-bereiten-die-nasa-nicht-auf-den-erstkontakt-vor-96661/

Außerirdisches Leben fasziniert und sorgt zugleich schnell für Missverständnisse. Andreas Schwarz berät die NASA darüber, wie über die Suche nach außerirdischem Leben kommuniziert werden sollte. Im Interview erklärt der Kommunikationswissenschaftler, wie er mit dem „Alien-Faktor“ umgeht. Herr Schwarz, was läuft bei der Kommunikation über Aliens schief? Sehr viel, was die wissenschaftliche Suche nach Leben außerhalb […]

La NASA a confirmé que SpaceX se chargerait du transport du rover Rosalind Franklin en direction de la planète rouge.

La NASA a confirmé que SpaceX se chargerait du transport du rover Rosalind Franklin en direction de la planète rouge.
Now that I have no more #school assignments, I'm getting back into my #SpecialInterests. I'm going to go to the #volunteer night at my local #CommunityGarden soon. I'm #writing more of my #fantasy #novel. And I'm watching an #astrobiology #lecture series.