Scientists Solve Major Puzzle in Moon’s Geology
New research from the University of Bristol sheds light on the origin of titanium-rich basaltic magmas on the Moon. A map of the titanium abundances of the Moon’s surface, obtained…
Lunar Anthropocene: Are We in New Epoch of Moon’s History?
In a paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, Kansas Geological Survey researcher Justin Holcomb and his colleagues argue the new epoch may have dawned in 1959, thanks to the…
ESA Astronaut Captures Stunning Images of Rare Thunder Phenomenon
As part of the Thor-Davis experiment on the International Space Station (ISS), ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen has captured images of a phenomenon called red sprite. Equipped with a specialized event-based…
Two Fragments of Protoplanet Theia Lie Deep within Earth, Geoscientists Say
A giant collision between the ancient protoplanet Theia and the proto-Earth about 4.5 billion years ago may have formed Earth’s Moon as well as two continent-sized regions — formally known…
Moon is Nearly 40 Million Years Older than Previously Thought
By analyzing tiny lunar zircon crystals gathered by Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972, planetary scientists recalculated the age of the Moon. Although previous assessments estimated the Moon as 4.425 billion…
Comet Airburst Initiated Transition to Agriculture 12,800 Years Ago, Scientists Say
Around 12,800 years ago, Earth collided with fragments of a disintegrating comet, triggering Younger Dryas climate change; this event created environmental conditions at Abu Hureyra, Syria, that favored the earliest…
Severe Space Weather Events Disrupt Nocturnal Bird Migrations, Researchers Find
Earth’s magnetic field is occasionally but regularly impacted by bursts of energy from the Sun (space weather), such as coronal mass ejections. Birds and other animals depend on the geomagnetic…
Extreme Solar Storm Hit Our Planet 14,300 Years Ago, Subfossil Tree-Rings Show
In new research, scientists from the University of Leeds and elsewhere measured radiocarbon levels in ancient trees preserved within the eroded banks of the Drouzet River in the Southern French…
Novel AI Technique Reveals Sample’s Biological or Non-Biological Origin with 90% Accuracy
The search for definitive biosignatures — unambiguous markers of past or present life — is a central goal of paleobiology and astrobiology. A team of researchers led by the Carnegie…
High-Energy Electrons from Earth’s Plasma Sheet May Be Forming Water on Lunar Surface
Planetary scientists from the University of Hawaii and elsewhere suggest that although they have confirmed the importance of the solar wind as a major source of water production on the…