NASA

It’s snowing on Mars!

NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander explores site by trenchingWashington, September 30 : In a discovery that is nothing less than astonishing, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander has detected snow falling from Martian clouds.

A laser instrument designed to gather knowledge of how the atmosphere and surface interact on Mars, detected snow from clouds about 2.5 miles above the spacecraft’s landing site.

Data show the snow vaporizing before reaching the ground.

Feasible emission scenarios identified that could keep CO2 below climate threatening levels

Washington, September 11 : NASA researchers have identified feasible emission scenarios that could keep carbon dioxide (CO2) below levels that some scientists have called dangerous for climate.

When and how global oil production will peak has been debated, making it difficult to anticipate emissions from the burning of fuel and to precisely estimate its impact on climate.

To better understand how emissions might change in the future, Pushker Kharecha and James Hansen of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York considered a wide range of fossil fuel consumption scenarios.

NASA’s Cassini images ring arcs among Saturn’s moons

NASA’s Cassini images ring arcs among Saturn’s moonsWashington, September 6 : NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has detected a faint, partial ring orbiting with one small moon of Saturn and confirmed the presence of another partial ring orbiting with a second moon, which provides further evidence that most of the planet’s small, inner moons orbit within partial or complete rings.

Recent Cassini images show material, called ring arcs, extending ahead of and behind the small moons Anthe and Methone in their orbits.

New research may unmask comets posing as asteroids

New minor planet found in solar system, scientists say Washington, September 4 : A new research is aiming to unmask some Near Earth Objects (NEOs), which are comets posing as asteroids.

NEOs are objects whose orbits bring them in close proximity to Earth.

Some NEOs could be dying comets, those that have lost most of the volatile materials that create their characteristic tails.

‘Space airbags’ may help protect helicopters in emergency landings

London, September 2 : A technique used in many NASA Mars rovers could be used to protect helicopters in emergency landings, by placing airbags on the underside of the choppers.

Several of NASA Mars rovers have successfully landed on Mars, protected from impact with the ground by sophisticated airbags.

Now, according to a report in New Scientist, the helicopter manufacturer Bell Helicopter based in Fort Worth, Texas, believes the same technique could be used to protect helicopters in emergency landings.

The bags would be fitted to the underside of a helicopter and deployed only when the vehicle is about to hit the ground at too high a velocity.

Soon, a positioning system for the entire solar system

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