Space and time from Science Daily Feed

Asteroids that orbit close to the Earth inevitably cause us some anxiety due to the even remote possibility of a collision. But their proximity also offers ample opportunities to learn more about the universe. Ryugu, a 900-meter diameter asteroid in the Apollo belt, has recently proven useful in our search for signs of life's precursors elsewhere in our Solar System. A team of researchers has found evidence of salt minerals in samples recovered from Ryugu during the initial phase of Japan's Hayabusa2 mission.

A unique dataset of Type Ia Supernovae being released today could change how cosmologists measure the expansion history of the Universe.

As more satellites, telescopes, and other spacecraft are built to be repairable, it will take reliable trajectories for service spacecraft to reach them safely. Researchers are developing a methodology that will allow multiple CubeSats to act as servicing agents to assemble or repair a space telescope. Their method minimizes fuel consumption, guarantees that servicing agents never come closer to each other than 5 meters, and can be used to solve pathway guidance problems that aren't space related.

Researchers demonstrated the first fully 3D-printed, droplet-emitting electrospray engine. The low-cost device can be fabricated more quickly than traditional thrusters, potentially from on board a spacecraft, and could enable CubeSats to perform precise, in-orbit maneuvers, aiding space research projects.

New findings explain the Phoenix cluster's mysterious starburst. Data confirm the cluster is actively cooling and able to generate a huge amount of stellar fuel on its own.

Traditional black holes, as predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity, contain what are known as singularities, i.e. points where the laws of physics break down. Identifying how singularities are resolved in the context of quantum gravity is one of the fundamental problems in theoretical physics. Now, a team of experts has described the creation of regular black holes from gravitational effects and without the need for the existence of exotic matter required by some previous models.

What if time is not as fixed as we thought? Imagine that instead of flowing in one direction -- from past to future -- time could flow forward or backward due to processes taking place at the quantum level. This is the thought-provoking discovery made by researchers, as a new study reveals that opposing arrows of time can theoretically emerge from certain quantum systems.

Jumping workouts could help astronauts prevent the type of cartilage damage they are likely to endure during lengthy missions to Mars and the Moon, a new study suggests. The researchers found that mice in a nine-week program of reduced movement experienced cartilage thinning and cellular clustering, both early indicators of arthritis. But mice that performed jump training three times a week showed the opposite effect -- thicker, healthier cartilage with normal cellular structure.

Astronomers used a 3D global computer model to compare the climates of exoplanets in different stellar and orbital configurations. They found that a planet orbiting a white dwarf star would offer a warmer climate than one orbiting a main sequence star.

Scientists are studying Saturn's moon Titan to assess its tidal dissipation rate, the energy lost as it orbits the ringed planet with its massive gravitational force. Understanding tidal dissipation helps scientists infer many other things about Titan, such as the makeup of its inner core and its orbital history.

Scientists have just detected a neutrino that is thirty times more energetic than any previously detected anywhere in the world. This exceptional discovery opens up new perspectives for understanding extreme energy phenomena in the Universe and the origin of cosmic rays.

Researchers have developed a new AI algorithm, called Torque Clustering, that significantly improves how AI systems independently learn and uncover patterns in data, without human guidance.

Euclid, the European Space Agency's dark Universe detective, has made an astonishing discovery -- right in our cosmic backyard.

'Temperamental' stars that brighten and dim over a matter of hours or days may be distorting our view of thousands of distant planets, suggests a new study.

Measurements and data collected from space can be used to better understand life on Earth. An ambitious, multinational research project has demonstrated that Earth's biodiversity can be monitored and measured from space, leading to a better understanding of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

A team of international researchers has developed an innovative approach to uncover the secrets of dark matter in the cosmos. They are searching for dark matter using atomic clocks and cavity-stabilized lasers.

A new study focusing on Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, shows that the physics of alien oceans could prevent evidence of deep-sea life from reaching places where we can detect it.

Astronomers have characterized the largest-ever early-Universe radio jet. Historically, such large radio jets have remained elusive in the distant Universe. With these observations, astronomers have valuable new insights into when the first jets formed in the Universe and how they impacted the evolution of galaxies.

Astronomers have succeeded in observing the magnetic field around a young star where planets are thought to be forming. The team was able to use dust to measure the three-dimensional structure 'fingerprint' of the magnetic field. This will help improve our understanding of planet formation.

Earliest inner solar system planetesimals shaped the inventory of moderately volatile elements in terrestrial planets.