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How long is Earth’s day? We now have the most precise answer to date
Clocks tell us that a day on Earth lasts for 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds. But that number is not precise and unchanging. The exact length of a day on Earth depends on how long our planet takes to complete one rotation, and that often changes ever so slightly, thanks to dramatic events like earthquakes…
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Samples of Asteroid Ryugu Show Signs of Ancient Water
An artist’s impression of Hayabusa 2 at asteroid Ryugu.JAXA/ISAS While most planetary geology is done from afar, it’s amazing what we can do when samples are brought back to Earth. In a recent study of pieces returned from the asteroid 162173 Ryugu, scientists report in Science Advances that the rubble-pile asteroid hailed from a parent…
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FAA Clears SpaceX For Nov. 17 Launch Attempt
FAA Clears SpaceX For Nov. 17 Launch Attempt | Aviation Week Network https://aviationweek.com/themes/custom/particle/dist/app-drupal/assets/awn-logo.svg Skip to main content Irene Klotz November 15, 2023 Starship Credit: SpaceX SpaceX is targeting launch of its second Starship-SuperHeavy vehicle on Nov. 17 from Boca Chica Beach, Texas. “The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements,”…
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Slow-Spinning Neutron Stars
Neutron stars are a soup of neutrons; city-sized remnants of supernovae. These ultra-compact stars have immense gravities creating escape velocities over half the speed of light. Neutron stars rotate at incredible speeds of mere seconds – the fastest spins at a stunning 716 times per second. Recently, Dr. Natasha Hurley Walker discovered two very unusual…
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Q&A with Jason Hessels, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Transient Astrophysics
Jason Hessels is Canada Excellence Research Chair in Transient AstrophysicsKirsten van Santen In a ceremony today at Simon Fraser University, the Honourable Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens’ Services, announced that Professor Jason Hessels has been named the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Transient Astrophysics at McGill University. Hessels, who joins McGill from the University of…
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We Have a UFO Problem. What We Don’t Have (Yet) is a Serious Answer.
The U.S. government has studied UFOs on and off now for 80 years, dating back to the dawn of the “flying saucer” age in 1947, when an Idaho businessman flying near Mount Rainer reported seeing bright saucer-like objects moving through the skies at tremendous speeds. It was hardly the first time humans spotted strange things…
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UT’s Women’s Resource Agency promotes safe workout space with HustleHer Series
UT’s Women’s Resource Agency promotes safe workout space with HustleHer Series – The Daily Texan Close Modal Window
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Van Vleck Observatory Opens Its Doors for Community Outreach
c/o Rewa Bush For decades, the University’s Astronomy Department has hosted public outreach programs at its home, the Van Vleck Observatory — that is, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the observatory to close its doors. This fall, new efforts by students, faculty, and community members have led to the resurrection of public programming in full…
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Watch SpaceX’s Starship launch for 2nd time ever on Nov. 18
Update for Nov. 18: SpaceX says all systems and weather are GO for its second Starship launch test today at 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT). You can watch it live here beginning at 7:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT). SpaceX plans to launch its Starship vehicle for the second time ever on Saturday (Nov. 18), and…
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‘Peculiar’ aurora-like radio signal from sunspot discovered for the 1st time
Solar scientists have observed a stunning display of radio waves over a sunspot, and these emissions strikingly resemble auroral displays on Earth known as the Northern Lights. Happening around 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) over a dark, relatively cool patch of the sun, these “auroral” radio emissions could not only shine a light on the dynamics…
