Plants have been up to some pretty weird tricks already this year and now a tree fern species (Cyathea rojasiana) has joined the party. Well‚ in order to join in it first has to die and then come back…

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Creating a culture of life in the United States means more than just focusing on abortion. On the opposite end of the spectrum is end-of-life care. Ten states and…

Yes‚ we’ve all heard the rumors: there’s a side to former first lady Michelle Obama that she doesn’t want anyone to see. But with President Joe Biden increasingly going up in flames‚ there’s a…

A pair of bipartisan senators proposed legislation last week to keep lab-grown meat out of the school cafeteria. On Friday‚ Sens. Mike Rounds‚ R-S.D.‚ and Jon Tester‚ D-Mont.‚ announced the School Lunch…

Science really does keep you on your toes. First there was matter and then there were galaxies. Then those galaxies had more stuff in the middle so stars further out were expected to move slowly‚ then there was dark matter as they actually seemed to move faster but now they seem to be moving slower in our Galaxy so perhaps there is less dark matter than we thought after all!  Let’s start with dark matter.  It is a strange and mysterious form of matter that doesn’t really seem to behave in any way like normal matter. It doesn’t emit light‚ absorb or reflect it so is to all intents invisible‚ hence its name. It’s thought that about 27% of the Universe is made up of dark matter but the only way we can detect it is its gravitational effect on passing light and other matter. Despite mounting evidence for its existence‚ we have still yet to actually detect particles that make up dark matter‚ whatever they are.  Physicists at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have measured the speed of stars in the Milky Way galaxy and found that those further out to the edge are moving slower than expected. This suggests‚ rather surprisingly that the core of the milky way may be lighter in mass than first thought and thus contain less dark matter.  The team used data from Gaia and APOGEE (Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment) to plot the velocity of stars against their distance. This enabled them to generate a rotation curve that shows how fast matter rotates at a given distance from the centre of a galaxy. Interpreting graphs like these allow astronomers to estimate how much dark matter there is. Artist impression of ESA’s Gaia satellite observing the Milky Way (Credit : ESA/ATG medialab; Milky Way: ESA/Gaia/DPAC) This was quite in contrast to earlier observations since the 1970’s that revealed a hint of dark matter distribution. Measurements of previous galaxies showed that stars were moving around the centre at a fairly constant velocity with distance from centre. The only way this can be explained is dark matter. This work was pioneered by Vera Rubin from the Carnegie Institution in Washington and was supported by multiple observations from other astronomers in the following years.  The efforts to measure galactic rotation have focussed on other galaxies rather than our own. It’s actually quite difficult to achieve the same in a galaxy that you live in but undaunted; Xiaowei Ou‚ Anna-Christina Eilers‚ and Anna Frebel set about the task. Their initial observations came from Gaia data but used APOGEE data to refine their results. They were able to measure distances of more than 33‚000 stars out to a distance of 30 kiloparsecs (97‚846 light years). The data was then incorporated into a model of circular velocity to estimate the velocity of stars given the location of all other stars in the galaxy. This gave them an updated and refined rotation curve.  The curve their work revealed showed a more rapid decline over distance rather than the shallow decline they expected. Stars further out are moving slower than expected and so there is less matter in the centre of our galaxy. We can observe the ‘normal’ or baryonic matter but it requires less dark matter to account for the observations. Further research is now required to explore other galaxies like the Milky Way and perhaps‚ change our view of the amount of dark matter in the Universe.  Source : Study: Stars travel more slowly at Milky Way’s edge The post There’s Less Dark Matter at the Core of the Milky Way appeared first on Universe Today.

Going to Mars is a major step in space exploration. It’s not a quick jaunt nor will it be easy to accomplish. The trip is already in the planning stages‚ and there’s a good chance it’ll happen in the next decade or so. That’s why NASA and other agencies have detailed mission scenarios in place‚ starting with trips to the Moon. Recently‚ NASA updated its “Moon to Mars Architecture” documents‚ including a closer look at some key decisions about Mars exploration. Those decisions cover a wide gamut of challenges to living and working on the Red Planet. NASA planners narrowed them down to these key areas: science priorities‚ number of crew members on the first trip‚ how many on each follow-up trip‚ number of crew members per Mars location‚ Mars surface power generation technologies‚ what kinds of missions will be sent (the “target state”)‚ and establishing what they call a “loss of crew risk” posture. That last one involves making the right decisions about missions based on risk to the crew’s health and performance. NASA Plans for the Moon and Mars Why create a mission architecture for the Moon and Mars? Essentially‚ anybody going to these other worlds needs a mutually agreed-upon “roadmap” that plans the explorations and technologies needed. That’s why NASA created its first Moon to Mars objectives in 2022 and has been refining them ever since. The agency’s roadmap includes feedback from a wide swath of society. Members of academia‚ U.S. industry‚ international partners‚ and the NASA workforce all contributed to the project. “Our new documents reflect the progress we’ve made to define a clear approach to exploration and lay out how we’ll incorporate new elements as technologies and capabilities in the U.S. and abroad mature‚” said Catherine Koerner‚ associate administrator‚ Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This process is ensuring that everything we are doing as an agency and together with our partners is focused on achieving our overarching exploration goals for the benefit of all.” The Key Decisions Regarding Mars Exploration In a white paper published along with the Moon to Mars Architecture document‚ NASA explains key areas of concern when it comes specifically to Mars exploration. The first is science. It’s the main reason for going the both the Moon and Mars‚ and its needs will drive almost all other considerations. It will determine the resources needed‚ including crew numbers‚ payloads‚ technology deliveries‚ and power and communications infrastructure‚ and contingencies for possible accidents or other challenges. An artist’s concept of Mars explorers and their habitat on the Red Planet. Courtesy NASA. Once the science is determined‚ planners can decide on crew needs for the first and subsequent missions. As the white paper states‚ “…a series of focused science exploration missions to different landing sites would favor one architecture. Establishing a permanent‚ fixed base from which astronauts could conduct many surface missions supporting diverse and evolving exploration activities would favor a very different architecture.” From there‚ planners will figure out the “cadence” of the missions and crew deployments. How often do we send missions and how many people will go? Just as an example‚ let’s say that the first mission will land in Jezero Crater‚ near the Perseverance rover. NASA could use its data to determine further science exploration at the site. That will drive the best placement for habitats and other infrastructure‚ and the type of mission will dictate the number of crew members needed. Those decisions will then drive the infrastructure and technology needed for each step. Science stations need power to do the science‚ but also to sustain the habitats for the science teams. If those teams travel across the surface‚ their rovers will need power‚ fuel‚ and possibly replacement parts. Crew members themselves will need to be able to grow food‚ use local resources to extract fuel and water‚ and otherwise maintain safe living conditions. And‚ these are just the first steps in the long-term exploration of Mars‚ enabled by what people learn about living and working on the Moon. Why Does NASA Want a Moon to Mars Plan? While it may seem sexy to send people directly to Mars without any intervening stops at the Moon‚ NASA and other agencies want a measured approach. The idea to use the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars is not new. The Moon makes a good “training base” of sorts where we can “practice” with the technologies and techniques of living on another world. In addition‚ it offers a unique environment for astronomy and planetary science exploration. Astronauts learn in an environment close to Earth and if something dire happens to them‚ rescue is not far away. Artist’s impression of astronauts on the lunar surface‚ as part of the Artemis Program. Credit: NASA These ideas underlie the planning for the upcoming Artemis missions to the lunar surface. There’s supposed to be a gateway orbiting the Moon‚ to which astronauts and equipment will fly. Then‚ from there‚ materials and people head to the Moon to explore various sites‚ and begin the complex tasks of exploration and habitat construction. That set of missions will establish the foundation for scientific exploration‚ and land a diverse set of people on the lunar surface‚ all in cooperation with international partners. Ultimately‚ everything they learn on the Moon will prepare people for the leap to Mars. The Moon to Mars mission architectural plans unite both lunar and Mars exploration in one timeline‚ identifying technologies and capabilities needed to accomplish each step. They are living documents‚ updated every year to reflect changes in any aspect of mission planning and technology. For More Information NASA Shares Newest Results of Moon to Mars Architecture Concept ReviewMoon to Mars ArchitectureKey Mars Architecture Decisions (PDF) The post NASA Gives us an Update on its Long-term Plans for the Moon and Mars appeared first on Universe Today.

President Joe Biden vowed retaliation after three American service members were killed by an Iranian-backed drone strike in Jordan on Sunday. 

The estate of the late stand-up comedy legend George Carlin is currently suing a media company that created an hour-long comedy special using artificial intelligence (AI) to imitate the comedian's style and content.