News about PaperPanda, Open Access, and Research
Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has provided a dazzling array of images that have awed and inspired the public. But Hubble’s about far more than just pretty pictures. The mission has gathered dozens of terabytes of data over the decades, providing key insights into the universe, from objects as close … Read more
With NASA’s newest space observatory exactly on schedule in its commissioning phase, the science team outlined their plan to make the most of this $10 billion opportunity. The James Webb Space Telescope arrived days ago at its destination at the Earth-sun Lagrange Point 2 (L2), which is about 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from our planet. … Read more
“How exactly does a spaceship get into space?” – Mathilde, age 5, Sydney Hello Mathilde, thanks for this great question! It isn’t easy to get to space, and there are a few steps to it. First, let’s think about where “space” itself actually begins. Well, some time ago, a number of experts decided on one … Read more
Turns out that NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope project manager is a self-described “parrot head.” The term is a playful reference to fans of calypso singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who project manager Bill Ochs recently quoted when congratulating the Webb Space Telescope team. (For his part, Buffett was said to once call his fans “parrot heads” … Read more
The James Webb Space Telescope is setting its eyes towards the Big Dipper. Although the spacecraft is still months away from beginning its official scientific observations, one particularly bright star named HD 84406 will soon be the object of JWST’s attention. “Star light, star bright … the first star Webb will see is HD 84406, … Read more
China’s next five years in space may be even busier than the previous five. On Friday (Jan. 28), the nation released a white paper outlining its plans and priorities for the next half-decade of spaceflight and exploration. China has achieved a great deal in the final frontier recently, from returning moon samples to Earth to … Read more
A star that exploded into brightness nearly 200 years ago can now be explored in glorious, multi-wavelength detail. In a new video, a team of scientists modeled the Homunculus Nebula around the star Eta Carinae in three dimensions, enabling insight into this incredible event. The binary system Eta Carinae started erupting in the late … Read more
Roughly 80% of the mass of the universe is made up of material that scientists cannot directly observe. Known as dark matter, this bizarre ingredient does not emit light or energy. So why do scientists think it dominates? Since at least the 1920s, astronomers have hypothesized that the universe contains more matter than seen by … Read more
A British-American climate scientist who launched on three missions to the International Space Station is being honored with the naming of a U.S. commercial spacecraft bound for the orbiting complex that he helped build. Northrop Grumman has named its next Cygnus capsule the “S.S. Piers Sellers.” Set to deliver science equipment and supplies for the … Read more
The debut Vulcan Centaur rocket launch will, logically, host the ashes and DNA of “Star Trek” fans and actors — including some people involved in the franchise. As United Launch Alliance prepares to launch Vulcan to replace some older standbys in its fleet, the first flight will call back to the more famous planet of … Read more