Three research papers on Bennu have recently been published as scientists analyze all the data collected by the OSIRIS-REx mission in space. — Research papers on Bennu have been coming out in droves these days as scientists analyze all the data collected by the OSIRIS-REx mission, and we have not one but two new papers today. First up, in a new paper published in the journal Science Advances, a team of scientists characterized…

In a new paper, a team of researchers has presented a machine learning algorithm that was used to determine the Martian crater of origin for a meteorite found on Earth. — With new, more advanced telescopes coming online almost annually, the amount of data astronomers are able to collect is astounding — the term petabyte has become more common in my usage these days than ever before. And with all of this new data comes the same old struggle to process…

Scientists have developed a new machine-learning algorithm that can process data being returned by solar missions, decreasing event detection time. — One of the biggest problems we have with all these spacecraft is receiving all of the data they send back to Earth. And once you get all that data into your local systems, people have to process and analyze everything to come up with answers and solutions.

In a test of asteroid detection capabilities, several observatories and spacecraft participate in the “discovery” of asteroid Apophis. — It’s been a moment since we brought you news of a hazardous asteroid because, well, there aren’t any hazardous asteroids at the moment. Don’t let sensational clickbait headlines convince you otherwise. What we do have, however, is a neat story of how the global planetary defense community discovered asteroid Apophis……

Scientists used radioactive isotopes to determine the age of some solar system asteroids by sampling meteorites and discovered a chaotic early history. — Here in our own star system, astronomers and planetary scientists continue to work toward understanding how planets formed and how the system evolved over time. One of the more useful objects for this kind of research is the humble asteroid. …

Because of gravitational interactions early on in planetary formation, astronomers show how binary star systems may be the best places to search for life. — While understanding stellar system formation and evolution is obviously great just for the sake of science, we all know that what really gets people interested is the possibility of finding life beyond Earth and particularly on an exoplanet. Now, in new research published in Nature, astronomers show how binary star…

Scientists detected neutral atomic hydrogen absorption in planetary nebula IC 4997, which is a fancy way of saying there is cold hydrogen gas. — Our Sun is a main-sequence star. This means that sometime in the far distant future, about five billion years down the road, our star will puff up into a red giant. Even further down the road, it may blow off enough material to become a white dwarf. In the process…

Early and frequent volcanic eruptions on the Moon may have led to the formation of thick ice sheets which are now buried under layers of regolith. — Let’s look way back in the past to the early days of the Moon when volcanoes erupted with geologic frequency. Those volcanoes covered the surface in what we now see as dark maria, mostly smooth plains of basalt. …

In trying to understand why Ceres’ misty exosphere contains ammonia, simulations find that the dwarf planet formed past Saturn and moved inward. — Where you are in the solar system changes just how much of an effect the Sun has on you. For Earth, the Sun can cause bright aurorae that can extend down into the mid-latitudes. For comets, the changing distance to the Sun is what gives us cometary tails. …