The primary calibration target for Mastcam-Z, a pair of zoomable cameras aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover, features color swatches used by scientists to fine-tune the cameras’ settings.
Voyager 2
Posted inAriel, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Uranus, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Webb Observes Carbon Oxides On Uranus’ Moon Ariel That Hint At A Hidden Ocean
The surface of Uranus’ moon Ariel is coated with a significant amount of carbon dioxide ice, especially on its “trailing hemisphere” that always faces away from the moon’s direction of […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Status Report, Uranus
Atmospheric Science Questions for a Uranian Probe
The Ice Giants represent a unique and relatively poorly characterized class of planets that have been largely unexplored since the brief Voyager 2 flyby in the late 1980’s.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Cryobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Neptune, Status Report, Triton, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Increasing the Usability and Accessibility of Voyager 2 Images of Triton
Much of what we know about Neptune’s moon Triton was inferred from the analysis of images returned by the Voyager 2 mission, the only spacecraft to have visited that putative […]
Posted inInterstellar, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Space Weather & Heliophysics
The Voyager 1 Interstellar Probe Is Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is conducting normal science operations for the first time following a technical issue that arose in November 2023.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Interstellar, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
Talking Interstellar: Six Deep Space Network Antennas in Madrid Arrayed For the First Time
“We must reach far beyond our own lifespans. We must think not as individuals but as a species. We must confront the reality of interstellar travel.” — Professor Brand “Interstellar”. […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Triton, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Constraints On Triton’s Atmosphere From The 6 October 2022 Stellar Occultation
The atmosphere of Triton was probed directly by observing a ground-based stellar occultation on 6 October 2022. This rare event yielded 23 positive light curves collected from 13 separate observation […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Neptune, Press Release, Uranus
Calibrating Instruments For Exoplanets: What Neptune And Uranus Really Look Like
Neptune is fondly known for being a rich blue and Uranus green – but a new study has revealed that the two ice giants are actually far closer in colour […]
Posted inEducation and Outreach, Intelligence & Language, Interstellar, SETI & Technosignatures, Societal Issues, Status Report
Message In A Bottle – An Update To The Golden Record: 1. Objectives And Key Content Of The Message
In the first part of this series, we delve into the foundational aspects of “Message in a Bottle (MIAB)” (henceforth referred to as MIAB). This study builds upon the legacy […]
Posted inAriel, Icy Worlds, Miranda, Oberon, Press Release, Titania, Umbriel, Uranus, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
A New Study of Uranus’ Large Moons Shows That Four May Hold Water
Re-analysis of data from NASA’s Voyager spacecraft, along with new computer modeling, has led NASA scientists to conclude that four of Uranus’ largest moons likely contain an ocean layer between […]