2020

A cross-section of Enceladus, showing a summary of the processes SwRI scientists modeled in the Saturn moon

0

An article published in the journal “Icarus” reports a study on the conditions under the surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which indicate possible chemical processes that could support the metabolism of life forms. A team of researchers used data collected by the Cassini space probe to create a model of the chemical processes taking place in the Enceladus’ underground ocean, and concluded that there are possible redox chemical reactions that can fuel the metabolism of life forms.

The Chang'e 5 mission's capsule with the Moon samples (Image courtesy CGTN)

1

It was night in China when the capsule carrying the Moon samples taken during the Chang’e-5 mission landed in the Siziwang Banner, meaning an autonomous county of Inner Mongolia. The lander with the return module landed on the Moon on December 1, spent about two days collecting samples, and the return module took off to transport the samples to orbit and start the voyage back to Earth. Recovery personnel found the capsule, which will be transported to a laboratory in Beijing, where operations will begin to open it without contaminating its contents.

Hot spots on Jupiter

0

New discoveries on the planet Jupiter made thanks to the work of NASA’s Juno space probe were presented at the American Geophysical Union’s fall conference, which was virtual this year. In particular, new information was collected regarding the so-called hot spots, areas of the Jovian atmosphere that are denser and warmer than expected. Juno made it possible to obtain data that suggests that they’re larger and deeper than previously thought. Another news on Jupiter is that the new cyclone discovered last year at the planet’s south pole has dissolved.

The eROSITA bubbles

0

An article published in the journal “Nature” reports the discovery of a gigantic structure formed by hot gas with a shape similar to that of an hourglass with lobes that extend from the center of the Milky Way. A team of researchers used observations conducted with eROSITA, one of the instruments of the Spektr-RG space telescope, which identified this structure at X-rays that is very similar to the so-called Fermi bubbles.

The TOI-561 system

0

An article published in the journal “Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society” reports a study on the planetary system of the star TOI-561, which includes a super-Earth and three mini-Neptune. A team of researchers used data from NASA’s TESS space telescope and follow-up research with the HARPS-N spectrograph mounted on the Galileo National Telescope (TNG) on the Canary Island of La Palma to distinguish the traces of the planets and to measure some of their characteristics.