2019

A measurement of the temperatures on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

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An article published in the journal “Nature Astronomy” reports a series of measurements of the temperature of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko’s nucleus obtained thanks to ESA’s Rosetta space probe’s VIRTIS instrument. A team of researchers led by Federico Tosi of the National Institute of Astrophysics’ Space Astrophysics and Planetology Institute in Rome, Italy, used the infrared images captured by VIRTIS to generate thermal maps from which they obtained the temperatures reconstructing the daily and seasonal variations but also the ones related to its morphological characteristics and the chemical-physical characteristics of the top surface layer.

Tides and proton flows for the planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system

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Two articles published in “The Astrophysical Journal” describe as many researches on the possibility that at least some of the seven rocky planets of the ultra-cool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1’s system can be habitable. Two researchers from the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory examined the effects gravity of planets has on its neighbors. A team from the Center for Astrophysics (CfA) of Harvard University and Smithsonian Institution examined the effects that high-energy protons emitted by the star may have on its planets.

The Cygnus cargo spacecraft captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm (Image NASA TV)

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The Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft, launched last Wednesday, April 16, has just reached the International Space Station and was captured by Canadarm2 robotic arm. Astronaut Anne McClain, assisted by her colleague David Saint-Jacques, will soon begin the slow maneuver to move the Cygnus until it docks with the Station’s Unity node after about two hours.

The Cygnus "Roger Chaffee" cargo spacecraft blasting off atop an Antares rocket (Photo NASA/Bill Ingalls)

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A few hours ago Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft blasted off atop an Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), part of NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) on Wallops Island. After about nine minutes it successfully separated from the rocket’s last stage went en route to its destination. This is its 11th official mission, called NG-11 but also CRS NG-11, to transport supplies to the International Space Station for NASA, the second for Northrop Grumman Corporation after completing the acquisition of Orbital ATK.

The first Earth-sized exoplanet identified thanks to the TESS space telescope

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An article published in “The Astrophysical Journal Letters” reports the discovery of two exoplanets in the orange star HD 21749’s system, one of which is the first Earth-sized identified thanks to NASA’s TESS space telescope and the other a Mini-Neptune. A team of researchers led by Diana Dragomir already submitted a first version of the article on the exoplanet HD 21749b, the Mini-Neptune also referred to as TOI 186.01, mentioning as candidate TOI 186.02 the rocky exoplanet now referred to as HD 21749c in the new version of the article in which it’s considered confirmed.