Space

A newly found space rock almost broke a speed record. The asteroid, called 2025 SC79, has a pathway within the orbit of Venus that zips around the sun in only 128 days, making it the second-fastest unique asteroid orbit in the solar system, according to a statement from Carnegie Science. 2025 SC79 is also a pretty big asteroid: roughly 0.4 miles (700 meters) long, or roughly the length of a…

Crystals used in applications as varied as lasers, LEDs and the semiconductors used in sensors found in astronomical instruments could someday be ‘drawn’ rather than ‘grown’, leading to higher performance and lower costs. A team led by Elad Harel of Michigan State University has used a laser to heat a gold nanoparticle, which then triggers crystal formation within a…

Ancient explosive volcanic eruptions on Mars could help explain mysterious hints of buried ice from the Red Planet’s equator, a new study finds. Previous research has found that the surface of Mars is rich in ice. Most of these deposits are located at its poles, just as seen on Earth. However, recently the Mars Odyssey and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft detected elevated levels of…

California-based start-up Reflect Orbital has applied for a government license to launch a giant mirror to space next year. The mission is meant to be the first step in the company’s ambitious plan to operate a constellation of more than 4,000 solar reflectors to boost solar power production in twilight hours on Earth. According to the company’s application with the Federal…