Explore

NASA's Juno Reveals Unexpected Heat in Io's Subsurface

NASA's Juno Reveals Unexpected Heat in Io's Subsurface

NASA's Juno spacecraft has discovered that Jupiter's moon Io is hotter beneath its surface than previously predicted by scientific models. During two recent flybys, Juno detected subsurface temperatures that exceeded expectations, despite Io's known extreme volcanic activity. The findings also revealed that large areas of Io's surface are smoother than anticipated. These observations are significant as Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system, with its internal heat driven by tidal forces from Jupiter's gravity. The data collected will help refine models of heat distribution and surface dynamics on Io.

NASA's JPL Releases New Poster Imagining Concert on Proxima Centauri b

NASA's JPL Releases New Poster Imagining Concert on Proxima Centauri b

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has released a new poster as part of its Exoplanet Travel Bureau series, imagining a rock concert on Proxima Centauri b, the closest known exoplanet to Earth. The poster, titled 'Join the Jam on Proxima b,' is a retro-style travel advertisement that marks the 10th anniversary of the series. Proxima Centauri b, discovered in 2016, orbits a red dwarf star in the Alpha Centauri system and is located within the habitable zone where liquid water could potentially exist. The planet is tidally locked, creating a permanent twilight zone, which the poster creatively names the 'Perpetual Sunset Stadium.' The series, managed by Caltech in Pasadena, aims to visualize complex space concepts and is inspired by Depression-era national park posters.

Jupiter's Moon Europa: New Measurement Reveals Thick Ice Shell Over Saltwater Ocean

Jupiter's Moon Europa: New Measurement Reveals Thick Ice Shell Over Saltwater Ocean

Recent measurements from NASA's Juno mission have revealed that Jupiter's moon Europa has a thick ice shell, estimated to be about 29 kilometers thick, covering a vast saltwater ocean. This ice layer is significantly thicker than previously thought, posing challenges for future missions aiming to explore the ocean beneath. The data was collected using Juno's Microwave Radiometer, which measured microwave emissions to estimate the ice's thickness. This finding contributes to the ongoing debate about the thickness of Europa's ice shell and its implications for the moon's potential habitability.

NASA Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Viking 1's Mars Landing with Historic Photos

NASA Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Viking 1's Mars Landing with Historic Photos

NASA commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Viking 1 lander's historic Mars landing by sharing the first images it sent back to Earth. Viking 1, which landed on July 20, 1976, provided humanity's first view from the surface of another planet. The mission, which included two orbiters and two landers, transformed our understanding of Mars by sending back thousands of images and conducting experiments to detect life. Although the mission concluded that no convincing evidence of life was found, some scientists continue to debate the results, suggesting that Viking's experiments may have inadvertently destroyed potential evidence of life.

Hubble and Webb Telescopes Discover First Stellar-Mass Black Hole in Omega Centauri

Hubble and Webb Telescopes Discover First Stellar-Mass Black Hole in Omega Centauri

Astronomers have identified the first stellar-mass black hole in the globular cluster Omega Centauri using data from NASA's Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes. This discovery, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, was achieved by tracking the motion of a star over two decades, revealing a black hole designated oMEGACat BH-2. The finding provides the first direct evidence of the cluster's predicted population of stellar-mass black holes, which had previously eluded detection through traditional methods like X-ray and radio signal searches.

Milky Way Hosts Trillions of Free-Floating Planets, Study Finds

Milky Way Hosts Trillions of Free-Floating Planets, Study Finds

A nine-year microlensing survey has revealed that the Milky Way contains approximately 20 free-floating planets for every star. These planets, often low in mass, drift through the galaxy without a host star. The study, led by Takahiro Sumi of Osaka University, utilized data from the MOA-II survey conducted between 2006 and 2014. The findings suggest that many of these planets were ejected from their original solar systems. The survey's results challenge previous estimates and highlight the prevalence of smaller, Earth-mass objects in the galaxy.

NASA's Juno Probe Reveals Subsurface Heat on Jupiter's Moon Io

NASA's Juno Probe Reveals Subsurface Heat on Jupiter's Moon Io

NASA's Juno spacecraft has provided new insights into the subsurface temperatures of Jupiter's moon Io, the most volcanically active body in the solar system. During close flybys in late 2023 and early 2024, Juno used its Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument to measure temperatures beneath Io's surface, revealing heat levels far exceeding those caused by sunlight alone. The data showed localized regions of elevated heat, suggesting that heat is moving from Io's molten interior through its crust. This discovery offers a new method for studying volcanic activity on planetary bodies.

Vera C. Rubin Observatory Launches Largest Digital Camera to Explore Dark Matter and Potential Ninth Planet

Vera C. Rubin Observatory Launches Largest Digital Camera to Explore Dark Matter and Potential Ninth Planet

On June 23, 2025, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile activated the largest digital camera ever built, featuring 3,200 megapixels across 189 sensors. This camera, part of a project funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, aims to conduct a decade-long survey known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. The survey's objectives include exploring dark matter and searching for a potential ninth planet in the solar system. The observatory, named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who provided the first convincing evidence of dark matter, will repeatedly scan the southern sky, cataloging billions of galaxies and stars.

NASA's Juno Probe Uncovers Subsurface Heat on Jupiter's Volcanic Moon Io

NASA's Juno Probe Uncovers Subsurface Heat on Jupiter's Volcanic Moon Io

NASA's Juno spacecraft has provided new insights into the subsurface temperatures of Jupiter's moon Io, the most volcanically active world in the solar system. During close flybys in late 2023 and early 2024, Juno used its Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument to probe beneath Io's surface, revealing how heat moves through its crust. The findings showed temperatures rising significantly just a few feet below the surface, far more than sunlight alone could explain. The data also revealed localized regions of elevated heat, suggesting the presence of porous layers of volcanic ash and sulfur frost. These observations offer a new way to study planetary crusts and could transform how scientists understand volcanoes across the solar system.

Juno Spacecraft Reveals Intense Heat Below Io's Surface

Juno Spacecraft Reveals Intense Heat Below Io's Surface

NASA's Juno spacecraft has provided new insights into the heat dynamics of Jupiter's moon Io, the most volcanic body in the Solar System. Using its Microwave Radiometer (MWR), Juno measured thermal emissions from Io's subsurface, revealing a significant temperature increase of over 40 degrees Fahrenheit just a few feet below the surface. This steep gradient cannot be explained by solar heating alone, suggesting intense tidal heating as Io is gravitationally pulled by Jupiter and its moons. The findings, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, offer a deeper understanding of Io's volcanic activity and its implications for other celestial bodies.

NASA Highlights Lunar Maria: Tranquility and Serenity's Historical Significance

NASA Highlights Lunar Maria: Tranquility and Serenity's Historical Significance

NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day for July 25, 2026, features the lunar maria known as the Seas of Tranquility and Serenity. These regions, Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Serenitatis, are ancient lava flows that fill large impact basins on the Moon. Historically, these areas were named based on pre-telescopic observations, which likened them to Earth's oceans. The Mare Tranquillitatis is notably significant as the landing site of the Apollo 11 lunar module, marking the first human presence on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

MAVEN Orbiter Reveals Mars Auroras Operate on Earth's Northern Lights Physics

MAVEN Orbiter Reveals Mars Auroras Operate on Earth's Northern Lights Physics

A study published in Nature Communications reveals that Mars' auroras operate on the same physics as Earth's Northern Lights, known as the Dungey cycle. This discovery was made using data from NASA's MAVEN spacecraft, which found that Mars' localized auroras are powered by magnetic reconnection above ancient magnetized rock patches. This finding challenges the previous assumption that a planet-wide magnetic field is necessary for such auroras. The study highlights the differences between Earth's global magnetosphere and Mars' localized magnetic patches, which still allow for similar auroral processes.