environment
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Observatory Buried Under Antarctica Spots Seven Potential ‘Ghost Particles’
Researchers working on data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory buried deep in Antarctic ice think they may have spotted tau neutrinos, a certain flavor of the subatomic particles from space. The seven candidate signals appeared in 9.7 years of observatory data, a testament to just how elusive these little particles are. About 100 trillion neutrinos…
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Massive Pallet of Old Batteries Re-Enters Earth’s Atmosphere, Marking Heaviest ISS Trash Return Yet
Last week, a pallet of used batteries from the International Space Station (ISS) reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the Gulf of Mexico following an unpredictable journey through orbit. The pallet contained nine batteries and weighed in at 2.9 tons. It had been tossed by the Canadarm2 robotic arm in March 2021 and and has since been…
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NASA Is Still Fighting to Save Its Historic Voyager 1 Spacecraft
For more than 45 years, the Voyager 1 spacecraft has been cruising through the cosmos, crossing the boundary of our solar system to become the first human-made object to venture to interstellar space. Iconic in every regard, Voyager 1 has delivered groundbreaking data on Jupiter and Saturn, and captured the loneliest image of Earth. But…
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This Potentially Inhabited Moon Is Churning Out Enough Oxygen for 1 Million Humans
Jupiter’s Europa produces 1,000 tonnes of oxygen per day, according to new research.