To land safely on Mars and the moon, we may need to measure dust

A new radar instrument designed to measure nearby dust and debris could make spacecraft landings on the moon and Mars safer. (Image credit: Nicolas Rasmont/University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) Spacecraft landing on dusty surfaces like of the moon and Mars tend to kick up powdery regolith that blurs the lenses of navigation cameras, reducing visibility andContinue Reading

Hubble Telescope sees ‘stellar volcano’ erupt in amazing colors (video, photo)

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an intricate portrait of two nearby stars that have been in close contact for centuries, revealing once again the complex yet volatile relationship of a stellar duo. The striking, hour-glass-shaped nebula seen in the new image was forged from the centuries-long interaction between its two distinct occupants: a compactContinue Reading