Space and planetary science – Page 3
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ResearchAll of life’s nucleic acids could have extraterrestrial origins
All five nucleobases of RNA and DNA found in three meteorites
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NewsEnvironmental concerns ground mercury-based satellite thrusters
UN takes steps to outlaw mercury propellant that could have seen tonnes of the heavy metal rain down on Earth every year
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ResearchDimethyl ether found in a planet-forming disc for the first time
Discovery of dimethyl ether, nitric oxide and other small molecules offers insight into early chemical evolution on planets
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NewsEurope’s Mars rover faces launch delays due to sanctions on Russia
Mars probe is ‘very unlikely’ to launch in 2022 due to deteriorating relationship between Europe and Russia after invasion of Ukraine
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ResearchFreefall flights test feasibility of making oxygen on the moon and Mars
Efficiency of water electrolysis is reduced at lower gravity
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FeatureDrilling deep to discover the secrets of the mantle
Nina Notman hears from the scientists trying to pierce the Earth’s crust below the seafloor to learn more about our home planet
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ResearchChemical ecosystem of Murchison meteorite molecules revealed in snapshots
Atomic force microscopy proof of principle test shows technique is up to the challenge of chronicling chemical diversity in extra-terrestrial samples
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ResearchAncient Mars meteorites’ organic chemistry cracked – and it’s not alien microbes
Study uncovers geochemical processes that formed organic compounds millions of years ago, at a time when the red planet still had liquid water
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FeatureHow elements are made beyond the stars
Tim Wogan looks at what recent astronomical discoveries have added to our understanding of stellar nucleosynthesis, and the mysteries that remain
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ResearchComets’ green colour comes from dicarbon dissociation, experiments confirm
First direct observation of C2 photodissociation explains why some comets have a green halo
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ResearchMysterious nitrogen ice patterns on Pluto linked to sublimation
Scientists use modelling to show that sublimation of nitrogen ice fuels convection in Pluto’s Sputnik Planitia impact crater by cooling its surface
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ResearchThe sun may have been the surprising source of Earth’s water
Dust grains pounded by solar wind and then delivered to Earth are a significant source of the planet’s oceans
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NewsAirbus to build Ariel telescope to examine exoplanets' chemical composition
European Space Agency’s mission to study chemical composition of 1000 exoplanets will launch in 2029
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NewsJames Webb Space Telescope poised to provide insight into chemical evolution of universe
Launch later this month could provide new understanding of exoplanets and the origins of heavier elements
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NewsNasa makes plans to return to Venus to probe the hellish chemistry of its atmosphere
Probe set to launch in 2029 may be able to establish whether life ever existed there and answer the phosphine question
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ResearchIodine ion drive propels satellite in space for the first time
Halogen could provide a cheaper, more efficient alternative to xenon
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ResearchMethane mystery on Saturn’s moon rekindles search for life on other planets
Researchers struggle to explain suspicious amounts of methane on Enceladus while a new chapter opens in the debate around the source of Venus’s phosphine. Why is it so hard to decide what counts as a sign of life?
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CareersExploring the space economy
In the words of Jean-Luc Picard, ‘things are only impossible until they are not’
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OpinionEwine van Dishoeck: ‘Take a steep trajectory early in your career’
The pioneering astrochemist on art, gathering strength and taking the leap into a new discipline
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ResearchMolecular complexity index could help find proof of alien life
Is it microbes on Venus or just lifeless planetary processes? Discovery could help scientists identify life on other planets