Universe Today
• Matthew Williams
Researchers analyzing archival observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope found a chemical signature suggesting the white dwarf HS 0209+0832 may host a second-generation planet. The finding, reported in Nature Astronomy, shows how existing space-telescope data can yield new evidence about planetary systems around stellar remnants.
Space Exploration & Science Missions
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Researchers analyzing archival observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope found a chemical signature suggesting the white dwarf HS 0209+0832 may host a second-generation planet. The finding, reported in Nature Astronomy, shows how existing space-telescope data can yield new evidence about planetary systems around stellar remnants.
NASA is seeking ideas to mitigate static electricity that could build up on astronauts and critical hardware during Moon missions. The agency says charged lunar explorers could act like “walking, high voltage capacitors,” posing a risk of accidental discharges to spacecraft and equipment.
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The Soviet Union launched Voskhod 1 on Oct. 12, 1964, carrying three cosmonauts on a roughly 24-hour mission. It was the first spaceflight with more than one person aboard and achieved several human-spaceflight firsts, including flying its crew without spacesuits.
Teams behind the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes have released new images capturing stellar nurseries, galaxies and gravitational lensing. Webb is jointly operated by NASA and the European Space Agency, with the Canadian Space Agency also participating; both observatories contributed to the latest collection.
NASA launched Apollo 7 on Oct. 11, 1968, carrying astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham into orbit. It was the first Apollo mission with a crew in orbit and marked the American return to spaceflight after the Apollo 1 tragedy.
The newly observed “little red dots” have prompted questions about what they can reveal about the early universe. Scientists do not yet know what the objects are or what they may show, making their identification a key step in assessing their significance for understanding cosmic origins.
The report brings together Artemis II crew photographs, spoken observations, drawings and annotations, creating a scientific record of the mission’s lunar observations. That material is now available to the science community and the public for further study.
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