NASA confirms that 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet, dismissing speculation about alien origins. The agency shared images and data from multiple space missions to support this conclusion.
NASA missions are tracking and studying the rare interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through our solar system, with observations from Hubble, Webb, SPHEREx, and others.
This document is a **scientific article** from *Nature* titled "Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars." It details findings from the Perseverance rover's exploration of the Bright Angel formation within Jezero Crater on Mars.
**Key Findings:**
* The Bright Angel formation consists of mudstones containing organic carbon and minerals (ferrous iron phosphate and sulfide – vivianite and greigite).
* These minerals likely formed through post-depositional redox reactions involving organic matter at low temperatures.
* The rocks show evidence of aqueous alteration and a complex history of mineral precipitation and oxidation-reduction processes.
* The presence of organic carbon and redox-sensitive minerals suggests potential for biosignature preservation and warrants further investigation of the collected core sample.
* The study suggests that the formation of these minerals involved the oxidation of organic matter, leading to the reduction of iron and the precipitation of iron-phosphate and iron-sulfide minerals.
**Key Findings:**
* The Bright Angel formation consists of mudstones containing organic carbon and minerals (ferrous iron phosphate and sulfide – vivianite and greigite).
* These minerals likely formed through post-depositional redox reactions involving organic matter at low temperatures.
* The rocks show evidence of aqueous alteration and a complex history of mineral precipitation and oxidation-reduction processes.
* The presence of organic carbon and redox-sensitive minerals suggests potential for biosignature preservation and warrants further investigation of the collected core sample.
* The study suggests that the formation of these minerals involved the oxidation of organic matter, leading to the reduction of iron and the precipitation of iron-phosphate and iron-sulfide minerals.
Months after arriving in orbit thanks to a Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, NASA’s newest space telescope has started collecting images of the universe. The craft known as SPHEREx — Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer — shared a ride with another NASA mission for the trek on March 11.
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft obtained a close look at asteroid Donaldjohanson, a uniquely shaped fragment formed about 150 million years ago, during a flyby on April 20, 2025. The asteroid appears to be an elongated contact binary with an odd shape and is approximately 5 miles long and 2 miles wide.
This article discusses the role of amateur (ham) radio as an educational tool, a driver of innovation in telecommunications, and an inclusive community for STEM learning. It highlights the challenges ham radio faces regarding public perception and spectrum allocation, while advocating for its continued support and expansion in education.
The NASA Solar Data Analysis Center (SDAC) offers a variety of resources related to solar physics, including solar images, research, data online, web resources, and outreach opportunities. The SDAC supports various aspects of solar and space physics through its services and data products. It highlights the Virtual Solar Observatory news, the SOHO project, and the latest solar activities monitored by LMSAL. The center also provides information on NASA's Heliophysics discipline and its research focus areas.
The PUNCH mission, involving four small satellites, aims to observe the Sun’s corona and its transition into the solar wind over a two-year mission. This will help scientists predict space weather events and their impacts on Earth and space explorations.
The SPHEREx mission will observe the entire sky multiple times over its planned two-year mission. It employs Linear-Variable Filter (LVF) technology to capture spectra across 100 spectral bands in the near-infrared spectrum. The mission focuses on exploring the origins of the universe, galaxies, water, and pre-biotic molecules, with a deep survey near the ecliptic poles and an all-sky survey during its mission. SPHEREx aims to achieve deeper sensitivities than 2MASS and meet scientific requirements with margins over instrument performance.
NASA's SPHEREx mission aims to study the origins of the universe, the history of galaxies, and the presence of water and pre-biotic molecules in planetary systems. It will conduct an all-sky spectral survey to gather data on over 100 million stars and galaxies, providing insights into large-scale cosmic structures and the history of galaxy formation.
