IN BRIEF Space weather : Studies the impact of solar activity on our planet. Electromagnetic disturbances : Solar particles influence the Earth’s geomagnetic field. Impact on satellites : Increase in friction modifies their orbits, requiring corrections. Satellite lifespan : Risk of reduction due to extreme space conditions. Ground effects : Possible damage to energy distribution … Read more
IN BRIEF Dating methods used to establish the age of objects Carbon 14: the most widespread isotopic method Dendrochronology: dating by tree rings Archaeomagnetism: study of variations in the Earth’s magnetic field Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating: measuring photons emitted by minerals Potassium-Argon: technique for dating ancient rocks Relative dating vs. absolute dating Use of paramagnetic … Read more
IN BRIEF Artificial Intelligence : a revolutionary tool to unlock the mysteries of the Universe. Applications in cosmology to understand dark energy. Numerical methods and simulations at the service of science. Use of machine learning for astronomical research. AI tools to predict the structure of the Universe. Collaboration between mathematics, physics, and AI for significant … Read more
IN BRIEF Space exploration of asteroids to understand their origin. Lucy mission to study the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter. Asteroid deviation testing through the DART and Hera missions. Protecting Earth by monitoring near-Earth asteroids. Sample return through missions like MarcoPolo-R. Potential impacts of asteroids on our planet. Technological advancements in asteroid detection. Asteroid exploration missions … Read more
IN BRIEF Stratospheric balloons fly between 20 and 40 km altitude. They can stay at high altitude for few hours to several months. Cost-effective, they carry telescopes to observe the cosmos. These balloons are capable of collecting in-situ data and studying our atmosphere. They allow for the analysis of radiations that are inaccessible from the … Read more
IN BRIEF Superclusters of galaxies: vast groupings of galaxies. Laniakea: a supercluster that extends over nearly 500 million light-years. More than 100,000 galaxies in our supercluster, identified through extensive studies. Superclusters are subdivided into groups of clusters known as galaxy clouds. Cosmic flows: movements of galaxies influenced by gravity. Hyperion: a supercluster of young galaxies, … Read more
IN BRIEF Electric propulsion: use of electricity to ionize a propellant agent. Ion thrusters: one of the most advanced propulsion systems. Innovative technologies: development of more efficient propulsion systems. Antimatter: potentially a solution for interstellar travel. Plasma propulsion: active research on Hall-effect thrusters. Launch systems: space elevators and launch loops to reach orbit. Satellite lifespan: … Read more
IN BRIEF Primordial nucleosynthesis: the initial formation of elements after the Big Bang. Origin of matter: explained by the Big Bang model. Carbon chemistry: the foundation of life on Earth with sugar, proteins, lipids. First molecule: the helium hydride ion (HeH+) could be the very first formed element. Complexification of atoms: evolution of hydrogen atoms … Read more
IN SHORT Globular clusters: groupings of old and dense stars. Considered as ancient relics of galaxy formation. Orbit around the galactic center at distances of 40 to 100 kiloparsecs. The study of globular clusters has helped to better understand the history of the Milky Way. The existence of dwarf galaxies absorbed into our galaxy explained … Read more
IN BRIEF Binary stars: Systems composed of two stars orbiting each other. Birth and evolution: The processes during their formation are still unclear for scientists. Gravitational interactions: Influence the disks of gas and dust around binary stars. Physical measurements: Typology of binary stars allowing for direct observations and analysis. X-ray binary sources: Stars emitting X-rays, … Read more