Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College’s Post

Scientists were stunned on May 30 when a rock that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover drove over cracked open to reveal something never seen before on the Red Planet: yellow sulfur crystals. Since October 2023, the rover has been exploring a region of Mars rich with sulfates, a kind of salt that contains sulfur and forms as water evaporates. But where past detections have been of sulfur-based minerals — in other words, a mix of sulfur and other materials — the rock Curiosity recently cracked open is made of elemental, or pure, sulfur. It isn’t clear what relationship, if any, the elemental sulfur has to other sulfur-based minerals in the area. While people associate sulfur with the odor from rotten eggs (the result of hydrogen sulfide gas), elemental sulfur is odorless. It forms in only a narrow range of conditions that scientists haven’t associated with the history of this location. And Curiosity found a lot of it — an entire field of bright rocks that look similar to the one the rover crushed. “Finding a field of stones made of pure sulfur is like finding an oasis in the desert,” said Curiosity’s project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “It shouldn’t be there, so now we have to explain it. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting.” It’s one of several discoveries Curiosity has made while off-roading within Gediz Vallis channel, a groove that winds down part of the 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) Mount Sharp, the base of which the rover has been ascending since 2014. Each layer of the mountain represents a different period of Martian history. Curiosity’s mission is to study where and when the planet’s ancient terrain could have provided the nutrients needed for microbial life, if any ever formed on Mars. Spotted from space years before Curiosity’s launch, Gediz Vallis channel is one of the primary reasons the science team wanted to visit this part of Mars. Scientists think that the channel was carved by flows of liquid water and debris that left a ridge of boulders and sediment extending 2 miles down the mountainside below the channel. The goal has been to develop a better understanding of how this landscape changed billions of years ago, and while recent clues have helped, there’s still much to learn from the dramatic landscape. Since Curiosity’s arrival at the channel earlier this year, scientists have studied whether ancient floodwaters or landslides built up the large mounds of debris that rise up from the channel’s floor here. The latest clues from Curiosity suggest both played a role: some piles were likely left by violent flows of water and debris, while others appear to be the result of more local landslides. #Mars #NASA #Curiosity

My research paper, "Evolutions of Planetary Systems and the Role of Planetary Systems to Determine the Metallicity and Habitability of Exoplanets," has been accepted at PhysicsRN (Physics Research Network) under SSRN! Using machine learning techniques, astrophysical calculations, and a dataset of over 13,000 confirmed/unconfirmed exoplanets from NASA Exoplanet Archive and TESS, my study uncovers: ✅ An innovative method to differentiate between confirmed and unconfirmed exoplanets based on planetary attributes. ✅ A novel equation to calculate stellar metallicity levels. ✅ Predictive insights into stellar metallicity levels that determine the likelihood of habitability in exoplanets. This research provides fresh perspectives on what it takes for a planet to potentially harbor life. I invite you to read the full paper attached below:

Welcome to our educational video on proving Earth's spherical shape through simple observations and experiments! In this video, we delve into the fundamental concepts that planetary science students can use to understand and demonstrate the roundness of our planet. From vantage points such as mountain tops and open meadows, we explore key observations like the curvature of the horizon, the path of the Sun during sunrise and sunset, and the gradual disappearance of ships over the horizon. We also highlight the use of tools like levels, theodolites, and telescopes to measure angles of elevation and study celestial bodies. This video is perfect for students and enthusiasts interested in planetary science, astronomy, and earth sciences. Join us as we uncover the evidence that supports the spherical nature of Earth and deepen our understanding of our place in the cosmos. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more educational content on planetary science and Earth sciences!

Math, physics, and space exploration literally unlock innovation everywhere else. I will die on this hill. Without electron microscopes, X-ray crystallography etc.. biologists would still be twiddling their thumbs with Mendelian concepts. No GPS, no cell phones, no AI. All of this is because historically, brave souls ignored the masses, pursued the abstract and theoretical, and applied it to the empirical. Walking away from yet another debate on how we should spend all the money on earthly problems and not invest in space research! Feels like Groundhog Day! I wrote about my opinions on this in 2016, and I still hold the same opinion. Just shaking my head. #Math #Space #Physics https://lnkd.in/gae4HF6h

📃Scientific paper: The Prevalence of Resonance Among Young, Close-in Planets Abstract: Multiple planets undergoing disk migration may be captured into a chain of mean-motion resonances with the innermost planet parked near the disk's inner edge. Subsequent dynamical evolution may disrupt these resonances, leading to the non-resonant configurations typically observed among \{\it Kepler\} planets that are Gyrs old. In this scenario, resonant configurations are expected to be more common in younger systems. This prediction can now be tested, thanks to recent discoveries of young planets, particularly those in stellar clusters, by NASA's \{\it TESS\} mission. We divided the known planetary systems into three age groups: young \($\<$100-Myr-old\), adolescent \(0.1-1-Gyr-old\), and mature \($\>1$-Gyr-old\). The fraction of neighboring planet pairs having period ratios within a few percent of a first-order commensurability \(e.g.\~4:3, 3:2, or 2:1\) is 70$\pm$15\% for young pairs, 24$\pm$8\% for adolescent pairs, and 15$\pm$2\% for mature pairs. The fraction of systems with at least one nearly commensurable pair \(either first or second-order\) is 86$\pm13$\% among young systems, 38$\pm12$\% for adolescent systems, and 23$\pm3$\% for mature systems. First-order commensurabilities prevail across all age groups, with an admixture of second-order commensurabilities. Commensurabilities are more common in systems with high planet multiplicity and low mutual inclinations. Observed period ratios often deviate from perfect commensurability by $\sim$1\% even among young planets, too... Continued on ES/IODE ➡️ https://etcse.fr/FI6VJ ------- If you find this interesting, feel free to follow, comment and share. We need your help to enhance our visibility, so that our platform continues to serve you.

Planetary science

What is Planetary Science? Planetary science is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to the study of celestial bodies, including planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other objects within and beyond the Solar System. By integrating knowledge from astronomy, geology, physics, chemistry, and atmospheric science, planetary science seeks to understand the origins, evolution, and current states of these celestial bodies and the systems they form. This field provides vital insights into Earth's history and future, the potential for life beyond our planet, and the mechanisms shaping planetary environments across the universe.

Noah Manning, a fourth-year Physics/Astrophysical Sciences and Technology BS/MS major, is doing research at RIT under the NASA Space Grant. He works with Dr. Richard O'Shaughnessy, reanalyzing GWTC-3, the third gravitational-wave transients catalog, to determine differences in parameter estimation of compact binary coalescence sources that arise from the choice of gravitational-wave model used. Having more accurate models – and knowing where these differences occur – allows us to determine more accurate parameters of these systems. These values inform us about the system, leading to findings regarding information on the environments around compact objects and even an independent measurement of the Hubble constant. "Working on this project for the summer has given me firsthand experience in computational astrophysics research. I was able to improve my coding abilities, learn about gravitational waves, compact binaries, and improve my understanding of statistics. This opportunity has made me more confident in who I am as a researcher and my abilities as I use this project as a stepping stone for my master's thesis."

Nearly three centuries after Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod, lightning remains a powerful yet enigmatic force of nature. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Dr. Jeremy Riousset and his team are conducting groundbreaking research to answer one of atmospheric science's most fundamental questions: How does lightning begin? Using innovative techniques and a Dusty Plasma Chamber at Embry-Riddle’s Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab, the team is recreating lightning’s earliest stages to measure the exact conditions required for initiation. Their findings could revolutionize lightning rod design and help mitigate electrical hazards for spacecraft and astronauts. This work holds promise for improving safety on Earth and even during human missions to Mars. Click to read more about this cutting-edge research and its implications for science, safety, and space exploration! https://lnkd.in/eGq8kaZ9

Join us for the upcoming Science Summit at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (Science Summit 2024) session on "𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝐈𝐈: 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝗦𝗗𝗚𝘀" by the 24th Septembre. Meet us online with a fantastic set of speakers. 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐈𝐈 🗓 Date: September 24, 2024 ⏰ Time: 7:00 AM ET | 13:00 CEST 📍 Location: Virtual (Global) 🔗 Register here: Science Summit UNGA79 https://lnkd.in/gjk9VUDX According to NASA , Space Sustainability encompasses the ability to maintain the conduct of space activities indefinitely into the future in a manner that is safe, peaceful, and responsible to meet the needs of the present generations while preserving the outer space environment for future activities and limiting harm to terrestrial life. We add to this the preservation of the dark sky as a cultural, scientific and economic asset for the global community, the preservation of space heritage and the Moon environment for future science observatories. No doubt Space is critical to support the attainment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Space technologies and its synergies can help to tackle the challenges of the world's increasing population and complex societies while ensuring sustainable development and bolstering resilience, leveraging the guidance of the "Space2030" Agenda, as updated by UNOOSA and EUSPA. Those are heavily reliant on advanced computing infrastructures and a strong digital agenda. Deep Space Exploration in particular opens new horizons to decipher our cosmic history and is a driver for innovation and for the establishment of major infrastructures with a huge capacitation potential. Science perspectives are fundamental to understand these issues and technically inform policy makers to foster the adoption of sustainable practices through technology and policy development, and increase our efforts to share and receive information with the rest of the global society as a whole, to bridge the gap between space-faring nations and non-space-faring nations, to nurture the benefits for all humankind. 🔭 Panelists Session I|, 24th September: Alain Blanchard, Université de Toulouse; Miguel Avillez, University of Évora; Nicolas Billot, University of Geneva; Carla Mitchell, SARAO - South African Radio Astronomy Observatory; Miracle Chibuzor Marcel, @PACS e-Labs; Andrew Williams, European Southern Observatory; @Jurgen Knodlseder, IRAP - Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie; Victória Da Graça G. Samboco, @AMAS and Rhodes University; Domingos Barbosa, @ENGAGE SKA / @AERAP / Science Summit 2024 (Convenor). #SpaceTech #Sustainability #UNGA79 #Innovation #SDGs #GlobalImpact #SatelliteData #DeepSpaceExploration #SpaceForEarth #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris #SpaceTrafficManagement #DarkSky #QuietSky #researchinfrastructures #education #capacitybuilding #Carbonfootprint