The exploration of Mars continues‚ with many nations sending robotic missions to search for evidence of past life and learn more about the evolution of the planet’s geology and climate. As of the penning of the article‚ there are ten missions exploring the Red Planet‚ a combination of orbiters‚ landers‚ rovers‚ and one helicopter (Ingenuity). Looking to the future‚ NASA and other space agencies are eyeing concepts that will allow them to explore farther into the Red Planet‚ including previously inaccessible places. In particular‚ there is considerable interest in exploring the stable lava tubes that run beneath the Martian surface. These tubes may be a treasure trove of scientific discoveries‚ containing water ice‚ organic molecules‚ and maybe even life! Even crewed mission proposals recommend establishing habitats within these tubes‚ where astronauts would be sheltered from radiation‚ dust storms‚ and the extreme conditions on the surface. In a recent study from the University Politehnica Bucuresti (UPB)‚ a team of engineers described how an autonomous Martian Inspection Drone (MID) inspired by the Inginuity helicopter could locate‚ enter‚ and study these lava tubes in detail. The study was conducted by Daniel Betco and Sabina Ciudin‚ two aerospace engineers at the University of Bucharest Polytechnic‚ with the support of Petrisor Valentin Parvu‚ an associate professor with UPB’s Department of Aerospace Sciences. The paper that details their concept‚ “Autonomous Navigation for the Martian Inspection Drone‚” recently appeared in Acta Astronautica. In it‚ they describe how guidance‚ navigation‚ and control operations could be developed for their MID concept‚ which would rely on a convolutional neural network (CNN) to ensure autonomy. Martian lava tubes were first noticed by the Viking orbiters‚ that studied Mars between 1976 and 1980. The images acquired by these missions revealed many features that showed how Mars was once a very different place. These included flow channels‚ basins‚ and alluvial deposits that indicated Mars once had flowing water on its surface. The presence of these lava tubes was confirmed by subsequent orbiters like the Mars Odyssey‚ Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)‚ Mars Express‚ and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)‚ which indicated that it was geologically active in the past as well. As Betco and his colleagues told Universe Today via email‚ there are many things that make Martian lava tubes appealing to scientists. Much like lava tubes on the Moon‚ which are similarly large enough to accommodate entire planetary bases (or even whole cities)‚ this includes natural radiation shielding and protection against the elements: “In some instances‚ predicted surface values are reduced by as much as 98%. These lava tubes are of particular interest to astrobiology as they may preserve evidence of life on Mars by offering protection from UV radiation. Additionally‚ the caves could serve as a refuge for future human missions exploring Mars. Deeper locations within the caves could be utilized as a shield against micrometeoroids or as a heat insulator.” There is also considerable research that suggests that lava tubes may contain water ice and even be a haven for Martian life (most likely in the form of hardy bacteria). This makes lava tubes a viable location for astronaut habitats‚ astrobiology research‚ and possibly permanent settlements. Many mission concepts have been proposed for exploring these lava tubes‚ including networked rovers and robotic snakes. However‚ the Ingenuity helicopter – a technology demonstrator that accompanied the Perseverance rover to Mars – effectively demonstrated that aerial vehicles could be the best option for exploring Mars. As Betco and his colleagues indicated‚ this includes the lava tubes that run beneath its surface‚ which would be tricky for rovers to navigate. “Aerial vehicles are well-suited for lava cave exploration as they can move in any direction in three-dimensional space‚ allowing them to enter the lava tube for inspection‚” they said. “In comparison‚ a rover is limited to two dimensions and would require a highly complex configuration to enter and navigate within a lava tube.” Artist illustration of NASA’s Ingenuity (upper right)‚ a Sample Recovery Helicopter for the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission (foreground)‚ and a future Science Helicopter (upper center). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Using the Ingenuity helicopter as their touchstone‚ the team produced a design for their Martian Inspection Drone (MID). But whereas Ingenuity relies on two coaxial rotors‚ their vehicle has an octocopter configuration with eight. The vehicle will also have a suite of advanced scientific instruments for inspecting the cave and lava tube interiors. It will weigh a maximum of 15 kg (33 lbs)‚ making it significantly heavier than Ingenuity – which weighs just 1.8 kg (4 lbs). As they describe it‚ the MID will also rely on an autonomous navigation system and AI to ensure it can make decisions without human controllers: “A foldable mechanism is proposed to occupy a smaller volume during launch. Its autonomous navigation relies on acquiring data from sensors such as accelerometers‚ gyroscopes‚ altimeters‚ and cameras‚ processing them to determine the position and attitude of the drone during flight. Another layer of autonomy is implemented through MID’s capability to make decisions regarding the next steps based on a trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model. This model offers the possibility to detect and inspect lava-tube entrances (pits).” Looking to the future‚ it is clear that aerial vehicles will play a significant role in exploring extraterrestrial environments. This includes NASA’s Dragonfly mission‚ the nuclear-powered quadcopter that will explore Saturn’s largest moon‚ Titan (starting in 2034). Other concepts‚ like solar-powered aircraft and fleets of balloons‚ are being considered as a possible means of exploring the cloud tops of Venus and deploying sample-return drones to the surface. An autonomous helicopter‚ said Betco and his colleagues‚ could drastically expand future exploration efforts on Mars: “Our work’s potential implications lie in the efficient exploration of the Martian planet‚ as the drone offers the possibility to survey and inspect areas of interest without requiring constant human intervention. The development of MID contributes to the integration of artificial intelligence in Martian missions. Even though the technology is not quite ready for this‚ the lessons learned and technologies developed now will drastically benefit future exploration of the Red Planet.” The team is currently working on implementing new capabilities that will allow their concept to inspect the insides of lava tubes using Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) techniques. If realized‚ similar concepts could be used to explore lava tubes and recesses on the Moon‚ Mercury‚ and anywhere else in the Solar System they are found. Further Reading: Acta Astronautica The post Future Mars Helicopters Could Explore Lava Tubes appeared first on Universe Today.

There is a vast menagerie of potentially habitable worlds in the cosmos‚ which means the Universe could be home to a diversity of life beyond what we can imagine. Creatures built on silicon rather than carbon‚ or organisms that breathe hydrogen instead of oxygen. But regardless of how strange and wondrous alien life may be‚ it is still governed by the same chemistry as life on Earth‚ and that means it needs a chemical solvent. On Earth that solvent is water (H2O). Water dissolves some molecules into solution‚ giving organisms access to a range of materials. Since it is a liquid‚ water also makes it easy for complex molecules to mix together and interact. Terrestrial life isn’t possible without the solvent and fluid properties of water‚ and since water is a common molecule in the Universe‚ its central role for life is not surprising. But are there other common molecules that could serve as the solvent of life? Could alien life arise on distant worlds without the need for water? That’s the question studied in a recent article on the arXiv. The authors begin with four general conditions for life-friendly solvents: they must dissolve some molecules but not all; they must be able to play a role in the metabolism of living things; a wide range of complex organic molecules must be able to survive in the solvent; and it must commonly exist on certain rocky worlds for billions of years. Of all the known common solvents‚ only water clearly satisfies all four conditions. Ammonia (NH4) satisfies the first three‚ but is unlikely to meet the fourth condition because it breaks down readily when exposed to ultraviolet light‚ and wherever ammonia is likely to survive water is likely as well. So while ammonia can play a role in life on other worlds‚ it isn’t likely to be the main solvent. There are two molecules‚ however‚ that come pretty close to water. The first is concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Although it’s extremely dangerous to life on Earth‚ sulfuric acid satisfies three main conditions. What’s not known is whether a diverse range of organic molecules can exist within it. Like water‚ it can provide ions for the exchange of electric charge‚ and it can participate in the interactions of certain compounds such as aromatic molecules. But there is one molecule that comes even closer to the usefulness and abundance of water: carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide is quite common. The atmospheres of both Mars and Venus are composed mostly of CO2‚ and it is likely that most rocky exoplanets are rich in carbon dioxide. It isn’t a solvent in its gaseous state‚ so life on warm planets such as Earth would rely upon it. But more distant exoplanets such as a cold Venus might. Liquid CO2 is geologically stable and tolerates a wide range of organic molecules. What isn’t known is whether its solvent properties are suitable for complex metabolism. CO2 is a very benign solvent‚ so it may not stir the chemical pot enough for life to arise within it. But since it plays well with so many types of molecules‚ it might work in collaboration with other molecules to become a foundation for life. The authors conclude this is a topic worth further study. On one level this work confirms what we’ve already known‚ that water is the most abundant and useful solvent for life. But it also raises interesting questions. Other common molecules come close‚ and they might work together to form a home for alien life. The seas of Titan‚ for example‚ are rich in hydrocarbons and other complex organic molecules. Cold exoplanet moons similar to Titan could have oceans of CO2‚ NH4‚ and H2O‚ each capable of serving part of the role that water does on Earth. There is still much we don’t understand about cryogenic chemistry on cold exoplanets. So while the waters of life are likely in the cosmos‚ the seas of life on some worlds could be much more exotic. Reference: Bains‚ William‚ Janusz J. Petkowski‚ and Sara Seager. “Alternative solvents for life: framework for evaluation‚ current status and future research.” arXiv preprint arXiv:2401.07296 (2024). The post Life on Earth Uses Water as a Solvent. What are Some Other Options for Life as We Don't Know it? appeared first on Universe Today.

The Large Interferometer for Exoplanets (LIFE) project is an ambitious plan to build a space telescope with four independent mirrors. The array would allow the individual mirrors to move closer or farther apart‚ similar to the way the Very Large Array (VLA) does with radio antennas. LIFE is still early in its planning stage‚ so it would likely be decades before it is built‚ but already the LIFE team is looking at ways it might discover life on other worlds. Much of this focuses on the detection of biogenic molecules in exoplanet atmospheres. Earlier studies looked at simulations of how our solar system would appear as an exoplanetary system. If aliens used LIFE to view our solar system from 10 parsecs away (about 32 light-years)‚ then the array would be able to directly observe Venus‚ Earth‚ and Mars. Using a process known as phase-space synthesis decomposition (PSSD)‚ LIFE would also be able to detect several basic molecules in their atmospheres such as water and carbon dioxide. Simulations of the inner solar system as if seen by LIFE. Credit: LIFE Initiative / Matsuo et al Of course‚ lots of potentially habitable worlds are expected to have atmospheric quantities of these molecules‚ but that doesn’t necessarily indicate the presence of life. A stronger case for life would be made if astronomers could detect more complex molecules that are biogenic in origin‚ meaning that they aren’t likely to form through any geological process. This new study focuses on three types of molecules: nitrous oxide (N2O)‚ also known as laughing gas‚ methyl chloride (CH3Cl)‚ and methyl bromide (CH3Cl). All three of these are produced by ocean biology on Earth‚ so their presence in an exoplanet atmosphere would be a reasonable indication of life. Based on their simulations‚ the authors argue that LIFE would be able to detect these molecules in atmospheric atmospheres for worlds within 5 parsecs of Earth‚ and should be able to gather sufficient data within 10 – 100 days of observation time. A nearby system such as Proxima Centauri‚ just 4 light-years from Earth would take only a few days of observation. But even for a more distant system such as Trappist-1‚ which is 40 light-years away‚ LIFE has a decent chance of detection given enough time. The Large Interferometer for Exoplanets is currently one project being considered by the European Space Agency‚ but there are other life-seeking projects being proposed as well. It will be years before LIFE or another mission will be approved‚ and a decade or more after that before it is launched. But studies such as these are needed to make those decisions. The search is on‚ and finding exoplanet life could be just a matter of time. Reference: Matsuo‚ Taro‚ et al. “Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE)-XI. Phase-space synthesis decomposition for planet detection and characterization.” Astronomy &; Astrophysics 678 (2023): A97. Reference: Angerhausen‚ Daniel‚ et al. “Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): XII. The Detectability of Capstone Biosignatures in the Mid-Infrared–Sniffing Exoplanetary Laughing Gas and Methylated Halogens.” arXiv preprint arXiv:2401.08492 (2024). The post The Next Generation LIFE Telescope Could Detect Some Intriguing Biosignatures appeared first on Universe Today.

SpaceX is often in the headlines‚ unfortunlatey its not always good news. On 18th November we saw the second of the Starship and SuperHeavy booster get off the launchpad successfully‚ it failed before reaching orbit. In a recent event‚ Elon Musk explained how a fuel venting near the end of the burn was responbie but entirely avoidable next time! The Starship and SuperHeavy booster are an impressive combination. Standing at over 120 metres tall together they are one of the most powerful and versatile rocket systems ever built. It can produce 16‚700‚000 pound force of thrust making it twice as powerful as Saturn V that took the Apollo astrnauts to the Moon.  The Apollo 10 Saturn V during rollout. Credit: NASA The first launch attempt failed when the rocket spun out of control‚ exploding about four minutes from liftoff.  Following the disaster‚ the team identified that the flight termination system which was supposed to destroy the vehicle if it went out of control‚ failed to do its job.  Musk reported on the second launch test from an event at Boca China in Texas where he explained that the lack of a payload meant that it needed to vent some of the liquid oxygen propellant. It almost made it to orbit and would have succeeded if it had a payload. The liquid oxygen would have been consumed by the mighty Raptor engines instead of being vented which was as per design. Musk however did not elaborate on how this all led to a fire.  Elon Musk on stage at his September 27th presentation at the IAC. Image: SpaceX The third test flight is slated for February and Musk is confident it will reach orbit this time. On the assumption of a succesful launch they plan to test the de-orbit process‚ the payload door operations and transferring propellant from header tank to main tank. This latter test is part of the NASA Tipping Point program to test fuel transfer from one vehicle to another. Whether its the third or even the fourth test launch that brings success for SpaceX their long term goals remain unchanged. They still hope to be able to carry up to 100 people on interplanetary missions and become a pivotal part of the return to the Moon.  Source : SpaceX‚ X feed. The post Now We Know Why Starship’s Second Flight Test Failed appeared first on Universe Today.

A few decades ago‚ the idea of private individuals travelling to the International Space Station was as much science fiction as a time travelling police box.  Yet here we are‚ in 2024 and a crew of four private astronauts are on board the ISS. The team will spend about two weeks undertaking various experiments‚ commercial activities and outreach tasks.  Axiom Space was founded in 2016 by Michael Suffredini and Kam Ghaffarian. Their goal‚ to arrange private missions into space‚ chiefly the ISS but they are also developing spacesuits for NASA’s future missions to the Moon. In realisting these goals‚ the team at Axiom Space have the wonderful dream ‘We are on a mission to reveal it [space] to as many humans as possible’. On the 18th January four private astronauts were launched to ISS on the Dragon spacecraft‚ propelled by the Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket. The private mission was the third such enterprise by Axiom Space‚ the first mission flew in April 2022 and the second in May 2023. The crew for this mission composed of Commander Michael López-Alegría‚ Pilot Walter Villadei‚ and Mission Specialists Marcus Wandt and Alper Gezeravci. An illustration shows SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule approaching the International Space Station. (Credit: SpaceX) The crew arrived at the ISS on Saturday 20th January when the Dragon module autonomously docked with the Harmony module. When the hatch opens the Axiom crew will be welcomed by the Expedition 70 crew including NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara‚ ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen‚ JAXA astronaut Furukawa Satoshi and cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov‚ Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub.  AX-3 (as this mission is called) is due to depart from the ISS on Saturday 3rd February‚ weather permitting.  They will have spent two weeks on board before returning to Earth‚ touching down to a wet arrival off the coast of Florida. Axiom Space‚ and their partnership with NASA are doing great things‚ opening up low Earth orbit to more and more people. In the 1950’s and 1960’s we saw the space race where America and Russia were in a battle to become the first to get into space and to put a human on the Moon. Now the landscape for space travel and exploration has changed. Partnerships between large space organisations like NASA and private enterprises like Axiom are driving a thriving commercial space economy that may once and for all‚ open up space to us all.  Source : NASA‚ Partners to Welcome Private Crew Aboard Space Station link : The post Private Axiom Mission 3 is Off to the Space Station appeared first on Universe Today.

There’s an incredibly ancient black hole out there that’s challenging astronomers to explain how it could exist only 400 million years after the Big Bang. It’s at the heart of a galaxy called GN-z11. Astronomers using JWST saw evidence of it gobbling up that galaxy‚ which is one way a black hole can grow. In JWST observations‚ GN-z11 appears to be about 13.4 billion light-years away and is about 100 times smaller than the Milky Way Galaxy. Yet‚ it has a very bright nucleus‚ which tells us there’s a black hole at its heart. An accretion disk surrounds the black hole‚ and it feeds material into the hungry black hole. The motion of the material in the disk heats it‚ causing it to glow in ultraviolet light. That’s what we see as the active galactic nucleus. Artist’s representation of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) at the center of a galaxy. Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss A team of astronomers‚ led by Cambridge University professor Roberto Maiolino‚ used the JWST observations to study the motions of material in the galaxy. Finding a black hole like this early in cosmic history is a giant leap forward‚ he said. “It’s very early in the Universe to see a black hole this massive‚ so we’ve got to consider other ways they might form‚” said Maiolino. “Very early galaxies were extremely gas-rich‚ so they would have been like a buffet for black holes.” What Does GN-z11 Tell Us About Black Holes in the Early Universe? No one is quite sure exactly when the first black holes began to form in the early Universe. If you look at standard models about their creation‚ it looks like they take a while to get started. Supermassive black holes—like the ones in the hearts of galaxies—could get started as stellar-mass black holes that continue to accrete matter. If that’s how this one in GN-z11 got started‚ it would have been born when a supermassive star died. Then‚ somehow it grew to be 6 million times the mass of the Sun. But‚ there’s a gotcha. It would take nearly a billion years to accumulate that kind of mass. JWST observations show this black hole at a time when the Universe wasn’t even a billion years old. So‚ something doesn’t add up and perhaps early black holes grew faster than astronomers suspect. Maybe there’s another way for a black hole to grow that fast. The hint lies in its enormous appetite. Very early galaxies like this one have a lot of material to form stars. However‚ that also provides food for black holes. As it turns out‚ GN-z11’s black hole is devouring matter much faster than other black holes do in their galaxies in more modern times. That’s great for the growth of the black hole‚ but not so great if the galaxy wants to make more stars. Artist concept of a growing black hole‚ or quasar‚ seen at the center of a faraway galaxy. This may be how they looked in the early Universe. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) The hungry black hole is actually harming GN-z11. Since it’s consuming a lot of gas‚ it pushes the gas away in an ultra-fast wind. That stops the process of star formation. Since stars are what galaxies produce‚ the black hole’s gobbling can actually “kill off” the galaxy. The bad news (at least for the black hole) is that its appetite for gas will spell its doom as it runs out of material to eat. Going Back to the Beginning Ultimately‚ astronomers want to see the “seeds” of the earliest supermassive black holes in galaxies. These seeds likely formed very early in cosmic time‚ perhaps no later than 200 million years after the Big Bang. The first galaxies assembled fairly quickly and harbored very massive stars that lived perhaps only a few million years. Then‚ they exploded as supernovae and probably left behind the first stellar-mass black holes. Some have suggested that dark matter helped form early black holes by forcing matter in dense regions to collapse. Artist view of merging black holes in the early universe. Supermassive black holes early in cosmic time could have experienced many such “mergers and acquisitions”. Credit: LIGO/Caltech/MIT/R. Hurt (IPAC) However‚ they formed‚ black holes in early galaxies got swept up in early galactic mergers. Those seeds merged‚ too‚ creating ever more massive black holes. That’s probably why astronomers suspect that supermassive black holes grew by accretion‚ but not just with each other. They also grew by accretion of material inside their gas-rich galaxies‚ as GN-z11 seems to show. Future observations using JWST (and future telescopes) should uncover evidence of those black hole “seeds”. That means GN-z11 may not be the oldest black hole for long. Studying black hole seeds should give Maiolino and other astronomers more clues to unravel the story of how these objects formed not long after the Big Bang. For More Information Astronomers Detect Oldest Black Hole Ever ObservedA Small and Vigorous Black Hole in the Early UniverseA Small and Vigorous Black Hole in the Early Universe (arXiv PDF) The post This is the Oldest Black Hole Ever Seen appeared first on Universe Today.

The Vera Rubin Observatory (VRO) is something special among telescopes. It’s not built for better angular resolution and increased resolving power like the European Extremely Large Telescope or the Giant Magellan Telescope. It’s built around a massive digital camera and will repeatedly capture broad‚ deep views of the entire sky rather than focus on any individual objects. By repeatedly surveying the sky‚ the VRO will spot any changes or astronomical transients. Astronomers call this type of observation Time Domain Astronomy. When the VRO spots something transient in the night sky‚ it’ll automatically send alerts out to other observatories that will observe the transient object in detail. It could be a distant supernova explosion‚ a hazardous asteroid here in the inner Solar System‚ or anything that registers a change in the sky. The VRO’s job is to spot it and then pass the baton to other observatories. But issuing alerts to other telescopes is just one of the things the VRO will do. The VRO’s primary observing program is called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST.) The LSST will catalogue the entire available night sky by imaging it every night for ten years with its massive 3.2 gigapixel camera. Every five seconds‚ the camera will point to a different part of the sky and capture a 15-second exposure. This decade-long effort will generate an enormous amount of data. It’ll take 200‚000 images per year‚ amounting to 1.28 petabytes of data. There’ll be so much data that the VRO project includes a new data pipeline travelling from its site in northern Chile back to the US. There’s no way that people can process all the data‚ so machine learning will play a big role in handling it and finding what’s hidden. The authors of a new research paper developed a novel way for the observatory to detect anomalies in the immense amount of data it generates. The paper is “The Weird and the Wonderful in our Solar System: Searching for Serendipity in the Legacy Survey of Space and Time.” It’s been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal‚ and the lead author is Brian Rogers from the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford. The list of objects and events the VRO will spot contains all the things we’d expect to see. Along with supernovae and asteroids‚ the VRO might spot the elusive Planet 9 that may be lurking in the far reaches of our Solar System. It’ll also see kilonovae‚ gamma-ray bursts‚ variable quasars‚ AGN‚ and even interstellar objects (ISOs) like Oumaumua and Borisov. But to find those objects in all that data requires machine learning. The authors have developed a type of neural network to process the data. A neural network is a type of AI that mimics how the human brain works. It employs a layered network of individual nodes‚ or neurons‚ that somewhat resembles the human brain. In simple terms‚ Neural Networks are a subset of Machine Learning‚ which is a subset of Artificial Intelligence. Without these tools‚ astronomers would have no hope of processing all of the data the VRO will generate. Image Credit: Evan Gough The authors have developed a specific type of neural network called an autoencoder. Autoencoders can perform a very useful function. They take data‚ encode or compress it‚ then reconstitute the data back into a version of itself. By doing that‚ an autoencoder can ‘learn’ which aspects of data are relevant and which are noise. The noise can then be discarded. In their paper‚ the researchers write‚ “We present a novel method for anomaly detection in Solar System object data‚ in preparation for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. We train a deep autoencoder for anomaly detection and use the learned latent space to search for other interesting objects.” This simple schematic illustrates the general architecture of an autoencoder. It takes input‚ encodes it into a latent representation of the input‚ then decodes it and outputs it. Image Credit: Rogers et al. 2024 The authors’ autoencoder is based on finding anomalies like interstellar objects (ISOs.) If the autoencoder can identify them‚ it means that the massive amount of LSST data becomes more manageable. “We demonstrate the efficacy of the autoencoder approach by finding interesting examples‚ such as interstellar objects‚ and show that using the autoencoder‚ further examples of interesting classes can be found‚” they explain. They tested their autoencoder on a simulation of the 10 years of data the LSST will collect. As real data from the LSST arrives‚ they intend to keep testing their autoencoder and strengthening it. “In the meantime‚ this work does not attempt to quantify the likely yield of unusual objects but merely demonstrates that we can find them in a large survey of the type which will be produced by LSST‚” they write. What the authors call ‘reconstruction loss’ plays a large role in the work‚ as do anomalies. When working with known‚ simulated data‚ the researchers measured the autoencoder’s accuracy. They simply measured the output against the input. Reconstruction loss is a measure of how accurate the autoencoder is and it can be quantified. This figure from the research shows how the autoencoder can measure reconstruction loss in its latent space. It shows reconstruction scores for 3.1 million Solar System objects across the reduced feature space. Blue dots‚ which are tiny‚ represent objects with low reconstruction loss. Anomalous objects are shown with enlarged dots of redder colours. “The top 0.01% anomalies are enlarged for this plot. Theylie distant from the majority of normal objects in blue‚” the authors write. Image Credit: Rogers et al. 2024. Anomalies are unusual objects that stand out‚ just as an ISO would. From the figure above‚ the authors identified the top ten anomalies ranked by reconstruction loss. For each of those ten‚ they identified their twenty nearest neighbours. These are not neighbours in the Solar System; they’re neighbours in the latent space. The neighbourhoods of objects are related by aspects of data. They’re data neighbourhoods. For example‚ one of the neighbourhoods is based on measured magnitudes. Another is based on orbital eccentricity‚ and another is based on outlier objects in Jupiter’s vicinity. Each of these panels is a different autoencoder output for the top ten anomalies and their data neighbours. The blue are normal objects‚ and the coloured dots show how the top ten anomalies relate to them. In this figure‚ ISOs are number 6‚ shown in red. The critical takeaway is that the anomalies are easily distinguished from normal objects and are grouped by certain characteristics like orbital eccentricity or magnitude. Image Credit: Rogers et al. 2024. Astronomy is changing. Our observatories and telescopes are becoming so powerful and automated that they create a massive universe of data. It’s beyond the capability of the astronomical community to deal with the data without automated help. By training the autoencoder to detect anomalies‚ it can sift through the LSST data and flag anomalies. The authors are quick to point out that the autoencoder is not completely automatic. It still needs human help. “After evaluating the deficiencies of standalone unsupervised methods‚ we demonstrated the power of human feedback in detecting anomalies <;>; using a supervised approach‚” they write. “Using human feedback can increase the relevance‚ accuracy and precision of the anomaly detection system.” It’s not hype to say that the Vera Rubin Observatory will change our understanding of our Solar System and things well beyond it. Its first light is scheduled for January 2025. It’ll take a while to test and commission all of the equipment‚ but sometime after that‚ the data will start to flow. Once it does‚ there’ll be no stopping it‚ and astronomers will need tools like autoencoders to help them find anomalies. “By putting the right anomalies in the right hands‚ we can multiply the value of the data collected by LSST and precipitate potential follow-up studies for the most interesting objects found in the survey‚” the researchers write in their work. “We have demonstrated that deep autoencoders can fulfil this role as an unsupervised detection model by performing on the scale of LSST and that they can enable efficient anomaly discovery for the most interesting Solar System objects.” The post Vera Rubin Will Help Us Find the Weird and Wonderful Things Happening in the Solar System appeared first on Universe Today.

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx delivered its precious cargo to Earth on September 24th‚ 2023. The sample from asteroid Bennu is contained inside the spacecraft’s sampling head‚ and it’s in safe hands at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Two stubborn fasteners delayed the opening of the sampling head‚ but they’ve been removed‚ and now we can see inside. What looks like unremarkable dirt is primordial asteroidal material that’s billions of years old‚ a natural treasure trove that eager scientists can’t wait to begin studying. The head and its sample are in the hands of the astromaterials curation team at Johnson Space Center. On January 10th‚ they opened the Touch-and-Go-Sample-Acquisition-Mechanism (TAGSAM.) The leading image shows what greeted them. The sample material includes dust and rocks up to about .4 in (one cm) in size. Credit: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld &; Joseph Aebersold The next step is to remove the round metal collar and place the sample into trays. Each tray will be photographed‚ weighed‚ packaged‚ and stored. The final mass will be determined in the weeks ahead‚ including the 70.3 grams (2.48 oz) removed previously. That material was on the sampling machinery but outside of the capsule. OSIRIS-REx’s goal was to return 60 grams of material‚ so it’s already exceeded that amount. The curation team will catalogue all of the samples later this year. After that‚ scientists from around the world can request access. This map shows the 38 institutions that will be the first to receive Bennu samples. Image Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona. Bennu is a carbonaceous asteroid‚ a primitive chunk of rock that forms a link to the past when the rocky planets were forming. Scientists have already found carbon and water in the previously removed material. In fact‚ according to initial analysis‚ its carbon concentration is close to 5%. That’s among the highest non-terrestrial carbon percentages ever measured. “The OSIRIS-REx sample is the biggest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever delivered to Earth and will help scientists investigate the origins of life on our own planet for generations to come‚” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson at the time. Once scientists get their hands on more of the material‚ they’ll doubtlessly find other interesting components. Maybe even some of life’s building blocks‚ like amino acids. Bennu’s water and carbon content could indicate that life’s building blocks originated in asteroids like Bennu. The sample also gives researchers an opportunity to test their findings against previous observations of Bennu. Astronomers studied the asteroid’s composition with OSIRIS-REx’s instruments as it approached Bennu‚ and the samples will tell them how accurate their efforts were. It’s an opportunity to verify and improve spacecraft instruments and remote sensing methods. Bennu’s boulder-strewn surface. The asteroid is a rubble pile rather than a monolithic body. Image Credit: NASA/University of Arizona. Scientists suspect that Bennu could actually be older than our Solar System. If that’s true‚ then it’s a window into the distant past when only the solar nebula and the proto-Sun existed. It may contain insights into how everything formed‚ including the Sun. Bennu may also be one of the remaining pieces of a much larger body. Scientists think that the parent body broke apart between 700 million and two billion years ago. Scientists hope to learn more from the Bennu sample about its parent body and how Bennu migrated to the inner Solar System. In a notable act of foresight‚ 75% of the sample will be stored for the future. Instruments and analysis techniques will only improve over time‚ and these pristine samples will be available when they do. NASA has done the same with other materials like lunar samples‚ and it’s paid off. The Bennu samples can only enhance our understanding of our Solar System and how everything came to be. From its ancient early beginnings in the solar nebula to its present-day location in the inner Solar System‚ Bennu is a well-travelled message-bearer. Now that we have some of that message in our labs‚ scientists can reveal what Bennu has to say. The post Finally‚ Let’s Look at the Asteroid Treasure Returned to Earth by OSIRIS-REx appeared first on Universe Today.

President Biden needs to man up and make a strong deal to harden the US border in exchange for OKing aid to Ukraine.  It’s the right thing to do for every reason.  The US border is‚ put simply‚ no longer a border‚ as even the president apparently now admits.  December shattered all records for CBP encounters‚ with more than 276‚000. Seven million migrants have been arrested crossing over from Mexico since Biden took office; more than 85% were later released into the...

The Senate this week is awaiting news of a border deal that has been subject to high-level negotiations for months. Leaders hope to begin consideration of the impending agreement in the coming days — even though its chances of clearing the House look bleak. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told attendees at a White House meeting last week that he is aiming to start the floor process for the border-Ukraine bill as soon as this week‚ sources told Punchbowl News‚ and Senate...