National Academies Guide Space Science with Decadal Surveys

🚀 So it turns out all seven continents weren't quite enough... As part of our 20th anniversary celebrations, we've been digging back through some of the stories from CoolLED's first two decades. And this might be one of our favourites. Back in 2006, CoolLED consisted of four people taking the world's first commercially available LED Illumination System for fluorescence microscopy to a meeting in London. Within a few months, we were talking to the British Antarctic Survey about microscopes being used in Antarctica! Fast forward to 2020 and one of our pE-300white Illumination Systems went considerably further, becoming part of JAXA's COSMIC microscopy system aboard the International Space Station. Whether illumination is being used in a university down the road or in a microscope orbiting the Earth, researchers need equipment they can depend on. In space especially, it's a bit tricky to pop into the next room for a spare, or arrange a replacement to be sent out.... Twenty years after those first three LED wavelengths, we're incredibly proud of how far our technology has travelled and, after reaching seven continents and the International Space Station, we're looking forward to seeing where the next 20 years of innovation takes us 💡 https://lnkd.in/eAd78xEm #CoolLED #FluorescenceMicroscopy #Microscopy #LifeSciences #20Years #InternationalSpaceStation #Science #Innovation

I am pleased to share that our article, “Extracting asteroid physical properties from Vera C. Rubin Observatory science validation survey data: Rotational periods, colors, and taxonomies,” has now been published in Planetary and Space Science. In this work, we demonstrate how Rubin Observatory Science Validation data can be used to derive asteroid rotational periods, light-curve amplitudes, colors, and taxonomic classifications. We also discuss the observational requirements for reliably extracting these physical properties from sparse photometric data. Article: https://lnkd.in/e73552ZS The analysis code is openly available at: https://lnkd.in/eCSVVNZf My sincere thanks to all co-authors and collaborators who contributed to this work! #Astronomy #Asteroids #RubinObservatory #LSST #PlanetaryScience #SolarSystem #OpenScience

Space exploration continues to redefine the boundaries of scientific inquiry. This #WorldSpaceWeek, AcadeMax recognizes the researchers and engineers advancing our understanding of the cosmos, from exoplanetary studies to deep space exploration. Stay informed on peer-reviewed research and emerging discoveries in space science and astronomy. Follow #AcadeMax! #ZJUP #SpaceScience #Astronomy #Research #Peerreview #Cosmos #Spaceweek

Although Earth remains the only confirmed home of life, research into icy moons and subterranean environments is expanding our understanding of biological potential across the solar system. These investigations could inform future science and space exploration priorities: https://lnkd.in/efkEhnBt #astronomy #science #spacenews

Although Earth remains the only confirmed home of life, research into icy moons and subterranean environments is expanding our understanding of biological potential across the solar system. These investigations could inform future science and space exploration priorities: https://lnkd.in/efkEhnBt #astronomy #science #spacenews

Although Earth remains the only confirmed home of life, research into icy moons and subterranean environments is expanding our understanding of biological potential across the solar system. These investigations could inform future science and space exploration priorities: https://lnkd.in/efkEhnBt #astronomy #science #spacenews

NASA Captures Stunning New View of the Mysterious Comet Shaped Cocoon Nebula A recent high-resolution image of the Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146) provides a detailed look at a stellar nursery in the constellation Cygnus, revealing a unique structure that resembles a comet trailing through space. Located 2,500 light-years away, the nebula features a luminous, star-forming core that stretches 10 light-years across, followed by a sprawling tail of interstellar dust extending nearly 100 light-years. This celestial formation serves as a critical laboratory for studying the lifecycle of stars and the physics of molecular clouds. The comet-like appearance is caused by a young, central star carving a cavity within its parent gas cloud, illuminating surrounding material while simultaneously shaping the local environment. These observations confirm how the energy from newborn stars influences the distribution of gas, effectively dictating the architecture of future star systems. By examining these dense, gas-rich fields, researchers gain insight into the gravitational and radiative processes that trigger stellar collapse. The Cocoon Nebula acts as a vivid example of how quiet, dark regions of the Milky Way function as active hubs of cosmic evolution, providing the essential raw materials required to forge new stars and planets. Read the full story on our website. #Astronomy #Science #Space

Webb has found a planet that isn't round. For decades, astronomers studying other worlds have assumed a planet seen against its star is a neat circle, with the same height of atmosphere all the way round. A study published this week in Nature Astronomy shows that for the hot Jupiter WASP-17 b, about 1,300 light-years away, that's not true. Using a new method called transmission strings, a team led by Dr Lili Alderson (Cornell) with Dr Hannah Wakeford and Dr David Grant (University of Bristol) read the planet's atmosphere angle by angle around its edge with JWST, from the equator to the poles. What they found: • Morning edge: about 858 K • Evening edge: about 1,522 K • A contrast of roughly 650 K, larger than earlier studies of cooler planets • So the evening atmosphere stands about 1.77x taller We checked that last number ourselves. Scale height scales with temperature, and 1,522 / 858 = 1.774. It matches. Why it happens: the planet is tidally locked, and fierce eastward winds carry hot gas off the dayside, puffing up its evening edge. Climate models predicted exactly this. In Alderson's words, it is "pretty much bang-on what we thought it would be." Why it matters: • Exoplanet atmospheres can now be mapped in 3D, not just averaged • Climate models get a real benchmark to test against • The method can be reused on many of the 6,000+ known exoplanets, a step towards mapping weather on distant worlds Full story, with the method, tables and limitations: https://lnkd.in/ebW3FMNC Curated by Jerry Cards - jerrycards.com #JWST #Astronomy #Exoplanets #Space #Science #NASA #Research #Innovation

Happy #WorldSpaceWeek! 🌌 Did you know that technology developed by STFC spin-out and space hardware company, Teratech Components Limited, is helping humanity to explore Jupiter and its icy moons?   The European Space Agency - ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission is on an eight-year journey to Jupiter, where it will study the giant planet and its three icy moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. Some of the diodes flying on board JUICE (essential tech for its mission) were built here in the UK! Teratech Components is a spin-out of RAL Space, where it developed highly specialised diode technology for astronomy and Earth observation. Its diodes help make missions like JUICE possible. This is a great example of how research can move from the laboratory into practical use and, in this case, all the way to Jupiter. Its journey was supported by STFC’s Business and Innovations team, coupled with Teratech’s location alongside RAL Space at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, within the Harwell Space Cluster and close to the expertise and research that first developed this technology.

Astronomy studies objects within the universe, while cosmology examines the universe’s origins and evolution. Understanding this distinction supports clearer scientific context for fields connected to space, including satellite operations, aviation, and grid infrastructure. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eBBJPHeT #spaceweather #astronomy #science