Extreme neutrinos
Extragalactic neutrinos – highly energetic, difficult to detect particles – probably come from active galactic nuclei, where a galaxy’s central black hole superheats the surrounding gas. These extreme conditions create jets travelling at nearly the speed of light, which shoot out the particles with enough energy to cross the billions of lightyears between galaxies.
Radio radiation located
Astronomers have been using radio and infrared radiation to measure star formation in galaxies for 50 years, but have only now worked out where this radiation comes from. Young massive stars heat up the surrounding gas, causing it to glow in the infrared, then explode in supernovae that create radio waves.
NLCs on the rise
This July was a bumper month for noctilucent clouds, with sightings extending far further south than normal, while NASA’s AIM spacecraft measured the strongest NLC activity in over 15 years. The number of clouds has been rising in recent years, with greenhouse gases and water vapour from rocket launches being potential causes.
Small impacts bombarded Moon
The early Moon may have sustained twice as many impacts as previously thought. Measurements taken by NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory spacecraft have shown that between 4.3 to 3.8 billion years ago, small meteors compacted the lunar surface. This suggests the number of craters seen today could represent only half the number of strikes.
Russia to withdraw from the ISS in 2024
Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, has officially announced that it will leave the ISS in 2024 once its existing agreement runs out. Newly appointed agency chief Yuri Borisov stated Russia will now focus on building its own station.
UK space launch due
Virgin Orbit will launch its next satellite from the UK later this year. The satellite will be carried into orbit on board a modified Boeing 747 from Spaceport Cornwall. This is one of several planned UK launches as part of the government’s aim to become the first European country to launch a satellite from home soil in 2022.