Earlier this month, NASA probes in orbit and on the Martian surface detected an incredibly bright global aurora as a powerful solar storm struck Mars. The aurora was accompanied by a powerful dose of radiation that would have posed a significant danger to humans exploring the Red Planet.
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The Sun is currently in the quietest phase of its 11-year cycle, but it has blasted forth some of the largest solar flares on record. Several X-class flares have erupted over the past week, one of which is the largest in over a decade and one of the top 10 since records began.
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A new NASA study has poured another bucket of cold water on hopes of one day discovering life on the closest exoplanet ever discovered – the Earth-sized world Proxima b, which is thought to orbit in the habitable zone of the red dwarf Proxima Centauri.
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Radiation exposure leaves astronauts with an increased risk of cancer and other diseases. Now a team from Australian National University has developed a new nanomaterial that could protect space travelers with a thin film that dynamically reflects harmful radiation.
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It’s been said that the first Mars explorers will have to be prepared to take one for humanity. Not only do they risk permanent neural damage as well as an increased risk of leukemia and Alzheimer’s, they could also be doubling their risk of getting cancer, a new study suggests.
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Finding microbes on Mars would be the discovery of the century, and to make sure that any organisms dug up on the Red Planet are natives and not stowaways, NASA has launched bacteria into Earth’s stratosphere aboard a balloon, to test how well they might survive under Mars-like conditions.
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Researchers have been able to restore cell function of old mice to that of younger mice. The team says an anti-aging drug could be developed in a few years, and the treatment also shows promise in reversing DNA damage caused by radiation exposure – good news for cancer battlers or space travelers.
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The prospect of a manned mission to Mars raises all kinds of uncertainties. In a new NASA-funded study, researchers have found that life on the Red Planet could include a heightened risk of leukemia, brought on by the impacts of increased radiation exposure in deep space.
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Next time your smartphone freezes, the culprit might actually be the cosmic rays that are constantly raining down on us from outer space. A new study has examined how modern consumer electronics are becoming more vulnerable to cosmic interference, and suggests ways to build better chips.
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Ever since Henri Becquerel noticed that certain minerals blurred photograph plates, radiation has fascinated and frightened the public. To clear away the fog in the cloud chamber, New Atlas looks at the truth about radiation in our everyday lives.
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