A big challenge humanity faces in venturing off Earth and into deep space is how to tackle the dangers of cosmic radiation. A team has now discovered a drug treatment that could not only prevent cognitive deficits caused by this radiation, but actually repair damage in the brain after exposure.
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A new study has revealed that ozone levels in the heavily populated lower latitudes don't seem to be recovering as well as regions near the poles. Although there isn't yet a clear explanation as to why this is happening, blame may still rest on short-lived ozone-destroying chemicals.
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Gamma ray bursts are mysterious signals blasting in from the deepest reaches of space, and we still don’t have much of an idea about what causes them. In order to help unlock the secrets, researchers have managed to recreate mini gamma ray bursts in the lab for the first time.
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There’s much more to lightning than a flash and thunder. Lightning strikes have been known to generate gamma rays, and now a team of Japanese researchers has found that those bursts can create photonuclear reactions in the atmosphere, resulting in the production – and annihilation – of antimatter.
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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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