Astrophysics observations at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths often probe the most dynamic aspects of the universe. However, the high energy of ultraviolet photons means that their interaction with the materials that make up an observing instrument are less efficient, resulting in low overall throughput. New approaches in the development of thin film coatings are addressing this […]
Category: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Students Dive Into Robotics at Competition Supported by NASA JPL
Robots built by high schoolers vied for points in a fast-moving game inspired by complex ocean ecosystems at the FIRST Robotics Los Angeles regional competition. High school students who spent weeks designing, assembling, and testing 125-pound rolling robots put their fast-moving creations into the ring over the weekend, facing off at the annual Los Angeles […]
NASA Analysis Shows Unexpected Amount of Sea Level Rise in 2024
Last year’s increase was due to an unusual amount of ocean warming, combined with meltwater from land-based ice such as glaciers. Global sea level rose faster than expected in 2024, mostly because of ocean water expanding as it warms, or thermal expansion. According to a NASA-led analysis, last year’s rate of rise was 0.23 inches […]
Cosmic Mapmaker: NASA’s SPHEREx Space Telescope Ready to Launch
NASA’s latest space observatory is targeting a March 8 liftoff, and the agency’s PUNCH heliophysics mission is sharing a ride. Here’s what to expect during launch and beyond. In a little over a day, NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope is slated to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. […]
NASA Turns Off 2 Voyager Science Instruments to Extend Mission
The farthest-flung human-made objects will be able to take their science-gathering even farther, thanks to these energy-conserving measures. Mission engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California turned off the cosmic ray subsystem experiment aboard Voyager 1 on Feb. 25 and will shut off Voyager 2’s low-energy charged particle instrument on March 24. Three […]
University High Knows the Answers at NASA JPL Regional Science Bowl
In a fast-paced competition, students showcased their knowledge across a wide range of science and math topics. What is the molecular geometry of sulfur tetrafluoride? Which layer of the Sun is thickest? What is the average of the first 10 prime numbers? If you answered “see-saw,” “radiation zone,” and “12.9,” respectively, then you know a […]
NASA Uses New Technology to Understand California Wildfires
The January wildfires in California devastated local habitats and communities. In an effort to better understand wildfire behavior, NASA scientists and engineers tried to learn from the events by testing new technology. The new instrument, the Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker (c-FIRST), was tested when NASA’s B200 King Air aircraft flew over the wildfires […]