Icarus is a little light this month (1 Mar, vol. 428): N. Le Beca, S.J. Conway, B. Jabaud, G. et al. A new model of crater degradation on Ceres involving ice sublimation and talus formation Article 116353Ilgmars Eglitis, Darja Svincicka Rotation… Read More »Note, Paper: I-Char-us
This month’s Acta Astronautica (vol. 227, February) is propulsion-relevant: Deng, H. Sun, Y. Cheng, L. et al Study on the current stability and performances of electrospray thruster by coaxial capillary emitters of hybrid highly conductive ionic liquids P 1 .2024.11.049Moriai, I.… Read More »Note, Paper: Acta Thrustronautica
Today is, I gather, the holiday of something love-related? It sure is. Asteroid “Eros” (named for the Greek god of love) had, twenty-five years ago today, been the site of a space “first”- the first orbiting of an asteroid (or… Read More »25th Anniversary of a First: NEAR
This month’s Astronomical Journal (vol. 169 Number 2) is all about the (quasi-) comets: Kasuga, T. Comet 289P/Blanpain: Near perihelion Activity and the Phoenicids 54 ad95fdKurlander, J. A. Holman, M. J. Bernardinelli, P. H. et al. A Well-Characterized Survey for… Read More »Note, Paper: Activity Journal
Just added: Workshop on Bennu and Ryugu: Samples from the Early Solar System The Workshop on Bennu and Ryugu: Samples from the Early Solar System is scheduled for October 7–9, 2025, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston,… Read More »Bennu/Ryugu: Samples from Early Solar System
One (significant) paper in the current Astrophysical Journal (Feb 10, Vol 980 #1): Angrisani, M. Palomba, E. Longobardo, et al. Spectral Variations across Latitudes on Asteroid (3200) Phaethon art. 127 ada60d If you aren’t already familiar with the object (3200) Phaethon, it’s… Read More »Note, Paper: Pre-Destiny
…and speaking of negative, overhyped asteroids: the object 2024 YR4 will likely NOT cause a catastrophe. Firstly, the odds were never good to begin with: as of this past week, December 2032 impact odds were ~1.5-2 percent. Which is to… Read More »No, 2024 YR4 will NOT kill you
Quick link to the current (5 Feb) Science Advances (vol. 11, issue 6). I don’t like to dwell on the one negative, overhyped aspect of asteroid studies, but Bennu publicity is Bennu publicity, oh well: Dai, L. Timmermann, A. Climatic… Read More »Note, Paper: Sci Advances… into the ground
Nothing for January (and February, so far) from Cometary Science Newsletter. Yes, comets aren’t very cooperative for human schedules.
In the Jan-Feb issue of MIT Technology Review (vol 128 #1), bit of ‘popular’ press coverage: Nordrum, Amy Vera C. Rubin Observatory p. 23Mann, Adam The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is ready to transform our understanding of the cosmos p.50… Read More »Tech Rev. Prev.