NASA is planning to build a spacecraft designed to search the skies for asteroids not far from Earth.
Why it matters: The telescope will help NASA get a more complete sense of how many potentially dangerous asteroids there are near our planet and what harm they may pose.
Tropical Storm Karen triggered limited power outages, flooding and landslides to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as it barreled across the region early Wednesday, AP reports.
Why it matters: The islands are still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria 2 years ago.
Gathering photos of Earth from space used to be the purview of governments alone, but today, private companies are increasingly performing those operations from orbit.
Why it matters: The change has created a new commercial market and enhanced how governments are able to monitor activities on Earth from space. It's also raising questions about privacy on Earth.
A team of scientists has reconstructed the exact descent and landing of the Chinese lunar lander Chang’e-4 on the far side of the Moon, a new study in Nature Communications shows.
Why it matters:Chang’e-4’s January landing could act as a blueprint for more distant autonomous landings on other objects like asteroids in the future.
An International Space Station launch scheduled for this Wednesday will include the the 1st astronaut from the United Arab Emirates to visit the site, joined by a fellow astronaut from NASA and a Russian cosmonaut, NBC News reports.
What's happening: Hazza Ali Almansoori, a pilot from the UAE's armed forces, will blast off in a Russian Soyuz rocket at 9:57 am ET on Wednesday, and arrive at 3:45 pm. The UAE initiated its space program in 2017, shooting to reach Mars by 2021 and establish a colony there by 2117.
Loki — a huge volcano on Jupiter's moon Io — is expected to erupt sometime this month.
Why it matters: Studying this volcano in deep space could help scientists learn more about how volcanoes on Earth formed in the planet's early history, according to planetary scientist Julie Rathbun.
A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck near Puerto Rico Monday night, with several aftershocks following — including one of 5.1, the National Weather Service in San Juan said. The island’s Emergency Management Agency told AP there were no reports of damage.
Why it matters: Puerto Rico is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria 2 years ago, and it's preparing for the arrival of Tropical Depression Karen — which threatens to trigger heavy rain, flash flooding and mudslides.
