SPACE

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Mercury

Rare meteorite on Earth points towards Mercury's origins

MIT geologists have studied part of planet Mercury’s cooling history right after it formed between 4.2-3.7 billion years ago and traced its origins to an enstatite chondrite, a rare meteorite. This kind of meteorite is extremely rare on Earth.
Gravitational Waves

Gravitational waves in space may reveal how supermassive black holes formed

Scientists led by Durham University's Institute for Computational Cosmology captured gravitational waves via space-based detectors, and now they believe that these waves can help identify the origins of supermassive black holes. The scientist ran massive cosmological simulations that may be used to predict the rate at which gravitational waves caused by collisions between the monster black holes might be detected.
Mars

Dutch researchers raise peas, radishes, tomatoes and rye on simulated Martian soil

Researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands have revealed that cereals and vegetables they grew in “Martian” soil for two years are safe for human consumption. The Dutch researchers successfully raised peas, radishes, tomatoes and rye in soil that was made to match that of the red planet. This has provided researchers the hope of growing food on Mars. The food grown was found to contain “no dangerous levels” of heavy metals.
Supermassive Black Hole

Dormant black hole suddenly becomes active to devour passing star; X-rays from inner part of disk baffle scientists

Astronomers from the University of Michigan and University of Maryland have for the first time mapped the flow of gas near a supermassive black hole, Swift J1644+57, that woke from its dormant state to destroy and devour a star that drifted close to it. The astronomers are the first to document X-rays bouncing from deep within the walls of the black hole’s newly-formed accretion disk after a tidal disruption event.
Distant Galaxy

Oxygen found in distant galaxy, 13.1 billion light years away; Discovery may pinpoint the origin of life-giving molecules

Scientists have detected life-giving gas oxygen in a faraway galaxy, 13.1 billion light years away. This could well be the oldest oxygen ever detected in the universe. The galaxy in question, SXDF-NB1006-2, is causing a storm in the scientific kingdom. Scientists are seeing the galaxy as it was 700 million years after birth of the universe. It shows the oldest signs of oxygen and this has baffled scientists.

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