Keith Cooper

United Kingdom

Science journalist/editor specialising in astrophysics, cosmology, astrobiology, SETI, planetary science. Author of The Contact Paradox and Amazing Worlds.

Articles

A tiny star gave birth to a giant exoplanet, but no one knows how

3 days ago | space.com | Keith Cooper

Like a family in which short parents have tall children, a tiny red dwarf star is defying our understanding of how planets form by existing alongside a giant exoplanet. Giant planets are not rare per se — after all, we have four in our own solar system. Such large worlds are, however, rarely found around the smallest stars, red dwarfs. Red dwarfs simply shouldn't have enough material to form such huge worlds. Well, tell that to the red dwarf star TOI-6894, which is located 238 light-years away.
Europe stages a moon landing to learn how to photograph the real thing (photos)

3 days ago | space.com | Keith Cooper

Pictures from a simulated moon landing, not designed to fool anyone into believing a fake but rather to provide a reference to make sure that we can get the best video images possible when astronauts finally do return to the moon, have been released by the European Space Agency (ESA).
What's at the center of Mars? Maybe the stench of rotten eggs

4 days ago | yahoo.com | Keith Cooper

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An image of a reddish brown planet. | Credit: NASANew experiments have shown that the core of Mars formed much faster than Earth's core, thanks to molten iron and nickel sulfides seeping down through solid rock and into the center of the Red Planet. Planets are layered, somewhat like an onion. The surface upon which we stand is the crust, which sits atop the mantle.
What's at the center of Mars? Maybe the stench of rotten eggs

5 days ago | space.com | Keith Cooper

New experiments have shown that the core of Mars formed much faster than Earth's core, thanks to molten iron and nickel sulfides seeping down through solid rock and into the center of the Red Planet. Planets are layered, somewhat like an onion. The surface upon which we stand is the crust, which sits atop the mantle. Much deeper, and we find a solid outer core and a molten inner core, the spinning of which can generate a global magnetic field.
Scientists found a possible new dwarf planet - it could spell bad news for Planet 9 fans

1 week ago | space.com | Keith Cooper

A potential new dwarf planet has been discovered in the outer reaches of the solar system, and its existence poses the greatest challenge yet to the hypothesis that a ninth planet lurks far from the sun. "We were very excited to discover 2017 OF201 because it was not expected at all," study leader Sihao Cheng of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, told Space.com.
How magnetar flares give birth to gold and platinum – Physics World

1 week ago | physicsworld.com | Keith Cooper

Powerful flares on highly-magnetic neutron stars called magnetars could produce up to 10% of the universe’s gold, silver and platinum, according to a new study. What is more, astronomers may have already observed this cosmic alchemy in action. Gold, silver, platinum and a host of other rare heavy nuclei are known as rapid-process (r-process) elements.
Revealed: The councils saving millions by tackling tenancy fraud

2 weeks ago | lgcplus.com | Keith Cooper

An exclusive analysis for LGC finds wide variation in efforts to tackle tenancy fraud, with fraudsters depriving councils of thousands of homes every yearCouncils could slash hundreds of millions of pounds from their temporary accommodation bills and free up thousands of extra homes for homeless households each year by increasing their focus on tenancy fraud, LGC analysis reveals.
James Webb Space Telescope discovers an alien planetary system's icy edge

2 weeks ago | space.com | Keith Cooper

At long last, particles of water–ice have been discovered in the frozen Kuiper Belt of another star. The discovery, made by the James Webb Space Telescope, is a major step forward in filling in gaps in our understanding of how exoplanets develop. Like the Kuiper Belt in our solar system, this extraterrestrial debris disk is likely filled with comets, dwarf planets and a lot of water-ice particles chipped off larger bodies as the result of collisions.
China is sharing priceless moon samples with international partners, but NASA can't be a part of it

2 weeks ago | livescience.com | Keith Cooper

Precious moon samples brought back to Earth by China's Chang'e 5 mission in 2020 have finally been shared with international researchers — but the law has made it difficult for U.S.-based scientists to receive any of the material. Earlier in May, British planetary scientist Mahesh Anand of the Open University in Milton Keynes travelled to China to "borrow" 60 milligrams (0.002 ounces) of the 1,731-gram (3.8 pounds) Chang'e 5 sample.
China is sharing priceless moon samples with international partners, but NASA can't be a part of it

2 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Keith Cooper

1 hour agoIn 2024, Google Wallet introduced a “verify it’s you” requirement a few minutes after phone unlock, and now appears to be extending that beyond payments to opening the entire Android app. For the past year or so, opening Google Wallet 3+ minutes after unlocking your phone would result in a “For your …