Measuring the ages of planets and stars is tricky. An observational astrophysicist describes the subtle clues that provide good estimates for how old different space objects are.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Outer space
Displaying 1 - 20 of 25 articles
Liftoff to the distant asteroid is scheduled for Oct. 5, 2023 – the beginning of a six-year journey to one of the most unusual objects in the solar system.
If an astronaut were to die on Mars, neither cremation nor burial would be good options.
Regional development isn’t just about measuring the difference between today’s haves and have-nots to determine whether that gap might narrow or widen. Our idea of what is fair changes over time.
Internet access opens up the world in many ways.
A new publication clarifies how existing legal frameworks apply to space exploration and development. The McGill Manual also highlights the catastrophic implications of conflict in space.
Our reliance on space infrastructure means that conflict in space would have global catastrophic consequences. But a recent declaration by the United States provides hope.
The dwarf planets in our Solar System are cold, dark, far away and full of surprises.
The vastly differing environment would need a whole new approach to disposing of dead bodies.
Billions of galaxies are in the universe, with billions of stars in every galaxy. Could billions of planets be out there too?
Astronomers know a lot about what’s in outer space – and think it’s possible it never ends.
Several current programs aim at sending humans back to the Moon. What would be the purpose, and what are the real prospects?
Space mining might be closer than you think. But legal issues about the ownership of space resources must be urgently addressed to avoid space wars over natural resources.
Martian meteorites allow scientists here on Earth to decode that planet’s geology, more than a decade before the first missions are scheduled to bring rocks back home from Mars.
The distance between the ISS and Earth is the same as about 3,850 football fields. To bring the station down, rockets will lower it a bit, and then gravity will send it crashing the rest of the way.
Australia is a member of the 1979 Moon Treaty, which sets rules for resource extraction from outer space. Now that the Trump administration is eyeing moon mining, will Australian companies join in?
Tomanowos, aka the Willamette Meteorite, may be the world’s most interesting rock. Its story includes catastrophic ice age floods, theft of Native American cultural heritage and plenty of human folly.
The space industry and global interest in all matters inter-planetary is growing.
There are probably more than a million planets in the universe for every single grain of sand on Earth. That’s a lot of planets. My guess is that there probably is life elsewhere in the Universe.
We are in the Milky Way. If you travelled on an extremely fast spaceship for more than two million years, you would reach our neighbour, the Andromeda galaxy. All other galaxies are even further away.
Top contributors
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Researcher, Air and Space Law, McGill University
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Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland
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Senior lecturer, Australian National University
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Emeritus Professor of International Law, Western Sydney University
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Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics, University of Cambridge
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Political Scientist, University of the Western Cape
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Australian Government Women in STEM Ambassador, Professor of Practice, UNSW Sydney
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Associate Professor, University of Tasmania
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Associate lecturer, University of Sussex
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Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California, San Diego
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Senior lecturer, University of Newcastle
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Full Professor, Former Director, Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University
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Doctoral Candidate, Institute of Air & Space Law, McGill University
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Professor, School of Engineering and Technology, CQUniversity Australia
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Associate Professor of Astronomy, Boise State University
