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Satélite Sentinel-1A diz adeus depois de mais de uma década a vigiar a Terra. Legado continua em órbita

16 July 2026 at 12:19

Ao longo da missão, o Sentinel-1A registou milhões de imagens usadas para monitorizar cheias, incêndios, gelo marinho, culturas agrícolas, infraestruturas, tráfego marítimo e operações de resposta a catástrofes.

The post Satélite Sentinel-1A diz adeus depois de mais de uma década a vigiar a Terra. Legado continua em órbita appeared first on Tek Notícias.

Ingram Micro avança para a versão 2.0 da empresa com aposta reforçada em Portugal

16 July 2026 at 07:14

A reorganização da operação da Ingram Micro em Portugal já está em marcha e Jaime Soler descreve as mudanças como uma evolução que traz benefícios aos clientes no mercado português.

The post Ingram Micro avança para a versão 2.0 da empresa com aposta reforçada em Portugal appeared first on Tek Notícias.

Astronomers Discover and Directly Image Third Planet in Beta Pictoris System

15 July 2026 at 22:33
This artist’s concept shows the Beta Pictoris system with the discovered giant exoplanet Beta Pictoris d at the right. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / Ralf Crawford, STScI.

Named Beta Pictoris d, the newly-discovered world is 100 times fainter than Beta Pictoris b -- the first planet discovered around the A5-type star Beta Pictoris -- and is among the lightest exoplanets ever to be imaged from the ground.

The post Astronomers Discover and Directly Image Third Planet in Beta Pictoris System appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Astronomers Discover Four New White Dwarfs in Solar Neighborhood

14 July 2026 at 16:45
An artist’s impression of a red dwarf with a white dwarf binary companion peeking out from behind. Image credit: Mark A. Garlick / University of Warwick.

Using near-UV spectroscopic data from the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers discovered four white dwarfs orbiting nearby red dwarf stars.

The post Astronomers Discover Four New White Dwarfs in Solar Neighborhood appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Poland to host new ESA center as government boosts investments in space

13 July 2026 at 20:12
Andrzej Domański, Minister of Finance and Economy of Poland and Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, sign a letter of intent to enable the consideration of a new ESA center in Poland to focus on security, following CM25 in Bremen, Germany on Nov. 27, 2025. Credit: ESA

WARSAW, Poland — Poland will host the first European Space Agency (ESA) center located in an eastern flank member state, one that will be focused on civil security and resilience. […]

The post Poland to host new ESA center as government boosts investments in space appeared first on SpaceNews.

Euclid Discovers Earliest Quasars Ever Seen

8 July 2026 at 22:56
This collage shows 15 of the 31 newly discovered quasars by ESA’s Euclid space telescope. EUCL J172902.75+641018.1 and EUCL J125308.55+705432.3 are visible on the first row, the first and second from the left, respectively. Image credit: ESA / Euclid / Euclid Consortium / NASA / Euclid Science Ground Segment / Antoine Basset, CNES.

Astronomers using ESA’s Euclid space telescope have discovered 31 ancient quasars from a time when the Universe was just 670 to 800 million years old. One of these objects, dubbed EUCL J172902.75+641018.1, sets the new record for the most distant quasar ever reported.

The post Euclid Discovers Earliest Quasars Ever Seen appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

ESA’s Euclid Telescope Just Spotted Two Record-Breaking Ancient Giants Among the Most Remote Objects in the Cosmos

8 July 2026 at 15:24

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid Space Telescope has just revealed new evidence for the existence of more than two-and-a-half dozen objects that are among the oldest and most remote in the universe.

These 31 massive objects, known as quasars, rank among the oldest objects astronomers have ever seen, including two that are believed to originate from a period in the universe when our cosmos was only 5% of its current age.

The discoveries, revealed in a new study appearing in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, provide a remarkable look at the earliest generations of galaxies, as well as a rare look at the dynamics of the ancient black holes that once powered them.

Quasar Questions

As some of the brightest objects anywhere in our universe, quasars are remote objects resembling stars in appearance that emit unprecedented amounts of energy. They are the result of creation processes that involve enormous quantities of gas and dust, which spiral into supermassive black holes.

During the gravity-driven inward acceleration process, immense friction causes temperatures that can reach millions of degrees, which generates large amounts of energy. The resulting celestial features produce enough light to outshine entire galaxies.

Despite their brightness, the 31 newest additions to our growing collection of known quasars were difficult for astronomers to spot, given their extreme distances from Earth. The light that documents their ancient presence in the universe has traveled more than 13 billion years to make its way here, causing it to be extremely faint, and thereby very difficult to distinguish from surrounding stars whose light normally outshines them with ease.

Rotating Quasars from the Early Universe

A dozen of the newly discovered collection of quasars date to within the first 770 million years our universe existed. Add to that the fact that two of the ancient objects are believed to have formed just 670 million years after the Big Bang—at such ages, these quasars are among the oldest astronomers have ever observed.

The weight of the discoveries goes beyond just record-breaking astronomical observations, since the data they provide could help astrophysicists unravel some of the most enduring mysteries of cosmology. For instance, these quasars could help to reveal answers to questions about how supermassive black holes grew so quickly while the universe was still in its infancy.

Additionally, studying these energetic ancient giants could help to provide new insights into the formation of the earliest galaxies and the evolution of the universe while it was still in its relative infancy.

Answering Questions About the Cosmos

The recent research, led by the ESA and with contributions from its partners at NASA, has helped to place the Euclid mission in an ideal place to carry out its mission of mapping billions of galaxies. Doing so may help scientists uncover clues about the questions surrounding mysterious dark energy, which is widely believed to be the force behind the accelerating expansion of the cosmos.

Additionally, the Euclid mission’s findings could be pivotal in helping shape the future work of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will continue the quest to unravel the nature of dark energy and help astronomers understand the nature of the universe at large scales. Additional details about the recent quasar discoveries by Euclid can be found at the ESA’s website and on NASA’s FAQ page.

The new findings were detailed in a recent study, “Euclid: Discovery of 31 new quasars at 6.6 < z < 7.8” published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 

Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.

Deep Inside the Earth’s Molten Core, a Sudden ‘Reversal’ Now Has Scientists Searching for Answers

6 July 2026 at 13:56

The molten iron core deep within our planet could be much more dynamic and complicated than previously known, as revealed in new studies that point to a current of liquid metal under the Pacific Ocean that reversed directions unexpectedly more than a decade ago.

The new findings provide additional insights into a sort of hidden “engine” driving the planet’s protective magnetic field, as detailed in new reporting featured in the Journal of Studies of Earth’s Deep Interior.

According to the research, long-held assumptions about large-scale flows occurring in Earth’s outer core are now being challenged, pushing back on previous notions that they evolve only gradually over time. Now, researchers say a broad region of molten iron beneath the equatorial Pacific abruptly shifted from a weak westward flow to a strong eastward current sometime around 2010.

Earth’s Magnetic Field

Since our planet’s magnetic field is produced by the movement of superheated, electrically conductive liquid iron that is close to 2,200 kilometers (1,370 miles) below the surface, sometimes even the most nuanced changes within these deep currents can fundamentally alter the magnetic field that shields the planet from harmful charged particles emitted by the Sun.

Discovering this unexpected reversal required scientists to combine close to three decades of ground-based magnetic observations with satellite data collected from 1997 until 2025. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Swarm Mission provided measurements, which, combined with previous observations made possible through German CHAMP and Danish Ørsted satellites, helped researchers behind the new work to construct a precise model of the changing flow patterns occurring at the boundary between Earth’s core and mantle.

“The large-scale flow reversal beneath the Pacific raises new questions about the behavior of Earth’s deep interior,” said lead author Frederik Dahl Madsen of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Geosciences.

“Scientists now want to understand whether the reversal represents a short-lived fluctuation, part of a repeating oscillation, or a new stable equilibrium for core circulation,” Madsen said.

A Weakening Current

Among their findings, the team also said they uncovered evidence that the strong eastward current appears to have weakened since 2020, raising the possibility that the reversal could represent part of a longer natural cycle.

According to Madsen, the shift coincided with changes inferred within Earth’s solid inner core, which suggests previously unrecognized links between the planet’s deepest layers.

“The rise of the strong eastward flow in the Pacific is contemporary with a change in behaviour in the inner core, as inferred from geodesy and seismology, and we hypothesize that these changes in the deep interior are associated with the changes in flow beneath the Pacific,” Madsen said.

While such processes occur thousands of kilometers beneath our planet’s surface and pose no direct dangers, they nonetheless have a vital part in sustaining Earth’s magnetic field.

Although invisible, the magnetic shielding capability it provides protects our atmosphere from solar radiation, while supporting the technologies many of us rely on daily for navigation, space weather monitoring and forecasting, and a range of other things.

ESA scientists say that in the long term, satellite missions like its Swarm mission provide a detailed picture of what’s happening in Earth’s hidden interior. That data is also revealing how the planet’s molten core may be considerably more variable and complex than once thought.

Going forward, Madsen says he and his colleagues will continue to look at how the molten flow deep within the earth is changing over time.

“Continued monitoring will be essential to determine how the flow evolves over the coming years,” Madsen said of the team’s ongoing work.

The team’s recent study, “Principal component analysis of the 2010 reversal of core-surface flow beneath the Pacific Ocean,” was published in the Journal of Studies of Earth’s Deep Interior.

Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.

« La Lune, avant de la conquérir, il faut la comprendre » : l’ESA défend une exploration spatiale plus utile

23 June 2026 at 20:07
La Lune s'impose aujourd'hui comme l'enjeu central d'une nouvelle compétition spatiale mondiale. Mais derrière les annonces enthousiastes et les promesses d'une installation durable, quelle est la réalité ? James David Carpenter, responsable du Bureau des sciences lunaires à l'Agence spatiale...

Webb Sees Jupiter-Size Exoplanet Being Roasted by Its Star

22 June 2026 at 16:05
An artist’s impression of the hot-Jupiter exoplanet HD 80606b. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Joseph Olmsted, STScI.

HD 80606b has one of the most extreme orbits of any known exoplanet and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope just caught it getting flash-fried as it whipped past its star.

The post Webb Sees Jupiter-Size Exoplanet Being Roasted by Its Star appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Artemis, Gateway, exploration : l'ESA reporte ses décisions à décembre 2026

20 June 2026 at 13:13
La 347e réunion du Conseil de l'ESA s'est tenue dans un contexte particulier : celui d'un programme Artemis remanié par la Nasa, sans concertation avec ses partenaires européens. On attendait une réponse. Elle n'est pas venue. L'Europe spatiale a choisi la prudence, renvoyant les grands...

Ariane 6 and Amazon Leo: How a Record-Breaking Launch Is Reshaping the Space Race Balance

19 June 2026 at 12:27

The European Ariane 6 rocket has set a new record by deploying 36 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit – more than ever before on a single mission. At first glance, this may look like a purely technical achievement. However, it reflects something broader: Europe’s return as an independent actor in the space race, intensifying competition between Amazon […]

The post Ariane 6 and Amazon Leo: How a Record-Breaking Launch Is Reshaping the Space Race Balance appeared first on AERONAUT.media.

Ariane 6 dá “boleia” a 36 satélites da Amazon e bate recorde europeu na capacidade de lançamento

19 June 2026 at 11:33

Marcando o oitavo voo consecutivo realizado com sucesso, o foguetão Ariane 6 colocou em órbita 36 satélites da constelação Leo da Amazon, aproveitando para bater o recorde europeu do voo mais “poderoso” de sempre.

The post Ariane 6 dá “boleia” a 36 satélites da Amazon e bate recorde europeu na capacidade de lançamento appeared first on Tek Notícias.

El Niño está de volta e pode ser um dos mais fortes de sempre. O que significa isso para o planeta?

18 June 2026 at 14:28

O El Niño é um dos mais importantes reguladores naturais do clima à escala global e os cientistas acreditam que a versão que começou agora pode entrar para a história. Os primeiros sinais são tão fortes que alguns já lhe chamam “super El Niño” ou “Godzilla”.

The post El Niño está de volta e pode ser um dos mais fortes de sempre. O que significa isso para o planeta? appeared first on Tek Notícias.

Astronomers Find Four Separate Generations of Stars in ‘Globular Cluster’ Terzan 5

17 June 2026 at 23:08
This Webb/NIRCam image shows the star cluster Terzan 5. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb.

New Webb and Hubble data not only confirm the existence of two distinct populations of stars in the ancient stellar system Terzan 5, once classified as a globular cluster, but also provides evidence for two more recent rounds of star formation.

The post Astronomers Find Four Separate Generations of Stars in ‘Globular Cluster’ Terzan 5 appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Upgraded Ariane 6 launches Amazon Leo satellites

17 June 2026 at 20:13
Ariane 6 VA269

An Ariane 6 with upgraded solid rocket boosters successfully launched three dozen Amazon Leo satellites June 17 as ESA weighs options for increasing the vehicle’s launch rate.

The post Upgraded Ariane 6 launches Amazon Leo satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

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