Three Spacecraft Head to Mars

This summer, three unmanned spacecraft—the Perseverance (US), Tianwen-1 (China) and Hope Orbiter (United Arab Emirates)—are making the journey to Mars in order to explore. Helicopters, rovers, infrared spectrometers, cameras and other equipment aboard each craft will be controlled from Earth and all the data gathered will add to our ever-growing understanding of the red planet. The New York Times, via NASA, provides graphics for each …

First-Ever Photo of a Solar System Like Ours

Images of exoplanets are extremely uncommon, but even more rare is an image of such a planet as part of a greater solar system like ours. Astronomers, however, have just shared one such photo captured by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope. The picture of TYC 8998-760-1, located approximately 300 light years from Earth, reveals “a Sun-like star, orbited by multiple exoplanets.” This set-up is remarkably …

Japan’s New Earthquake-Proof Bullet Train

Commissioned by the Central Japan Railway Company to offer support during the now-postponed 2020 Olympics, the new N700S (Supreme) bullet train runs the roughly 250-mile stretch between Tokyo and Osaka. Though it can reach 224mph, it’s being capped at 177 for safety reasons—and it incorporates better brakes and running controls for slowing and stopping. Its makers also claim that the train is earthquake-proof thanks to …