dioxide

This illustration shows what exoplanet WASP-39 b could look like, based on the current understanding of the planet.WASP-39 b is a hot, puffy gas giant with a mass 0.28 times Jupiter (0.94 times Saturn) and a diameter 1.3 times greater than Jupiter, orbiting just 0.0486 astronomical units (4,500,000 miles) from its star. The star, WASP-39, is fractionally smaller and less massive than the Sun. Because it is so close to its star, WASP-39 b is very hot and is likely to be tidally locked, with one side facing the star at all…

The James Webb Space Telescope has clearly detected carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time. The find marks a milestone for the telescope’s goal of analyzing distant planets, which could eventually help discover signs of extraterrestrial life.One of James Webb’s key science goals is to study the composition of the atmosphere of exoplanets, with the hopes of ultimately finding ones that could host life. The main method the telescope uses to do this is transmission spectroscopy.Essentially, every…

Webb Space Telescope has detected “unequivocal” evidence of carbon dioxide in a distant exoplanet’s atmosphere, according to a European Space Agency release. According to the ESA, “it is the first clear, detailed, indisputable evidence” of carbon dioxide in a planet outside of our solar system.The world is a gas giant—similar to Jupiter—about 700 light-years away. It’s called WASP-39 b and was first discovered in 2011, but only now were scientists able to train the Webb Telescope’s remarkable spectroscopic powers on the…

Astronomers have found carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere of a Saturn-size planet 700 light-years away—the first unambiguous detection of the gas in a planet beyond the Solar System. The discovery, made by the James Webb Space Telescope, provides clues to how the planet formed. The result also shows just how quickly Webb may identify a spate of other gases, such as methane and ammonia, which could hint at a planet’s potential habitability for life. Webb is “ushering in this…

A new study identifies where in the Southern Ocean carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere and where the carbon comes from. Credit: F. Alexander Haumann In the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, deep-ocean water upwells to the surface, where it releases carbon dioxide that entered the ocean prior to the Industrial Revolution. This process is a key component of the global carbon cycle, and recent research has suggested…

If humans are ever able to safely make their descent on Mars, there is now a possibility for them to get plenty of oxygen to breathe on the Red Planet. This can be possible due to a new plasma-based method developed by scientists, through which the resources available in the Martian environment can be utilised to make oxygen. The method would not only allow astronauts to breathe on the planet during future Mars missions, but could also help make fuel, building materials, and fertilisers there.Mars' atmosphere mainly…

Bicyclic Carbon Fixation—NREL scientists have designed a pathway for speeding up CO2 fermentation in some species of bacteria. The resulting molecule—acetyl-CoA, with its two unique carbon handles (C2)—can be used to make a range of important commodity fuels and chemicals. Credit: Figure by Besiki Kazaishvili, NRELScientists Mapped Out a “Bicyclic Carbon Fixation” Pathway for Speeding Up Gas Fermentation in Specialized BacteriaBakers ferment the dough for a well-risen loaf of bread. Likewise, brewers ferment wheat and…

Don’t listen to what people are saying on TikTok. Your tampons are safe.Image: IKagadiy (Shutterstock)A viral TikTok with millions views about how tampons that contain titanium dioxide can cause cancer and other health problems has spurred calls on the platform to throw away all products that match that description. Before you start gathering all your tampons and scouring their ingredient lists, you should know that experts want you to chill and stop worrying: Your tampons are safe.The virtual freak out on TikTok over…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Multi-million-pound investment is urgently needed in technologies including direct air capture (DAC) if the UK is to make 'green' airports a reality in the future, research by Cranfield University has revealed. In the first study of its kind focusing primarily on…

A recent lawsuit has grabbed headlines and raised consumer concerns with its claim that Skittles, the popular many-colored candies, contain “a known toxin”: the chemical titanium dioxide. The suit, filed by a consumer in July against Skittles manufacturer Mars, notes that the European Union is banning titanium dioxide as a food additive. But in the U.S., Canada and many other countries, titanium dioxide is still deemed safe for consumption, within regulated amounts. So what does the science actually say about the…