GeoLog

Planetary and Solar System Sciences

How 40 years of Viking missions decoded the Universe’s most misbehaving matter

How 40 years of Viking missions decoded the Universe’s most misbehaving matter

In a couple of days, on 22 February, we will mark a major milestone in space history: 40 years since the launch of the first Swedish Viking satellite, when an Ariane rocket from Kourou in French-occupied Guiana launched on 22 February 1986! While the general public might hear the word Viking and picture longboats, heavy axes, and a level of beard maintenance that borders on the professional, space ...[Read More]

Challenger: the lessons of a teacher who never reached space

Challenger: the lessons of a teacher who never reached space

Humankind’s development is often associated with facing challenges. The original ideas required to solve new problems keep pushing the power of human creation towards more sophisticated and practical solutions. However, part of the excitement of any challenge comes from the dangers of trying something that nobody has accomplished before. An example of technological advances driven by human a ...[Read More]

Jacobus Kapteyn at 175: Still expanding our cosmic horizon

Jacobus Kapteyn at 175: Still expanding our cosmic horizon

January 19th marked the 175th birthday of Dutch astronomer Jacobus Kapteyn. His work and legacy had a profound yet subtle impact on the astronomical community and our understanding of the cosmos. His lasting contributions and methodologies continue to be refined and provide the foundation for ongoing astronomical research and discoveries. After he completed his studies, Kapteyn worked at Leiden Ob ...[Read More]

GeoTalk: meet Silke Asche, researcher of the origin of life on other planets!

GeoTalk: meet Silke Asche, researcher of the origin of life on other planets!

Hello Silke and welcome to GeoTalk! Before we dig into your topic of expertise, could you introduce yourself to our readers? Hello, Simon. My name is Silke Asche, and I am a chemist in astrobiology and part of the Agnostic Biosignature Collective led by Dr Heather Graham at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight enter. My Ph.D. focused on Origins of Life (OoL) research and the automation of such experiments. ...[Read More]