Space.com recently published a list of some of the biggest space stories of 2021.
Here are five highlights:.
1. Scientists discovered the largest-known comet to date. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein may be 10 times wider and 1,000 times larger than known comets. The last time this comet swung around the sun was approximately 3 million years ago. It is reportedly due to pass by again in 2031. The last time this comet swung around the sun was approximately 3 million years ago. It is reportedly due to pass by again in 2031.
2. A new moon was discovered orbiting Jupiter by an amateur astronomer. Jupiter, the largest
planet in our solar system, has at least 79 moons. Amateur astronomer Kai Ly discovered the
latest moon, EJc0061, in a data set from 2003.
3. In early June 2021, NASA announced two new missions to Venus by 2030. The DAVINCI+ mission will study the planet's atmosphere. The VERITAS mission will try to map the planet's terrain from orbit. They are the first dedicated missions to Venus by NASA since 1989.
4. The sun is reawakening as it reaches the active phase of its roughly decade-long cycle. In early November, a series of CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections) triggered geomagnetic storms on Earth. CMEs interact with our planet's magnetic field and can cause satellite disruptions and energy losses.
5. The James Webb Space Telescope, , a project 30 years in the making, launched on Christmas Day 2021. The successor to the Hubble will orbit at about a million miles from Earth. The powerful telescope will help answer questions about the evolution of the universe and our own solar system.
Here are five highlights:.
1. Scientists discovered the largest-known comet to date. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein may be 10 times wider and 1,000 times larger than known comets. The last time this comet swung around the sun was approximately 3 million years ago. It is reportedly due to pass by again in 2031. The last time this comet swung around the sun was approximately 3 million years ago. It is reportedly due to pass by again in 2031.
2. A new moon was discovered orbiting Jupiter by an amateur astronomer. Jupiter, the largest
planet in our solar system, has at least 79 moons. Amateur astronomer Kai Ly discovered the
latest moon, EJc0061, in a data set from 2003.
3. In early June 2021, NASA announced two new missions to Venus by 2030. The DAVINCI+ mission will study the planet's atmosphere. The VERITAS mission will try to map the planet's terrain from orbit. They are the first dedicated missions to Venus by NASA since 1989.
4. The sun is reawakening as it reaches the active phase of its roughly decade-long cycle. In early November, a series of CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections) triggered geomagnetic storms on Earth. CMEs interact with our planet's magnetic field and can cause satellite disruptions and energy losses.
5. The James Webb Space Telescope, , a project 30 years in the making, launched on Christmas Day 2021. The successor to the Hubble will orbit at about a million miles from Earth. The powerful telescope will help answer questions about the evolution of the universe and our own solar system.
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