Section
Space
Space science from California: JPL, Caltech, SLAC, NASA missions, telescopes, asteroid exploration, and the Golden State's outsized role in humanity's exploration of the cosmos.
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The Moon May Help Drive California’s Next Flooding Crisis
An 18.6-year lunar cycle is expected to amplify tides just as rising seas push more of California’s coastline toward flooding thresholds.
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California’s Eye on the Cosmos: The SLAC-Built Camera That Will Time-Lapse the Universe
Images from the most powerful astronomical discovery machine ever created, and built in California A breathtaking zoomed-in glimpse of the cosmos: this first image from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory…
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Berkeley’s Cosmic Breakthrough and the Alvarez Discovery That Rewrote Earth’s History
The Alvarez’ work led to one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century: the discovery that a massive meteorite impact was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs and much of life on Earth.
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Dark Parks in California: Where to Find a Truly Dark Sky
Light pollution has erased the Milky Way for most Californians. Here’s why that matters and where to go to see a truly dark sky, from Death Valley and Joshua Tree to Anza-Borrego and Mount Shasta.
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JPL and the Voyager Golden Record, Humanity’s Mixtape for the Stars
In 1977, JPL sent two gold-plated records into space aboard the Voyager probes, loaded with music, whale songs, greetings in 55 languages and a kiss. Here’s what’s on them and how they were made.
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Journey to the Iron Giant: NASA’s Psyche Mission Could Unlock the Secrets of a Metallic World
A NOVEL PROPULSION SYSTEM WILL TAKE US TO A MASSIVE METAL ASTEROID IN DEEP SPACE
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Mt. Wilson Observatory, Where We Learned the Universe Is Expanding
High above Los Angeles, Mt. Wilson Observatory is where Edwin Hubble discovered other galaxies and the expanding universe. It nearly burned in 2020, and you can still look through its telescopes.
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Mars helicopter Ingenuity is ready for its “Wright Brothers” moment
If all goes well, in late July, Nasa will do something it’s never done before. The agency will launch a new mission to Mars with the aim of landing a small helicopter on the surface that will perform several test missions to see if we can fly on the surface of the Red Planet.