Federal Independent Agencies
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NASA's SPHEREx Observatory Completes First Cosmic Map Like No Other
PASADENA, California, Dec. 19 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's SPHEREx Observatory Completes First Cosmic Map Like No Other
The telescope will help scientists answer big-picture questions about everything from water deposits in the Milky Way to what happened in the first second after the big bang.
Launched in March, NASA's SPHEREx space telescope has completed its first infrared map of the entire sky in 102 colors. While not visible to the human eye, these 102 infrared wavelengths of light are prevalent in the cosmos, and observing the entire
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PASADENA, California, Dec. 19 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's SPHEREx Observatory Completes First Cosmic Map Like No Other
The telescope will help scientists answer big-picture questions about everything from water deposits in the Milky Way to what happened in the first second after the big bang.
Launched in March, NASA's SPHEREx space telescope has completed its first infrared map of the entire sky in 102 colors. While not visible to the human eye, these 102 infrared wavelengths of light are prevalent in the cosmos, and observing the entiresky this way enables scientists to answer big questions, including how a dramatic event that occurred in the first billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second after the big bang influenced the 3D distribution of hundreds of millions of galaxies in our universe. In addition, scientists will use the data to study how galaxies have changed over the universe's nearly 14 billion-year history and learn about the distribution of key ingredients for life in our own galaxy.
"It's incredible how much information SPHEREx has collected in just six months -- information that will be especially valuable when used alongside our other missions' data to better understand our universe," said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We essentially have 102 new maps of the entire sky, each one in a different wavelength and containing unique information about the objects it sees. I think every astronomer is going to find something of value here, as NASA's missions enable the world to answer fundamental questions about how the universe got its start, and how it changed to eventually create a home for us in it."
Circling Earth about 141/2 times a day, SPHEREx (which stands for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) travels from north to south, passing over the poles. Each day it takes about 3,600 images along one circular strip of the sky, and as the days pass and the planet moves around the Sun, SPHEREx's field of view shifts as well. After six months, the observatory has looked out into space in every direction, capturing the entire sky in 360 degrees.
Managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the mission began mapping the sky in May and completed its first all-sky mosaic in December. It will complete three additional all-sky scans during its two-year primary mission, and merging those maps together will increase the sensitivity of the measurements. The entire dataset is freely available to scientists and the public.
"SPHEREx is a mid-sized astrophysics mission delivering big science," said JPL Director Dave Gallagher. "It's a phenomenal example of how we turn bold ideas into reality, and in doing so, unlock enormous potential for discovery."
Superpowered telescope
Each of the 102 colors detected by SPHEREx represents a wavelength of infrared light, and each wavelength provides unique information about the galaxies, stars, planet-forming regions, and other cosmic features therein. For example, dense clouds of dust in our galaxy where stars and planets form radiate brightly in certain wavelengths but emit no light (and are therefore totally invisible) in others. The process of separating the light from a source into its component wavelengths is called spectroscopy.
And while a handful of previous missions has also mapped the entire sky, such as NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, none have done so in nearly as many colors as SPHEREx. By contrast, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope can do spectroscopy with significantly more wavelengths of light than SPHEREx, but with a field of view thousands of times smaller. The combination of colors and such a wide field of view is why SPHEREx is so powerful.
"The superpower of SPHEREx is that it captures the whole sky in 102 colors about every six months. That's an amazing amount of information to gather in a short amount of time," said Beth Fabinsky, the SPHEREx project manager at JPL. "I think this makes us the mantis shrimp of telescopes, because we have an amazing multicolor visual detection system and we can also see a very wide swath of our surroundings."
To accomplish this feat, SPHEREx uses six detectors, each paired with a specially designed filter that contains a gradient of 17 colors. That means every image taken with those six detectors contains 102 colors (six times 17). It also means that every all-sky map that SPHEREx produces is really 102 maps, each in a different color.
The observatory will use those colors to measure the distance to hundreds of millions of galaxies. Though the positions of most of those galaxies have already been mapped in two dimensions by other observatories, SPHEREx's map will be in 3D, enabling scientists to measure subtle variations in the way galaxies are clustered and distributed across the universe.
Those measurements will offer insights into an event that took place in the first billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second after the big bang. In this moment, called inflation, the universe expanded by a trillion-trillionfold. Nothing like it has occurred in the universe since, and scientists want to understand it better. The SPHEREx mission's approach is one way to help in that effort.
More about SPHEREx
The SPHEREx mission is managed by JPL for NASA's Astrophysics Division within the Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The telescope and the spacecraft bus were built by BAE Systems. The science analysis of the SPHEREx data is being conducted by a team of scientists at 10 institutions across the U.S., and in South Korea and Taiwan. Data is processed and archived at IPAC at Caltech in Pasadena, which manages JPL for NASA. The mission's principal investigator is based at Caltech with a joint JPL appointment. The SPHEREx dataset is publicly available.
For more information about the SPHEREx mission visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/spherex/
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-spherex-observatory-completes-first-cosmic-map-like-no-other/
U.S. Helsinki Commission: Chairman Wicker Applauds Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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Chairman Wicker Applauds Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act
Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the U.S. Helsinki Commission, today applauded final passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (FY26 NDAA) with broad bipartisan support.
"Not since the era of World War II has our nation faced an axis of aggressors across multiple theaters
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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Chairman Wicker Applauds Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act
Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the U.S. Helsinki Commission, today applauded final passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (FY26 NDAA) with broad bipartisan support.
"Not since the era of World War II has our nation faced an axis of aggressors across multiple theatersseeking to dismantle American influence. The bill we now send to the president's desk is a reflection of that reality and an appropriate response.
"In this NDAA, my colleagues and I have prioritized the structural rebuilding of the arsenal of democracy and returning the department to its warfighting mission. Crucially, it also contains the most sweeping upgrades to the Pentagon's business practices in 60 years--a watershed moment for our military.
"The bill sets us on a path to modernize our defense capabilities and augment our drone manufacturing, shipbuilding efforts, and the development of innovative low-cost weapons.
"Thanks to the partnership and bipartisan support from Ranking Member Reed, and that of all members who worked to improve this bill, our military will be better prepared to meet the challenges ahead."
The FY26 NDAA also includes several provisions to strengthen the United States' force posture in key theaters, including Eastern Europe, and bolster our ability to defend U.S. interests, values, and assets:
* Ensures that U.S. force posture plans in Europe are well-coordinated with U.S. military, allies, and Congress.
* Establishes the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI) and authorizes $175 million in funding to strengthen front-line deterrence against Russian aggression.
* Reauthorizes and increases the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funding to $400 million dollars.
* Ensures that any decision to hand over command of NATO to a European officer is preceded by detailed consultations with allies and Congress.
* Directs the Pentagon to consider whether NATO partners have submitted plans to reach 5 percent of GDP in deciding on future U.S. military basing and training in Europe.
* Advances democratic and economic growth and stability in the Western Balkans.
* Holds Russia accountable for war crimes committed in Ukraine, including the abduction of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children.
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Original text here: https://www.csce.gov/press-releases/chairman-wicker-applauds-passage-of-the-national-defense-authorization-act/
U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Update on Investigation Into Hazardous Nitrogen Oxides Releases at Austin Powder Facilities in Ohio and Tennessee
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Update on Investigation into Hazardous Nitrogen Oxides Releases at Austin Powder Facilities in Ohio and Tennessee
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released an update on the agency's investigations into incidents involving the release of hazardous nitrogen oxides (NOx) gas at two facilities owned by the Austin Powder company in Ohio and Tennessee. The incidents occurred on November 24, 2024, at the U.S. Nitrogen facility
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Update on Investigation into Hazardous Nitrogen Oxides Releases at Austin Powder Facilities in Ohio and Tennessee
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released an update on the agency's investigations into incidents involving the release of hazardous nitrogen oxides (NOx) gas at two facilities owned by the Austin Powder company in Ohio and Tennessee. The incidents occurred on November 24, 2024, at the U.S. Nitrogen facilityin Midway, Tennessee, which Austin Powder owns, and on June 11, 2025, at Austin Powder's Red Diamond explosives manufacturing facility in McArthur, Ohio. Nitrogen oxides are highly hazardous chemicals capable of causing serious respiratory injuries and environmental harm.
Red Diamond Facility -- McArthur, Ohio
On June 11, 2025, over 3,900 pounds of NOx gas was released from the Red Diamond explosives manufacturing facility. The release occurred through an emergency pressure relief valve and a process vent associated with the facility's nitric acid storage and recovery operations. A large, yellow-reddish-brownish-colored plume was seen coming from the facility. The visible emissions led to the evacuation of residents in the nearby town of Zaleski and prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to restrict airspace for a 30-mile radius around the facility. The release lasted for over three hours.
CSB Investigators have found that temperatures in a nitric acid storage tank increased dramatically after cooling systems had been shut down for an extended period. During normal operation, the tank's bulk liquid temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (F). With the chilled water system off, the temperature steadily increased during the week preceding the incident. By the morning of June 10, 2025, approximately 24 hours before the release began, the storage tank temperature had increased to over 80 F, more than 30 F greater than normal. On the morning of the incident, the temperature increased to over 150 F, more than 100 F above normal.
Shortly after 7:54 a.m. on the morning of the incident, maintenance personnel discovered that an emergency pressure relief valve on the tank was repeatedly opening and closing approximately every 30 to 60 seconds, discharging NOx gas. By 8:19 a.m., the excess nitric acid tank's emergency pressure relief valve was open continuously and remained open until approximately 10:19 a.m.
U.S. Nitrogen Facility -- Midway, Tennessee
The U.S. Nitrogen facility in Tennessee produces nitric acid that is used at Austin Powder's Red Diamond explosives manufacturing facility in Ohio, in addition to other substances. On November 24, 2024, two NOx releases occurred during multiple attempts to start up the nitric acid unit at the U.S. Nitrogen facility after the unit had been shut down for several days for maintenance. The releases, which occurred at approximately 6:47 a.m. and 8:42 a.m., resulted in the release of over 900 pounds of NOx gas. The unit was shut down after visible emissions were observed. Like the release in Ohio, a large yellow-reddish-brownish-colored plume of NOx gas was emitted.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has issued a Notice of Violation and an order to U.S. Nitrogen, seeking a civil penalty and asserting that the company failed to follow its standard operating procedure for starting up the nitric acid plant.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said, "These incidents underscore the serious hazards that can occur with nitric acid processes. We are concerned that hazardous nitrogen oxides gas was released at two Austin Powder facilities in the span of less than seven months."
Ongoing Investigation
The CSB's investigation into the incidents is ongoing. The CSB is reviewing equipment performance, operating procedures, safeguards, alarms, and emergency response actions. Final findings and safety recommendations will be issued in the CSB's final investigation report.
The CSB is an independent, nonregulatory federal agency charged with investigating incidents and hazards that result, or may result, in the catastrophic release of extremely hazardous substances. The agency's core mission activities include conducting incident investigations; formulating preventive or mitigative recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards.
The agency's board members are appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation. The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.
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Original text here: https://www.csb.gov/us-chemical-safety-board-issues-update-on-investigation-into-hazardous-nitrogen-oxides-releases-at-austin-powder-facilities-in-ohio-and-tennessee/
SBA Delivers First MARC Loans to Support Manufacturers
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The Small Business Administration posted the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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SBA Delivers First MARC Loans to Support Manufacturers
Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has approved its first round of 7(a) Manufacturers' Access to Revolving Credit (MARC) Loans - already delivering $3.5 million in working capital to four manufacturers. The loan program, launched just prior to the federal shutdown, is the first-ever SBA loan offering dedicated to manufacturers - designed to provide maximum flexibility and minimal red tape for small
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The Small Business Administration posted the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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SBA Delivers First MARC Loans to Support Manufacturers
Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has approved its first round of 7(a) Manufacturers' Access to Revolving Credit (MARC) Loans - already delivering $3.5 million in working capital to four manufacturers. The loan program, launched just prior to the federal shutdown, is the first-ever SBA loan offering dedicated to manufacturers - designed to provide maximum flexibility and minimal red tape for smallbusinesses in NAICS 31-33 Link is external.
"98% of manufacturers are small businesses - and with the fair trade agenda, they are preparing for a new golden era of hiring and expansion as President Trump brings jobs, supply chains, and industries back home," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "SBA's new MARC Loan is designed to help manufacturers access needed working capital to meet the rising demand for Made in America. With several MARC loans already deployed, we are seeing immediate results. These loans support real factories, real workers, and real growth - and we encourage manufacturers nationwide to take advantage of this program to expand, modernize, and reshore American industrial dominance."
The first MARC Loans approved demonstrate the wide range of transactions that the product was engineered to support. Initial MARC transactions approved will support a range of working capital needs, from a $1.5 million line of credit to a welding and fabrication firm to a $250,000 facility for a porcelain enamel manufacturer. These initial transactions were supported by community and regional banks who deployed the MARC Loan Program to expand their working capital solutions and support manufacturers in their communities.
The MARC Program complements the SBA's core 7(a) and 504 loan programs, providing a flexible new line of credit to manufacturers and lenders. MARC Loans can be used in combination with SBA and conventional commercial loans, making it a potent new tool in support of the Administration's effort to reshore American industrial dominance.
Under the leadership of Administrator Loeffler, the SBA previously announced its Made in America Manufacturing Initiative to empower small manufacturers with the tools to lead the nation's industrial comeback. As part of this Initiative, the agency waived loan fees for small manufacturers in Fiscal Year 2026, has committed to cutting $100 billion in red tape, promoting workforce development, and doubling the 7(a) and 504 loan limit for manufacturing. More recently, SBA also launched its Make Onshoring Great Again Portal, a free tool designed to connect small businesses with a database of more than 1 million domestic suppliers and producers.
Complete details on the new MARC Loan Program can be found here. Training for SBA Lenders can be found on SBA's Lender Training on Demand web page.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2025/12/17/sba-delivers-first-marc-loans-support-manufacturers
NSF: Intent to Restructure Critical Weather Science Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The National Science Foundation issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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Intent to restructure critical weather science infrastructure
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced today that the agency is reviewing the structure of the research and observational capabilities operated by the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). NSF remains committed to providing world-class infrastructure for weather modeling, space weather research and forecasting, and other critical functions. To do so, NSF will be engaging with partner agencies,
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The National Science Foundation issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025:
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Intent to restructure critical weather science infrastructure
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced today that the agency is reviewing the structure of the research and observational capabilities operated by the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). NSF remains committed to providing world-class infrastructure for weather modeling, space weather research and forecasting, and other critical functions. To do so, NSF will be engaging with partner agencies,the research community, and other interested parties to solicit feedback for rescoping the functions of the work currently performed by NCAR.
NSF will publish a Dear Colleague Letter that will inform the agency's follow-on actions. Specifically, NSF will explore options to transfer stewardship of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputer to an appropriate operator; divest of or transfer the two NSF aircraft that NCAR manages and operates; and redefine the scope of modeling and forecasting research and operations to concentrate on needs such as seasonal weather prediction, severe storms, and space weather.
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Original text here: https://www.nsf.gov/news/intent-restructure-critical-weather-science-infrastructure
NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Ready to Roll for Miles in Years Ahead
PASADENA, California, Dec. 18 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Ready to Roll for Miles in Years Ahead
The rover has been acing a long-term series of durability tests, making the most of its enhanced navigation capabilities, and ferreting out new findings about Mars' geologic past.
After nearly five years on Mars, NASA's Perseverance rover has traveled almost 25 miles (40 kilometers), and the mission team has been busy testing the rover's durability and gathering new science findings on the way to a new region nicknamed
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, Dec. 18 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Ready to Roll for Miles in Years Ahead
The rover has been acing a long-term series of durability tests, making the most of its enhanced navigation capabilities, and ferreting out new findings about Mars' geologic past.
After nearly five years on Mars, NASA's Perseverance rover has traveled almost 25 miles (40 kilometers), and the mission team has been busy testing the rover's durability and gathering new science findings on the way to a new region nicknamed"Lac de Charmes," where it will be searching for rocks to sample in the coming year.
Like its predecessor Curiosity, which has been exploring a different region of Mars since 2012, Perseverance was made for the long haul. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which built Perseverance and leads the mission, has continued testing the rover's parts here on Earth to make sure the six-wheeled scientist will be strong for years to come. This past summer, JPL certified that the rotary actuators that turn the rover's wheels can perform optimally for at least another 37 miles (60 kilometers); comparable brake testing is underway as well.
Over the past two years, engineers have extensively evaluated nearly all the vehicle's subsystems in this way, concluding that they can operate until at least 2031.
"These tests show the rover is in excellent shape," said Perseverance's deputy project manager, Steve Lee of JPL, who presented the results on Wednesday at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting, the largest gathering of planetary scientists in the United States. "All the systems are fully capable of supporting a very long-term mission to extensively explore this fascinating region of Mars."
Perseverance has been driving through Mars' Jezero Crater, the site of an ancient lake and river system, where it has been collecting scientifically compelling rock core samples. In fact, in September, the team announced that a sample from a rock nicknamed "Cheyava Falls" contains a potential fingerprint of past microbial life.
More efficient roving
In addition to a hefty suite of six science instruments, Perseverance packs more autonomous capabilities than past rovers. A paper (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11265757) published recently in IEEE Transactions on Field Robotics highlights an autonomous planning tool called Enhanced Autonomous Navigation, or ENav. The software looks up to 50 feet (15 meters) ahead for potential hazards, then chooses a path without obstacles and tells Perseverance's wheels how to steer there.
Engineers at JPL meticulously plan each day of the rover's activities on Mars. But once the rover starts driving, it's on its own and sometimes has to react to unexpected obstacles in the terrain. Past rovers could do this to some degree, but not if these obstacles were clustered near each other. They also couldn't react as far in advance, resulting in the vehicles driving slower while approaching sand pits, rocks, and ledges. In contrast, ENav's algorithm evaluates each rover wheel independently against the elevation of terrain, trade-offs between different routes, and "keep-in" or "keep-out" areas marked by human operators for the path ahead.
"More than 90% of Perseverance's journey has relied on autonomous driving, making it possible to quickly collect a diverse range of samples," said JPL autonomy researcher Hiro Ono, a paper lead author. "As humans go to the Moon and even Mars in the future, long-range autonomous driving will become more critical to exploring these worlds."
New science
A paper (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu8264) published Wednesday in Science details what Perseverance discovered in the "Margin Unit," a geologic area at the margin, or inner edge, of Jezero Crater. The rover collected three samples from that region. Scientists think these samples may be particularly useful for showing how ancient rocks from Mars' deep interior interacted with water and the atmosphere, helping create conditions supportive for life.
From September 2023 to November 2024, Perseverance ascended 1,312 feet (400 meters) of the Margin Unit, studying rocks along the way -- especially those containing the mineral olivine. Scientists use minerals as timekeepers because crystals within them can record details about the precise moment and conditions in which they formed.
Jezero Crater and the surrounding area holds large reserves of olivine, which forms at high temperatures, typically deep within a planet, and offers a snapshot of what was going on in the planet's interior. Scientists think the Margin Unit's olivine was made in an intrusion, a process where magma pushes into underground layers and cools into igneous rock. In this case, erosion later exposed that rock to the surface, where it could interact with water from the crater's ancient lake and carbon dioxide, which was abundant in the planet's early atmosphere.
Those interactions form new minerals called carbonates, which can preserve signs of past life, along with clues as to how Mars' atmosphere changed over time.
"This combination of olivine and carbonate was a major factor in the choice to land at Jezero Crater," said the new paper's lead author, Perseverance science team member Ken Williford of Blue Marble Space Institute of Science in Seattle. "These minerals are powerful recorders of planetary evolution and the potential for life."
Together, the olivine and carbonates record the interplay between rock, water, and atmosphere inside the crater, including how each changed over time. The Margin Unit's olivine appeared to have been altered by water at the base of the unit, where it would have been submerged. But the higher Perseverance went, the more the olivine bore textures associated with magma chambers, like crystallization, and fewer signs of water alteration.
As Perseverance leaves the Margin Unit behind for Lac de Charmes, the team will have the chance to collect new olivine-rich samples and compare the differences between the two areas.
More about Perseverance
Managed for NASA by Caltech, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover on behalf of the agency's Science Mission Directorate as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program portfolio.
To learn more about Perseverance, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-ready-to-roll-for-miles-in-years-ahead/
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics: X-Ray Space Telescope Gives Sharpest-Ever Glimpse at Growth of a Rapidly-Spinning Black Hole
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Dec. 18 (TNSjou) -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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X-ray Space Telescope Gives Sharpest-Ever Glimpse at Growth of a Rapidly-Spinning Black Hole
The first results on the iconic active galactic nucleus MCG-6-30-15 captured with the XRISM mission show the most precise signatures yet of its supermassive black hole's extreme gravity and the outflows that shape its galaxy.
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Astronomers have obtained the sharpest-ever X-ray spectrum of an iconic active galaxy, providing the most accurate, precise view ever obtained
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CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Dec. 18 (TNSjou) -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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X-ray Space Telescope Gives Sharpest-Ever Glimpse at Growth of a Rapidly-Spinning Black Hole
The first results on the iconic active galactic nucleus MCG-6-30-15 captured with the XRISM mission show the most precise signatures yet of its supermassive black hole's extreme gravity and the outflows that shape its galaxy.
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Astronomers have obtained the sharpest-ever X-ray spectrum of an iconic active galaxy, providing the most accurate, precise view ever obtainedof the extreme relativistic effects imprinted onto the spacetime around a supermassive black hole.
Using a powerful trio of telescopes headlined by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)/NASA XRISM mission, the research team, led by high-energy astrophysicist Laura Brenneman of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, isolated the broad iron emission line and associated "reflection" that signify a rapidly-spinning black hole.
Previous X-ray spectral observations have lacked the resolution to separate the various emission and absorption features in this energy range, but XRISM's unmatched spectral resolution allows scientists to examine the black hole's immediate environment with unprecedented accuracy, the authors explained.
"Astrophysical black holes have only two properties: mass and spin," Brenneman said. "We can estimate their masses by several different means, but measuring their spins is much harder and requires collecting data from gas that is orbiting the black hole immediately outside the event horizon. For supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei, this is best accomplished by obtaining X-ray spectra with high signal-to-noise and spectral resolution."
Astronomers have long suspected that a large fraction of the X-ray signals from the galaxy known as MCG-6-30-15 come from matter very close to the galaxy's central supermassive black hole, which is estimated to be about 2 million times the mass of our Sun.
But in regions this close to a supermassive black hole's event horizon, gravity stretches and warps light in line with Einstein's theories of relativity, explains Brenneman, making it hard to separate these light signals.
Combining results from XRISM's newly commissioned, ultra-high-resolution "Resolve" X-ray instrument with the broadband power of the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and NASA's NuSTAR produced data that allowed the scientists to separate the spectrum of matter near the event horizon from emission and absorption lines originating in more distant gas.
The study confirms a distinctive, warped iron emission line in the X-ray spectrum, which is evidence of material orbiting at extreme speeds near the event horizon of the black hole rather than being created by outflowing winds along the line of sight to the galaxy. The fast-moving inner disk produces about 50 times as much X-ray reflection as the gas clouds further away, the study suggests.
A companion publication led by Dan Wilkins of Ohio State University, recently submitted to The Astrophysical Journal, builds on this research by analyzing the spectra at different times throughout the observation. The results confirm and refine the measurement of the rapid black hole spin and provide new insight into the properties of the corona, the highly-energized region just outside the black hole that is producing most of the X-ray emission we observe. The exact nature of the corona remains one of the most intriguing mysteries in astrophysics.
Brenneman said that astronomers will now be able to use XRISM to check the accuracy of previous black hole spin measurements made with lower-resolution X-ray spectra.
"We want to go back and look at all of the sources for which we have lower-resolution spectra and observe them with XRISM, and say, 'Okay, now that we're confident we can separate out the narrow and the broad features, how accurate were our previous spin measurements?'" she explained.
The data have also revealed at least five different "zones" of a wind being driven outward as a byproduct of accretion onto the black hole, said Brenneman.
"Understanding these winds in addition to the black hole's spin is important because they can tell us how galaxies grow and evolve, either primarily by collecting gas or by mergers with other galaxies and black holes," said Brenneman. "So measuring these two quantities accurately gives us a holistic view of the symbiotic relationship between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies."
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Resource
Brenneman, L. W. et al, "A Sharper View of the X-ray Spectrum of MCG--6-30-15 with XRISM, XMM-Newton and NuSTAR," Astrophysical Journal, 2025 Dec 17, doi: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae1225
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About the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian is a collaboration between Harvard and the Smithsonian designed to ask--and ultimately answer--humanity's greatest unresolved questions about the nature of the universe. The Center for Astrophysics is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with research facilities across the U.S. and around the world.
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Original text here: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/new-x-ray-space-telescope-gives-sharpest-ever-glimpse-growth-rapidly-spinning-black-hole
