a constant altitude of 1.5 m above the uneven terrain, LASSIE employed a buoyancy‑control system, side‑scan sonar, and a laser‑line scanner to produce three‑dimensional maps of the breeding grounds. Analysis of these maps showed an average inter‑nest...

on surface instruments to probe its chemistry. Analyses by the Alpha Particle X‑ray Spectrometer (APXS) and the ChemCam laser, operated by Caltech and JPL, revealed elevated magnesium and calcium levels in the ripple‑bearing rocks. These elements...

mergers. Scientists have demonstrated that a readily available digital camera can serve as a diagnostic tool for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational‑Wave Observatory (LIGO), offering a low‑cost method to track thermal fluctuations on its mirrors and...

minimal alteration since leaving the mantle. Picture of a 160 µm-wide measurement crater in volcanic glass, created when a laser blasts tiny amounts of material out of the sample. This material is then fed into a mass spectrometer with a gas and heated...

To cover the extensive mountainous terrain, collaborators from National Cheng Kung University employed airborne LiDAR, a laser‑based remote‑sensing technique that maps topography in three dimensions by recording the return time of emitted pulses. This...

unknown civilization, dubbed the Aquiry, which may have supported millions of inhabitants before European contact. Laser imaging uncovers a hidden Amazonian empire Using airborne lidar, researchers mapped 1,740 square miles of northern Brazil, revealing...

equipment and triggering more than 1,000 outages that left over 2,500 customers without power. A 2017 incident at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational‑Wave Observatory (LIGO) in Washington state saw ravens pecking at an ice‑covered cooling pipe. The...

from thermal stress or ancient evaporation, international research teams collaborated to program the rover’s robotic arm, laser, and imaging systems, converting their findings into a complex sequence of commands relayed through the Deep Space Network....

departure from projects like Breakthrough Starshot, which aims to reach nearby stars in mere decades using high-energy laser arrays. While Starshot pushes the boundaries of theoretical physics and engineering, the Fermi Explorer Mission accepts the...

the planet’s evolutionary trajectory. Raman G-band distribution in Bright Angel rocks.Annuli represent the 248.6-nm incident laser irradiance at the surface for points with the most intense Raman band associated with the relative intensity scale shown...

a minuscule droplet of water between two diamonds under pressures reaching 219 gigapascals. When subjected to intense laser heating, the water transitioned into a state known as superionic ice. Unlike the rigid, structured ice found in a kitchen...

The quest to find evidence of extraterrestrial life has long focused on the skies, hunting for radio whispers or laser pulses. Now, researchers suggest the most promising location for finding signs of an advanced civilization might be right under our...

European Space Agency and Japan’s JAXA. As the craft prepares to enter orbit around Mercury in November 2026, its advanced laser instrumentation is expected to provide high-resolution imaging of the planet’s ridges and scarps. These upcoming...

Letters Implications for Future Quantum Infrastructure While the current demonstration was constrained by the one watt of laser power used to generate the optical array, the architecture provides a scalable framework for future quantum networks. The...

of the planet’s volatile past. Detailed analysis conducted via the rover’s Perseverance SuperCam instrument, which utilizes laser pulses to probe the chemistry of over 185 distinct bedrock targets, indicates that these rocks were modified by water on at...

Using the SuperCam instrument mounted on its mast, Perseverance analyzed more than 185 bedrock targets. By firing a laser to vaporize surface material and analyzing the resulting plasma, the rover provided scientists with a detailed chemical and...

preserve a chronological record of the planet’s changing climate conditions. Background is elevation from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA)108, with zero elevation defined at regions where the surface atmospheric pressure is 6.1 mbar. Credit: npj...

Surface To analyze the mineralogy of the terrain, the mission team utilized the SuperCam instrument, which features a laser capable of vaporizing microscopic rock targets from up to 6.5 meters away. By measuring the light spectrum of the resulting...

typical terrestrial vegetation. Five specimens from the Cloverly Formation assemblage prepared for isotopic composition and laser ablation analysis. The sample includes three crocodilian teeth, a Deinonychus antirrhopus tooth, and a Sauropelta edwardsi...

a derelict target. Upon reaching the vicinity of the station two days later, Dzhanibekov took the helm. Utilizing a handheld laser rangefinder to judge the distance and meticulously timing his maneuvers to match the rotation of the silent station, he...