QUICK TAKES

SANDSTORMS

JWST observations of exoplanet WASP-107 b reveal that the gas giant has an analogue to Earth’s water cycle based on silicates, the main component of sand. The silicates evaporate with trace amounts of water deep in its atmosphere, rise and form sand clouds, then rain drops of sand.

CROSSED WIRES

OSIRIS-REx’s drogue parachute failed as the mission reentered Earth’s atmosphere Sept. 24 with its precious sample of asteroid 101955 Bennu. NASA said Dec. 5 that loose usage of the word main in the craft’s blueprints led engineers to mistakenly connect two “main” wires that caused the drogue’s cord to be cut before it was deployed. Luckily, the main chute ensured a safe landing.

TIT FOR TAT

In an emerging inter-Korean space race, North Korea successfully launched a spy satellite Nov. 21, 2023, after two failed attempts earlier in the year. South Korea’s first spy sat launched days later on Dec. 1 on a SpaceX Falcon 9.

GAMMA-RAYS BLAST EARTH

The gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A induced changes in current in Earth’s upper ionosphere 300 miles (500 km) high, physicists reported Nov. 14. It’s the first time such perturbations from a burst have been detected at those heights.

PARTICLE PHYSICS’ DECADAL

The influential Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) issued its once-a-decade slew of recommendations Dec. 7. Top priority went to the CMB-Stage 4 radio telescope array, which would study the cosmic microwave background. Neutrino experiments and dark matter detectors also made the list.