Trio Of Super-Earths: Harvest Of Low-mass Exoplanets Discovered With HARPS Jun 17, 2008
Such planets are called super-Earths, as they are more massive than the Earth but less massive than Uranus and Neptune (about 15 Earth masses) ... "The analysis of all the stars studied with HARPS shows that about one third of all solar-like stars have either super-Earth or Neptune-like planets with orbital periods shorter than 50 days." ... "It is most probable that there are many other planets present: not only super-Earth and Neptune-like planets with longer periods, but also Earth-like... (Science Daily)
Threesuper-Earthsfound Jun 17, 2008
Super-Earths are more massive than Earth but less massive than Uranus and Neptune ... "It is most probable that there are many other planets present: not only super-Earth and Neptunelike planets with longer periods, but also Earthlike planets that we cannot detect yet," team member Stephane Udry, also of the Geneva Observatory, said in. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Astronomers spy trio of super-Earths Jun 17, 2008
They're also more massive than our home: Super-Earths are bigger than Earth but not as massive as Neptune or Uranus. Using the instrument at an ESO observatory, the astronomers found a total of 45 planets with sizes below 30 Earth masses and an orbiting period of less than 50 days. (USA Today -- Tech)
Pluto makes new name for itself Jun 16, 2008
The IAU in a news release described plutoids as "celestial bodies in orbit around the sun at a distance greater than that of Neptune that have sufficient mass for their self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that they assume a hydrostatic equilibrium (near spherical) shape, and that have not cleared the neighborhood around their orbit.". Pluto shares the plutoid name with Eris, the largest dwarf planet, once considered the 10th planet. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Meet Pluto, the Plutoid Jun 13, 2008
In short: small round things beyond Neptune that orbit the sun and have lots of rocky neighbors. The two known and named plutoids are Pluto and Eris, the IAU stated. (Washington Post)
'Non-planet' Pluto gets new class Jun 13, 2008
Now an IAU committee, meeting in Oslo, has suggested that small, nearly spherical objects orbiting beyond Neptune should carry the "plutoid" tag ... That prospect proved too much for IAU members who took the historic decision to redefine the Solar System to have just eight major worlds - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune ... The IAU's Committee on Small Body Nomenclature has now decided that dwarf planets that move beyond Neptune should be placed in a new... (BBC News -- Science)
Pluto Finally Gets Some Respect. Sort Of. Jun 13, 2008
In 1992, astronomers David Jewitt and Jane Luu of the University of Hawaii discovered the first of what are now known to be more than 1,000 orbiting the sun beyond Neptune in the Kuiper Belt ... That left only Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune as planets ... It was found by luck, not because it gravitationally distorted Neptune's orbit. (Newsweek)
Pluto - from planet to plutoid Jun 13, 2008
Plutoids will be defined as celestial bodies in orbit around the Sun farther away than Neptune. They must have near-spherical shape, and must not have swept up other, smaller objects in their orbits, said the organization, which names newly discovered planets and other celestial bodies. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Ex-planet gets namesakes Jun 12, 2008
Plutoids must be farther from the sun than Neptune ... Plutoids must also be farther from the sun than Neptune. (CNN -- Tech)
'Plutoid' Chosen As Name For Solar System Objects Like Pluto Jun 12, 2008
Plutoids are celestial bodies in orbit around the Sun at a distance greater than that of Neptune that have sufficient mass for their self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that they assume a hydrostatic equilibrium (near-spherical) shape, and that have not cleared the neighbourhood around their orbit ... Again, following the advice of the Division III Board and the two Working Groups, it was decided that, for naming purposes, any Solar System body having (a) a semimajor axis greater than... (Science Daily)
Astronomy group strokes poor Pluto's bruised ego Jun 12, 2008
In 1902, using mathematical studies of the orbit of Uranus, astronomer Percival Lowell, founder of the observatory, searched in vain for "Planet X" near Neptune ... The International Astronomical Union (IAU), the worldwide body in charge of naming things in the sky, chose "plutoid" Wednesday as the new name for some of the objects that it classified two years ago as "dwarf planets." Only those dwarfs past the orbit of Neptune with a certain brightness qualify for the moniker. (Arizona Daily Star)
Astronomers name dwarf planets after Pluto Jun 12, 2008
Name refers to small round objects beyond Neptune that orbit the sun ... "Plutoids are celestial bodies in orbit around the sun at a distance greater than that of Neptune that have sufficient mass for their self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that they assume a hydrostatic equilibrium (near-spherical) shape, and that have not cleared the neighborhood around their orbit." ... In short: small round things beyond Neptune that orbit the sun and have lots of rocky neighbors. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Observing Centaurus Jun 7, 2008
It bears a resemblance to Neptune through a telescope. The copyright of the article Observing Centaurus in Stargazing is owned by. (Suite101.com)
Best of the blogs May 27, 2008
Luckily, I did not miss the recent publishing of Night Diver by Neptune Beach legend Bucky McMahon. Mr. McMahon lives near our state capital now, but once resided in our little corner of the world, Fletcher graduate 1973. (Florida Times-Union)
Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope will light your fuse May 15, 2008
It's thrilling as you zoom toward Saturn or Neptune to see these planets suddenly emerge into your field of vision out of the vast emptiness of space. A closer look at my exploration of space. (USA Today)
This Week's Sky at a Glance May 12, 2008
Uranus and Neptune (magnitudes 6 and 8, respectively, in Aquarius and Capricornus) are still low in the east and southeast before dawn. Pluto (magnitude 14. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Unique science and space exhibit opens May 7, 2008
"The sequence will start with the take-off of the shuttle, which will then enter space orbit and go round the Earth, shoot out towards Venus for a gravity boost, zig-zag through the astroid belt, fly by Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, get trapped in a churning motion on the outer periphery of a massive Black Hole, escape and return back to land safely on Mars," Ghose said. After landing, the visitors will walk on an artificially created Mars surface, enter into a Mars station and perform experiments... (Hindu)
Mystery of Jupiter's Rings Solved May 6, 2008
"These systematic variations in dust particle electric charges interact with the planet's powerful magnetic field. Related Stories Small dust particles are pushed beyond the ring's expected outer boundary, and very small grains "even change their inclination, or orbital orientation, to the planet," Hamilton said. The ring oddities are "made in the shade," he quipped. The findings are detailed in the May 1 issue of the journal Nature. Hamilton and German co-author Harald Kruger studied impact... (Fox News)
Solar Images Show Green And Blue Flashes May 6, 2008
2, 2005) New NASA Hubble Space Telescope images of the distant planet Neptune show a dynamic atmosphere and capture the fleeting orbits of its satellites. The images have been assembled into a time-lapse. (Science Daily)
Jupiter's ring oddities 'made in the shade' May 6, 2008
The new understanding can be applied to the rings of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, too, but the effects are more pronounced around Jupiter, the researchers say. Click for related content. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Comet Enke A Threat To Earth? Apr 22, 2008
This particular comet was disturbed, perhaps by the pull of Neptune and was sent flying towards the Sun ... The Neptune File, London, Penguin Books, 2000. (Suite101.com)
Chesterfield Apr 14, 2008
Amanda L. McDevitt, 20, of the 17400 block of Hull Street Road, was charged with assault ry, profane, threatening language over public airway and threats to bomb or damage building on March 25. Wayne P. Musselman, 41, of the 3100 block of Brookforest Road, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and hit and run-damage unattended property on March 25. (Petersburg Progress Index, VA)
Is Rekindling the Pluto Planet Debate a Good Idea? Apr 11, 2008
At roughly a fifth the mass of the moon, it is the largest of the icy bodies that make up the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune's orbit ... None resemble the former ninth planet, which also has a distinctly eccentric, or elliptical, orbit that crosses that of Neptune. (Scientific American)
New planet is smallest outside solar system Apr 11, 2008
The planet, known as GJ 436c, was found by analyzing distortions in the orbit of another, larger planet around the star GJ 436, a technique similar to that used more than 100 years ago to discover Neptune. With a mass about five times greater than Earth's, it is the smallest planet discovered outside the solar system and improving techniques are opening the way to discovering worlds ever more like our own. (Globe and Mail)
Scientists find smallest exoplanet yet Apr 11, 2008
(c) Lynnette CookAn artist's conception shows a Neptune-sized planet Gliese 436b (right) orbiting a red dwarf star, Gliese 436 ... The planet, known as Gliese 436c, was found by analyzing distortions in the orbit of another, larger planet around the star Gliese 436, a technique similar to that used more than 100 years ago to discover Neptune. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Whats the story with... HL Tau b? Apr 5, 2008
The existence of Neptune was later predicted using mathematical arguments based on Newton's law of gravitation by two men, John Couch Adams in England and Urbain Le Verrier in France (it was later spotted by a German astronomer, Johann Galle in 1846). Pluto is the most recent planet to be discovered. (The Herald)
Cosmologists Probe Mystery Of Dark Energy With South Pole Telescope Apr 4, 2008
20, 2007) Astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope has discovered that the south pole of Neptune is much hotter than the rest of the planet. This is consistent with the fact that it is late southern summer. (Science Daily)
Astronomers find new planets, including a baby Apr 3, 2008
"In the future, we would expect this to condense out into a gas giant planet like a massive version of Jupiter. The protoplanet is about 14 times as massive as Jupiter and is about twice as far from HL Tau as Neptune is from our Sun.". Anita Richards of Britain's Jodrell Bank observatory in Cheshire, said the finding "gives a unique view of how planets take shape.". (Scientific American)
Youngest Planet Ever Discovered Offers Unique View Of Planet Formation Apr 3, 2008
The protoplanet is about 14 times as massive as Jupiter and is about twice as far from HL Tau as Neptune is from our Sun. Dr Richards adds, The new object, designated HL Tau b, is the youngest planetary object ever seen and is just 1 percent as old as the young planet found in orbit around the star TW Hydrae that made the news last year. (Science Daily)
Planet in Progress? Evidence Of A Huge Planet Forming In Star System Mar 27, 2008
The orbit of a planet like Neptune, if it were orbiting this star, would be at the edge of the black circle on this scale. Journal reference: B. R. Oppenheimer et al. The Solar-system scale disk around AB Aurigae. (Science Daily)
Science view: The planets as a family Mar 27, 2008
Son #2, Neptune ruled the sea. The planet Neptune is very blue, like the sea ... So Neptune and Pluto, brothers of Jupiter, are the uncles of Mercury, Venus, and Mars. (Danvers Herald, MA)
First Whiff of Methane in Extrasolar Planet's Atmosphere Mar 21, 2008
Although Earthlings may associate methane with gassy cows, it is a common and perfectly nonbiological constituent of other atmospheres in the solar system, including those of Mars and Titan as well as the gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Measuring the relative abundances of elements in an atmosphere allows researchers to infer details about its formation and weather patterns. (Scientific American)
Lamb on the Run: Listen to Zen’s rules on the thousand mile journey Mar 21, 2008
As a young astronomer, Villas was one of the co-discoverers to the rings around the planet Neptune. And next Thursday, March 27, U.S. Sen. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Earth-Size Planet to Be Found in Outer Solar System? Mar 18, 2008
"We have been able to identify more than 1,100 objects beyond Neptune since 1992, and a huge number of objects are showing large orbital eccentricities and elliptical orbits," Mukai said. This suggests that a body with sizeable mass must be influencing the movement of these objects by exerting a gravitational pull. (National Geographic)
Our years on Earth are numbered - all 7.59 billion of them Mar 15, 2008
The heat from this death rattle will transform the solar system; it will briefly be springtime in the Kuiper Belt out beyond Neptune. Mercury and Venus will surely be swallowed, but the Earth's fate has always been more uncertain. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Satellite shows Saturn moon might have rings Mar 8, 2008
Unlike the rings around Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune, the apparent arcs around Rhea remain invisible and have not been directly seen. Scientists inferred their existence based on measurements by Cassini, which detected a drop in electrons on both sides of the moon, suggesting the presence of rings was absorbing the electrons. (CNN -- Tech)
Saturn moon may have its own ring, in a lunar first Mar 7, 2008
The four largest planets in the Solar system -- Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus -- all have rings, though Saturn's are the post spectacular, and it is likely that Earth had them too at the start of its history, Jones said. "Like finding planets around other stars, and moons around asteroids, these findings are opening a new field of rings around moons," said Norbert Krupp, a Cassini scientist from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Moon Covers Venus on Wednesday Mar 1, 2008
Posted by Jon R Zander February 29, 2008 At 09:26 AM PST It looks like during the dawn, Mercury and Neptune will be in the area, too. I doubt I can catch Neptune in those conditions, but it would be fun to spy the two inferior orbit planets riding along with Luna ... BTW, Mercury will be occulted a few hours earlier for some South Americans, and Neptune will be occulted a few hours later for some Australians and New Zealanders. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Remember those planets however many there are Feb 29, 2008
Ten year old Maryn Smiths winning entry to remember the newly designated planets (here listed as Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Eris) is: My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants. This cutesy story got a smattering of pick up from the wire story by AP (; , etc). (Nature News Service)
Japanese scientists eye new planet Feb 28, 2008
The astronomers said Pluto's oblong orbit overlapped with that of Neptune, excluding it from being a planet. It defined the solar system as consisting solely of the classical set of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
The Night Sky for March 2008 Feb 26, 2008
On March 7, 8th magnitude Neptune is less than a degree from Venus. The next day Neptune is between Venus and Mercury ... Neptune will be difficult to see with the rising sun fast approaching. (Suite101.com)
SCUBA-2 Camera Will Explore Earliest Phases Of Galaxy Formation Feb 26, 2008
11, 2002) An international team of astronomers reports the first strong evidence for the existence of massive planets on wide orbits -- like those of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune -- around many stars. The new. (Science Daily)
Night sky talk at Sunrise Elementary Feb 23, 2008
On the other end of the scale, Neptune takes almost 165 years to complete one orbit. And Pluto will need almost 248 years to make its loop around the sun. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
Strangely Familiar Feb 16, 2008
And icy worlds like Neptune might exist in the system's outer reaches, the researchers said. There are now about 250 known planets beyond our solar system and some 25 multiple-planet systems. (Fox News)
Discovery of two new planets raises questions Feb 15, 2008
And icy worlds like Neptune might exist in the system's outer reaches, the researchers said. Click for related content. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Chetek Middle School to host solar system tour Feb 14, 2008
At this scale, Earth will be a mere 214 feet from the sun, but visiting Neptune, at the outskirts of the model, will require a two-mile round-trip walk. Visitors will also be guided in real observations of stars and planets now visible in the night sky, if conditions are favorable. (Chetek Alert, WI)
Stardust Comet Dust Resembles Asteroid Materials Jan 30, 2008
The surprising findings contradict researchers initial expectations for a comet that spent most of its life orbiting in the Kuiper Belt, beyond Neptune. In 1974, Wild 2 had a close encounter with Jupiter that placed it into its current orbit much closer to Earth. (Science Daily)
Humans Join Hunt for Antarctica's "Pink Gold" Jan 30, 2008
Canada's Neptune Technologies sources will be its main competitor. On Jan. 23, 2008, a US panel ruled that Neptune's oil, already sold as health oil in capsules, was also safe as an ingredient in food, paving the way for its wider commercialisation in the United States ... Neptune signed research deals in 2007 with Swiss food group Nestle and with the Yoplait dairy unit of US food maker General Mills Inc. over use of krill in foods. (Planet Ark, United States)
Giant storms erupt on Jupiter Jan 26, 2008
At the extreme, distant Neptune releases twice as much heat as it takes in from sunlight, and it boasts winds reaching 1,500 mph (about 2,400 kph). The release of heat is part of the natural cooling of a planet, a process that begins at birth when a planet is at its hottest. (USA Today -- Tech)
Jupiter's "Jet Stream" Heated by Surface, Not Sun Jan 24, 2008
But the research could also unlock weather secrets on Earth, on other gas giants such as Saturn and Neptune, and even on Jupiter-like extrasolar planets that are being discovered at accelerated rates, the study authors say. (Related: [July 11, 2007. (National Geographic)
A note to liberals about economics Jan 22, 2008
cross1242 wrote on Jan 20, 2008 12:27 PM:" This week Prof. Clayson roundly denounces socialism. And, once again, his arguments just dont add up. The major problem is that everything that Prof. Clayson has to say is that its all based on this logic: Democratic Party Policy = liberalism = Socialism = Communism. By conflating them together, his job of talking people out of seeing the reasonability of Democratic politics is made immeasurably easier. After all, when you scare the devil out of... (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
Hot Cyclones Churn At Both Ends Of Saturn Jan 16, 2008
"The fact that Neptune shows a similar south polar hot spot whets our appetite for the strange dynamics of the poles of the other gas giants," Fletcher says. More information about Jupiter's poles will come from NASA's Juno mission, currently scheduled for launch in 2011 and arrival in 2016. (Science Daily)
Earth: A Borderline Planet For Life? Jan 14, 2008
(Any larger, and the planet would gather gas as it forms, becoming like Neptune or even Jupiter. . (Science Daily)
Where planets can form, they do Jan 12, 2008
The find represents the first time astronomers have successfully forecast the existence of an unknown planet since Neptune was predicted in the 1840s. Co-author Dr Rory Barnes from the University of Arizona in Tucson presented his results here at the 211th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Austin, Texas. (BBC News -- Science)
Imperial Tobacco Canada celebrates its 100th anniversary Jan 11, 2008
Among the venues receiving such financial support were Th; tre du Maurier Lt;e du Monument National de Montr;al (renamed since), the du Maurier Ltd. Theatre in Guelph, Ontario (renamed since), Capital Theatre in Moncton, Neptune Theatre in Halifax, and Stanley Theatre in Vancouver. Imperial Tobacco Arts Council and Imperial Tobacco Canada Arts Foundation - After the disbanding of the du Maurier Arts Council in 2003, Imperial Tobacco Canada decided to maintain its long-time support of the arts... (Canada Newswire)
Demolition derby in deep space? Jan 11, 2008
David A. Aguilar/Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Astronomers believe they have observed the aftermath of a collision between two protoplanets, one Jupiter-sized and one Neptune-sized, in the constellation Centaurus ... The only plausible mechanism we found that can explain how much heat this object is giving off is that [it collided] with a smaller body, perhaps somewhere between the mass of Earth and Neptune. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Stardust Formed Close To Sun Jan 9, 2008
Earlier research showed that the comet formed in the Kuiper Belt, outside the orbit of Neptune, and only recently entered the inner regions of the solar system. Wild 2 spent most of its life orbiting in the Kuiper Belt, far beyond Neptune, and in 1974 had a close encounter with Jupiter that placed it into its current orbit. (Science Daily)
> read more Jan 5, 2008
" Moonlight will return to brighten the evening sky for nearly two weeks starting around January 12th. Friday, January 4 When you check on Comet Holmes with your telescope, what else near it in Perseus can you find? There's more for your scope in the comet's vicinity than you probably think. See Sue French's "Deep-Sky Wonders" article and chart in the January , page 80. Tomorrow morning in early dawn, the crescent Moon poses near Antares below Venus, as shown at below. The waning crescent Moon... (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Comet Wild 2 parts formed near sun Jan 5, 2008
Earlier research showed that the comet formed in the Kuiper Belt, outside the orbit of Neptune, and only recently entered the inner regions of the solar system. But during its lifetime, Wild 2 gathered material that formed much closer to the sun. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Saturns spots mystify astronomers Jan 4, 2008
Other missions have provided hints that Jupiter and Neptune have hotspots over their poles as well, suggesting they could be a feature of the atmospheres of all gaseous planets even , Fletcher said. 2007 Space. (MSNBC -- Technology)
U of M physicist reads the history of the solar system in grains of comet dust Jan 4, 2008
After testing helium and neon trapped in the dust specks, Pepin and his colleagues report that while the comet formed in the icy fringes of the solar system, the dust appears to have been born close to the infant sun and bombarded by intense radiation from these and other gases before being flung out beyond Neptune and trapped in the comet ... Comet Wild-2 (pronounced Vilt-two) is thought to have originated in the Kuiper Belt, a comet-rich region stretching from just inside the orbit of Neptune... (EurekAlert!)
Hour-by-hour forecast Jan 3, 2008
Australia - Neptune Island. Australia - Newcastle. (Florida Today)
Airgun ban halts seismic tests Jan 3, 2008
The ship was intended to be in Canadian waters next July to measure seismic velocities in preparation for the installation of Neptune Canada a seafloor observatory in the summer of 2009, says Douglas Toomey, a geologist at the University of Oregon in Eugene. But the US$2-million cruise has now been delayed until at least October. (Nature News Service)
The outer solar system remains mysterious Jan 1, 2008
For instance, the Kuiper belt past Neptune is currently the suspected that only take a few decades or at most centuries to complete their solar orbits so-called "short-period comets." Surprisingly, Kuiper belt objects "show a wide range of colors neutral or even slightly blue all the way to very red," said University of Hawaii astrophysicist David Jewitt ... There appears to be a material dubbed "ultra-red matter" that exists only on about half of all Kuiper belt objects and their... (MSNBC -- Technology)
The enduring mysteries of comets Dec 27, 2007
Calculations then showed it was highly improbable that enough icy rocks from the suspected homes of comets the Kuiper belt past Neptune and the Oort cloud past that could have collided with Earth to supply its oceans. advertisement. (MSNBC -- Technology)
