First Temperate Exoplanet -- Size of Jupiter -- Discovered Mar 18, 2010
It thus appears to be very similar to the solar system's giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn ... He explained that while temperate gas giants are so far the largest known group of planets, CoRoT-9b is the first transiting planet of this kind ... The discovery will lead to a better understanding of such commonly occurring planets and open up a new field of research on the atmospheres of moderate and low temperature planets. (Science Daily)
Exo-planet found in balmy orbit - is it Avatar's Pandora? Mar 18, 2010
"Our discovery proves that the transit-method is able to find also longer-period planets," says Spain's Hans Deeg of the Instituto de Astrofsica de Canarias in Tenerife, lead author of the report in the Nature journal ... "This one looks like another "warm Jupiter" on a relatively long period orbit," says planetary scientist Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institute of Washington (D.C.) "It is good to hear that CoRoT is still finding new transiting planets -- it has been a while since they have... (USA Today -- Tech)
8 iPhone Games We Want on iPad Mar 17, 2010
Spinning the planets to manage the battlefield added a whole new strategy wrinkle ... How it could be even better on iPad: The level of detail on the tower, creatures, and planets in Star Defense is still impressive ... With larger planets and towers, you can operate with a greater degree of accuracy, placing defenses exactly where you want them. (IGN Wireless Games)
Teen wins $100,000 for spaceflight software Mar 17, 2010
DeBenedictis' research played off the fact that the gravitational influence and movements of planets create easy transit routes through the solar system. Plotting a course that uses such routes can help spacecraft move faster and use less fuel. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Stem Cell Cures Any Closer? Mar 17, 2010
Stem Cell Cures Any Closer. - CBS Evening News - CBS News. (CBS News -- Evening News)
Star Wars Cliches Mar 16, 2010
In order for The Old Republic to maintain some continuity with the franchise, it not only has to have Tatooine and Hoth and Endor, but any new planets must be defined by a single ecosystem that includes only one type of geography and weather ... Some may simply be amassing an army of clones; some might be in the midst of constructing a massive space station that can destroy entire planets; still others might be searching out a weapon that can destroy entire suns. (IGN PC Games)
Fighting climate change Mar 14, 2010
By Meghan Walsh, Staff Writer Friday, March 12, 2010. Photo by Benjamin Brayfield Ali Helms swaps out a water monitoring instrument, while Adam Demarzo, background, tests the water quality in the South Slough. (Coos Bay-North Bend The World, OR)
Beauty and power Mar 13, 2010
" Saturn - the "supermodel of the Solar System" It's by studying the dynamics of the icebergs in the rings that scientists hope to understand how the whole Solar System formed. One of the enduring mysteries of the Solar System is how the ordered network of planets orbiting the Sun spontaneously emerged form the chaos of space. In Saturn's rings, we can see similar ordered patterns and structures assembling themselves from the chaos of the ring particles. Images sent back from the Cassini... (BBC News -- Science)
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Review Mar 13, 2010
As a newly promoted Force Commander for the Blood Ravens chapter of the Space Marines (genetically altered superhuman soldiers) you'll battle against the Eldar, Orks, and menacing Tyranids to save your home planets ... From your starship you'll float between three planets, selecting missions of critical narrative importance or side-missions. (IGN PC Games)
Some Mars channels carved by lava, not water Mar 13, 2010
"So, we should not jump to a water-related conclusion when we see such channels on other planets, particularly in volcanic terrain such as that around the volcanoes.". Lunar evidence, too Further, researchers discovered more evidence from the moon by studying a detailed image of channels in the Mare Imbrium, a large crater filled with ancient lava rock. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Proposed mission would return sample from asteroid 'time capsule' Mar 12, 2010
Asteroids are leftovers from the cloud of gas and dust the solar nebula -- that collapsed to form our sun and the planets about 4 ... Most are lumpy and rotate more rapidly than planets, which makes for challenging landings. (EurekAlert!)
Students chart the heavens Mar 12, 2010
The discovery was made in the main belt of asteroids located between the planets Mars and Jupiter. It was so exciting, Joseph said. (McKinney Courier-Gazette, TX)
Ice and Rock Mix Inside Saturn's Titan Mar 12, 2010
The finding, to be published in the March 12 issue of the journal Science, shows how Titan evolved in a different fashion from inner planets such as Earth, or icy moons such as Jupiter's Ganymede, whose interiors have split into distinctive layers. "These results are fundamental to understanding the history of moons of the outer solar system," said Cassini Project Scientist Bob Pappalardo, commenting on his colleagues' research. (Science Daily)
Hellabytes? A Campaign to Turn Slang into Science Mar 11, 2010
"We're always learning more about the universe, stars, black holes, planets and galaxies," Sendek says. "That's when those big numbers start to come up.". (Time.com)
Einstein passes cosmic test Mar 11, 2010
General relativity has been rigorously tested within the Solar System, where it explains the motion of planets with precision. But its reach between galaxies has been harder to verify and should not be taken for granted, says cosmologist Alexie Leauthaud, at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. (Scientific American)
Mysterious Cosmic 'Dark Flow' Tracked Mar 11, 2010
4, 2007) The universe consists not just of visible celestial bodies, stars, planets and galaxies. It also has a mystical fellow player -- dark matter. (Science Daily)
Einstein Theory Confirmed Mar 11, 2010
The theory of gravity proposed by Albert Einstein nearly a century ago can explain the dance of galaxies around one another just as well as it can model the motion of planets around the sun, according to a new study ... But astronomers eventually saw discrepancies in the way larger objects su 00000ECC ch as planets interacted. (National Geographic)
March skies show Wyo's change in season Mar 10, 2010
Throughout this month, three planets will be visible in the evening sky ... As it journeys across the sky, the moon will pass in close conjunction to each of the three visible planets ... As the planets revolve around the sun we see them slowly change their position among the constellations. (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
Into a Volcano to Test Suitcase-Sized Science Lab Mar 9, 2010
Dr. Inge Ten Kate, a University of Maryland Baltimore County research assistant, led an expedition into a cinder cone atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii, to test the prototype for an instrument that will be a miniature laboratory to discover the composition of rocks and atmospheres on moons, asteroids, and planets across the solar system. See Also. (Science Daily)
Planet Organic Health Corp.: Corporate Update Mar 9, 2010
Update your Updates Of Planets w/ Official Drivers. Free download. (CCNMatthews Press Releases)
Project Exoplanet brings world together Mar 8, 2010
Exoplanets are those planets that lie outside the solar system. There are billions of stars in our galaxy and a significant percentage of these have planets orbiting them ... "As of February 27, 429 exoplanets were discovered, some of these by Nasas Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Infrared Observatory", he said at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Bradshaw ready for Sydney's season opener Mar 8, 2010
He's Sydney born and bred, loves his footy, loves the Swans, and if the planets were to align a decade down the road, he would love to follow his dad and become a Blood. Editor's Picks. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Humans found to have sixth taste: fat Mar 8, 2010
Cancer: The planets provide a fantastic backdrop right now - and over the next couple of days the ability to love and be loved is greatly enhanced ... Libra: The movement of Venus and her subsequent connection to Mars (today) brings all the positive power of both of these planets into play in a really great way. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Tunisia offers more than 'Star Wars' Mar 8, 2010
Lucas was so impressed with Tunisia and its people that he adopted the name of a local town, Tataouine, for one of his fictional planets. The people of Tunisia like to refer to their country as the Switzerland of the Arab world. (Yuma Daily Sun, AZ)
Lava Likely Made River-Like Channel on Mars Mar 7, 2010
"So, we should not jump to a water-related conclusion when we see such channels on other planets, particularly in volcanic terrain such as that around the Tharsis Montes volcanoes.". Further evidence that such features could be created by lava flows came from the examination of a detailed image of channels from the Mare Imbrium, a dark patch on the moon that is actually a large crater filled with ancient lava rock. (Science Daily)
THJ showcase ‘more personal’ Mar 7, 2010
She learned lots of new things, she said, and some things about the planets. The parents of Rafael Rodriguez Jr., Rafael Sr. and Monica, enjoyed touring the cafeteria to see what their son had been up to. (Taylor Daily Press, TX)
Halfway to Pluto Mar 7, 2010
Dwarf Planets Are Planets Too. Posted by Laurel Kornfeld March 2, 2010 At 08:58 PM PST Pluto may no longer be the solar system's outermost planet, but it is still a planet, in spite of the IAU's nonsensical decree that dwarf planets are not planets at all ... Dwarf planets are a third subclass of planets in addition to terrestrials and jovians. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Comets 'are born of fire and ice' Mar 6, 2010
The Sun and the planets began forming out of a gaseous cloud called the solar nebula about 4. 6 billion years ago. (BBC News -- Science)
Galileo backed Copernicus despite data Mar 6, 2010
The planets Mercury, Venus, , Jupiter and Saturn all then orbit the Sun and the stars lie just beyond these planets in a fixed sphere. "Marius s reasoning was more rigorous than Galileo s," says Graney. (Scientific American)
5 55 Open Source Apps Transforming Education Mar 6, 2010
When possible, it uses actual photographs of planets, asteroids, and other objects, so that you can see what they really look like. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.. (Datamation)
NASA's Kepler Mission Celebrates One Year in Space Mar 6, 2010
Since the search began, NASA's plucky exoplanet hunter has achieved significant success in its quest to answer the timeless question: "Are we alone in our galaxy?" Two months ago today, Kepler scientists jubilantly announced the discovery of five large exoplanets (planets located beyond our solar system) named Kepler 4b, 5b, 6b, 7b and 8b. The Kepler Mission is designed to observe more than 150,000 stars continuously and simultaneously for signs of Earth-size planets until at least November 2012... (Science Daily)
This is where we live Mar 6, 2010
Recently we have witnessed even larger auroral lights around the great gas giant planets, Saturn and Jupiter, as the solar wind battles with the magnetic fields surrounding these immense, chaotic worlds of gas ... More than 30 years ago, the two Voyager spacecraft were launched on the Grand Tour - a mission to explore the outer planets of the Solar System. (BBC News -- Science)
'Life chemical' detected in comet Mar 6, 2010
Distributed among the world's leading astro-labs, the specimens have since been giving researchers a remarkable insight into the conditions that must have existed in the earliest phases of the Solar System when planets and comets were forming ... Planets being 'seeded' with extraterrestrial material is a popular theory. (BBC News -- Science)
Cosmic Bat Spied in Orion Mar 5, 2010
From dwarf planets to hot Jupiters, join NatGeo News space and tech editor Victoria Jaggard in a global discussion about all things extraterrestrial. Share This. (National Geographic)
Senator Akaka's Native Hawaiian Bill Going Nowhere Mar 5, 2010
Just a few months ago, it looked as though the planets had finally aligned for the act, better known as the Akaka bill after its Senate sponsor, Democrat Daniel Akaka. President Obama had said he would sign the bill, House passage was all but guaranteed, and the Democrats held a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. (Human Events Online)
Ice found at Moon's north pole Mar 5, 2010
Our latest 132-page Astronomy Now special edition is an extravaganza of astronomy for the year ahead, with a complete 30-page guide to observing the planets, moon, meteor showers, two solar eclipses, and the deep sky in 2010 ... Hubble Reborn takes the reader on a journey through the Universe with spectacular full-colour pictures of galaxies, nebulae, planets and stars as seen through Hubble's eyes, along the way telling the dramatic story of the space telescope, including interviews with key... (Astronomy Now Online)
Alien plants get new twist in world of Avatar Mar 5, 2010
Holt admits that the definition of plant has some wiggle room for whatever plant-like organisms may exist on other planets, but she herself is a novice to the. "If I had made up the plants, I would have been too constrained by what I know," she says. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Air Force eyes mini-thrusters for use in satellite propulsion Mar 4, 2010
Mini- thrusters or miniature, electric propulsion systems are being developed, which could make it easier for the Air Force's small satellites, including the latest CubeSats, to perform space maneuvers and undertake formidable tasks like searching for planets beyond our solar system. With Air Force Office of Scientific Research funding, researchers led by Dr. Paulo Lozano at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are considering the advantages of electric propulsion over more traditional chemical... (EurekAlert!)
How to Hunt for Exoplanets Mar 4, 2010
3, 2010) A new report launched by the Institute of Physics (IOP) Exoplanets -- The search for planets beyond our solar system explains how new technological advances have seen the discovery of more than 400 exoplanets to date, a number expected to rise to thousands in the next few years ... The first exoplanets were discovered in 1991 using radial velocity measurements, the detecting and measuring of the gravitational tug that expolanets exert on their parent stars, which causes the stars to... (Science Daily)
A Tour of Venus Mar 4, 2010
In fact, no other two planets in the Solar System orbit so near each other as do Earth and Venus ... It outshines the brightest stars and all other planets ... All other planets have slightly elongated, oval-shaped elliptical orbits. (Suite101.com)
The Ecology of Shark Bay in Austral... Mar 4, 2010
Along with Africa s Serengeti, the Great Barrier Reef and The Galapagos it ranks as one of the planets most significant natural places ... This area ranks as one of the planets truly most outstanding wild places and it seems the future for the area is optimistic in large part because of its profile as a World Heritage Site. (Suite101.com)
Free Things to Do with Kids in Miam... Mar 4, 2010
On the first Friday of each month at 8pm, the Observatory puts on a free planetarium show which is then followed by an Observatory session where children can peer through telescopes and marvel at the planets, including the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter. Making the Most of Miami s Beaches and National Parks with Kids. (Suite101.com)
The Best Looks From NYFW Fall 2010 Mar 3, 2010
The Best Looks from New York Fashion Week, Fall 2010: Style: teenvogue. Teen Vogue's Fashion Market Editor, Mary Kate Steinmiller, reveals her favorite head-to-toe looks from New York Fashion Week's Fall 2010 season. (Teen Vogue)
Webb Telescope's first primary mirror meets cold temperature specifications, sets program landmark Mar 3, 2010
The James Webb Space Telescope is the next-generation premier space observatory, exploring deep space phenomena from distant galaxies to nearby planets and stars. The Webb Telescope will give scientists clues about the formation of the universe and the evolution of our own solar system, from the first light after the Big Bang to the formation of star systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth. (EurekAlert!)
Is Kepler Finding "Lite" White Dwarfs? Mar 3, 2010
Keplers approach is brute force; it continuously monitors a field of over 150,000 stars looking for those that periodically dim when orbiting planets block a tiny fraction of their light ... Its hard to imagine planets that are hotter than stars, so the Kepler team considered an alternative ... Were they heavy, like white dwarfs, or lightweights, like planets. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Mars's Environment Shown to Be Hostile, but Not Untenable for Earthly Microbes Mar 2, 2010
The theory of , or the early transport of life between the planets, would imply that to be the case if proved out. But if life arose independently on Mars it could take a form completely distinct from terrestrial organisms. (Scientific American)
Spacecraft see 'damp' Moon soils Mar 2, 2010
"I think it always was; it's just we saw this big exciting Solar System and after touching the Moon with six human missions, we moved on - to Mars, to the outer planets, to comets and asteroids. "And now we are rediscovering the enigmas of the Moon and they're really in our own backyard. They're tantalisingly close," he told BBC News. Bookmark with: Print Sponsor SEE ALSO 31 Aug 09 | South Asia 31 Aug 09 | South Asia 19 Jul 09 | Science onment 18 Jun 09 | Science onment 29 Dec 08 | Glasgow,... (BBC News -- Science)
The Planet Mars and the 2010 Opposi... Feb 28, 2010
The planets orbits are not perfect circles, so the distance between Mars and Earth varies with each opposition. During the 2003 Mars opposition, Mars made its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years, coming within 56 million kilometers (35 million miles) of us. (Suite101.com)
Warning: Your reality is out of date Feb 28, 2010
((AP Photo/European South Observatory) ) This artist rendering provided by the European South Observatory shows some of the 32 new planets astronomers found outside our solar system ... There is another mesofact that is unlikely to affect your daily routine, but might win you a bar bet: the number of planets known outside the solar system ... Well, the number of extrasolar planets is currently over 400. (Boston Globe)
Through the (Telescope) Lens of Pat McDonald Feb 27, 2010
"We've (EMDSO) seen all of the planets. We've seen Mars at its closest point. We've seen Saturn. An interesting thing about Saturn is that the angle of its rings changes every 11 years. The tilt of the rings is on a cycle," he said. "We've also seen the brightest star, Sirius, and ring nebulas.". (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Stellar, Metal-Free Way to Make Carbon Nanotubes Feb 27, 2010
and his colleagues to address the astronomical question of how carbon gets recycled in the regions of space that spawn stars and planets. The work also could help researchers understand puzzling observations about some supernovas. (Science Daily)
Chemical Element 112 Is Officially Named 'Copernicium' Feb 26, 2010
His work in the field of astronomy is the basis for our modern, heliocentric world view, which states that the Sun is the center of our solar system with the Earth and all the other planets circling around it. An international team of scientists headed by Sigurd Hofmann was able to produce the element copernicium at GSI for the first time already on February 9, 1996. (Science Daily)
'Host star destroying massive extra-solar planet' Feb 26, 2010
WASP-12b is one of the most enigmatic of 400-plus planets that have been found outside our solar system over the past 15 years. It orbits a star, in the constellation Auriga, roughly similar in mass to our sun, said lead author Shu-lin Li from the National Astronomical Observatories of China. (India Times, India)
Wild Ride: Comet Sample May Help Constrain the Early Evolution of the Solar System Feb 26, 2010
Nuth adds that the duration and efficiency of that transport, as well as the volume of material it moved, have implications for what kinds of compounds seeded the solar system and perhaps even how were distributed to the planets. . (Scientific American)
Looking for ET: Signs of life Feb 26, 2010
He suggested the following figures should be multiplied: how many stars are formed in the galaxy in a year; what fraction of these have planets and thus form solar systems; the average number of planets per solar system that have the potential to support life; on what percentage of those where it is possible do such biospheres actually form; what percentage of such biospheres give rise to intelligent species; what percentage of intelligent life is able to transmit signals into space; and for how... (The Economist)
> read more Feb 26, 2010
Planets are shifting around from where you last saw them. Venus is very low in the west at dusk, while Mars is riding high. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
First contact Feb 25, 2010
His aim was simple: he wanted to pick up transmissions from any alien civilisations that might be flourishing on planets in orbit around Tau Ceti ... There are a lot of stars - and, by inference, lots of planets - out there and plenty of potential homes on which aliens could evolve ... However, most of these stars are going to be too big, too short-lived, too hot or too cold to support planets that might sustain intelligent life, say astronomers. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Skywatch: Canopus, second-brightest of all the stars Feb 25, 2010
What: Professional stargazer Tony La Conte discusses some of the prominent stars, constellations and planets visible in the night sky, then helps guests view an assortment of celestial objects through telescopes. Bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on, as well as your own binoculars and/or telescopes. (AZCentral -- Travel)
Heaviest element officially named Copernicium Feb 25, 2010
Copernicus' work in the field of astronomy is the basis for our modern, heliocentric world view, which states that the sun is the center of our solar system with Earth and all the other planets (in our solar system) circling around it. On the periodic table of elements, Copernicium will have the symbol "Cn." The team had originally suggested "Cp" as the element's symbol, but because this abbreviation has other uses in science (such as a material's specific heat), the team agreed to "Cn.". (MSNBC -- Environment)
Star "Eating" Superhot Planet's Atmosphere Feb 25, 2010
One of the hottest known planets outside our solar system is slowly being "eaten" by its parent star, astronomers report ... Normally, dying sunlike stars grow into red giants, and their outer atmospheres expand to engulf nearby planets, said Knutson, who was not involved in the study ... But "this star will not have WASP-12b to 'eat,' because the planet would have been totally disrupted long before then, within ten million years, said study co-author of the University of California, Santa... (National Geographic)
Massive Planet Torn Apart by Its Own Tides Feb 25, 2010
WASP 12-b, discovered in 2008, is one of the most enigmatic of 400-plus planets that have been found outside our Solar System over the past 15 years ... Like most known extra-solar planets, it is large and gaseous, resembling Jupiter and Saturn in this respect ... But unlike Jupiter, Saturn or most other extra-solar planets, it orbits its parent star at extremely close range -- 75 times closer than the Earth is to the Sun, or just over 1 million miles. (Science Daily)
WPIAL Girls' Basketball: Indiana gets some revenge Feb 25, 2010
Elaine Hasek had a game-high 16 points for the Planets (13-11). Hopewell 65, Montour 45: Elise Farris had 24 points and 15 rebounds and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough 18 points and 11 rebounds for the No. 1 seed Vikings (23-0) against the Spartans (11-11) at Chartiers Valley. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA -- Sports)
Business.view: Brilliant inventor or patent troll? Feb 25, 2010
His projects have included trying to defeat malaria by zapping mosquitoes with lasers, seeking intelligent life on distant planets and barbecuing, a field in which he was at one point the world champion. What s not to like about him. (The Economist)
"Death Star" Moon Gets Its Close-Up Feb 24, 2010
Of course, while the Death Star's "crater" was really a weapon that could obliterate planets, Mimas's crater was made by an impact that likely almost shattered the tiny moon ... From dwarf planets to hot Jupiters, join NatGeo News space and tech editor Victoria Jaggard in a global discussion about all things extraterrestrial. (National Geographic)
Space junk mess getting messier in orbit Feb 24, 2010
Enjoy a cool view of the moon, planets and other celestial highlights for January 2010. more photos. (MSNBC -- Technology)
