SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS: April 2008Home > Space & Science News > Space & Science News: April 2008: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Astronomers see 'youngest planet'
(Apr 2, 2008)
An embryonic planet detected outside our Solar System could be less than 2,000 years old, astronomers say. The ball of dust and gas, which is in the process of turning into a Jupiter-like giant, was detected around the star HL Tau, by a UK team. Research leader Dr Jane Greaves said the planet's growth may have been kickstarted when another young star passed the system 1,600 years ago.
Universe's tiniest black hole discovered
(Apr 2, 2008)
Astronomers have identified the smallest known black hole. The puny object weighs only 3.8 times the Sun's mass and spans just 24 kilometres across. The black hole is believed to have formed from the collapse of a massive star when it ran out of fuel.
Two new star systems are first of their kind
(Apr 2, 2008)
Astronomers have found a remote star system that is so unusual, it was one of a kind – until its discovery helped them pinpoint a second that is much closer to home. Ohio State University astronomers and their colleagues suggest that these systems are the progenitors of a rare type of supernova. They discovered the first star system 13 million light years away inside the dwarf galaxy Holmberg IX. It contains two massive yellow stars orbiting so close together that the system is shaped like a peanut.
Europe's "Jules Verne" freighter has demonstrated its ability to make extremely fine movements right next to the International Space Station (ISS). The 20-tonne cargo ship edged up to within 12m of the back of the platform and then moved away to a safe distance.
'Mountains' on stars could trigger gravitational waves
(Apr 1, 2008)
Neutron stars – not just rocky planets and moons – can boast topographical features such as plateaus or mountains, a new computer simulation suggests. As the stars rotate, these structures should ripple the surrounding fabric of space, producing gravitational waves that astronomers have long hoped to detect.
