SPACE
& SCIENCE NEWS: November 2008
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Dusty shock waves generate planet ingredients
(Nov 12, 2008)
Shock waves around dusty, young stars might be creating the raw materials
for planets, according to new observations from NASA's Spitzer
Space Telescope. The evidence comes in the form of tiny crystals.
Spitzer detected crystals similar in make-up to quartz
around young stars just beginning to form planets. The crystals, called
cristobalite and tridymite, are known to reside in comets, in volcanic
lava flows on Earth, and in some meteorites that land on Earth.
Read
more. Source: NASA/Spitzer/JPL-Caltech |
TV-sized probe to strike Moon's surface
(Nov 12, 2008)
India's Chandrayaan spacecraft is set to eject a television-sized
probe that will crash onto the lunar surface on Friday. The probe
will make observations as it descends, testing systems needed to land
future robotic spacecraft on the Moon.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Mars Phoenix Lander finishes successful
work on Red Planet
(Nov 11, 2008)
NASA's Phoenix
Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more
than five months. As anticipated, seasonal decline in sunshine at
the robot's arctic landing site is not providing enough sunlight for
the solar arrays to collect the power necessary to charge batteries
that operate the lander's instruments.
Read
more. Source: NASA/JPL |
Mysterious changes seen on distant dwarf
planet
(Nov 10, 2008)
The surface of the largest known 'plutoid', Eris
appears to have changed in recent years, according to new measurements
of how elements are layered on its icy surface. But astronomers cannot
explain the cause of the apparent change.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Fingers, loops, and bays in the Crab Nebula
(Nov 10, 2008)
This image, obtained by the Chandra
X-ray Observatory gives the first clear view of the faint boundary
of the Crab Nebula's
X-ray-emitting pulsar
wind nebula. The nebula is powered by a rapidly rotating, highly
magnetized neutron star, or pulsar
(white dot near the center).
Read
more. Source: NASA/CXC/Harvard |
Indian satellite orbiting Moon
(Nov 9, 2008)
India is celebrating the arrival of its Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft at
the Moon. An 817-second
burn from the probe's engine on Saturday slowed Chandrayaan sufficiently
for it to be captured by the lunar body's gravity. The craft is now
in an 11-hour polar ellipse that goes out to 7,502km from the Moon
and comes as close as 504km.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Plucky Mars rovers on the move again
(Nov 8, 2008)
The arrival of spring in southern Mars
is reviving NASA's two venerable Mars
rovers as deepening autumn in the arctic north slowly freezes
the Phoenix lander.
After hibernating for the winter on the northern edge of a plateau
called Home Plate, the Spirit rover moved uphill in October to collect
more sunlight.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Fermi's search for dark matter
(Nov 6, 2008)
Where will NASA's new Fermi
Gamma-ray Telescope detect its first hint of dark
matter? Some believe the best chance of a detection lies in nearby
dwarf galaxies, since they should contain dense nuggets of dark matter
that could be relatively easy to pinpoint. But a new study argues
that a diffuse dark matter 'halo' surrounding the Milky Way offers
an even better shot at glimpsing the mysterious stuff.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Moon probe set for lunar arrival
(Nov 5, 2008)
India's Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft has moved itself into a position
ready to enter into orbit around the Moon.
Since its launch on 22 October, the satellite has been gradually extending
its distance from Earth. The latest engine firing put the probe on
a looping trajectory that sweeps out to some 380,000km from home.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Has new physics been found at the ageing
Tevatron?
(Nov 4, 2008)
While engineers at the Large
Hadron Collider race to fix its teething problems and start looking
for new particles, its ageing predecessor is refusing to go silently
into the night. Last week, physicists announced that the Tevatron
particle accelerator at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, has produced
particles that they are unable to explain. Could it be a sign of new
physics?
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Cassini might hold secrets to life on
Saturn moon
(Nov 4, 2008)
The Cassini probe
may have already collected data that could reveal the presence of
life on Saturn's moon Enceladus,
a new study argues. But mission scientists say teasing out the subtle
signature of life may prove difficult.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Magnetic shield for spacefarers
(Nov 4, 2008)
Future astronauts could benefit from a magnetic "umbrella" that deflects
harmful space radiation around their crew capsule, scientists say.
The super-fast charged particles that stream away from the Sun pose
a significant threat to any long-duration mission, such as to the
Moon or Mars. But the research team says a spaceship equipped with
a magnetic field generator could protect its occupants. [See deflector
shield.]
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Taurid meteors may produce dazzling 'fireballs'
(Nov 4, 2008)
Sky watchers could catch a dazzling treat this week, with the peak
of what is expected to be an unusually good Taurid meteor
shower. The Taurids originate in a stream of debris that was probably
shed by a large, ancient comet that disintegrated, as well as an existing
comet called 2P/Encke. The best view of them is expected to fall on
the night of 5 November.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Cassini swings past Enceladus
(Nov 3, 2008)
On Oct. 31, the Cassini
Saturn orbiter made another bold dip over the south pole of Enceladus,
taking fresh close-up images of regions from which the jets of this
surprisingly active moon emerge. The spacecraft flies past Titan
today.
Read
more. Source: NASA/JPL |
Habitable worlds may hide in gas giants'
wake
(Nov 2, 2008)
Habitable planets may be lurking in the wake of Jupiter-like planets
as they orbit distant stars. When a gas giant coalesces from the swirling
nebula of gas and dust surrounding a young star, the planet's gravity
forms a wake ahead and behind it, concentrating enough matter there
for it to clump together and form smaller, rocky planets like Earth.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
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