SPACE
& SCIENCE NEWS: September 2009
home > space
& science news > space & science news: September 2009: 1
| 2 | 3
| 4
Upgraded Hubble telescope spies cosmic
'dragon'
(Sep 10, 2009)
The new and improved Hubble
Space Telescope has spotted a dragon-shaped cosmic mirage
and other celestial wonders, showing it is working better than
ever following its latest repairs in May. One of the pictures
shows a galaxy stretched into a dragon shape in a cosmic illusion.
It is a normal spiral galaxy, but its light rays get bent on their
way to Earth due to the gravitational lensing effect of an intervening
galaxy cluster.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Black holes are the ultimate particle
smashers
(Sep 9, 2009)
What will happen to fundamental physics when our descendants reach
the limit of particle accelerator technology? One saviour may
be the universe's own particle smashers – black
holes. If two particles are accelerating towards a rotating
black hole with a certain velocity then they should collide with
energies higher than anything we could hope to achieve on Earth.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Underfunding shackles NASA vision
(Sep 9, 2009)
NASA needs its annual $18bn budget boosted by $3bn if astronauts
are to conduct meaningful missions like trips to the Moon and
beyond, a panel warns. The panel, convened by the White House
to review human spaceflight plans, has delivered its summary findings.
It says the spaceship and rocket programs being developed to replace
the shuttle are not presently viable.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Egyptian temples followed heavenly
plans
(Sep 8, 2009)
Ancient Egyptian temples were aligned so precisely with astronomical
events that people could set their political, economic and religious
calendars by them. So finds a study of 650 temples, some dating
back to 3000 BC. For example, New Year coincided
with the moment that the winter-solstice sun hit the central sanctuary
of the Karnak temple (pictured) in present-day Luxor.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Earth-sized planets are just right
for life
(Sep 7, 2009)
The discovery of extrasolar super-Earths – rocky planets
about five to ten times the mass of Earth – has raised hopes
that some may harbor life. Perhaps it's a vain hope though, since
it now seems that Earth is just the right size to sustain life.
Life is comfortable on Earth in part because of its relatively
stable climate and its magnetic field, which deflects cosmic radiation
capable of damaging organic molecules as well as producing amazing
auroras.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Astronauts make final spacewalk
(Sep 6, 2009)
Astronauts from the US space shuttle Discovery
have made their third and final spacewalk, installing equipment
on the International Space
Station. However, NASA officials said one job had to be left
undone after cables failed to connect. NASA flight director Heather
Rarick said repairs to the connector would be attempted on a future
mission, possibly Atlantis's flight in November.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
XMM-Newton uncovers a celestial Rosetta
stone
(Sep 5, 2009)
ESA's XMM-Newton
orbiting X-ray telescope has uncovered a celestial Rosetta stone:
the first close-up of a white
dwarf star, circling a companion star, that could explode
into a particular kind of supernova in a few million years. Astronomers
have been on the trail of this mysterious object since 1997 when
they discovered that something was giving off X-rays near the
bright star HD 49798.
Read
more. Source: ESA |
'Overwhelming' evidence for monopoles
(Sep 4, 2009)
For decades scientists have been on the hunt for a single magnetic
pole, or monopole.
"People have been looking for monopoles in cosmic rays and particle
accelerators – even Moon rocks," says Jonathan Morris, a
researcher at the Helmholtz Centre for Materials and Energy in
Berlin. Now Morris and others have found the strongest evidence
yet for magnetic monopoles, in small crystals about the size of
an ear plug.
Read
more. Source: Nature |
Galaxy's 'cannibalism' revealed
(Sep 3, 2009)
The vast Andromeda
Galaxy appears to have expanded by digesting stars from other
galaxies, research has shown. When an international team of scientists
mapped Andromeda, they discovered stars that they said were "remnants
of dwarf galaxies". The astronomers report their findings in the
journal Nature.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Spaceship passes critical review
(Sep 2, 2009)
The spacecraft NASA is developing to replace the shuttle has passed
a critical milestone. The Orion
capsule, which is intended to carry at least four astronauts
into Earth orbit and beyond, has completed its preliminary design
review, or PDR. The review is an essential engineering assessment
that certifies the concept is fit for purpose.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
British plan to tackle asteroids
(Sep 1, 2009)
A team of British scientists are developing plans for a spacecraft
that could stop large asteroids from destroying the Earth. The
10 tonne "gravity tractor" would deflect any orbiting rocks years
before any potential
collision could happen. The device, which would rely on the
force of gravity, is being developed by Stevenage space company,
EADS Astrium.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
1 | 2
| 3 | 4
BACK TO TOP
|
You
are here:
Home
> Space & Science news
> September 2009:
1 | 2
| 3 | 4
Other news sections
Latest science news
Archeo news
Eco news
Health news
Living world news
Paleo news
Strange news
Tech news
Also on this site:
Encyclopedia of Science
Encyclopedia of Alternative
Energy and Sustainable Living
News archive
Bookshop
Contact
|
