NASA satellite finds interior of Mars is colder
(May 16, 2008) New observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate that the crust and upper mantle of Mars are stiffer and colder than previously thought. The findings suggest any liquid water that might exist below the planet's surface, and any possible organisms living in that water, would be located deeper than scientists had suspected.
A molecular thermometer for the distant universe
(May 16, 2008) Astronomers have made use of ESO's Very Large Telescope to detect for the first time in the ultraviolet the carbon monoxide molecule in a galaxy located almost 11 billion light-years away, a feat that had remained elusive for 25 years. This detection allows them to obtain the most precise measurement of the cosmic temperature at such a remote epoch.
Discovery of most recent supernova in our Galaxy
(May 15, 2008) The expanding remains of a supernova explosion in the Milky Way are shown in this composite image of the supernova remnant G1.9+0.3. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory image obtained in early 2007 is shown in orange and the radio image from NRAO's Very Large Array from 1985 is in blue. The difference in size between the two images allows the time since the original supernova explosion (about 140 years) to be estimated. This makes the explosion the youngest known supernova remnant in the Galaxy (140 years old), easily beating the previous record of about 330 years for Cassiopeia A.
Jupiter moon's poles 'wandered' far and wide
(May 15, 2008) The icy outer shell of Jupiter's moon Europa may have slipped about 80° within the last 60 million years, carrying the moon's polar regions towards its equator, a new study reports. The research bolsters the idea that a global ocean – which just might harbour life – lies hidden beneath the moon's icy surface.
Phoenix mission ready for Mars landing
(May 14, 2008) NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is preparing to end its long journey and begin a three-month mission to taste and sniff fistsful of Martian soil and buried ice. The lander is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet May 25. Phoenix will enter the top of the Martian atmosphere at almost 13,000 mph. In seven minutes, the spacecraft must complete a challenging sequence of events to slow to about 5 mph before its three legs reach the ground.
Doubt cast on source of universe's mightiest particles
(May 14, 2008) The most energetic particles in the universe (so-called ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, or UHECRs) have regained some of their former mystery. Last year, it seemed that the origin of these particles had finally been tracked down to a set of giant black holes in nearby galaxies, but a new study casts doubt on that conclusion.
WorldWide Telescope brings space exploration to Earth
(May 13, 2008) The final frontier got a bit closer today as Microsoft Corp. officially launched the public beta of its WorldWide Telescope. WorldWide Telescope is a rich Web application that brings together imagery from the best ground- and space-based observatories across the world to allow people to easily explore the night sky through their computers.
Volunteers asked to help find dead spacecraft on Mars
(May 13, 2008) Scientists have invited the public to trawl high-resolution images for signs of NASA's Mars Polar Lander, which went silent on arrival at Mars in 1999. Finding the wreckage might explain why the mission failed.
XMM-Newton discovers part of missing matter in the universe
(May 13, 2008) ESA's orbiting X-ray observatory XMM-Newton has been used by a team of international astronomers to uncover part of the missing matter in the universe. Astronomers using XMM-Newton were observing a pair of galaxy clusters, Abell 222 and Abell 223, situated at a distance of 2300 million light-years from Earth, when the images and spectra of the system revealed a bridge of hot gas connecting the clusters.
Iron 'snow' may explain Mercury's magnetic field
(May 12, 2008) Flakes of iron snow could be falling inside the planet Mercury, according to a new experiment. This hot metal snowfall might help generate Mercury's puzzling magnetic field. Researchers in the US have attempted to recreate the likely conditions within Mercury's liquid outer core, which is thought to be a mixture of iron and sulfur.
Astronomers begin search for 'vanishing' stars
(May 10, 2008) Astronomers have started monitoring about a million massive stars to see if any suddenly vanish, seemingly without a trace. Such a disappearing act would support a theory that some massive stars simply implode when they die, rather than exploding in brilliant supernovae or gamma-ray bursts.
Magnetic rocks may reveal Martian life
(May 9, 2008) A miniature detector could pick out magnetic rocks on Mars that might harbour telltale signs of ancient life. The instrument could select rocks that contain a magnetic compound – magnetite – that is also produced by bacteria (such as the one shown here) on Earth. The rocks could then be brought back to Earth for closer examination.
Saturn does the wave in upper atmosphere
(May 8, 2008) Two decades of scrutinizing Saturn are finally paying off, as scientists have discovered a wave pattern, or oscillation, in Saturn's atmosphere only visible from Earth every 15 years. The discovery of the wave pattern is the result of a 22-year campaign observing Saturn from Earth (the longest study of temperature outside Earth ever recorded), and the Cassini spacecraft's observations of temperature changes in the giant planet's atmosphere over time.
NASA Kepler mission offers opportunity to send names into space
(May 7, 2008) How cool would it be to have your name on board the spacecraft that discovers the first known Earth-like planet beyond our solar system? Well, here's your chance. NASA today announced an opportunity for anyone to submit their name to be included on a DVD and rocketed into space as part of NASA's Kepler Mission, scheduled to launch in February 2009 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Plasma-powered flying saucer
(May 7, 2008) Pass a current or magnetic field through a conducting fluid and it will generate a force. Numerous aerospace engineers have tried and failed to exploit this phenomenon, known as magnetohydrodynamics, as an exotic form of propulsion for aircraft. But perhaps attempts so far have all been too big. A very small design could have a better chance of taking off, says Subrata Roy, an aerospace engineer at the University of Florida.
Phoenix landing area viewed by MRO
(May 7, 2008) NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is scheduled to land on the Martian northern plains near 68° north latitude, 127° west longitude on May 25, 2008. In preparation for the landing, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been monitoring weather in the region around the landing site. On April 20, 2008, the orbiter's Mars Color Imager camera captured this view of a large region of northern Mars that includes the landing target area in the lower right quadrant.
Did Earth once have multiple moons?
(May 6, 2008) The ancient catastrophe that gave birth to the Moon may have produced additional satellites that lingered in Earth's skies for tens of millions of years. A new model suggests moonlets may have once occupied the two Earth-Moon Lagrangian points, regions in space where the gravitational tug of the Earth and the Moon exactly cancel each other out.
Titan's smoggy sand grains
(May 5, 2008) Titan and Earth have much in common, but not when it comes to sand. On Earth, sand grains form by breaking things down, but on Titan, the opposite may be true – with much of the sand a product of building things up. That's one theory Cassini scientists are considering after studying Titan's massive sand dunes with the visible and infrared mapping spectrometer on the Cassini Saturn orbiter.
Earth 'noise' could attract alien invaders
(May 3, 2008) No matter how quiet we try to be now it's too late to prevent alien invaders. So says Alexander Zaitsev of the Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics in Moscow, Russia, who points the finger at astronomers.
NASA satellite finds interior of Mars is colder 
A molecular thermometer for the distant universe 
Discovery of most recent supernova in our Galaxy 
Jupiter moon's poles 'wandered' far and wide 
Phoenix mission ready for Mars landing 
Doubt cast on source of universe's mightiest particles 
WorldWide Telescope brings space exploration to Earth 
Volunteers asked to help find dead spacecraft on Mars 
XMM-Newton discovers part of missing matter in the universe 
Iron 'snow' may explain Mercury's magnetic field 
Astronomers begin search for 'vanishing' stars 
Magnetic rocks may reveal Martian life 
Saturn does the wave in upper atmosphere 
NASA Kepler mission offers opportunity to send names into space 
Plasma-powered flying saucer 
Phoenix landing area viewed by MRO 
Did Earth once have multiple moons? 
Titan's smoggy sand grains 
Earth 'noise' could attract alien invaders 
