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Watery Moon Upsets Conventional Wisdom

July 14, 2008

The moon looks pretty dry. It may have maria (oceans) but the figurative term would not attract customers for beachfront property: its seas are made of hardened lava. The moon’s “Ocean of storms” (Mare Procellarum) only gets rain in the form of solar wind and cosmic rays. Still, could there be water molecules in this […]

Amazing Facts

Love Your Planet

July 13, 2008

Modern astronomy and space travel have given humans the ability to view the earth from a distance and ponder its significance. Some astronomers expected the earth to be ordinary-looking. In many respects, however, astronomy is teaching us otherwise. Clara Moskowitz, staff writer for Space.com began an article by saying, “Earth is one special planet.” […]

Astronomy

What Mean These Stars?

July 12, 2008

There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in current astronomical models. Two articles recently underscored the fact that astronomers still have a lot to learn. Cluster generation conundrum: The members of globular star clusters were long thought to be old stars of the same age, like seniors at a care […]

Solar System

First Mercury Research Papers in from MESSENGER

July 9, 2008

Science published a suite of papers analyzing data from the first MESSENGER spacecraft flyby of Mercury.1 The flyby last January was the first since Mariner 10 visited in the 1970s. Mariner 10 had left many questions that are now being revisited. Among the dozen papers and articles, here are three that discuss the most significant […]

Solar System

Saturn Rings: F is for Flamboyant

July 2, 2008

Cassini provides additional evidence that Saturn's F-ring is young.

Cosmology

Cosmology at the Outer Limits

June 30, 2008

Those who think cosmology could not get any weirder than it already is (01/15/2008) may want to take note of recent pronouncements by the gurus of universal physics. Physics teachers in particular may feel an obligation to state Bob Berman’s disclaimer (10/06/2004) before class: viz, “Warning: The following contains contemporary cosmology. Reading it can produce […]

Physics

Hopes Die for Enceladus Longevity

June 19, 2008

Ever since Enceladus, the little 300-mile-across moon of Saturn was found in 2005 to be erupting out its south pole, scientists have tried to explain how it could be possible. They have looked high and low for an energy source to power the geysers of the little moon dubbed “Cold Faithful” for billions of years. […]

Cosmology

Divining the CMB

June 12, 2008

What do you see in this pattern? Look very closely. The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is a faint glow of electromagnetic radiation that pervades the universe. What it means is a matter of intense and sometimes bizarre speculation by cosmologists. The spectrum of the CMB matches almost perfectly that of an ideal radiator, […]

Intelligent Design

Alien Messages via Neutrinos

June 6, 2008

Three scientists are suggesting that SETI researchers comb neutrinos for alien messages. Nothing natural could produce high-energy neutrinos, they said in Science,1 so aliens may use their cosmic accelerators to send neutrino packets across the intergalactic internet. They suggested watching for them in the neutrino detector at the South Pole. 1. Random Samples, Science, Volume […]

Dumb Ideas

Preparing the World for Aliens

May 29, 2008

Some people are so convinced there are alien intelligences in the universe, we should be getting ready to meet them. The Telegraph, a UK newspaper, reported that NASA has partly financed a creative writing class on “interstellar message composition” at the University of Wyoming. Professor Jeffrey Lockwood wants to help the 11 students […]

Origin of Life

Mars Life Hopes Suffer Double Disappointment

May 29, 2008

Just when the new Phoenix lander was flexing its arm and going to work (see JPL), hoping to determine the habitability of Mars, two papers came out expressing doubt it will find anything. Toxic salty stew: Space.com summarized a new paper in Science1 that concluded Mars has way too much salt. Although some earth organisms […]

Solar System

The Phoenix Lands on Mars

May 26, 2008

The Phoenix Spacecraft successfully landed on Mars Sunday night. Its mission is to look for water and the potential habitability of life in the northern latitudes of the red planet near its polar cap for the next 3 months. This is the first soft landing on Mars in 32 years, and the third in history […]

Cosmology

Cosmology in Crisis Over Dark Energy

May 21, 2008

Ten years ago, cosmologists invented dark energy to explain certain features of the expansion of the universe that could not be reconciled with observations of supernova magnitudes. Now, reported National Geographic News, dark energy remains the most profound problem in physics. It’s like theory and observations are refusing to cooperate with an arranged marriage. […]

Solar System

Moon Still Feeling the Impact

May 21, 2008

Craters on the moon seem so old. Astronomers count them to try to figure out how long ago the surface was battered by impacts. Although amateurs have claimed to see flashes on the moon’s surface through backyard telescopes, serious astronomers dismissed many of the reports as stories from the lunatic fringe. “Not any more,” says […]

Health

Beware of Starstuff

May 19, 2008

Stars can be dangerous. They spew out deadly particles, unless you are protected from them in a safety bubble – like Earth has. The Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere only let in the life-giving part of sunlight. Studies of other stars, and our own moon, show that things could be far worse. Record flare: A […]

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