Scientists Find Traces of Early Earth in Volcanic Rock
According to most scientists, Earth was formed between 4.5 and 4.6 billion years ago after gravity forced gas and dust left over from the creation of the Sun accreted into an object called a planetesimal. Over time, the planetesimal continued to gather more and more material and eventually became a planet. Scientists say heat produced […]
Black Hole Mass Measured; Ice Sheets on Mars; Saliva Diagnoses Disease
Astronomers Precisely Measure Black Hole Mass A group of astronomers have been able to determine the precise mass of a distant black hole in the center of an enormous elliptical galaxy 73 million light years away. The galaxy is called NGC 1332 and is located in the direction of the southern constellation Eridanus. To measure […]
Trio of Planets Found Circling “Ultra-cool” Star Might Support Life
An international team of astronomers has discovered three exoplanets that could possibly host alien life. The trio of planets are circling an “ultra-cool” brown dwarf that’s located about 40 light years from Earth, in the constellation of Aquarius. “Ultra-cool” dwarf stars are those that that are much cooler and redder than our Sun, and only […]
April 2016 Science Images
Learning More About Mysterious Planet 9
Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown at the California Institute of Technology generated a lot of excitement in the science world back in January when they announced that they had found evidence of a giant planet traveling in an odd, drawn-out orbit in the far reaches of the solar system. So far the new found planet, […]
South Pole Diaries: Bracing for Sun to Set for 6 Long Months
SOUTH POLE JOURNALRefael Klein blogs about his year working and living at the South Pole. Read his earlier posts here. It is the solstice. The sun is half set. For the moment, it is perfectly bisected by the horizon. It is the same sun seen in Hawaii travel brochures and Kinkade paintings. It is the same sun that […]
March, 2016 Science Images
Jupiter’s Northern Lights; Watching Stars Explode & Too Much Sitting Kills
Astronomers Study Jupiter’s ‘Northern Lights’ Earth’s Auroras – Borealis in the northern polar region and Australis in the south – are among the most beautiful and haunting light displays in nature. Now, for the first time, scientists have been able to study Jupiter’s auroras, in x-ray wavelengths thanks to NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Auroras both […]
Scientists Find Evidence of a Giant 9th Planet
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology – Caltech -are reporting that they have found evidence of a giant planet traveling in an odd and drawn out orbit in the far reaches of the solar system. If confirmed the newly found planet would be the solar system’s ninth planet. Pluto had that honor until it […]
Most Brilliant Supernova; Protein Hunts/Kills Cancer Cells; ETI in Old Star Clusters?
Supernova: 50 Times Brighter than Milky Way Astronomers have been observing a fascinating cosmic event taking place some 3.8 billion light years from Earth. Its the most luminous supernova in the universe. Scientists say that its to be the most powerful supernova ever seen. They say the object at the center of this celestial wonder, […]