Science Scanner: It’s a Go – New Crew Members Make it to ISS
Putting recent technical setbacks and the subsequent grounding of its spacecraft fleet behind it, the Russian space program resumed shuttling personnel and supplies to the International Space Station. A Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft carrying the three newest members of the ISS crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 14, at 0414 UTC. […]
NASA Doubtful ‘Killer’ Solar Flare Will Destroy Earth
O.K. ladies and gentlemen, we’ve addressed the topic of solar flares, coronal mass ejections and other aspects of solar weather several times in the past. And we get great comments and questions from you about this, too. So here’s another post with a good answer to the nagging question; will Earth be destroyed by a […]
Science Scanner: Asteroid Narrowly Misses Earth
A lot of folks on Earth breathed a collective sigh of relief when an asteroid, the size of an aircraft carrier, sailed past us without causing any harm. Yesterday, Nov. 8, 2011 at approximately 2328 UTC, the asteroid 2005 YU55 came within 324,604.685 kilometers of Earth, making it the biggest asteroid in 35 years to […]
Science Scanner: ‘Star Wars’ Capturing Beam Could Be Real
Fans of “Star Trek” or “Star Wars” are familiar with tractor beams; Darth Vader used the powerful beam to capture a spacecraft carrying Luke and Han Solo in Star Wars Episode IV, “A New Hope.” (corrected) Aside from capturing the enemy and preventing their escape , the tractor beams could also retrieve or tow various […]
Pluto Has a Twin
Taking advantage of a rare astronomical event called an “occultation” – when an object in the foreground blocks another object from view – scientists found that the dwarf planet Eris is not larger than Pluto, as previously thought, but is essentially the same size. According to astronomers, occultations provide the most accurate, and often the […]
Science Scanner: Depressed Teens Listen to More Heavy Metal Music
An ongoing study out of Australia might be of interest to all the head-banging heavy metal music fans out there. University of Melbourne researcher Dr. Katrina McFerran finds that young people at risk of depression are more likely to listen to heavy metal music. McFerran wanted to find out why some teenagers use heavy metal […]
Science Scanner: Russian Space Agency Blamed for Recent Accidents
The Russian Prosecutor General’s office is pressing for disciplinary measures and fines after finding the state-run Roskosmos space agency to blame for two recent high-profile – and highly embarrassing – incidents. One was the August crash of the Progress spacecraft, an unmanned cargo ship used to supply the International Space Station, while the second incident […]
Science Scanner: What Triggers Devastating Supervolcanoes
A volcanic super eruption, which occurs about every 100,000 years, is a cataclysmic natural event, blowing out an incredible amount of debris and ash, devastating the environment and disrupting the world’s climate for years, possibly causing mass extinctions. While scientists continuously monitor several super volcanoes around the world, they don’t know what actually triggers these […]
Science Scanner: Scientists Find Fried-egg Nebula Which Dwarfs the Sun
Astronomers have found nebulae that resemble a horse’s head, a check mark, a crab, an owl and a fried egg. New pictures of a hyper-giant star, formally known as IRAS 17163-3907, show it’s surrounded by a huge double shell. The star and its shells resemble an egg white around a yolky center, so University of […]
Science Scanner: Social Networking Could Hinder Freedom Movements
Online social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have recently been hailed as powerful and effective communications tools for social and political movements throughout the world. However, according to a new study from Penn State University researchers, these popular sites may not be as uniformly beneficial or robust as suggested. For example, in nations like […]