Thursday, June 20, 2013

ScienceDaily: Astronomy News

ScienceDaily: Astronomy News

Metamorphosis of moon's water ice explained

Posted: 19 Jun 2013 01:47 PM PDT

Using data gathered by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, scientists believe they have solved a mystery from one of the solar system's coldest regions -- a permanently shadowed crater on the moon. They have explained how energetic particles penetrating lunar soil can create molecular hydrogen from water ice. The finding provides insight into how radiation can change the chemistry of water ice throughout the solar system.

Mars had oxygen-rich atmosphere 4,000 million years ago

Posted: 19 Jun 2013 10:24 AM PDT

Differences between Martian meteorites and rocks examined by a NASA rover can be explained if Mars had an oxygen-rich atmosphere 4,000 million years ago -- well before the rise of atmospheric oxygen on Earth 2,500 million years ago.

Unusual supernova is doubly unusual for being perfectly normal

Posted: 19 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT

Type Ia supernovae are indispensable milestones for measuring the expansion of the universe. With definitive measures of Supernova 2011fe, the "Backyard Supernova" that thrilled amateur and professional astronomers alike in the summer of 2011, the Nearby Supernova Factory demonstrates that this unusually close-by Type Ia is such a perfect example of its kind that future Type Ia's -- and models meant to explain their physics -- must be measured against it.

Three centaurs follow Uranus through the solar system

Posted: 18 Jun 2013 07:16 AM PDT

Astrophysicists have confirmed that Crantor, a large asteroid with a diameter of 70 km has an orbit similar to that of Uranus and takes the same amount of time to orbit the Sun. Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that this and a further two objects of the group of the Centaurs are co-orbital with Uranus.
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