Space In The News

Thursday, December 4, 2014

ScienceDaily: Extrasolar Planets News

'Mirage Earth' exoplanets may have burned away chances for life

Posted: 03 Dec 2014 09:48 AM PST

Planets orbiting close to low-mass stars — easily the most common stars in the universe — are prime targets in the search for extraterrestrial life. But new research led by an astronomy graduate student indicates some such planets may have long since lost their chance at hosting life because of intense heat during their formative years.

ScienceDaily: Stars News

'Mirage Earth' exoplanets may have burned away chances for life

Posted: 03 Dec 2014 09:48 AM PST

Astronomers detect atomic hydrogen emission in galaxies at record breaking distances

Posted: 03 Dec 2014 05:38 AM PST

Using the world's largest radio telescope, astronomers have detected the faint signal emitted by atomic hydrogen gas in galaxies three billion light years from Earth, breaking the previous record distance by 500 million light years.

ScienceDaily: Cosmic Rays News

Space travel is a bit safer than expected

Posted: 03 Dec 2014 08:11 AM PST

Analysis of data from the MATROSHKA experiment, the first comprehensive measurements of long-term exposure of astronauts to cosmic radiation, has now been completed. This experiment, carried out on board and outside of the International Space Station, showed that the cosmos may be less hostile to space travelers than expected.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

ScienceDaily: Galaxies News

Strange galaxy perplexes astronomers: Prominent 'jets' of subatomic particles

Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:23 AM PST

With the help of citizen scientists, astronomers have found an important new example of a very rare type of galaxy that may provide valuable insight on galaxy evolution in the early Universe.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

ScienceDaily: Extrasolar Planets News

Ground-based detection of super-Earth transit paves way to remote sensing of exoplanets

Posted: 01 Dec 2014 07:03 AM PST

Astronomers have measured the passing of a super-Earth in front of a bright, nearby Sun-like star using a ground-based telescope for the first time. The transit of the exoplanet 55 Cancri e is the shallowest detected from the ground yet. Since detecting a transit is the first step in analyzing a planet's atmosphere, this success bodes well for characterizing the many small planets that upcoming space missions are expected to discover in the next few years.

ScienceDaily: Galaxies News

Herschel observes Andromeda's past and future stars

Posted: 01 Dec 2014 06:04 AM PST

Recently, the infrared Herschel Space Observatory, has taken a series of beautiful high-resolution infrared images of Andromeda. It is the first time we can see M31, at these wavelengths, at such a high resolution. The quality and sensitivity of the Herschel data is so good scientists were able to study the properties of individual regions in Andromeda as small as about 400 light years.

ScienceDaily: Stars News

Ground-based detection of super-Earth transit paves way to remote sensing of exoplanets

Posted: 01 Dec 2014 07:03 AM PST