Space and astronomy news
The exoplanet HAT-P-7b has been observed to have a very curious orbit. It either has a highly tilted orbit – passing almost over the poles of its parent star, HAT-P-7 – or a retrograde orbit; that is, orbiting in the opposite direction of its parent star. Two teams of researchers, both using the Subaru Telescope …
Continue reading “Second Exoplanet with Retrograde Orbit Discovered”
Though it may seem an unlikely location to happen upon a conference on astrobiology, the Vatican recently held a “study week” of over 30 astronomers, biologists, geologists and religious leaders to discuss the question of the existence of extraterrestrials. This follows the statement made last year by the Pope’s chief astronomer, Father Gabriel Funes, that …
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[/caption] The basic chemistry for life has been detected the atmosphere of a second hot gas planet, HD 209458b. Data from the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes provided spectral observations that revealed molecules of carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor in the planet’s atmosphere. The Jupiter-sized planet – which occupies a tight, 3.5-day orbit around …
Continue reading “Organic Molecules Detected in Exoplanet Atmosphere”
[/caption] An exoplanet – or extrasolar planet – is a planet which orbits a star other than our own Sun. After a bit of a false start – lasting many decades! – when a small number of detections of planets around other stars were reported but not confirmed, the first reliable, independently confirmed exoplanet was …
[/caption] When discussing the possibility of finding life on other worlds, we usually add the phrase “life – as we know it.” But we’ve been surprised at exotic forms of life even on our own world and we need figure out how life might evolve elsewhere with foreign biochemistry in alien environments. Scientists at a …
[/caption] More details are emerging on the extrasolar planet that was discovered by the CoRoT satellite back in February. New information about this planet make it first in many respects: It is the smallest known exoplanet, it is the closest exoplanet yet to its host star, which also makes it the fastest; it orbits its …
Continue reading “Smallest Expoplanet Yet Has Rocky Surface”
[/caption] NASA researchers have published confirmation this week that the Kepler mission will be able to reveal the presence of Earth-sized planets around Sun-like stars. The mission’s first scientific results appear today in the journal Science. Lead author William Borucki, of NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, and his colleagues announced that Kepler …
Continue reading “Kepler Scores its First Exoplanet Sighting”
[/caption] The Spitzer Space Telescope has run out of the liquid helium that kept its optics cool — but the scope has already returned compelling new images as if to say: I don’t need no stinkin’ helium. At five and a half years, Spitzer’s prime mission more than doubled initial expectations. It finally ran out …
Continue reading “Spitzer Changes Its Glasses, Sees Cotton Candy”
[/caption] You are probably somewhat familiar with our Solar System. At least you most likely know that there are eight planets in it, including the Earth, the Sun, moons, and a number of other objects like Pluto and asteroids. However, there is a lot more beyond the Solar System of which you may not be …
[/caption] NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft has made the first observations of fast hydrogen atoms coming from the moon, following decades of speculation and searching for their existence. Launched last October, the IBEX has a mission to image and map the dynamic interactions caused by the hot solar wind slamming into the cold expanse …
Continue reading “NASA IBEX Spacecraft Detects Neutral Hydrogen Bouncing Off Moon”