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June 11, 2013

IAU Approves New Names for Ten Major Fault Scarps on Mercury
Laurel MD (SPX) Jun 11, 2013
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recently approved a proposal from the MESSENGER Science Team to assign names to 10 rupes, the long cliff-like escarpments that formed over major faults along which one large block of crust on Mercury was thrust up and over another. The IAU has been the arbiter of planetary and satellite nomenclature since its inception in 1919. In keeping with the established naming theme for rupes on Mercury, all of the newly designated features are named after ships of ... read more

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International Team On Keck Observatory Strengthens Big Bang Theory An international team of scientists using the most powerful telescope on Earth has discovered that the moments just after the Big Bang happened more like the theory predicts, eliminating a significa ... more		Spain receives ever more solar radiation Solar radiation in Spain has increased by 2.3% every decade since the 1980s, according to a study by researchers from the University of Girona and the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich ... more		Cat's Paw Nebula 'littered' with baby stars Most skygazers recognize the Orion Nebula, one of the closest stellar nurseries to Earth. Although it makes for great views in backyard telescopes, the Orion Nebula is far from the most prolific sta ... more
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