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December 10, 2013

Neutron Stars' X-ray Superbursts Mystify, Inspire Los Alamos Scientists
Los Alamos NM (SPX) Dec 10, 2013
Massive X-ray superbursts near the surface of neutron stars are providing a unique window into the operation of fundamental forces of nature under extreme conditions. "Scientists are intrigued by what exactly powers these massive explosions, and understanding this would yield important insights about the fundamental forces in nature, especially on the astronomical/cosmological scale," said Peter Moller of Los Alamos National Laboratory's Theoretical Division. A neutron star is created during ... read more

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Astronomers discover planet that shouldn't be there An international team of astronomers, led by a University of Arizona graduate student, has discovered the most distantly orbiting planet found to date around a single, sun-like star. It is the first ... more		You can't get entangled without a wormhole Quantum entanglement is one of the more bizarre theories to come out of the study of quantum mechanics - so strange, in fact, that Albert Einstein famously referred to it as "spooky action at a dist ... more		SST Australia: Signed, Sealed and Ready for Delivery As satellites become more common, they face growing risk of colliding with space debris and even each other. The U.S. Department of Defense has thus made space situational awareness a top priority t ... more
				Silent Orbit for China's Moon Lander China's first Moon lander is in a stable orbit around that world, awaiting the command to lower its orbit and eventually descend to the surface. Judging by what little we know, the Chang'e-3 spacecr ... more		Hot Jupiters Highlight Challenges in the Search for Life Beyond Earth This week, the Goddard Center for Astrobiology celebrated the confirmation of atmospheric water on five exoplanets. This discovery heralds a new era in planet hunting at the same time as it acknowle ... more

Subaru Telescope's Image Captures the Intricacy of Comet Lovejoy's Tail A team of astronomers from Stony Brook University (the State University of New York at Stony Brook), the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and others used Suprime-Cam, Subaru Telesc ... more		The Sun's Magnetic Field is about to Flip Something big is about to happen on the sun. According to measurements from NASA-supported observatories, the sun's vast magnetic field is about to flip. "It looks like we're no more than thre ... more		Aalyria spacetime platform tapped for AFRL space data network trials Atomic 6 debris shields selected for Portal Space Systems mission China starts large scale production of T1000 carbon fiber		Early Universe less dusty than thought Dust may be more rare than expected in galaxies of the early Universe, according to an international research team, led by Swinburne University of Technology astrophysicist Dr David Fisher. In ... more
				Explosive growth of young star A star is formed when a large cloud of gas and dust condenses and eventually becomes so dense that it collapses into a ball of gas, where the pressure heats the matter, creating a glowing gas ball - ... more		Supernova Blast Provides Clues to Age of Binary Star System Data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has revealed faint remnants of a supernova explosion and helped researchers determine Circinus X-1 - an X-ray binary - is the youngest of this class of a ... more

CubeSats, SmallSats and MicroSats

International Conference on Protection of Materials and Structures From Space Environment

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

Fledgling supernova remnant reveals neutron star's secrets With the help of NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Australia Telescope Compact Array, an international team of astronomers has identified the glowing wreck of a star that exploded a mere 2,50 ... more		New comet gets astronomers' attention with intricate tail structure A telescope in Hawaii has captured images of the intricate tail of a comet named Lovejoy as it moves toward its closest approach to the sun, astronomers say. ... more		Ancient nitrogen enzyme study illuminates early Earth conditions and life detection Cleaner ship fuel is reducing lightning in key shipping lanes, research finds Geoscientists use satellite to determine not the shape of water, but how water shapes land		A Whirling Dervish puts physicists in a spin A force that intricately links the rotation of the Earth with the direction of weather patterns in the atmosphere has been shown to play a crucial role in the creation of the hypnotic patterns creat ... more
				Cloud firm Box raises $100 mn Cloud storage startup Box, launched from a college dorm in 2005, has raised $100 million in new capital to help fund a global expansion. ... more		Image of sun shows two areas of sunspots, one arriving and one leaving NASA has released an image of the sun showing two sunspots - one "coming" and one "going" - both the size of Jupiter, astronomers say. ... more

The Sounds of New Horizons

On the Path to Pluto, 5 AU and Closing

SwRI study finds that Pluto satellites' orbital ballet may hint of long-ago collisions

Odds of alien life 'very high,' House panel hears

December Expedition to Explore Life in Hydrothermal Vent

Glassy Coating Keeps Viruses Happy In Harsh Environments

Astronomers discover planet that shouldn't be there

Hot Jupiters Highlight Challenges in the Search for Life Beyond Earth

Astronomers find strange planet orbiting where there shouldn't be one

Rover results include first age and radiation measurements on Mars

Mars lake may have been friendly to microbes: NASA

One-way ticket to Mars: space colonists wanted!

	Quietly Cruising Through The Asteroid Belt Gliding smoothly through the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Dawn continues to make good progress on its ambitious mission of exploration. It is patiently but persistently pursuing Cere ... more		Astronomers find strange planet orbiting where there shouldn't be one A team of astronomers led by a U.S. graduate student has discovered a planet that shouldn't be where it is, raising questions about how planetary systems form. ... more		Odds of alien life 'very high,' House panel hears The likelihood of life on other planets is "very high," a planetary scientist told a House committee in a hearing some Democrats chided as evading U.S. issues. ... more		Controllers prepare for spacecraft's rendezvous with protoplanet Ceres NASA scientists say they've finalized flight plans for the Dawn spacecraft when it arrives at the dwarf planet Ceres in late March 2015. ... more

Hydrogen nuclei experiment sharpens view of quarks inside matter

Oak Ridge team plans powerful test facility for next generation fusion components

Low frequency lasers modeled to greatly boost nuclear fusion rates

Earth's gravity scarred by earthquake		Cassini Spacecraft Obtains Best Views of Saturn Hexagon		Astronomers detect water in atmosphere of distant exoplanets		'Spooky action' builds a wormhole between 'entangled' particles		China's most moon-like place
NASA's Dawn Fills out its Ceres Dance Card		LADEE Instruments Healthy and Ready for Science		December Expedition to Explore Life in Hydrothermal Vent		Hubble Traces Subtle Signals of Water on Hazy Worlds		A Blast from Its Past Dates the Youngest Neutron-Star Binary

Model Suggests Ocean Currents Shape Europa's Icy Shell in Ways Critical for Potential Habitats

Comet ISON is confirmed dead after brush with Sun

The Bright Vortex Off Saturn Way

Telescope to track space junk using youth radio station

No qualms about quantum theory

A fiery drama of star birth and death

The mystery of neutron stars heats up

Zero Gravity Corporation Completes Microgravity Research Mission

Fast, Furious, Refined: Smaller Black Holes Can Eat Plenty

Uncovering hidden structures in massive data collections

China launches first moon rover mission

NASA Investigating the Life of Comet ISON

Physicists find a way to study coldest objects in the universe

Figures of Eight and Peanut Shells at the Galactic Center

The State of Super Earths

Flashes of brilliance

Google steps up its battle for Internet 'cloud'

Comet ISON probably did not survive Sun skirmish

Helping China To The Moon

Rock Comet Sprouts a Tail

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