The Sky Tonight

December 29, 2015

Asteroid 2003 SD220 Sleighs by Earth on Christmas Eve
Arecibo Puerto Rico (SPX) Dec 28, 2015
During the month of December, the Planetary Radar Group at Arecibo Observatory has observed near-Earth asteroid (NEA) 2003 SD220, which will have its closest approach to Earth on December 24. Although designated as "potentially hazardous," this asteroid will be 28 times further away than our Moon and therefore poses no present danger to Earth. There is neither chance of impact nor any other effects due to its flyby despite unfounded predictions from online media. The NASA-funded planetary ra ... read more

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Monkey King in China dark matter space quest sends data home China's first telescope tasked with searching for signs of the elusive dark matter formally began its quest Thursday when it sent home its first set of observation data. The Dark Matter Partic ... more		Ringing in a new way to measure and modulate trapped light Researchers working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a novel way to noninvasively measure and map how and where trapped light vibrates within microscale op ... more		Lowdown on Ceres: Images From Dawn's Closest Orbit NASA's Dawn spacecraft, cruising in its lowest and final orbit at dwarf planet Ceres, has delivered the first images from its best-ever viewpoint. The new images showcase details of the cratered and ... more
				Railways: Ensuring readiness in case of space weather events The JRC has been looking into the risks of space weather impact on critical infrastructures. A new report explores the rail sector's vulnerability and the potential impacts, in particular through in ... more		Black holes could grow as large as 50 billion suns Black holes at the heart of galaxies could swell to 50 billion times the mass of the sun before losing the discs of gas they rely on to sustain themselves, according to research at the University of ... more

Dwarf planet Ceres: water vapor in Occator crater When the Sun shines into the Occator crater on the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres, a kind of thin haze appears above its brightest spot. This can be seen in images taken by the camera system aboa ... more		NASA offers sneak peak at Christmas Eve asteroid New images, shared Wednesday by NASA, showcase the size and shape of the Christmas Eve asteroid - the highest resolution images to date. ... more		HawkEye 360 expands signals intelligence network with operational deployment of Cluster 12 York confirms successful deployment and health of 21 satellites for SDA Tranche 1 mission Spain faces uphill battle to cut Israel military ties: experts		Auroral mystery solved: Sudden bursts caused by swirling charged particles Auroras are dimly present throughout the night in polar regions, but sometimes these lights explode in brightness. Now Japanese scientists have unlocked the mystery behind this spectacle, known as a ... more
				Physicists on cutting edge in search for dark matter China is joining the global competition on a scientific frontier-the search for dark matter-with new research instruments and facilities in place that heighten anticipation for answers. On Thu ... more		Einstein's Cross under the gravitational microlens Spanish astrophysicists obtain precise measurements for an object orbiting a black hole five billion lightyears away, which would be like spotting a one euro coin from two and a half trips around th ... more

Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

New study asks: Why didn't the universe collapse? The models that best describe the Big Bang and birth of the universe have one glaring problem. Most of them predict a collapse almost immediately after inflation. ... more		Giant comets may threaten Earth: astronomers Planet Earth could be at higher risk of a space rock impact than widely thought, according to astronomers who suggested Tuesday keeping a closer eye on distant giant comets. ... more		Climate change causing havoc with global water cycle: UN Schools shut, flights cancelled as Typhoon Ragasa nears Hong Kong Over 60,000 Europeans died from heat during 2024 summer: study		Chandra Finds Remarkable Galactic Ribbon Unfurled An extraordinary ribbon of hot gas trailing behind a galaxy like a tail has been discovered using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This ribbon, or X-ray tail, is likely due to gas strippe ... more
Is evolution more intelligent than we thought Evolution may be more intelligent than we thought, according to a University of Southampton professor. Professor Richard Watson says new research shows that evolution is able to learn from pre ... more		Jefferson Lab Accelerator delivers its first 12 GeV electrons The newly upgraded accelerator at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has delivered full-energy electrons as part of commissioning activities for the ongoi ... more		Surface physics: How water learns to dance Perovskites are materials used in batteries, fuel cells, and electronic components, and occur in nature as minerals. Despite their important role in technology, little is known about the reactivity ... more		Researchers at Gothenburg create focused spin wave beams Researchers at the University of Gothenburg Physics Department have finally found the secret to synchronize an unlimited number of spintronic oscillators. Such devices are very promising for future ... more

	New Electron-Positron Collider Launched in Siberia The launch of a new electron-positron collider in Novosibirsk will allow the Russian Nuclear Physics Institute to make a huge leap forward, according to Gov. Vladimir Gorodetsky. The first rin ... more		Twisted magnetic fields give new insights on star formation Using new images that show unprecedented detail, scientists have found that material rotating around a very young protostar probably has dragged in and twisted magnetic fields from the larger area s ... more

Tariff uncertainty delays World Cup orders for China's merch makers

EU business lobby head says China rare earths snag persists

IEA feels the heat as Washington pushes pro-oil agenda

Wukong's journey to the darkness		Dark Universe Mission ready to take shape		New study details skeleton of the Milky Way galaxy		China receives message from dark matter probe		History of Andromeda Galaxy Studied Through Stellar Remains
Cassini Completes Final Close Enceladus Flyby		Gemini and Keck Put New Spin on Galaxy Formation		A cosmic clumpy doughnut around black hole		The awakened force of a star		Rare full moon on Christmas Day

The Puzzle of the Origin of Elements in the Universe

Meanwhile, in a galaxy not so far, far away

Euclid dark Universe mission ready to take shape

LADEE Mission Shows Force of Meteoroid Strikes on Lunar Exosphere

Cassini Closes in on Enceladus, One Last Time

Nearby star hosts closest alien planet in the 'habitable zone'

Survey Maps Neutral Hydrogen in Northern Sky

Canada delivers Laser Altimeter for OSIRIS-REx spacecraft integration

S3 delays ZeroG launch and IPO campaign

Asteroid WT24 looks even better second time around

ALMA reveals planetary construction sites

VERITAS detects gamma rays from halfway across the universe

Hubble sees the force awakening in a newborn star

Quasar outburst revises understanding of universe, quasars

Supernova explosion caught in the act

A new spin on star-forming galaxies

Monster planet is 'dancing with the stars'

Cassini gets bull's eye view of Enceladus and Tethys

Twin civilisations? How life on an exoplanet could spread to its neighbour

Gamma rays from distant galaxy tell story of an escape

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