The Sky Tonight

March 10, 2016

Sharpest view ever of dusty disc around aging star
Munich, Germany (SPX) Mar 10, 2016
As they approach the ends of their lives many stars develop stable discs of gas and dust around them. This material was ejected by stellar winds, whilst the star was passing through the red giant stage of its evolution. These discs resemble those that form planets around young stars. But up to now astronomers have not been able to compare the two types, formed at the beginning and the end of the stellar life cycle. Although there are many discs associated with young stars that are sufficiently nea ... read more

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LISA Pathfinder begins its science mission After completing a long series of tests on the spacecraft and payload, the ESA mission LISA Pathfinder has started its science mission. Over the next six months it will conduct hundreds of experimen ... more		KIT simulation analyzes cosmic rays When cosmic rays hit the Earth's atmosphere, their high-energy primary particles generate an 'air shower' of secondary particles. These cascades of particles provide information on the physical prop ... more		The expansion of the universe simulated The Universe is constantly expanding. It changes, creating new structures that merge. But how does our Universe evolve? Physicists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have developed a ... more
				NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in thermal vacuum testing The first U.S. mission to collect a sample of an asteroid and return it to Earth for study is undergoing a major milestone in its environmental testing. NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation ... more		A perfectly still laboratory in space Following a long series of tests, ESA's LISA Pathfinder has started its science mission to prove key technologies and techniques needed to observe gravitational waves from space. Predicted by Albert ... more

Dust grains could be remnants of stellar explosions billions of years ago Microscopic dust particles have been found in meteoritic material on Earth, particles that were likely formed in stellar explosions that occurred long before the creation of our star, the sun. ... more		Mercury's mysterious 'darkness' revealed Scientists have long been puzzled about what makes Mercury's surface so dark. The innermost planet reflects much less sunlight than the Moon, a body on which surface darkness is controlled by the ab ... more		Russia offers to extend nuclear arms limits with US Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign mutual defense pact Brazil, Chile sign defense agreement		Comet's age revealed by the type of ice it carries New research suggests 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is roughly the same age as the solar system, which is approximately 4.568 billion years old. ... more
				Life's Building Blocks Form In Replicated Deep Sea Vents Chimney-like mineral structures on the seafloor could have helped create the RNA molecules that gave rise to life on Earth and hold promise to the emergence of life on distant planets. Scientists th ... more		Meteoritic dust came from stellar explosions older than the sun Researchers at Michigan State University say dust found at meteor sites on Earth came from ancient stellar explosions and likely predate the birth of the sun. ... more

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Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review

Dawn's First Year at Ceres: A Mountain Emerges One year ago, on March 6, 2015, NASA's Dawn spacecraft slid gently into orbit around Ceres, the largest body in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Since then, the spacecraft has delivered a ... more		Scientists explain why Mercury's surface is so dark Astronomers have long struggled to explain Mercury's darkness, but new research suggests carbon is responsible for the planet's limited reflectivity. ... more		Ex-US climate envoy: Trump threatening 'consensus science' worldwide How did an Indian zoo get the world's most endangered great ape? Australian scientists grapple with 'despicable' butterfly heist		TX68: Trash or Treasure? As asteroid TX68 nears its close approach on March 8, Dr. John Lewis, chief scientist at Deep Space Industries, discusses whether or not it's a good mining prospect. A small asteroid called 20 ... more
Close Encounter with Jupiter "413 million miles" sounds like a looong way. Something you can see in March might change your mind. On March 8th, 2016 Earth and Jupiter will have a close encounter-at only 413 million miles apart. ... more		Evidence found for unstable heavy element at solar system formation University of Chicago scientists have discovered evidence in a meteorite that a rare element, curium, was present during the formation of the solar system. This finding ends a 35-year-old debate on ... more		Star Trek's vision becomes reality in teleportation first 'Beam me up, Scotty' - even if Captain Kirk supposedly never said this exact phrase, it remains a popular catch-phrase to this day. Whenever the chief commander of the television series starship USS ... more		FSU student researcher cracks origin story of meteorite A Florida State University student has cracked the code to reveal the deep and interesting history of an ancient meteorite that likely formed at the time our planets were just developing. Jona ... more

	Hubble team breaks cosmic distance record By pushing NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to its limits, an international team of astronomers has shattered the cosmic distance record by measuring the farthest galaxy ever seen in the universe. This ... more		New photos show 'magic island' on Saturn's moon New images captured by the Cassini probe showcase the shifting shape of a geological feature on Saturn's moon known informally as "magic island." ... more

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Object located around a black hole 5 billion light-years from Earth has been measured

Imaging Technique May Help Discover Earth-Like Planets Around Other Stars

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