The Sky Tonight

October 27, 2016

Next step toward a gravitational-wave observatory in space
Paris (ESA) Oct 27, 2016
ESA has invited European scientists to propose concepts for the third large mission in its science programme, to study the gravitational universe. A spaceborne observatory of gravitational waves - ripples in the fabric of spacetime created by accelerating massive objects - was identified in 2013 as the goal for the third large mission (L3) in ESA's Cosmic Vision plan. A Gravitational Observatory Advisory Team was appointed in 2014, composed of independent experts. The team completed its fina ... read more

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Proxima b could be an ocean planet A rocky extrasolar planet with a mass similar to Earth's was recently detected around Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our sun. This planet, called Proxima b, is in an orbit that would allow it ... more		OSIRIS-REx conducts thruster test on route to asteroid Bennu NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft continues its so far flawless journey to asteroid Bennu, after successfully completing its first Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM-1) on Oct. 7. According to the missi ... more		Gaining a revolutionary view of the Sun in STEREO Launched 10 years ago, on Oct. 25, 2006, the twin spacecraft of NASA's STEREO mission - short for Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory - have given us unprecedented views of the sun, includin ... more
				A pathogenic fungus grows in space As scientists continue to prepare for travel to deep space, they're covering all the bases, assessing all the risks - like the risk of microbial exposure in close quarters. ... more		The 1950s: The decade in which gravity physics became experimental In the 1950s and earlier, the gravity theory of Einstein's general relativity was largely a theoretical science. In a new paper published in EPJ H, Jim Peebles, a physicist and theoretical cosmologi ... more

Titan experiences dramatic seasonal changes As Titan approaches its northern summer solstice, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has revealed dramatic seasonal changes in the atmospheric temperature and composition of Saturn's largest moon. Wint ... more		Tatooine worlds orbiting 2 suns often survive violent escapades of aging stars Planets that revolve around two suns may surprisingly survive the violent late stages of the stars' lives, according to new research out of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre and York University. ... more		U.S. defense in free fall U.S. and Saudis conduct Middle East's largest counter-drone exercise Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign mutual defense pact		Russia plans to revive lunar rover moon exploration program The Russian Academy of Sciences' Space Council has plans to revive a moon exploration program using lunar rovers, Russian media reported, citing a laboratory head from the academy's Space Research I ... more
				New bacteria groups, and stunning diversity, discovered underground One of the most detailed genomic studies of any ecosystem to date has revealed an underground world of stunning microbial diversity, and added dozens of new branches to the tree of life. The b ... more		Finding the lightest superdeformed triaxial atomic nucleus The nuclei of atoms of heavy elements do not necessarily take a spherical shape: they may be variously extended or flattened along one, two or even three axes. An international team of physicists, l ... more

6th Annual Modular Construction Summit for Oil and Gas Agenda - December 7-9 - Houston

Nuclear Plant Digitalization Conference - Nov 15-16 - Charlotte NC USA

The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate or is it Five years ago, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three astronomers for their discovery, in the late 1990s, that the universe is expanding at an accelerating pace. Their conclusions were bas ... more		Astronomers Predict Birthplace of Rosetta's Comet When the Rosetta spacecraft successfully touched down on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on September 30, 2016, the news was shared globally via Twitter in dozens of languages. Citizens the world ov ... more		Fossil fuels harm health from 'cradle to grave': report Trash, mulch and security: All jobs for troops in Washington Rising oceans to threaten 1.5 million Australians by 2050: report		Tracking waves from sunspots gives new solar insight While it often seems unvarying from our viewpoint on Earth, the sun is constantly changing. Material courses through not only the star itself, but throughout its expansive atmosphere. Understanding ... more
Oldest known planet-forming disk found A group of citizen scientists and professional astronomers, including Carnegie's Jonathan Gagne, joined forces to discover an unusual hunting ground for exoplanets. They found a star surrounded by t ... more		Mysterious cosmic objects erupting in x-rays discovered Astronomers have found a pair of extraordinary cosmic objects that dramatically burst in X-rays. This discovery, obtained with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton observatory, may ... more		Mission Prepares for Next Jupiter Pass Mission managers for NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter have decided to postpone the upcoming burn of its main rocket motor originally scheduled for Oct. 19. This burn, called the period reduction maneu ... more		Deep down fracking wells, microbial communities thrive Microbes have a remarkable ability to adapt to the extreme conditions in fracking wells, according to a study published in the October issue of Nature Microbiology. Scientists led by researche ... more

	When quantum scale affects the way atoms emit and absorb particles of light In 1937, US physicist Isidor Rabi introduced a simple model to describe how atoms emit and absorb particles of light. Until now, this model had still not been completely explained. In a recent ... more		How often do quantum systems violate the second law of thermodynamics? The likelihood of seeing quantum systems violating the second law of thermodynamics has been calculated by UCL scientists. In two papers, published in this week's issue of Physical Review X and fund ... more

EU to fast-track review of 2035 combustion-engine ban

Norway sovereign wealth fund drops French miner over environmental fears

EU split on 2040 climate goal ahead of UN summit

Two-dimensional spin-orbit coupling for Bose-Einstein condensates realized		Small impacts are reworking the moon's soil faster than scientists thoug		Cosmological Mystery Solved by Map of Voids and Superclusters		2016 Ends with Three Supermoons		Long-term, hi-res tracking of eruptions on Jovian moon Io
Big-data algorithms could cut analysis times from months to days		Waterloo-led experiment achieves the strongest coupling between light and matter		Astronomers find oldest known planetary disk		ALMA spots possible formation site of icy giant planet		Going Out in a Blaze of Glory: Cassini's Grand Finale

Unexpected discoveries on a metal world

Avalanches, Not Internal Pressure, Cause Comet Outbursts

Scientists create most detailed map of the Milky Way

Did LIGO detect black holes or gravastars

Astronomers to explore mysteries of star formation with new camera

Scientists intrigued by data from first Juno flyby

Building Blocks of Life's Building Blocks Come From Starlight

Glitch, safe mode as Juno space probe orbits Jupiter

The Sun's coronal tail wags its photospheric dog

Wayward Field Lines Challenge Solar Radiation Models

Massive Cloud on Collision Course with the Milky Way

How Deadly Would A Nearby Gamma Ray Burst Be?

Hunter's Supermoon to light up Saturday night sky

Spectacular Lunar Grazing Occultation of Bright Star on Oct. 18

The Milky Way's ancient heart

Dense molecular gas disks drive the growth of supermassive black holes

Lights, action, electrons!

Small Impacts Are Reworking Lunar Soil Faster Than Scientists Thought

Who stole all the stars

Teleporting toward a quantum Internet

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