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Building Planet Earth
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
10/22/09 |
| Summary: A new study shows how rocky planets are formed from the manic swirl of gas and dust that surround a young star, and determines what chemical building blocks are used to construct the planets. Understanding the dynamics and chemistry that create planetary systems can help astronomers in their search for Earth-like planets in the galaxy. |
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Oases for Life on the Mid-Caymen Rise
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
10/21/09 |
| Summary: A team of oceanographers and astrobiologists is currently exploring one of the deepest points in the Caribbean Sea. Follow their blog as they search for life in this extreme seafloor environment. |
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32 New Exoplanets Found
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| Topic: New Planets |
10/20/09 |
| Summary: Astronomers have reported 32 new exoplanets discovered using the HARPS spectrograph for ESO's 3.6-meter telescope. HARPS has provided a boost in the number of planets that are only a few times more massive than Earth. Some of these low-mass planets rest close to the habitable zone of their host stars. |
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Building an Astrobiology Tool Kit
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| Topic: Missions |
10/19/09 |
| Summary: In this blog entry, Juan Diego Rodriguez Blanco from the AMASE 2009 team discusses how instruments for future Mars missions are tested on Earth. This year, equipment for ESA's ExoMars mission and NASA's Mars Science Laboratory were put through the ropes on the arctic island of Svalbard. |
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2012 Apocalypse
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| Topic: Earth |
10/18/09 |
| Summary: According to NASA scientist David Morrison, the widespread Internet rumor that the world will end in 2012 due to some astronomical event is a hoax. Dr. Morrison attributes the hype to 'cosmophobia' fueled by fake science websites and people trying to cash in on public lack of knowledge. |
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Battle of the Bands
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| Topic: Geology |
10/17/09 |
| Summary: Banded rocks scattered across the upper Midwest and elsewhere around the world are providing information about the environment of the early Earth. Once mined as a source of iron, these rocks can tell scientists about the geochemical conditions that existed on Earth more than 2 billion years ago. |
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Europa Has Enough Oxygen For Life
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| Topic: Europa |
10/16/09 |
| Summary: New research suggests that there is plenty of oxygen available in the subsurface ocean of Europa to support oxygen-based metabolic processes for life similar to that on Earth. In fact, there may be enough oxygen to support complex, animal-like organisms with greater oxygen demands than microorganisms. |
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Migrating Microbes
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| Topic: Missions |
10/15/09 |
| Summary: With every spacecraft that leaves Earth, millions of microbes hitch a ride into space. As astrobiologists search for life in other worlds, preventing forward and back contamination remains a key priority. |
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Green Rocket Fuel
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| Topic: Missions |
10/14/09 |
| Summary: Researchers are developing a new type of rocket fuel made from a frozen mixture of water and 'nanoscale aluminum' powder. The fuel would be more environmentally friendly, and could be manufactured on the moon, Mars or other water-bearing bodies. Such fuels could play an important role in future missions beyond our planet. |
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Amending the Approach of Apophis
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| Topic: Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids |
10/13/09 |
| Summary: NASA scientists have recalculated the path of a large asteroid and determined that it is less likely to have a hazardous encounter with Earth than previously thought. The chances of Apophis hitting the Earth in 2036 are now thought to be about four-in-a-million. |
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