An enduring astronomical mystery is how stars and galaxies acquire their magnetic fields. Physicists now have found a clue to the answer in the collective behavior of small magnetic disturbances. They report that small magnetic perturbations can combine to form large-scale magnetic fields just like those found throughout the universe.
Nov 9th, 2015
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For the first time a powerful laser has been used to further our understanding of some of the most mysterious celestial objects just beyond the solar system - brown dwarfs.
Nov 6th, 2015
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NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission has identified the process that appears to have played a key role in the transition of the Martian climate from an early, warm and wet environment that might have supported surface life to the cold, arid planet Mars is today.
Nov 5th, 2015
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Using the Hubble Space Telescope to conduct a 'cosmic archaeological dig' at the very heart of our Milky Way galaxy, astronomers have uncovered the blueprints of our galaxy's early construction phase.
Nov 5th, 2015
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Plant geneticists discovered the gene in the ancient Australian native tobacco plant Nicotiana benthamiana, known as Pitjuri to indigenous Aboriginals tribes.
Nov 3rd, 2015
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When astronomers study protoplanetary disks of gas and dust that surround young stars, they sometimes spot a dark gap like the Cassini division in Saturn's rings. It has been suggested that any gap must be caused by an unseen planet that formed in the disk and carved out material from its surroundings. However, new research shows that a gap could be a sort of cosmic illusion and not the sign of a hidden planet after all.
Nov 2nd, 2015
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Astronomers find a stable disk around a young, massive sun.
Nov 2nd, 2015
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The simulation, run on the Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, modeled the evolution of the universe from just 50 million years after the Big Bang to the present day - from its earliest infancy to its current adulthood.
Oct 30th, 2015
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A team of astronomers is proposing that huge spiral patterns seen around some newborn stars, merely a few million years old, may be evidence for the presence of giant unseen planets. This idea not only opens the door to a new method of planet detection, but also could offer a look into the early formative years of planet birth.
Oct 30th, 2015
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A newly published National Space Weather Strategy identifies high-level priorities and goals for the nation, while an accompanying Action Plan outlines how federal agencies will implement the strategy.
Oct 29th, 2015
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The Vista Variables in the Via Lactea Survey (VVV) ESO public survey is using the VISTA telescope at the Paranal Observatory to take multiple images at different times of the central parts of the galaxy at infrared wavelengths. It is discovering huge numbers of new objects, including variable stars, clusters and exploding stars.
Oct 28th, 2015
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Scientists have experimentally optimized the operation of the first wall-less Hall thruster prototype, a novel electric rocket engine design suitable for long-duration, deep space missions.
Oct 27th, 2015
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An astrophysics student has turned to artificial intelligence to help her to see into the hearts of galaxies.
Oct 27th, 2015
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Some of the most intractable scientific problems involve natural and physical processes that span many scales and disciplines, from atoms to organs, and from quarks to galaxies. Developing coherent theories that can describe these fundamental phenomena will be crucial to understanding the origins of the Universe and life on Earth. Researchers are inventing solutions to link the vast with the tiny.
Oct 23rd, 2015
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Astronomers compile the largest astronomical image of all time. In order to view it, researchers have provided an online tool. The image contains data gathered in astronomical observations over a period of five years.
Oct 21st, 2015
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Researchers have analyzed the Ulysses interstellar dust measurements.
Oct 21st, 2015
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For a piloted mission to Mars, fueling up on the moon could streamline cargo by 68 percent.
Oct 15th, 2015
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An international team of astronomers has discovered a previously unknown link between the way young stars grow and the way black holes and other exotic space objects feed from their surroundings.
Oct 13th, 2015
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