Space

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Astronomy

    Pleiades star cluster is a bit farther away than thought

    New observations might impact Gaia satellite’s mission to map the Milky Way.

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  2. Astronomy

    Wake of nearby supernova hints at explosion’s origins

    Gamma rays from radioactive decay of cobalt formed in a nearby supernova reveal unprecedented details of the explosion’s aftermath.

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  3. Astronomy

    Chemical signature of first-generation star found

    The unusual balance of elements in the atmosphere of a star most likely came from the explosion of another star more than 100 times as massive as the sun.

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  4. Astronomy

    Distance to quasars debated

    Some astronomers thought quasars were buzzing around our galaxy; turns out these starlike objects live on the other side of the universe.

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  5. Planetary Science

    To explain asteroid composition, scientists invoke nuts

    Brazil nut effect may explain why only large boulders dot surfaces of asteroids.

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  6. Astronomy

    Dust nabbed by spacecraft may be from outside the solar system

    NASA’s Stardust mission captured seven particles that probably come from interstellar space, providing researchers with the first direct samples from beyond the solar system.

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  7. Planetary Science

    Spacecraft films Pluto’s largest moon in orbit

    New Horizons spacecraft, en route to Pluto, captures nearly one orbit of dwarf planet’s largest moon.

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  8. Cosmology

    Cosmologist’s ‘Cosmic Cocktail’ is a refreshing read

    Katherine Freese shares her insights as a scientist studying dark matter and other mysterious components of the universe.

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  9. Astronomy

    The craziest NASA mission ever proposed

    In this issue, Meghan Rosen provides an in-depth report on that mission, but without the erroneous conclusion that the Asteroid Redirect Mission has much to do with asteroid defense.

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  10. Planetary Science

    NASA bets on asteroid mission as best path to Mars

    NASA wants to bag an asteroid using robotic arms or an enormous sack and place the rock in the moon’s orbit for study. This may keep astronauts working but not, as NASA claims, get them Mars-ready.

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  11. Planetary Science

    Rosetta spacecraft confabs with a comet

    After a 10-year chase, ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft has met up with comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

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  12. Astronomy

    Single black hole may be masquerading as a pair

    New observations of a recently discovered binary black hole reveal that astronomers may have been seeing double.

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