Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Planetary Science
The Whole Enceladus
Saturn's moon Enceladus has become the hottest new place to look for life in the chilly outer solar system.
- Planetary Science
The Mysterious Smell of Moondust
Long after the last Apollo astronaut left the moon, a mystery lingers: Why does moondust smell like gunpowder? In this account, astronauts describe the surprising smell and taste of moondust, which they experienced firsthand inside their lunar landers. The dust gave one astronaut a case of hay fever. Go to: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/30jan_smellofmoondust.htm
- Astronomy
Energy-Saving Space Engines: Black holes can be green
Some seemingly quiet black holes are actually efficient engines that emit jets of high-energy particles.
- Astronomy
Crash: Ripples of space-time debut in black hole simulations
Two teams have for the first time successfully simulated the merger of two black holes and the event's production of gravitational waves.
- Planetary Science
Ice among the rocks
A newly discovered trio of icy comets, hidden among the thousands of rocks in the main asteroid belt, may be part of a previously unknown class and a primary source of water for the dry, early Earth.
- Planetary Science
Brilliant! Tenth planet turns out to be a shiner
Xena, unofficially called the 10th planet, is the second-most-shiny known object in the solar system.
- Planetary Science
Another visitor to Mars
The newest spacecraft from Earth arrived at the Red Planet on March 10.
- Planetary Science
Making Mercury
New computer simulations of Mercury's violent formation account for the planet's abundance of heavy elements and also reveal that some of the debris generated by the collision could have found its way to Earth and Venus.
- Astronomy
Ring around the Pulsar: Planets may form in a harsh environment
Astronomers have found a disk that has the potential to make planets in the harsh environment surrounding the ultradense remains of an exploded star.
- Planetary Science
Another red spot, by Jove
Jupiter has developed a second red spot, which is now visible in the predawn sky with a telescope 10 inches or larger.
- Astronomy
Twin history
The Milky Way and its nearest large galactic neighbor, Andromeda, are more alike than earlier evidence had indicated.
- Planetary Science
Propelling Evidence: Cassini finds clues to source of Saturn’s rings
Four propeller-shaped gaps in one of Saturn's main rings are the latest evidence that a shattered moon produced the planet's dazzling hoops.
