Space
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Astronomy
Comet Sampler: Fire meets ice
The first study of comet dust brought to Earth by a spacecraft has revealed several minerals that could have formed only at the fiery temperatures close to the sun or another star.
- Astronomy
Glassy galaxies
Astronomers have found clouds of sand crystals resembling crushed glass around 21 infrared-bright galaxies.
- Astronomy
Cosmic Triumph: Satellite confirms birth theory of universe
The most detailed portrait ever taken of the radiation left over from the Big Bang provides fresh evidence that the universe began with a tremendous growth spurt, expanding from subatomic scales to the size of a grapefruit in less than a trillionth of a second.
- Astronomy
Magnetic Memory: New model forecasts solar storms
A new computer model predicts that the next solar-activity cycle won't begin until late 2008, a year later than the sun's standard cycle would forecast.
- Planetary Science
Pluto’s posse
Images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope on Feb. 15 confirm that Pluto has two small, previously unknown moons.
- Astronomy
Peeling Back Orion’s Layers
By studying the most detailed portrait ever assembled of the Orion nebula, astronomers hope to glean new insights about star birth throughout the galaxy.
- Astronomy
Unique Explosion: Gamma-ray burst leads astronomers to supernova
Astronomers have found a supernova associated with the second-closest-known gamma-ray burst, confirming a model in which bursts arise from material blasted into space by a supernova explosion.
- Astronomy
Chasing a stellar blast
An exploding star recently discovered in a nearby galaxy may be a milestone in the study of type 1a supernovas.
- Planetary Science
Eyeing a Saturn storm
The Cassini spacecraft recently captured an image of the most powerful storm ever seen on Saturn.
- Astronomy
Tiny planet orbits faraway star
Taking advantage of some gravitational sleight of hand, astronomers have found indirect evidence of the smallest planet known to exist outside the solar system.
- Astronomy
Radio Daze: Staccato pulses suggest a new stellar class
Astronomers have discovered what may be a new class of star that emits bursts of radio waves for 2 to 30 milliseconds before falling silent for minutes to hours.
- Planetary Science
Stellar passage yields Charon’s girth
By observing Pluto's moon Charon passing in front of a star, astronomers have obtained precise measurements of the moon's radius and density.
