(Phys.org)—The space between stars is not empty—it contains copious amounts of gas and dust. Astronomers estimate that about 5-10% of the total mass of our Milky Way galaxy is contained in the interstellar gas and dust, ...
Astronomy
Aug 28, 2012
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(Phys.org) -- Polarized light is a familiar phenomenon, as people who prefer polarized sunglasses can testify. The electric field in a beam of light can vibrate either left-right or up-down, and the scattering or reflection ...
Astronomy
Apr 9, 2012
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new image from the APEX (Atacama Pathfinder Experiment) telescope in Chile shows a sinuous filament of cosmic dust more than ten light-years long. In it, newborn stars are hidden, and dense clouds of gas ...
Astronomy
Feb 15, 2012
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Water is a critical molecule for human life, and, because it is abundant in the interstellar medium, it also plays an important role in the life of molecular clouds and the stars and planets that form in ...
Astronomy
Feb 4, 2011
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers over the past decade have made remarkable progress in the study of extrasolar planets; over 500 distant worlds are now confirmed. Meanwhile, as this active research community continues to discover ...
Astronomy
Jan 4, 2011
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new theory on the source of terrestrial water has been validated by an international team led by Professor Nora de Leeuw (University College London) using computational research.
Materials Science
Dec 3, 2010
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Dust may be a nuisance around the house but it plays a vital role in the formation of the key ingredient for life on Earth - water - according to researchers at Heriot-Watt University. The results from pioneering ...
Astronomy
Apr 14, 2010
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