Astronomers detect a second planet orbiting two stars

Planets orbiting binary stars are in a tough situation: They have to contend with the gravitational pull of two separate stars. Planetary formation around a single star like our sun is relatively straightforward compared ...

Hubble catches cosmic snowflakes

Almost like snowflakes, the stars of the globular cluster NGC 6441 sparkle peacefully in the night sky, about 13,000 light-years from the Milky Way's galactic center. Like snowflakes, the exact number of stars in such a cluster ...

Researchers find some cider makers add unneeded sugar

It's the holiday season and the time of year when there are plenty of libations at nearly every event and or celebration. However, you may not be aware of all the ingredients in your favorite libation, especially if that ...

Tellurium is detected in one of its places of origin

An international team led by a Ph.D. student from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the University of La Laguna (ULL) has identified the emission of tellurium in the infrared spectra of two planetary nebulae ...

Technique may reveal the age of moon rocks during spaceflight

Researchers are developing instruments and methods for measuring the ages of rocks encountered during space missions to the Moon or other planets. Many of the techniques used to date rocks on Earth are not practical in spaceflight, ...

Weighing the Antarctic ice sheet

One of the last big unknowns in the global climate equation is Antarctica. How stable is the Antarctic ice sheet? More than a mile thick, on average, it locks up 70 percent of the Earth's fresh water.

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