There are currently almost 2,000 extrasolar planets known to us, but most are inhospitable gas giants. Thanks to NASA's Kepler mission, a handful of smaller, rockier planets have been discovered within the habitable zones ...
Astronomy
Aug 8, 2014
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Vega, a star astronomers have used as a touchstone to measure other stars' brightness for thousands of years, may be more than 200 million years older than previously thought. That's according to new findings from the University ...
Astronomy
Dec 11, 2012
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(Phys.org) -- Using the planetary radar system at Arecibo Observatory, astronomers have determined that asteroid 2012 LZ1 is twice as large as originally estimated based on its brightness, and large enough to have serious ...
Space Exploration
Jun 21, 2012
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Magnetic instabilities play a crucial role in the emergence of black holes and other cosmic phenomena. At the Helmholtz- Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, confirmation of such a magnetic instability - the Tayler instability - was ...
General Physics
Jun 20, 2012
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1
(Phys.org) -- In a step toward returning NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter to full service, mission controllers have tested a spare reaction wheel on the spacecraft for potential use with two other reaction wheels in adjusting ...
Space Exploration
Jun 15, 2012
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(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft has discovered that our cloud-covered neighbour spins a little slower than previously measured. Peering through the dense atmosphere in the infrared, the orbiter found ...
Space Exploration
Feb 10, 2012
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Planetary nebulae come in a dazzling array of shapes, from spherical shells of gas, to blobby structures barely containing symmetry at all. Controversy has surrounded the cause for this diversity. Could it be magnetic fields, ...
Astronomy
Jun 16, 2011
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Optical gyroscopes, also known as rotation sensors, are widely used as a navigational tool in vehicles from ships to airplanes, measuring the rotation rates of a vehicle on three axes to evaluate its exact ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 5, 2010
3
1
The solar transition region, located between the chromosphere and corona, plays an important role in the formation of solar wind and coronal heating mechanism. The solar transition region is not a statically layered structure, ...
Astronomy
Jul 13, 2023
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Looking its best ever is the star cluster NGC 2203, here imaged by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Aside from its dazzling good looks, this cluster of stars contains lots of astronomical treats that have helped astronomers ...
Astronomy
Aug 3, 2020
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