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Zooming In on an Infant Solar System
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
06/11/10 |
| Summary: For the first time, astronomers have observed distant solar systems in the making in great detail. The work provides an unprecedented view into the processes that give rise to stars and plants, and could help astrobiologists narrow the search for habitable planets. |
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Evidence for Why We Exist
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
05/23/10 |
| Summary: Scientists may have found an answer to a basic cosmological question. If the universe is composed of matter and anti-matter, then how do we exist? |
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A Mystery of Missing Methane
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
04/23/10 |
| Summary: NASA's Spitzer telescope has discovered something odd about a distant planet - it lacks methane. The finding is contradictory to what scientists were expecting based on current models. The discovery also brings astronomers one step closer to probing the atmosphere of Earth-like exoplanets. |
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Opposite Orbits Upend Theories
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
04/17/10 |
| Summary: The discovery of nine new planets challenges theories of how planets form. Unlike our solar system, two of the planets orbit in the opposite direction to the rotation of their host star. |
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Discovery Challenges Planet Formation Theories
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
04/07/10 |
| Summary: Astronomers have observed a planet-like object orbiting a brown dwarf. However, the object is thought to have formed in less than 1 million years, which is much faster than the predicted time it takes to build a planet. The finding could alter our theories about planet formation. |
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Getting WISE About Nemesis
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
03/11/10 |
| Summary: Is our Sun part of a binary star system? An unseen companion star, nicknamed "Nemesis," may be sending comets towards Earth. If Nemesis exists, NASA´s new WISE telescope should be able to spot it. |
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Planetary Death March
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
02/28/10 |
| Summary: A team of astrophysicists has determined that a massive planet outside our solar system is being distorted and destroyed by its host star. The finding provides further information about how planets can form and evolve in other solar systems. |
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A Drop in the Bucket
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
02/18/10 |
| Summary: A new technique is being developed to detect water in the protoplanetary disks of other solar systems. If successful, it would help in our understanding of how habitable planets form. |
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Star of Extreme Colors is Cool
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
01/30/10 |
| Summary: Astronomers have discovered a brown dwarf that is the coolest sub-stellar body ever found outside our solar system. Astrobiologists study brown dwarfs in order to learn more about stars and star formation. Ultimately, this will help us determine the best places to search for extrasolar planets. |
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Solar System Shield
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
01/14/10 |
| Summary: Water vapor in planet-forming disks may block ultraviolet radiation from destroying water and other important molecules for life, according to new calculations. |
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