News

Mars Recon Orbiter grabs some HiRISE pix

04/10/2006 07:00AM

Mars Recon Orbiter grabs some HiRISE pix

The first image of Mars by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a story of geologic change in the eastern Bosporos Planum region. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

Dark Matter - Is Its Existence Grossly Exaggerated?

04/06/2006 01:08AM

Dark Matter - Is Its Existence Grossly Exaggerated?

Many Astrophysicists believe that most of the matter in the universe is dark -- that is it cannot be detected from the light which it emits (or fails to emit). By some accounts, 90% of the universe is made up of this mystereious Dark Matter. Its presence is inferred indirectly from the motions of astronomical objects - specifically stars, galaxies, galaxy clusters, and galaxy superclusters. However, there may be another possible explanation. Instead of the existence of unseen material, maybe our understanding of Gravity is incorrect. If that is the case, then current calculations for the amount of Dark Matter in the Universe are grossly exaggerated. New research has revealed that a simple "fine-tuning" of Einstein's theory of gravity could solve the Dark Matter mystery that has baffled Astrophysicists for three-quarters of a century.

A Photo from the Mediterranean Eclipse

04/04/2006 06:46AM

A Photo from the Mediterranean Eclipse

Rush off the boat, rush off the plane...send the picture to Amart!

NASA's Chandra Finds Evidence for Quasar Ignition

04/02/2006 08:00AM

NASA's Chandra Finds Evidence for Quasar Ignition

New data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory may provide clues to how quasars "turn on." Since the discovery of quasars over 40 years ago, astronomers have been trying to understand the conditions surrounding the birth of these immensely powerful objects. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

Comets May Be the Source of Earth's Ocean Water

03/30/2006 04:17AM

Comets May Be the Source of Earth's Ocean Water

The Earth is believed to have formed hot and dry, meaning that its current water content must have been delivered after the planet cooled. Now, a new class of hybrid Comet/Asteroids orbiting among the rocky asteroids in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter may hold clues to the original source of Earth's ocean water.

A new ep gets it's first dose of photons...

03/29/2006 08:00AM

A new ep gets it's first dose of photons...

A First Impression of the Siebert 5.9mm StarSplitter Modified Ortho takes this week's Review Contest Trophy...

solar eclipse 29/03/2006

03/28/2006 09:29AM

solar eclipse 29/03/2006

... and you are invited!

Black Holes Much More Prevalent than Originally Thought

03/22/2006 01:21AM

Black Holes Much More Prevalent than Originally Thought

Astrophysicists at Penn State University have found that Super Massive Black Holes, like those found in the center of Galaxies, are more numerous than originally thought. Extrapolations from the 600 black holes recently found by the Chandra Space Observatory suggest that there are about 300 million Super Massive Black Holes in the whole sky detectable from Earth.

This review of a high power plossl gets high marks

03/21/2006 08:00AM

This review of a high power plossl gets high marks

This week's review contest winner covers the Meade 5000 Series 5.5mm Plossl...

Spinning Black Hole Leaves Dent in Space-Time

03/19/2006 04:54AM

Spinning Black Hole Leaves Dent in Space-Time

Using NASA's Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (XRTE), MIT astrophysicists have found a black hole that has chiseled a remarkably stable indentation in the fabric of space and time. The finding may help scientists measure a black hole's mass and how it spins, two long-sought measurements, by virtue of the extent of this indentation.

New satellite data on universe's first trillionth second.

03/17/2006 08:00AM

New satellite data on universe's first trillionth second.

Scientists peering back to the oldest light in the universe have new evidence for what happened within its first trillionth of a second, when the universe suddenly grew from submicroscopic to astronomical size in far less than a wink of the eye.

Cosmic Jet Looks Like Giant Tornado in Space

03/16/2006 12:00AM

Cosmic Jet Looks Like Giant Tornado in Space

Astronomers examining a region where new stars are forming found a surprise - an object that looks like a giant tornado in space. The apparent tornado is shaped by a cosmic jet packing a powerful punch as it plows through clouds of interstellar gas and dust. The scientists could only speculate about the source of the spiral appearance.

Big Red

03/15/2006 08:00AM

Big Red

Many an amateur astronomer has cast a covetous glance at Software Bisque's Paramount ME. In this week's review contest winner, the author describes how to rope this big mount into a semi portable configuration...

Hubble's Latest Look at Pluto's Moons Supports a Common Birth

03/10/2006 08:00AM

Hubble's Latest Look at Pluto's Moons Supports a Common Birth

The latest NASA Hubble Space Telescope images of Pluto's two newly discovered satellites reveal that the new moons have the same color as Charon. <b>NOTE: French, German, Italian, and Spanish translations follow...</b>

Proteins and DNA Building Blocks Found in Stellar Disk

03/09/2006 01:39AM

Proteins and DNA Building Blocks Found in Stellar Disk

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has been used to discover some of life's most basic ingredients in the dust swirling around a young star. The ingredients -- gaseous precursors to DNA and protein -- were detected in a region around the star where rocky planets such as Earth are thought to be born. The findings represent the first time that these gases, called acetylene and hydrogen cyanide, have been detected outside of our Solar System.