space science – Page 7

Bright Points in Solar Atmosphere: Gateway to Sun’s Roiling Interior

April 18, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has been able to collect data regarding the depth of the shining star, bright spots in the solar atmosphere and the strings of magnetic signatures observed on the surface of Earth. With this data, space scientists will get a peek into the insights related to the real-time mapping of the sun’s roiling interior. These understandings will help them on converging the decade long investigations of its 22-year sunspot cycle and emission of solar flares. As per Scott McIntosh, one of the lead researchers, this data…

Growing Vegetables on Mars: Farming goes Extraterrestrial

April 16, 2014 Neha Shukla

After NASA’s attempt to grow plants on the moon by 2015, researchers are now trying to explore whether they can grow plants on the red planet as well. This research would be also beneficial for the Mars One project which is planning to make permanent human settlement on the planet.

Planet X and Nemesis Myth Debunked: WISE Survey

March 17, 2014March 17, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

In an attempt to find the reasons, which led to the wobbly effect of Uranus’s orbit, researchers discovered other planets like Neptune and Pluto but there was no Planet X anywhere. Similarly, the hunt for Sun like star, Nemesis, which they claim might have wiped out the age of dinosaurs completely, is still a far-fetched dream. It’s been an effort of more than two centuries and now the researchers want to draw line to reach a conclusion. Kevin Luhman an astronomer at the University of Pennsylvania asserted that there are no such…

Gravitational Torques of Milky Way and Andromeda Responsible for Spatial Configuration

March 11, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

Space scientists have been working long to discover other universes. Many researchers and studies have been conducted so far and are still going on to understand the reasons, which led to the formation of Milky Way and nearby constellation. Till date it has been accepted that Milky Way and its orbiting companion Andromeda are the leading components in a flock of galaxies known as the Local Group, which is nearly 3 million light years away. Lately, a research has open up new avenues with respect to new galaxies within 35-million…

Flowing Water on Mars: Still Hard to Prove

February 28, 2014February 28, 2014 Neha Shukla

Presence of water on Mars has been always a topic of discussion for the researchers. Even though it is still not confirmed, whether the Red planet ever possessed water. Since 2011, peculiar strips (possibly water) have been noticed to appear and then disappear from the planet’s surface. Lujendra Ojha, the then scholar at the University of Arizona, first discovered these mysterious strips.

Researchers Map Out Ganymede’s Grooved Terrain: Jupiter’s Largest Moon

February 13, 2014 Pooja Kashyap

After several years of consistent hard work, researchers from Brown University were able to complete the first global gelological map of Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon, which is also largest in the solar system. Geologists envision that the map might assist in future exploration since they expects habitable environment upon Ganymede. The moon’s terrain and the possibility of underground waters have made it a subject of curiosity and investigation by the researchers. Voyager and Galileo spacecraft were used to take images for constructing the map. In 1979, Voyager made its first…

Mars Once Had Pools Of Fresh Water

January 27, 2014 Neha Shukla

The red planet had fresh water puddle on its surface around 4 billion years ago, as revealed by NASA Mars Opportunity Rover upon analyzing some of the oldest minerals. The same facts have been confirmed by the Curiosity, the newcomer collecting data on the other side of the planet. Planetary scientist Ray Arvidson, with Washington University in St. Louis said,the pool of water was so fresh that could have sustained all life forms.

Space Travel Affects Immune System In Drosophila Flies

January 26, 2014 Neha Shukla

Travelling to space can have an adverse effect on the immune system. Researchers at University of California Davis College of Biological Sciences and lead by Deborah Kimbrell, found that the fruit flies (Drosophila flies) born and raised in a spacecraft has weak immune system in fighting commonly occurring fungus. The researchers choose Drosophila flies for the fact that they share many basic features of their defense mechanism with those of mice and humans.

Mars Acting Like An Enormous Gas Pump

December 25, 2013December 24, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

Recent research claims that planet Mars might act as an enormous gas pump with its low atmospheric pressure and porous soil making the assertion strong enough to prove the hypothesis. Space scientists have already advocated the constant activity that is going on the surface like dust storms and drifting dunes. And now, the new study holds the certainty of having a similar kind of motion underneath the surface as well. With this assertion, the planet becomes the solar system’s first such body in which continuous pumping on a massive scale…

Europa, Jupiter’s Moon Is Spewing Off Water Vapour

December 14, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

Latest finding put forth by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has confirmed that Europa, Jupiter’s moon, is ejecting water vapour. Its surface consists of water ice and has one of the finest gradients in the Solar System. This has led to a conceivable notion that there might exist water ocean underneath. As per the space scientists, this sign might give rise to a possibility of habitability. The discovery that water vapour is ejected near the south pole strengthens Europa’s position as the top candidate for potential habitability. However, we do not…

Giant Convection Cells Observed Within Sun

December 10, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

We have known that convection currents are a part of the water cycle on earth. A conventional cell – density differences that results from rising and/or falling of currents – is the spark that ignites the formation of clouds with its release and transportation of energy. As air transcends along the surface of the earth, it carries heat, hence loses density (because of fluid dynamics) and moves higher into the atmosphere. Upon reaching there, it experiences low pressure due to which fluid retention becomes difficult and so it releases its…

HD106906 System Explodes The Basic Concepts Of Planet Formation

December 6, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

Recent discovery of planet HD 106906 b has exploded the underlying hypotheses of planet formation so far. A team of space scientists led by a University of Arizona graduate student has pioneered the discovery. The exoplanet weighs around 20.9x 1027 kg, which is eleven times more than that of Jupiter. It’s also found revolving around its star at 650 times the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. As per one theory of planet formation, planets that are in proximity with their stars band together with the help of…

Traces Of Water Discovered Across Exoplanet Atmospheres

December 4, 2013December 4, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

Two teams of space scientists have discovered the presence of atmospheric water across the five distant planets. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope was the tool employed by the teams for the exploration mission. WASP-17b, HD209458b, WASP-12b, WASP-19b and XO-1b were the planets that were under observation. WASP-17b and HD209458b gave the strongest signal of water content present in their atmosphere while the others showed consistency.

Growing Plants on Moon: NASA’s Next Big Project By 2015

November 30, 2013November 30, 2013 Neha Shukla

Researchers and scientists are always curious to find life on other planets and tries to find whether other planets could ever sustain life. NASA is trying to find an answer to one such question and is planning to grow plants on moon, with the assistance of a robot, few cameras and thousands of schoolchildren. In 2015, a group of NASA scientist named as The Lunar Plant Growth Habitat Team, along with volunteers, contractors and students will be trying to bring life on other planet, which has been never attempted so…

Comet ISON’s Journey Comes To An End

November 23, 2013November 23, 2013 Pooja Kashyap

After travelling for over a million years, Comet ISON or Comet Nevski–Novichonok, a sungrazing comet discovered on 21 September 2012 by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok will be completing its inward journey through the solar system by the Thanksgiving Day, that is, Nov. 28, 2013. Researchers feel that either it will shatter due to the extreme heat of the sun or speeds back, never to return. Space scientists were intrigued since the time they had discovered the Comet ISON (in Sept 2012) because they believe that the comet consists of…