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| ©ESA |
| A new global portrait taken from space details Earth's land cover with a resolution never before obtained. |
Science & Technology
A new global portrait taken from space details Earth's land cover with a resolution never before obtained. ESA, in partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, presented the preliminary version of the map to scientists recently at the 2nd GlobCover User Consultation workshop held in Rome, Italy.
A study of meteorites suggests that Mars, the Earth and the Moon share a common composition from 'growing up' in a unique planetary nursery in the inner solar system. The finding could lead to a rethink of how the inner solar system formed.
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| ©NASA |
| A study of meteorites suggests that the Earth, the Moon and Mars share a common composition from 'growing up' in a unique planetary nursery in the inner solar system. |
One of the oldest and most complete plesiosaur fossils recovered in North America, and the oldest yet discovered from the Cretaceous Period, represents a new genus of the prehistoric aquatic predator according to University of Calgary palaeontologists who have formally described the creature after its remains were uncovered in a Syncrude Canada Ltd. mine near Fort McMurray in 1994.
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| ©Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller, Alberta |
| One of the oldest and most complete plesiosaur fossils recovered in North America, and the oldest yet discovered from the Cretaceous Period, represents a new genus of the prehistoric aquatic predator according to University of Calgary palaeontologists. |
Scientists using a Mars-orbiting camera designed and operated at Arizona State University's Mars Space Flight Facility have discovered the first evidence for deposits of chloride minerals - salts - in numerous places on Mars. These deposits, say the scientists, show where water was once abundant and may also provide evidence for the existence of former Martian life.
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| ©NASA, J. Bell (Cornell U.) and M. Wolff (SSI) |
| Scientists have discovered the first evidence for deposits of chloride minerals - salts - in numerous places on Mars. These deposits show where water was once abundant and may also provide evidence for the existence of former Martian life. |
Our universe is doomed, says Professor Michio Kaku. Fortunately, he's working on several escape routes: time travel, wormholes, and another universe entirely. The physicist on a mission to 'read the mind of God' shares his (very) deep thoughts with Nigel Farndale.
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| ©Rick Giles |
| Michio Kaku: 'We are hardwired to seek beauty. I seek it in equations' |
Using visible and infrared data collected from telescopes on Hawaii's Mauna Kea, a team of scientists, led by the University of Maryland's Jessica Sunshine, have identified three asteroids that appear to be among our Solar System's oldest objects.
Evidence indicates that these ancient asteroids are relatively unchanged since they formed some 4.55 billion years ago and are older than the oldest meteorites ever found on Earth, say Maryland's Sunshine and colleagues from the City University of New York, the Smithsonian Institution, and the University of Hawaii. Their findings will be published in this week's edition of Science Express.
Evidence indicates that these ancient asteroids are relatively unchanged since they formed some 4.55 billion years ago and are older than the oldest meteorites ever found on Earth, say Maryland's Sunshine and colleagues from the City University of New York, the Smithsonian Institution, and the University of Hawaii. Their findings will be published in this week's edition of Science Express.
Astronomers have made the best ever determination of the power of a supernova explosion that was visible from Earth long ago.
By observing the remnant of a supernova and a light echo from the initial outburst, they have established the validity of a powerful new method for studying supernovas.
Using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, ESA's XMM-Newton Observatory, and the Gemini Observatory, two teams of researchers studied the supernova remnant and the supernova light echo that are located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a small galaxy about 160,000 light years from Earth. They concluded that the supernova occurred about 400 years ago (in Earth's time frame), and was unusually bright and energetic.
By observing the remnant of a supernova and a light echo from the initial outburst, they have established the validity of a powerful new method for studying supernovas.
Using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, ESA's XMM-Newton Observatory, and the Gemini Observatory, two teams of researchers studied the supernova remnant and the supernova light echo that are located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a small galaxy about 160,000 light years from Earth. They concluded that the supernova occurred about 400 years ago (in Earth's time frame), and was unusually bright and energetic.
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| ©NASA/CXC/Rutgers/J.Warren, J.Hughes; Optical (Light Echo): NOAO/AURA/NSF/Harvard/A.Rest et al.; Optical (LMC): NOAO/AURA/NSF/S.Points, C.Smith & MCELS team |
| SNR 0509-67.5 |
Here is a list of beliefs in the biomedical and climate sciences that must not be questioned if you're applying for a government grant:
- That global warming is caused by humans;
- That AIDS is caused by a virus;
- That radiation, cigarette smoke and other toxins are dangerous in proportion to their strength, no matter how small the dose;
- That heart disease is caused by saturated fats;
- That cancer is caused by mutations.
- That global warming is caused by humans;
- That AIDS is caused by a virus;
- That radiation, cigarette smoke and other toxins are dangerous in proportion to their strength, no matter how small the dose;
- That heart disease is caused by saturated fats;
- That cancer is caused by mutations.
A "dry fog" that muted the sun's rays in A.D. 536 and plunged half the world into a famine-inducing chill was triggered by the eruption of a supervolcano, a new study says.
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| ©Bullit Marquez/AP |
| Filipino farmers plow their rice fields as Indonesia's Mount Pinatubo spews ash following a major eruption in this photo taken July 8, 1991.
A year-long global cooling followed - but it was nothing compared to a massive cooling event in A.D. 536 that withered crops, sparked wars, and helped spread pestilence. Now scientists have uncovered the first physical evidence that the ancient chill was due to a supervolcano eruption. |
Saturn: jewel of the solar system, taker of breaths, ringed beauty. Even veteran astronomers can't help but gasp when they see her through a small telescope.
Red Alert: Saturn's rings are vanishing.
Red Alert: Saturn's rings are vanishing.
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| ©NASA |
| Saturn August 11, 1995 as captured by P. Nicholson of Cornell University |
