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    Category Astronomy/Space

    New Concept of Terrestrial Planet Formation

    September 21, 2017, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    This is a photo of Io with a volcanic plume at the top. Credit: The University of Hong Kong

    This is a photo of Io with a volcanic plume at the top. Credit: The University of Hong Kong

    Scientists are proposing a new way of understanding the cooling and transfer of heat from terrestrial planetary interiors and how that affects the generation of the volcanic terrains that dominate the rocky planets. Based on the present dynamics of Jupiter’s tidally heated moon, Io, the scientists hypothesize that the geological histories of the solar system’s terrestrial bodies, specifically Mercury, Venus, Moon and Mars, are consistent with a mode of early planetary evolution involving heat-pipes. They further propose that heat-pipe cooling is a universal process that may explain the common features seen on the surfaces of terrestrial planets.

    “We believe that the concept of a heat-pipe mode of...

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    Nanosat Fleet proposed for Voyage to 300 Asteroids

    September 20, 2017, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Artist’s concept of the spacecraft. Credit: FMI

    Artist’s concept of the spacecraft. Credit: FMI

    A fleet of tiny spacecraft could visit over 300 asteroids in just over 3 years, according to a mission study led by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The Asteroid Touring Nanosat Fleet concept comprises 50 spacecraft propelled by innovative electric solar wind sails (E-sails) and equipped with instruments to take images and collect spectroscopic data on the composition of the asteroids. Each nanosat would visit 6 or 7 asteroids before returning to Earth to deliver the data. The concept will be presented by Dr Pekka Janhunen at the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) 2017 in Riga on Tuesday 19th September.

    “Asteroids are very diverse and, to date, we’ve only seen a small number at close range...

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    When Radio Galaxies Collide, Supermassive Black Holes form Tightly Bound Pairs

    September 20, 2017, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    NGC 7674, seen just above the center, is a luminous spiral galaxy with a powerful active nucleus. Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team

    NGC 7674, seen just above the center, is a luminous spiral galaxy with a powerful active nucleus. Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team

    A study using multiple radio telescopes confirms that supermassive black holes found in the centers of galaxies can form gravitationally bound pairs when galaxies merge. “The dual black hole we found has the smallest separation of any so far detected through direct imaging,” said David Merritt, professor of physics at Rochester Institute of Technology The supermassive black holes are located in the spiral galaxy NGC 7674, ~400 million light years from earth, and are separated by a distance less than one light year...

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    More Evidence of Water on Mars

    September 19, 2017, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    The dotted white arrow points to curved strata recording point bar growth and river migration. The boundaries of ancient valley walls are defined by textural and albedo changes and are also associated with lateral river migration. Stacked above the point bars and completely confined within the dotted white and black lines are topographically inverted river deposits outcropping as ridges (e.g., black arrow). In places (e.g., south of the dotted white arrow), the ridges run against the dotted boundaries, suggesting flow was once redirected along a valley wall. Credit: B.T. Cardenas et al., Geological Society of America Bulletin

    The dotted white arrow points to curved strata recording point bar growth and river migration. The boundaries of ancient valley walls are defined by textural and albedo changes and are also associated with lateral river migration. Stacked above the point bars and completely confined within the dotted white and black lines are topographically inverted river deposits outcropping as ridges (e.g., black arrow). In places (e.g., south of the dotted white arrow), the ridges run against the dotted boundaries, suggesting flow was once redirected along a valley wall. Credit: B.T. Cardenas et al., Geological Society of America Bulletin

    River deposits exist across the surface of Mars and record a surface environment from over 3.5 billion years ago that was able to support liquid water at the surface...

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