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Hot Topic
Deep Space
Cosmic Evolution
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Getting WISE About Nemesis
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
03/11/10 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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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How Earth Survived Birth
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
01/12/10 |
| Planets are thought to grow from swirling disks of dust and gas around stars. New simulations show how small planets like Earth can survive in these tumultuous environments instead of crashing into their host stars. The key is inward and outward migrations that trap the planets on orbits. |
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Our Uncommon Solar System
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
01/06/10 |
| A new study shows that just 15 percent of solar systems in the galaxy are like our own. The finding may have implications in the search for habitable worlds in the Universe. |
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View from the Center of the Solar System
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
12/08/09 |
| New results from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have overturned a decades-old belief about the shape of our solar system. The findings yield important information about the fundamental traits of our solar system. |
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Terzan 5, Galaxy Building Block
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
11/28/09 |
| New research shows that an unusual mix of stars at the center of our galaxy might be the remnants of a dwarf galaxy that merged with the Milky Way long ago. The findings could help astrobiolgists understand how galaxies evolve and, ultimately, the processes behind solar system and planet formation. |
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Superior Super Earths
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| Topic: Cosmic Evolution |
11/30/09 |
| Super Earths are named for their size, but these planets – which range from about 2 to 10 Earth masses – could be superior to the Earth when it comes to sustaining life. They could also provide an answer to the ‘Fermi Paradox’: Why haven’t we been visited by aliens? |
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