Spectacular Comet Show is Predicted

NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, has seen an unprecedented number of  'suicide comets'. These comets have a trajectory that brings them so close to the Sun that they vaporize. It is common for SOHO to see one of these comets every few days. However, between December 13 and 22 SOHO picked up more than 25 comets. Specialists at NASA believe this could be an indication of an even larger comet approaching the sun that could light up the night sky. This would be similar to the Ikeya-Seki comet that got close to the sun in 1965. However, some astronomers are skeptics. There is no solid evidence that relates increased 'suicide comet' activity to the approach of a larger comet, and even if there was a larger comet it could possibly take millions of years to get here. Regardless, skywatching enthusiasts are keeping their fingers crossed for a phenomenal show.

 

Read the full article here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110117-comets-storm-sun-soho-nasa-sungrazing-science-space/

NASA Finds the Planetary 'Missing Link'

NASA has just found a planet, only 560 light years away, that they believe is the missing link between Earth and larger gas giants. This planet was found by NASA's Kepler spacecraft on Monday the 10th of January. The planet, named Kepler-10b, is 1.4 times the size of the Earth, and close to 4.6 times its mass. However, the planet is tidally locked, meaning one side is locked facing its red dwarf star, so the planet cannot support life. The sunny side has a temperature of around 1,370 Cº, much too hot for life to form. Because of this intense heat, it is unlikely that the planet harbors much of an atmosphere either. Any air or liquid on the surface would immediately vaporize and escape into space. Although this planet isn't inhabitable, it is an important link between the gas giants scientists usually find in space and our own planet.




For the full article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110110-nasa-kepler-10b-new-planet-found-rocky-science-space/

Next Mars Rover Could Find Fossils

Recent research on Mars has found that the red planet was once covered in a massive ocean. With water comes life, so NASA researchers are now focusing on where to search for signs of life on the planet. According to the article: "even when Mars was supposedly wet, the planet likely didn't have a very thick atmosphere. Many scientists therefore think that if life as we know it evolved on Mars, the best places to look for it would be where liquid water would have been protected from extreme temperature changes and damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun". In order to find traces of life on the planet, scientists have to look in the subsurface, an area that is protected from these hazards. However, scientists don't want people to get too excited. The fossils would most likely be microscopic bacterium, not fully fledged organisms. The fossils that are found will most likely be chemical compounds that can be traced back to biological roots, not bones or skulls. However, one can always hope.

For the full article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101103-science-space-mars-water-life-fossils-oceans/

New Earth Like Planet Found

Only 20-Light years away, a new planet has been discovered in the Gliese system that could very well be a life sustaining one. The planet, Gliese 581g, is in the Goldilocks zone, meaning it is just the perfect distance from its sun to support liquid water and for liquid water to pool on the surface of the planet. Also, with three times more mass than Earth, the planet has more than enough mass to hold on to a stable atmosphere. Many scientists are sure that this planet supports some form of life, even if it is rudimentary. This is mainly because of the fact that the planet is tidally locked to the sun. This means that one side of the planet is permanently facing the sun and the opposite side is forever facing away, much like our moon is with Earth. This allows the planet to have a very stable and diverse range of temperatures, further contributing to the idea that this planet could sustain life.

The full article can be found here:
http://news.discovery.com/space/earth-like-planet-life.html