http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/cosmic_rays/ Cosmic Rays, gamma rays, muons, ultra-energetic particles. Read all the current news and research on cosmic rays. Full-text astronomy articles with images, free. en-us Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/cosmic_rays/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123838.htm Astronomers have found a cluster of young blue stars surrounding a mid-sized black hole called HLX-1. The discovery suggests that the black hole formed in the core of a now-disintegrated dwarf galaxy. The findings have important implications for understanding the evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213143016.htm New images from the Planck mission show previously undiscovered islands of star formation and a mysterious haze of microwave emissions in our Milky Way galaxy. The views give scientists new treasures to mine and take them closer to understanding the secrets of our galaxy. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213143016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101327.htm On February 5, 2002, NASA launched what was then called the High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) into orbit. Renamed within months as the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) after Reuven Ramaty, a deceased NASA scientist who had long championed the mission, the spacecraft's job was to observe giant explosions on the sun called solar flares. Ten years since its launch, RHESSI has observed more than 40,000 X-ray flares, helped craft and refine a model of how solar eruptions form, and fueled additional serendipitous science papers on such things as the shape of the sun and thunder-storm-produced gamma ray flashes. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203092421.htm The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a picture of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1073, which is found in the constellation of Cetus (The Sea Monster). Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a similar barred spiral, and the study of galaxies such as NGC 1073 helps astronomers learn more about our celestial home. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203092421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201142402.htm A potent follow-up solar flare, which occurred Jan. 17, 2012, just days after the Sun launched the biggest coronal mass ejection seen in nearly a decade, delivered a powerful radiation punch to Earth's magnetic field despite the fact that it was aimed away from our planet. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201142402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201094326.htm A new view shows a stellar nursery called NGC 3324. It was taken using the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. The intense ultraviolet radiation from several of NGC 3324's hot young stars causes the gas cloud to glow with rich colors and has carved out a cavity in the surrounding gas and dust. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201094326.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131143745.htm When scientists discovered two great swaths of radiation encircling Earth in the 1950s, it spawned over-the-top fears about "killer electrons" and space radiation effects on Earthlings. The fears were soon quieted: the radiation doesn't reach Earth, though it can affect satellites and humans moving through the belts. Nevertheless, many mysteries about the belts -- now known as the Van Allen Radiation belts -- remain to this day. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131143745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129150958.htm Researchers have explained the puzzling disappearing act of energetic electrons in Earth's outer radiation belt using data collected from a fleet of orbiting spacecraft. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:09:09 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129150958.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127172736.htm The largest solar particle event since 2005 hit Earth, Mars and the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft traveling in-between, allowing the onboard Radiation Assessment Detector to measure the radiation a human astronaut could be exposed to en route to the Red Planet. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127172736.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125160405.htm NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, shipped to Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Jan. 24, 2012, to be mated to its Pegasus launch vehicle. The observatory will detect X-rays from objects ranging from our sun to giant black holes billions of light-years away. It is scheduled to launch March 14 from an aircraft operating out of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:04:04 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125160405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125093821.htm Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). While these are the most common solar events, the sun can also emit streams of very fast protons -- known as solar energetic particle (SEP) events -- and disturbances in the solar wind known as corotating interaction regions (CIRs). All of these can produce a variety of "storms" on Earth that can -- if strong enough -- interfere with short wave radio communications, GPS signals, and Earth's power grid, among other things. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125093821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110151708.htm Simultaneous radio and X-ray observations allow astronomers to calculate exact time when superfast "bullets" of material were ejected from the close vicinity of a black hole. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110151708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110140423.htm An extremely hot, massive young galaxy cluster is the largest ever seen in the distant universe. The newly discovered galaxy cluster has been nicknamed El Gordo -- the "big" or "fat one" in Spanish. It consists of two separate galaxy subclusters colliding at several million kilometres per hour, and is so far away that its light has travelled for seven billion years to reach Earth. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:04:04 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110140423.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109132703.htm For the first time, astronomers have mapped dark matter on the largest scale ever observed. New findings reveal a Universe comprising an intricate cosmic web of dark matter and galaxies spanning more than one billion light years. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109132703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104111900.htm A new image of the Omega Nebula, captured by ESO's Very Large Telescope, is one of the sharpest of this object ever taken from the ground. It shows the dusty, rose-colored central parts of this famous stellar nursery and reveals extraordinary detail in the cosmic landscape of gas clouds, dust and newborn stars. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104111900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228084228.htm Given the incredible amounts of energy in a supernova explosion -- as much as the sun creates during its entire lifetime -- another erroneous doomsday theory is that such an explosion could happen in 2012 and harm life on Earth. However, given the vastness of space and the long times between supernovae, astronomers can say with certainty that there is no threatening star close enough to hurt Earth. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228084228.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133803.htm Astronomers have discovered a strong ultraviolet-wavelength absorber on Pluto's surface, providing new evidence that points to the possibility of complex hydrocarbon and/or nitrile molecules lying on the surface. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215232722.htm Astronomers have identified a candidate for the smallest-known black hole using data from NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The evidence comes from a specific type of X-ray pattern, nicknamed a "heartbeat" because of its resemblance to an electrocardiogram. The pattern until now has been recorded in only one other black hole system. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215232722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213190202.htm The Radiation Assessment Detector, the first instrument on NASA's next rover mission to Mars to begin science operations, was powered up and began collecting data Dec. 6, almost 2 weeks ahead of schedule. RAD is the only instrument scheduled to collect science data on the journey to Mars. The instrument is measuring the energetic particles inside the spacecraft to characterize the radiation environment an astronaut would experience on a future human mission to the Red Planet. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213190202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213165028.htm In 16 years of data observations, the Solar Heliophysics Observatory (SOHO) -- a joint European Space Agency and NASA mission -- made an unexpected claim for fame: the sighting of new comets at an alarming rate. SOHO has spotted over 2100 comets, most of which are from what's known as the Kreutz family, which graze the solar atmosphere where they usually evaporate completely. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213165028.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213164751.htm In early November 1572, observers on Earth witnessed the appearance of a "new star" in the constellation Cassiopeia, an event now recognized as the brightest naked-eye supernova in more than 400 years. It's often called "Tycho's supernova" after the great Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who gained renown for his extensive study of the object. Now, years of data collected by NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope reveal that the shattered star's remains shine in high-energy gamma rays. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213164751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213164612.htm NASA's car-sized Curiosity rover has begun monitoring space radiation during its 8-month trip from Earth to Mars. The research will aid in planning for future human missions to the Red Planet. Curiosity launched on Nov. 26 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., aboard the Mars Science Laboratory. The rover carries an instrument called the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) that monitors high-energy atomic and subatomic particles from the sun, distant supernovas and other sources. These particles constitute radiation that could be harmful to any microbes or astronauts in space or on Mars. The rover also will monitor radiation on the surface of Mars after its August 2012 landing. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:46:46 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213164612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213164229.htm NASA's Dawn spacecraft successfully maneuvered into its closest orbit around the giant asteroid Vesta Dec. 12, beginning a new phase of science observations. The spacecraft is now circling Vesta at an altitude averaging about 130 miles (210 kilometers) in the phase of the mission known as low altitude mapping orbit. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213164229.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205170055.htm An international team of scientists has found the fastest-rotating massive star ever recorded. The star spins around its axis at the speed of 600 kilometers per second at the equator, a rotational velocity so high that the star is nearly tearing apart due to centrifugal forces. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205170055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205141802.htm NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered a new region between our solar system and interstellar space. Data obtained from Voyager over the last year reveal this new region to be a kind of cosmic purgatory. In it, the wind of charged particles streaming out from our sun has calmed, our solar system's magnetic field is piled up, and higher-energy particles from inside our solar system appear to be leaking out into interstellar space. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205141802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201141037.htm A strangely powerful, long-lasting gamma-ray burst on Christmas Day, 2010 has finally been analyzed to the satisfaction of a multinational research team. Called the Christmas Burst, GRB 101225A was freakishly lengthy and it produced radiation at unusually varying wavelengths. But by matching the data with a model developed in 1998, the team was able to characterize the star explosion as a neutron star spiraling into the heart of its companion star. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201141037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130171058.htm A peculiar cosmic explosion first detected by NASA's Swift observatory on Christmas Day 2010 was caused either by a novel type of supernova located billions of light-years away or an unusual collision much closer to home, within our own galaxy. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130171058.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128174526.htm The constellation Cygnus, now visible in the western sky as twilight deepens after sunset, hosts one of our galaxy's richest-known stellar construction zones. Astronomers viewing the region at visible wavelengths see only hints of this spectacular activity thanks to a veil of nearby dust clouds forming the Great Rift, a dark lane that splits the Milky Way, a faint band of light marking our galaxy's central plane. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128174526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128115955.htm In 2008, the Italian satellite PAMELA detected a curious excess of antimatter positrons -- a startling discovery that could have been a sign of the existence of dark matter. With assistance from the Earth's magnetic field, the Fermi Gamma-ray Telescope confirms a cosmic excess of antimatter positrons, but not the spike expected if evidence of dark matter. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128115955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133626.htm Physicists have set the strongest limit for the mass of dark matter, the mysterious particles believed to make up nearly a quarter of the universe. The researchers report that dark matter must have a mass greater than 40 giga-electron volts. The distinction is important because it casts doubt on recent results from underground experiments that have reported detecting dark matter. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117144047.htm New details about the birth of a famous black hole that took place millions of years ago have been uncovered, thanks to a team of scientists who used data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory as well as from radio, optical and other X-ray telescopes. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117144047.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115073934.htm Why the temperatures in the solar wind are almost the same in certain directions, and why different energy densities are practically identical, was until now not clear. With a new approach to calculating instability criteria for plasmas, researchers have solved both problems at once. They were the first to incorporate the effects of collisions of the solar wind particles in their model. This explains experimental data significantly better than previous calculations and can also be transferred to cosmic plasmas outside our solar system. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115073934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111113232115.htm The star-forming region 30 Doradus is one of the largest located close to the Milky Way and is found in the neighboring galaxy Large Magellanic Cloud. About 2,400 massive stars in the center of 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula, are producing intense radiation and powerful winds as they blow off material. Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111113232115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103161824.htm Astronomers have tracked down the first gamma-ray pulsar in a globular cluster of stars. It is around 27,000 light years away and thus also holds the distance record in this class of objects. Moreover, its high luminosity indicates that J1823-3021A is the youngest millisecond pulsar found to date, and that its magnetic field is much stronger than theoretically predicted. This therefore suggests the existence of a new population of such extreme objects. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103161824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103154626.htm An international team of scientists using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has discovered a surprisingly powerful millisecond pulsar that challenges existing theories about how these objects form. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:46:46 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103154626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103143438.htm Pulsars are the lighthouses of the universe. These compact and fast-rotating neutron stars flash many times per second in the radio or gamma-ray band. Pure gamma-ray pulsars are extremely difficult to find despite their high energy because they radiate very few photons per unit of time. Using an improved analysis algorithm, scientists have now discovered a number of previously unknown gamma-ray pulsars with low luminosity in data from the Fermi satellite. These pulsars had been missed using conventional methods. The number of known gamma-ray pulsars has thus grown to over 100. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103143438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102092929.htm Astronomers have used the brief but brilliant light of a distant gamma-ray burst as a probe to study the make-up of very distant galaxies. Surprisingly the new observations revealed two galaxies in the young Universe that are richer in the heavier chemical elements than the Sun. The two galaxies may be in the process of merging. Such events in the early Universe will drive the formation of many new stars and may be the trigger for gamma-ray bursts. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102092929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102082755.htm Astronomers have used the light of a distant gamma-ray burst as a probe to study the make-up of very distant galaxies. The new observations, made with ESO's Very Large Telescope, have revealed two galaxies in the young Universe that are richer in the heavier chemical elements than the Sun. The two galaxies may be in the process of merging. Such events will drive the formation of stars and may be the trigger for gamma-ray bursts. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102082755.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031081920.htm Scientists all over the world are working feverishly to find the dark matter in the universe. Now researchers have taken one step closer to solving the enigma with a new method. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031081920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011171558.htm Some supermassive black holes power luminous, rapidly growing objects called active galactic nuclei (AGN) that gather and condense enormous quantities of matter. Because astronomers had seen these objects primarily in massive, old galaxies with aging stars, many thought AGN might help to end the formation of new stars, though the evidence was always circumstantial. Now, a new survey has found AGN in all kinds of galaxies, including young, star-making factories. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011171558.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102109.htm In the center of the Crab Nebula, the Crab Pulsar, a spinning neutron star left over when a supernova exploded, is pulsing out gamma rays with energies never seen before -- above one hundred thousand million electron volts, according to an international scientific team that includes researchers from the University of Delaware. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011102109.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103227.htm Space is a violent place. If a star explodes or black holes collide anywhere in our part of the Milky Way, they'd give off colossal blasts of lethal gamma-rays, X-rays and cosmic rays and it's perfectly reasonable to expect Earth to be bathed in them. A new study of such events has yielded some new information about the potential effects of what are called "short-hard" interstellar radiation events. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006173608.htm An international collaboration of scientists has detected the highest energy gamma rays ever observed from a pulsar, a highly magnetized and rapidly spinning neutron star. The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System experiment measured gamma rays coming from the Crab Pulsar at such large energies that they cannot be explained by the current scientific models of how pulsars behave. Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006173608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006173449.htm The VERITAS array of telescopes has detected pulsed gamma rays from the pulsar at the heart of the Crab Nebula that have energies far higher than the common theoretical models can explain. The finding is one of the most exciting in the telescope's history, according to astronomers. Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006173449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006141408.htm A thousand years ago, a brilliant beacon of light blazed in the sky, shining brightly enough to be seen even in daytime for almost a month. Native-American and Chinese observers recorded the eye-catching event. We now know that they witnessed an exploding star, which left behind a gaseous remnant known as the Crab Nebula. The same object that dazzled skygazers in 1054 C.E. continues to dazzle astronomers today by pumping out radiation at higher energies than anyone expected. Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006141408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006141358.htm Astrophysicists have detected pulsed gamma-ray emission from the Crab pulsar at energies far beyond what current theoretical models of pulsars can explain. With energies exceeding 100 billion electron-volts (100 GeV), the surprising gamma-ray pulses were detected by the VERITAS telescope array. Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006141358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006084036.htm An international team of astronomers has revealed new data about the environment surrounding one of the brightest supermassive black holes known. The scientists have discovered a corona of very hot gas, with a temperature of around ten million degrees Celsius, swirling around the black hole. They have also revealed the existence of powerful winds made of cold, dense clouds of gas surrounded by hotter, more diffuse gas. Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006084036.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929155306.htm Supermassive black holes at the hearts of active galaxies swallow large amounts of gas. During this feast they spill a lot of their 'food', which is discharged in turbulent outbursts. An international team of astronomers has revealed some striking features of such an outburst around a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy. They found a very hot 'convertor' corona hovering above the black hole and cold gas 'bullets' in hotter diffuse gas, speeding outwards with velocities up to 700 km/s. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929155306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929152100.htm The MESSENGER spacecraft has shown scientists that Mercury doesn't conform to theory. Its surface material composition differs from both those of the other terrestrial planets and expectations prior to the MESSENGER mission, calling into question current theories for Mercury's formation. Its magnetic field is unlike any other in the solar system, and there are huge expanses of volcanic plains surrounding the north polar region of the planet and cover more than 6 percent of Mercury's surface. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929152100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110921115915.htm The race to identify the Higgs boson is on at CERN. This Holy Grail of particle physics would help explain why the majority of elementary particles possess mass. The mysterious particle would also help us understand the evolution of the universe from the moment of its birth, according to a group of physicists. If their theory is verified with data from the Planck satellite, it would clear up several questions about the universe, past and future. Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110921115915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110917082736.htm Beginning Sunday, September 18, 2011 at NASA's launch facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, space scientists will attempt to send a balloon up to 130,000 feet with a one-ton instrument payload to measure gamma rays from the Crab Pulsar, the remains of a supernova explosion that lies 6,500 light years from Earth. Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110917082736.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110916092135.htm Dark energy is the basic constituent of the today's Universe, one that is responsible for its accelerated expansion. Although astronomers observe the cosmological effects of the impact of dark energy, they still do not know exactly what it is. A new method for measuring the largest distances in the Universe helps solve the mystery. A key role is played by the most powerful cosmic explosions -- gamma-ray bursts. Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110916092135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913122048.htm A nearby star is pummeling a companion planet with a barrage of X-rays a hundred thousand times more intense than the Earth receives from the Sun. New data suggest that high-energy radiation is evaporating about 5 million tons of matter from the planet every second. This result gives insight into the difficult survival path for some planets. Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913122048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195144.htm Every three hours, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope scans the entire sky and deepens its portrait of the high-energy universe. Every year, the satellite's scientists reanalyze all of the data it has collected, exploiting updated analysis methods to tease out new sources. These relatively steady sources are in addition to the numerous transient events Fermi detects, such as gamma-ray bursts in the distant universe and flares from the sun. Earlier this year, the Fermi team released its second catalog of sources detected by the satellite's Large Area Telescope, producing an inventory of 1,873 objects shining with the highest-energy form of light. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110908091413.htm Analysis of 191 solar flares since May 2010 by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has recently shown a new piece in the pattern: some 15 percent of the flares have a distinct "late phase flare" some minutes to hours later that has never before been fully observed. This late phase of the flare pumps much more energy out into space than previously realized. Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110908091413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110902110301.htm Researchers will be floating high above the Gulf of Mexico this month to conduct zero-gravity testing of an experimental DNA analysis instrument that could benefit future NASA astronauts. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:03:03 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110902110301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901141247.htm Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered the first pair of supermassive black holes in a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way. Approximately 160 million light years from Earth, the pair is the nearest known such phenomenon. Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901141247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110829164649.htm A team of scientists has discovered a distant galaxy that may help elucidate two fundamental questions of galaxy formation: How galaxies take in matter and how they give off energetic radiation. Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:46:46 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110829164649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824142847.htm Astronomers have provided new insights into a cosmic accident that has been streaming X-rays toward Earth since late March. NASA's Swift satellite first alerted astronomers to intense and unusual high-energy flares from the new source in the constellation Draco. Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824142847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110809162011.htm Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The number of solar flares increases approximately every 11 years, and the sun is currently moving towards another solar maximum, likely in 2013. That means more flares will be coming, some small and some big enough to send their radiation all the way to Earth. Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110809162011.htm