Heavens

An astronomer in Hawaii speculates that newly discovered planet Gliese 581g could have liquid water on its surface.

The planet, about 30 percent larger than Earth, was discovered using one of the telescopes of the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea. It orbits Gliese 581, 20 light-years from Earth in the constellation Libra.

Washington, D.C. Astronomers have found a new, potentially habitable Earth-sized planet. It is one of two new planets discovered around the star Gliese 581, some 20 light years away. The planet, Gliese 581g, is located in a "habitable zone"—a distance from the star where the planet receives just the right amount of stellar energy to maintain liquid water at or near the planet's surface.

GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA engineers have created a unique engineering marvel called the ISIM structure that recently survived exposure to extreme cryogenic temperatures, proving that the structure will remain stable when exposed to the harsh environment of space. The material that comprises the structure, as well as the bonding techniques used to join its roughly 900 structural components, were all created from scratch.

Imagine building a car chassis without a blueprint or even a list of recommended construction materials.

The Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) PS1 telescope has discovered its first potentially hazardous asteroid but don't call Michael Bay and Bruce Willis just yet.

The GOES-13 satellite has been keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Lisa and watched her birth, graduation to depression then tropical storm and back to depression. Now, Lisa has grown back to tropical storm status, but it may be short-lived.

Newtown, PA, September 27, 2010 – Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. is presenting new data in five posters and an oral presentation this week summarizing several studies with the company's radioprotectant Ex-RAD® at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Radiation Research Society (RRS), September 25-29 in Maui, Hawaii. In vivo studies show that Ex-RAD®, upon oral administration, produced a significant increase in survival versus placebo-treated groups in mice exposed to lethal whole body irradiation (WBI), for both prophylactic pre-treatment and mitigation post-treatment.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Sandia National Laboratories researchers have developed a new system to monitor how clouds affect large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants. By observing cloud shape, size and movement, the system provides a way for utility companies to predict and prepare for fluctuations in power output due to changes in weather. The resulting models will provide utility companies with valuable data to assess potential power plant locations, ramp rates and power output.

Coughing episodes are closely related to gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in patients who experience chronic cough, irrespective of other diagnoses, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. Gastroesophageal reflux occurs when the acid contents of the stomach back up, or reflux, into the esophagus. This typically produces heartburn, a burning sensation below the sternum where your ribs come together.