Heavens

STEREO, SOHO spacecraft catch comet diving into sun

STEREO, SOHO spacecraft catch comet diving into sun

The team will present its data and images during a 5:30-6:30 p.m. poster session on Monday, May 24, at the Miami, Fla., meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

NASA develops enhanced search and rescue technologies

GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA, which pioneered the technology used for the satellite-aided search and rescue capability that has saved more than 27,000 lives worldwide since its inception nearly three decades ago, has developed new technology that will more quickly identify the locations of people in distress and reduce the risk of rescuers.

Rare hybrid cell key to regulating the immune system

Rare hybrid cell key to regulating the immune system

AUGUSTA, Ga. - A cell small in number but powerful in its ability to switch the immune system on or off is a unique hybrid of two well-known immune cell types, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

Bandu begone: Tropical Cyclone 2A fading in Somalia

 Tropical Cyclone 2A fading in Somalia

Early on Saturday, May 22, Tropical Storm 02A moved into the Gulf of Aden and was named "Bandu." At that time, Bandu had maximum sustained winds near 45 knots (52 mph) and was 50 miles north-northwest of Cape Guardafui, Somalia. NASA's Aqua satellite recently captured Bandu's fading thunderstorms over inland Somalia.

Weird orbits of neighbors can make 'habitable' planets not so habitable

Astronomers hunting for planets orbiting nearby stars similar to the sun are looking for signs of rocky, Earth-like planets in a "habitable" zone, where conditions such as temperature and liquid water remain stable enough to support life.

New findings from computer modeling indicate that some of those exoplanets might fluctuate between being habitable and being inhospitable to life because of the forces exerted by giant neighbors with eccentric orbits.

New research into safer drugs puts pills through the printer

A collaboration between the University of Leeds, Durham University and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is looking at 'printing' pills to order, to create safer and faster-acting medicines.

It should also bring new drugs to market faster, so patients can benefit more quickly from medical advances.

The research, led by Dr Nik Kapur from the University's Faculty of Engineering, is set to revolutionise a process which has remained unchanged for over a thousand years.

NASA sees one of Cyclone Laila's thunderstorms almost 11 miles high

NASA sees one of Cyclone Laila's thunderstorms almost 11 miles high

A NASA 3-D look inside Cyclone Laila as it made landfall yesterday revealed a towering thunderstorm reaching almost 11 miles high! NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been capturing images of Cyclone Laila since it was born in the Northern Indian Ocean as tropical depression 1A earlier this week.

NASA's TRMM sees heavy rainfall in Cyclone Laila's India landfall

NASA's TRMM sees heavy rainfall in Cyclone Laila's India landfall

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite captured a satellite image of Laila's rainfall and revealed some areas of heavy rainfall.

Probing the dark side of the universe

Probing the dark side of the universe

Looking back 10 billion years: Brightest galaxies cluster in busiest parts of universe

Irvine, Calif., May 20, 2010 – For more than a decade, astronomers have been puzzled by bright galaxies in the distant universe that appear to be forming stars at phenomenal rates. What prompted the prolific star creation, they wondered. And what kind of spatial environment did these galaxies inhabit?

Now, using a super-sensitive camera/spectrometer on the Herschel Space Observatory, astronomers – including a UC Irvine team led by Asantha Cooray – have mapped the skies as they appeared 10 billion years ago.

Stanford scientists track polluted groundwater to the sea

Stanford scientists track polluted groundwater to the sea

Faulty septic systems have long been blamed for polluting some of California's most popular beaches. Yet few scientific studies have established a direct link between septic systems and coastal contamination.

Solar power manufacturing makes good business sense for governments: Queen's University study

Canadian and provincial governments could spend $2.4 billion to build a large scale solar photovoltaic manufacturing plant and then give it away for free and still earn a profit in the long run, according to a financial analysis conducted by the Queen's University Applied Sustainability Research Group in Kingston, Canada.

First results dealing with the impact of a celestial body on the planet Jupiter

Is there a third type of supernova?

Is there a third type of supernova?

Scientists have previously observed two basic kinds of exploding stars, known as supernovae. Now, scientists at the Weizmann Institute of science, in collaboration with others around the world, have identified a third type of supernova. Their findings appeared this week in Nature.

Cyclone Laila, formerly Tropical Storm 1B, is headed for landfall in India

Cyclone Laila, formerly Tropical Storm 1B, is headed for landfall in India

Tropical Storm 1B strengthened overnight into a Category One cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale and has been officially renamed "Laila." NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Laila today, May 19, revealing that the storm has organized overnight and is already affecting coastal areas of southern India.