News From Around the Block

There has been a lot of astronomy news lately, so here it is:

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory has discovered, 'piranha' black holes that that voracious eaters and seem to go away. Chandra catches ‘piranha’ black holes

Our Sun goes through a solar cycle, and the Sun is currently reaching the apex of one of them. The Sun Loses its Spots

It's possible for a planet to have the remarkable view of four sunsets by its four parent stars. Quadruple Sunsets Possible on Other Worlds

A plan to send a robotic mission to Mars which could send back some surface samples are causing a stir and debate between NASA scientists. Mars-and-back plan sets scientists abuzz

Image Credit: NASA. Pictured: A potential Mars sample-return mission.

News From Around the Block

Here is the latest news in astronomy from around the web.

• Astronomers Find Highly Elliptical Disk Around Young Star, Hubble


• Traveling to space as a tourist has gone up from $25 Million to as high as $40 million, MSNBC


• X-Ray satellites discover the largest collisions in the Universe, ESA


• Saturn's 60th moon has been discovered! NASA

Gas Giants Near and Far

A study led by Beth Biller of the University of Arizona reveals that large gaseous planets (like our own Jupiter) stay close to their parent star. The study shows that is very rare for gas giants to be located far away from its host star.

This new study helps scientists to better develop models and theories of how planets form. Some theories suggest that large gas planets are formed far away from a star, and then are slowly pulled in by the star's gravity into a closer orbit.

Of the 246 planets discovered outside of our solar system, many of them are gas giants, 'Hot Jupiters,' that are very large and orbit their parent star in a few days or even hours. These extrasolar planets were detected using the radial velocity method which measures the pull-and-tug between the close orbiting gas giant and the star.

To find gas giants far away from the host star, Beth Biller and her fellow scientists conducted a three-year survey of 54 near and young stars that were thought to have giant gas planets still in their formation process.

Theory says that young 'Jupiters' are brighter than older Jupiters, hence they are more easy to detect. The research found that there were no gas giants that orbited a star at a distance of more than 10 AU ( 1 AU is the distance from the Earth to the Sun) leading the researchers to conclude that it is very rare for gas giants to be located in the outer parts of the solar system.

But Alan Boss, a planetary formation theorists points out a potential flaw in this study, "This survey depends on assuming that young gas giants are much brighter than older gas giants and hence easier to detect." So some Jupiters might exists in the outskirts of solar systems, but are too difficult to detect.

Original Article: Space.com

Jupiter is small compared to the many very large hot Jupiters that are found in other solar systems. Image Credit: NASA

News To Highlight

During the past week, there have been lots of news. I just wanted to highlight a couple of them and direct you to where you can read about them (besides here).

• Scientists have discovered the farthest Galaxies, aged at 500 million years after the Big Bang: BBC

• Water is discovered on an extrasolar planet: ESA

Today's News

Once again, I have to apologize because I am too busy to write again, so I'll forward you to today's news. Remember, I only link you the best articles that I find. I guarantee you that tomorrow I will be back delivering you the news.

Astronomers find the most-distant galaxies; W.M. Keck Observatory and MSNBC

A relatively near star, does not seem to be alone; Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Venus is about to get bright (July 12) , only the moon will be brighter; Astronomy Magazine

Astronomers study how galaxies form and change; Science Daily

Killer Electrons from Space! ; Universe Today

Today's News

I'm very busy with a project I'm working on, so today I will just direct to today's news (always to the sites that are best-written :) ).

NASA's Phoenix Mission is prepared to go to Mars

A rocket test has been proven successful and brings NASA closer to its plans of a lunar landing.

I'll definitely be posting again tomorrow.

News

Okay, now that I am getting regular visitors daily and around 100 people subscribing to this blog so early, I think I'm not going to abondon it. But this blog is facing and identy crisis. I have decided to name this blog one of two names

1. Astroversity - Astro- space/astronomy related + versity- place of knowledge = astroversity, also happens to be the name of a children's game in the making
   
   
2. The Universe Made Simple - This would be a long URL to type in (unless you subscribe or bookmark :) ), but it defines this website well and is right to the point

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