The week in pictures: February 16ò??22, 2013
In the past seven days, astronomersÒšbegan to developÒša system to identify dangerous asteroids before their final plunge, scientists think 120-mile-long Tinto Vallis formed around 3.7 billion years ago, Cassini detected a significant acceleration of electrons in a quasi-parallel shock on Saturn, and more.
Published: Friday, February 22, 2013
ATLAS: The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System
Astronomers are developing a system to identify dangerous asteroids before their final plunge to
Earth.
Learn more ÒËESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)
At the mouth of the Red Valley
The 120-mile-long Tinto Vallis is believed to have formed around 3.7 billion years ago, during the
early history of Mars.
Learn more ÒËCassini sheds light on cosmic particle accelerators
The spacecraft currently studying Saturn detected a significant acceleration of electrons in a quasi-parallel shock.
Learn more ÒËRadio: NRAO/AUI/NSF/GBT/VLA/Dyer, Maddalena, & Cornwell, X-ray: Chandra X-ray Observatory; NASA/CXC/Rutgers/G. Cassam-ChenaÓ?, J. Hughes et al., Visible light: 0.9-meter Curtis Schmidt optical telescope; NOAO/AURA/NSF/CTIO/Middlebury College/F. Winkler and Digitized Sky Survey
The Very Large Telescope probes remains of medieval supernova
For the first time, observations suggest the presence of fast-moving particles in the supernova remnant that could be the precursors of cosmic rays.
Learn more ÒËA cool discovery about the Sun's next-door twin
The Herschel Space Observatory has detected a cool layer in the
atmosphere of Alpha Centauri A similar to one in the Sunò??
s atmosphere.
Learn more ÒËShinshu University and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
3-D observations of the outflow from an active galactic nucleus
Astronomers discovered complex small structures inside outflows from a distant quasar.
Learn more ÒËKepler mission discovers tiny planet system
The smallest planet, Kepler-37b, is slightly larger than our Moon, measuring about one-third the size of
Earth.
Learn more ÒËMars rover confirms first drilled martian rock sample
The drill on Curiosityò??
s robotic arm took in the powder as it bored a hole into a target on flat martian bedrock.
Learn more ÒËSaturn's time to shine
April is the month to appreciate the ringed world and its many moons.
Learn more ÒËUnited States Geological Survey
Mercury may have harbored an ancient magma ocean
Massive lava flows may have given rise to two distinct rock types on Mercuryò??
s surface.
Learn more ÒËNASA/ESA/and A. Feild (STScI)
Stellar motions in outer halo shed new light on Milky Way evolution
The starsò?? unusual lateral motion is circumstantial evidence that they may be the remnants of a shredded galaxy that the Milky Way gravitationally ripped apart billions of years ago.
Learn more ÒË