Jupiter’s Awesome New Image

The Juno spacecraft is a space probe orbiting Jupiter and it’s been sending back some amazing pictures of the gas giant.  Launched on August 5, 2011, Juno only arrived at Jupiter as of 2016 and its been in orbit ever since.  It dives between the planet and its intense belts of charged particle radiation, coming about 3000  miles from the cloud tops at its closest approach.

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The First Exoplanet Discovered: A Zombie World

Today we know of over 4000 exoplanets, or extrasolar planets:  worlds orbiting around stars not our sun.  But in 1992, possibly the first exoplanet ever discovered came in the form that scientists did not expect.  It was a pulsar planet, or a zombie planet, formed from the matter and debris in the aftermath of an exploding star.

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The First Confirmed Extragalactic Planets

extragalactic

On January 9 1992, two planets orbiting the pulsar PSR 1257+12 had been confirmed.  This is generally considered to be the first definitive detection of planets beyond our own solar system.  And now, as of February 1 2018, planets beyond our own galaxy have been confirmed. 

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Nearby Exoplanet May Harbor Life

ross 128 b may harobor life

A newly discovered extra-solar planet located some 11 light-years away may be suitable for life.  It’s called “Ross 128 b” and you may be hearing a lot more of this exoplanet in the months and years to come.

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Top 10 Space Stories of 2016

top 10 space stories

From gravitational waves to weird radio signals, 2016 has been a busy year in the field of astronomy.  With the constant deluge of ongoing news and controversies, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s happening in the world of outer space.  So here are the top 10 stories in astronomical discoveries you should know about.

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Proxima Centauri B – Closest Planet with Potential for Life?

The planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Solar System, is seen in an undated artist's impression released by the European Southern Observatory August 24, 2016. ESO/M. Kornmesser/Handout via Reuters THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

Recently, we began hearing rumors that an Earth-like planet had been found within the habitable zone of the next-nearest star to us, Proxima Centauri. According to the European Southern Observatory and other institutions, those statements have been confirmed.  Yes, there is a new planet, like Earth, within its star’s habitable zone, and relatively close to us.
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10 Little Known Facts About the Juno Mission

little known facts about juno

Juno is the second spacecraft designed under NASA’s New Frontiers Program and left Earth on August 8, 2011 for a journey to Jupiter.  July 4, 2016 it finally entered Jupiter’s orbit and will now orbit the massive gas giant 37 times in a span of 20 months.  Its mission: to collect data on the planetary core, map the magnetic field, and measure the amount of water and ammonia in the atmosphere.
That’s the gist of the mission, but here are some little known facts you may not already know.

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