Monday 27 February 2017

Nano 'sandwich' offers unique properties

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Nanoclusters of magnesium oxide sandwiched between layers of graphene make a compound with unique electronic and optical properties, according to researchers who built computer simulations of the material.
via Science Daily

Preserving vision for astronauts

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As NASA prepares for its journey to Mars, one researcher is investigating why so many astronauts suffer from poorer vision after they return to Earth.
via Science Daily
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Volcanic hydrogen spurs chances of finding exoplanet life

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Hunting for habitable exoplanets now may be easier: astronomers report that hydrogen pouring from volcanic sources on planets throughout the universe could improve the chances of locating life in the cosmos.
via Science Daily
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Science checkout continues for ExoMars orbiter

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Next week, the ExoMars orbiter will devote two days to making important calibration measurements at the Red Planet, which are needed for the science phase of the mission that will begin next year.


via ESA Space Science
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/Science_checkout_continues_for_ExoMars_orbiter

Four Quasar Images Surround a Galaxy Lens

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An odd thing about the group of lights near the center is that four of them are the same distant quasar. This is because the foreground galaxy -- in the center of the quasar images and the featured image -- is acting like a choppy gravitational lens. A perhaps even odder thing is that by watching these background quasars flicker, you can estimate the expansion rate of the universe. That is because the flicker timing increases as the expansion rate increases. But to some astronomers, the oddest thing of all is that these multiply imaged quasars indicate a universe that is expanding a bit faster than has been estimated by different methods that apply to the early universe. And that is because ... well, no one is sure why. Reasons might include an unexpected distribution of dark matter, some unexpected effect of gravity, or something completely different. Perhaps future observations and analyses of this and similarly lensed quasar images will remove these oddities.

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Supernova aftermath

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Space Science Image of the Week: Hubble follows the evolution of an expanding supernova remnant over three decades
via ESA Space Science
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Highlights/Supernova_aftermath

Saturn's rings viewed in the mid-infrared show bright Cassini division

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Researchers has succeeded in measuring the brightnesses and temperatures of Saturn's rings using the mid-infrared images taken by the Subaru Telescope in 2008. They reveal that, at that time, the Cassini Division and the C ring were brighter than the other rings in the mid-infrared light and that the brightness contrast appeared to be the inverse of that seen in the visible light. The data give important insights into the nature of Saturn's rings.
via Science Daily
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Mars More Earth-like than moon-like

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Mars' mantle may be more complicated than previously thought, report researchers. Their report documents geochemical changes over time in the lava flows of Elysium, a major martian volcanic province.
via Science Daily
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