Discovery measures 'heartbeats' of distant galaxy's stars

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In many ways stars are like living beings. They're born; they live; they die. And they even have a heartbeat. Using a novel technique, astronomers have detected thousands of stellar 'pulses' in the galaxy Messier 87 (M87). Their measurements offer a new way of determining a galaxy's age.
via Science Daily
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First beams for the higher-energy nuclear physics facility

A Blazing Fireball between the Orion Nebula and Rigel

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A black hole in action

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Space Science Image of the Week: Galaxy Hercules A reveals its spectacular jets
via ESA Space Science
http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2015/11/A_supermassive_black_hole_in_action

Call for Media: ExoMars 2016 leaving Europe for launch site

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The ESA–Roscosmos ExoMars 2016 spacecraft are ready to depart Europe for the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, to prepare for their launch in March.
 
Members of the media are invited to join ExoMars scientists and engineers from ESA, Roscosmos and Thales Alenia Space in Cannes, France on 25 November for a final glimpse of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Schiaparelli, the entry, descent and landing demonstrator, before they leave.
 
The spacecraft will be launched on a Russian Proton rocket during the 14–25 March 2016 window, arriving at Mars in October 2016.
 
TGO will take a detailed inventory of Mars’ atmospheric gases. Of special interest is the origin of methane – its presence implies an active, current source, and TGO will help to determine if it stems from a geological or biological source.
 
Schiaparelli will demonstrate a range of technologies to enable a controlled landing on Mars in preparation for future missions.
 
TGO will also serve as a data relay for the second ExoMars mission, comprising a rover and a surface science platform, which is planned for launch in 2018.

via ESA Space Science
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Call_for_Media_ExoMars_2016_leaving_Europe_for_launch_site

Imitating synapses of the human brain could lead to smarter electronics

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Making a computer that learns and remembers like a human brain is a daunting challenge. The complex organ has 86 billion neurons and trillions of connections -- or synapses -- that can grow stronger or weaker over time. But now scientists report the development of a first-of-its-kind synthetic synapse that mimics the plasticity of the real thing, bringing us one step closer to human-like artificial intelligence.
via Science Daily