Environmental Graffiti

Peering into the Beginnings of the Universe

Scheduled to launch in April 2009, the Herschel and Planck space telescopes bring capabilities never before available to study the origins of stars, galaxies and the universe. The expected data might revolutionize both astrophysics and philosophy.

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The Densest Planet

Space telescopes have catalogued a universe of previously unknown wonders and mysteries. The list still grows monthly and certainly far away planets orbiting other stars are hypnotically fascinating. Will any of these prove up as 'Earth-like' with an environment that could support DNA, cellular tissue, life-as-we-know-it?

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Are Jupiter and Saturn Brown Dwarfs, Not Planets?

COROT spacecraft approaching a star field that contains brown dwarfs Image by D Ducros/CNES Our early science classes taught us the difference between stars and planets, the description and properties of each were clear. Now astronomers have found objects in the Milky Way that are neither planets nor stars. [...]

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Do Planets Sing?

Probably, concede scientists– the pounding of waves on the continents make it possible that the Earth not only hums at a resonance below the human range of hearing, but is part of a larger interstellar symphony that passes several octaves below our sensory perception every day. Image,  from [...]

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