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BOLIDES - Visualizing meteorites. How Far is it to Mars? Binary star system found right under our noses. In a day when we have examined astronomical objects shining forth from a time shortly after the Big Bang, one would think astronomers have a pretty good handle on what is in the immediate vicinity of the Solar System.

Binary star system found right under our noses

That's why the recent report of a binary star lying only 6.5 light-years away came as rather a surprise to the astronomical community. The pair, called WISE J1049-5319 A and B, are brown dwarf stars and only two star systems – the triple star Alpha Centauri, and Barnard's Star – lie closer to our Sun. Nasa says life could have existed on Mars. New Asteroid-Mining Company Aims to Spur Space Settlement. A new asteroid-mining company launched Tuesday with the goal of helping humanity expand across the solar system by tapping the vast riches of space rocks.

New Asteroid-Mining Company Aims to Spur Space Settlement

The new firm, called Deep Space Industries, Inc., announced today (Jan. 22) that it plans to launch a fleet of prospecting spacecraft in 2015, then begin harvesting metals and water from near-Earth asteroids within a decade or so. Such work could make it possible to build and refuel spacecraft far above our planet's surface, thus helping our species get a foothold in the final frontier. "Using resources harvested in space is the only way to afford permanent space development," Deep Space CEO David Gump said in a statement. Deep Space Industries will hold a press conference today in Santa Monica, Calif., at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. "More than 900 new asteroids that pass near Earth are discovered every year," Gump explained.

Black holes growing faster than expected › News in Science (ABC Science) News in Science Thursday, 17 January 2013 Stuart GaryABC Black hole find Existing theories on the relationship between the size of a galaxy and its central black hole are wrong according to a new Australian study.

Black holes growing faster than expected › News in Science (ABC Science)

The discovery by Dr Nicholas Scott and Professor Alister Graham, from Melbourne's Swinburne University of Technology, found smaller galaxies have far smaller black holes than previously estimated. Central black holes, millions to billions of times more massive than the Sun, reside in the core of most galaxies, and are thought to be integral to galactic formation and evolution. However astronomers are still trying to understand this relationship. Scott and Graham combined data from observatories in Chile, Hawaii and the Hubble Space Telescope, to develop a data base listing the masses of 77 galaxies and their central supermassive black holes. 100,000 Stars. ISS Tracker. Carl Sagan's Message to Mars Explorers, with a Gentle Warning. View from the ISS at Night.

Free-floating planets in the milky way outnumber stars by factors of thousands: Life-bearing planets may exist in vast numbers. 2007 May 20 - A Spherule from the Earth's Moon. Incredible Space Pics from ISS by NASA astronaut Wheelock. Go Discovery!

Incredible Space Pics from ISS by NASA astronaut Wheelock

It was October 23, 2007 at 11:40am EST when I had my first ride to space on Discovery. She’s beautiful… just sad that this will be her last voyage. Looking forward to climbing aboard the flight deck when Discovery arrives at the Space Station in November. (9-23-2010). Incredible Photos from Space: Larry Tanner, NASA. Special thanks: Bethbeck’s blog On September 22, 2010, with the departure of the Expedition 23 crew, Colonel Douglas H. A Laser to Give the Universe a Hernia?

Think back to 2008, when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was about to be switched on for the first time.

A Laser to Give the Universe a Hernia?

Remember all those “micro-black hole,” “spacetime-ripping,” “stranglet-creating” doomsday headlines? TOP 5: Misconceptions About the LHC Although much of the hype was complete nonsense, those pesky physicists are at it again; they want to build a laser so powerful that it will literally rip spacetime apart. (Keanu Reeves, over to you.) The headlines write themselves. Space.com. Super-Earths 'in the billions' 28 March 2012Last updated at 06:17 ET By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News, Manchester Liquid water is considered essential if a planet is to support life There could be many billions of planets not much bigger than Earth circling faint stars in our galaxy, says an international team of astronomers.

Super-Earths 'in the billions'

The estimate for the number of "super-Earths" is based on detections already made and then extrapolated to include the Milky Way's population of so-called red dwarf stars. Pursuit of Light: The Earth & Beyond Seen with NASA’s Amazing Data Visualizations. Dr. Tara Shears - Uncovering the Universe, Latest News from the LHC. Mars 'has life's building blocks' 24 May 2012Last updated at 21:13 ET By Mark Mardell North America editor The researchers suggest Mars has "been undertaking organic chemistry for most of its history" New evidence from meteorites suggests that the basic building blocks of life are present on Mars.

Mars 'has life's building blocks'

The study found that carbon present in 10 meteorites, spanning more than four billion years of Martian history, came from the planet and was not the result of contamination on Earth. Space Industries. Dark matter space superstructures observed for first time.