January 2009 Top Stories
»» Jupiter-like Planets Could Form Around Twin Suns
[Monday, January 5, 2009] Life on a planet ruled by two suns might be a little complicated. Two sunrises, two sunsets. Twice the radiation field.
»» Baby Jupiters Must Gain Weight Fast
[Monday, January 5, 2009] The planet Jupiter gained weight in a hurry during its infancy. It had to, since the material from which it formed probably disappeared in just a few million years, according to a new study of planet formation around young stars.
»» Dead Stars Tell Story of Planet Birth
[Monday, January 5, 2009] Observations made with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveal six dead "white dwarf" stars littered with the remains of shredded asteroids.
»» Ancient Flying Reptiles Used Four Legs to Launch
[Tuesday, January 6, 2009] Pterosaurs have long suffered an identity crisis. Pop culture heedlessly -- and wrongly -- lumps these extinct flying lizards in with dinosaurs.
»» The Possible Origin and Persistence of Life on Enceladus and Detection of Biomarkers in the Plume
[Friday, January 9, 2009] The jets of icy particles and water vapor issuing from the south pole of Enceladus are evidence for activity driven by some geophysical energy source. The vapor has also been shown to contain simple organic compounds.
»» Successful Simulation of Mission to Search for Life on Mars Is Reported in Astrobiology Journal
[Friday, January 9, 2009] The success of a robotic drilling mission to search for subsurface life has demonstrated that robotic core sampling combined with remote laboratory analysis is both technically feasible and could be used for life detection on Mars.
»» Scripps scientists develop first examples of RNA that replicates itself indefinitely
[Friday, January 9, 2009] Scientists have synthesized for the first time RNA enzymes that can replicate themselves without the help of any proteins or other cellular components, and the process proceeds indefinitely.
»» NASA Science Update to Discuss Mars Atmosphere Activity
[Monday, January 12, 2009] NASA will hold a science update at 2 p.m. EST, Thursday, Jan. 15, to discuss analysis of the Martian atmosphere that raises the possibility of life or geologic activity.
»» Discovery of Methane Reveals Mars Is Not A Dead Planet
[Thursday, January 15, 2009] A team of NASA and university scientists has achieved the first definitive detection of methane in the atmosphere of Mars. This discovery indicates the planet is either biologically or geologically active.
»» American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology Input to National Research Council Request For Information
[Friday, January 16, 2009] Currently, the US civil space program neglects gravitational and space biology research not considered directly applicable to the health and performance of astronauts.
