Physics and Astronomy News Archive: July 2007

Image: Atlantis readies for Columbus mission

Atlantis readies for Columbus mission

Source: ESA   Posted: 7/14/07

Excitement is building on both sides of the Atlantic as the long-awaited launch of ESA’s Columbus space laboratory grows closer, as NASA starts processing Shuttle Atlantis in preparation for the mission.
Image: On a Wire or in a Fiber, a Wave is a Wave

On a Wire or in a Fiber, a Wave is a Wave

Source: Brown   Posted: 7/14/07

Researchers at Brown and Stanford have shown that a simple analytical model can describe the wave nature of surface plasmon polaritons.
Image: NASA Readies Mars Lander for August Launch to Icy Site

NASA Readies Mars Lander for August Launch to Icy Site

Source: JPL/NASA   Posted: 7/14/07

NASA's next Mars mission will look beneath a frigid arctic landscape for conditions favorable to past or present life.
Image: NASA's Spitzer Finds Water Vapor on Hot, Alien Planet

NASA's Spitzer Finds Water Vapor on Hot, Alien Planet

Source: JPL/NASA   Posted: 7/14/07

A scorching-hot gas planet beyond our solar system is steaming up with water vapor, according to new observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
Image: New Hubble Photograph Shows Stunning Details in Spiral Galaxy M81

New Hubble Photograph Shows Stunning Details in Spiral Galaxy M81

Source: CfA   Posted: 7/1/07

Astronomers unveiled the sharpest photograph ever taken of the nearby spiral galaxy Messier 81. The image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows stunning detail in a galaxy that resembles the Milky Way in many ways.
Image: Scientist uncovers Earth's mysterious layer

Scientist uncovers Earth's mysterious layer

Source: ASU   Posted: 7/1/07

Laboratory measurements of a high-pressure mineral believed to exist deep within the Earth show that the mineral may not, as geophysicists hoped, have the right properties to explain a mysterious layer lying just above the planet's core.
Image: NASA Mars Rover Ready For Descent Into Crater

NASA Mars Rover Ready For Descent Into Crater

Source: JPL/NASA   Posted: 7/1/07

NASA's Mars rover Opportunity is scheduled to begin a descent down a rock-paved slope into the Red Planet's massive Victoria Crater.
Image: NASA Prepares for Performing New Science on the Moon

NASA Prepares for Performing New Science on the Moon

Source: JPL/NASA   Posted: 7/1/07

NASA has selected proposals, including two from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., for future lunar science activities. In addition, the agency has established two new programs that will enhance research made possible by the Vision for Space Exploration.