Hubble Goes High Def To Revisit The Iconic Pillars Of Creation
Baltimore MD (SPX) Jan 06, 2015 -
Although NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken many breathtaking images of the universe, one snapshot stands out from the rest: the iconic view of the so-called "Pillars of Creation." The jaw-dropping photo, taken in 1995, revealed never-before-seen details of three giant columns of cold gas bathed in the scorching ultraviolet light from a cluster of young, massive stars in a small region of t ...
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Galactic Herding: New Image Brings Galaxy Diversity To Life
Hilo HI (SPX) Jan 06, 2015 -
Galaxy groups are the most evident structures in the nearby universe. They are important laboratories for studying how galaxies form and evolve beyond our own Local Group of galaxies, which includes the Milky Way and the Great Spiral in Andromeda. Exploring the nature of these extragalactic "herds" may help to unlock the secrets to the overall structure of the universe.
Unlike animal herds ...
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Hubble Discovers That Milky Way Core Drives Wind At 2 Million Miles Per Hour
Baltimore MD (SPX) Jan 06, 2015 -
At a time when our earliest human ancestors had recently mastered walking upright, the heart of our Milky Way galaxy underwent a titanic eruption, driving gases and other material outward at 2 million miles per hour.
Now, at least 2 million years later, astronomers are witnessing the aftermath of the explosion: billowing clouds of gas towering about 30,000 light-years above and below the p ...
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NASA Statement on GAO Decision to Deny Commercial Crew Contract Protest
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 06, 2015 -
NASA has issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) decision to deny a protest Sierra Nevada Corp., of Louisville, Colorado, filed Sept. 26, 2014, challenging the agency's Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) Contract awards made Sept. 16, 2014, to The Boeing Company, Space Exploration, Houston, and Space Exploration Technologies C ...
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Chandra Detects Record-Breaking Outburst From Milky Way's Black Hole
Boston MA (SPX) Jan 06, 2015 -
Astronomers have observed the largest X-ray flare ever detected from the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. This event, detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, raises questions about the behavior of this giant black hole and its surrounding environment.
The supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, called Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A*, is estimated ...
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NASA's GPM Launches Hands-On Field Campaign for Students
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jan 06, 2015 -
This spring, students worldwide are invited to grab rain gauges and learn how scientists use ground measurements to validate satellite precipitation data.
NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission is partnering with the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program to conduct a field campaign where students will measure rain and snow in their ho ...
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Student Scientists Persevere, Ready to Launch Experiments to Space Station
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 06, 2015 -
Students will look to the skies this week when SpaceX's fifth commercial resupply services (CRS) mission to the International Space Station lifts off at 6:20 a.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 6, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will carry scientific research conceived and designed by students who are learning first-hand what it takes to conduct research in space. ...
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Chinese spacecraft to return to moon's orbit
Beijing (XNA) Jan 06, 2015 -
The service module of China's unmanned lunar orbiter is scheduled to return to the moon's orbit in mid-January for more tests to prepare for the country's next lunar probe mission, Chang'e-5.
On Sunday, the service module left the Earth-Moon second Lagrange Point (L2) after circling the point while performing additional tests, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry fo ...
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Summary of 2014 Civil and Commercial Launches
Bethesda, MD (SPX) Jan 06, 2015 -
The new year promises a great deal of space launch activity by many of the world's spacefaring nations. The year just passed also saw many important events and activities for the space transportation community. Let's take a brief look at 2014. NASA continued the development of its new Space Launch System (SLS) with a Critical Design Review (CDR) of this heavy-lift vehicle intended to carry human ...
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Inflatable 'Donut' to Bring Astronauts to Mars
Moscow, Russia (Sputnik) Jan 06, 2015 -
NASA is crafting a donut-shaped inflatable landing mechanism, which will become the key to sending a manned expedition to Mars, AP reports. Leaving a human footprint on Mars has been a cherished dream for generations of scientists.
However, a manned expedition cannot be sent to the Red Planet until a safe and reliable landing system is designed. Because of the thin atmosphere, neither rock ...
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SpaceX to try ocean platform landing of Falcon rocket
Miami (AFP) Jan 05, 2015 -
SpaceX aims to launch a new era in modern rocket science Tuesday by landing a key part of its Falcon 9 rocket on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean.
The California-based company headed by billionaire Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk has given itself just a 50-50 chance of success in the bid to guide the powerful first stage of the rocket to a floating platform about 200 miles (322 kilometers) off ...
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New Taiwan corvette joins naval exercise
Taipei, Taiwan (UPI) Jan 2, 2015 -
The Taiwanese Navy has entered the new year with maritime drills involving destroyers, frigates, missile boats and its newest stealth missile corvette.
The twin-hull missile corvette, the Tuo Chiang, is locally made. It was only delivered to the Republic of China Navy late last month by Lung Teh Shipbuilding Co.
According to The China Post, the vessel weighs about 502 tons, is ca ...
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Russia Remains World Leader in Space Launches: Roscosmos
Moscow, Russia (Sputnik) Jan 02, 2015 -
Russia carried out a total of 38 successful space launches in 2014, maintaining its first place in the world, the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, said Tuesday.
"As a result, Russia orbited a record number of 80 satellites, including 31 for state purposes, five commercial and 44 mini-satellites," a Roscosmos spokesman told RIA Novosti.
In addition, Russian experts assisted through th ...
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Iran must end isolation for economy to boom: Rouhani
Tehran (AFP) Jan 04, 2015 -
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday that foreign investors should no longer be viewed as a threat and signalled his country's decades-long isolation from the world economy could soon end.
Speaking at an economic conference in Tehran, he said the Islamic republic would not give up its principles but it would be better placed to conclusively emerge from recession if it opened up.
I ...
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Hungary to acquire extra maintenance gear for Gripen fighters
Stockholm, Sweden (UPI) Jan 5, 2015 -
Extra maintenance equipment for Gripen fighters are being supplied to the Hungarian Air Force by the Swedish Defense and Security Export Agency.
The agency did not specify the equipment to be provided under a supplement agreement to a Gripen lease contract that runs until 2026, but said the gear will "strengthen Hungary's capacity for taking part in international operations."
The ...
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Iran arrests 'terror' cell in southeast
Tehran (AFP) Jan 05, 2015 -
Iran arrested a "terrorist cell" accused of killing soldiers in a flashpoint border area and detained in a separate incident three Afghans planning to fight in Iraq, media reported Monday.
The cell members were caught near Sarbaz in the southeast, said a statement from Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) published by the official IRNA news agency.
The report said those detained had ...
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Iraq PM calls for 'tribal revolution' against IS
Baghdad (AFP) Jan 05, 2015 -
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called Monday for a "tribal revolution" against the Islamic State group, in a sign of the importance Baghdad places on tribal resistance against the jihadists.
In a meeting with Suhaib al-Rawi, the newly elected governor of embattled Anbar province, Abadi "stressed the need for a tribal revolution to rid the body of Iraqi society of this foreign enemy", t ...
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Lithuania receives Polish shoulder-fired air defense missiles
Vilnius, Lithuania (UPI) Jan 5, 2015 -
Lithuania's Ministry of National Defense has added Polish-made shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles to its air defense missile inventory.
The short-range man-portable missiles, or MANPADS, are the GROM, a 72mm weapon with an operational range of about 3.4 miles and an infrared guidance system.
The first batch of missiles and launchers, provided by Poland's MESKO S.A., were de ...
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Bulgaria to extradite boy, 15, to Spain on terror charges
Sofia (AFP) Jan 05, 2015 -
A Bulgarian court ordered the extradition of three alleged would-be jihadists to Spain on Monday, including one aged 15.
The Brazilian man and two Moroccans are wanted on terrorism charges.
The three were allegedly on their way to join insurgents in Syria when they were detained in mid-December at the southeastern Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint with Turkey on international arrest wa ...
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Turkish solder missing on Syria border brought back home: PM
Istanbul (AFP) Jan 05, 2015 -
A Turkish soldier who went missing on the border with Syria has been brought home, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced on Twitter on Monday.
"We've brought back to the country a short time ago our officer who was abducted while on a mission against smugglers on the border with Syria," Davutoglu said.
Davutoglu said only that the soldier was rescued thanks to a "successful operation" ...
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IS jihadists claim execution of eight people in Iraq
Baghdad (AFP) Jan 05, 2015 -
The Islamic State jihadist group has executed eight people, four of them policemen, in Iraq's Salaheddin province, according to a series of pictures posted online.
A message that accompanied the pictures, the authenticity of which could not be independently confirmed, said the eight men had reneged on a pledge to stop working for the Iraqi government.
It was not immediately clear when th ...
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IS mortars target Iraqi base in Anbar: US military
Washington (AFP) Jan 05, 2015 -
An Iraqi military base in the country's western Anbar province is coming under frequent mortar fire from Islamic State jihadists, but the attacks have caused no injuries to US troops deployed there, the Pentagon said Monday.
The mortar attacks - which began in recent weeks - underline the risks of an expanding role for the US military in Iraq, as hundreds of American troops deploy to train ...
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3 Saudi guards killed by 'terrorists' on Iraq border
Riyadh (AFP) Jan 05, 2015 -
Three Saudi guards including a top commander were killed on Monday in a rare attack and suicide bombing by "terrorists" on the kingdom's border with Iraq, the interior ministry said.
Four attackers were also killed in the clash, two in suicide blasts.
No group claimed responsiblity for the clash, but Saudi Arabia is among countries that have joined the US-led coalition carrying out air s ...
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NASA launching spacecraft with 19 foot lasso
Pasadena, Calif. (UPI) Jan 4, 2015 -
NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive, SMAP, will measure moisture in the Earth's soil, which will help farmers combat the effects of drought.
Set to launch on Jan. 29 in California, SMAP will orbit the Earth every three days or less to measure moisture in the top two inches of soil with the highest accuracy and resolution, NASA said in a press release.
The spacecraft is equipped w ...
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Abe says to stick to Japan apology in new WWII statement
Tokyo (AFP) Jan 05, 2015 -
Japan's conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he would release a fresh statement on World War II this year, but would stand by previous apologies for wartime misdeeds.
The comment may help allay fears that the nationalist premier, who has equivocated on Japan's guilt for its formalised system of sex slavery, would play down a landmark 1993 statement on the subject which both Chi ...
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