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Researchers find evidence of a real ninth planet

Researchers have found evidence of a giant planet tracing a bizarre, highly elongated orbit in the outer solar system. The object, which the researchers have nicknamed Planet Nine, has a mass about 10 times that of Earth and orbits about 20 times farther from the sun on average than does Neptune.

Jan 20th, 2016

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Green pea galaxy provides insights to early universe evolution

Newly formed dwarf galaxies were likely the reason that the universe heated up about 13 billion years ago, according to new work by an international team of scientists. The finding opens an avenue for better understanding the early period of the universe's 14 billion year history.

Jan 14th, 2016

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Building concrete shelters on Mars

Researchers developed a Martian concrete using materials naturally found on the planet. The high-strength concrete can be quickly created and is durable enough to withstand meteorite impacts - a key element needed to create viable shelters for humans.

Jan 8th, 2016

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Galaxy quakes could improve hunt for dark matter

A trio of brightly pulsating stars at the outskirts of the Milky Way is racing away from the galaxy and may confirm a method for detecting dwarf galaxies dominated by dark matter and explain ripples in the outer disk of the galaxy.

Jan 8th, 2016

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Astronomers find black hole affecting galactic climate

Researchers have discovered a powerful galactic blast produced by a giant black hole about 26 million light years from Earth. The black hole is the nearest supermassive black hole to Earth that is currently undergoing such violent outbursts.

Jan 6th, 2016

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Rotational clock for stars needs recalibration

New work indicates that one recently developed method for determining a star's age needs to be recalibrated for stars that are older than our Sun. This is due to new information about the way older stars spin, as spin rate is one of the few windows into stellar ages.

Jan 4th, 2016

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Cosmic glasses for space exploration

How are asteroids and planets formed from stony particles? This question is being explored in an experiment by scientists who have developed beads made of a special type of glass. They form the composition of the rock particles as naturally as possible on a small scale.

Jan 4th, 2016

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Five key findings from 15 years of the International Space Station

The International Space Station is the longest-running continuously inhabited human outpost in space - this year it celebrated its 15th anniversary. As the ISS orbits the Earth it is essentially in a state of free fall, counteracting the Earth's gravity and providing an ideal platform for science in space.

Dec 30th, 2015

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NuSTAR finds clumpy doughnut around black hole

NuSTAR recently looked inside one of the densest doughnuts known around a supermassive black hole. This black hole lies at the centre of a well-studied spiral galaxy called NGC 1068, located 47 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation of Cetus. The observations revealed a clumpy doughnut.

Dec 17th, 2015

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Space probes: sterile launch into outer space

Components used on a space mission must be cleaned meticulously. Fraunhofer researchers designed a cleanroom for the European Space Agency in which the most infinitesimal contaminants can be removed.

Dec 17th, 2015

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