The Kepler Discovery Controversy: Objects Orbiting New Star Likely Cometary Fragments, Not Aliens

By Paul Scott Anderson, on October 19th, 2015

Are the unusual objects around KIC 8462852 a giant swarm of comets or something else? Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (SSC)

There has been a lot of discussion during the past several days regarding a discovery by the Kepler Space Telescope, which, according to some, might be the first evidence for advanced extraterrestrial intelligence, or […]

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Gemini Planet Imager Finds Its First Exoplanet, a Methane-Rich 'Young Jupiter'

By Paul Scott Anderson, on August 15th, 2015

Discovery near-infrared image of the exoplanet 51 Eridani b taken by the Gemini Planet Imager on Dec. 21, 2014. The relative size of Saturn’s orbit is also shown for comparison. Image Credit: Gemini Observatory/J. Rameau (UdeM)/C. Marois (NRC Herzberg)

The Gemini Planet Imager, a new telescopic instrument designed to find, image, and study faint, […]

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New NASA NExSS Coalition to Lead Search for Life on Distant Exoplanets

By Paul Scott Anderson, on April 25th, 2015

NASA’s NExSS collaboration will bring together scientists from diverse backgrounds to help search for evidence of life in other Solar Systems. Image Credit: NASA

The search for, and discovery of, exoplanets orbiting other stars has become a full-fledged endeavour in recent years, with thousands found so far and more being discovered practically every week. […]

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GALEX Retired After a Decade of Service to Space Science

By Steve Nerlich, on July 4th, 2013

The Andromeda galaxy, M31, observed by the now-retired ultraviolet space telescope GALEX. This composite image is false-colored, with blue representing far ultraviolet and orange representing near ultraviolet. Image Credit: NASA/JPL – Caltech.

GALEX, the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, was recently decommissioned by NASA after more than 10 years of operation. GALEX was a space telescope […]

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NASA Selects Explorer Projects to Probe Earth’s Upper Atmosphere

By News Release, on April 14th, 2013

Image Credit: NASA

WASHINGTON — NASA has selected a new satellite mission and a new space-based instrument to begin development as part of the agency’s Heliophysics Explorer Program. The projects will provide space observations to study Earth’s ionosphere and thermosphere.

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