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| Image credit: NASA |
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| Neptune Emptied the Kuiper Belts |
| Nov 27, 2003 - Researchers from the Southwest Research Institute believe they have a theory that could help explain why there are so few objects in the Kuiper belt - a band of objects outside the orbit of Neptune. According to theories of how planetary systems form, there should be 100 times more material in the Kuiper belt than astronomers have observed. The researchers believe that the gas giants, including Neptune, formed closer to the Sun, and have slowly drifted further out over time. As Neptune migrated out, it could have pushed the Kuiper objects out of the solar system. |
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| Image credit: ESA |
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| How to Find a Black Hole |
| Nov 27, 2003 - A black hole's gravity is so intense that nothing, not even light can escape it - that makes them pretty much invisible to astronomers. That doesn't mean astronomers can't find them, though, as black holes have a powerful effect on their environment. One way to spot a black hole is the gravitation effect it has on nearby objects; stars have been found orbiting a spot in space so quickly, it could only be a black hole. When matter is just about to be consumed by the black hole, there is also a powerful burst of radiation that can be seen from Earth-based observers. |
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| Image credit: NASA/JPL |
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| Mars Odyssey Instrument Fails |
| Nov 27, 2003 - During a recent solar storm, an instrument on board NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft failed, and so far, operators haven't been able to get it working again. The Martian Radiation Environment (MARIE) was designed to measure the radiation in the Martian space environment, which will help mission planners understand what kinds of risks humans might face if they traveled to the Red Planet. Operators will continue their attempts to get the instrument working for a few weeks before writing it off. |
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| Image credit: NASA |
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| Astronauts Hear a Crunching Sound on the Station |
| Nov 27, 2003 - Astronauts on board the International Space Station heard what sounded like a tin can being crushed against the outer hull, bringing up the possibility that there was some damage to the station. The sound might have been produced by equipment on the station, or it could have been space junk brushing against the hull. A spokesman for the Russian Space Agency said that all the systems on the station are working properly, and an outside inspection of the station didn't show any damage. |
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