astronomy
Celestial objects and the phenomena that surrounds them. What lies above the earth forever out of reach. From moons, to stars, galaxies, and beyond.
Oasis
Webster defines an Oasis as a fertile tract of land that occurs in a desert wherever a permanent supply of fresh water is available. In the universe an Oasis is a planet that has all the elements necessary to support life. It is impossible not to fathom that there are other planets our scientists term are in habitable zones making them an Oasis in the vast cosmos of space. For thousands of years man has looked up into the heavens and asked the eternal question are we alone or are there brothers of man somewhere out there far beyond our own know realm of reality inhabiting another Oasis?
By Dr. Williams9 years ago in Futurism
Atmosphere Detected on Nearby 'Super-Earth' Exoplanet
For the first time, astronomers have detected an atmosphere surrounding a "super-Earth" exoplanet which is close in size to Earth, another key step towards finding a world similar in size to ours that is also habitable. It's not Earth 2.0 just yet, but it's another indication that we are getting closer to finding a world that reminds us of home.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Researchers Identify Four Possible Candidates in Search for Planet 9
The search for a possible ninth planet in our Solar System has intensified in recent months, with more astronomers as well as amateurs joining in the hunt. Previous studies have hinted at its existence, but actually finding it has remained an elusive task. Now, astronomers from The Australian National University (ANU) are investigating four unknown objects in the outer Solar System that could be viable candidates for the mystery planet.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Mars May Have Once Had Rings, and Could Have Them Again in the Future
Saturn is, of course, famous for its exquisite ring system, but other planets have rings as well - Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune all have them, they just aren't nearly as prominent. Now it turns out that Mars may also have once had rings, and could have them again in the future.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Bright 'Tower' in Mars Orbiter Image: Anomaly or Natural Formation?
With thousands of images taken by various probes sent to Mars, it would seem inevitable that unusual or puzzling objects might be seen in some of them. And of course, there have been, most notably the famous "Face on Mars" first seen in low-resolution Viking orbiter images in the 1970s. Higher-resolution images taken later by other orbiters with better cameras showed it, and nearby interesting formations, to be just natural hills and mesas. Despite that, other curious things are seen in both orbital and ground images from time to time, although they almost always have a simple prosaic explanation. Another such oddity was just recently seen in an image taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has attracted some attention. Most likely it is a natural rock formation, but it's also not, as described by the tabloid Daily Mail, a "spherule" either.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Titan's Lakes and Seas May Be Fizzy With Patches of Nitrogen Bubbles
Saturn's moon Titan is the only other body in the Solar System besides Earth known to have liquids on its surface. In Titan's case, they are rivers, lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons (methane/ethane) instead of water. There is even methane/ethane rain, which further mimics Earth's hydrological cycle. For the most part, the lakes and seas are fairly smooth, with only small amounts of wave activity. But now, new research suggests that those lakes and seas might be quite fizzy at times - with periodic bursts of nitrogen bubbles.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
NASA's New Europa Mission Formally Named 'Europa Clipper'
It's been a long time coming, but NASA's new mission to Jupiter's moon Europa now has a formal name: Europa Clipper. The spacecraft, to be launched in the early 2020s, will conduct multiple close flybys of the moon, with the goal of determining just how habitable it actually is. With a global salty ocean just beneath its icy crust, Europa is thought to be one of the best places in the Solar System to search for possible alien life.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Enceladus' Ice-Covered Ocean Closer to Surface Than Previously Thought
When it comes to places in the Solar System to search for possible alien life, Saturn's moon Enceladus is now right near the top of the list. Like Jupiter's moon Europa, it has a subsurface ocean of water, and even plumes/geysers of water vapor which erupt from fissures in the icy surface near the south pole. Those plumes contain organics as discovered by the Cassini probe and there is evidence for hydrothermal activity on the ocean floor, just like on Earth. The fissures are warmed by heat from below, and now there is evidence that some of them are even warmer than expected, meaning that water could be closer to the surface than previously thought.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Onizuka's Aliens
Throughout the history of modern UFO research, there have been many reports of crashed flying saucers and dead alien bodies being shipped off to destinations unknown. And while many of these reports come from dubious and less than credible witnesses, there are those rare occasions when the story rests on the shoulders of extremely prominent and highly credible individuals. Such was the case for Clark B. McClelland, former Spacecraft Operator of the NASA Space Shuttle Fleet.
By Ryan Sprague9 years ago in Futurism
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope Continues Observations of TRAPPIST-1 Planetary System
The seven Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting the star TRAPPIST-1 generated a lot of excitement when their discovery was announced last month. This is the largest collection of Earth-sized worlds in one planetary system found so far, and some of them are well within the star's "habitable zone" where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist on their surfaces. Little else is known about the actual conditions on these planets so far, but NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has also been observing TRAPPIST-1 in recent weeks.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Third Eye on the Moon
It was in January of 2017 when, due to a lawsuit, the CIA was forced to release over thirteen million previously declassified files online to the public. These files were wide-ranging, including such topics as recipes for invisible ink, UFO cases, and even files pertaining to Project Stargate, a government-funded project which dealt with psychic powers and extrasensory perception. And while this was intriguing, to say the least, one psychic claims that he was used for an operation that stretched every boundary of his own abilities.
By Ryan Sprague9 years ago in Futurism
