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3 new stories for 2008/02/22

Pulsars are Exploding Unexpectedly and "Magnetars" Might be to Blame


Pulsars are fast-spinning, highly radiating neutron stars. Most pulsars emit radio, X-ray and gamma radiation at regular intervals (usually periods of a few milliseconds to a few seconds), in fact many pulses keep the accuracy of the most accurate atomic clocks on Earth. However, occasionally, these rapidly rotating bodies undergo a violent change, blasting massive quantities of energy into space. Although short-lived (a fraction of a second), the observed explosion packs a punch of at least 75,000 Suns. Is this a natural process in the life of a pulsar? Is it a totally different type of cosmic phenomena? Researchers suggest these observations may be a different type of neutron star: magnetars disguised as pulsars (and without an ounce of dark matter in sight!)…


The gradual increase in global temperatures is getting harder and harder to pin on the Sun and its energy output variability. The Sun has a variation in how much energy it outputs but this variability is only about one tenth of one percent. The pattern of atmospheric heating since the 1960s is showing an increase with the increase in human activity (industry, transportation, power generation) and neither are showing signs of slowing down…

Planet Hunter Prepped for Tests




If you think the discoveries made by planet hunters is exciting already, just you wait. There are some missions in the works that are going multiply the number of planets discovered, and zoom in on the holy grail of finding habitable planets around other stars. The next planet hunter being readied for launch is NASA's Kepler Mission. This week engineers conducted a series of tests on its image detectors - will it really be able to see planets?

Meteor Blazed Above the Pacific Northwest Tuesday,
February 19
Many lucky people in the Pacific Northwest United States got the treat of a lifetime on Tuesday morning. A bright fireball blazed across the sky at 5:31 am near Portland, Oregon. Apparently the meteor was so bright, people saw it in Washington, Idaho, and even as far away as British Columbia

I often get emails from people who saw a bright fireball in the sky. When I'm done seething with jealousy, I suggest they contact their appropriate meteor society (for example, the American Meteor Society in the US) and report the details. Scientists working in this field will thank you.