LCROSS/Centaur impact released 100+ kg of water! Moon wetter than Atacama Since November 13 we know: LCROSS did hit a major water ice deposit! LCROSS Blog of Nov. 25, a hi-res amateur Cabeus pic, NASA Releases of Nov. 17 (Cabeus view), Nov. 13 [Ames] (more w/visuals), Nov. 9, Oct. 22 and Oct. 16, a Geo-Eye image, LROC Blog of Nov. 17 (Cabeus), Nov. 5 (landslide), Nov. 4 (Apollo 12 details) and Oct. 28 (Apollo 17 flag sighted!), UAB Release of Nov. 13, S@N of Nov. 13, LRO for schools and coverage of Nov. 26: PTI. Nov. 24: NYT. Nov. 23: TSp. Nov. 20: OOC. Nov. 19: NwS, NYT, DMK (pt. 2). Nov. 18: APOD, WSJB, Tw. Nov. 17: WdP Podcast. Nov. 16: SWB, KSJ. Nov. 14: SFG, WP, LAT, HT, FT, HC, ABC, CSM, S&T, Tel. (more, more), PTI, OFM, UT, Tw., TS. Nov. 13: ScN, BBC, NwS, S&T, PS, SN, SC (more), G, Sl., Tel., Tim., Time, NYT, ScAm, Dsc., CNN, Rtr, TLP, HTB, AT, UT, NW, BAB, ST, SW, Sp., BR, TS (wrong picture, wrong crater). Nov. 10: CD. Nov. 9: BAB. Nov. 5: KL. Nov. 4: UT. Nov. 3: S&T. Oct. 29: SETI Inst. panel video (1:18). Oct. 28: TD, PSB, SB. Oct. 21: LNW, NW. Oct. 20: AN, OO, BAB. Oct. 19: Tel., Sp. (lame satire attempt), BAB, AsN, KL. Oct. 18: Sp. Oct. 17: LAT, NwS, CCO, AE, EAB, UT, ST, Tw., Wahrh. (video). Oct. 16: ScN, SC, NaB. Oct. 15: NwS, BDH, Mau, KSJ. Oct. 14: Dsc., EcT, NwS, CR, LNW, IO9. Oct. 13: ABCB, Tw. (earlier, still earlier, even earlier), TwP. Oct. 12: NwS, G, SC, AW&STB, NB, SpR. Chandrayaan aftermath & discoveries & future - ESA Release of Oct. 15 and coverage of Nov. 23: ThI. Nov. 16: MN, LNW. Nov. 14: ToI. Nov. 7: PTI. Oct. 16: ToI, Hin. Oct. 15: BDH, UT, LNW. Oct. 14: LNW. Oct. 13: PSB. Korean Moon visions: KT, Tw. Kaguya discoveries continue; data released: JAXA Release of Nov. 2, more videos, animated lunar topography and coverage of Nov. 28: LNW. Nov. 25: UT. Nov. 5: UT. Nov. 4: DG. Nov. 3: PSB. Oct. 28: LNW. Oct. 26: NG. Oct. 22: NwS. Oct. 20: PSB. China's plans: China Daily. Earlier: AD. ESA student Moon mission contract: ESA and SSTL [TNR] Releases. U.S. Moon rover rumor: NW, AS. LADEE: S@N. No German solo mission: AWF, WAZ, KL. HI misses Apollo rocks: HonAdv.

Update # 332 of Sunday, November 29, 2009

IBEX mission serves ribbon mystery (grown since October 12)

All-sky map by IBEX satellite delivers major mystery: a "ribbon" in the heliosphere missed by the Voyagers One year after its launch (see Update #320 header) the first sky maps by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer satellite have been published, showing the intensity of neutral atoms travelling from the heliosphere towards us. These maps reveal surprising and intense interactions between our home in the galaxy and interstellar space. What had been expected were small, gradual spatial variations at the interstellar boundary, some 15 billion km away. However, IBEX shows a very narrow ribbon that is two to three times brighter than anything else in the sky. The interstellar magnetic field probably plays a major role in creating this well-defined enhancement, but the physics are anything but understood. The IBEX principal investigator used the word "shocking" repeatedly during a NASA press conference - and said that at first they had thought the spacecraft was broken. But the measurements are confirmed, also by similar data collected by an instrument on the Cassini mission over the years. The background: The solar wind of charged particles continuously travels at supersonic speeds away from the Sun in all directions, inflating a giant bubble in interstellar space called the heliosphere, i.e. the region of space dominated by the Sun's influence in which the Earth and other planets reside. As the solar wind travels outward, it sweeps up newly formed "pickup ions," which arise from the ionization of neutral particles drifting in from interstellar space. IBEX measures energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) traveling at speeds of roughly half a million to two and a half million miles per hour. These ENAs are produced from the solar wind and pick-up ions in the boundary region between the heliosphere and the local interstellar medium. IBEX has used two novel ENA cameras to image and map the heliosphere's global interaction. ENAs propagate in from all parts of the boundary and, by detecting their directions of arrival, IBEX builds up maps of this invisible region over a broad range of energies every six months. While the Voyager spacecraft are providing pioneering point measurements of interactions in the interstellar boundary region at two locations, IBEX measurements demonstrate the importance of global observations: The bright narrow ribbon snakes through the sky just between the Voyager spacecraft, where it remained completely undetected until now. More time is needed to fully understand the IBEX data; however, because the ribbon appears to be ordered by the direction of the local interstellar magnetic field outside the heliosphere, IBEX observations suggest that the interstellar environment has far more influence on the structure of the heliosphere than anyone previously believed. A closer look at segments of the ribbon shows fine structures, which suggests that ion densities may be significantly enhanced in highly localized regions at the interstellar boundary.

IBEX Homepage, SwRI, Boston Univ., JPL (again), Univ. of Chicago, LANL, JHU APL and NASA Releases, Uni Bern und Uni Bochum PMn, S@N, key visuals and coverage by HT, ScN, BBC, NG, PW, SC, AN, NaB, CD (earlier, still earlier), UT, ST, WdP, ExZ, Sp., TP. MESSENGER fly-by 3 confirmed "dynamic planet" Despite the problems (see last Update small items) more interesting data could be obtained: Releases of Nov. 24 and Nov. 3 (visuals), S@N of Nov. 3 and coverage of Nov. 19: JHUN. Nov. 5: PS, AD. Nov. 4: BBC, ST. Nov. 3: S&T, ScN, SN, SC, UT. More expensive BepiColumbo has go: BBC. Rosetta visited Earth a final time on November 13: ESA Blog (esp. of Nov. 23) and Releases of Nov. 16, Nov. 13 (more, later), Nov. 12 (earlier), Nov. 10, Nov. 6, Nov. 2 and Oct. 20, MPS PM vom 17.11., ASI Releases of Nov. 16 and Oct. 21, NASA Blog of Nov. 11 and coverage of Nov. 23: UT. Nov. 16: SN, ST. Nov. 15: S&T, ST. Nov. 13: PSB, Sp., KL, Ori. (Teil 2), BR. Nov. 12: SN, BBC, AD, SC, PSB, CbS, CL, KL. Nov. 11: PSB. Nov. 10: NwS, PSB. Nov. 4: UT. Oct. 31: SL. Oct. 16: PSB. Hayabusa engine trouble - and recovery plan: JAXA Releases of Nov. 19 and Nov.9 and coverage of Nov. 20: NwS, UT. Nov. 19: SN, PSB. Nov. 11: PSB. Nov. 10: UT. Nov. 9: SN, NaB. Dawn in the belt: JPL Release. JAXA names Venus mission way ahead of launch: JAXA Release, SN, PSB, CD (earlier).

Mars Update MRO JPL Releases and Features of Nov. 24, Nov. 12, Nov. 4 (frosty Phoenix!) and Oct. 28, HiRISE pic 14426_2070 (crazy aeolian processes) and coverage of Nov. 9: S&T. Nov. 8: SpW, ST. Nov. 7: SN. Nov. 6: BG. Nov. 4: SN. Oct. 29: UT, NSp. Oct. 28: ADS, PSB (other item). Oct. 26: SC. Oct. 24: LAT. Oct. 21: P*N. Oct. 16: NaB. MER Free Spirit Updates, JPL & NASA Releases of Nov. 25, Nov. 23, Nov. 20, Nov. 19, Nov. 18, Nov. 17, Nov. 12, Oct. 30, Oct. 19, S@N of Nov. 12 (more telecon visuals), Road to Endeavour picture and Mars and Me rover driver blogs, some Spirit crisis pics, Opportunity's meteorite 'collection' and coverage of Nov. 27: USAT. Nov. 24: SC. Nov. 21: SN, MaP. Nov. 20: MSNBC. Nov. 19: PSB, KSJ. Nov. 18: ScAm, PSB. Nov. 17: NYT, Dsc., PSB. Nov. 13: ScAm, LAT, NaB, ST. Nov. 12: CNET, SC, NPR, Dsc., PSB, CbS, Dsc., UT, SW. Nov. 11: NwS. Nov. 9: RtE. Nov. 8: PSB, RtE. Nov. 7: RtE, UT, MaP. Nov. 5: RtE, MaP. Nov. 4: CbS. Oct. 31: PS. Oct. 21: NaB. Oct. 20: TwP. Oct. 19: MAM. Oct. 18: RTE, UT. Oct. 16: RTE. Oct. 12: SC. MSL/Curiosity S@N of Oct. 30 and coverage of Nov. 18: NW. Oct. 30: SpP. Oct. 20: SN. Oct. 18: PW. Mars Express VMC images of Nov. 18 (low altitude) and Nov. 5, ESA Release of Nov. 6, DLR PM vom 6.11.. ExoMars coverage of Nov. 8: BBC. Oct. 19: AD. Oct. 12: BBC. Fobos-Grunt coverage of Oct. 20: Nov. MAVEN: S@N. Gullies: ABC. Ocean: NIU Release, SC, TiL, UL. Simulating Mars' atmosphere: DLR Release. Mars methane meeting @ ESRIN: KL. Another ALH 84001 paper: Abstract, SN, Times (full of mistakes), UT, NwSB, NW, IO9, Dsc., CbS, NaB, SkM (still misleading after corrections), WL. Survival on Mars: paper by Galletta & al.

Saturn Update Papers by Fortney & al., Cordier & al. and Hedman & al. (another one), "E8" selected raw images, CICLOPS & JPL & NASA Releases of Nov. 25 [JPL], Nov. 24, Nov. 23, Nov. 21, Nov. 19, Nov. 16, Nov. 13, Nov. 12, Nov. 3 and Oct. 23, Caltech PR of Nov. 29, JPL Blog of Nov. 5 and Oct. 30, NASA Blog of Oct. 30, all raw pics, raw pictures # 146... 851 and 145... 395 and 323, pictures # 116... 23, 18, 13, 12, 02, 00 and coverage of Nov. 26: AsB, Sp. Nov. 25: Sp. Nov. 24: APOD, PSB, BdW, RS. Nov. 23: NwS, BBC, MSNBC. Nov. 22: PSB. Nov. 21: CbS, PSB (earlier), UT, BAB, TwP. (earlier). Nov. 20: UT. Nov. 12: aXb. Nov. 11: UT. Nov. 10: Dsc., PSB. Nov. 6: USAT. Nov. 4: SN, SC. Nov. 3: NwS, PSB (earlier), UT, BAB. Nov. 1: Tw. Oct. 30: PSB. Oct. 25: WP. Oct. 21: PSB. Oct. 20: SC. Oct. 19: BG (The Big Picture!), PSB. Oct. 18: PSB. Oct. 16: KL. Oct. 15: PSB. Oct. 14: NwS, SC, PSB. Oct. 13: ScAm, SC. Oct. 12: PSB.

ISS etc. Update Augustine report delivered, Ares I-X flies, HTV burns, STS-129 launched. Butterflies in space, Augustine report Exec. Summary and presser pics, STS-129 Status, landing video, mission pics, launch in HD, an amateur pic (a more dramatic one) and pro pics (more and more), Arex I-X Status, (official) blog, launch video (the Cessna view!), experience, pics (several more pages!), pic from ctrl room [alt.], another collection), distant pic, very distant pic, trouble pic :-), other pics (Big Picture), more pad pics and roll-out pics, NASA Releases of Nov. 27, Nov. 16, Nov. 13, Nov. 12, Oct. 29, Oct. 28, Oct. 19 (other topic), ESA Release of Nov. 21, JAXA Release of Nov. 26, CU Boulder PR of Nov. 10, OSTP Release of Oct. 22, KSC Director internal memo, Constell. Blog of Nov. 3 and Oct. 16, DLR PMn vom 16.11. and Oct. 15, Charite PR of Oct. 13, Sen. Nelson PR of Oct. 22, Mars Society PR of Oct. 27, S@N of Oct. 15 and coverage of Nov. 28: SC. Nov. 27: HT, AP, ST, Sp. Nov. 26: STS, Oni. Nov. 25: SC, CSM, STSB, ST. Nov. 24: Dsc., ST. Nov. 23: OO, SC (other story), SpP. Nov. 22: MotS, ST. Nov. 21: SN (earlier), SC, SpP. Nov. 20: SN, NwS, ST. Nov. 19: SN, SC, SpP, Ori. Nov. 18: SN, SC, Wir., BBC, NW, ST, AWF. Nov. 17: SC, NwSB. Nov. 16: SN, BBC, SC (earlier), SpN, SFF Blog, SpP, NaB, ST. Nov. 15: ST. Nov. 14: SN, SC (more). Nov. 13: Dsc., ST. Nov. 12: SN, OS (other topic), HTB, SC, UT. Nov. 11: NaB, ST. Nov. 10: SN, SC, UT. Nov. 9: SpP. Nov. 8: ST. Nov. 6: SpN (other story), SC, SpP (more). Nov. 5: HC. Nov. 4: AD, MSNBC, SR [OO], UT, CL, AWF. Nov. 3: ODT. Nov. 2: SN, PW, PSB podcast, SpP, NwSB. Nov. 1: SN, HT. ST. Oct. 31: ST. Oct. 30: SN, ScAm, BBC, Newsweek, NaB, UT. Oct. 29: SN, Ast., HT (more), HNN, Tel., UT (earlier), NW, SpP, ST, Sp. (attempted joke). Oct. 28: SN, BBC, NYT, OS, ScAm, T, AW&ST, NwS, PM, CNet, SC (detail), NG, TR, DN, Wir, G, CPD, CNN, CSM, Tel., AP, AFP, NaB, AE, UT, ST, KL, TS, Sp., Ori. Oct. 27: WP, BBC (earlier), NwS, SC, UT. Oct. 26: SN (more), BBC video, OS, ABC, CSM, NG, SC (more), SpR, Sp., Ori. Oct. 25: aXb, SN (earlier), NYT, SC (earlier), HC, AE. Oct. 24: FT, NPR, CL. Oct. 23: SN, HC (OpEd), PM, VoA, BBC, NwS, FTB, NaB, OSB, CR, AT, SpP, NW, RF. Oct. 22: NYT, WP, SN, ScAm, ABC, SC, Tel., BBC, OSB (earlier), UT, ScB, SpP (earlier), PSB, FrS, NW, SR, ST. Oct. 21: CL, ST, KL. Oct. 20: NwS, NSp, NaB, ST.. Oct. 19: OS, SN. Oct. 18: ST. Oct. 17: SpP. Oct. 16: SpN. Oct. 15: SpP, CL, ST (earlier), Ori. Oct. 14: SN. Oct. 13: BBC, NW, Ori. Oct. 12: CNN, HP, SpP, SpR.

German radio telescope moving to Tibet from Switzerland: X [alt.]. UK to pull out of Gemini Observatory: PW. China joins TMT: announcement. Record-Breaking Radio Astronomy Project to Measure Sky with Extreme Precision: NRAO Release. First ALMA fringes on the site: ALMA News, Jodrell Bank PR, Thyssen PM, BBC. Big Bear giant solar scope inaugurated: NJIT Press Release, Ast. New scopes in Turkey: CD. New observatories in Indonesia: Jak. Globe. IR detectors in HI: *Bull. New scope in UT: UNews, UT. Discovery scope progress: Lowell PR. LaserAO vs. satellites & planes? NwS, aXb, SaA. Arecibo impressions: S&T. ESA JWST instrument ready, but launch in mid-2014 the earliest: ESA Release, SpN, AWF. WFPC2, CoSTAR on display: NASA Release. 55 CoRoT papers in an A&A special: Press Release. Mission extension til 2013: ESA Release, SpS. Kepler has image stability problems: Manager's Updates of Nov. 23 and Nov. 5, S&T, SpN, NwS, CD, SpD, ExP, Tel., Tw. HAT P-7 retrograde orbit confirmed: Subaru, MIT Releases, CD, UT. Spitzer views HR 8799: Feature, SC. Planet formation recipe: PW. Review: NG.. Fermi one year ops, space-time paper: NASA PR, SyB, AT, PW, NwS, PSB, NYT. G-rays from S-formation: NaB. Cyg X-3: GSFC Release, UT. DM paper: S&T, SciAm, CV, PW. Fresnel telescopes? CD. Planck & planets: Nov. 22 and Nov. 5 Updates and coverage of Nov. 10: Tcr. Herschel first spectra, ESA Release of Nov. 27, STFC Release of Nov. 27, SRON News of Nov. 19 and Oct. 26 and coverage of Nov. 27: BBC, Tw. WISE launch on Dec. 9: NASA & JPL Releases of Nov. 25, Nov. 17 [JPL] and Nov. 11 and coverage of Nov. 27: AW&ST, Tel. Nov. 26: NwS. Nov. 21: CD. Nov. 18: CD. Nov. 13: CD SOFIA visions: S@N. Huge cosmic structure at z=0.55 A gigantic, previously unknown assembly of galaxies is the first observation of such a prominent structure in the distant Universe: ESO Release. Chandra pic of most distant galaxy cluster (more; BAB). The Smith Cloud - high-velocity accretion and dark-matter confinement: paper by Nichols & Bland-Hawthorn, NwS. Galaxy cluster motion "dark flow" claim: paper by Kashlinsky & al., NwS, WWT, Cos., SB. Early galaxies & reionization: Carnegie PR. GRB 090423 papers provide unprecedented look at an era when the Universe was very young: NRAO PR, ScAm, S&T, BBC, VoA, ABC, NG, SC, Tel., NYT Op Ed, UT. GRB theory: aXb. QuaD CMBR map supports standard view: Cardiff Univ. PR. C.R. origin insights by Veritas: CfA Release. M 253's winds' source: Subaru PR. Galaxy w/boxy bulge, NGC 4710: ESA HST Release, SC. Cen A as seen by the NTT: ESO Release. The first large black holes in the universe likely formed and grew deep inside gigantic, starlike cocoons: U Colorado PR. Thin carbon atmosphere of Cas A's neutron star This atmosphere is uniformly distributed across the neutron star, explaining why there are no pulsations detected from this object: Chandra Release, Chandra Blog, S&T, SC, Dsc., UT, DG. Crab Nebula in multi-spectral composite: Chandra Release. Extremely Energetic Supernova SN 2003ma: paper by Rest & al. New kind of SN seen in SN 2002bj? Paper by Poznanski & al., Keck, Berkeley and NSF Releases, KSZ, SC, SB, UT. Long duration radio transients lacking optical counterparts are possibly Galactic Neutron Stars: paper by Ofek & al. First images of helium in the Sun's corona obtained by an Italian instrument, launched on 14 September: ASI PR. An accurate tool for tracking solar rotation: TAU Release. Baby Brown Dwarfs observed: Spitzer, Calar Alto Releases. Double dust disk for binary: PW. Globular cluster a primordial building block of the Milky Way? An unusual mix of stars in Terzan 5 suggests that it is one of the bulge's primordial building blocks, most likely the relic of a proto-galaxy that merged with the Milky Way during its very early days: ESO and Keck Releases, SC, NwS, BAB, UT. Distant stars - in Messier 67 - shed light on the solar cycle: PW. WDs w/oxygen: paper by Gaensicke & al., SC, UT. Kapteyn's Star from Omega Cen? NwS. Masers in Orion: CfA Release, SC. HST pics of the Jewel Box (CL) and M 83 (CL). V445 Puppis studied: paper by Woudt & al., ESO and JB Releases, MPA PM, ScAm, AN, LS, WdP, Sp. Great Observatories Galactic Center composite: SW. Basic chemistry for life in 2nd hot gas planet Now it's HD 209458b: JPL Release. Alpha Cen planet search: CD. Stars with an orbiting planetary system have lithium levels similar to the Sun's, while those that are barren have higher levels: ESO Release, Oklo, KSJ, ScAm, ScN, SC, BBC, ST, BR, BdW, WdP. Related: paper by Ramirez & al. HARPS' exoplanet bounty - another 30+: ESO PR, S&T, BBC, ScN, NwSB, NaB, CD, UT, ST, ExP, BR, Sp., SB. Do exoplanets deserve real names? Paper by Lyra, table, aXb, AsB, NwSB, ExP, SAs, PWB, SB. 'Ultra-primitive' particles found in comet dust collected by high-flying aircraft: Carnegie PR, CD. Haumea's dark red spot is the first surface detail ever seen on a Kuiper Belt Object: aXb. SMOS launched! With Proba-2! ESA Releases of Nov. 19, Nov. 11, Nov. 3, Nov. 2 and Oct. 30, DLR Release of Nov. 2, Eurockot Release of Nov. 2 and coverage of Nov. 21: BBC. Nov. 3: BBC, Ori., SB. Nov. 2: BBC, DM, Tel., ST, TS. Nov. 1: SN. Oct. 30: BBC w/video. GRACE science: NASA EO, Uni Bonn PM, BBC. Another "fitting" crater for the KPB impact in India? Abstract, more, Texas Tech PR; NwSB. Earlier: NG, SC, Dsc., CD. And yet another dino death idea ... Dryas doubts: S&T, LAT, ABC, NYT, BBC, NwS, AT, NaB, LMH, TP. Earlier: AT. Artic crater search: Wir. Craters & climate: DG. Icy Themis: NwS. Galactic collision NGC 2623: HST ESA PR, CL, BAB. One of our nearest galactic neighbours, Barnard's Galaxy: ESO Release, SC, SpW. NSF authorizes $29 million for world's deepest underground lab, DUSEL: Berkeley PR. Atlas launches Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft to provide weather data for the DoD, replacing one that was launched six years ago: SN, ST. Korean launch failure explained: Kor. Her. First Soyuz rockets shipped to French Guiana: ST. GOCE in routine operations, commissioning over: ESA Release. Earlier: Dsc. OceanSat delivers: HiT. First TDR satellite to retire after 26 years: SN, TR, OO. Planetary Society announces solar sail plans: SW; CSM, SC, CD, ST.