Powerful explosions suggest neutron star missing link

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This artist rendering depicts how a magnetar might appear if we could travel to one and view it up close something that would not be advisable. Credit: Sky Telescope Gregg Dinderman
This artist rendering depicts how a magnetar might appear if we could travel to one and view it up close, something that would not be advisable. Credit: Sky & Telescope, Gregg Dinderman

Observations from NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) have revealed that the youngest known pulsing neutron star has thrown a temper tantrum. The collapsed star occasionally unleashes powerful bursts of X-rays, which are forcing astronomers to rethink the life cycle of neutron stars.


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All News summaries for February 21, 2008

Satellite communications by laser

2 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Satellites currently use radio waves to exchange data. Now the data rate has been increased a hundredfold by using lasers instead of radio signals. Two test satellites each carried a diode laser pump module developed with ...

Study says Chinese air quality standards not yet met

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With the Olympic Games in sight, the Chinese Government is committed to improving the air quality in Beijing, and has had measures in place since 1998 which have already made a difference. However, there is still some way ...

NASA's GLAST gets shades, blankets for the beach

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GREENBELT, Md. - NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, is receiving finishing touches at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, near the beaches of eastern central Florida for its launch. The ...

Fecal microorganisms inhabit sandy beaches of Florida

3 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Traditionally, the cleanliness of a beach is monitored by sampling the bathing water a few meters from shore. But since sand is an effective filter, it follows that fecal bacteria (those from sewage) may be concentrated in ...

Astronaut health on moon may depend on good dusting

4 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Lunar dust could be more than a housekeeping issue for astronauts who visit the moon. Their good health may depend on the amount of exposure they have to the tiny particles.
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