Astronomers use new model of dust in galaxies to remeasure the total energy output of stars in the universe

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An edge-on view: The light-blocking effect of dust is particularly clear in the case of the galaxy NGC 891. Image: C. Howk (JHU) B. Savage (U. Wisconsin) N. A. Sharp (NOAO)WIYNNOAONSF
An edge-on view: The light-blocking effect of dust is particularly clear in the case of the galaxy NGC 891. Image: C. Howk (JHU), B. Savage (U. Wisconsin), N. A. Sharp (NOAO)/WIYN/NOAO/NSF

Anyone gazing up on a dark clear night is greeted by the spectacle of thousands of powerful fusion reactors - the stars. These balls of extremely hot gas are generating unimaginably large quantities of energy. Even the stars within a cube of "only" one light year on a side, taken at a random position in the universe, generate on average 40 quadrillion kilowatthours in one year.


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EPA: Few volunteering to cut greenhouse gases

7 minutes ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- Voluntary pollution-reduction programs touted by the Bush administration as part of the solution to global warming have "limited potential" to reduce greenhouse gases, according to an internal government watchdog.

Trench on Mars Ready for Next Sampling by NASA Lander

Jul 24, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has groomed the bottom of a shallow trench to prepare for collecting a sample to be analyzed from a hard subsurface layer where the soil may contain frozen water. ...

Arctic 'holds 90bln barrels of oil, mostly offshore'

Jul 24, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Within the Arctic circle there are 90 billion barrels of oil and vast quantities of natural gas waiting to be tapped, most of it offshore, the government-run US Geological Survey said.

Russian scientists begin trial exploration of world's deepest lake

Jul 24, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Russian scientists leading a submarine expedition to probe the world's deepest lake on Thursday carried out test dives ahead of the start of the operation next week, reports said.

Scientists solve 30-year-old aurora borealis mystery

Jul 24, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
UCLA space scientists and colleagues have identified the mechanism that triggers substorms in space; wreaks havoc on satellites, power grids and communications systems; and leads to the explosive release of ...
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