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News & Views |
Astrophysical false positives
The probability that giant-planet-like signals detected by the Kepler spacecraft are not from planets is higher than expected. The result underscores the importance of making follow-up observations to confirm the nature of the signals.
- Andrew Collier Cameron
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News |
Stores of ice confirmed on Sun-scorched Mercury
MESSENGER finds evidence of pure water ice near planet's north pole.
- Maggie McKee
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Letter |
Active upper-atmosphere chemistry and dynamics from polar circulation reversal on Titan
Observations of trace gases over the south pole of Titan indicate that the moon’s middle-atmospheric circulation extends to an altitude of at least 600 kilometres, which is higher than previously thought and requires active chemistry and dynamics in the upper atmosphere.
- Nicholas A. Teanby
- , Patrick G. J. Irwin
- & F. Michael Flasar
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News |
Space budget blow to climate science
Economic difficulties take their toll on European Space Agency’s Earth-observation programme.
- Edwin Cartlidge
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Research Highlights |
Encounter with a rogue planet
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Letter |
Albedo and atmospheric constraints of dwarf planet Makemake from a stellar occultation
The icy dwarf planet Makemake has projected axes of 1,430 ± 9 and 1,502 ± 45 km and a V-band geometric albedo larger than Pluto’s but smaller than Eris’s, with no global Pluto-like atmosphere.
- J. L. Ortiz
- , B. Sicardy
- & M. Emilio
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News |
Roaming robot may explore mysterious Moon caverns
Spelunking rover could scout sites for lunar bases.
- Devin Powell
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Research Highlights |
More co-orbiters for Neptune
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Books & Arts |
Science fiction: Curtains for space opera?
Since July, astronomers have killed off one trope of science fiction and given fresh life to another. Leigh Phillips gets Mars Trilogy author Kim Stanley Robinson's reaction.
- Leigh Phillips
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Letter |
A primordial origin for misalignments between stellar spin axes and planetary orbits
Modelling shows that the misaligned orbits of ‘hot Jupiters’ can follow naturally from disk migration in binary systems whose orbital plane is uncorrelated with the spin axes of the individual stars.
- Konstantin Batygin
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Books & Arts |
Books in brief
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News |
Hopes linger for Mars methane
But negative signal from the Curiosity rover raises questions about planned European mission.
- Eric Hand
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News |
NASA rover yet to find methane on Mars
Non-detection casts doubt on claims of hotspots.
- Eric Hand
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News |
British Antarctic Survey keeps its independence
Research centre will not face controversial merger with oceanography body.
- Daniel Cressey
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News & Views |
Dark and stormy weather
Can some of the ageing effects on asteroid surfaces be caused by an interplanetary rain of carbon-rich Solar System debris? Observations from the Dawn space mission suggest that the answer is yes. See Letters p.79 & p.83
- Beth Ellen Clark
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Letter |
Distinctive space weathering on Vesta from regolith mixing processes
Whereas space weathering of some airless bodies, such as the Moon, occurs through the accumulation on regolith of nanophase metallic particles, spectroscopic data show that space weathering of the asteroid Vesta occurs through the small-scale mixing of diverse surface components, which gradually generates locally homogenized upper regolith.
- C. M. Pieters
- , E. Ammannito
- & C. T. Russell
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Letter |
Dark material on Vesta from the infall of carbonaceous volatile-rich material
From spectra and images of Vesta, it is suggested that the dark patches on Vesta are formed of infalling hydrated carbonaceous material and the bright patches are uncontaminated Vesta soil.
- T. B. McCord
- , J.-Y. Li
- & C. T. Russell
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News Explainer |
Hurricane Sandy spins up climate discussion
Destructive power of US east-coast storm stems from factors that include — but are not limited to — global warming.
- Jeff Tollefson
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Correspondence |
Timely reminder to return to the Moon
- David A. Kring
- , Jack O. Burns
- & D. Ben J. Bussey
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Research Highlights |
Moon spun off from Earth
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Autumn Books |
Environmental sciences: Divided we save
An expanded model for heading off planetary tipping points offers much to both optimists and the apocalyptically inclined, finds Peter Kareiva.
- Peter Kareiva
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Autumn Books |
Planetary science: The search for Earth's twin
Sara Seager enjoys a frank and vivid account of planet hunting.
- Sara Seager
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News |
Moon-forming impact not so giant?
Fast-spinning proto-Earth allows alternative lunar origins.
- Ron Cowen
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Research Highlights |
Signs of asteroid magnetic field
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News & Views |
Meet our closest neighbour
The discovery of a possible extrasolar planet that has the same mass as Earth and orbits α Centauri B, a member of the closest star system to the Sun, is both a technical achievement and cause for excitement. See Article p.207
- Artie P. Hatzes
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News & Views |
Galvanized lunacy
The finding that magmatic material from the Moon is more enriched in the heavy isotopes of zinc than its terrestrial and Martian analogues prompts fresh thinking about the origin of our natural satellite. See Letter p.376
- Tim Elliott
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News |
Moon-merge model could explain Saturnian system
Simulation suggests that the moons of Saturn were once more like Jupiter's.
- Ron Cowen
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Letter |
Zinc isotopic evidence for the origin of the Moon
Lunar magmatic rocks are shown to be enriched in the heavy isotopes of zinc and to have lower zinc concentrations than terrestrial or Martian igneous rocks; these variations represent the large-scale evaporation of zinc, most probably in the aftermath of the Moon-forming giant impact event.
- Randal C. Paniello
- , James M. D. Day
- & Frédéric Moynier
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News |
The mysterious case of the missing noble gas
Xenon has almost vanished from Earth's atmosphere. German geoscientists think they know where it went.
- Ewen Callaway
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Letter |
The origin of the terrestrial noble-gas signature
The solubility of argon in lower mantle minerals is shown to be much higher than for xenon, so that the depletion of xenon relative to argon in Earth’s atmosphere can be explained by mantle degassing.
- Svyatoslav S. Shcheka
- & Hans Keppler
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Books & Arts |
Mars exploration: Roving the red planet
It is people who drive Curiosity and other robot missions on Mars, reminds Jim Bell.
- Jim Bell
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Letter |
Comet-like mineralogy of olivine crystals in an extrasolar proto-Kuiper belt
Analysis of the 69-micrometre spectral band of olivine crystals in the β Pictoris planetary system shows that they can be associated with an extrasolar proto-Kuiper belt, are rich in magnesium and make up about 3.6 per cent of the dust mass in the system — properties remarkably similar to those of olivine crystals from primitive comets in the Solar System.
- B. L. de Vries
- , B. Acke
- & B. Sibthorpe
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News |
Dawn spacecraft finds signs of water on Vesta
Excess hydrogen and pitted vents suggest asteroid once contained water.
- Eric Hand
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Research Highlights |
Volcanic signs in Martian clays
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News |
Tandem satellites probe the Moon's interior
First results from NASA gravity mapping mission suggests a thin lunar crust.
- Eugenie Samuel Reich
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Research Highlights |
Calm Sun promotes chilly winters
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Editorial |
Moonlight drive
The data from the ageing Voyager probes are illuminating the edge of the Solar System.
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Research Highlights |
Disintegrating planet spotted
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News Q&A |
China sets its sights on the stars
Cui Xiangqun, president of the Chinese Astronomical Society, talks about the nation’s plans for more telescopes and probes.
- Jane Qiu
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News |
Recycled dishes form telescope network
Africa refits redundant satellite dishes for radio astronomy.
- Linda Nordling
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News |
Space missions trigger map wars
Planetary explorers rebel against nomenclature protocols.
- Eric Hand
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Nature Video |
Curiosity's first look at Mars
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News |
Mars scientists await feast of data
As the Curiosity rover prepares to take its first trip across the surface, the lead scientist shares his hopes for the mission.
- Eric Hand
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News |
Mars rover sizes up the field
After a picture-perfect landing, Curiosity’s science team ponders its first moves at Gale Crater.
- Eric Hand
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News |
Curiosity sets down on Mars
Six-wheeled robot set to begin multi-year mission at Gale Crater.
- Eric Hand
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