Posts in the Astronomy / Astrophysics Category at NetMassimo Blog, Page 50

From the left: Venus, Earth, Mars. A comparison of their sizes (image NASA)

If Mars is so small it might be Jupiter’s fault

Massimo Luciani June 8, 2011 1

Accoring to a research made by an international team of scientists Mars small size might be the result of Jupiter moving towards the Sun while it was forming, which might have absorbed part of the matter present in the orbit of what then coalesced into the red planet.

Statue of Andrei Sakharov at the Univirsity of St. Petersburg

Andrei Sakharov was born 90 years ago

Massimo Luciani May 21, 2011 2

Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov was born on May 21, 1921 in Moscow, then in the USSR. He took part to Soviet nuclear program and seeing the weapons power helped him to develop his activism against atomic proliferation. In 1975 he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

Io's internal structure and magnetic field lines (image NASA/JPL/University of Michigan/UCLA)

An ocean of magma under the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io

Massimo Luciani May 13, 2011 0

A new analysis of the data gathered by the Galileo space probe has revealed the presence of a partially molten magma ocean which is a layer about 30 miles thick below the surface of Io, one of the biggest Jupiter’s moons.

Artist concept of Gravity Probe B in orbit (image NASA/MSFC)

New confirmation to the theory of relativity from the Gravity Probe B space mission

Massimo Luciani May 6, 2011 0

The Gravity Probe B space mission has confirmed two predictions derived from Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity measuring the geodetic and frame-dragging effects.

A comparison of the same part of the Tempel 1 comet before and after being hit by the impactor launched by the Deep Impact probe (photo NASA)

The Stardust probe met the Tempel 1 comet

Massimo Luciani February 17, 2011 1

In July 2005 the Deep Impact probe made the first visit to the comet Tempel 1, in recent days the Stardust spacecraft has taken new photos, including the ones of the crater left by the impactor launched from Deep Impact, and made new measurements to improve our knowledge.