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Water, water everywhere

Posted in : Astrometry

(added few months ago!)

Astronomers have used far-infrared instrumentation to show for the first time a cloud of water vapour swirling around a burgeoning solar system. The vapour is cold enough to form comets, which could eventually deliver oceans to the distant system's parched newly forming planets. Such observations, of course, hint at how water might have been deposited on the Earth and our neighbouring planets and moons as well as suggesting where life-giving water might be found elsewhere in our galaxy and beyond.

Water life's essential solvent has been found in quantities enough to fill the Earth's oceans thousands of times over circulating within the planet-forming disk surrounding the star TW Hydrae. TW Hydrae lies some 176 light years from Earth, in the constellation Hydra and is the closest known fledgling wannabe solar system.

The researchers used the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) on-board the orbiting Herschel Space Observatory to detect the chemical signature of water. Ted Bergin of the University of Michigan and astronomical colleagues published details of the discovery in the journal Science. HIFI records the far-infrared wavelengths where organic molecules and water emit their chemical signatures. The instrument detected emission lines from both spin isomers of cold water vapor from the disk, the researchers say. This water vapour presumably originates from ice-coated solids near the disk surface, the researchers add.

Key materials

"This tells us that the key materials that life needs are present in a system before planets are born," explains Bergin, one of the HIFI investigators. "We expected this to be the case, but now we know it is because have directly detected it. We can see it."

Previously, scientists had identified the presence of warm water vapour in planet-forming disks close to the central star around which the accretion disk circulates. However, what they had not seen before was large oceanic quantities of water extending beyond into the cooler, far reaches of such disks in the region where comets and giant planets form. The presence of water at such far reaches from the central star means more water to form icy comets that might eventually smash into rocky planets closer in to the star depositing their aqueous payload in the process.

"The detection of water sticking to dust grains throughout the planet-forming disk would be similar to events in our own solar system's evolution, where over millions of years, these dust grains would then coalesce to form comets," explains the study's principal investigator Michiel Hogerheijde of Leiden University in The Netherlands, "These would be a prime delivery mechanism for water on planetary bodies." Higerheijde also worked with colleagues at the California Institute of Technology, the University of Amsterdam, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Johns Hopkins University, the European Southern Observatory, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and the Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik in Germany.

HIFI data

Data from HIFI also supports the theory that ancient comets delivered most of the water that formed the Earth's oceans. The chemical signature of the icy comet Hartley 2 is identical to that of Earth's oceans. HIFI is thus helping astronomers better understand how water reaches terrestrial planets. If the icy disk surrounding TW Hydrae is typical of other young star systems, then the researchers suggest that there might be many other similar systems scattered across the universe any one which might have warm, rocky planets with sloshing oceans.

The team adds that, "The water?s ortho-to-para ratio falls well below that of solar system comets, suggesting that comets contain heterogeneous ice mixtures collected across the entire solar nebula during the early stages of planetary birth."

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Celebrating a Rich History and Future in Astronomy

Posted in : Astrometry

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The Minister for Education and Skills, Nick McKim, today celebrated significant milestones in radio astronomy in Tasmania. Mr McKim said 2011 was the 25th anniversary of construction of the Mt Pleasant Radio Observatory at the University of Tasmania by Professor Peter McCulloch.

“This year is also the 100th anniversary of the birth of Grote Reber, the father of radio astronomy and the completion of the $7.7 million federally-funded AuScope Project, which has seen operation of three new radio telescopes in Australia including Hobart,” Mr McKim said.

“Grote Reber inspired Professor Bill Ellis and others to extend their cosmic ray research into astrophysics, which began a 50 year tradition of discovery in radio and optical astronomy at the University of Tasmania.

“Optical and radio astronomers from around the world come  to Tasmania to use the University of Tasmania’s telescope. “Hobart’s unique position at 43 degrees south latitude, 147 degrees east longitude, is an excellent complement to telescopes in operation in South America, Hawaii, and East Asia. “Astronomers at UTAS have research collaborations with scientists at more than 30 institutes in 11 nations.”

Mr McKim said the Mount Pleasant Observatory makes Tasmania one of the fundamental points that form the basis of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame.

“This is a great achievement that is a direct result of the talented, highly-educated and highly-skilled researchers working within the School of Mathematics and Physics,” Mr McKim said. It is achievements such as these that reinforce the reasons why the Tasmanian Government is a strong supporter of the state’s science and research sector. “The sector generates significant benefits to Tasmania, attracts offshore investment and provides high quality employment opportunities.”

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Astronomers Pin Down Galaxy Collision Rate

Posted in : Astrometry

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Washington, D.C. – A new analysis of Hubble surveys, combined with simulations of galaxy interactions, reveals that the merger rate of galaxies over the last 8 billion to 9 billion years falls between the previous estimates.

Astronomers Pin Down Galaxy Collision Rate

The galaxy merger rate is one of the fundamental measures of galaxy evolution, yielding clues to how galaxies bulked up over time through encounters with other galaxies. And yet, a huge discrepancy exists over how often galaxies coalesced in the past. Measurements of galaxies in deep-field surveys made by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope generated a broad range of results: anywhere from 5 percent to 25 percent of the galaxies were merging.

The study, led by Jennifer Lotz of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, analyzed galaxy interactions at different distances, allowing the astronomers to compare mergers over time. Lotz’s team found that galaxies gained quite a bit of mass through collisions with other galaxies. Large galaxies merged with each other on average once over the past 9 billion years. Small galaxies were coalescing with large galaxies more frequently. In one of the first measurements of smashups between dwarf and massive galaxies in the distant universe, Lotz’s team found these mergers happened three times more often than encounters between two hefty galaxies.

“Having an accurate value for the merger rate is critical because galactic collisions may be a key process that drives galaxy assembly, rapid star formation at early times, and the accretion of gas onto central supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies,” Lotz explains. The team’s results are accepted for publication appeared in The Astrophysical Journal. The problem with previous Hubble estimates is that astronomers used different methods to count the mergers.

“These different techniques probe mergers at different ‘snapshots’ in time along the merger process,” Lotz says. “It is a little bit like trying to count car crashes by taking snapshots. If you look for cars on a collision course, you will only see a few of them. If you count up the number of wrecked cars you see afterwards, you will see many more. Studies that looked for close pairs of galaxies that appeared ready to collide gave much lower numbers of mergers than those that searched for galaxies with disturbed shapes, evidence that they’re in smashups.”

To figure out how many encounters happen over time, Lotz needed to understand how long merging galaxies would look like “wrecks” before they settle down and begin to look like normal galaxies again.
That’s why Lotz and her team turned to highly detailed computer simulations to help make sense of the Hubble photographs. The team made simulations of the many possible galaxy collision scenarios and then mapped them to Hubble images of galaxy interactions.

Creating the computer models was a time-consuming process. Lotz’s team tried to account for a broad range of merger possibilities, from a pair of galaxies with equal masses joining together to an interaction between a giant galaxy and a puny one. The team also analyzed different orbits for the galaxies, possible collision impacts, and how galaxies were oriented to each other. In all, the group came up with 57 different merger scenarios and studied the mergers from 10 different viewing angles. “Viewing the simulations was akin to watching a slow-motion car crash,” Lotz says. The simulations followed the galaxies for 2 billion to 3 billion years, beginning at the first encounter and continuing until the union was completed, about a billion years later.

“Our simulations offer a realistic picture of mergers between galaxies,” Lotz says. In addition to studying the smashups between giant galaxies, the team also analyzed encounters among puny galaxies. Spotting collisions with small galaxies are difficult because the objects are so dim relative to their larger companions.

“Dwarf galaxies are the most common galaxy in the universe,” Lotz says. “They may have contributed to the buildup of large galaxies. In fact, our own Milky Way galaxy had several such mergers with small galaxies in its recent past, which helped to build up the outer regions of its halo. This study provides the first quantitative understanding of how the number of galaxies disturbed by these minor mergers changed with time.”

Lotz compared her simulation images with pictures of thousands of galaxies taken from some of Hubble’s largest surveys, including the All-Wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS), the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS), and the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS), as well as mergers identified by the DEEP2 survey with the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. She and other groups had identified about a thousand merger candidates from these surveys but initially found very different merger rates.

“When we applied what we learned from the simulations to the Hubble surveys in our study, we derived much more consistent results,” Lotz says. Her next goal is to analyze galaxies that were interacting around 11 billion years ago, when star formation across the universe peaked, to see if the merger rate rises along with the star formation rate. A link between the two would mean galaxy encounters incite rapid star birth.

In addition to Lotz, the coauthors of the paper include Patrik Jonsson of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA; T. J. Cox of Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, CA; Darren Croton of the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University of Technology in Hawthorn, Australia; Joel R. Primack of the University of California, Santa Cruz; Rachel S. Somerville of the Space Telescope Science Institute and The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD; and Kyle Stewart of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., in Washington, D.C.

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Dwarf planet Eris revealed in new light

Posted in : Astrometry

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Dwarf planet Eris revealed in new lightThe dwarf planet Eris is one of the most reflective objects in our solar system, astronomers say in a study uncovering a trove of information about the mysterious object beyond Pluto.

Eris was identified in 2005, but its size and other characteristics have been difficult to measure because it is located nearly three times farther from the sun than Pluto and about 96 times farther from the sun than the Earth. However, new data gathered as it passed in front of a faint star in 2010 has allowed astronomers to get to know Eris a little better.

Based on the new measurements, astronomers led by Bruno Sicardy at Pierre and Marie Curie University and the Paris Observatory estimated in the journal Nature Wednesday that Eris is almost perfectly spherical and 2,326 kilometres in diameter, plus or minus six kilometres — almost exactly the same size as Pluto and about one-fifth the size of the moon.

Eris had been estimated to be 27 per cent heavier than Pluto based on its interactions with its moon, Dysnomia. That, combined with its newly measured diameter, suggests Eris is mostly made of rock surrounded by a 100-kilometre thick layer of ice that makes up roughly 15 per cent of its mass.

The new observations of Eris also showed that it reflects 96 per cent of the light that falls on it. That makes it one of the most reflective objects in the solar system, after Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons, the European Southern Observatory said in a news release.

A possible explanation for the brightness is that it is caused by a thin, reflective icy layer of nitrogen or methane that may make up Eris's atmosphere when it is at its closest point to the sun, about 57 billion kilometers away or 38 times the distance between the Earth and the sun. Right now, when it is close to its farthest point from the sun, as it is now and is extremely cold, the atmosphere may have "collapsed" or condensed into a reflective frost on the planet's surface, the paper suggests.

Based on the new measurements, combined with data from the Spitzer space telescope and the IRAM scientific satellite, the researchers estimate that the surface temperature on the side of Eris facing the sun is no more than –238 C. The researchers were able to observe Eris and collect the new data about it by predicting when it would pass in front of a faint background star.

They forecast the rare event, called occultation, for Nov. 6, 2010. They arranged to record the event from 26 sites, but because of weather and other factors, they were only able to see it from two sites in Chile: San Pedro de Atacama, where they observed it with two telescopes, and the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory, home of the Belgian TRAPPIST telescope.

By recording the timing of the drop in light caused by Eris passing in front of the star at the sites, the researchers were able to calculate its size. That, in turn, could be used in combination with previous measurements to calculate many of the planet's other characteristics, such as its density, reflectivity and temperature.

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Astrology predictions for October 26th, 2011

Posted in : Astrology

(added few months ago!)

Aries: Your friendly, kind and noble nature brings people close to you. You won't have to take any great efforts to do this.

Your healthy and robust being will help you attain success in all your plans and projects that you undertake today.

You would be so tied down with responsibilities that you won't find any time to spend on your favorite hobbies. Do not let it dampen your spirit though as you would soon get out of this busy schedule.

Taurus: You are generally very energetic and powerful. But today exhaustion due to your busy schedule of the past few days will slow you down. Take adequate rest and you will soon be fine.

Think over your plans over the next few days before implementing them. Soon you will find favorable time.

You might have a tendency to shoot off your mouth, especially when you are trying to get something. Be very aware of this habit of yours as it might only create negative vibes around you.

Gemini: Love and care from your near and dear ones will act as an energy booster and will encourage you to take up something creative and effective.

The forthright manner in which you speak critically of others will alienate you. This would be the case even in instances where you might be right. Try to be gentle while you speak.

Friends would encourage you big time to reach your goal. Share your plans with them and they will do all that they can help.

You will invest your energy and vigor in a new project which also gives you a purpose. Your physical and mental stamina would also be at a high.

Cancer: All your efforts you have put in to create something useful for others as well as yourself will be rewarded. You will succeed in creating what you set out to do.

Since you have always provided support and encouragement to others, today you will receive their support in completing what you are now doing.

Leo: Today may not be a good day to raise funds or go about collecting money that others may owe you.

You are generally very energetic and powerful. But today exhaustion due to your busy schedule of the past few days will slow you down. Take adequate rest and you will soon be fine.

Your loyalty to those dear to you in their hour of need will endear you to them. They will love and care for you more.

Virgo: Keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself. Attain some clarity before you try and present it to others. You may be appreciated for your ideas but it might come a little late in the day.

Not a very promising day for lovers. Something may bring up a past unresolved dispute. Things may go spiraling down if not handled sensitively.

Libra: Your friendly, kind and noble nature brings people close to you. You won't have to take any great efforts to do this.

Your healthy and robust being will help you attain success in all your plans and projects that you undertake today.

You would be so tied down with responsibilities that you won't find any time to spend on your favorite hobbies. Do not let it dampen your spirit though as you would soon get out of this busy schedule.

Scorpio: You will be in a positive energy frame today. It makes you optimistic and gives you the faith in your resources and their support. You will also have the confidence to express yourself clearly.

Think over your plans over the next few days before implementing them. Soon you will find favorable time.

You are a person committed to a relationship. The one that you have now forged would be a long one. You will also do whatever is within your means to make it stable.

Be courageous today as you face some unexpected issues at work or in your business deals. Courage will win the day for you.

Sagittarius: You will be attracted to a person who will share your interests and desires and passion.

Fathers need to spend more time with their family and kids. They are missing the love and care that only a father can provide them.

You will achieve your goal with your talent and analytical powers.

Capricorn: It would be very difficult today to balance your time between family and career. There would be a conflict of commitment. Try and explain your situation to your close family members as they will only understand you.

Express you love for your beloved openly and confidently. Keep away any negative thoughts that might lurk in. You will be successful in love today.

There might be some unforeseen family matters that might require your immediate attention today. This might keep you away from your job or business.

Aquarius: You are attracted to beauty and peace. Today you will find yourself relaxing in a peaceful environment.

You have been planning to take a vacation to spend some time with yourself for some time now. But unfortunately you may have to postpone your plans due to some unexpected reasons.

A short journey you've planned for today with your near and dear ones will pass to be very enjoyable and exciting. You'll all have great fun.

Pisces: Women who dedicate their days taking care of their families need to take care of themselves as well. They shouldn't neglect their own well being.

You have to be very firm while communicating to anybody that matters relating to your spouse, children and your private life is off limits. Ensure that there are no unnecessary interference into your private life.

A break today from work would help you regain your lost energy. Try and relax so that your mind and body are rejuvenated.

You will soon find yourself in a new surrounding. It might be a transfer or a shift to a new place. But this move will definitely bring about a positive change in your nature.

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Astronomers detect huge water reservoir in space

Posted in : Astrometry

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Researchers generally agree that the world's oceans contain more than 1.3 billion cubic kilometers of water. Multiply that by several thousand and you'll get the amount of water that astronomers detected in space, just 175 light years away.

This huge reservoir belongs to the young star TW Hydrae - and astronomers believe it's not the only star in the universe with such ample supplies of water. The team, led by researchers from Leiden University in the Netherlands, hopes to be able to observe three more watery disks like this over the next two years.

In a paper published last Friday in the journal Science, astronomers described what they saw via the Hershel telescope in space. With the help of super-sensitive infrared technology, they were able to detect a cloud of cold water vapor around TW Hydrae.

Yet even more interesting was what they couldn't see: the disk of vapor indicates there's also a huge reservoir of water present, "sufficient to form several thousand Earth oceans' worth of icy bodies," the paper says.

Carsten Dominik, an astronomy professor at the University of Amsterdam who co-authored the report, offered a terrestrial comparison: "If you see an iceberg, you only see a small fraction," he told Deutsche Welle.

The same concept applies in space. The water stores in this rotating, protoplanetary disk are actually located deep beneath its surface. Researchers say this water produces icy comets capable of smashing into new worlds and bringing with them enough water to form oceans - making the star itself a solar system in the making.

When particles collide

A number of basic questions came to bear in the team's research. Ewine van Dishoeck, a professor at Leiden University and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany, listed two of them: where did the water in the ocean and our bodies come from? And how were they transmitted to a planet like our Earth?

"We know that planets are being formed in these swirling disks of gas and dust around stars, and one of the questions has always been, what is the reservoir of water that is available in these disks?" she told Deutsche Welle.

The dust particles present in the cloud are much like grains of sand on a beach - just some 10,000 times smaller. Yet eventually, these bits collide and grow bigger and bigger, from a single square kilometer to an entire planet.

But the disk doesn't just contain dust - it also contains water molecules. And the farther the distance from the star itself, the colder the water is in the disk. Van Dishoeck said scientists had already noticed the presence of hot water closer to the center, "but that's not necessarily the water that makes it to a new planetary system," she said. The HIFI, or Heterodyne Instrument for Far-Infrared, on the European Space Agency observatory allowed them to see the colder water on the edge of the disk.

Van Dishoeck described the icy water as what is "most likely the feeding zone for the atmospheres of new planets," from Earth-like bodies to so-called "waterworlds," or giant planets like Jupiter.

Thanks, technology

The team gave ample credit to the capacity of the HIDI device itself. The instrument was able to detect the water vapor from the reservoir via ultraviolet photons, which liberate the vapor upon contact with the ice.

"When that happens, then they can actually emit radiation that we can detect," said Dominik. "We can see that there is a certain amount of these molecules flying around emitting radiation," he added.

The ice particles act much like the bits of dust in the cloud: They swirl around, "and every now and then, they collide and just stick together," he said. As more collisions occur, more icy comets are formed.

According to one theory of how the Earth's oceans formed, these comets serve as the vehicles to transmit water - mostly in the form of ice - to new worlds. Some astronomers, meanwhile, favor another possibility: that asteroids served as the Earth's waterboys.

"It's very likely that the water arrived on the Earth in frozen form but the question is, where exactly from," Dominik said, adding that most researchers realized that both possibilities - asteroid and icy comet - are valid.

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Hawaii astronomer captures image of forming planet

Posted in : Astrometry

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Astronomers have captured the first direct image of a planet being born. Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a two-milion-year-old star about 450 light years from Earth. The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is estimated to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. Called LkCa 15 b, it's the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older.

Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea to find the planet. "We're catching this object at the perfect time. We see this young star, it has a disc around it that planets are probably forming out of and we see something right in the middle of a gap in the disc," Kraus said in a telephone interview.

Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland. Kraus and Ireland's research paper on the discovery is due to appear in The Astrophysical Journal.
Observing planets while they're forming can help scientists answer questions like whether planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or farther away.
Planets can change orbits after forming, so it's difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets.

"These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now," Kraus said. Other planets may also be forming around the same star. Kraus said he'll continue to observe the star and hopefully will see other planets if there are in fact more. Scientists hadn't been able to see such young planets before because the bright light of the stars they're orbiting outshines them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this obstacle. One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of their mirror to remove light distortions created by the Earth's atmosphere.

The other, unique method they used was to put masks over most of the telescope mirror. The combination of these two techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-resolution images that let them see the faint planet next to the bright star. The astronomers found the planet while surveying 150 young dusty stars. This led to a more concentrated study of a dozen stars. The star LkCa 15 - the planet is named after its star - was the team's second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they gathered more data on the star a year later.

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University of Hawaii astronomers capture first direct image of a planet being born

Posted in : Astrometry

(added few months ago!)

Astronomers have captured the first direct image of a planet being born. Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-milion-year-old star about 450 light years from Earth. The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is estimated to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago.

University of Hawaii astronomers capture first direct image of a planet being born

Called LkCa 15 b, it's the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older. Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea to find the planet.

"We're catching this object at the perfect time. We see this young star, it has a disc around it that planets are probably forming out of and we see something right in the middle of a gap in the disc," Kraus said in a telephone interview.

Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Kraus and Ireland's research paper on the discovery is due to appear in The Astrophysical Journal.

Observing planets while they're forming can help scientists answer questions like whether planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or farther away.

Planets can change orbits after forming, so it's difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets. "These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now," Kraus said.

Other planets may also be forming around the same star. Kraus said he'll continue to observe the star and hopefully will see other planets if there are in fact more. Scientists hadn't been able to see such young planets before because the bright light of the stars they're orbiting outshines them.

Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this obstacle. One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of their mirror to remove light distortions created by the Earth's atmosphere.

The other, unique method they used was to put masks over most of the telescope mirror. The combination of these two techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-resolution images that let them see the faint planet next to the bright star.

The astronomers found the planet while surveying 150 young dusty stars. This led to a more concentrated study of a dozen stars. The star LkCa 15 - the planet is named after its star - was the team's second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they gathered more data on the star a year later.

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Astrology predictions for October 21th, 2011

Posted in : Astrology

(added few months ago!)

Aries: Now is the ideal time for you to make any changes or renovate your home. You would also have the means to carry out the renovation. It's advisable though to handle all the work on your own instead of giving to a contractor. A favorable day for working women. You would be in a negative mood today. Which leads to unnecessary squabbles with your partner on small issues. Try and remain calm, do not lose your temper or else these small squabbles may grow into a big row.Mothers will focus on their family and children today. Their affection and care will bring joy to their kids. They will enjoy every moment of attention. Things may not work out with you and your loved one today as they might come into your way. Instead of being a help they may be more of a hindrance. Be gentle but firm and get them out of the way.


Taurus: Your appreciation of the finer aspects of life, like beauty and harmony would reveal your softer side. Your mental strength is your biggest plus point. It will today help you achieve a higher state of mind that you've been seeking. You will invest your energy and vigor in a new project which also gives you a purpose. Your physical and mental stamina would also be at a high. You have been careless enough to neglect your favorite hobbies. They are the things that keep you vibrant and energetic. Neglecting your hobbies would only make you dull.
 
Gemini: You have had a tough time emotionally and it may take some time before the wounds on your heart heals completely. But you will receive compassion and empathy from people all around you. And you will be able to come out of it soon. It would be very difficult today to balance your time between family and career. There would be a conflict of commitment. Try and explain your situation to your close family members as they will only understand you. Since you have always provided support and encouragement to others, today you will receive their support in completing what you are now doing. You are now focused on securing you life financially and also on bettering your career prospects. But today you may experience some delay in this endeavor as you might not receive the support you were expecting.


Cancer: The sole responsibility of a father is not just to provide for their family. It's imperative that they also spend some time with their kids or else they may grow up emotionally detached with them. You may reveal the more loving and caring and sensitive side of you which you have kept hidden always. This will also endear you to the kids in the family and others as well. You will come across as determined, self-sufficient and intelligent. It also gives you with the much needed physical stamina as well to take some strong decisions for your future.

Leo: You will be active and intensely alive today. You will also be generous and at your witty best. You have the compassion and empathy that makes people bare all to you. Today you will be able to help an introvert person to talk about the issue s/he is facing. You might also be able to resolve the issue. Women who exhibit great energy and are vibrant and work vigorously will be resented for these very qualities. There might be people who comment that they are not being feminine. Women shouldn't take such negative comments seriously and should go ahead if.

Virgo: Your friendly, kind and noble nature brings people close to you. You won't have to take any great efforts to do this. Today you will face and resolve a baffling issue with a clam and patient mind. This will earn you the appreciation and regards of those close to you. Your healthy and robust being will help you attain success in all your plans and projects that you undertake today. You would be so tied down with responsibilities that you won't find any time to spend on your favorite hobbies. Do not let it dampen your spirit though as you would soon get out of this busy schedule.

Libra: You will be in a positive energy frame today. It makes you optimistic and gives you the faith in your resources and their support. You will also have the confidence to express yourself clearly. Women who have the habit of taking bold decisions independently may be resented for their strength. They needn't bother about it as it's just that people are jealous of them. You are a person committed to a relationship. The one that you have now forged would be a long one. You will also do whatever is within your means to make it stable.

Scorpio: Your habit of speaking without thinking, of shooting off your mouth may prove very negative to you today. It might repel someone you are attracted to. Your appreciation of the finer aspects of life, like beauty and harmony would reveal your softer side.Although you are very intelligent and good at taking decisions, try not to impose them on others. This behavior of yours will only earn you the grudge of others.Others depend on you and count on your support as you are loyal and committed in your relationships. Also you act according to your conscience.You will invest your energy and vigor in a new project which also gives you a purpose. Your physical and mental stamina would also be at a high.  

Sagitarius: You will be an inspiration to people whom you meet today. Your vibrant energy and the love and beauty around you motivates them. The love and joy that you would see in your partner's eyes would make today very happy and peaceful for you too. As it is their happiness that makes you happy.It's always advisable to live life on your terms. Then you would never have to blame anybody for the way things turn out in your life. Try to be tactful with people who try and interfere in your life and suggest what you should do.

Capricon: Express your feelings and emotions clearly and openly to the person you are attracted to. Do not fear rejection. The sole responsibility of a father is not just to provide for their family. It's imperative that they also spend some time with their kids or else they may grow up emotionally detached with them. You might have to face some tough situations today. But you will be able to resolve all of that with your intelligence and analytical powers.

Aquarius: You might be drawn towards public activities today. Spending more time in these would only make your family members feel neglected. You needn't wait like a puppy in love around your beloved. Just go ahead and propose and you are sure to get a positive response.

Pisces: You might be drawn to a person you were never interested in in the past. This change might also herald lot of other positive changes in your life. Busy work schedules may keep fathers away from their family and responsibilities towards them. Your tenacity and intelligence will make today a very successful one. You will achieve all that you set out to do today.

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Astrology predictions for October 19th, 2011

Posted in : Astrology

(added few months ago!)

Aries: Women will be charming and popular today at parties or functions they attend today. Keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself. Attain some clarity before you try and present it to others. You may be appreciated for your ideas but it might come a little late in the day. Not a very promising day for lovers. Something may bring up a past unresolved dispute. Things may go spiraling down if not handled sensitively.

Taurus: Today you will face and resolve a baffling issue with a clam and patient mind. This will earn you the appreciation and regards of those close to you. People close to you regard you as a reliable person. One who would always be there in all sincerity. Also, they think of you as a person who acts according to your conscience. Your healthy and robust being will help you attain success in all your plans and projects that you undertake today. Try not to get affected by small issues. It will only drain you emotionally and mentally. Spend some time to refresh you mind and body.

Gemini: You are generally very energetic and powerful. But today exhaustion due to your busy schedule of the past few days will slow you down. Take adequate rest and you will soon be fine. Your home and family will need all your attention today but you will also need to focus on your career. Women will find the going much more difficult as they get caught between family and career. Think over your plans over the next few days before implementing them. Soon you will find favorable time.

Cancer: Love and care from your near and dear ones will act as an energy booster and will encourage you to take up something creative and effective. Fathers may have to deal with some tough situations today. They might even feel incapable of dealing with their kids' needs. Friends would encourage you big time to reach your goal. Share your plans with them and they will do all that they can help. You will invest your energy and vigor in a new project which also gives you a purpose. Your physical and mental stamina would also be at a high.

Leo: Your irresistible sense of humor makes you very popular among friends and others you meet today. It would also enthuse people who you work with. You have such a cautious nature that you become very suspicious of people, their motives, situations, etc. You will end up analyzing everything before you make any commitments which might work in your favor today. You are a person committed to a relationship. The one that you have now forged would be a long one. You will also do whatever is within your means to make it stable.
 
Virgo: You will act confidently today as your inner Self guides you through the day's events. You will be in a high energy state. You will come across as determined, self-sufficient and intelligent. It also gives you with the much needed physical stamina as well to take some strong decisions for your future. You have been planning to take a vacation to spend some time with yourself for some time now. But unfortunately you may have to postpone your plans due to some unexpected reasons.

Libra: You will be active and intensely alive today. You will also be generous and at your witty best. Women who dedicate their days taking care of their families need to take care of themselves as well. They shouldn't neglect their own well being. Women who exhibit great energy and are vibrant and work vigorously will be resented for these very qualities. There might be people who comment that they are not being feminine. Women shouldn't take such negative comments seriously and should go ahead if.You are a person committed to a relationship. The one that you have now forged would be a long one. You will also do whatever is within your means to make it stable.You will be full of ideas to expand the current project you have been working on. But some unexpected problems might crop up preventing you from implementing these ideas.

Scorpio: You will be an inspiration to people whom you meet today. Your vibrant energy and the love and beauty around you motivates them. Your friendly, kind and noble nature brings people close to you. You won't have to take any great efforts to do this. You would be so tied down with responsibilities that you won't find any time to spend on your favorite hobbies. Do not let it dampen your spirit though as you would soon get out of this busy schedule. Don't be too surprised if at the end of your journey today you end up finding a treasure. Or something that is equally precious.

Sagitarius: You will be in a positive energy frame today. It makes you optimistic and gives you the faith in your resources and their support. You will also have the confidence to express yourself clearly. You would be very lucky in love today. You will be at your cheerful and charming best. Your disarming ways would take away any protests that might be made in response to your romantic proposal. You will be at your charming best today. Your popularity on the social chart also climbs up several notches.

Capricon: Your fun loving nature and keen sense of humor attracts others to you. It will also bring joy and peace to your life and to others close to you. The forthright manner in which you speak critically of others will alienate you. This would be the case even in instances where you might be right. Try to be gentle while you speak. You have been careless enough to neglect your favorite hobbies. They are the things that keep you vibrant and energetic. Neglecting your hobbies would only make you dull. Make yourself very presentable today. For an unexpected short trip today will result in your meeting with someone special.

Aquarius: You may lose your temper today or have temper tantrums. Try and be calm as much as possible. Anger never does any good. Express you love for your beloved openly and confidently. Keep away any negative thoughts that might lurk in. You will be successful in love today.

Pisces: Express your feelings and emotions clearly and openly to the person you are attracted to. Do not fear rejection. The sole responsibility of a father is not just to provide for their family. It's imperative that they also spend some time with their kids or else they may grow up emotionally detached with them. You might have to face some tough situations today. But you will be able to resolve all of that with your intelligence and analytical powers.

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(added few months ago!) / 87 views