http://www.caltechnews.com Tue, 22 May 2012 21:26:41 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/best_time_to_study_the_cosmos_was_more_than_13_billion_years_ago By observing the large-scale cosmic wrinkles now, we can learn about the initial conditions of the universe. But is now really the best time to look, or would we get better information billions of years into the future -- or the past? CalTechNews Tue, 22 May 2012 18:54:06 +0100 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/survey_counts_potentially_hazardous_asteroids Results reveal new information about their total numbers, origins and the possible dangers they may pose CalTechNews Wed, 16 May 2012 21:57:47 +0100 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/a_supernova_cocoon_breakthrough Observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have provided the first X-ray evidence of a supernova shock wave breaking through a cocoon of gas surrounding the star that exploded CalTechNews Tue, 15 May 2012 23:51:37 +0100 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/asteroid_vesta_looks_like_a_little_planet When UCLA's Christopher T. Russell looks at the images of the protoplanet Vesta produced by NASA's Dawn mission, he talks about beauty as much as he talks about science CalTechNews Mon, 14 May 2012 08:39:39 +0100 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/solar_eclipse_coming_on_may_20 Just two weeks after the huge "supermoon" wowed skywatchers around the world, the heavens will offer up another observing treat — a solar eclipse on May 20 that should be visible from much of western North America CalTechNews Sat, 12 May 2012 08:54:48 +0100 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/free-floating_planets_vastly_outnumber_stars Researchers say life-bearing planets may exist in vast numbers in the space between stars in the Milky Way CalTechNews Fri, 11 May 2012 08:21:12 +0100 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/spacecraft_reveals_secrets_of_giant_asteroid NASA's Dawn spacecraft has provided researchers with the first orbital analysis of the giant asteroid Vesta, yielding new insights into its creation and kinship with terrestrial planets and Earth's moon CalTechNews Thu, 10 May 2012 22:23:19 +0100 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/vista_views_a_vast_ball_of_stars A new image of Messier 55 from ESO's VISTA infrared survey telescope shows tens of thousands of stars crowded together like a swarm of bees. CalTechNews Wed, 09 May 2012 08:59:40 +0100 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/is_a_new_form_of_life_really_so_alien_ A new essay, published May 8 in the online, open-access journal PLoS Biology, examines what really constitutes 'life' and the probability of discovering new life forms CalTechNews Tue, 08 May 2012 18:50:28 +0100 http://www.caltechnews.com/article/spitzer_sees_light_of_alien_super-earth_ NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected light emanating from a "super-Earth" planet beyond our solar system for the first time. While the planet is not habitable, the detection is a historic step toward the eventual search for signs of life CalTechNews Tue, 08 May 2012 18:44:55 +0100