NASA-Discovered Symmetry In Black Hole Jets

Scientists at NASA have exposed a new stable that links various sizes of black holes. A black hole jet is the torrent of gamma radiation frequently emitted from the ‘event horizon’; the innermost rim and point of no go back, of a black hole. When gas gets sucked inside of the black hole, some of the substance becomes accelerated and races external as a pair of jets curving in opposite directions. Jets are seen in black holes of a lot of different sizes; from the modest-shaped, to the behemoth holes that power the centers of galaxies.

The group of scientists at NASA examined 54 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as of the minor black holes and compared them to 234 blazers and quasars, the galactic-scale corresponding of GRBs emitted from super enormous black holes. The NASA team found the same set of physical rules governed the size of these jets, apart from of the black hole size.

Herschel Finds Oceans of Water in Disk of Nearby Star

Using data from the Herschel Space Observatory, astronomers have detected for the first time cold water vapor enveloping a dusty disk around a young star. The findings suggest that this disk, which is poised to develop into a solar system, contains great quantities of water, suggesting that water-covered planets like Earth may be common in the universe. Herschel is a European Space Agency mission with important NASA contributions.

Scientists previously found warm water vapor in planet-forming disks close to a central star. Evidence for vast quantities of water extending out into the cooler, far reaches of disks where comets take shape had not been seen until now. The more water available in disks for icy comets to form, the greater the chances that large amounts eventually will reach new planets through impacts.

"Our observations of this cold vapor indicate enough water exists in the disk to fill thousands of Earth oceans," said astronomer Michiel Hogerheijde of Leiden Observatory in The Netherlands. Hogerheijde is the lead author of a paper describing these findings in the Oct. 21 issue of the journal Science.
 

NASA Administrator Bolden to Open Exploration Symposium

NASA and the Georgia Institute of Technology will review the achievements of the agency's Space Shuttle Program and look ahead to the future of space exploration during a symposium June 6-8.Georgia Tech will host "The Space Shuttle: An Engineering Milestone" at the university's Global Learning Center at 84 5th Street NW in Atlanta. The event is open to media.

The symposium will bring together an international group of scientists, technologists, engineers, mission designers, policymakers and students to discuss the shuttle era's significant contributions and exchange ideas about the future of space transportation.

"The Space Shuttle Program has accomplished many amazing things for the entire world," Bolden said. "Not least of which is the construction of the International Space Station, which will anchor our human spaceflight activities for the coming decade. It will provide unparalleled opportunities for critical research and technology demonstrations that will help us reach destinations farther in the solar system."