Dysnomia:Moon of Eris

 Eris I Dysnomia, is the only known moon of the dwarf planet Eris. It was discovered in 2005 by Mike Brown and the laser guide star adaptive optics team at the W. M. Keck Observatory, and carried the provisional designation of S/2005 (2003 UB313) 1 until officially named Dysnomia (from the Ancient Greek word Δυσνομία meaning "lawlessness") after the daughter of the Greek goddess Eris.

Dysnomia is about 500 times fainter than Eris, and its diameter is estimated to be 100 to 250 km. The moon is likely too small to be spherical due to self gravity. Combining Keck and Hubble observations, the satellite was used to constrain the mass of Eris, and orbital parameters were estimated. Its orbital period is calculated to be 15.774±0.002 d.These observations indicate that Dysnomia orbits Eris at a distance of 37 370 ± 150 km. This suggests that the mass of the system is approximately 1.27 times that of Pluto.

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NOAA Reports Record Ocean Surface Temperatures for June

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reported  North Carolina  global ocean surface temperatures for June broke the previous record set in 2005.

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Solar eclipse

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Astronauts install new porch on lab

Astronauts working inside and out installed a porch for experiments on Japan's enormous space station lab Saturday, accomplishing the major objective despite microphone static that often drowned out the spacewalkers' voices.

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First Look At The Apollo Landing Sites

The imaging system on board NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) recently had its first of many opportunities to photograph the Apollo landing sites. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) imaged five of the six Apollo sites with the narrow angle cameras (NACs) between July 11 and 15, within days of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.

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Increasing Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Linked To Ozone Hole

Increased growth in Antarctic sea ice during the past 30 years is a result of changing weather patterns caused by the ozone hole, according to new research.Reporting in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and NASA say that while there has been a dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice, Antarctic sea ice has increased by a small amount as a result of the ozone hole delaying the impact of greenhouse gas increases on the climate of the continent.

Sea ice plays a key role in the global environment – reflecting heat from the sun and providing a habitat for marine life. At both poles sea ice cover is at its minimum during summer. However, during the winter freeze in Antarctica this ice cover expands to an area roughly twice the size of Europe. Ranging in thickness from less than a metre to several metres, the ice insulates the warm ocean from the frigid atmosphere above. Satellite images show that since the 1970s the extent of Antarctic sea ice has increased at a rate of 100,000 square kilometres a decade.The new research helps explain why observed changes in the amount of sea-ice cover are so different in both polar regions.

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Solar Power: New SunCatcher Power System Ready For Commercial Production In 2010

Stirling Energy Systems (SES) and Tessera Solar recently unveiled four newly designed solar power collection dishes at Sandia National Laboratories’ National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF). Called SunCatchers™, the new dishes have a refined design that will be used in commercial-scale deployments of the units beginning in 2010.

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DubaiSat-1 reaches launch pad in Kazakhstan

The first remote sensing satellite developed by a UAE entity - the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science & Technology (EIAST) has been shipped from its development base in South Korea to the launch pad in Baikonour in Kazakhstan. DubaiSat-1 is a stepping stone in the UAE's attempt to create a sound infrastructure that enables the collection of space and earth observation data to power the comprehensive development of the nation. The satellite highlights the commitment of EIAST to create a knowledge based economy by leveraging the advances in satellite technology.The launch of DubaiSat-1 consists of three segments; space, ground and actual launch. The ground segment comprises mission control station, image receiving and processing station, and antenna and RF subsystem.

Source : http://www.zawya.com/

Beyond Carbon Dioxide: Growing Importance Of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) In Climate Warming

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New Evidence That Vinegar May Be Natural Fat-fighter

Researchers in Japan are reporting new evidence that the ordinary vinegar — a staple in oil-and-vinegar salad dressings, pickles, and other foods — may live up to its age-old reputation in folk medicine as a health promoter. They are reporting new evidence that vinegar can help prevent accumulation of body fat and weight gain. 

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Israeli archaeologists discover ancient quarry

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India’s Oceansat-2 launch in August

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Astronomers Discover Pair Of Solar Systems In The Making

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Rising Surface Ozone Reduces Plant Growth And Adds To Global Warming

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NASA manager pitches a cheaper return-to-moon plan

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