Astronomers Observe Coldest Brown Dwarf Ever

Posted on: Thursday, 10 April 2008, 09:35 CDT

An international team led by French and Canadian astronomers has just discovered the coldest brown dwarf ever observed. Their results will soon be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. This new finding was made possible by the performance of telescopes worldwide*: Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) and Gemini North Telescope, both located in Hawaii, and the ESO/NTT located in Chile.

The brown dwarf is named CFBDS J005910.83-011401.3 (it will be called CFBDS0059 in the following). Its temperature is about 350°C and it’s mass about 15-30 times the mass of Jupiter, the largest planet of our solar system. Located about 40 light years from our solar system, it is an isolated object, meaning that it doesn't orbit another star.

--- http://www.dailyastronomy.com/story.asp?ID=278560&Title=Astronomers%20Observe%20Coldest%20Brown%20Dwarf%20Ever

Home > Sci-Tech > Space

NASA prepares for Lunar dust mission

New York, April 13: NASA is preparing to send a mission to the moon in 2011 to assess the lunar atmosphere and the nature of dust lofted above the surface.

Called the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), the aim of the mission is to gather detailed information about conditions near the surface as well as the environmental influences on lunar dust, the NASA said.

According to the Agency`s scientists, an understanding of these influences will help in getting a view of how future exploration would shape the lunar environment and how the environment may affect future explorers.

Director of NASA`s Ames Research Centre in California S Pete Worden said: "LADEE represents a low-cost approach to science missions, enabling faster science return and more frequent missions.

"These measurements will provide scientific insight into the lunar environment, and give our explorers a clearer understanding of what they`ll be up against as they set up the first outpost and begin the process of settling solar system."

Bureau Report

---------------------------------------------------------
Dinosaur asteroid thought to be smaller

HONOLULU (AP) _ A doctoral student at the University of Hawaii has found that the asteroid believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was much smaller than thought.

Francois Paquay says the asteroid was only about half the size of the previous estimate of nine-point-three to 12 miles in diameter.

Paquay has developed a method to determine the size of meteorites that have hit Earth using osmium isotopes in deep ocean sediments.

His findings recently appeared in the journal Science.

A giant meteorite is one of several theories that include global warming advanced for the disappearance of the dinosaurs and other species.

-------------------------------------

And that is the Astronomy News Roundup for today.

See ya!：）

ＡＭＰ