ScienceDaily: Space & Time News

Application of laser microprobe technology to Apollo samples refines lunar impact history Posted: 12 Feb 2015 12:45 PM PST Researchers have now refined the timeline of meteorite impacts on the moon through a pioneering application of laser microprobe technology to Apollo 17 samples.

Astronomers discover rare planet: Kepler-432b is a dense, massive celestial body with extreme seasons Posted: 12 Feb 2015 08:42 AM PST Two research groups of astronomers have independently of each other discovered a rare planet. The celestial body, called Kepler-432b, is one of the most dense and massive planets known so far. The teams report that the planet has six times the mass of Jupiter, but about the same size. The shape and the size of its orbit are also unusual for a planet like Kepler-432b that is revolving around a giant star. In less than 200 million years, this "red giant" will most likely swallow up the planet.

Mismatched twin stars spotted in the delivery room Posted: 12 Feb 2015 07:28 AM PST The majority of stars in our galaxy come in pairs. In particular, the most massive stars usually have a companion. These fraternal twins tend to be somewhat equal partners when it comes to mass -- but not always. In a quest to find mismatched star pairs known as extreme mass-ratio binaries, astronomers have discovered a new class of binary stars.

Patterns in sky brightness depend very strongly on location Posted: 12 Feb 2015 06:25 AM PST At many locations around the world, the night sky shines hundreds of times brighter than it did before the introduction of artificial light. Scientists have now studied variations in the radiance of the night sky and found remarkably large variations in artificial night sky brightness at the different observation sites. The introduction of light into the nighttime environment is one of the most striking changes humans have made to the Earth’s physical environment, and it is associated with several unintended negative consequences.