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Editors of EarthSky

First X-ray detection of exoplanet passing in front of its star

The planet - HD 189733b - is a hot Jupiter, similar in size to Jupiter but more than 30 times closer to its star than Earth is to the sun. It orbits its star once every 2.2 days.

Station astronauts remotely control planetary rover from space

"Specifically, this project represents the first fully-interactive remote operation of a planetary rover by an astronaut in space." - Terry Fong

Monogamy evolved as a mating strategy

New research indicates that social monogamy evolved as a result of competition for females.

Hope for tigers lives in Sumatra

Preliminary density estimates for tigers in southern Sumatra are highest recorded for the island.

Mysterious centaurs are comets, say NASA scientists

"Our data point to a cometary origin for most of the objects, suggesting they are coming from deeper out in the solar system." - James Bauer

Van Allen radiation belts have a particle accelerator

Scientists knew something accelerated particles in the belts to 99 percent the speed of light. New results show the acceleration energy comes from within the belts themselves.

New sharp image of Whirlpool Galaxy

A new camera on a telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson has given us this beautiful view of the Whirlpool, which is also called M51.

Dolphins call each other by name

“Our results present the first case of naming in mammals, providing a clear parallel between dolphin and human communication." - Marine biologist Vincent Janik

New discoveries about quasars

“For the first time, we are able to see the actual extent to which these quasars and their black holes can affect their galaxies," - Astronomer Kevin Hainline

Limits to galactic growth

When a galaxy makes too many stars too quickly, it reduces its capacity for making stars in the future. Now astronomers have the first detailed images of this self-limiting galactic behavior.

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