Paul Scott Anderson
Bio
Paul is a freelance space writer and blogger who currently writes for AmericaSpace and Vocal. His own blog Planetaria is a chronicle of planetary exploration.
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Stories (29)
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What Are These Weird Radio Signals From a Nearby Red Dwarf Star?
Astronomers are continuing to monitor a nearby red dwarf star after detecting unusual radio signals apparently coming from the star. It is hoped that additional observations will help to determine the source of the signals, which so far haven't been explained.
By Paul Scott Anderson8 years ago in Futurism
Astronomers Take New Highest-Resolution Image of Giant Star Betelgeuse
Betelgeuse is one of the largest stars known in our galaxy, a red supergiant, and now astronomers have taken the highest-resolution image ever so far. They used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile for their observations, and not only was it the first time that ALMA had observed this star, but it succeeded in producing the highest-resolution of Betelgeuse currently available.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Aliens or Comets? Has the 'Wow!' Signal Mystery Finally Been Solved?
The search for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence is one of the most exciting pursuits in astronomy today. Needless to say, there is a lot of controversy and debate surrounding the topic, partly due to an event which happened in 1977 - the famous "Wow!" signal. The brief but unusual radio transmission was detected only once, and the debate over its origin has continued to this day. Now, a group of astronomers are claiming to have finally solved the mystery. According to their new study just published, the signal came not from aliens, but comets.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Bizarre Boyajian’s Star (‘Alien Megastructure’ Star) is Dipping Again!
The weird star called Boyajian's Star (aka Tabby's Star or KIC 8462852) has been fascinating astronomers and people in general because of its weird behaviour of experiencing sudden, unusual dips in brightness which all current theories have so far had difficulty explaining. Now, the star has started dipping again after a long period of "normal" activity.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Joint NASA/ESA Mission Proposed to Search for Life on Europa
Europa is one of the most fascinating places in the Solar System, and is considered to be at or near the top of the list of worlds to search for possible evidence of life. Beneath its outer ice crust lies a deep and dark salty ocean, thought to be quite to Earth's own oceans. Could that ocean be inhabited, even if just by microbes? Scientists want to know, and now a new proposal calls for a joint orbiter/lander mission between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), to try to answer that question.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Nearby 'Super-Earth' Exoplanet May Be Best Place Yet to Search for Alien Life
Just recently, an exo-planetary system called TRAPPIST-1, with seven known planets close in size to Earth, was announced by astronomers. Some of those planets are in the star's habitable zone, meaning that they could potentially be habitable for some kind of life. Then, another Earth-sized world was found orbiting the star GJ 1132b, and may have water and methane in its atmosphere. Now, another similar planet has been found orbiting another nearby star. It is also close in size to Earth and resides in the star's habitable zone. According to scientists, it is another prime candidate in the search for alien life and may even be the best one yet.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
New Findings from Two 'Ocean Moons' Increase Possibility of Finding Alien Life
For those who are hoping to find evidence of life somewhere else in the Solar System, there was some exciting news this week. Two moons, Europa and Enceladus, were already thought to be among the best places to search, since both have liquid water oceans beneath their outer icy shells. And now, new data from the Cassini spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope has increased the potential for some form of living organisms to be found.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Atmosphere Detected on Nearby 'Super-Earth' Exoplanet
For the first time, astronomers have detected an atmosphere surrounding a "super-Earth" exoplanet which is close in size to Earth, another key step towards finding a world similar in size to ours that is also habitable. It's not Earth 2.0 just yet, but it's another indication that we are getting closer to finding a world that reminds us of home.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Researchers Identify Four Possible Candidates in Search for Planet 9
The search for a possible ninth planet in our Solar System has intensified in recent months, with more astronomers as well as amateurs joining in the hunt. Previous studies have hinted at its existence, but actually finding it has remained an elusive task. Now, astronomers from The Australian National University (ANU) are investigating four unknown objects in the outer Solar System that could be viable candidates for the mystery planet.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Mars May Have Once Had Rings, and Could Have Them Again in the Future
Saturn is, of course, famous for its exquisite ring system, but other planets have rings as well - Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune all have them, they just aren't nearly as prominent. Now it turns out that Mars may also have once had rings, and could have them again in the future.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Bright 'Tower' in Mars Orbiter Image: Anomaly or Natural Formation?
With thousands of images taken by various probes sent to Mars, it would seem inevitable that unusual or puzzling objects might be seen in some of them. And of course, there have been, most notably the famous "Face on Mars" first seen in low-resolution Viking orbiter images in the 1970s. Higher-resolution images taken later by other orbiters with better cameras showed it, and nearby interesting formations, to be just natural hills and mesas. Despite that, other curious things are seen in both orbital and ground images from time to time, although they almost always have a simple prosaic explanation. Another such oddity was just recently seen in an image taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has attracted some attention. Most likely it is a natural rock formation, but it's also not, as described by the tabloid Daily Mail, a "spherule" either.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
Titan's Lakes and Seas May Be Fizzy With Patches of Nitrogen Bubbles
Saturn's moon Titan is the only other body in the Solar System besides Earth known to have liquids on its surface. In Titan's case, they are rivers, lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons (methane/ethane) instead of water. There is even methane/ethane rain, which further mimics Earth's hydrological cycle. For the most part, the lakes and seas are fairly smooth, with only small amounts of wave activity. But now, new research suggests that those lakes and seas might be quite fizzy at times - with periodic bursts of nitrogen bubbles.
By Paul Scott Anderson9 years ago in Futurism
