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New Planet Expected to Crash and Burn

It defies laws of physics

(Newser) - Scientists in the UK have discovered a planet that defies the laws of physics, the Independent reports. WASP-18b, which is orbiting a star 1,000 light years from Earth, is so big and close to the sun that it should be pulled toward it. "The spin of the star...

Sunny Days Help You Think
 Sunny Days Help You Think 
Aug 5, 2009 4:42 PM CDT

Sunny Days Help You Think

Cloudiness reduces cognitive agility in depressed people, researchers found

(Newser) - Does a cloudy day leave you groggy and unable to focus? If so, a study suggests you’re not alone: Cloudy days, regardless of season, can have an effect on cognitive function, MSNBC reports. Researchers cross-referencing the results of cognitive tests from 16,800 Americans with data on daily sunshine...

Monster Black Hole Sucking Up Space

(Newser) - A monstrous black hole near the center of a distant galaxy is sucking up stars, gas and dust, and spitting out baby stars, NASA scientists have discovered. The black hole is 100 million times the mass of the sun, reports the Telegraph. It lies at the center of a galaxy...

Dim Sun Is Cold Comfort to Scientists

(Newser) - The sun may be heading for one of its dimmest periods in history, but that doesn't mean the big star is joining the battle against global warming, according to scientists. The sun hit a 100-year low in sunspot activity last year, reports the Telegraph.

Gene Mutation Instigates Skin Cancer, Scientists Say

Sun exposure leads to certain gene mutation

(Newser) - Some 70% of melanoma skin cancers may initially be caused by a particular gene mutation resulting from overexposure to the sun, British scientists says, in a finding that could help create targeted melanoma drugs. Researchers had already seen that the BRAF gene was often damaged in cancer patients, but they...

Website That 'Tans' Sucks in 1M

(Newser) - A website that claims to "tan" people as they bask in front of their computer screen has drawn a million duped viewers, reports the Daily Telegraph. The fake infomercial site by a British skin cancer charity directs pasty viewers to a free tanning trial on a web page where...

Drive Past the Body Shop: Sun Will Repair Scratches

New self-healing coating will save you money, time

(Newser) - The sun will soon be able to help repair the scratches on everything from iPods to cars. Researchers have developed a polyurethane coating that heals itself when exposed to UV radiation, Wired reports. The coating, which should be available in a few months, could save consumers money and reduce waste...

Huge Holes Found in Earth's Magnetic Shield

The Earth is in for a wild geomagnetic ride

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered two large and unexpected holes in the magnetic field that protects the Earth from solar winds, reports Space.com. The leaks won't pose any risk to health, but increased disruption to satellites and electrical systems can be expected when the cycle of solar storms reaches its next...

Experiment Raises Hope of Solar Power From Space

Successful test opens the possibility of humanity getting its energy from space

(Newser) - An experiment in beaming solar power has raised hopes that humanity can harness huge amounts of solar energy from satellites, Space.com reports. Researchers sent the energy about 90 miles between two Hawaiian islands via radio waves. The transmission of energy a hundred times further than earlier experiments proves the...

How to Take a Solar Eclipse Road Trip

Hit the right spot and see 93M miles into the distance

(Newser) - Thousands of people will trek to the hinterlands on August 1 just to stand in the dark for three minutes. The reason: a total solar eclipse is set to sweep over a path spanning from China to Canada. Wired clues would-be eclipse chasers in on ways to maximize each sunless...

Solar Lull May Trigger Ice Age
Solar Lull May Trigger Ice Age
Feb 14, 2008 2:56 PM CST

Solar Lull May Trigger Ice Age

Global warming still dire despite sluggish sun, study says

(Newser) - Solar activity, which usually runs in 11-year cycles, has been so sluggish of late that space weathermen are worried we might be entering a mini-ice age. They expected to see sunspot activity pick up about last March, to peak in 2012; if the sun stays this sluggish for another year...

Probe Zips Over Mercury Today
Probe Zips Over Mercury Today
Jan 14, 2008 4:33 AM CST

Probe Zips Over Mercury Today

Messenger will take 1,200 pictures from 124 miles up

(Newser) - NASA's Messenger spacecraft this afternoon will whiz past Mercury at 141,000 mph and snap an estimated 1,200 detailed photos of the planet's surface from a mere 124 miles up. It will be the first of three passes before the craft starts orbiting the planet closest to the sun...

When the Sun Dies, Earth Might Not
When the Sun Dies, Earth Might Not
Sep 13, 2007 3:32 AM CDT

When the Sun Dies, Earth Might Not

Just-discovered planet survived; so there's hope for the old globe

(Newser) - When the Sun begins to kick out in some 5 billion years, it might not take Earth with it, reports the New York Times. Scientists are more optimistic since discovering a planet that survived a similar situation. A lack of hydrogen fuel is expected to cause the Sun to expand...

Tips for Beating the Heat
Tips for Beating the Heat
Aug 22, 2007 6:23 PM CDT

Tips for Beating the Heat

Ten ways to keep the sun from getting you down

(Newser) - Everyone needs a little vitamin D, but sunburn (or, worse, heatstroke) is no fun. Protect yourself and your family with these tips from MSNBC:
  1. Drink up! Plan on 1 gallon of water per person per day.
  2. Smear on the sunblock and slap on a hat.
  3. Wear breathable fabrics, like cotton
...

Hooked on the Sun?
Hooked on
the Sun?
Aug 15, 2007 12:57 PM CDT

Hooked on the Sun?

New studies say tanning is addictive, sunscreen increases risk of melanoma

(Newser) - Tanning may be addictive, and sunscreen use may actually increase the risk of melanoma, according to a Slate round-up of new research about the effects of sun on skin. In a study aimed at testing the long-held theory that UV rays stimulate endorphins, researchers gave a group of sunbathers a...

Cheap Flights: a Ticket to Skin Cancer

Rise in beach holidays blamed for increase in melanoma

(Newser) - Doctors in Britain have blamed a 50% rise in the incidence of skin cancer on cheap flights to the beach, reports the Independent. Statistics from Cancer Research UK and the British travel agents' association confirm that easier access to sunny climates have made melanoma the nation's fastest-rising disease, particularly among...

Sun Sets on Solar Global Warming Theory

Greenhouse gases the culprit, not sun's heat, experts say

(Newser) - A theory that global warming is caused by increased solar output is bunk, according to climate-change scientists. Although the world has grown hotter over the last 20 years, solar activity has actually dropped, the BBC reports, and an international panel concluded that greenhouse gases are 13 times more responsible for...

Record Highs Scorch West
Record Highs Scorch West
Jul 6, 2007 5:51 AM CDT

Record Highs Scorch West

Sizzling towns open swelter shelters for elderly as heat goes on

(Newser) - A searing heat wave is likely to continue barbecuing the western U.S. today after record temperatures soared to 127 in Death Valley, 125 in nearby Baker and 116 in Phoenix yesterday. Las Vegas sizzled at 116 degrees with humidity in the single digits, and even northeastern Oregon cracked 107...

Most Massive Star Ever Weighs In
Most Massive Star Ever Weighs In
Jun 8, 2007 6:43 AM CDT

Most Massive Star Ever Weighs In

Astronomers say hefty gas giant is 100 times heavier than the sun

(Newser) - The most massive star yet discovered has been "weighed," astronomers say, and it tips the scales at a whopping 114 times the mass of the sun. The enormous star forms the bigger half of a rapidly orbiting binary system and it far outstrips both its companion star and...

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