Lonely Stars

Summary: Two missions in 2010 and 2012 saw a rocket launched for a ten minute look at the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) from above the atmosphere. What is the EBL? Professor Jaime Bock of JPL puts it this way: "It's very faint - but basically the spaces between the stars and galaxies aren't dark. And this is the total light made by stars and galaxies during cosmic history."

Having two separate data collecting missions that looked at different area of the sky allows the scientists to rule out fluctuations due to dust within our solar system. Even with this precaution, there was still extra light. The team believes that based on the brightness and blueness of the EBL, it shows that stars exist outside of galaxies. There might even be just as many stars outside galaxies as inside; it's that bright.

Of course other astronomers are skeptical of this conclusion. They concede it may be possible but are leaving their minds open for new and different possibilities.


BBC News
Science Mag

Voyager 1 is officially outside the Solar System!

Summary: JPL announced that Voyager 1 is officially beyond the furthest extent of particles from the sun. They have also released a sound clip of what interstellar space sounds like and some preliminary analysis.

sound clip

BBC News

Further evidence for water in Mars' history

Summary: The Curiosity has come to a conglomerate of rocks which gives evidence for water on Mars. The main signs are small rocks that have broken off from a huge rock and have been weathered smooth, like rocks found in a river bed here on Earth. Curiosity will continue to investigate these rocks in hopes of being able to determine the pH level of the water that had passed through this area.


BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19744131

NASA JPL conference on the finding:
http://t.co/VuxTB6e6