Science Blog 2 (Current Event)

Astronomers find hottest planet ever discovered

WHO: Don Pollacco of Queen's University in Northern Ireland, who is a project scientist for the SuperWASP (Super Wide Angle Search for Planets), and co-discoverer Leslie Hebb of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

WHAT: They found the hottest planet called WASP-12b. It is about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2,200 degrees Celsius, and orbits its star faster and closer in than any other unknown world. The planet circles extremely close-in to its star; about 2 percent of the distance from the Earth to the sun, in fact, or 2 million miles (3.4 million kilometers).

WHERE: The planet is in the space and based in UK, telescopes in Spain's Canary Islands and in South Africa scan the sky searching for distant planets that cross in front of their stars.

WHEN: It was first announced in April 2008, though its distinction as the hottest and yet the fastest; orbiting planet was confirmed Oct. 11 2008.

WHY: It was an annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences by co-discoverer Leslie Hebb of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

MY OPINION: It is so cool how they found the hottest yet the fastest planet. The planet itself looks so cool and really bright. I wonder why the scientists call it the WASP-12b. That is a good name but still weird. Overall, this is a planet that would be so nice and cozy to live in but no one would love to.

SOURCE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27222097/

Science Blog 1(Current Event)

Giant Cyclones Seen on Saturn

WHO: The Scientists who study space. Kevin Baines, Cassini scientist on the visual and infrared mapping spectrometer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and another Cassini imaging team member Tony DelGenio of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.

WHAT: They discovered a giant cyclone swirling on Saturn. The cyclone is as small as 120 kilometers (75 miles). It is rotating at 325 mph (530 kph) which is more than twice as fast as the highest winds measured in cyclones on our Earth.

WHERE: On Saturn's north pole, and observed a similar storm on the planet's south pole in detail, 10 times greater than before.

WHEN: They found out before but the article was posted on Monday, October 13, 2008

WHY: The researchers for space, think that the storms are powered by heat which is released from condensing water from the thunderstorms. They are deep down in the atmosphere, which is almost like the way condensing water in clouds on Earth that powers the hurricanes. The Saturn cyclones have no water at their bases, but the hurricanes on Earth, form from the heat and water.

MY OPINION: I think that is is really bad if there really is a giant cyclone on Saturn because it can be really dangerous. Another reason it is bad is because it is at the north pole and the south pole! Since the miles per hour for the cyclone it so fast, it is really strong and forceful. Just by looking at the picture, you can tell that it is so big! I wonder if it can spread... If it can, then probably Saturn be covered with a huge cyclone which no one would be able to fix! Overall, cyclones are really bad, epically when they are in another planet and no one can do anything about it.

SOURCE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27169745/