A hidden ocean on Titan

The Cassini has shown that Titan, a satellite of Saturn, experiences significant tidal effects on its surface. In the course of its orbit, which lasts 16 days, changes shape: the closer is the gas giant tends to of a rugby ball while closer to a sphere at the farthest point from Saturn. This variation leads to a redistribution of mass and a change in the gravitational field. This is what Cassini measured, thanks to whose data has been concluded that in order to explain the tides experienced, Titan must have a liquid ocean, probably water under the surface.

The oldest crater on Earth is in Greenland

European Geologists have found the oldest impact crater on Earth in the city of Maniitsog (Greenland). This is a crater 100 kilometers in diameter caused by the fall of an asteroid 3,000 million years ago. Experts suspected the existence of the crater since 2009, when the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, examining a geological map of the surrounding Maniitsoq, discovered strange anomalies in the structure of the local rocks, caused by the impact of a giant meteor .

Contact with aliens within two decades

Dozens of scholars have analyzed the possibilities of finding California, in the near future, life beyond Earth. We are better positioned than ever to detect life beyond Earth. And also to pick up signals of possible extraterrestrial intelligence, which will probably happen laspróximas over two decades.

These are some of the conclusions of the conference setIcon 2, held in Santa Clara, California, during the past weekend.

For two days, various specialists have gathered in Santa Clara to share ideas and explore possibilities to find, near future, life beyond Earth. Something that, by all accounts of the participants, could be about to happen.

Surprise! Mars is full of water

According to an article just published in the journal Geology, there is strong evidence indicating the existence of vast underground reserves of water on Mars. The finding, which has come as quite a surprise, it reinforces the idea that the Red Planet can, or could at some point, support life. And it increases the chances of establishing human colonies there in the near future.

The issue of "Martian water" has been debated for more than a century. First, the late nineteenth century, were the famous canals of Mars. Later, in full space age, came the discovery of ancient river valleys and sea revealing a past Martian water-rich surface.

A new technique to explore the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system

'Tau Bootis b' was one of the first exoplanets discovered in the 90's. Fifteen years later, remains one of the closest known and given that it already has confirmed the existence of 750 planets outside our solar system, which number about 2,000 applicants to join the list.

'Tau Bootis b' is a big 'hot Jupiter' orbiting close to its host star. Although its host star is easily visible, so far this planet could only be detected by its gravitational effects on the star.

Is this evidence of life on Mars?

Curiosity is expected, the rover is currently traveling to Mars, make a dramatic landing in the crater Gale to mid-August and begin your search for geological signatures of a watery past and friendly to life on this planet. The evidence strong that at some point there were large volumes of water on Mars would be an important step in the search for life on the Red Planet. But ... Have you already been found?

STARDUST

The mystery of how dying stars eject the material to form new planets has occupied scientists for decades. A team of astronomers from Europe and Australia managed to decipher the enigma now. We know that stars like the Sun launched into space much of its mass toward the end of his life, but it was unclear how these particles fail off. The researchers used the powerful tools of VLT European Space Agency (Very Large Telescope and Very Large Telescope), located in the Atacama Desert,