Originally Published by New Scientist – The sands on Mauritius’s beaches are older than the island itself, suggesting a hidden continent is the source
Gypsum on Earth and Mars
– Mexico’s Cuatro Ciénegas Basin has plenty of gypsum and a network of pools full of bacteria that descended from one of the earliest forms of life. The combination makes it one of the best places on Earth to investigate what life might have looked like on Mars.
After Assault From the Heavens, Russians Search for Clues and Count Blessings
– Russians are still coming to terms with what NASA scientists say was a 7,000-ton chunk of space rock that hurtled out of the sky at 40,000 miles an hour, exploding over the Ural Mountains, spraying debris for miles around and, amazingly, killing no one. …Read more at the original article here (This article was syndicated in an earlier version … Read More
Mars rover spins its rock drill
– The US space agency’s Curiosity Mars rover rotates its drill mechanism for the first time, as it builds towards taking a sample from inside a rock.
Hadrian's Wall being 'worn away'
– The Hadrian’s Wall Trust is warning that parts of the World Heritage site are being worn away by poor weather and the number of visitors it attracts.
A Coronal Mass Ejection Erupts From the Sun
– On Jan. 31, 2013 at 2:09am EST, the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME.
Record Setting Asteroid Flyby
– On Feb. 15th an asteroid about half the size of a football field will fly past Earth only 17,200 miles above our planet’s surface.
The Dunes of Titan
– While most of Saturn’s moons display their ancient faces pockmarked by thousands of craters, Titan – Saturn’s largest moon – may look much younger than it really is because its craters are getting erased.
Genes link Australians with India
– Far from being cut off from the rest of the world, Australia experienced a migration from India about 4,000 years ago, a study suggests.