78: Narrowing down on Dark Energy

*Narrowing down on Dark Energy A new study looking at pressure waves generated in the primordial universe has revealed possible evidence of dynamical dark energy. The potential discovery means dark energy could behave differently from the cosmological constant model first proposed by Professor Albert Einstein a hundred years ago to allow his general theory of relativity to work in cosmology. 

*Strange comet like binary asteroid discovered A strange comet like asteroid first discovered more than a decade ago has turned out to actually consist of two asteroids orbiting each. The findings represent the first known binary asteroid also classified as a comet. 

*More evidence that mega eruptions caused the great dying A team of scientists has found new evidence that the Great Permian Mass Extinction event 250 million years ago, was caused by the massive volcanic eruptions of the Siberian Trap. Known as the great dying – the Permian Mass Extinction killed over 90 percent of all species on Earth. 

*Deep Space Gateway gains more support Russia has agreed to work with the United States, Europe and Japan in developing the DSG or Deep Space Gateway – a new space station to be built near the Moon. The Deep Space Gateway will be constructed in a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit which is a Lagrange point between the Earth and Moon where the gravity of both celestial bodies balances out allowing an object to remain in position orbiting the Earth with the Moon. 

*Gravitational Wave discovery wins Nobel Prize The 2017 Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to Professors Barry Barish, Kip Thorne and Rainer Weis for their ground breaking work to detect gravitational waves. The team observed gravitational waves generated by the cataclysmic collision of two black holes 1.3 billion light years away. 

*UNSW to build three new Australian Defense Department satellites The University of New South Wales has won a contract to build three new cubesats for the Australian Air Force for two low Earth orbit space missions for maritime surveillance, and to help protect Australian space systems from orbital debris. The first will launch early next year followed by the second in 2019. 

*The Science Report 

Major Australian cities will hit summer temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius within a few years. 

Gay and bisexual men making under $30,000 a year are five times as likely to attempt suicide. 

Kids bullied at school have a far higher risk of developing mental health problems. 

Younger crocodiles more vulnerable as the climate heats up due to global warming. 

Anti-vaxers blamed for a recent increase in measles cases. 

First autonomous fully unmanned iron ore trains rolling over the Pilbara’s tracks. 

New studies show that sixty two per cent of Australian households have pets 

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