Physics and Astronomy News Archive: December 2011

Image: Supernova Caught in the Act

Supernova Caught in the Act

Source: NSF   Posted: 12/19/11

Data-enabled science allowed detection of Type Ia supernova just hours after explosion.
Image: Possible Hints of the Higgs Remain in Latest Analyses

Possible Hints of the Higgs Remain in Latest Analyses

Source: BNL   Posted: 12/19/11

Two experiments at the LHC have nearly eliminated the space in which the Higgs boson could dwell. However, the ATLAS and CMS experiments see modest excesses in their data that could soon uncover the famous missing piece of the physics puzzle.
Image: Meteorite Shockwaves Trigger Dust Avalanches on Mars

Meteorite Shockwaves Trigger Dust Avalanches on Mars

Source: UA   Posted: 12/19/11

Dust avalanches around impact craters on Mars appear to be the result of the shock wave preceding the actual impact, according to a new study.
Image: First Habitable Planet Discovered

First Habitable Planet Discovered

Source: NASA/JPL   Posted: 12/7/11

NASA's Kepler mission has confirmed its first planet in the 'habitable zone,' the region around a star where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface.