Researchers from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, the University of California, Berkeley, and Californias Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory used state-of-the-art electron microscopes to get a close-up look at particles of interplanetary space dust. What they found was that solar wind radiation had changed the outer rims on the silicate minerals in space dust to water, something scientists previously believed to be the case but werent able to prove because of limited technology.

Their study, published in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that the water found on interplanetary dust forms from the reaction of solar wind and oxygen in the silicate mineral grains. Solar wind, which bombards the particles with ionized hydrogen atoms, reorganized the atoms in the dust particles, leaving oxygen more available to react with hydrogen to create water. Researchers say the implications of finding water on the rims of space dust are huge.

It is a thrilling possibility that this influx of dust has acted as a continuous rainfall of little reaction vessels containing both the water and organics needed for the eventual origin of life on Earth and possibly Mars, study co-author Hope Ishii, a researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, said in a statement.

Interplanetary dust, the tiny particles left over from the formation of planets, comets and asteroids, measure just a few molecules to .1 micrometers in size. Scientists have estimated that about 40,000 tons of space dust reaches the Earths surface every year.

In 2011, researchers first reported that interplanetary dust contains organic matter created by stars. The chemical structures of the organic material mirrored the makeup of coal and petroleum.

Such chemical complexity was thought to arise only from living organisms, but the results of the new study show that these organic compounds can be created in space even when no life forms are present, Space.com noted in 2011. In fact, such complex organics could be produced naturally by stars, and at an extremely rapid pace.

If space dust is carrying organic matter and water all over the solar system, scientists may be able to pinpoint the beginning of life on other planets using this model, or even prove that life on earth came from outer space.

"In no way do we suggest that [water formation on space dust] was sufficient to form oceans, for example, Ishii said. "However, the relevance of our work is not the origin of the Earth's oceans but that we have shown continuous, co-delivery of water and organics intimately intermixed."

The results of the teams research could offer an explanation for measurements of the Moon that discovered OH and preliminary water deep beneath the surface.

Scientists have always assumed the moon was a dry, waterless wasteland. With no atmosphere, sunlight decomposes water vapor and hydrogen is quickly lost to outer space. But since the 1960s, scientists have surmised that water in the form of ice could, theoretically, exist on the moons surface, hiding in the shadows of the Moons craters.

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Space Dust Possible Source Of Water On Moon And Maybe Even Life On Other Planets

Washington, Jan. 25 : Researchers have discovered that interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) can deliver water and organics to the Earth and other terrestrial planets.

Interplanetary dust, dust that has come from comets, asteroids, and leftover debris from the birth of the solar system, continually rains down on the Earth and other Solar System bodies. These particles are bombarded by solar wind, predominately hydrogen ions.

This ion bombardment knocks the atoms out of order in the silicate mineral crystal and leaves behind oxygen that is more available to react with hydrogen, for example, to create water molecules.

Co-author Hope Ishii, new Associate Researcher in the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) at UHM SOEST, said that it is a thrilling possibility that this influx of dust has acted as a continuous rainfall of little reaction vessels containing both the water and organics needed for the eventual origin of life on Earth and possibly Mars.

This mechanism of delivering both water and organics simultaneously would also work for exoplanets, worlds that orbit other stars. These raw ingredients of dust and hydrogen ions from their parent star would allow the process to happen in almost any planetary system.

Using a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope, the scientists have now actually detected water produced by solar-wind irradiation in the space-weathered rims on silicate minerals in interplanetary dust particles.

Futher, on the bases of laboratory-irradiated minerals that have similar amorphous rims, they were able to conclude that the water forms from the interaction of solar wind hydrogen ions (H+) with oxygen in the silicate mineral grains.

--ANI (Posted on 26-01-2014)

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Space dust capable of carrying water and organic compounds to planets like Earth

Researchers from the University of Hawaii -- Manoa (UHM) School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and University of California -- Berkeley discovered that interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) could deliver water and organics to Earth and other terrestrial planets.

Interplanetary dust, dust that has come from comets, asteroids, and leftover debris from the birth of the solar system, continually rains down on Earth and other Solar System bodies. These particles are bombarded by solar wind, predominately hydrogen ions. This ion bombardment knocks the atoms out of order in the silicate mineral crystal and leaves behind oxygen that is more available to react with hydrogen, for example, to create water molecules.

"It is a thrilling possibility that this influx of dust has acted as a continuous rainfall of little reaction vessels containing both the water and organics needed for the eventual origin of life on Earth and possibly Mars," said Hope Ishii, new Associate Researcher in the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) at UHM SOEST and co-author of the study. This mechanism of delivering both water and organics simultaneously would also work for exoplanets, worlds that orbit other stars. These raw ingredients of dust and hydrogen ions from their parent star would allow the process to happen in almost any planetary system.

Implications of this work are potentially huge: Airless bodies in space such as asteroids and the Moon, with ubiquitous silicate minerals, are constantly being exposed to solar wind irradiation that can generate water. In fact, this mechanism of water formation would help explain remotely sensed data of the Moon, which discovered OH and preliminary water, and possibly explains the source of water ice in permanently shadowed regions of the Moon.

"Perhaps more exciting," said Ishii, "interplanetary dust, especially dust from primitive asteroids and comets, has long been known to carry organic carbon species that survive entering the Earth's atmosphere, and we have now demonstrated that it also carries solar-wind-generated water. So we have shown for the first time that water and organics can be delivered together."

It has been known since the Apollo-era, when astronauts brought back rocks and soil from the Moon, that solar wind causes the chemical makeup of the dust's surface layer to change. Hence, the idea that solar wind irradiation might produce water-species has been around since then, but whether it actually does produce water has been debated. The reasons for the uncertainty are that the amount of water produced is small and it is localized in very thin rims on the surfaces of silicate minerals so that older analytical techniques were unable to confirm the presence of water.

Using a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope, the scientists have now actually detected water produced by solar-wind irradiation in the space-weathered rims on silicate minerals in interplanetary dust particles. Futher, on the bases of laboratory-irradiated minerals that have similar amorphous rims, they were able to conclude that the water forms from the interaction of solar wind hydrogen ions (H+) with oxygen in the silicate mineral grains.

This recent work does not suggest how much water may have been delivered to Earth in this manner from IDPs.

"In no way do we suggest that it was sufficient to form oceans, for example," said Ishii. "However, the relevance of our work is not the origin of the Earth's oceans but that we have shown continuous, co-delivery of water and organics intimately intermixed."

In future work, the scientists will attempt to estimate water abundances delivered to Earth by IDPs. Further, they will explore in more detail what other organic (carbon-based) and inorganic species are present in the water in the vesicles in interplanetary dust rims.

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Interplanetary dust particles could deliver water and organics to jump-start life on Earth

The Science Jerks - Episode 5: Urinal Technology, Planetology and Criminology with Bennie Arthur
Comedian Bennie Arthur talks to the jerks about Urinal Video Games, Rogue Planets and Computer Programmer John McAffee on the lam in Belize. Also Jessica Lee...

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The Science Jerks - Episode 5: Urinal Technology, Planetology and Criminology with Bennie Arthur - Video

The Science Jerks - Episode 1: Zoopsychology, Sexology and Planetology with Rebecca Leib
We talk Zoopsychology, Sexology and Planetology with comedy writer Rebecca Leib. Also Correspondent Alex Berg reports on the Singularity Conference, and Quiz...

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The Science Jerks - Episode 1: Zoopsychology, Sexology and Planetology with Rebecca Leib - Video

BEIJING When China landed its first lunar rover on the moon last month, many Americans reacted with a shrug. After all, the U.S. sent men to the moon more than 40 years ago, and the Soviets landed a rover there too.

But among lunar scientists, the Chang'e 3 mission has generated considerable interest. They say the lander and the rover, equipped with ground-penetrating radar, cameras, a telescope and spectroscopic instruments, could gather significant new information, especially relating to the chemical composition and depth of the lunar soil.

Such data, they say, could shed light on the history of the moon and, by extension, Earth. It could also help humans design equipment to mine the lunar surface for oxygen and other elements.

In addition, experts say, the Chinese mission is testing new equipment and technology that could be useful for future missions manned or unmanned not only to the moon but also to Mercury or Mars.

"The parts of the moon that have been explored are so minuscule," said Leroy Chiao, a former NASA astronaut and International Space Station commander. "It's like saying you sent probes to the Earth, you looked at small areas of California and New York and now you know everything there is to know. That's not the case."

Stephen Mackwell, director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, noted that the Chang'e 3 mission landed in an area the right eye of the "Man in the Moon" distinctly different from previous U.S. and Soviet landing sites.

In the years since Americans and Soviet crafts visited the lunar surface, he said, orbiters launched by Europe, Japan, the United States and others have gathered extensive data about the moon's structure and composition. Now, the Chinese rover may help validate and refine that data, giving detailed information about the concentrations of elements such as titanium, aluminum, iron, potassium and sodium.

Scientists are also watching closely to see how the lander and the Jade Rabbit rover survive the frigid lunar night, which lasts about two weeks. The lander and rover went into "hibernation mode" on Dec. 25 and 26, respectively, and will have to endure temperatures dipping perhaps as low as minus 292 degrees. The vehicles are supposed to endure two such long, cold nights during the course of the mission.

"This is very important for planning other missions, like one to Mercury, which could use a lander just like this one," said G. Jeffrey Taylor, a researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. "Once you get down to minus 80 or 90, the electronics may not survive. They must be in containers with little radioactive heating units to keep things up to a certain temperature so they don't get damaged."

Chang'e 3 also carries an extreme ultraviolet camera, which is to be used to monitor Earth's plasmasphere, and a near-ultraviolet telescope to observe galaxies and stars. Proponents of a lunar telescope say the moon's thin atmosphere and slow rotation will allow for long, uninterrupted observations of a target.

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China's moon mission captivates scientists

Blaire and Julia #39;s Comparative Planetology
This video is about Comparative Planetology.

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Blaire and Julia's Comparative Planetology - Video

Planetary science (rarely planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), moons, and planetary systems, in particular those of the Solar System and the processes that form them. It studies objects ranging in size from micrometeoroids to gas giants, aiming to determine their composition, dynamics, formation, interrelations and history. It is a strongly interdisciplinary field, originally growing from astronomy and earth science,[1] but which now incorporates many disciplines, including planetary astronomy, planetary geology (together with geochemistry and geophysics), atmospheric science, oceanography, hydrology, theoretical planetary science, glaciology, and the study of extrasolar planets.[1] Allied disciplines include space physics, when concerned with the effects of the Sun on the bodies of the Solar System, and astrobiology.

There are interrelated observational and theoretical branches of planetary science. Observational research can involve a combination of space exploration, predominantly with robotic spacecraft missions using remote sensing, and comparative, experimental work in Earth-based laboratories. The theoretical component involves considerable computer simulation and mathematical modelling.

Planetary scientists are generally located in the astronomy and physics or earth sciences departments of universities or research centres, though there are several purely planetary science institutes worldwide. There are several major conferences each year, and a wide range of peer-reviewed journals.

The history of planetary science may be said to have begun with the Ancient Greek philosopher Democritus, who is reported by Hippolytus as saying

The ordered worlds are boundless and differ in size, and that in some there is neither sun nor moon, but that in others, both are greater than with us, and yet with others more in number. And that the intervals between the ordered worlds are unequal, here more and there less, and that some increase, others flourish and others decay, and here they come into being and there they are eclipsed. But that they are destroyed by colliding with one another. And that some ordered worlds are bare of animals and plants and all water.[2]

In more modern times, planetary science began in astronomy, from studies of the unresolved planets. In this sense, the original planetary astronomer would be Galileo, who discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter, the mountains on the Moon, and first observed the rings of Saturn, all objects of intense later study. Galileo's study of the lunar mountains in 1609 also began the study of extraterrestrial landscapes: his observation "that the Moon certainly does not possess a smooth and polished surface" suggested that it and other worlds might appear "just like the face of the Earth itself".[3]

Advances in telescope construction and instrumental resolution gradually allowed increased identification of the atmospheric and surface details of the planets. The Moon was initially the most heavily studied, as it always exhibited details on its surface, due to its proximity to the Earth, and the technological improvements gradually produced more detailed lunar geological knowledge. In this scientific process, the main instruments were astronomical optical telescopes (and later radio telescopes) and finally robotic exploratory spacecraft.

The Solar System has now been relatively well-studied, and a good overall understanding of the formation and evolution of this planetary system exists. However, there are large numbers of unsolved questions,[4] and the rate of new discoveries is very high, partly due to the large number of interplanetary spacecraft currently exploring the Solar System.

This is both an observational and a theoretical science. Observational researchers are predominantly concerned with the study of the small bodies of the solar system: those that are observed by telescopes, both optical and radio, so that characteristics of these bodies such as shape, spin, surface materials and weathering are determined, and the history of their formation and evolution can be understood.

Theoretical planetary astronomy is concerned with dynamics: the application of the principles of celestial mechanics to the Solar System and extrasolar planetary systems.

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Planetary science - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In a stunning and completely new view of the solar system, an astronaut and a geologist team up to investigate, through parallel views made possible by cutting-edge space technology, how the earth can help science unravel the mysteries of the heavens.

Noted planetary geologist Ellen Stofan and veteran astronaut Tom Jones pair images of Earthmany captured by space shuttle and space station crewmemberswith astonishing scenes of alien surfaces beamed home by NASA's far-ranging robotic probes.

This comprehensive new portrait of the solar system brings to light an array of important features never seen until todayand it highlights, for the first time, the similarities and contrasts between Earth and its neighbors in space.

Anecdotal stories from space flights and exploratory missions make Planetology an absorbing read and an informative resource. The book's unique concept draws intriguing comparisons across multiple physical processes, and its dynamic design offers a fresh approach to the study of space.

"Jones provided a preview of his forthcoming book...which blends imagery of Earth and other celestial bodies to show the similarities and contrasts in climate and geology."msnbc Cosmic Blog

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Planetology - National Geographic Store

Theoretical planetology, also known as theoretical planetary science[3] is a branch of planetary sciences that developed in the 20th century.[4]

Theoretical planetologists, also known as theoretical planetary scientists, use modelling techniques to develop an understanding of the internal structure of planets by making assumptions about their chemical composition and the state of their materials, then calculating the radial distribution of various properties such as temperature, pressure, or density of material across the planet's internals.[4]

Theoretical planetologists also use numerical models to understand how the Solar System planets were formed and develop in the future, their thermal evolution, their tectonics, how magnetic fields are formed in planetary interiors, how convection processes work in the cores and mantles of terrestrial planets and in the interiors of gas giants, how their lithospheres deform, the orbital dynamics of planetary satellites, how dust and ice is transported on the surface of some planets (such as Mars), and how the atmospheric circulation takes place over a planet.[5]

Theoretical planetologists may use laboratory experiments to understand various phenomena analogous to planetary processes, such as convection in rotating fluids.[5]

Theoretical planetologists make extensive use of basic physics, particularly fluid dynamics and condensed matter physics, and much of their work involves interpretation of data returned by space missions, although they rarely get actively involved in them.[7]

Typically a theoretical planetologist will have to have had higher education in physics and theoretical physics, at PhD doctorate level.[9][10]

Because of the use of scientific visualisation animation, theoretical planetology has a relationship with computer graphics. Example movies exhibiting this relation are the 4-minute "The Origin of the Moon"[8]

One of the major successes of theoretical planetology is the prediction and subsequent confirmation of volcanism on Io.[1][2]

The prediction was made by Stanton Peale who wrote a scientific paper claiming that Io must be volcanically active that was published one week before Voyager 1 encountered Jupiter. When Voyager 1 photographed Io in 1979, his theory was confirmed.[2] Later photographs of Io by the Hubble Space Telescope and from the ground also showed volcanoes on Io's surface, and they were extensively studied and photographed by the Galileo orbiter of Jupiter from 1995-2003.

D. C. Tozer of University of Newcastle upon Tyne,[11] writing in 1974, expressed the opinion that "it could and will be said that theoretical planetary science is a waste of time" until problems related to "sampling and scaling" are resolved, even though these problems cannot be solved by simply collecting further laboratory data.[12]

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Theoretical planetology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

Scientists have found evidence that strong earthquakes in the Aleutian Islands could send an extreme tsunami that could bring huge waves through Waikiki and cripple Oahu's main electrical power plant.

The study from the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology at the University of Hawaii and the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai stemmed from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and caused damage in Hawaii.

Cameras caught the devastation as tsunami waves pushed miles inland from the magnitude 9.0 quake off Japan. Now scientists have found evidence that it could happen here.

Archaeobotanist David Burney found it in the Makauwahi Sinkhole on Kauai near Poipu. A cave in the sinkhole had a huge deposit of marine sediment, including shells, gravel and coral, dating back to the 1500s.

Scientists believed the only way they could have gotten there would be by a wave that carried them over the top of the cave, or about 24 feet above sea level.

"There's a spot in the Aleutians that if you have an event there and it is actually capable of doing it, it provides a fairly strong circumstantial case," said Dr. Rhett Butler, interim director of the Institute of Geophysics.

Butler and his team ran computer models, which concluded that such a tsunami could be generated from a 9.2 magnitude quake in a certain spot in the Eastern Aleutians.

"There was a series of very large events that have happened up there about 300, 400 years, and that one in particular had a date that was basically in the same data uncertainty that this Kauai deposit had been dated as," said Butler.

Such a quake would devastate much of Hawaii, but in particular, the study theorizes that it would send a four-story high tsunami through Waikiki.

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New study points to possibility of 'extreme' tsunami in Hawaii

Its all the rage this week: a mountain range along the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.

The Lomonosov Ridge could determine how much Arctic seabed Canada could one day claim as its own. It could even settle the question of Santas citizenship at the North Pole.

Unlocking the ridges secrets may not be the magic bullet that Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird described this week, after he sent the scientists back to look at it again.

But there are still things left to learn, especially whether and how it is even attached to Canadas continental shelf.

In their submission to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf last week, government scientists stopped short of the North Pole, which lies along the ridge.

Baird didnt explain why they made the choice to stop where they did, but he said he wasnt happy with it.

The reality is the Lomonosov Ridge wasnt fully mapped in the submissions that my department did, Baird said.

And frankly, we think its important when you do this extensive mapping; we wanted to get the entire Arctic map, including on the ridge.

According to geologists, the ridges shape and history are largely understood.

And mapping the whole thing would take Canadians all the way to Russia.

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Baird: Finish Arctic mapping

UH study points to possibility of extreme tsunami

Scientists have found evidence that strong earthquakes in the Aleutian Islands could send an extreme tsunami to Oahu, crippling the island's main electrical power plant.

The study by the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology at the University of Hawaii and the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai stemmed from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and caused damage in Hawaii.

According to Archaeobotanist David Burney, there's a spot in the Aleutian Islands that is capable of producing an extreme tsunami. He said the study theorizes the tsunami would send a four-story wave through Waikk as well as wash out the Kahe Power Plant in Leeward Oahu.

Source: Hawaii News Now

UH Hawaiian law program to train state, county personnel

The university law school's Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law will provide a free law training course to state and county lawmakers, decision-makers, staff and members of various boards, commissions and councils on Jan. 11.

The training course will focus on state and county governments trust obligations, particularly in relation to Native Hawaiian cultural and natural resources. Subjects include the public land trust, traditional and customary rights, water and the public trust doctrine, and the law relating to Native Hawaiian ancestral remains.

Associate Professor of Law and Ka Huli Ao Director Melody Kapilialoha MacKenzie said the feedback from last year's training was positive and attendees found the training invaluable.

The training will be held on the law school's campus at UH Mnoa.

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News at Nine, December 20

How to Pronounce Planetology
Learn how to say Planetology correctly with EmmaSaying #39;s "how do you pronounce" free tutorials. Definition of planet (oxford dictionary): noun a celestial bo...

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How to Pronounce Planetology - Video

Solar System Review a (Comparative Planetology)
This video gives an overview of the orbital and physical properties of the planets and compares them to each other and to the Earth.

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Solar System Review a (Comparative Planetology) - Video

Close pass and possible asteroid eclipse tonight of 2012 XE54 December 10
Close pass and possible asteroid eclipse tonight of 2012 XE54 Astronomers discovered the asteroid yesterday. It might enter Earth #39;s shadow in the next few hours and pass slightly more than half the moon #39;s distance a few hours after that. A small asteroid -- discovered only yesterday -- will sweep closely past Earth tonight and possibly undergo an eclipse by Earth #39;s shadow. If so, that would be a rare event, and something many amateur astronomers will want to see. The asteroid, and the eclipse, will not be visible to the eye. The asteroid has been designated 2012 XE54. Pasquale Tricarico of the Institute of Planetology is saying the asteroid will pass through the Earth #39;s shadow, creating an asteroid eclipse, an event whose mechanics are much like an eclipse of the full moon by Earth #39;s shadow. earthsky.orgFrom:rick rickViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:23More inScience Technology

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Close pass and possible asteroid eclipse tonight of 2012 XE54 December 10 - Video

Astronomers discovered the asteroid yesterday. It might enter Earth's shadow in the next few hours and pass slightly more than half the moon's distance a few hours after that.

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Close pass and possible asteroid eclipse tonight of 2012 XE54

Four computer generated views of Asteroid Toutatis based on Goldstone radar imagery. Via NASA A newly discovered small asteroid named 2012 XE54 and a long-studied giant space rock named Toutatis will buzz past Earth during the next 24 hours, and astronomers are already watching the skies. While there is no danger of either hitting Earth, [...]

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Two Asteroids Will Buzz Past Earth on December 11

Russian Proton Rocket Image Credit: Roscosmos The Russian Proton rocket fails during its launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Saturday, December 8, 2012, according to a report by the International Launch Services (ILS) and Russia’s Roscosmos space agency. Reports say that the Breeze-M upper stage failed to lift the Russian satellite, Yamal 402, to a [...]

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Russian Rocket Fails: Yamal 402 Fails to Reach Proper Orbit (Video)

Bizarre creature in ancient cocoon Credit: LiveScience.com/Benjamin Bomfleur A bizarre creature in ancient cocoon was found recently by researchers in Antartica, according to a Live Science report on Saturday, December 8, 2012. Researchers say that a “slimy mucous cocoon” may have been released by the medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis about 200 million years ago. The [...]

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Bizarre creature in ancient cocoon discovered in Artartica (Photos)