SCIENCE IN THE NEWS WEEKLY
New Satellite to Study Moisture, Salinity
A European satellite was launched from Russia last week on a mission to map how water is cycled around the Earth. The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (Smos) satellite is one of a number of European spacecraft being sent into orbit over the next few years to study the planet.
In other news of space, NASA's Messenger probe has found richer concentrations of iron and titanium on the surface of Mercury than had been previously detected.
On long space flights, cosmic rays could mutate microbes that all humans carry into something more dangerous, researchers reported. Recent studies have shown that microbes can reproduce more quickly and become more virulent under conditions found in space.
Speaking of cosmic rays, astronomers have traced gamma rays, the most energetic form of light, to galaxies where star formation is especially active. The finding provides new hints about the origin of cosmic rays.
And, finally, the ability to detect almost every form of electromagnetic radiation is helping astronomers fill in the blank spaces on their 3-D map of the universe.
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