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AGU journal highlights - 9 March 2005

Researchers improved hurricane prediction using high-resolution general circulation models, predicting the course of four storms with increased accuracy. A new study found that solar emissions likely control Jupiter's X-ray emissions, providing a potential proxy for monitoring flares invisible to space weather satellites.

SourceAmerican Geophysical Union·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateMar 9, 2005

Jupiter: A cloudy mirror for the Sun?

Astronomers using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton telescope discovered that Jupiter's x-ray glow is due to x-rays from the Sun being reflected back off the planet's atmosphere. The discovery synchronises Jupiter's day-to-day disk x-rays with the Sun's emissions, providing new insights into solar activity.

SourceScience and Technology Facilities Council·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateMar 7, 2005

Surf's up in the solar nebula

Scientists have long puzzled over the origin of chondrules, glassy particles found in meteorites that formed in the solar nebula. New calculations suggest that spiral arms in the disk surrounding Jupiter may have generated shock waves that melted dust clumps to form these particles.

SourceIndiana University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateMar 3, 2005

Weighing the smallest stars

An international team of astronomers using the VLT's NACO SDI camera discovered a faint companion to AB Dor A, a young star, which is 93 times more massive than Jupiter and twice as heavy as predicted. The object's mass was determined by observing its precise location and orbit around its host star.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateJan 19, 2005

New method speeds planning of space missions

A new mathematical technique developed by Purdue University engineer James Longuski has significantly reduced the time required to plan space missions. By using a graphical representation of possible paths and automating calculations with software program STOUR, engineers can quickly identify optimal routes for spacecraft travel.

Megaflares will point the way to distant solar systems

Astronomers believe that megaflares produced by tangled magnetic fields on a star and its planet might help identify distant Sun-like stars with planetary systems. This phenomenon could provide energy for the development of life on rocky planets, making it a promising area to search for extraterrestrial life.

SourceNew Scientist·JournalThe New Scientist·DateSep 22, 1999