Compilations of weather satellite data by Danish National Space Center scientists indicate that cloudiness varies according to how many atomic particles are coming in from exploded stars, contradicting the theory that the rise in temperatures since the mid-20th century is due to man-made greenhouse gases.
Astronauts could one day be protected from harmful cosmic rays during a long haul spaceflight by a powerful magnetic bubble generated by their own craft, solving one of the barriers to long-term human space exploration.
Scientists have long been stumped about the origins of high-energy cosmic rays. They hope a new observatory will substantiate one of several theories on how the rays came into being, and shed light on the origins of the universe.
Professor Hans J?rg Fahr from the Bonn Institute of Astrophysics and Extraterrestrial Research has put forth a new theory that a shower of matter from space millions of years ago could have led to drastic changes in the Earth's climate, followed by the extinction of life on a massive scale, including the dinosaurs.