Current Science Events I’m Tracking

I always like to ask astronomy bloggers what they are following in the back of their minds, what events they really think will yield some major discoveries and stories in the coming years. Occasionally, I like to post on the same subject, if for no other reason than to remind myself what I think it great out there. So here are the current science events I’m tracking these days:

The watery exoplanet discovered last month is, obviously, a big one to follow in astronomy, if for no other reason than the fact that it was found the old fashioned, detect-the-wobble way. Its discovery demonstrates how much astronomy is a field still rewarded by grunt work and luck. Expect similar discoveries to roll in over the coming year or two.

The WISE Satellite Project, which maps the sky in the mid-infrared range in an effort to get a better pictures of our galaxies and neighboring ones. It launched last month, and while it doesn’t sound all that dramatic, but it is actually really awesome what this technology will be able to see. NASA’s press releases on their missions are always – understandably – dry as toast, but the link here to a Scientific American article on the project brings home how cool it is: discovering the undiscovered, preventing asteroid impacts, finding out what we know we don’t know. So cool.

And finally, an article that is very winter appropriate: a look into the history of cooling and the coldest temperatures on earth. Everything temperature has gone political these days; sometimes it’s nice to go back to a discussion of core samples and weather patterns.

Tagged as: Add new tag, Asteroid, Astronomy, Extrasolar planet, Infrared, NASA, Space, technology, Temperature