Page 14 - Astronomy - October 2017 USA

ASTRONEWS BIG RINGS. A huge gas giant planet with a ring system is blotting out light from the star PDS 110 as it orbits once every
2.5 years, according to a team led by astronomers at the University of Warwick.

I SPY . . . Curiosity WHAT IS EARTH MADE OF?
landed on Mars
to investigate
the possibility of BREAK IT DOWN. Our planet contains all of the 92
microbial life on naturally occurring elements. But which ones are most
the planet and to abundant? This chart shows the top eight elements
study the 3-mile- found within Earth — all of it, not just the crust. These
high (5km) Mount elements each account for more than 1 percent of our
Sharp, which sits world’s mass. — Michael E. Bakich
inside the 96-mile- Calcium
wide (154km) Nickel 1.5 %
Gale Crater. HiRISE
captures pictures 1.8 % Aluminum
of Curiosity about Sulfur 1.4 %
every three months 2.9 % Iron
while monitoring 32.1 %
the area for erosion Magnesium
or migration of the 13.9 %
surrounding dunes.
NASA/JPL-CALTECH/UNIVERSITY
OF ARIZONA
Curiosity climbs Mount Sharp

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has the informally named “Vera Rubin Ridge” when
most powerful telescope ever sent to the the High Resolution Imaging Science
Red Planet. While monitoring Mars on June 5, Experiment (HiRISE) camera imaged it.
2017, it captured a picture that included the The camera’s filters, which are meant to Silicon
Curiosity rover climbing Mount Sharp, the enhance colors to help scientists better pick 15.1 % ASTRONOMY: ROEN KELLY
mountain inside a crater that Curiosity has out subtle differences in the materials that Oxygen
been exploring for about five years. make up Mars’ surface, make the rover appear
The orbiter was about 169 miles (271 kilo- bluer than it really is. 30.1 %
meters) away when it took the picture. The Once Curiosity reaches its next destination,
rover, which measures 10 by 9 feet (about 3 it will take a closer look at the active dunes Earth weighs 6.58 sextillion tons. That’s FAST
by 2.8 meters), was headed from the sand where the mineral hematite has been spotted 6,580,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons. FACT
dunes on lower Mount Sharp toward the from orbit. — Nicole Kiefert

ALMA uncovers more ingredients for life

IRAS 16293–2422 became famous The ALMA observations, which
in 2012 when astronomers using covered several wavelengths in
the Atacama Large Millimeter/ the radio spectrum, indicate that
submillimeter Array (ALMA) methyl isocyanate is found in the
detected glycolaldehyde, a simple cocoons of gas surrounding the
sugar, in the system. Now, the young, still-forming stars. After
system is making news again isolating the molecule’s signature,
with the discovery that it contains the teams used a combination of
methyl isocyanate, a complex computer modeling and labora-
prebiotic molecule. tory experimentation to better
IRAS 16293–2422 contains understand how the molecule
three young protostars with had formed in the system.
masses similar to the Sun and lies This discovery allows astrono-
about 400 light-years away. mers an indirect peek into the past
Two groups of astronomers of our own solar system, which
discovered and studied the likely formed under similar chemi-
molecule via observations cal conditions. It also has far-reach-
taken as part of the Protostellar ing implications for the possibility
Interferometric Line Survey with of Earth-like life on other planets,
ALMA. Their results were pub- because a star’s planets form from
lished in two papers in the the material that surrounds it.
April 17 issue of the Monthly “Our laboratory experiments
Notices of the Royal Astronomical show that methyl isocyanate can
Society. Co-authors Niels Ligterink indeed be produced on icy parti-
and Audrey Coutens explained cles under very cold conditions
the profundity of the discovery, that are similar to those in inter-
saying, “This family of organic stellar space. This implies that this
molecules is involved in the molecule — and thus the basis for
THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT. The Rho Ophiuchi star formation region contains synthesis of peptides and amino peptide bonds — is indeed likely
the triple-protostar system IRAS 16293–2422, where astronomers discovered clouds acids, which, in the form of to be present near most new
of methyl isocyanate gas surrounding the forming stars. ESO/DIGITIZED SKY SURVEY 2; proteins, are the biological basis young solar-type stars,” said
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: DAVIDE DE MARTIN for life as we know it.” Ligterink. — A. K.

14 ASTRONOMY • OCTOBER 2017