Monthly Archives: July 2015

1992 First exoplanet to orbit a main sequence star is discovered by Aleksander Wolszczan. The first confirmed exoplanet is a ‘hot Jupiter’ which takes 4.2-day to go around its sun. 51Pegasi b. 2005 New Zealand’s Grant Christie and Jenny McCormick discover the second planet found by gravitational microlensing, an effect predicted by Einstein’s general theory of relativity. The discovery is amazing especially because they are amateur astronomers: “These amateur astronomers work all day, then go home and observe all night,” says B. Scott Gaudi (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), whose calculations showed that the deviation was due to a planet. “Their contribution is a testament to how far amateurs have come. It speaks highly of their dedication to the field. If we can get others involved, that would be fantastic.” 2009 NASA’s $600 million planet-hunting KEPLER telescope is launched into space. 2015 Kepler discovers the first planet believed to be very similar to Earth, Kepler-452b. Located at…

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Astrobiology is asking three fundamental questions: 1. What is life? 2. Are we alone out there? 3. What is the future of humankind? “Are we alone?” is probably the most debated out of the three. Science fiction fans know it and scientists know it. Do we believe in aliens? And do we really wish to find them? It seems that some people do. One of these questions is now worth 100 million dollars Shifted from the realm of science-fiction to the reality of science,  the search for extraterrestrial intelligence got an unexpected boost. On Monday, July the 20th 2015, a group of visionaries endorsed by Professor Stephen Hawking and funded by Internet investor Yuri Milner announced a $100 million, 10-year search for intelligent project. “We believe that life arose spontaneously on Earth, so in an infinite universe, there must be other occurrences of life. Somewhere in the cosmos, perhaps intelligent life might be watching…

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Are we alone? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? Astrobiology attempts to answer such questions. To explain what Astrobiology is, and comment on its status as a research topic in India and India’s first interplanetary mission ‘Mangalyan’, or the Mars Orbiter Mission, Dr. Preeti Nema was invited to the All India Radio Science Magazine program. Dr. Preeti Nema, is a research scientist at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle. She is an astrobiologist, microbiologist, science communicator and is also one of the core team members of Astrobiology India. Here is a segment of the radio program featuring her comments:

    The New Zealand Astrobiology Initiative (NZAI) of the Royal Astronomical Society, New Zealand (RASNZ), is dedicated to encouraging, assisting, and promoting astrobiology research, education and outreach in New Zealand. The lead of the group, Haritina Mogosanu is an astrobiologist (life sciences) who is also trained in public relations, international security and outreach. She loves to travel and share her passion for astronomy, astrobiology and space. She believes that scientific education is a gatekeeper of peace. It makes humankind a better place for all of us. She is a founding and board member of KiwiSpace Foundation and Mars Society New Zealand, and executive member of the World Space Week Association. Hari has been a great friend and supporter of Astrobiology India since its inception. As we continue to collaborate, we as Astrobiology India team congratulate NZAI as they complete a year and wish them boundless success for many more years to…

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