Email Print Share

News From the Field

Astronomers Say Alien Dust Is Nothing to Sneeze At


January 6, 2010

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

Using the Gemini South telescope in Chile, astronomers at UCLA have found dusty evidence of the formation of young, rocky planets around a star some 500 light-years distant. But these potential, extra-solar worlds are alien in an even more intriguing way: In the aftermath of collisions between planetary embryos around this star the researchers discovered that the dusty debris bear no resemblance to the planetary building blocks of our own solar system.Full Story

Source
The Gemini Observatory

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

mail icon Get News Updates by Email 

Connect with us online
NSF website: nsf.gov
NSF News: nsf.gov/news
For News Media: nsf.gov/news/newsroom
Statistics: nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards database: nsf.gov/awardsearch/

Follow us on social
Twitter: twitter.com/NSF
Facebook: facebook.com/US.NSF
Instagram: instagram.com/nsfgov