Hubble researchers identify color of an exoplanet for the first time (video)

Hubble telescope identifies an exoplanet as blue, but it's no Earth video

While exoplanets are seemingly a dime a dozen, their looks have been mysteries; they often exist only as measurements. Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope have partly solved that riddle by pinpointing the visible color of an extrasolar world for the first time. By measuring reflected light, they can tell that HD 189733b (conceptualized above) is a cobalt blue, much like Earth's oceans. Not that we can claim much kinship, though. The planet is a gas giant 63 light-years away -- its blue tint comes from an atmosphere likely full of deadly silicate. As disappointing as that may be, the discovery should at least help us understand planet types that don't exist in the Solar System.

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Source: ESA

Alt-week 7.28.12: social mathematics, Pluto’s moons and humans-on-a-chip

Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.

Alt-week 7.28.12

It's a beautiful world we live in. And, while the sweet and romantic part is debatable, strange and fantastic is not. Our universe is one populated by non-planetary celestial bodies with their own non-planetary satellites, high school social hierarchies based on predictable mathematical formulas and military-funded "gut-on-a-chips." It's a weird place filled with weird stories, and we just can't get enough of it. So, what has the last seven days brought us from the fringes of science and tech? Keep reading after the break to find out. This is alt-week.

Continue reading Alt-week 7.28.12: social mathematics, Pluto's moons and humans-on-a-chip

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Alt-week 7.28.12: social mathematics, Pluto's moons and humans-on-a-chip originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jul 2012 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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