Astronomers discover new exoplanet similar in size to Earth; Planet Kepler-21b found using space and ground-based observations

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2011) — The NASA Kepler Mission is designed to survey a portion of our region of the Milky Way Galaxy to discover Earth-size planets in or near the "habitable zone," the region in a planetary system where liquid water can exist, and determine how many of the billions of stars in our galaxy have such planets. It now has another planet to add to its growing list.A research team led by Steve Howell, of NASA's Ames Research Center, has shown that one of the brightest stars in...

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Highly efficient oxygen catalyst found: Rechargeable batteries and hydrogen-fuel production could benefit

ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2011) — A team of researchers at MIT has found one of the most effective catalysts ever discovered for splitting oxygen atoms from water molecules -- a key reaction for advanced energy-storage systems, including electrolyzers, to produce hydrogen fuel and rechargeable batteries. This new catalyst liberates oxygen at more than 10 times the rate of the best previously known catalyst of its type.The new compound, composed of cobalt, iron and oxygen with other metals, splits...

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