Tag Archives: infrared

Out-of-this-world atmospheres

This illustration depicts the planet HR 8799c (foreground) orbiting its star. Two other planets in the system can also be seen in the drawing.
Credit: Image courtesy of Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics; Mediafarm

Light from a distant, giant world offers clues to the gases in its atmosphere

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Supertiny satellites launched

Cordell Grant, an aerospace engineer at the University of Toronto in Canada, assembles one of his team’s nanosatellites. These are the smallest space telescopes ever sent into Earth orbit. Credit: Johannes Hirn (Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto)

Researchers are building simple, miniature satellites to bring down their costs and expand their availability

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Surprising hot springs

A lake sits in the crater of the Philippine’s Taal volcano. Scientists recently discovered that hot springs flowing into the lake come from a shallow source — the lake itself. Credit: MatthieuG/Wikimedia Commons

Scientists find shallow source of water for volcano’s hot springs

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Color-changing robot

Tiny tubes filled with colored dyes let these soft robots blend in with their environments. Credit: S. Morin, Harvard University

Tiny tunnels within the “skin” of a robot allow it to blend in with or stand out from its surroundings

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Crime-solving camera

A digital camera fitted with the right filters, like the one shown here, can detect only infrared light. The crime-fighting trick can reveal bloodstains hidden behind layers of paint. Credit: bmcent1/iStockphoto

Quick-change trick allows a digital camera to photograph blood concealed by paint

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