Nearby Super-Earth May Be a Waterworld

By Jeanna Bryner
Senior Writer
posted: 16 December 2009

A rocky and water-rich planet, not much heftier than our own, has been discovered so close to our solar system that astronomers one day may be able to study its atmosphere.

And though astronomers are pretty certain the water exists, they don't know its state, with speculations ranging from liquid water to water ice and an exotic state called a superfluid.

The extrasolar planet, now named GJ 1214b, is about 40 light-years away. It orbits a red dwarf star. It is the only known "Super-Earth" exoplanet — worlds that have masses between Earth and Neptune — with a confirmed atmosphere.

"Astronomically speaking, this [planet] is on our block," meaning it's in our cosmic neighborhood, said study leader David Charbonneau of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Mass. "For perspective, our own TV signals have already passed beyond the distance of this star."

The planet is about three times the size of Earth and about 6.5 times as massive. It is the second smallest planet discovered outside of our solar system to date, trailing behind only CoRoT-7b, which is 1.7 times Earth's size and about five times as massive.

GJ 1214b is rare among known rocky exoplanets because it partially eclipses, or transits, its star as seen from Earth.

This fortunate alignment allows astronomers to calculate the size and density of the planet, and Charbonneau's team thinks GJ 1214b is likely a water world with a solid center. Moreover, the planet has a thick surrounding atmosphere of hydrogen and helium.

Normally, a planet located at that distance from this particular type of star would be so hot that any water on its surface would be in a vapor form.

But scientists think the thick atmosphere of GJ 1214b creates a high pressure environment that keeps water on the surface in a liquid state.

That's just speculation, however.

"It really depends on how hot the planet is on the inside, and we don't know that," Sara Seager, an astrophysicist at MIT, told SPACE.com. "I think this planet doesn't have liquid water because it is too hot on the inside. I think it goes from water ice, to a very exotic kind of water — a superfluid — and then it goes to vapor," added Seager, who just published a new eBook on exoplanets called "Is there Life Out There? The Search for Habitable Exoplanets."

(Seager was not involved in the new planet discovery.)

There are downsides to having such a thick atmosphere: First, the pressure is crushing, making life as we know it difficult. And secondly, the thick atmosphere blocks light from the feeble star from reaching the planet's surface.

"If you picture the sun as a 1,000-watt light bulb, this star is a 3-watt light bulb," Charbonneau said.

Whatever its exact composition, astronomers are excited about the finding. "We're really looking for a planet that's a big Earth orbiting in the Goldilocks zone of a small star, transiting," Seager said. "This one scores three out of four. We're excited because we're getting closer and closer to the thing we want to find." The missing piece: GJ 1214b doesn't orbit within the star's habitable, or Goldilocks, zone.

The planet was discovered using a suite of small, ground-based telescopes and is detailed in this week's issue of the journal Nature.

NATO fails to gain Russia aid in Afghanistan

Thursday, 17 December 2009

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has failed to gain any commitment from Russia to help win the war against the Taliban insurgency.

On Wednesday Mr Rasmussen asked Moscow to provide helicopters to Afghanistan and also requested Russian help in training the Afghan air force.

But he told the BBC he had received no positive response from the Kremlin.

Mr Rasmussen's visit is the first by a NATO chief since relations chilled after last year's Russian-Georgian war.

The three-day visit, which has included meetings with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, signifies the alliance's determination to strengthen ties with Moscow, analysts say.

Common ground

Mr Rasmussen said he had presented Russian leaders with a list of "concrete proposals" to help the Western alliance defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan - specifically requesting helicopters, helicopter training and spare parts.

"The Russians do realize that if we left Afghanistan behind and if Afghanistan once again became a safe haven for terrorism then they could suffer from it because terrorists would spread from Afghanistan through central Asia to Russia," Mr Rasmussen told the BBC.

Helicopters are considered a crucial asset in the war against the Taliban, for their ability to move troops around and provide air support. NATO allies have found a shortage of helicopters one of the main handicaps in fighting the insurgency.

The Kremlin has said it wants NATO to win in Afghanistan and is willing to help. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that while differences remained between Moscow and NATO, both sides were trying "to normalize relations and bring them to a new level".

But while many analysts agree it is not in Russia's interests to see NATO fail in Afghanistan, Moscow is still deeply suspicious of the old Cold War alliance, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Moscow.

Giving helicopters to a US-backed regime in Kabul goes way beyond what the Kremlin is prepared to do, our correspondent adds.

Sensitive subject

Analysts say the atmosphere between the alliance and Moscow has improved recently. Earlier this month, the NATO-Russia Council convened for the first time since the Georgia conflict.

During this visit, issues such as missile defense, Iran and a joint review of new security challenges were expected to be on the agenda.

The expansion of NATO remains a sensitive issue between the two sides, with Russia firmly opposed to any move towards membership by Ukraine or Georgia.

Mr Rasmussen has previously said they would become NATO members as and when they satisfied the necessary criteria, but emphasized that Moscow should not see that as a threat.

Source: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8418292.stm.

Algerian publishers boycott Cairo International Book Fair

Algiers- The National Union of book publishers has decided, after the meeting of the Executive Board in its regular session held December 17 last, to boycott the Cairo International Book Fair to be held next January.

The union said in a statement, of which Ennahar holds a copy, that the decision was taken after long discussions and debates between the officers and also correspondences between the office and the Union of Arab Publishers, after the media campaign which was conducted by the Egyptian institutions against Algeria.

After analysis of irresponsible statements detrimental to the dignity of the Algerians, the Shuhada (martyrs) and the symbols of the revolution, the Algerian flag that was burned by an institution of association without being questioned by any Egyptian official parties, the doubt raised about the membership of Algeria to the Arab and Muslims nation and the insults uttered against the Algerian people and their Amazigh roots.

All these things happened, despite the cultural and economic interests between the two countries. The National Union of publishers decided to boycott the book fair to be held in Cairo next January.

Human rights activists of Memorial back in Chechnya

17.12.2009

Human rights activists from the center Memorial are going to return to Chechnya and renew their activities stopped this summer in July because of the murder of Natalya Estemirova, one of the members of the organization. Human rights activists are referring to the people who anyway need their help.

According to Yulia Klimova, Memorial’s spokesperson, they are going to resume human rights monitoring in the region first of all and carry out legal assistance to the injured people, e.g. legal support of the applications to the European Court of Human Rights.

Relationship between the members of Memorian and administration of the Chechen Republic, especially with Ramzan Kadyrov, the president of Chechnya, are badly strained relations last time, after one of the members of the organization said Kadyrov was guilty in Natalya Estemirova’s death.

Somali militant group shuts down UN mine agency

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Somalia Islamist militant group says it is banning the U.N. mine agency from its territory.

Al-Shabab accuses U.N. Mine Action of paying police salaries for Somalia's weak, transitional government. The group said Thursday that the U.N. agency has been surveying vital and sensitive areas under al-Shabab control.

Earlier this week an old mine killed six children from the same family. Mines riddle the Somali countryside and were first laid in 1964 and during subsequent wars with neighboring Ethiopia. The U.N. agency could not be reached for comment.

Al-Shabab has already banned several U.N. agencies and aid groups. The group is part of an Islamic insurgency trying to topple the government. Somalia has not had an effective government for 18 years.

30,000 troops withdrawn from Kashmir: Antony

18 December 2009

NEW DELHI: Defense minister A K Antony on Friday announced that the Center has withdrawn around 30,000 troops from Jammu and Kashmir.

A K Antony said two Army divisions comprising around 30,000 troops have been moved out of Kashmir in the wake of improvement in the security situation there.

Addressing reporters Antony said, "Two Army divisions comprising around 30,000 troops have been moved out of Kashmir due to improvement in the situation there."

"Whenever we feel the situation has improved or is improving we will further reduce the visibility and presence of the Army in the state... it is because of the presence of the army that we have been able to counter terrorism in the state," Antony added.

The Army has begun withdrawing troops from the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir in a move seen as a confidence building measure to get Kashmiri separatists, especially the hardliners, on board for talks.

The twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch were brought under the Disturbed Area Act along with the Kashmir Valley in July 1990 and the security forces were given special powers under Armed Forces Special Powers Act around the same time.

The two districts have a 200 km Line of Control with Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Antony made the announcement just days after home minister P Chidambaram informed the Parliament, that troop reduction in Jammu and Kashmir was on the cards considering improvement in the overall security situation in the northern state.

Reacting to the Chidambaram's statement, former state chief minister and union minister for new and renewable sources of energy Farooq Abdullah had said that the home minister had finally given good news to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Reduction in the number of troops deployed in the state would definitely ease the tensions here and herald the beginning of peace and development in the state," Abdullah had said.

Algeria names Nations Cup squad

Thursday, 17 December 2009

Algeria have named a 23 man team to play in the Africa Cup of Nations next month in Angola.

The team includes fourteen foreign based players including Majid Bougherra who plays for Rangers in Scotland.

But there is no place in the squad for Hull City striker Kamel Ghilas.

Ghilas is not even named as one of the four reserve players on standby in case any of the 23 suffers an injury.

Algeria's manager Rabah Saadane named the team during a press conference on Thursday in Algiers.

Saadane also announced that the team would train in Le Castellet in Southern France from 26 December to 7 January before leaving for the Angolan capital Luanda.

Saadane said the team would do their very best to win the competition despite what he referred to as 'difficult climate conditions' in Angola at that time of the year.

"The climate in Angola is very difficult especially in this period and the players are not accustomed to this kind of situation," he said.

"Heat and humidity are handicaps for us at the Nations Cup, but we will play best to win our matches."

Algeria are in Group A alongside hosts Angola, Mali and Malawi.

Their first game is against Malawi on 11 January.

Algeria's full squad list:

Goalkeepers: Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef), Fawzi Chaouchi (ES Setif), Mohamed Amine Zemmamouche (MC Algiers)

Defenders: Slimane Raho (ES Setif), Madjid Bougherra (Rangers/Scotland), Rafik Halliche (Nacional/Portugal), Anthar Yahia (Bochum/Germany), Samir Zaoui (ASO Chlef), Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Setif), Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth/England), Reda Baabouche (MC Algiers)

Midfielders: Hassen Yebda (Portsmouth/England), Yazid Mansouri (Lorient/France), Khaled Lemmouchia (ES Setif), Mourad Meghni (Lazio/Italy), Karim Ziani (Wolfsburg/Germany), Karim Matmour (Borussia Monchengladbach/Germany), Yacine Bezzaz (Strasbourg/France), Hameur Bouazza (Blackpool/England), Djamal Abdoun (Nantes/France)

Forwards: Rafik Saifi (Al-Khor/Qatar), Abdelkader Mohamed Ghezzal (Siena/Italy), Abdelmalik Ziaya (ES Setif)

Reserves: Mohamed Ousserir (CR Belouizdad), Mohamed Meftah (JS Kabylie), Hocine Metref (ES Setif), Chadli Amri (Mainz/Germany)