The SKA will consist of antennae, like this these from the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array in Chile. Credit: NRAO/AUI and NRAO/AUI/ESO

Radio astronomers are keen to build the next big radio telescope, one that will probe deep into the universe, map the material between stars and galaxies, and hunt for emissions from new stars and planetary systems. The new telescope, called the Square Kilometer Array, will consist of thousands of antennae combined to collect radio waves. But where will this large facility be located? There are two contenders, an African consortium led by South Africa, and a team from Australia and New Zealand. The decision, to be made in 2012, may extend beyond cut-and-dried science and technology issues.

• SKA Telescope website.
• Square Kilometre Array Design Studies.
• The Guardian on the discussion over the telescope’s location.

An artist's concept of the giant rock that broke up in space, creating a family of asteroids. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The source of the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs and many other species 65 million years ago remains a mystery. Some researchers thought that the asteroid was the child of a much larger space rock that broke apart 160 million years ago. New research from NASA’s WISE satellite seems to indicate otherwise.

• Space.com on the mystery.
• Wikipedia on the Baptistina asteroid family.

An artist's concept of a planet that orbits two stars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

Extra-solar planets abound. Each week, more planet discoveries are being reported, including those from NASA’s Kepler mission and the European Southern Observatory’s HARPS instrument. A planet that orbits two stars and a collection of Super-Earths — planets with mass higher than Earth but lower than that of gas giants — all were discovered recently. The number of extrasolar planets to date is about 690, but at this rate that won’t be the case for long.

• The Kepler Mission on the planet orbiting two stars.
• Science Magazine on a Super-Earth found in a habitable zone.

The International Space Station Credit: NASA

The recent crash-landing of a satellite brought a lot of attention. So what will happen when the much larger International Space Station comes down? NASA has planned for the station’s eventual demise. Unlike the recent satellite, the ISS will be de-orbited in controlled way, with all its debris falling into the ocean.

• Space.com on the planned re-entry of the ISS.
• NASA on the Upper Atmosphere Reasearch Satellite's return to Earth.

At the site of a supernova witnessed in 1987, the remnants of an exploded star are undergoing a transformation that astronomers are able to watch in detail for the first time. And new movies made from Hubble images taken over a span of 14 years show material shooting away from young stars and across space at supersonic speeds.

• New Supernova Remnant Lights Up
• Hubble Movies Provide Unprecedented View of Supersonic Jets from Young Stars

The Cygnus X-1 system Credit: NASA/CXC

Cygnus X-1 was the first object identified as a black hole. While many black holes have been detected, the distance to Cygnus X-1 has been determined just recently. Knowing that this object is comprised of two components — an evolving blue supergiant and a dark companion — and with the new distance determination, it appears that indeed the dark companion is a black hole. In addition, new observations suggest the long-term fate of the pair.

• Science Magazine on the fate of Cygnus X-1.

Was Mars once home to a freezing ocean?

New evidence suggests that an ancient ocean existed on Mars — a frigid one surrounded by glaciers. Perhaps Mars was wet and cold rather than wet and warm.

• Space.com on the possible cold ocean.

Images of the Speca galaxy, as viewed in radio emissions (red and blue) and visible light (yellow). Credit: Hota et al., SDSS, NCRA-TIFR, NRAO/AUI/NSF

Most of the black holes that generate powerful jets of charged particles are located in elliptical galaxies. Astronomers are now investigating an exotic new black hole, with powerful jets generated repeatedly, in a spiral galaxy. The galaxy, named Speca, may provide information about galaxies in the younger days of the universe.

• National Radio Astronomy Obervatory news release.