The Young Astronomers Newsletter

The Young Astronomers Newsletter Volume 24 Number 5 May 2016

By Bob Patsiga

In this month’s edition of the newsletter Bob discusses:

* The last four of the heavy elements in the seventh row of the periodic table have been created/discovered. Now it is time to give them names. Possibilities have been suggested.

*The forces that form the gullies and channels on Mars may not be aqueous solutions. Behavior is more consistent with phase changes by carbon dioxide.

* The U.S. and Japan are sending probes to two different asteroids and plan to bring back samples.

* What is the future of Earth’s magnetic field? What will happen to civilization if the field strength drops to zero?

* Pluto update. Review article in Astronomy magazine by chief investigator for the New Horizons mission.

* Planets are putting on a show in May. Close approach by Mars and transit of the Sun by Mercury.

And more.