Using data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, a team led by Western space scientists Megan Tannock and Stanimir Metchev has identified the three fastest-spinning brown dwarfs ever found.
science
Rate of earthquakes depends on volume of fluids in hydraulic fracturing operations – but the magnitude of the largest possible events does not
New findings published by the high impact journal Science show that the rate in which earthquakes are triggered or induced by fracking depends on the volume of the hydraulic fracturing operations. But the magnitude of the triggered events is not capped - contrary to a...
Western scientists believe bright fireball event near Grand Bend dropped meteorites
A network of cameras directed by Western University observed a bright fireball across southern Ontario at 7:23 p.m. on Wednesday, January 24. Analysis of the video data by Western scientists suggests that fragments of the meteor are likely to have made it to the...
Make an impact (crater) during free “cool science” day at Western
Build a rocket, control a RoboRoach, pan for gold, see the Sun’s glowing hot gas and shoot gummy bears from a slingshot – all in one afternoon. Londoners can fill a free passport to discovery at Western University through Science Rendezvous, a national outreach event...
Western president welcomes report calling for re-investment in science research
An advisory panel that has put forward a new blueprint for university-led research offers Canada a renewed opportunity to be a world-changer in the sciences, Western University president Amit Chakma said Monday. “The report rightly concludes that Canada’s research...
Asteroid impacts could create habitats for life, suggests Chicxulub crater study
Scientists studying the Chicxulub crater have shown how large asteroid impacts deform rocks in a way that may produce habitats for early life. Around 65 million years ago a massive asteroid crashed into the Gulf of Mexico causing an impact so huge that the blast and...
International study promotes importance of science communication to graduate students
The Canadian government recently released initial findings from a special committee tasked with exploring ways to enhance global recognition for Canadian research excellence. The committee, led by His Excellency, The Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General...
Western students ‘heading’ back to Mars with Canadian Space Agency as part of simulation
Planetary scientists have learned much about Mars from the various robotic missions that have landed on the Martian surface. However, rovers and landers can only carry a limited set of instruments and there are many things yet to be learned about Mars – like whether...
Western astronomer part of international identification of possible population of new black holes
Astronomers have combined data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope and the National Science Foundation's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to conclude that a peculiar source of radio waves thought to be a distant galaxy is actually a...
Western offers safe viewing of rare Mercury transit
On June 5, 2012, citizens of Earth were presented with a very rare opportunity to witness a transit of Venus when the planet passed directly in front of the Sun. This Monday (May 9), it's Mercury's turn to do the same. Scientists from Western University's Department...
Abnormal brain interactions harm consciousness
Over the past few years, a great amount of scientific research has shown that even when the brain is "at rest" it still works. The brains of healthy people are organized into regions displaying similar activity, called resting-state networks. There are two networks...
Western-led astronomy team discovers Jupiter analogue among young stars
A team of astronomers from Western University's Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (CPSX) and the Carnegie Institution for Science has discovered one of the youngest and brightest free-floating, planet-like objects within relatively close proximity to the...