April 2006 in science

Other events in April 2006
World - Sci-Tech - Sports - Video games - Wikinews
Africa - Australia and New Zealand - Britain and Ireland - India - Malaysia and Singapore - Thailand
2006 developments by topic Monthly events, 2006

Featured science article
• Helium
Featured technology article
• X Window System

Deaths in April 2006
19: Scott Crossfield

Events
11: Venus Express reaches Venus
15: COSMIC satellites launched

[edit] Events in Science

A team of researchers working for IBM publishes the results of a pattern discovery analysis of "junk DNA". In contrast to expectations, they discovered similar patterns in "junk DNA" and DNA sections containing genes. (BBC)

ESA scientists publish an analysis of Mars Express data in the journal Science that proposes three main geological ages for Mars, named the phyllosian, theiikian, and siderikian eras. Only the first era (from 4.5 until 4.2 thousand million years ago) might have supported life on that planet. (SpaceRef.com)
The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program is the first drilling program to reach a hardened magma chamber underneath the ocean crust and confirms the formation of gabbro during the cooling process. The data are released in Sciencexpress. (IODP News Release)

Multiple security flaws are discovered in the Mozilla software package used by programs like Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla Thunderbird. Users are urged to download the latest updates. (BBC)
An attempt to raise the orbit of the International Space Station is cancelled when a rocket engine fails to reach its correct configuration. (AFP/YahooNews)

NASA scientists publish results of the first successful detailed computer simulation of the merger of two black holes. The model will be used to predict signals in gravitational radiation observatories. (BBC)

The discovery of multiple fossiles of Mapusaurus roseae in close proximity provides evidence that they may have hunted in packs. (BBC)

The six satellites of the COSMIC program (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate), a joint U.S.-Taiwanese project, are launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. COSMIC, known in Taiwan as FORMOSAT-3, is meant to provide advances in meteorology, ionospheric research, climatology, and space weather by using GPS satellites in conjunction with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. (SPACE.com)

Four million year old fossilized bones of Australopithecus anamensis, belonging to a hominin species that anatomically falls between Ardipithecus ramidus and Australopithecus afarensis, are found in Middle Awash, Ethiopia. Scientists publish their conclusion that these species are demonstrating the evolution of hominids, since all three fossils types were found in the same geographic area. (AFP/YahooNews)

The Venus Express spacecraft of the European Space Agency arrives at Venus approximately 5 months after it was launched and goes into orbit around the planet. (BBC) (ESA)

A new fossilized species is discovered that resembles a cross between a fish and a crocodile, called Tiktaalik roseae. It was found on Ellesmere Island and is estimated to be 375 million years old. (AP/YahooNews)

Researcher publish the result of X-ray images taken by Swift of the Deep Impact collision with comet Tempel 1. It reveals that the comet ejected material in large amounts for many days. (BBC)