April 2006 in science

Events in Science

April 26, 2006

• 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)

April 21, 2006

• 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)

April 20, 2006

• 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)

April 19, 2006

• 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)

April 18, 2006

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

April 15, 2006

• The six satellites of the COSMIC program (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate), a joint United States-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)

April 12, 2006

• 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)

April 11, 2006

• 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)

April 8, 2006

• Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes returns to Earth with Expedition 12 crew William McArthur and Valery Tokarev after leaving the International Space Station. (BBC)

April 5, 2006

• 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)

April 4, 2006

• 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)

April 2, 2006

• The Navy Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (Iranian Navy) successfully test fires a high-speed "underwater missile", most probably a supercavitating torpedo. (Iran Daily) (AP)

April 1, 2006

• The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft docks with the ISS and delivers the first Brazilian astronaut, Marcos Pontes, as well as the Expedition 13 crew Pavel Vinogradov and Jeffrey Williams. (BBC) (Spaceflight Now)