Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 8/2/2008

Question
Hi! I have copies of Sky & Telescope and Scientific American which have general articles on cosmology. However, these issues are from late 2002 and late 2003. I'm wondering if there have been any major changes in cosmology since then that I should look into to bring myself up-to-date after reading these articles.

Thanks.

David


Answer
Hi David,
A lot! depending on ones POV!!

Here is a possible list for your consumption:-
1 - The discovery that the universe is in fact accelerating.
   (could be covered by your magazines though).
2 - The discovery of Hot gas giants (exra-solar planets in our
   vicinity, using doppler spectroscopy (the wobble effect).
3 - The direct observation of stars close to the galactic center in
   sagittarius, thanks to Chandra (X ray satellite).
4 - The CMB (Cosmic Microwave Background) Anistotropies detected by
   the COBE mission.
5 - Discovery of LIQUID hydrocarbon lakes on one of the moons of the
   gas giants in our solar system.
6 - "Trees on mars" controversy.
7 - Water on mars found.
8 - First oberved supernova! (observed "just moments / hours before
   it occured, thanks to tell tale xray measurements)! And the
   consequent plotting of the "expected light curve in X region", in
   order to predict hours in advance if a star was about to go
   supernova.
9 - The detection of the anomaly in gravity at the bowshock of the
   solar wind on the edges of the solar system, where it meets the
   interstellar medium on the outer edge of the oort cloud. (Pioneer
   mission anomalies with regard to the speed of the craft / time  
   taken by signals two-way.
10 - The possiblity of a Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) from the wolf-rayet
   star WR-104, getting beamed at the earth!!

Also the entry in the Moon mission area of 3 new countries,
   India, China, and Japan.

A long list ...a lot of catching up to do.

regards
Jayen