February 2006 in science

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Scientists at the Hubble space telescope publish the largest and most detailed image they have yet produced. It contains 16,000 by 12,000 pixels and shows the Pinwheel Galaxy (Messier 101). (SpaceRef.com)
The European Very Large Telescope in Chile views an artificial "star" created by a laser beam in the upper atmosphere to permit adaptive optics to undo atmospheric distortions. (BBC)

French health officials announce that Chikungunya fever has been detected in mainland France in people returning from La Reunion, where the mosquito-borne disease is endemic. (AP/YahooNews)

Astronomers monitor a new type of Gamma ray burst, designated GRB 060218, which lasted an unusually long time (about 33 minutes). An optical counterpart is brightening, and a there is a strong possibility that a supernova is becoming visible, which would be the first time such a sequence is recorded. (space.com/YahooNews)
The European Space Agency agrees to build Cryosat-2, a rebuild of the lost Cryosat mission. (BBC)

Resarchers publish in Science the discovery, in the Inner Mongolia region of China, of a new mammal species from the Jurassic period. Instead of being similar to a shrew as other mammals from the period, Castorocauda lutrasimilis is reminiscent of a beaver. It was furry and most likely hunted fish. (AP/YahooNews)
The decision of Lakehead University, Ontario, to not increase Wi-Fi coverage on campus due to health concerns is criticized by students and Canadian health officials. (Reuters/YahooNews)

The ASTRO-F infrared astronomical satellite is launched successfully into orbit. (AP/YahooNews)
First samples extracted from the Stardust aerogel collector are confirmed to come from comet Wild 2. (AP/YahooNews)

A report is published in Science showing that glaciers in Greenland in the last ten years have increased their speed of moving water and ice into the ocean. (AP/YahooNews)

Nature publishes a study that finds cane toads in Australia have evolved longer legs since their introduction in 1935. (Daily Telegraph)
Mission scientists of the Cassini mission monitor a newly developed storm on the planet Saturn by listening to radio waves generated by lightning. (AP/YahooNews)

The variable star RS Ophiuchi begins another outburst. The last one was seen in 1985. (AAVSO.org)
The new website grants.gov run by the US government to allow online applications for federal grants is not usable with the Apple Macintosh platform's web browser. (AP/YahooNews)
The Spirit rover reaches an area in the Columbia Hills on Mars, called Home Plate. Scientists are struggling to understand the origin and geology of the heavily layered rock formation pictured by the rover. (AP/YahooNews)

An untouched tomb, the first since 1922, is discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. (AP/YahooNews)
A study is published in Science that finds evidence that the 20th century saw the most wide spread warming in the last 1200 years, which also represents the largest temperature anomaly of any kind in that period. (BBC)

A study on two cichlid fish species in Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua finds that they evolved from a common ancestor within the last 10,000 years, and the separation was not induced by geographical separation. The study is published in Nature. (CSMonitor)

Scientists announce the discovery of the oldest tyrannosaur found to date. Guanlong wucaii was found in China, and the fossil is approximately 160 million-year-old, more than 90 million years older than Tyrannosaurus rex. (BBC) (AP/YahooNews)
The group Zone-H reports that nearly a thousand Danish web sites are defaced by hackers to protest the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. (BBC)
The Nakhla meteorite stirs another debate (after ALH84001) about a possible microbial origin of features found inside a meteorite from Mars. (BBC)

Scientists announce the discovery of multiple new species in a remote area of the Foja Mountains in Papua, Indonesia. (BBC)

Google resets the ranking of the German web site of BMW to "zero" after learning the company tried to manipulate its ranking for search terms like "used car". (BBC)
An AIDS breakthrough may be on the horizon with preliminary test tube studies of a Ceragenin (CSA-54) indicating it actively kills the HIV. (sltrib.com)

The SuitSat is "launched" from the ISS during a spacewalk. After two orbits its HAM transmitter fails, which stops the main mission. (AP/YahooNews)

Scientists at the CDC find a way to use a genetically modified cold virus to immunize mice against the H5N1 avian influenza. The results are publish in The Lancet. (BBC)
The Japanese Meteorological Agency announces that 2005 was the second warmest year on record since 1891. (AFP/YahooNews)

A study published in Nature confirms that the dwarf planet Eris is larger than Pluto, with a diameter of about 3000 km. (BBC)
Western Union announces on its web site that it no longer transmits telegram messages. The company had begun pioneering that service 145 years ago. (Space.com/YahooNews)