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Into the void

02 July 2014
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The EU's Very Large Telescope in Chile is the world's most advanced visible light observatory. Image: ESO/H.H. Heyer
The EU's Very Large Telescope in Chile is the world's most advanced visible light observatory. Image: ESO/H.H. Heyer

Could the Higgs boson help shed light on dark matter, or will a ghostly X-ray signal recorded by Dutch researchers turn out to be a first sign of the mysterious substance?

In July, we hear how CERN’s Large Hadron Collider will be used to look for elusive dark matter particles, and how a surge of dark matter researchers are helping keep Europe at the forefront of experimental cosmology.

During an interview with Horizon magazine, Dr Seth Shostak, the senior astronomer at the US-based Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, explains his belief that we are likely to discover an alien civilisation within our lifetimes.

We also look at EU-funded projects developing a 400-square-kilometre solar sail which could power a spacecraft across the solar system, and making magnetic shields that might be the best way to protect astronauts from deadly cosmic radiation.

The EU-funded SR2S project is developing magnetic shielding that can deflect dangerous cosmic rays. Image: SR2S
space | health
21 July 2014

Radiation shielding to protect a mission to Mars

Lightweight magnetic shields could be the best way to protect an astronaut from deadly radiation as they travel to Mars or beyond.

Dr Seth Shostak, from the US-based SETI Institute, said the Square Kilometre Array will help because it is faster and more sensitive than current telescopes. Image: SKA
space | innovation convention
16 July 2014

Alien signal likely discovered within our lifetimes – Dr Seth Shostak

The planned Square Kilometre Array telescope, a radio telescope to span two continents, could be instrumental in finding intelligent alien civilisations within our lifetimes, according to Dr Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the US-based Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute. Dr Shostak was a speaker at the EU's Innovation Convention in March 2014.

The ESAIL project is pioneering a solar sail design that intercepts charged particles in the solar wind. Image: Alexandre Szames
space
14 July 2014

Crossing the solar system on a 400 square km solar sail

A solar sail almost four times the size of the city of Paris could be one of the fastest ways across the solar system, as long as it is made out of microscopic charged wires.

The XENON Dark Matter Project buried in a mountain in Italy is looking for a hypothetical type of particle that could make up dark matter. © XENON Dark Matter Project
space | frontier research
07 July 2014

Cosmology surge keeps Europe ahead in dark matter research

A new wave of researchers is setting out to help shed light on the unseen forces shaping the universe, and keep Europe at the forefront of experimental cosmology.

Astrophysicists Heino Falcke, Luciano Rezzolla and Michael Kramer. © Dick van Aalst, Radboud University Nijmegen
space
02 July 2014

Earth-sized telescope to photograph a black hole

European astronomers are planning to use a telescope as big as the earth to take the first ever photograph of a black hole – a task akin to photographing a mouse on the surface of the moon.