Supernova remnants are beautiful to behold, but they are also the result of extremely violent explosions and leave behind one of the most dynamic objects in the Universe. One such object, the pulsar at the center of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), has been the source of much study ever since data from the Chandra X-ray observatory were published over 10 years ago.

Based on the observational data, the size of the pulsar -- a rapidly rotating neutron star -- was estimated to be about 6 miles across, which is theoretically impossible. Theories abounded, that this must not be a pulsar, but rather an object called a quark star. Such an object has never directly been observed, but has been predicted to exist under just the right circumstances.

If a pulsar's gravity is sufficiently high, all the neutrons in the star would no longer be distinct from one another, and the result would be that the star would simply become a massive ball of quarks -- one of the fundamental particles of nature. Specifically, there would exist an abundance of strange quarks (one of the six types of quarks) within the star.

Since this would be the first star of its type ever observed, scientists have been working very hard to either confirm or eliminate this possibility for Cas A. A few weeks ago scientists Wynn Ho and Craig Heinke reported in the Journal Nature that they have discovered the reason that the pulsar at the center of Cas A appears so small. It is not a quark star, but rather is a normal pulsar surrounded by a carbon atmosphere.

While unusual, it is possible that a young, hot pulsar -- like Cas A -- can fuse its hydrogen atmosphere and eventually create a carbon rich atmosphere instead. Because of this the pulsar would appear much smaller than it really is. While this may disappoint some scientists -- I have to say I was really hoping for the quark star theory to be correct -- it does give us insight into a phenomenon never observed in pulsars before. But there are still lots of supernova remnants out there, so who knows, maybe we'll find one of these quark stars yet.

Image Credit: Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI/CXC/SAO

Back in October many of you were following the events of the LCROSS mission as the probe slamed into the Moon (on purpose), to look for traces of water. Well, after weeks of pouring over mountains of data, NASA has released their initial findings. And it turns out that the Moon contains more water than we once thought.

NASA determined that the only way they could make sense of the data was if water was present on the Moon -- and a rather significant amount of water at that.

This was not completely surprising however; several months ago, NASA determined that deep in the Moon's shadowed craters near the poles, the temperature is a frigid -397 degrees Fehenheight, which is the coldest temperature ever recorded in our Solar System. In order to achieve those kinds of temperatures, a complex mixture of molecules need to be present, including water.

So what does all this mean? Well, water is a key element to life. And if we, as humans, ever hope to spend an extended amount of time on the Moon we will need a continuous source of water. These results lay the foundation for future long term missions to the Moon, and then to Mars.

Image Credit: NASA

Every year the Earth passes through the trail of the comet Tempel-Tuttle, creating a pretty good meteor shower visible in the night sky. NASA reports that about about 20 - 30 meteors per hour should visible during the Leonid shower in North America. While this pales in comparison to the nearly 300 per hour being predicted in Asia, it should be a great sight nontheless.

The Moon will be in a new phase, creating the kind of dark conditions desired for seeing the events. The best time to see the events will be after 4:00 a.m. So those of you who are early risers, get out there with your morning joe and check it out.

The idea of colonizing Mars is not a new one, it has been the backdrop of many science fiction novels, and the focus of much scientific research. But, actually making it happen is a whole other story. Well on Sunday, November 15, the National Geographic Channel is going to air a special, as part of their "Expedition Week", about how we would go about creating a habitable planet out of Mars.

I think it will definitely be worth a watch, and in the meantime you can check out the promotional material and videos to whet your appetite. I think the reality of how close we are to undertaking the colonization of Mars will surprise some of you. So, check it out, and let me know what you think!

Image Credit: © National Geographic Channel