Washington, April 23 : An international team of astronomers has used the world's biggest radio telescope to look deep into the brightest galaxies that NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope can see.

The study solidifies the link between an active galaxy's gamma-ray emissions and its powerful radio-emitting jets.

Munich, April 23 : A new study has revealed that asteroid surfaces age and redden much faster than previously thought - in less than a million years, all thanks to solar winds.

"Asteroids seem to get a `sun tan' very quickly," said lead author Pierre Vernazza. "But not, as for people, from an overdose of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation, but from the effects of its powerful wind," he added.

It has long been known that asteroid surfaces alter in appearance with time.

Washington, April 23  A newly discovered fossilized skeleton of a carnivorous animal, has helped scientists pinpoint the origin of flippers — limb adaptations for swimming in water, in seals, sea lions, and the walrus.

Researchers from the United States and Canada found the fossilized skeleton of a newly discovered carnivorous animal, Puijila darwini.

The animal is described as having a long tail, and fore-limbs comparatively proportionate to modern carnivorous land animals as opposed to pinnipeds. It is the first mammalian carnivore found at the site.

Washington, April 23 : A new research has revealed that plants absorb more carbon dioxide (CO2) under polluted skies than in a cleaner atmosphere.

The research team included scientists from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the Met Office Hadley Centre, ETH Zurich and the University of Exeter.

According to lead author Dr Lina Mercado, from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, “Surprisingly, the effects of atmospheric pollution seem to have enhanced global plant productivity by as much as a quarter from 1960 to 1999.”

Washington, April 23 : Using information from a suite of telescopes, astronomers have discovered a mysterious, giant `space blob' that existed at a time when the universe was only about 800 million years old.

Dubbed extended Lyman-Alpha blobs, such objects are huge bodies of gas that may be precursors to galaxies.

This blob was named Himiko for a legendary, mysterious Japanese queen, as it was discovered early in the history of the universe in a Japanese Subaru field.

Vienna  - Plants grow better and absorb more carbon dioxide under hazy skies, a team of European researchers said Wednesday, presenting a study in Vienna that may affect strategies against climate change.

It has been known for some time that man-made particles in the air slow down the heating of the atmosphere by reflecting the sun's heat.

But the new findings, published in this week's edition of Nature magazine, show that diffused light also reaches more of a plant's surface, leading to an increased absorption of carbon dioxide.