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home page for the Sky Map open source project. You can find the code here and participate in all of the development activities.

Of the twenty amino acids used in proteins, ten were formed in Miller's atmospheric discharge experiments. The two other major proposed sources of prebiotic amino acid synthesis include formation in hydrothermal vents and delivery to Earth via meteorites. We combine observational and experimental data of amino acid frequencies formed by these diverse mechanisms and show that, regardless of the source, these ten early amino acids can be ranked in order of decreasing abundance in prebiotic contexts. This order can be predicted by thermodynamics. The relative abundances of the early amino acids were most likely reflected in the composition of the first proteins at the time the genetic code originated. The remaining amino acids were incorporated into proteins after pathways for their biochemical synthesis evolved. This is consistent with theories of the evolution of the genetic code by stepwise addition of new amino acids. These are hints that key aspects of early biochemistry may be universal.

Universe Visualized A compilation from numerous sources of science visualizations, animations and videos related to astronomy, physics, meteorology and climate change. All sources are cited at the bottom of each video's text description.

The Source for Space History and Artifacts

he NASA Star and Exoplanet Database (NStED) collects and serves public data to support the search for and characterization of extra-solar planets (exoplanets) and their host stars. The data include published light curves, images, spectra and parameters, and time-series data from surveys that aim to discover transiting exoplanets. All data are validated by the NStED science staff and traced to their sources. NStED is the U.S. data portal for the CoRoT mission.

website features news, resources, and discussion boards about LISA (the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), a space-based gravitational-wave observatory that will allow us to detect gravitational waves from massive black-hole mergers in the centers of galaxies, from the ultra-compact binary systems in our own Galaxy, and from many other sources. A joint ESA and NASA mission, LISA will create revolutionary research opportunities in astrophysics and fundamental physics.

Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.It is being used in planetarium projectors. Just set your coordinates and go.

An exciting new astrophysics mission led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will provide a revolutionary window into the universe. Named the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (GEMS), the satellite will be the first to systematically measure the polarization of cosmic X-ray sources.

The setiQuest program is split into discreet projects each requiring the active participation of humans of a broad range of scientific and engineering abilities including project managers, game designers & open-source programmers.

"OpenSpace is open source interactive data visualization software designed to visualize the entire known universe and portray our ongoing efforts to investigate the cosmos."

"Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope."