Astronomers from the European Southern Observatory announced on Tuesday that they had discovered a new solar system which is similar to our own containing at least five planets, perhaps seven.

The astronomers announced that the parent star, known only as HD10180, has five to seven planets orbiting around it in much the same way as our solar system is laid out.

The pattern is typical yet appears to be a tighter formation than our own.

This new solar system is said to be approximately 127 light years away from Earth. This discovery was revealed during an international round table on extrasolar planets.

Physicist Stephen Hawking says there was no God present at the creation of the universe.

Hawking offers this insight in his upcoming collaboration with colleague Leonard Mlodinow ‘The Grand design’.

According to Hawking, because the universe is ordered by the law of gravity, “the universe can and will create itself from nothing.”

The discovery that other planets orbit stars other than our sun demonstrates the fact that we do not have a special place in the universe, he argues.

Hawking’s opinion is in contrast with other scientists, such as Isaac Newton, who believed only God could have designed the universe.

God wasn't necessary at creation, says Stephen Hawking

Crew member on NASA’s first operational mission within the space shuttle, ex-astronaut William B. Lenoir died Thursday, September 2, in the University of New Mexico Hospital.

This scientist-astronaut spent years in NASA waiting for his chance to go into space. While chosen in 1967 for NASA’s sixth astronaut group, it was not until 1982 that he became the first flight engineer for the STS-5 crew.

This brave astronaut, a graduate from the illustrious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, died at the age of 71 due to head injuries that he had sustained from a bicycle accident close to his home on August 26.

Tropical Storm Fiona is right behind it. While Fiona does look to be as big as Earl, the storm should gain strength in the coming days and Hurricane Fiona will start to make its threat towards the Eastern seaboard.

At the current time, there has not been any definite path for Tropical Storm Fiona as it is constantly gaining strength.

There is a tropical depression right behind Fiona and if it becomes a named storm it will be dubbed, Gaston.

Tropical Storm Fiona Right Behind Hurricane Earl

Apple TV rents shows for about 99 cents, which is causing many networks to stay out of the running for slots on the Apple TV because they fear they will lose control over pricing of their network shows.

Major networks absent from the roster include NBC, CBS, and Viacom.

The only two networks presently offering shows on Apple TV include Walt Disney’s ABC and FOX. Apple TV and these networks have reached an agreement for the rentals of their shows, with Apple keeping about 30 cents out of the dollar charged to view the shows.

Will Apple TV Be A Success Or A Flop?

Reports are now showing that the site first mistaken for a campsite by researchers working in the Hilazon Tachtit area near Galilee was actually a palaeolithic funeral.

The site appears to date back to the Natufian phase, which was about 12,000 years ago.

The site contained as many as three skeletons from a now extinct cattle known as aurochs, many tortise shells and other various skeletal animal remains.

In addition, about 28 human skeletons have been found ranging in age from infancy to approximately 45 years of age. This site is said to be the oldest discovered to date.

Rumors are swirling with possibilities of what Steve Jobs and his company will present today.

Although the company has kept traditionally quiet on what their new products will be, many think a new TV product will be featured. Other guesses include updates to current iPods, specifically the iPod Nano and iPod Touch.

Some even wonder if there will be new features added to iTunes to improve the downloading site.

Apple fans are anxiously awaiting the news.

The Latest Apple Rumors

Track Hurricane Earl

Even though the storm has been downgraded to a Cat. 3, it is still a major hurricane and much damage can be expected.

There is a hurricane watch in effect from Surf City, North Carolina to Parramore Island, Virginia. The storm is expected to reach the shore in the middle of the night on Friday.

The weather service is keeping a close eye on the storm. Storms can change paths at the last minute.

In 2004 Hurricane Charley, headed for Texas took a turn at the last minute and headed across Florida to everyone’s surprise.

It looks like man will finally explore more than the final frontier, as plans for sending a human to an asteroid are heating up.

In April, President Barack Obama declared that NASA will send a man to visit an asteroid by 2025, which will be the rehearsal for what it’s like to eventually send a man to Mars in the 2030′s.

NASA officials met this month for a two-day planning event in which they tried to determine the best way in which to send a crew onto an asteroid. Technology is being advanced to help send a crew without issue.

Manned Asteroid Mission?

This new dinosaur is known as the “Stocky Dragon” and is very similar to the Velociraptor.

The discovery is unusual in many ways. It is very unusual to find predatory dinosaurs, especially nearly whole. It is also unusual to find dinosaurs in Romania, an area not well known for fossils.

This new dinosaur is thought to be about 70 million years old and very similar to the Velociraptors found in China. The Smithsonian was thrilled to confirm the find and simply stated that this new discovery shows there is so much that remains to be learned.

New Predatory Dinosaur discovery Romania