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September 18 Enough government People stand up for the lawsIts time for U.S. Americans to get to work, and hold accountable those politicans of all states for there misdirection, and malfunctions remove them from office for ethic violations and corruption currently apparent in Alaska, they should be held in contempt of the local congress, and removed and held until they are subjected to interrogation and anyone whom has violated the laws of that state be held in prison fined and all persons involved in a cover up, and while we are on the subject, John Mccain, demonstrates symtoms of Pre-Altzheimers disease, by his constantly being nursed by his advocates, as reminding him of his incorrect talking points such as spain, his memory is obviously failing. But I fear he will lose his mind before he is able to run our country in the grave, where he is heading with a few years. August 20 theres gold in them hillsNASA Science News for August 19, 2008
What if you woke up one morning and found your whole planet had been swallowed by the atmosphere of a star? Don't laugh, it could happen to you, and NASA has a special program to deal with it. FULL STORY at
Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml!
Space Weather News for August 5, 2008
http://spaceweather.com COUNTDOWN TO THE PERSEIDS: The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks one week from today, on Tuesday, August 12th. The best time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday morning when forecasters expect 50 to 100 meteors per hour. Get away from city lights if you can; plan a camping trip! The darker the sky, the more meteors you will see.
The source of the Perseids is Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has littered the August portion of Earth's orbit with space dust. The dusty zone is broad and Earth is already in its outskirts. As a result, even before the peak on August 12th, you may see some "early Perseids" streaking across the night sky. Photos of these early arrivals will be featured in the days ahead on http://Spaceweather.com as part of our full coverage of the Perseid meteor shower.
BONUS: Last Friday's total solar eclipse is history, but new pictures continue to appear in our photo gallery. Start browsing at this URL: http://spaceweather.com/eclipses/gallery_01aug08_page3.htm
NASA Science News for August 11, 2008 Today's story from Science@NASA tells of NASA's plans to find water on the Moon by crashing a spacecraft into the lunar surface. The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS for short) is on track for a 2009 launch and subsequent plunge into a crater near one of the Moon's poles. Amateur astronomers may be able to observe the impact through backyard telescopes. FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/11aug_lcross.htm?list894054
NASA Science News for August 15, 2008 NASA scientists are preparing to launch a "flying tractor" with microwave sensors to explore the nitty-gritty realm beneath your feet. FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/15aug_omega.htm?list894054
Space Weather News for Aug. 15, 2008 http://spaceweather.com LUNAR ECLIPSE: This Saturday, August 16th, people on every continent *except* North America can see a lunar eclipse. At maximum, around 2110 UT (5:10 pm EDT), more than 81% of the Moon will be inside Earth's shadow, producing a vivid red orb in the night sky visible to the naked eye even from light-polluted cities. The entire eclipse lasts more than 3 hours, so there's plenty of time for gazing, drinking coffee, and taking pictures.
North Americans can watch the eclipse via live webcast beginning 3:30 pm EDT on Saturday afternoon. Eclipse-cam links may be found, along with time tables, visibility maps, and eclipse photo galleries, at http://spaceweather.com . PERSEID RECAP: The Perseid meteor shower peaked on August 13th with maximum rates exceeding 130 meteors per hour. Despite interference from the bright Moon, it was arguably the best Perseid show in years. Browse the gallery starting here:
http://spaceweather.com/meteors/gallery_12aug08_page3.htm August 17 In our futureSpace Weather News for August 5, 2008
http://spaceweather.com COUNTDOWN TO THE PERSEIDS: The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks one week from today, on Tuesday, August 12th. The best time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday morning when forecasters expect 50 to 100 meteors per hour. Get away from city lights if you can; plan a camping trip! The darker the sky, the more meteors you will see.
The source of the Perseids is Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has littered the August portion of Earth's orbit with space dust. The dusty zone is broad and Earth is already in its outskirts. As a result, even before the peak on August 12th, you may see some "early Perseids" streaking across the night sky. Photos of these early arrivals will be featured in the days ahead on http://Spaceweather.com as part of our full coverage of the Perseid meteor shower.
created by e.r.s-08/2008
well i see another century pass, figures things will come and goand not to last,
but as time advances into that hour, when all rules of time and space,
do not apply and it will seem as if the hell has come to stay, but this too shall pass.
And into the night a soul does wander, to see the sights that thee soul doeth bring.
Space Weather News for August 11, 2008
http://spaceweather.com METEOR ALERT: The Perseid meteor shower is underway and should reach its peak during the next 24 hours. Forecasters say the best time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday, August 12th. The glaring Moon sets around 2:00 a.m., and that's when the Perseids could appear in numbers as high as 60 per hour. The best displays will be seen from rural areas with dark skies. Sky maps, photos and more information are available at http://spaceweather.com.
COUNTDOWN TO THE PERSEIDS: The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks one week from today, on Tuesday, August 12th. The best time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday morning when forecasters expect 50 to 100 meteors per hour. Get away from city lights if you can; plan a camping trip! The darker the sky, the more meteors you will see. The source of the Perseids is Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has littered the August portion of Earth's orbit with space dust. The dusty zone is broad and Earth is already in its outskirts. As a result, even before the peak on August 12th, you may see some "early Perseids" streaking across the night sky. Photos of these early arrivals will be featured in the days ahead on http://Spaceweather.com as part of our full coverage of the Perseid meteor shower.
BONUS: Last Friday's total solar eclipse is history, but new pictures continue to appear in our photo gallery. Start browsing at this URL: http://spaceweather.com/eclipses/gallery_01aug08_page3.htm
NASA Science News for August 11, 2008 Today's story from Science@NASA tells of NASA's plans to find water on the Moon by crashing a spacecraft into the lunar surface. The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS for short) is on track for a 2009 launch and subsequent plunge into a crater near one of the Moon's poles. Amateur astronomers may be able to observe the impact through backyard telescopes. FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/11aug_lcross.htm?list894054
NASA Science News for August 15, 2008 NASA scientists are preparing to launch a "flying tractor" with microwave sensors to explore the nitty-gritty realm beneath your feet. FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/15aug_omega.htm?list894054
Space Weather News for Aug. 15, 2008 http://spaceweather.com LUNAR ECLIPSE: This Saturday, August 16th, people on every continent *except* North America can see a lunar eclipse. At maximum, around 2110 UT (5:10 pm EDT), more than 81% of the Moon will be inside Earth's shadow, producing a vivid red orb in the night sky visible to the naked eye even from light-polluted cities. The entire eclipse lasts more than 3 hours, so there's plenty of time for gazing, drinking coffee, and taking pictures.
North Americans can watch the eclipse via live webcast beginning 3:30 pm EDT on Saturday afternoon. Eclipse-cam links may be found, along with time tables, visibility maps, and eclipse photo galleries, at http://spaceweather.com . PERSEID RECAP: The Perseid meteor shower peaked on August 13th with maximum rates exceeding 130 meteors per hour. Despite interference from the bright Moon, it was arguably the best Perseid show in years. Browse the gallery starting here:
http://spaceweather.com/meteors/gallery_12aug08_page3.htm June 21 How Time fly'swell, its signs of summer: Earth:06.21.08
Space Weather News for June 1, 2008
http://spaceweather.com ICY MARTIAN 3D: NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander may have already found ice at its landing site without even digging for it. Exhaust from the lander's descent engine appears to have swept aside a layer of topsoil, exposing frozen material beneath. Today's edition of http://spaceweather.com shows images of the find along with some eye-popping stereo views of the lander's surroundings.
SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY: Space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral yesterday and now it is chasing the International Space Station (ISS) around Earth. Sky watchers should be alert for the two spacecraft streaking across the heavens tonight. Check our global satellite tracking tool for flyby times:
Space Weather News for June 10, 2008
http://spaceweather.com DOUBLE FLYBY ALERT: Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station on Wednesday morning, June 11th, at 7:42 am EDT. This means many sky watchers will be able to see the two spaceships flying in tandem, separate but closely-spaced points of light, gliding among the stars on Wednesday night. Double flybys will continue on Thursday the 12th and to a lesser extent on Friday the 13th, with Discovery returning to Earth on Saturday. Southeastern parts of the United States (e.g., Miami and Atlanta) are favored with some particularly good apparitions. Check our Simple Flybys tool to find out when you should look: http://spaceweather.com/flybys/
MARSWORM: Meanwhile on Mars, Phoenix has photographed a worm-shaped object near one of its feet. No, it is not a Marsworm. Visit http://spaceweather.com to find out what really lies at Phoenix's feet and to view the latest 3D images from the Red Planet.
NASA Science News for June 10, 2008
NASA has a daring new mission on the drawing board: Solar Probe Plus, a spacecraft tough enough to visit the sun itself. FULL STORY at
NASA Science News for June 11, 2008
NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST for short) left Earth today onboard a Delta II rocket. "The entire GLAST Team is elated," reports program manager Kevin Grady of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "The observatory is now on-orbit and all systems continue to operate as planned." Read today's Science@NASA story to learn about some of the exciting new science GLAST is expected to accomplish. FULL STORY at
NASA Science News for June 16, 2008
Sometimes you just can't believe your eyes. This week is one of those times. Check out the full Moon on June 18th and prepare to be deceived! FULL STORY at
Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml!
Space Weather News for June 20, 2008 http://spaceweather.com SUMMER SOLSTICE: Northern summer and southern winter begin today, June 20th, at precisely 23:59 UT (7:59 pm EDT) when the sun ascends to its highest latitude on the celestial sphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, we have the longest day and shortest night of the year, and the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere. The seasons are changing--Happy Solstice!
NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: Summer is the season for noctilucent clouds and this morning, right on cue, a wave of bright NLCs rolled over the British Isles. Observers in Scotland and Northern Ireland report luminous tendrils of electric blue bright enough to attract the attention of casual passersby. These glow-in-the-dark clouds are a 100+ year old mystery under investigation now by NASA's AIM spacecraft. Originally confined to arctic latitudes, NLCs have spread in recent years with sightings in the United States as far south as Utah and Colorado. Check today's edition of http://spaceweather.com for observing tips and the latest photos.
NASA Science News for June 20, 2008
In 1967, Surveyor 3 landed on the Moon. Two years later, Apollo astronauts visited the little unmanned spacecraft and brought pieces of it home to Earth. Now, a portion of Surveyor's robotic arm, the scoop it used to sample moondust, is teaching researchers some long-lost secrets. FULL STORY at
June 16 reportNASA Science News for June 16, 2008
Sometimes you just can't believe your eyes. This week is one of those times. Check out the full Moon on June 18th and prepare to be deceived! FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/16jun_moonillusion.htm?list894054 Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml! Space Weather News for June 1, 2008 ICY MARTIAN 3D: NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander may have already found ice at its landing site without even digging for it. Exhaust from the lander's descent engine appears to have swept aside a layer of topsoil, exposing frozen material beneath. Today's edition of http://spaceweather.com shows images of the find along with some eye-popping stereo views of the lander's surroundings. SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY: Space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral yesterday and now it is chasing the International Space Station (ISS) around Earth. Sky watchers should be alert for the two spacecraft streaking across the heavens tonight. Check our global satellite tracking tool for flyby times: Space Weather News for June 10, 2008 DOUBLE FLYBY ALERT: Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station on Wednesday morning, June 11th, at 7:42 am EDT. This means many sky watchers will be able to see the two spaceships flying in tandem, separate but closely-spaced points of light, gliding among the stars on Wednesday night. Double flybys will continue on Thursday the 12th and to a lesser extent on Friday the 13th, with Discovery returning to Earth on Saturday. Southeastern parts of the United States (e.g., Miami and Atlanta) are favored with some particularly good apparitions. Check our Simple Flybys tool to find out when you should look: http://spaceweather.com/flybys/ MARSWORM: Meanwhile on Mars, Phoenix has photographed a worm-shaped object near one of its feet. No, it is not a Marsworm. Visit http://spaceweather.com to find out what really lies at Phoenix's feet and to view the latest 3D images from the Red Planet. NASA Science News for June 10, 2008 FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/10jun_solarprobe.htm?list894054 NASA Science News for June 11, 2008
June 05 InterludeIn the meaning of Time-
Time is a constantly changing event in the Natural World.
On some timetable, unknown to the mortal man. But ever present in the scheme of life,
On numbered days, it must fall. Odd or Even, it matters not, for time is the master of its own,
No pomp or ceremony. Just a time when all things become quiet, a stay in the background noise,
the lull in the storm, ah but time marches on. the only constant in the universe, that is unmeasured.
the rule of thumb, when traveling inter-dimensionally-intergalactically, remember to bring ear plugs.
end transmssion.
May 29 stardate 052908NASA Science News for May 25, 2008
NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed on Mars Sunday, May 25th, to begin three months of examining an arctic site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the lander's robotic arm. Check today's story for details of the landing and first pictures beamed back from the landing site. FULL STORY at
NASA Science News for May 27, 2008
Imagine a billion-ton cloud of gas launching itself off the surface of the sun and then ... doing a cartwheel. That's exactly what happened on April 9, 2008, when a coronal mass ejection or "CME" pirouetted over the sun's limb in full view of an international fleet of spacecraft. The cartwheel set off a chain of events that amazed even veteran solar physicists. FULL STORY at
Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml!
Space Weather News for May 28, 2008
http://spaceweather.com THE DESCENT OF PHOENIX: When NASA's Phoenix probe parachuted to Mars last Sunday, a pair of other spacecraft were orbiting high overhead, watching and listening. While NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped some jaw-dropping photos of Phoenix's plunge to the surface, Europe's Mars Express orbiter recorded Phoenix's radio transmissions. The eerie-sounding tones have just been beamed back to Earth and you can listen to them by following the links at today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.
CARTWHEEL CME: Imagine a billion-ton cloud of gas launching itself off the surface of the sun and then ... doing a cartwheel. That's exactly what happened on April 9, 2008, when a coronal mass ejection pirouetted over the sun's limb in full view of an international fleet of spacecraft. The cartwheel set off a chain of events that amazed even veteran solar physicists. The full story, and a spectacular movie of a second cartwheel recorded just last week, may be found at http://spaceweather.com .
NASA Science News for May 29, 2008
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has found a bizarre ring of material around the magnetic remains of a star that blasted itself to smithereens. Although rings and spheres of material are common in the universe, this one is not quite like any ring astronomers have seen before. FULL STORY at
Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml!
May 24 in the days before handNASA Science News for May 22, 2008
Gravitationally speaking, the moon is a strange place. Satellites in lunar orbit feel odd, sideways tugs and sometimes end up nose down in the moondust. Astronauts standing in the middle of lunar lava seas weigh more than they do standing on the shore. A new NASA mission named GRAIL aims to map the moon's quirky gravity field and thus pave the way for future exploration. FULL STORY at
May 18 mid maySpace Weather News for 18 May 2008 http://spaceweather.com ISS MARATHON: The 2008 "ISS Marathon" gets underway this week when the International Space Station spends three days (May 21-23) in almost-constant sunlight. Sky watchers in Europe and North America can see the bright spaceship gliding overhead two to four times each night. The ISS is as bright as Venus or Jupiter, so even people in light-polluted cities can see it. Please use our new and improved simple Satellite Tracker to find out when to look: http://spaceweather.com/flybys SPACE STATION MOVIE: Today's edition of spaceweather.com features a must-see movie of the International Space Station flying over Germany on May 12th. Although it looks like footage from a satellite or high-powered telescope, the movie was made by an amateur astronomer using a backyard 5-inch refractor. As a result of ongoing construction (every shuttle flight in recent months has added a new piece to the ISS), the space station is now a wide and easy target for amateur-class telescopes. Catch the show at http://spaceweather.com. May 14 arrival scheduleNASA Science News for May 14, 2008
For many years, astronomers have been puzzled by something missing in the Milky Way galaxy: exploding stars. Supernovas are supposed to appear two or three times every century, but none have been seen since the year 1680. Where are they? At long last, one of the "missing supernovas" has been found. FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/14may_galactichunt.htm?list894054 Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml! March 26 solar updateSpace Weather News for March 26, 2008
http://spaceweather.com Solar activity is surging. Three large sunspots have materialized and at least one of them harbors energy for strong solar flares. An M2-class eruption on March 25th hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space and emitted radio bursts audible in shortwave receivers on Earth. NOAA forecasters estimate a 50% chance of more M-flares during the next 24 hours. Its for sure the tracking devices of this time are developed enough to detect ourships, yet I offer alternative plan omega 2, establish a base on planet 04 of the 0.0.0 system then transport beams will not be detected. to planet 03, suggest transport to neutral location on the planet, south of the equator. March 24 march 24 updated infoNASA Science News for March 6, 2008
Imagine living on a planet where Northern Lights fill the heavens at all hours of the day. Around the clock, even in broad daylight, luminous curtains shimmer and ripple across the sky. News flash: Astronomers have discovered such a planet. Its name is Earth. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/06mar_polar.htm?list894054 "Our own planet has auroras 24 hours a day," says Jim Spann of the Marshall Space Flight Center, "and we can see them even in broad daylight." The trick, he explains, is picking the right wavelength. "If we look at Earth from space using an ultraviolet (UV) filter, we see there are auroras underway at all times. It is a beautiful sight." NASA's Polar Mission: Unlocking the Secrets of Earth's Magnetosphere. The Polar satellite, launched on February 24, 1996, is in a highly elliptical, 86 deg inclination orbit with a period of about 17.5 hours. Within the Sun-Earth Connections fleet, Polar has the responsibility for multi-wavelength imaging of the aurora, measuring the entry of plasma into the polar magentosphere and the geomagnetic tail, the flow of plasma to and from the ionosphere, and the deposition of particle energy in the ionosphere and upper atmosphere. Polar was launched to observe the polar magnetosphere and, as its orbit has precessed with time, has observed the equatorial inner magnetosphere and is now progressing toward an extended southern hemisphere campaign. NASA Science News for March 7, 2008 The surprises continue. Scientists studying the harvest of photos from MESSENGER's Jan. 14th flyby of Mercury have found several craters with strange dark halos and one crater with a curiously shiny bottom. NASA Science News for March 12, 2008 To celebrate Women's History Month, an all-female team of scientists and engineers has taken control of Mars rover Spirit. Is Mars exploration different with women calling the shots? Find out in today's story from Science@NASA. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/12mar_spiritday.htm?list894054 NASA Science News for March 18, 2008 Amateur astronomers around the world have noticed, something is happening to Saturn. The planet's rings are rapidly narrowing and, if this continues, before too long they will be reduced to a wafer-thin line invisible to backyard telescopes. What's going on? Check today's story for the answer. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/18mar_saturn.htm?list894054 NASA Science News for March 19, 2008 New research by NASA-supported scientists shows how atmospheric gravity waves, the kind we often see rippling in clouds overhead, can hit a thunderstorm and turn it into a deadly tornado. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/19mar_grits.htm?list894054 Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml! NASA Science News for March 20, 2008 For reasons not fully understood by scientists, the weeks around the vernal equinox are prone to Northern Lights. In other words, spring is aurora season. Observations from NASA spacecraft are shedding new light on this old mystery. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/20mar_spring.htm?list894054 NASA Science News for March 21, 2008
Two nights ago, astronomers observed a cosmic explosion so intense it was visible to the naked eye from a distance of 7.5 billion light years. FULL STORY at
Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml!
March 21, 2008: A powerful gamma ray burst detected March 19th by NASA's Swift satellite has shattered the record for the most distant object that could be seen with the naked eye. "It was a whopper," says Swift principal investigator Neil Gehrels of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "This blows away every gamma ray burst we've seen so far."
Swift's Burst Alert Telescope picked up the burst at 2:12 a.m. EDT on March 19, 2008, and pinpointed the coordinates in the constellation Bootes. Telescopes in space and on the ground quickly moved to observe the afterglow. The burst was named GRB 080319B and registered between 5 and 6 on the visual magnitude scale used by astronomers. (A magnitude 6 star is the dimmest visible to the human eye; magnitude 5 is almost three times brighter.)
The peak of the GRB 080319B was observed also by TORTORA wide-field optical camera having lower limiting magnitude and superior time resolution. The first exposure with visible source started at T0+16s (S.Karpov et al, GCN 7452). Also RAPTOR observed the field before and during the GRB 080319B. The first image with the visible source started at T0+2s. (P.Wozniak et al. GCN 7464). Swift UVOT telescope started the observation at T0+51s (S.T.Holland et al.) Later that evening, the Very Large Telescope in Chile and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope in Texas measured the burst's redshift at 0.94. A redshift is a measure of the distance to an object. A redshift of 0.94 translates into a distance of 7.5 billion light years, meaning the explosion took place 7.5 billion years ago, a time when the universe was less than half its current age and Earth had yet to form. This is more than halfway across the visible universe. No other known object or type of explosion could be seen by the naked eye at such an immense distance," says Swift science team member Stephen Holland of Goddard. "If someone just happened to be looking at the right place at the right time, they saw the most distant object ever seen by human eyes without optical aid." Most gamma ray bursts occur when massive stars run out of nuclear fuel. Their cores collapse to form black holes or neutron stars, releasing an intense burst of high-energy gamma rays and ejecting particle jets that rip through space at nearly the speed of light. When the jets plow into surrounding interstellar clouds, they heat the gas to incandescent visibility. It is this gaseous "afterglow" which was visible to the human eye on March 19th. GRB 080319B's afterglow was 2.5 million times more luminous than the most luminous supernova ever recorded, making it the most intrinsically bright object ever observed by humans in the universe. The most distant previous object that could have been seen by the naked eye is the nearby galaxy M33, a relatively short 2.9 million light-years from
Analysis of GRB 080319B is just getting underway, so astronomers don't know why this burst and its afterglow were so bright. One possibility is the burst was more energetic than others, perhaps because of the mass, spin, or magnetic field of the progenitor star or its jet. Or perhaps it concentrated its energy in a narrow jet that was aimed directly at Earth. GRB 080319B was one of four bursts that Swift detected on March 19th, a Swift record for one day. Swift science team member Judith Racusin of Penn State University comments, "coincidentally, the passing of Arthur C. Clarke seems to have set the universe ablaze with gamma ray bursts." A fitting farewell, indeed.
Space Weather News for March 21, 2008
http://spaceweather.com JULES VERNE AND THE ISS: The European Space Agency's new robotic cargo carrier, the Jules Verne, has parked itself in orbit 2000 kilometers ahead of the International Space Station. This sets the stage for some beautiful double flybys in the nights ahead--the Jules Verne appears first, as bright as a 1st magnitude star, followed four and a half minutes later by the even brighter International Space Station. This is a must-see for sky watchers in cities and countryside alike. Visit http://spaceweather.com for flyby photos and timetables
tracking march eventsNASA Science News for March 6, 2008
Imagine living on a planet where Northern Lights fill the heavens at all hours of the day. Around the clock, even in broad daylight, luminous curtains shimmer and ripple across the sky. News flash: Astronomers have discovered such a planet. Its name is Earth. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/06mar_polar.htm?list894054 "Our own planet has auroras 24 hours a day," says Jim Spann of the Marshall Space Flight Center, "and we can see them even in broad daylight." The trick, he explains, is picking the right wavelength. "If we look at Earth from space using an ultraviolet (UV) filter, we see there are auroras underway at all times. It is a beautiful sight."
NASA's Polar Mission:
Unlocking the Secrets of Earth's Magnetosphere. The Polar satellite, launched on February 24, 1996, is in a highly elliptical, 86 deg inclination orbit with a period of about 17.5 hours. Within the Sun-Earth Connections fleet, Polar has the responsibility for multi-wavelength imaging of the aurora, measuring the entry of plasma into the polar magentosphere and the geomagnetic tail, the flow of plasma to and from the ionosphere, and the deposition of particle energy in the ionosphere and upper atmosphere. Polar was launched to observe the polar magnetosphere and, as its orbit has precessed with time, has observed the equatorial inner magnetosphere and is now progressing toward an extended southern hemisphere campaign. NASA Science News for March 7, 2008
The surprises continue. Scientists studying the harvest of photos from MESSENGER's Jan. 14th flyby of Mercury have found several craters with strange dark halos and one crater with a curiously shiny bottom. NASA Science News for March 12, 2008
To celebrate Women's History Month, an all-female team of scientists and engineers has taken control of Mars rover Spirit. Is Mars exploration different with women calling the shots? Find out in today's story from Science@NASA. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/12mar_spiritday.htm?list894054 NASA Science News for March 18, 2008
Amateur astronomers around the world have noticed, something is happening to Saturn. The planet's rings are rapidly narrowing and, if this continues, before too long they will be reduced to a wafer-thin line invisible to backyard telescopes. What's going on? Check today's story for the answer. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/18mar_saturn.htm?list894054 NASA Science News for March 19, 2008
New research by NASA-supported scientists shows how atmospheric gravity waves, the kind we often see rippling in clouds overhead, can hit a thunderstorm and turn it into a deadly tornado.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/19mar_grits.htm?list894054 Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml! NASA Science News for March 20, 2008
For reasons not fully understood by scientists, the weeks around the vernal equinox are prone to Northern Lights. In other words, spring is aurora season. Observations from NASA spacecraft are shedding new light on this old mystery. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/20mar_spring.htm?list894054 NASA Science News for March 21, 2008
Two nights ago, astronomers observed a cosmic explosion so intense it was visible to the naked eye from a distance of 7.5 billion light years. FULL STORY at
Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml!
March 21, 2008: A powerful gamma ray burst detected March 19th by NASA's Swift satellite has shattered the record for the most distant object that could be seen with the naked eye. "It was a whopper," says Swift principal investigator Neil Gehrels of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "This blows away every gamma ray burst we've seen so far." February 29 page from the republican play bookIt is widely known that the republicans have always gotten the american people into wars leaving the democrats to remove the war mongering. from this time an space. It is my view as well as many others, that the lies and abuse by the bush administration, has only served to insight the american people into a frenzy. It will destroy the u.s.a, if we continue in this same vein. john mccain, has already stated that he would keep us in irag for 100 years, this is only good if he is their to die for his beliefs as well. that is why I urge every american to get registered and vote not for staying another year in a country that is in fact in process of its own civil war, only after they figure where they are going, should relations be opened. but trying to influence the tide of change in another part of the world, when we are not wished to be there ,is actions of a crazy man under the pretenseof power that he doesnot have. February 22 2008-02-02Space Weather News for Feb. 17, 2008
http://spaceweather.com DOUBLE FLYBY: If all goes according to plan, space shuttle Atlantis will undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday morning, Feb. 18th, at approximately 4:30 am EST. This is good news for sky watchers across North America who will be able to witness a rare double flyby on Monday evening. Atlantis and the ISS will appear as a tight pair of lights, as bright as Jupiter or Venus, gliding in tandem across the twilight sky--an unforgettable sight. Favored cities include Los Angeles, New Orleans, Dallas, Jackson (MS), Pensacola, Philadelphia, Reno, San Diego and others. Double flybys continue on Tuesday, Feb 19th, albeit not as tight because the shuttle will be moving away from the ISS as it prepares to land on Wednesday, Feb. 20th.
Space Weather News for Feb. 19, 2008 http://spaceweather.com LUNAR ECLIPSE: On Wednesday night, February 20th, the full Moon will turn a delightful shade of red and possibly turquoise, too. It's a total lunar eclipse-the last one until Dec. 2010. Sky watchers in Europe, the Americas, parts of the Middle East and Africa are favored for good views of the two-hour event. Visit http://spaceweather.com for full coverage including maps and timetables, live webcasts and discussion.
SPY SATELLITE UPDATE: The US Navy's first attempt to hit malfunctioning spy satellite USA 193 with a missile could come on Wednesday night during the lunar eclipse. This is based on an air traffic advisory warning pilots to steer clear of a patch of Pacific Ocean near Hawaii just when USA 193 is due to pass overhead. Until the satellite is shot down, it remains visible to casual sky watchers during evening passes over US and Canadian towns and cities; experienced observers say the decaying satellite is sometimes as bright as the stars of Orion, making it an easy target for unaided eyes and off-the-shelf digital cameras. Details, photos and more information are available at http://spaceweather.com. Subscribers to Spaceweather PHONE (http://spaceweatherphone.com) will receive email and telephone alerts when the spy-sat is about to appear over their backyards.
NASA Science News for February 20, 2008
Do you know who's orbiting the moon? The answer might surprise you. Find out in today's story from Science@NASA. FULL STORY at
January 05 2008-01 solar reportsSpace Weather News for Jan. 3, 2008
http://spaceweather.com METEOR SHOWER: Earth is about to pass through a stream of dusty debris from near-Earth asteroid 2003 EH1, producing the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. Forecasters expect a brief but intense peak of 50+ meteors per hour over Earth's northern hemisphere sometime between 0200 UTC and 0700 UTC on Friday morning, Jan. 4th. (Subtract 5 hours to convert UTC to EST.) The timing favors observers in the eastern USA, Europe and western parts of Asia. Winter storms frequently hide this shower from observers on the ground. To avoid such problems, a team of astronomers led by Peter Jenniskens of the SETI Institute plan to fly a plane above the clouds where they can train their cameras on the Quadrantids. Their data may reveal whether asteroid 2003 EH1 is the fragment of a broken-apart comet. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and more information.
JUST FOR FUN: This is a good time of year to see Orion the Hunter: the constellation rises in the east at sunset. Watching Orion ascend, you may experience the little-known "constellation illusion." The idea is the same as the Moon illusion; constellations viewed near the horizon look abnormally large. Go outside tonight and look. Can you believe your eyes?
Space Weather News for Jan. 4, 2008
http://spaceweather.com Solar physicists have been waiting for the appearance of a reversed-polarity sunspot to signal the start of the next solar cycle. The wait is over. A magnetically reversed, high-latitude sunspot emerged today. This marks the beginning of Solar Cycle 24 and the first step toward a new solar maximum. Intense solar activity won't begin right away. Solar cycles usually take a few years to build from solar minimum (where we are now) to Solar Max (expected in 2011 or 2012). It's a slow journey, but we're on our way!
December 26 December 2007Space Weather News for Dec. 23, 2007 http://spaceweather.com MOON AND MARS: Please don't miss this: At sunset on Sunday, Dec. 23rd, the full Moon and Mars will rise in the east less than two degrees apart. So close together, the two brightest objects in the evening sky look absolutely dynamite. The display will be visible all night long, even from brightly lit cities, and requires no telescope to enjoy. URSID UPDATE: Observers in Europe report a modest outburst of Ursid meteors last night. The intensity and timing of the flurry is in good accord with predictions that Earth would run into a stream of dust from Comet 8P/Tuttle on Dec. 22nd. Now that the meteor shower is over, attention turns to the comet itself. After a 13.6 year absence, 8P/Tuttle is once again traveling through the inner solar system. At closest approach to Earth on Jan. 1st and 2nd, 2008, the comet, will brighten to 5th or 6th magnitude--a fine target for backyard telescopes and digital cameras. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps, photos and more information. Looking for an out-of-this-world Christmas gift? Try Spaceweather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com As we count down to eternity, let us remember that not all is what it seems, an open mind about the future of this world will be the greatest asset, in time...-ers- November 29 november updateSpace Weather News for Nov. 29, 2007 http://spaceweather.com SOLAR WIND DRIES VENUS: The European Space Agency's Venus Express spacecraft has made an important discovery: the solar wind dries out Venus. Unlike Earth, Venus has no global magnetic field to deflect particles from the sun; when solar wind hits Venus it actually strips away some of Venus' upper atmosphere. Hydrogen and oxygen atoms fly into space, removing from Venus the chemical building blocks of water. This process makes an already hellish planet even worse. Links to more information may be found at Spaceweather.com. COMET 17P/HOLMES UPDATE: Now that the full Moon has left the evening sky, Comet Holmes is visible again. The comet is not as bright as it was when it first exploded in late October. Most people now have trouble finding it with the naked eye. A quick sweep through Perseus with a pair of binoculars, however, will pinpoint the comet while the smallest of telescopes reveals it to be a truly impressive object. Comet Holmes now occupies about 10 times the volume of the Sun and it is developing a hint of a blue-green tail. A similar tail was observed in early November, but it broke off during an apparent magnetic storm. Now the tail is growing back. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and the latest images. November 26 november updateNASA Science News for November 15, 2007
How do you bring a 200,000-pound rocket booster back to Earth after it catapults its payload toward the moon? NASA has answered that question with a successful test of a giant "moon rocket" parachute in the Arizona desert. FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/15nov_parachute.htm?list894054 Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml! It's something NASA has to learn to do. The agency is laying plans to return to the moon in the next decade, and designs for the new Ares moon rocket call for reusable boosters. These massive side-rockets can't just crash back into the ocean when they're out of fuel -- they've got to be lowered gently. Today NASA took an important step toward accomplishing this spectacular feat when engineers successfully tested the colossal parachute designed to bring the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle's first stage booster back down.1 The 150-foot diameter ribbon parachute passed with "flying colors." Sporting broad, bright stripes of red and blue, the parachute drifted to Earth from 16,500 feet above and gently (relatively speaking) placed its huge passenger on the Yuma, Arizona ground: More than a century later, in 1912, Albert Berry thrilled onlookers with another first by jumping from an airplane to test a parachute. The plane took off from somewhere near St. Louis with Berry on board. He climbed down through the fuselage frame, stood on the axel, and hopped off. He executed a perfect drop, although he admitted to feeling "uneasy" since he fell nearly 500 feet before the chute opened Space Weather News for Nov. 15, 2007
http://spaceweather.com GIANT COMET: University of Hawaii astronomers have measured the diameter of Comet 17P/Holmes: 1.4 million kilometers. This makes the exploding comet bigger than the sun and now the largest object in the solar system. Not surprisingly, the comet is visible to the naked eye; with only a backyard telescope you can watch its gigantic debris cloud expand from night to night. Nov. 19th is an especially good night to look: Comet Holmes will glide by Mirfak, the brightest star in the constellation Perseus, and appear to swallow it. Visit http://spaceweather.com for a sky map and images. (Note: The sun remains by far the most massive object in the solar system. Comet 17P/Holmes' diaphanous atmosphere of dust and gas, which is what the astronomers measured, contains less mass than a typical asteroid. In spite of its great size, Comet Holmes is a lightweight that won't be deflecting the orbits of planets or causing any other such catastrophes.) ROSETTA FLYBY: On Nov. 13th, the European Space Agency's comet-chasing Rosetta spacecraft buzzed Earth, passing only 5300 km above the southern hemisphere. During the high-speed gravity assist maneuver, Rosetta snapped some fantastic pictures including close-up shots of Antarctic icescapes and glittering views of city lights at night. See the sights on http://spaceweather.com NASA Science News for November 19, 2007
NASA scientists have developed a fast and easy to build satellite named FASTSAT that could accelerate the pace of space exploration. FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/19nov_fastsat.htm?list894054
NASA Science News for November 21, 2007 During the past month, Mars has doubled in brightness and now it is putting a nice show for backyard stargazers. A good night to look is Nov. 26th when Mars has an eye-catching close encounter with the Moon. FULL STORY at
NASA Science News for November 23, 2007
New research by NASA scientists shows that moondust kicked up by the jets of lunar landers can go on a fantastic journey, completely circling the Moon before settling back to the ground. This interesting phenomenon may affect the planning of lunar outposts and other activities as NASA prepares its return to the Moon. FULL STORY at
Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml!
November 13 Uc upate
FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/02nov_nov5.htm?list894054 NASA Science News for November 7, 2007 FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/07nov_repairshops.htm?list894054 COMET TAIL: Exploding Comet 17P/Holmes continues to amaze onlookers. On Nov. 8th and 9th part of the comet's blue tail broke away in view of many backyard telescopes. Visit http://spaceweather.com to see photos of the "disconnection event" and speculation about what might have caused it. TAURID METEOR SHOWER: The annual Northern Taurid meteor shower caused by Comet Encke peaks on Nov. 12th. Although Taurid rates are normally low, only about five meteors per hour, those five can be doozies. The shower is a well-known producer of slow, bright fireballs visible at all hours of the night. If you're outside after dark this weekend, be alert for Taurids. NASA Science News for November 9, 2007 FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/09nov_hirad.htm?list894054 Nov. 9, 2007: Meteorologists' jaws dropped as Hurricane Humberto slammed the Texas shore early morning September 13, 2007. At first just a nameless tropical depression, the storm marshaled 85 mph winds and heavy rains in the blink of an eye, demanding its identity as a category one hurricane. "It made the transition from tropical depression to hurricane within 24 hours right before landfall. It was a record breaker," says NASA atmospheric scientist Robbie Hood. Right: Humberto, photographed by the MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite. [Larger image] [More] Why did Humberto leap to hurricane force so quickly? More importantly, how could its rapid summoning of dangerous power have been predicted so people on shore could have been forewarned? NASA Science News for November 13, 2007 FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/13nov_africa.htm?list894054 |
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