This one makes me slightly ill since we had such bad weather Dixieland Auroras On Nov. 20, 2003, a modest solar explosion sparked bright auroras in some unusual places. FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/05dec_dixieland.htm?list89800

The latest from NASA's Earth Observatory (23 December 2003) * Weighing Earth's Water from Space http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/WeighingWater/ Launched in 2002, a pair of identical satellites that make up NASA's Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) are tackling the problem in an unexpected way: they are weighing Earth's fresh water from space. Serving as a sort of "divining rod" in space that moves in response to a powerful, fundamental force of nature--gravity--the satellites respond to changes in Earth's gravitation field that signal shifts in the movement of water a cross and under Earth's surface * Latest Images: Soot and Global Warming http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16404 Landslides in the Philippines http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16403 Lake Titicaca http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16400 Waimea Canyon, Kaua‘i http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16399 Waiting for More Rain in South Africa http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16397 Iguaçu Falls and Itapú Reservoir http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16396 Tropical Cyclone Hits East Coast of India http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16395 Dust Storm over Texas http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16394

Scheduled times for listening-out by the US orbiter Odyssey and the UK ground station at Jodrell Bank over the next couple of days (GMT is eight hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, and the Odyssey times don't include transmitting and processing lags): 26th Dec 17:33:49 -18:53:49 GMT Odyssey 23:00:00 - 00:20:00 GMT Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK) 27th Dec 06:17:46 - 07:37:46 GMT Odyssey 22:56:00 - 00:16:00 GMT Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK) Excerpted from: http://www.beagle2.com/landing/timeline.htm

In a move that may or may not help them wake up the Mars lander but will definitely cause cat-person vs. dog-person tension throughout the space-interested world, the Brits have put together a "Tiger" team to work on waking up the Beagle 2. No signals from the lander during Odyssey fly-overs again Sunday, and hopes continue to be fixed on next weekend's arrival of the European orbiter in its listening orbit. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3352521.stm

Where it landed. The lander may be shadowed by this crater. It can't power up yet.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3359273.stm Beagle to begin 'frequent calls' If Beagle is alive, it will call more frequently British-built Mars probe Beagle 2 is due to switch into a communications mode on Wednesday that increases the chances of contact being made with it. If Beagle is intact on the Martian surface, it will automatically begin "calling" Earth more frequently. Two further attempts were made on Tuesday to contact Beagle with the Mars Odyssey craft in orbit around the Red Planet, but with no positive result.

A traveling robotic geologist from NASA has landed on Mars and returned stunning images of the area around its landing site in Gusev Crater. Mars Exploration Rover Spirit successfully sent a radio signal after the spacecraft had bounced and rolled for several minutes following its initial impact at 11:35 p.m. EST (8:35 p.m. Pacific Standard Time) on January 3. "This is a big night for NASA," said NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. "We're back. I am very, very proud of this team, and we're on Mars." Members of the mission's flight team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., cheered and clapped when they learned that NASA's Deep Space Network had received a post-landing signal from Spirit. The cheering resumed about three hours later when the rover transmitted its first images to Earth, relaying them through NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. "We've got many steps to go before this mission is over, but we've retired a lot of risk with this landing," said JPL's Pete Theisinger, project manager for the Mars Exploration Rover Project. Deputy project manager for the rovers, JPL's Richard Cook, said, "We're certainly looking forward to Opportunity landing three weeks from now." Opportunity is Spirit's twin rover, headed for the opposite side of Mars. Dr. Charles Elachi, JPL director, said, "To achieve this mission, we have assembled the best team of young women and men this country can put together. Essential work was done by other NASA centers and by our industrial and academic partners. Spirit stopped rolling with its base petal down, though that favorable position could change as airbags deflate, said JPL's Rob Manning, development manager for the rover's descent through Mars' atmosphere and landing on the surface. NASA chose Spirit's landing site, within Gusev Crater, based on evidence from Mars orbiters that this crater may have held a lake long ago. A long, deep valley, apparently carved by ancient flows of water, leads into Gusev. The crater itself is basin the size of Connecticut created by an asteroid or comet impact early in Mars' history. Spirit's task is to spend the next three months exploring for clues in rocks and soil about whether the past environment at this part of Mars was ever watery and suitable to sustain life. Spirit traveled 487 million kilometers (302.6 million) miles to reach Mars after its launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on June 10, 2003. Its twin, Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, was launched July 7, 2003, and is on course for a landing on the opposite side of Mars on Jan. 25 (Universal Time and EST; 9:05 p.m. on Jan. 24, PST). The flight team expects to spend more than a week directing Spirit through a series of steps in unfolding, standing up and other preparations necessary before the rover rolls off of its lander platform to get its wheels onto the ground. Meanwhile, Spirit's cameras and a mineral-identifying infrared instrument will begin examining the surrounding terrain. That information will help engineers and scientists decide which direction to send the rover first. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, manages the Mars Exploration Rover project for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington. Additional information about the project is available from JPL at: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov and from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., at: http://athena.cornell.edu . ### Guy Webster (818) 354-6278 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. JPL Newsroom (818) 354-5011 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. NEWS RELEASE: 2004-003 http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20040104a.html

JPL engineers played Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" in the control room as they watched new images confirming that the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit successfully stood up on its lander late Thursday night Pacific time, a major step in preparing for egress. This image from the rover's front hazard avoidance camera shows the rover in the final stage of its stand-up process. The two wheels on the bottom right and left are locked into position, along with the suspension system. The martian landscape is in the background.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mgs_mpf_viking_040107.html Orbiter Photographs Viking 1 and Pathfinder Landers on Mars' Surface

Mars terrain in 3d http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05095 Get your 3D glasses: https://www.stereoscopy.com/reel3d/anaglyph-glasses.html

gwb, welcome. (I like your sympathies!) There is a setup at the University of Louisville science center to view the latest downloads and accompanying 3-D glasses.

Spirit rover overloaded with files http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/01/26/mars_rovers040126 Too many data files may have led to the crippling of NASA's Spirit rover last week, the U.S. space agency said Monday. Engineers weren't aware the hundreds of the data files would lead to a major technical difficulty for Spirit. Since Jan. 22, the Mars robot has been unable to send scientific data and images. Now that NASA is aware of the limit, the files will be deleted from Spirit and engineers will take care not to run into the same problem on its twin, Opportunity, said Jennifer Trosper, mission manager for operations on Mars' surface. Problem solved? NASA scientists are giddy! I found out the Mars day is just about an hour longer than the earth day. And some folks are downloading "Mars clocks".

*grin* yes, how to confuse the already time-handicapped! Just one planet away and so close to our own time. This does not bode well unless you distinguish that only on Mars is that clock useful!

Hubble finds farthest galaxies http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/03/09/hubble.farthest/ Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) unveiled the deepest look into the universe yet, a portrait of what could be the most distant galaxies ever seen. The new image, called the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), includes objects that until now have been too faint to be seen and includes ancient galaxies that emerged just 700 million years after the Big Bang theory from what astronomers call the "Dark Ages" of the universe.

I truly hope we do not abandon the Hubble before it is exhausted. Amazing discoveries. Thanks, Terry!

Scientist attacks alien claims on Mars By Robert Roy Britt SPACE.com Thursday, March 18, 2004 Posted: 5:25 PM EST (2225 GMT) Richard Hoagland claims that NASA refuses to acknowledge evidence of alien "artifacts" on Mars. SPACE.COM: War of words to debunk aliens (SPACE.com) -- Astronomer Philip Plait is tired of radio personality Richard Hoagland's claims. He's had enough of Hoagland's assertions that NASA is covering up evidence of extraterrestrial life, that the infamous Face on Mars was built by sentient aliens and, of late, that otherworldly machine parts are embedded in the Red Planet's dirt. And then there's the mile-long translucent martian worm. On Hoagland's Web site, there are several images from various space probes said to possibly show evidence for ETs. Recent Mars rover photos include not just rocks, Hoagland and other contributors maintain, but common objects that might tell of an alien civilization -- a bowl, a stove, a piston. more http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/03/17/alien.debunk/

Since 1983, Hoagland said he has led "an outside scientific team in a critically acclaimed independent analysis of possible intelligently-designed artifacts" on other worlds, using spacecraft data from NASA and other missions. Plait, author of "Bad Astronomy" (Wiley & Sons, 2002), which debunks space myths and common factual misconceptions, had for years not countered Hoagland directly, because he did not want to give a man he calls a "pseudoscientist" the "air time that he so desperately seeks." But last week Plait took his intellectual gloves off. http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/03/17/alien.debunk/

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/22/1079939580572.html Microsoft Corp co-founder Paul Allen has donated 13.5 million to help fund the search for extraterrestrial life.

I'msure they will find some sort of life up there. Just read Hoagland with a huge helping of scepticism. He is an Art Bell favorite, and that should say it all...!

Mystery in a Cup of Tea Using odds and ends from the space station pantry, researchers have learned something new about fluid physics. FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/09apr_tea.htm?list89800

Has anyone seen this yet? I am rarely up at dawn, but I can make the effort... Morning Comet Space Weather News for April 25, 2004 http://spaceweather.com If you have wake up before dawn this week for work or school, take a pair of binoculars outside and scan the eastern horizon. You might see Comet Bradfield. The comet, which had a close encounter with the sun on April 17th, is now emerging from the sun's glare. Although it's too dim to see with the unaided eye, at least for most people, by all accounts Comet Bradfield is a beautiful sight through binoculars, its long tail stretching 10 degrees above the rosy glow of the rising sun. Visit Spaceweather.com for pictures and a sky map.

A Gathering of planets Four planets, six moons, Earthshine, lunar mountains, the phases of Venus, a planet-sized hurricane and Saturn's rings: you can see them all this week and next. FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/21apr_planets2.htm?list89800

Our weather has been rainy and overcast. Of course, it has!! There are good things to see in the sky! Please, no more rain dances until the meteor shower is over... see below.

Ah well, that was on the 22nd of the month - they Lyrid meteors. Did anyone catch them?

Space Weather News for May 14, 2004 http://spaceweather.com SUNSPOT 609: Yesterday, sunspot group 609 was almost invisible; today it's many times wider than Earth and visible without a telescope. If you want to see this fast-growing spot, you can, but never stare directly at the sun. Avoid eye damage using the safe solar observing techniques described at Spaceweather.com. COMET NEAT AND THE BEEHIVE: Comet NEAT is still bright enough to see with the unaided eye from dark-sky sites. Tonight and tomorrow, the comet glides by the Beehive star cluster in Cancer. The Beehive is about as bright as Comet NEAT, and the pair will make an attractive target for photographers or amateur astronomers with small telecopes. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps, movies and more information

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=5315239 "NASA is looking for a space-faring robot to help fix the aging Hubble Space Telescope, the U.S. space agency's chief told astronomers on Tuesday. NASA chief Sean O'Keefe called for proposals for a robotic repair mission to the orbiting telescope, about six months after deciding that no future shuttle astronaut missions will be sent to Hubble. "Our confidence is growing that robots can do the job," O'Keefe told a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Denver."

I do hope so much that they keep Hubble working as long as possible. Wehave seen amazing things from that trail blazing telescope.

Look what the rover stumbled across.

A 'Pot of Gold' Rich with Nuggets (Sol 163) This close-up image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit highlights the nodular nuggets that cover the rock dubbed "Pot of Gold." These nuggets appear to stand on the end of stalk-like features. The surface of the rock is dotted with fine-scale pits. Data from the rover's scientific instruments has shown that Pot of Gold contains the mineral hematite, which can be formed with or without water. Scientists are planning further observations of this rock, which they hope will yield more insight into the hematite's origins as well as how the enigmatic nuggets formed. This image was taken by Spirit's microscopic imager on sol 163 (June 18, 2004). The observed area is 3 centimeters by 3 centimeters (1.2 inches by 1.2 inches). Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS

That is amazing!!! Wow! Gold in them thar hills! Thanks for posting the images, Terry! I'd like that one for my collection...perhaps?!

NASA's Aura Spacecraft Launches from Vandenberg By Kirk L. Kroeker TechNewsWorld 07/15/04 9:58 AM PT "This moment marks a tremendous achievement for the NASA family and our international partners," said NASA Associate Administrator for Earth Science Dr. Ghassem Asrar. "We look forward to the Aura satellite offering us historic insight into the tough issues of global air quality, ozone recovery and climate change." Aura, a NASA mission dedicated to the health of Earth's atmosphere, successfully launched today at 3:01:59 a.m. Pacific Time from the Western Range of Vandenberg Air Force Base, aboard a Boeing (NYSE: BA) Delta II rocket. Spacecraft separation occurred at 4:06 a.m. Pacific Time, inserting Aura into a 438-mile (705-kilometer) orbit. As NASA's latest Earth-observing satellite, Aura will help us understand and protect the air we breathe. 'Tremendous Achievement' This moment marks a tremendous achievement for the NASA family and our international partners," said NASA Associate Administrator for Earth Science Dr. Ghassem Asrar. "We look forward to the Aura satellite offering us historic insight into the tough issues of global air quality, ozone recovery and climate change. http://www.technewsworld.com/story/35136.html

I am really eager to see what AURA discovers. Thanks, Cheryl! I have stuff to post but it will be in another entry as I am downloading a hurricane tracking program and can't open the information I want to post.

heard the saying "once in a blue moon" right? well, tonight is the night for blue moons! doesn't really look blue to me but it's certainly full and got my attention!!

Blue moon is two full mooons in one calendar month. It isn't as rare as one might think. Last year there were several of them. Some years there are none. Enjoy it, but don't be too disappointed by the color. Harvest moons are always brighter. The moon is closer during these months and make notable evenings.

Halloween Aurora Space Weather News for Oct. 30, 2004 http://spaceweather.com SOLAR FLARES: Solar activity increased sharply on Oct. 30th. The source is fast-growing sunspot 691, which has unleashed several strong flares, including a brief X-flare. Some of these explosions may have hurled coronal mass ejections (CMEs) toward Earth; if so, sky watchers at high latitudes might see spooky auroras in the nights ahead. HALLOWEEN: Believe it or not, Halloween has roots in astronomy: it's a "cross-quarter" holiday approximately midway between an equinox and a solstice. Get the details at http://www.spaceweather.com.

and, believe it or not, halloween has nothing to do with worshipping or celebrating the devil... Happy Halloween y'all!

Halloween is WAY older than the devil legends. It is in fact a sort of Thanksgiving (OLD style) enjoy your candy and little trick or treaters!

exactly.....i even read a research paper by a Christian fundamentalist. like marcia says, it was a celebration of harvest. and if you really look, you'll see that it coincides with celtic fire celebrations where because it was getting darker earlier (days growing shorter), they wanted to ensure the sun kept burning and didn't die out. interesting to say the least.

*APPLAUSE* Wolfie is absoulutely correct. Most of our traditions go back in our cultural memory way further than one might think. Much of the Christian structure was done to supplant ancient pagan traditions they could not change.

"Something odd is circling our planet. It's small, perhaps only 60-ft long, and rotates once every minute or so. Amateur astronomer Bill Yeung first spotted the 16th magnitude speck of light on Sept. 3rd in the constellation Pisces. He named it J002E3. Automated asteroid surveys scan the skies every few weeks, yet there was no sign of Yeung's object earlier this year. "It must have entered Earth orbit recently," says Paul Chodas of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program at JPL. "But it doesn't match any recently-launched spacecraft." Could it be an alien spaceship? "If it is," says Chodas, "the aliens aren't good pilots. J002E3 is in a chaotic orbit. It loops around Earth once every 48 days or so, coming as close to our planet as the Moon and ranging as far away as two lunar distances." There's no evidence that the speck is moving under its own power. The orbit is constantly changing because of gravitational perturbations by the Sun and Moon. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/20sep_mysteryobject.htm

it's gonna take another 30 years for it to be back in earth's orbit!

Two years after the Columbia disaster delayed construction of the international space station, the world's top space programs backed NASA's plan Wednesday to finish building the orbital outpost ... http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/space/iss/3011035

Meteorite hits Cambodia, sparks fires http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/01/26/cambodia.meteorite.reut/ A 4.5 kg (10 lb) meteorite which landed in a former Khmer Rouge zone of northwest Cambodia started fires across rice fields and prayers from villagers who saw it as a divine omen of peace. "Some farmers are angry with the rock because it caused fires and destroyed several hundred hectares of their paddy fields," said Sok Sareth, police chief of Banteay Meanchey province, around 200 miles northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh. "But others asked the police to leave it where it landed and put it on shrine to pray for peace," he told Reuters on Wednesday.

NASA's Gravity -B. Could it have been effected by the great quake that caused so much damage and the Tsunami here on earth? Postulate; Gravitational Shock Wave generated by event hits experiment, results? I asked NASA, they responded that they would respond... link to letter; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gravitationalpropulsionstevenson/message/202 Mystery

NEWS BRIEF: Celestial Fastball Finds Need for Speed: 1.5 Million MPH By Jules Crittenden Boston Herald 02/11/05 7:48 AM PT Warren Brown, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has hypothesized that about 80 million years ago, Outcast was orbiting near the Milky Way's black hole, where it picked up speed and momentum as part of a paired binary system. So long, SDSS J090745.0+24507! Don't forget to write! The celestial body also known as the Outcast Star is rocketing its way out of the Milky Way at a searing 1.5 million miles an hour, and hasn't looked back. "It's in the distant outskirts of the Milky Way," said Warren Brown, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, which has been plotting the renegade star and waving bye-bye since last year. "This star is moving at a speed no one's ever seen before," Brown said. He explained that although stars orbiting the suspected massive black hole at the center of the galaxy reach speeds of up to 15 million miles an hour, stars orbiting in the mid- to outer reaches like our own sun normally putt along like Sunday drivers at a relaxed 500,000 miles per hour. Brown has hypothesized that about 80 million years ago, Outcast was orbiting near the Milky Way's black hole, where it picked up speed and momentum as part of a paired binary system. When its sister star got swallowed, it continued on and was whipped outward. Once out of the galaxy, it will roam the empty intergalactic void, all alone. Outward bound with the hammer down! - ptw

Oh my Goodness! That is way too large of a scale for mere mortals to understand in a substantive way. Millions of miles per hour? !! On a slightly more lowly layer of space comes satellite images of the earthquake damage in the Sumatra area in December: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/2005/2005011018159.html

World Wind lets you zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Leveraging Landsat satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, World Wind lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there. Virtually visit any place in the world. Look across the Andes, into the Grand Canyon, over the Alps, or along the African Sahara. http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/

Thanks for the link. Amazing!!

Fascinating news from Mars. New images show glacial, volcanic and fluvial activity. The new images show fields of volcanic cones at the north pole. Some awesome pictures at: http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMX67D3M5E_index_0.html

Looks some good skiing? What an extreme sport: skiing on Mars.

am glad to see some new pics of mars, it just faded out of the news didn't it? like the tsunami...

Like everything fades out of the news except for Michael Jackson.

i am so tired of hearing about that. just do the trial and get on with it!

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7140 Martian dust devils finally caught on camera Furthermore, a separate dust devil has apparently swept the rover clean. The power output of the rover's solar panels had been reduced by almost half because of a year's worth of accumulated dust. But on 9 March, the output shot up to 93% of its initial level, giving it more power for future exploration.

If you are in the southern hemisphere, look for a solar eclipse on April 8th. Only the most southern parts of the US will see any of it.

Howdy Marci and Geoites In the background but will get back to posting suff. de Mike r-c-i

thanks for the info on the eclipse! do you happen to know about what time to look for it?

April 9, 2005 from New Scientist Print Edition Marcus Chown The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) could be taking the wrong approach. Instead of listening for alien radio broadcasts, a better strategy may be to look for giant structures placed in orbit around nearby stars by alien civilisations. "Artificial structures may be the best way for an advanced extraterrestrial civilisation to signal its presence to an emerging technology like ours," says Luc Arnold of the Observatory of Haute-Provence in France. And he believes that the generation of space-based telescopes now being designed will be able to spot them. the rest of the story at http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18624944

THAT would be amazing !!

Two days after bringing Discovery home, NASA prepared Thursday to launch a spacecraft to Mars with new tools designed to gather more data on the planet than all previous Martian missions combined. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is expected to spend four years circling Mars, collecting information that will help NASA plan where to land two robotic explorers later this decade and possible future human exploration of the Red Planet.

The pictures they took there look exactly like ones I have taken at the summit caldera of Kilauea volcano. I guess the astronauts will be back to the Big Island of Hawaii to test their footing. I'm sorry I won't be there to dine with them this time. I am guessing there will be more landable places than not on Mars but you sure don't want to be in the middle of their erupting volcanoes. !!

the 10th planet has a moon..... http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusgen/ap10-01-170832.asp?t=apnew&vts=10120051827

Today on SPACE.com --- Tuesday, October 4, 2005 -- http://www.space.com/ In today's issue: Science/Astronomy: * Test Equipment Finds Life in Mars-like Conditions * Delving into Dust Devils * Image of the Day: Supernova Signals Spaceflight: * Rocketeers Rev Up For X Prize Cup * The Space Cycle: New Way to Exercise in Orbit * NASA Chief Clarifies Comments on Shuttle, Space Station * ASTRONOTES: Director of Johnson Space Center Resigns * Rocket Racing: New League Promotes High-Flying Contest * Third Space Tourist, Expedition 12 Crew Dock at Space Station * NASA Propulsion Strategy Reaches Back While Looking Ahead * NEW! Daily Space Trivia NEW! LiveScience.com * Under the Pacific: Images from the Visions 2005 Project * LiveScience Amazing Images: Upload Your Cool Pictures Now! * Schemes to Control the Weather Clouded by Failure * New Hurricane Forecast Calls for Busy October * Study: Sun's Changes to Blame for Part of Global Warming * Image of the Day: Best Science Photography of 2005 NEW! Cool Stuff: * Amazing Images: Summer under the Stars Contest * Mars Madness: A Multimedia Adventure! * New Gallery: Space Tourist Greg Olsen prepares for launch * Gallery: Hubble's New Views of the Universe * Visit Our Collection of Space Wallpapers * DOWNLOAD NOW! Ad Astra Magazine's Star Planner Calendar * Get the weather from anywhere on Earth...with WeatherBug! * New! Search for Your Next Hi-Tech Job Opportunity Now! Entertainment: Movies, Television, DVD, Games and much more... * Joss Whedon's 'Serenity' is Sci-Fi Resurrected * VOTE NOW: Rate Your Favorite Space Movies * Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' Returns to Television * Gallery: Walking on the Moon in 3D * 'Magnificent Desolation' Brings the Moon Down to Earth * New Songs Added...Explore the SpaceBox! Recent Headlines: * Wraps Come Off Cold War Spyat Program * Scientists Discover 10th Planet's Moon * Soyuz 15 Cosmonaut Sarafanov Dies at 63 * NASA Devises Shuttle External Tank Foam Fix * New Pictures of Saturn's Battered Moons * Cassini's Journeys: Headquarters for mission news, Saturn and more * Latest News and Updates on the Mars Rovers Plus... * Uplink, SPACE.com TV and NightSky * Starry Night, TeamSETI ----------------------------------- Science/Astronomy: * Test Equipment Finds Life in Mars-like Conditions http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051004_mars_like.html In a test of equipment that might one day be used to search for biological activity on Mars, researchers discovered life tucked deep inside a frozen Norwegian volcano. * Delving into Dust Devils http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051003_dust_devils.html Dust devils on Earth and Mars are often likened to tornadoes. But in fact the mechanism behind them is completely different. * Image of the Day: Supernova Signals http://www.space.com/imageoftheday/image_of_day_051004.html Two space-based observatories peer deep into a supernova remnant to glean insight on its origin. ----------------------------------- Spaceflight: * Rocketeers Rev Up For X Prize Cup http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051004_xprize_cup.html Preparations are in full swing for the Countdown to the X Prize Cup�a celebration of a new generation of private passenger-carrying spaceships built for speed and to foster space tourism. * The Space Cycle: New Way to Exercise in Orbit http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051004_space_cycle.html Researchers have developed a two-person, centrifuge-like, one-stop workout machine that makes its own gravity. * NASA Chief Clarifies Comments on Shuttle, Space Station http://www.space.com/news/ft_051004_griffin_shuttle.html Saying he "didn't handle the situation well," NASA Administrator Mike Griffin sent out an agencywide e-mail Monday to clarify controversial comments on the space shuttle and International Space Station programs. * ASTRONOTES: Director of Johnson Space Center Resigns http://www.space.com/astronotes/astronotes.html The head of NASA's Johnson Space Center is leaving the agency and heading back to a University of Texas classroom. * Rocket Racing: New League Promotes High-Flying Contest http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/051003_rocket_racing_league.html Traffic cops beware, there's a whole new league of speed demon in town. * Third Space Tourist, Expedition 12 Crew Dock at Space Station http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051003_exp12_olsen_dock.html A fresh astronaut crew and U.S. space tourist Gregory Olsen arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) early Monday after their Russian Soyuz spacecraft docked flawlessly at the orbital laboratory. * NASA Propulsion Strategy Reaches Back While Looking Ahead http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_051003.html The initial propulsion work in support of NASA's bid to return to the Moon and go on to Mars will focus primarily on adapting space shuttle systems and developing methane-fueled engines, a technology with which the United States has little experience. * NEW! Daily Space Trivia http://www.space.com/php/trivia/ One of Today's 5 New Questions: Who was the first astronaut to return to military service after serving with NASA? ---------------------------------- NEW! LiveScience.com http://www.livescience.com/ * Under the Pacific: Images from the Visions 2005 Project http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/ Live from the seafloor: Explore life in one of the most extreme environments on Earth. * LiveScience Amazing Images: Upload Your Cool Pictures Now! http://www.livescience.com/amazingimages/ Upload your cool pictures of exotic locales, nature, weather, creatures and more! * Schemes to Control the Weather Clouded by Failure http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/051003_weather_control.html Ideas to control everything from fog to tornadoes and even global warming are on the table. Some have been tried, with mixed results. * New Hurricane Forecast Calls for Busy October http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/051003_hurricane_forecast.html A longtime guru of hurricane forecasting said today that October is likely to be another busy month. * Study: Sun's Changes to Blame for Part of Global Warming http://www.livescience.com/environment/050930_sun_effect.html Increased output from the Sun might be to blame for 10 to 30 percent of global warming that has been measured in the past 20 years, according to a new report. * Image of the Day: Best Science Photography of 2005 http://www.livescience.com/imageoftheday/siod_051004.html Estonian peat bog in Autumn. First Prize winner of this year's 2005 Science Magazine and NSF Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge. ---------------------------------- NEW! Cool Stuff: * Amazing Images: Summer under the Stars Contest http://www.space.com/amazingimages/summerunderthestars/ Upload your amazing pictures now! You could Win a trip to Mauna Kea in Hawaii, a Nokia 6682 and more! * Mars Madness: A Multimedia Adventure! http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/marsmadness/ Take a journey to the Red Planet with this new multimedia adventure! * New Gallery: Space Tourist Greg Olsen prepares for launch http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/archive.php?category=se Imagery of pre-launch training and activities, as Greg Olsen prepares for his historic visit to the ISS. * Gallery: Hubble's New Views of the Universe http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/archive.php?category=ds Check out the latest set of images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope this year. * Visit Our Collection of Space Wallpapers http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/downloads/wallpapers/ From the highest quality space art to intergalactic photography, find an image for your desktop every month of the year. * DOWNLOAD NOW! Ad Astra Magazine's Star Planner Calendar http://www.space.com/media/pdf/adastra_fall05calendar.pdf Star Planner Tracking Space For Your Viewing! The Star Planner Calendar covers space-related news and activities for the coming year. * Get the weather from anywhere on Earth...with WeatherBug! http://www.space.com/php/weatherbug/ Type in your ZIP Code and hit "Go" to get your live local weather. * New! Search for Your Next Hi-Tech Job Opportunity Now! http://www.space.com/jobs/ Imaginova and CareerBuilder.com have partnered to bring you the best in job searching, resume posting, and online recruiting. ---------------------------------- Entertainment: Movies, Television, DVD, Games and much more... http://www.space.com/entertainment/ * Joss Whedon's 'Serenity' is Sci-Fi Resurrected http://www.space.com/entertainment/ap_050930_ent_serenity.html You can see how �Firefly,� the short-lived TV show that provided the basis for �Serenity,� could have gotten addictive if given the chance. * VOTE NOW: Rate Your Favorite Space Movies http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/spacemovies/ Vote Now For Your Favorite Space Movie of All Time! * Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' Returns to Television http://www.space.com/entertainment/050927_sagan_cosmos.html The 13-part science series 'Cosmos' narrated by Carl Sagan returns to television on its 25th anniversary. * Gallery: Walking on the Moon in 3D http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/archive.php?category=e Take a sneak peek at scenes from the new IMAX movie Magnificent Desolation. * 'Magnificent Desolation' Brings the Moon Down to Earth http://www.space.com/entertainment/050923_ent_magnificentdesolation.html A new film hopes to bring the Moon a bit closer. * New Songs Added...Explore the SpaceBox! http://www.space.com/entertainment/spacebox/ Explore the SpaceBox! The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Music Inspired by the Cosmos! ---------------------------------- Recent Headlines: http://www.space.com/news/ * Wraps Come Off Cold War Spyat Program http://www.space.com/news/051003_nro_poppy.html * Scientists Discover 10th Planet's Moon http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/ap_051001_newmoon.html * Soyuz 15 Cosmonaut Sarafanov Dies at 63 http://www.space.com/news/cs_051001_sarafanov_death.html * NASA Devises Shuttle External Tank Foam Fix http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ft_051001_et_fixes.html * New Pictures of Saturn's Battered Moons http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050930_saturn_moons.html * Cassini's Journeys: Headquarters for mission news, Saturn and more http://www.space.com/cassini/ * Latest News and Updates on the Mars Rovers http://www.space.com/marsrover/ ----------------------------- * SpaceTV: http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/spacetv/ * NightSky: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/ * Uplink: Share your opinion! http://uplink.space.com/ ------------------------------------- JOIN NOW! Sign-up For the National Space Society https://www.nss.org/membership/new_member_form.html It's because of members like YOU that we've been able to convince the U.S. President and many in Congress to continue our journey towards the stars! Sign up to become part of the greatest search in history! Join TeamSETI: http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_science_page.html Be a desktop astronomer! Starry Night is the world's leading astronomy software -- choose between Beginner, Backyard, or Pro! http://www.starrynight.com/space -------------------------------------

Today on SPACE.com --- Thursday, October 6, 2005 -- http://www.space.com/ ----------------------------------- Science/Astronomy: * Cranking Up the Allen Telescope Array http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_igps_one_051006.html Three dozen metal mushrooms have sprouted near the modest village of Hat Creek, and are turning their aluminum eyes skyward. * How to: Viewing Mars http://www.space.com/media/pdf/UST_viewing_mars.pdf A user's guide to viewing Mars from your telescope, binoculars, or with the naked eye. * Colliding Stars Behind 35-year-old Mystery http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051005_short_bursts.html The most intense explosions in the universe come in two varieties. One type lasts several seconds, and the others are gone in less than a second. * Image of the Day: Solar Eye http://www.space.com/imageoftheday/image_of_day_051006.html A sunspot appears as an unblinking eye in this close-up view of the surface of the Sun. ----------------------------------- Spaceflight: * Delta 4 Rocket's West Coast Debut Enters Extended Delay http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sfn_051006_delta4_delay.html California's debut launch of the Boeing Delta 4 rocket is facing an extended delay -- perhaps six weeks -- while engineers try to reconcile differing predictions of sloshing fuel inside the booster during flight. * ASTRONOTES: NASA to Honor Apollo 7 Astronaut http://www.space.com/astronotes/astronotes.html NASA will honor former astronaut Walt Cunningham as an "Ambassador of Exploration," an award which provides recognition for the astronauts of the space agency's first manned spaceflight programs: Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. * NASA ISS Astronaut Has No Worries Over Earth Return http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051005_mcarthur_phillips.html A NASA astronaut riding aboard the International Space Station (ISS) said Wednesday that he is not concerned with his eventual return to Earth, despite questions over which spacecraft will transport home back from the orbital laboratory. * SpaceShipOne Donated to Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/ap_051005_sso_smithsonian.html The first private space ship took its place Wednesday next to Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, praised by its designer as a symbol of a new era of space tourism alongside the icon of trans-Atlantic flight. * Japan's Asteroid Sample-Return Mission Has Problems http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051005_hayabusa_update.html Japan's Hayabusa asteroid sample-return spacecraft has lost the use of a second reaction wheel, forcing increased reliance on its chemical-propellant thrusters for attitude control and raising questions about whether it can make its planned asteroid touchdown in November. * NASA Official Offers Shuttle Foam Loss Theory http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ap_051005_shuttle_foam.html Workers may have accidentally cut or crushed the section of foam that broke off Discovery's fuel tank during its launch two months ago�a mishap that threatened the safety of the astronauts and grounded the shuttle fleet. * NEW! Daily Space Trivia http://www.space.com/php/trivia/ One of Today's 5 New Questions: What is the name of the rock and roll band whose players are all astronauts? ---------------------------------- NEW! LiveScience.com http://www.livescience.com/ * New Gallery: Racing Robots: DARPA Grand Challenge 2005 http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/ Cool photos of the creative robots that are competing for the $2 million prize. * LiveScience Amazing Images: Upload Your Cool Pictures Now! http://www.livescience.com/amazingimages/ Upload your cool pictures of exotic locales, nature, weather, creatures and more! * Great White Shark Sets Ocean-Crossing Record http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/051006_shark_migration.html The great white shark swam to Western Australia and back in nine months. * Duped and Clueless: How Easily We Fool Ourselves http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/051006_choice_blindness.html Do you always get what you ask for? A new study finds that when you don't, you might not even notice the difference. * Submissive Canadians? Efficient Germans? Yeah, Right http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/051006_nat_stereotypes.html Such national stereotypes are common, but they are highly mistaken, a new study shows. * The World's Smallest Fountain Pen http://www.livescience.com/technology/051006_smallest_pen.html Researchers have created the world's smallest fountain pen with a tip so tiny it can draw lines a hundred times thinner than a red blood cell. * Robots Race for $2 Million Prize Saturday http://www.livescience.com/technology/ap_051006_darpa_update.html A driverless red Hummer snagged the pole position Wednesday in a government-sponsored sequel race across the Mojave Desert that will pit 23 robots against one another. * Python Eats Gator, Explodes http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/ap_051006_python.html The alligator has some foreign competition at the top of the Everglades food chain, and the results of the struggle are horror-movie messy. ---------------------------------- NEW! Cool Stuff: * Amazing Images: Summer under the Stars Contest http://www.space.com/amazingimages/summerunderthestars/ Upload your amazing pictures now! You could Win a trip to Mauna Kea in Hawaii, a Nokia 6682 and more! * Mars Madness: A Multimedia Adventure! http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/marsmadness/ Take a journey to the Red Planet with this new multimedia adventure! * Gallery: Hubble's New Views of the Universe http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/archive.php?category=ds Check out the latest set of images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope this year. * Visit Our Collection of Space Wallpapers http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/downloads/wallpapers/ From the highest quality space art to intergalactic photography, find an image for your desktop every month of the year. * New Gallery: Space Tourist Greg Olsen preparing for launch http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/archive.php?category=se Imagery of pre-launch training and activities, prior to Greg Olsen's reaching the ISS. * Virtual Space Tour http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/virtualspacetour/ Our animated encyclopedia reveals all the secrets of our neighboring worlds. This narrated multimedia presentation features diagrams, animations and the latest photographs. * Get the weather from anywhere on Earth...with WeatherBug! http://www.space.com/php/weatherbug/ Type in your ZIP Code and hit "Go" to get your live local weather. * New! Search for Your Next Hi-Tech Job Opportunity Now! http://www.space.com/jobs/ Imaginova and CareerBuilder.com have partnered to bring you the best in job searching, resume posting, and online recruiting. ---------------------------------- Entertainment: Movies, Television, DVD, Games and much more... http://www.space.com/entertainment/ * VOTE NOW: Rate Your Favorite Space Movies http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/spacemovies/ Vote Now For Your Favorite Space Movie of All Time! * Joss Whedon's 'Serenity' is Sci-Fi Resurrected http://www.space.com/entertainment/ap_050930_ent_serenity.html You can see how �Firefly,� the short-lived TV show that provided the basis for �Serenity,� could have gotten addictive if given the chance. * Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' Returns to Television http://www.space.com/entertainment/050927_sagan_cosmos.html The 13-part science series 'Cosmos' narrated by Carl Sagan returns to television on its 25th anniversary. * 'Magnificent Desolation' Brings the Moon Down to Earth http://www.space.com/entertainment/050923_ent_magnificentdesolation.html A new film hopes to bring the Moon a bit closer. * Gallery: Walking on the Moon in 3D http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/archive.php?category=e Take a sneak peek at scenes from the new IMAX movie Magnificent Desolation. * New Songs Added...Explore the SpaceBox! http://www.space.com/entertainment/spacebox/ Explore the SpaceBox! The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Music Inspired by the Cosmos! ---------------------------------- Recent Headlines: http://www.space.com/news/ * NASA's Lunar Vision: The Devil's in the Details http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/051005_nasa_details.html * Space Tourist Greg Olsen Makes First Solo ISS Broadcast http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051004_olsen_iss_broadcast.html * Rocketeers Rev Up For X Prize Cup http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051004_xprize_cup.html * New Crew, Space Tourist Settle into ISS http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051004_iss_olsen.html * NASA Chief Clarifies Comments on Shuttle, Space Station http://www.space.com/news/ft_051004_griffin_shuttle.html * Cassini's Journeys: Headquarters for mission news, Saturn and more http://www.space.com/cassini/ * Latest News and Updates on the Mars Rovers http://www.space.com/marsrover/ ----------------------------- * SpaceTV: http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/spacetv/ * NightSky: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/ * Uplink: Share your opinion! http://uplink.space.com/ ------------------------------------- JOIN NOW! Sign-up For the National Space Society https://www.nss.org/membership/new_member_form.html It's because of members like YOU that we've been able to convince the U.S. President and many in Congress to continue our journey towards the stars! Sign up to become part of the greatest search in history! Join TeamSETI: http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_science_page.html Be a desktop astronomer! Starry Night is the world's leading astronomy software -- choose between Beginner, Backyard, or Pro! http://www.starrynight.com/space

Today on SPACE.com --- Thursday, October 20, 2005 -- http://www.space.com/ In today's issue: Science/Astronomy: * Cracking the Code of Pre-Earthquake Signals * Hubble Searches for Oxygen on the Moon * Craters in Planets and Moons Not What They Seemed * Image of the Day: Dione's Ringside Seat Spaceflight: * The Making of 'Race to the Moon': Apollo 8 Documentary Producer Tells All * NASA's Spirit Rover Descends From Martian Hilltop * NASA, Air Force Team Up on Next Generation Rocket Engine * Last Titan Rocket Successfully Orbits Reconnaissance Satellite * Russian Spacecraft Fails to Boost ISS into Higher Orbit * ASTRONOTES: Earth-watching Spacecraft is Lost, Russian Space Agency Says * NEW! Daily Space Trivia NEW! LiveScience.com * LiveScience Amazing Images: Upload Your Cool Pictures Now! * Hurricane Wilma Aims at Florida * Hurricanes from Above: See Nature's biggest storms * Your Brain Remembers What You Forget * World's Most Elusive Rat Dead After 18-Week Chase * Military: New Aluminum Windows Stop .50-Caliber Bullet NEW! Cool Stuff: * Build your own Bot in the Botshop! * NEW! Enter for a chance to WIN Great Prizes! * Amazing Images: Summer under the Stars Contest * Exclusive Zero Gravity Adventure! * Mars Madness: A Multimedia Adventure! * Gallery: Hubble's New Views of the Universe * Get the weather from anywhere on Earth...with WeatherBug! * New! Search for Your Next Hi-Tech Job Opportunity Now! Entertainment: Movies, Television, DVD, Games and much more... * VOTE NOW: Rate Your Favorite Space Movies * Discovering the Man Behind 'First Man' * Film Review: 'Curse of the Were-Rabbit' is Howling Good Fun * Joss Whedon's 'Serenity' is Sci-Fi Resurrected * Gallery: Walking on the Moon in 3D * New Songs Added...Explore the SpaceBox! Recent Headlines: * Russia Agrees to Launch Brazil's First Astronaut to ISS * Life's Building Blocks 'Abundant in Space' * After ISS Flight, U.S. Space Tourist Returns Home * A Wet Tradition Returns to European Launch Facility * Northrop Grumman/Boeing Team Unveils CEV Design * Cassini's Journeys: Headquarters for mission news, Saturn and more * Latest News and Updates on the Mars Rovers Plus... * Uplink, SPACE.com TV and NightSky * Starry Night, TeamSETI ----------------------------------- Science/Astronomy: * Cracking the Code of Pre-Earthquake Signals http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_freund_quakes_051020.html Our Earth is a restless planet. Occasionally � quite often, in some regions of the world � the restlessness turns deadly. Of all natural hazards, earthquakes are the most feared. * Hubble Searches for Oxygen on the Moon http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051019_hubble_moon.html This summer, scientists pointed the Hubble Space Telescope at the Moon to take a closer look at its soil. * Craters in Planets and Moons Not What They Seemed http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051019_crater_count.html A hole in a moon or planet does not always mean what astronomers thought. * Image of the Day: Dione's Ringside Seat http://www.space.com/imageoftheday/image_of_day_051020.html Saturn's moon Dione appears to hover over its parent planet's rings in this color view caught by the Cassini probe during a flyby this month. ----------------------------------- Spaceflight: * The Making of 'Race to the Moon': Apollo 8 Documentary Producer Tells All http://www.space.com/adastra/adastra_apollo_8_051020.html What I encountered in producing �Race to the Moon� echoed what William Styron wrote about Apollo 8 at the time: �It was a moment that was depthless and inexpressible.� * NASA's Spirit Rover Descends From Martian Hilltop http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051020_rover_updates.html After nearly one year of rolling and scrambling up Husband Hill, NASA's Mars rover Spirit is headed back down towards new and rocky pastures. * NASA, Air Force Team Up on Next Generation Rocket Engine http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/051019_ipd.html A next-generation liquid-fuel engine being jointly developed by NASA, the U.S. Air Force and two prime aerospace contractors is scheduled to resume testing after being temporarily suspended due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. * Last Titan Rocket Successfully Orbits Reconnaissance Satellite http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sfn_051019_titan4_cntdn.html The mighty Titan -- a pillar in American rocketry for five decades -- flew into orbit for the final time Wednesday, capping a distinguished career of heavy-lifting that has spanned the nation's space age. * Russian Spacecraft Fails to Boost ISS into Higher Orbit http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051019_exp12_issreboost.html A Russian spacecraft stopped short of boosting the International Space Station (ISS) into a higher orbit Tuesday when its engines unexpectedly shut down in mid-maneuver, Russian space officials said. * ASTRONOTES: Earth-watching Spacecraft is Lost, Russian Space Agency Says http://www.space.com/astronotes/astronotes.html Control of the Monitor-E satellite has been lost, the press service of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, has announced. * NEW! Daily Space Trivia http://www.space.com/php/trivia/ One of Today's 5 New Questions: Before Shuttle, which manned program launched the most spacecraft in the shortest time? ---------------------------------- NEW! LiveScience.com http://www.livescience.com/ * LiveScience Amazing Images: Upload Your Cool Pictures Now! http://www.livescience.com/amazingimages/ Upload your cool pictures of exotic locales, nature, weather, creatures and more! * Hurricane Wilma Aims at Florida http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/ap_051020_wilma_update.html Hurricane Wilma weakened slightly Thursday as it roared toward Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and southern Florida, an "extremely dangerous'' storm that already has killed 13 people and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands from Honduras to the Florida Keys. * Hurricanes from Above: See Nature's biggest storms http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?imgid=254&gid=19&index=0 Photos of nature's biggest storms, as seen above the Earth! * Your Brain Remembers What You Forget http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/051019_monkey_memory.html Now, scientists have shown that even though you've had an apparent memory lapse, your brain never forgot what you should have done. * World's Most Elusive Rat Dead After 18-Week Chase http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/051019_rat_race.html It seemed like a good idea. Let a lone rat loose on a rodent-free island and then figure out how to kill it. That way, when other islands are invaded by rats, you'll know what to do. * Military: New Aluminum Windows Stop .50-Caliber Bullet http://www.livescience.com/technology/051018_new_glass.html A new type of transparent armor made of aluminum could one day replace glass in military vehicles. ---------------------------------- NEW! Cool Stuff: * Build your own Bot in the Botshop! http://www.space.com/php/stf/botshop.html Send your robot into the world and amaze your friends! * NEW! Enter for a chance to WIN Great Prizes! http://www.space.com/zathura/ Enter for a chance to win telescopes, Software, DVDs, Zathura (TM) Gear and more! * Amazing Images: Summer under the Stars Contest http://www.space.com/amazingimages/summerunderthestars/ Upload your amazing pictures now! You could Win a trip to Mauna Kea in Hawaii, a Nokia 6682 and more! * Exclusive Zero Gravity Adventure! http://www.space.com/zerog/ Launch and land on a weightless flight from NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 4. BOOK NOW! * Mars Madness: A Multimedia Adventure! http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/marsmadness/ Take a journey to the Red Planet with this new multimedia adventure! * Gallery: Hubble's New Views of the Universe http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/archive.php?category=ds Check out the latest set of images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope this year. * Get the weather from anywhere on Earth...with WeatherBug! http://www.space.com/php/weatherbug/ Type in your ZIP Code and hit "Go" to get your live local weather. * New! Search for Your Next Hi-Tech Job Opportunity Now! http://www.space.com/jobs/ Imaginova and CareerBuilder.com have partnered to bring you the best in job searching, resume posting, and online recruiting. ---------------------------------- Entertainment: Movies, Television, DVD, Games and much more... http://www.space.com/entertainment/ * VOTE NOW: Rate Your Favorite Space Movies http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/spacemovies/ Vote Now For Your Favorite Space Movie of All Time! * Discovering the Man Behind 'First Man' http://www.space.com/entertainment/cs_051014_hansen.html For author James Hansen, "First Man" the official biography of Neil Armstrong, is the undisputed highlight of a nearly 25-year career chronicling the history of aerospace and spaceflight. * Film Review: 'Curse of the Were-Rabbit' is Howling Good Fun http://www.space.com/entertainment/051007_ent_gromit_wererabbit.html Clay-animation's brightest stars hop to the task of saving the local produce from a night of gruesome vegetable carnage in Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. * Joss Whedon's 'Serenity' is Sci-Fi Resurrected http://www.space.com/entertainment/ap_050930_ent_serenity.html You can see how �Firefly,� the short-lived TV show that provided the basis for �Serenity,� could have gotten addictive if given the chance. * Gallery: Walking on the Moon in 3D http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?imgid=3594&gid=265&index=0 Take a sneak peek at scenes from the new IMAX movie Magnificent Desolation. * New Songs Added...Explore the SpaceBox! http://www.space.com/entertainment/spacebox/ Explore the SpaceBox! The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Music Inspired by the Cosmos! ---------------------------------- Recent Headlines: http://www.space.com/news/ * Russia Agrees to Launch Brazil's First Astronaut to ISS http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051018_pontes_brazil_iss.html * Life's Building Blocks 'Abundant in Space' http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051018_science_tuesday.html * After ISS Flight, U.S. Space Tourist Returns Home http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051017_olsen_us.html * A Wet Tradition Returns to European Launch Facility http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/051017_poolparty.html * Northrop Grumman/Boeing Team Unveils CEV Design http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_051017.html * Cassini's Journeys: Headquarters for mission news, Saturn and more http://www.space.com/cassini/ * Latest News and Updates on the Mars Rovers http://www.space.com/marsrover/ ----------------------------- * SpaceTV: http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/spacetv/ * NightSky: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/ * Uplink: Share your opinion! http://uplink.space.com/ ------------------------------------- JOIN NOW! Sign-up For the National Space Society https://www.nss.org/membership/new_member_form.html It's because of members like YOU that we've been able to convince the U.S. President and many in Congress to continue our journey towards the stars! Sign up to become part of the greatest search in history! Join TeamSETI: http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_science_page.html Be a desktop astronomer! Starry Night is the world's leading astronomy software -- choose between Beginner, Backyard, or Pro! http://www.starrynight.com/space ------------------------------------- Feedback We welcome your comments and suggestions at thoughts@space.com

Remember those Mars Rovers? They're like the Energizer bunnies. After 21 months, they're still ticking. Amazing!

really? did they ever find anything significant?

----------------------------------- Science/Astronomy: * Space Tornado! Cosmic Front Packs a Punch http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060112_space_tornado.html High-energy particles spewing out of a young star in a nearby stellar nursery are plowing through interstellar clouds and creating a giant spiral structure in space that looks like a glowing, rainbow-colored tornado, scientists said today. * Transmitting to a Million Worlds http://www.space.com/searchforlife/060112_shostak_transmit.html SETI researchers have typically looked at any particular star system (at a given frequency) for only a few minutes, at most. But what are the chances that an alien signal has been sent our way just at the right moment to splash upon our antennas during that brief interval? * Worlds With Multiple Suns Abundant http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060112_binarystar_planets.html Two new studies suggest that planet formation around multiple star systems may be more common than previously thought. * The Splendor of Orion: A Star Factory Unveiled http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060111_orion_news.html Scientists have created the most detailed portrait ever of the closest known star factory, the Orion Nebula. They have also uncovered new details about the stellar winds responsible for carving out the nebula's ghostly shapes. * Mercury a Possible Hit-and-Run Planet http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060111_hit_and_run.html New computer modeling shows that the planet Mercury might have formed in a hit-and-run collision that stripped off its outer layers. * Astronomers See 'Star Formation on Steroids' http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060111_star_clusters.html Astronomers have found evidence in a dozen nearby galaxies for "super star clusters" that look to be young hotbeds of star formation. * Space Tadpoles Signal Black Hole Mergers http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060110_blackhole_merger.html Scientists have found the first strong evidence that supermassive black holes at the hearts of some galaxies weren't born big, but grew to their monstrous sizes through the mergers of smaller galaxies. * Image of the Day: Neon Cartwheel http://www.space.com/imageoftheday/image_of_day_060112.html The Cartwheel Galaxy lights up the sky in this composite view assembled by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. ----------------------------------- Spaceflight: * E-Weapons: Directed Energy Warfare In The 21st Century http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/060111_e-weapons.html There is a new breed of weaponry fast approaching�and at the speed of light no less. They are labeled "directed-energy weapons" and may well signal a revolution in military hardware�perhaps more so than the atomic bomb. * Stardust@home Project Brings Cosmic Dust to Your Desktop http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060110_stardust_athome.html Finding a piece of the cosmos may be as easy as logging onto the Internet for amateur sleuths bent on aiding NASA's Stardust mission. * ASTRONOTES: Former NASA Engineer, Stunt Pilot Dies in Crash http://www.space.com/astronotes/astronotes.html Eric Anthony Beard, a former NASA engineer and lifelong aviation enthusiast who thrilled crowds around the country as a stunt pilot, was killed in a crash during a routine flight, authorities said. * NEW! Daily Space Trivia http://www.space.com/php/trivia/ One of Today's 5 New Questions: Which astronaut became president of Eastern Airlines? ---------------------------------- NEW! LiveScience.com http://www.livescience.com/ * Vote Now: The Biggest Popular Myths http://www.livescience.com/bestimg/?cat=myths LiveScience explores some of the most familiar wives tales and urban legends, plus some that sound dubious but which turn out to be true. Vote for your favorite. * More Frogs Dying as Planet Warms http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/060112_frog_warming.html Global warming is now believed to have set off a chain reaction wiping out entire frog populations and could possibly drive many species to extinction, a new study suggests. * Geniuses are Just Like Us http://www.livescience.com/history/060111_genius_like_us.html Genius Month continues on LiveScience with a look at the ordinary and extraordinary quirks of a few great minds. You'll be surprised to learn � * Not a Hoax, One-Eyed Kitten Had Bizarre Condition http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/060111_ap_cyclops_cat.html A photo of a one-eyed kitten named Cy drew more than a little skepticism when it turned up on various Web sites, but medical authorities have a name for the bizarre condition. * Scientists Drill Possibly World's Smallest Holes http://www.livescience.com/technology/060111_small_hole.html Using new machinery, researchers have drilled holes narrower than a human hair in stainless steel and other materials. They say the holes are likely the smallest ever made by humans. * LiveScience.com: Cool Science Galleries http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/ Where Science comes to Life...Visit our Image Galleries collection. ---------------------------------- NEW! Cool Stuff: * New Gallery: Stardust's Journey http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?imgid=3758&gid=274 NASA's Stardust probe set for Earth return. * New Zoomview: Hubble's sharpest view of the Orion Nebula http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/zoomviewer/index.php?display_img=orion_nebula_060111 This dramatic image offers a peek inside a cavern of roiling dust and gas where thousands of stars are forming. * Amazing Images Hall of Fame http://www.space.com/amazingimages/ Upload your cool science and space-themed images now. Get your own homepage, vote for your favorites and more! * Comets Through Time: Myths and Mystery http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/comets/ Take a journey around the Solar System with this new multimedia adventure! * New Wallpaper: Visions of the future http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/downloads/wallpapers/collection.php?collection=drobinson2 Download cool space exploration wallpapers from Award-winning Space Artist David Robinson. * Vote for the Best Space Images of 2005! http://www.space.com/bestimg/index.php?cat=best2005 We've singled out the top images. Now YOU Decide! VOTE NOW for the Best Space Images of 2005! * Get the weather from anywhere on Earth...with WeatherBug! http://www.space.com/php/weatherbug/ Type in your ZIP Code and hit "Go" to get your live local weather. * New! Search for Your Next Hi-Tech Job Opportunity Now! http://www.space.com/jobs/

Any comments on the pluto mission. Sending a plutonium powered vehicle to Pluto. It's going to take 9 years so we have lots of time to discuss this, but at least it's out of the atmosphere and on it's way. It's the fastest space craft ever I heard.

is it going to come back from pluto or is it supposed to go on out to the 10th planet?

Good question, Wolfie. I suspect the engineering and trajectories were long ago worked out whereas the discovery of the 10th planet has been so recent I wonder if there had been time to reprogram it. I also wonder if it would even be possible. Where are the engineers when you need one?

Ok, I guess this means I need to copy and paste Topix link to archaeolgy unless wer beats me to it. Mahalo plenty. With these links you won't need me anymore *;)

Not true...things scroll and go off into oblivion if one doesn't go back up the conversations...you're needed to keep things fresh!

I guess you're right. Thanks. I just needed to hear it. Meanwhile I start the journey to a new eruption on Kilauea as I remember them. See y'all there.

Nifty Spitzer Space telescope slide show: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/slideshows/spitzer-200605/

OH Indeed ! JPL is in the position to get the best of the best images. I'm just delighted they share them with us.