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Topic 36 of 96: Space Science News

Fri, Mar 24, 2000 (12:29) | Marcia (MarciaH)
The latest from NASA and other agencies
866 responses total. 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 1 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 24, 2000 (12:31) * 27 lines
Space Science News for March 22, 2000

The Earth's magnetosphere is being buffeted by high-speed solar wind
particles from a coronal hole straddling the center of the Sun's disk. The
solar wind velocity has increased from 350 to 600 km/s during the past 12
hours. Follow the action at http://www.spaceweather.com
SpaceWeather.com

MORE SPACE SCIENCE NEWS:

#1 Curiouser and Curiouser: The exotic world of gamma-ray astronomy has
taken yet another surprising turn with the revelation that half the
previously unidentified high-energy gamma ray sources in our own galaxy
actually comprise a new class of mysterious objects. FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast23mar_1m.htm
Curiouser
and Curiouser

#2 Solar Cycle Update: Is the real Y2K problem just starting? The
solar cycle appears to be on schedule for a peak in mid-2000.
FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast22mar_1m.htm
Solar
Cycle Update 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 2 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 24, 2000 (14:37) * 0 lines 
 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 3 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 24, 2000 (14:39) * 19 lines
Space Science News for March 24, 2000

The Compton Gamma-ray Observatory is destined for a watery grave in the
remote Pacific on June 3, 2000. At a press conference today, NASA officials
cited human safety concerns in explaining their decision to de-orbit the
satellite, which has revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos during
a highly successful 9 year mission. FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast25mar_1m.htm

Farewell Compton

MORE NEWS: The RADAR Cop in Space -- NASA's IMAGE satellite scheduled for
launch on March 25 will revolutionize our understanding of Earth's
magnetosphere and improve space weather forecasting. FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast24mar_1m.htm

The RADAR Caop in Space 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 4 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Mar 27, 2000 (11:07) * 9 lines
SPACE WEATHER NEWS: On March 25, 2000, a solar flare erupted near
the center of the Sun's disk. It appears that a coronal mass
ejection was launched toward Earth. An interplanetary shock wave
could pass our planet during the next 24 to 48 hours, triggering
moderate geomagnetic activity and aurorae. For more information
and daily updates please visit http://www.spaceweather.com .
SpaceWeather.com 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 5 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 29, 2000 (15:50) * 9 lines
NASA Science News for March 29, 2000
With the discovery of extrasolar planets smaller than Saturn, astronomers
are increasingly convinced that other stars harbor planetary systems like
our own. FULL STORY at
http://www.spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast30mar_1.htm
Planet
Hunters on Safari 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 6 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 29, 2000 (19:44) * 15 lines
Space Weather News for March 29-30, 2000

Aurora Watch: Skywatchers in northern Europe, Canada, Alaska, and the
northermost tier of US states could be treated to a display of aurora
borealis tonight thanks to elevated levels of geomagnetic activity late in
the day on March 29.

Also today, the SOHO spacecraft captured beautiful images of a full-halo
coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun. Full-halo CMEs are massive
bubbles of hot gas headed either directly toward or away from Earth. This
one appears to have erupted on the back side of the Sun and is proceeding
away from our planet.

Details on both are available at http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 7 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 30, 2000 (17:15) * 14 lines
NASA Science News for March 30, 2000
Next Thursday, April 6, three planets and the thin crescent Moon are going
to put on a memorable sky show when the quartet converge inside a circle 9
degrees across. The grouping is just the prelude to a grander alignment of
planets on May 5, 2000. Is doom at hand, as many mystics assert? Find out
by reading the FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast30mar_1m.htm
Planets for Dessert

Also, for kids and kids-at-heart, a younger person's version of this
article is available at the NASA Kids web site:
http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/news/2000/news-planetalign.asp?se
The
Planets Line Up 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 8 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 31, 2000 (17:01) * 43 lines
Propagation Report from ARRL

Geomagnetic indices did rise last Friday, the day before the
contest, but even then the planetary K index rose only briefly to 4.
On Saturday and Sunday the planetary K index was mostly 1 or 2, and
during one period was even 0. What is really interesting is that the
College K index, measured in Alaska where the geomagnetic activity
is higher due to proximity to the polar region, was actually 0 over
six 3 hour periods on Saturday and Sunday.

Solar flux and sunspot numbers were higher this week than last, with
average sunspot numbers up 54 points and average solar flux rising
several points. Solar flux actually peaked for the short term during
the previous week on March 22, when the noon reading at Penticton
was 233.8 and the reading two hours later was 235.6. The low for
week was Tuesday, when solar flux was 200.9. It may go lower this
weekend, if solar flux this Sunday goes below 200.

The predicted solar flux for the next five days, Friday through
Tuesday, is 205, 200, 195, 205 and 210. Flux values may again dip
below 200 around April 10-16, then peak near 250 around April 22 or
23. Possible days of geomagnetic upset, based on the solar rotation
are April 18 and 19 and April 28.

MSNBC ran another story this week on the so-called solar heartbeat.
You can see the article at http://www.msnbc.com/news/389042.asp,
which explains a theory concerning how layers of gas rotating at
different speeds may affect the formation of sunspots and solar
flares. MSNBC also ran a story about a new solar satellite that was
launched last Saturday. Called IMAGE, or Imager for
Magnetosphere-to-Aural Global Exploration, it will be used to study
the relationship between solar wind and the earth's magnetosphere.
It will deploy four wire antennas that are each 820 feet long,
making it the longest artificial object in space. Read about it at
http://www.msnbc.com/news/386647.asp?0a=235A162. NASA also ran a
story on the IMAGE at
http://science.msfc.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast27mar_1m.htm.

Sunspot numbers for March 23 through 29 were 236, 230, 243, 255,
227, 232 and 238 with a mean of 237.3. 10.7 cm flux was 224.1,
218.9, 205.1, 211.3, 204.9, 200.9 and 208.8, with a mean of 210.6,
and estimated planetary A indices were 11, 10, 8, 5, 5, 5 and 9,
with a mean of 7.6. 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 9 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 31, 2000 (19:13) * 9 lines
NASA Science News for April 1, 2000

On April Fools Day, 2000, NASA researchers are questioning
the fate of five high-flying sweet treats that disappeared
after a meteor balloon flight in April 1999.
FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast01apr_1m.htm 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 10 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr  3, 2000 (13:51) * 12 lines
NASA Science News for April 3, 2000

Like blood pulsing in an artery, newly discovered currents
of gas beat deep inside the Sun, speeding and slackening
every 16 months. The solar "heartbeat" throbs in the same
region of the Sun suspected of driving the 11-year cycle of
solar eruptions. Scientists are hopeful that this pulse can help
them unravel the origin and operation of the solar cycle.
FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast03apr_1m.htm 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 11 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr  4, 2000 (23:10) * 13 lines
Space Weather News for April 4-5, 2000

The interplanetary magnetic field in the vicinity of Earth turned southward
on April 4. This condition often creates a weak point in our planet's
magnetospheric shielding against the solar wind. Geomagnetic activity is
currently high. If active conditions continue, observers in northern
Europe, Canada, Alaska and the northern tier of US states could be in for a
display of aurora borealis around local midnight on April 5 (when April 4
turns into April 5). The Moon is just one day past New, meaning that even
very faint Northern Lights could be visible against tonight's dark skies.

For more information see: http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 12 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr  5, 2000 (14:20) * 13 lines
NASA Science News for April 5, 2000

The Boulder sunspot number exceeded 300 this week as the
sunspot cycle continued its march toward Solar Max. Do these
high sunspot counts mean that the solar maximum will be
bigger than expected? Find out the answer by reading
the FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast05apr_1m.htm

REMINDER: On April 6, 2000, the Moon, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn
will put on a beautiful after-dinner sky show. DETAILS at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast30mar_1m.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 13 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr  6, 2000 (15:02) * 9 lines
NASA Science News for April 6, 2000

During an unplanned rendezvous, the Ulysses spacecraft found
itself gliding though the immense tail of Comet Hyakutake,
revealing that comet tails may be much, much longer than
previously believed. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast06apr_2.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 14 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr  6, 2000 (15:25) * 10 lines
Space Science News - April 6, 2000

An interplanetary shock front passed NASA's ACE spacecraft around
1630 UT on April 6, 2000, abruptly raising the solar wind velocity
from 375 to nearly 600 km/s. Usually such disturbances arrive at
Earth about one hour after they pass ACE. Aurorae at middle latitudes
could be in the offing tonight. Follow this developing story at
http://www.spaceweather.com. 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 15 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr  7, 2000 (12:16) * 11 lines
NASA Science News for April 7, 2000
Subject: Geomagnetic Storm

A major geomagnetic storm hit our planet on Thursday after an
interplanetary shock wave passed by Earth on April 6, 2000.
Displays of aurora borealis were spotted in Europe, Asia, Canada,
Alaska and in the continental US as far south as North Carolina.
The storm appears to be subsiding, but forecasters note that more
aurorae might be visible Friday night. FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast07apr_2m.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 16 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr  7, 2000 (22:36) * 49 lines
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 14
April 7, 2000

The sunspot number took a big leap this week, rising to 301 on
Sunday. It has not been this high since November 12 of last year,
when it was 324. Two days prior on November 10 meters the solar flux
was 343, which is still the record for this cycle. The average
sunspot count for the week was only up about 8 points though, and
average solar flux was about the same as last week.

Solar flux is a measurement of 2.8 GHz energy from the sun, measured
at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory operated by the
National Research Council Canada in Penticton, British Columbia. You
can visit the observatory web site at http://www.drao.nrc.ca/.

Sunspot numbers are calculated by multiplying the number of visible
sunspot groups by 10, and adding the number of individual spots in
all the groups. A multiplication factor is also used, and it differs
for each observatory. You can see a complete explanation for sunspot
numbers and their derivation at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast05apr_1m.htm.

Geomagnetic indices have been high this week, with the average
planetary A index almost double last week's number. The A index was
in double-digits every day, with April 4 being the most disturbed.
The planetary A index was 21, with planetary K indices as high as 5,
and the mid-latitude index at 6 during the same period.

Coming up on Saturday and Sunday is the HF CW weekend for the Japan
International DX Contest. Unfortunately, as this bulletin is being
written on Thursday night, a major geomagnetic storm is raging. An
interplanetary shock wave passed earth at 1730z on April 6, and
Aurora have been spotted in North America as far south as North
Carolina. The planetary K index for the end of thez day on Thursday
was 8, and the A index was 56. The Boulder K index at 0300z on
Friday is also 8. A severe geomagnetic storm began at 0100z on April 7.

For the next five days, Friday through Tuesday, the expected
planetary A index is 30, 20, 15, 10 and 7. The predicted solar flux
for the same five days is 175, 180, 180, 175 and 170. Solar flux is
expected to rise above 200 again around April 14 and stay there well
into the month of May.

Sunspot numbers for March 30 through April 5 were 225, 248, 287,
301, 252, 184 and 221 with a mean of 245.4. 10.7 cm flux was 205.5,
225.4, 222.9, 219.3, 215.4, 206.7 and 194.4, with a mean of 212.8,
and estimated planetary A indices were 10 meters, 19, 14, 16, 12, 21
and 12, with a mean of 14.9. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 17 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 10, 2000 (13:20) * 9 lines
NASA Science News for April 10, 2000

On the heels of NASA's 7th annual Great Moonbuggy Race, engineers
from the Apollo program discuss the challenges of building the original
Lunar Rover. This story includes RealVideo of one of the original
rovers in action on the Moon. FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast10apr_1m.htm 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 18 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 11, 2000 (16:29) * 10 lines
NASA Science News for April 11, 2000

Where's the Edge?: Will humans always be confined to the Solar
System? Not if NASA's Advanced Space Transportation Program
has a say in the matter! Find out how scientists are working to turn
science fiction into standard practise with new and innovative ways
to reach the stars. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast11apr_1m.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 19 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 12, 2000 (11:48) * 8 lines
NASA Science News for April 12, 2000

A group of volunteer scientists is converging on Huntsville for
an out-of-this-world meeting -- the High Energy Astrophysics
Workshop for Amateur Astronomers. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast12apr_1m.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 20 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr 14, 2000 (13:47) * 11 lines
NASA Science News for April 14, 2000

The sled dogs of California's Eastern Sierra are unhappy. Why? A
persistent La Niña condition in the Pacific has left the mountain range
with less than its usual supply of snow. As data continue to flow in from
Earth orbit, NASA scientists are working to understand how El Niño and La
Niña affect our global climate. FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast14apr_1m.htm 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 21 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 17, 2000 (12:35) * 9 lines
NASA Science News for April 17, 2000

NASA's Cassini spacecraft, currently en route to Saturn, has
successfully completed its passage through our solar system's asteroid belt
between Mars and Jupiter. FULL STORY at

http://www.spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast17apr_3.htm 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 22 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 18, 2000 (19:40) * 12 lines
NASA Science News for April 18, 2000

April's Lyrid Meteor Shower: The oldest known meteor shower peaks
on the morning of April 22. Bright moonlight will reduce the
number of shooting stars that are easy to see, but many meteor
enthusiasts will be watching anyway because it's been over 3 months
since the last major meteor display.
FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast18apr_1m.htm 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 23 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr 21, 2000 (14:37) * 7 lines
NASA Science News for April 21, 2000

Amateur astronomers attended a unique meeting in mid-April to
learn about high-energy astrophysics and how they can participate
in it. FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast21apr_1m.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 24 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr 24, 2000 (12:05) * 10 lines
NASA Science News for April 24, 2000

Like an excited kid hoping to snag a fly ball at a professional
baseball game, NASA's Stardust spacecraft has extended its
high-tech "catcher's mitt" to collect a valuable space
souvenir -- a batch of interstellar dust particles.
FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast24apr_1.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 25 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 25, 2000 (14:05) * 11 lines
NASA Science News for April 25, 2000

Stargazers around the globe were treated to an unexpected and rare
display of red-colored aurora on April 6-7, 2000, after a vigorous
interplanetary shock wave passed by Earth. This story includes a
gallery of more than 40 images showing the aurora borealis from
Europe and over parts of the United States as far south as Florida.
FULL STORY at

http://www.spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast25apr_1m.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 26 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 26, 2000 (00:09) * 9 lines
NASA Science News for April 26, 2000

Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, a team of scientists
has attacked one of astronomy's oldest and thorniest problems,
determining the distance to a cosmic object. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast26apr_1m.htm 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 27 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr 26, 2000 (12:32) * 39 lines
EXPLODING STAR FEATURED ON WEB SITE
Wednesday, April 26, 2000 16:04

A spectacular view of an exploding star was released today on a new
web site launched to mark the Hubble Space Telescope's 10th year in
orbit.
The multi-coloured fireball, some 6,500 light years from Earth in the
constellation Aquila, looks like a giant eye in space.
A few thousand years ago a dying star about the same size as the Sun
erupted and threw off its outer layers to create the "planetary
nebula" NGC 6751.
Shells of gas were hurled into space at speeds of 25 miles per
second, glowing with the strong ultra-violet radiation emitted by the
star's hot exposed core.
The celestial cataclysm offers a sobering vision of what is in store
for us.
Our own Sun is predicted to undergo the same death throes in about
six billion years' time. When it happens nothing in the Solar System,
including the Earth, will escape destruction.
The image is one of a number of dramatic pictures now available on
the new Internet site http://hubble.stsci.edu
Others include infant galaxies that existed billions of years ago,
and tall, gaseous pillars that serve as incubators for embryonic
stars.
NGC 6751 shows several poorly understood features. Blue regions mark
the hottest glowing gas, forming a ring around the central stellar
remnant.
Orange and red colours mark the locations of cooler gas, which tends
to lie in long streamers pointing away from the central star, and in
a tattered ring around the edge of the nebula.
The origin of the cooler clouds within the nebula is still uncertain,
but the streamers are evidence that they are affected by radiation
and raging winds from the hot star at the centre. The star's surface
temperature is estimated to be a scorching 140,000C.
Hubble will be decommissioned in 2010 and replaced by the even more
powerful Next Generation Space Telescope.
© Press Association

Thanks for this, Maggie*

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 28 of 866: Spring's Scribe  (MarciaH) * Thu, Apr 27, 2000 (13:27) * 10 lines
NASA Science News for April 27, 2000

An international team of cosmologists has released the first detailed
images of the universe in its infancy. Analysis of the images is
already shedding light on some of cosmology's outstanding mysteries
-- the nature of the matter and energy that dominate intergalactic
space and whether space is "curved" or "flat." FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast27apr_1.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 29 of 866: Spring's Scribe  (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr 28, 2000 (00:24) * 8 lines
NASA Science News for April 28, 2000

NASA scientists are working to solve the need for computer speed
using light itself to accelerate calculations and increase data bandwidth.
FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast28apr_1m.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 30 of 866: Spring's Scribe  (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr 28, 2000 (19:35) * 29 lines
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 17 - April 28, 2000

Sunspots and solar flux were up this week. The average sunspot
number was up over 40 points and average solar flux rose over 30
points over the past week. Geomagnetic indices have been mostly
quiet, with April 24 the most active day.

Last week's bulletin ARLP016 said that the solar flux should be up
around 220 this weekend, but conditions are not cooperating.
Although activity has been higher this week than last, it is not as
high as expected.

Solar flux is expected to hover around 175 to 185 until April 8,
then dip below 170, and rise to around 200 from May 19 through 28.
The planetary A index prediction indicates unsettled conditions for
Friday. The A index should stay quiet from this weekend until May 6
and 7, when it may rise to 15.

Predicted solar flux for the next five days, Friday through Tuesday
is 180, 175, 175, 180 and 180.

Sunspot numbers for April 20 through 26 were 179, 211, 226, 252,
222, 229 and 197 with a mean of 216.6. 10.7 cm flux was 180.6,
187.3, 201.8, 206.1, 205.6, 202.5 and 189.9, with a mean of 196.3,
and estimated planetary A indices were 14, 10, 7, 8, 21, 6 and 4,
with a mean of 10. 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 31 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May  1, 2000 (00:23) * 10 lines
NASA Science News for May 1, 2000

One year ago this week killer tornadoes raged across Oklahoma.
Now, NASA scientists are figuring out how to predict such storms
using lightning data from Earth-orbit.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast01may_1m.htm 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 32 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May  1, 2000 (01:59) * 12 lines
Space Weather News for May 1, 2000

A coronal mass ejection (CME) from a small sunspot group was recorded
by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory on April 30, 2000. If
material from the eruption is heading toward Earth, as animations
of the CME suggest, then the shock wave will probably arrive
late on May 2nd or sometime on May 3rd. Forecasters estimate a
30% chance of active geomagnetic conditions at middle-latitudes
on May 3, 2000.

For more information, please visit http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 33 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May  1, 2000 (02:25) * 3 lines
Since no one apparently cares to read about this in News I ave created a new topic in Geo for it. Too bad I could not telnet and link the two of them together. But, that is the way it is, and no one seems willing to do it for me.

http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/Geo/33/new

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 34 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Mon, May  1, 2000 (08:29) * 1 lines
I'll do it ! Just email me or ask. In the instructions say "link news topic 21 to science" or whatever it is.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 35 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May  1, 2000 (13:51) * 2 lines
Please link this topic to Geo... I am most grateful. If you want to link it to science that is ok, too, but too many duplicates mess up my hot list!
Mahalo plenty!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 36 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Mon, May  1, 2000 (14:23) * 1 lines
Linkage complete.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 37 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May  1, 2000 (14:52) * 3 lines
*Big Hugs*

Mahalo!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 38 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, May  2, 2000 (13:21) * 10 lines
NASA Science News for May 2, 2000

The eta Aquarid meteor shower, caused by bits of debris
from Halley's Comet, will peak on May 5-6, 2000. Lunar
observers will be watching the Moon on the nights after
the shower for possible signs of meteorite impacts.
FULL STORY at

http://www.spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast02may_1.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 39 of 866: Maggie  (sociolingo) * Tue, May  2, 2000 (15:57) * 25 lines
I couldn't see this posted elsewhere, sorry if i've duplicated, I only just picked it up.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000413/sc/space_quasar.html

Astronomers Spot Most Distant Quasar Ever Observed
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Astronomers peering across the universe have spotted the most distant object ever observed, a quasar 26 billion light-years away, researchers said on Thursday.

This quasar, confirmed as the most faraway object by scientists working with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, probably started sending its light in Earth's direction when the universe was less than a billion years old, the researchers said in a statement.

The universe is thought to be about 14 billion years old now, give or take a couple billion years. And it has been expanding since the theoretical Big Bang that started it all.

Quasars are extremely bright but extremely compact objects thought to be powered by matter-sucking black holes as massive as a billion suns.

Michael Turner, a spokesman for the Survey at the University of Chicago, said this means that the quasar is about 26 billion light-years away now, but because of the expansion of the universe, it used to be a lot closer.

``When it emitted the light, it was only about 4 billion light-years from the space in the universe where Earth would be eventually,'' Turner said in a telephone interview. ``It's only when we talk about the most distant objects that we have to take the expansion of he universe into account.''

A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles.

Another way to think about cosmic distances and ages is to determine how bent the light gets as the universe expands. The more bent it gets to the red end of the spectrum, the older the object is determined to be. This is known as redshift.

This newly observed object has a redshift of 5.8, the highest ever measured. It is in fact too red to be seen by the human eye, even with the most sophisticated equipment. But it was observed through data gathered by the Sky Survey last month, and scientists confirmed its distance last week.

An image of the distant quasar can be viewed on the World Wide Web at http://www.sdss.org. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 40 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, May  2, 2000 (16:06) * 1 lines
Interesting. I wonder if it is the same things as the Keck found a couple of weeks ago. I shall hunt it up and see. Thanks, Maggie!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 41 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, May  2, 2000 (16:13) * 1 lines
A suggestion - please! We post articles and comments of length in Geo 24 for space stuff and this should just be for posting the news releases. Does that sound ok?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 42 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, May  3, 2000 (14:54) * 8 lines
NASA Science News for May 3, 2000

A team of explorers including astrobiologist Richard Hoover and
astronauts Jim Lovell and Owen Garriott traveled to Antarctica
in January 2000 to search for meteorites and extreme-loving
microbes.
FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast03may_1m.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 43 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Wed, May  3, 2000 (15:01) * 1 lines
The gps devices just got accurate down to 5 to 10 feet or better. A friend says he can see when he changes lanes on his now!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 44 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, May  3, 2000 (15:06) * 1 lines
GPS stuff has gotten very sophisticated with an enormous constellation of satellites tracking your every move. Great stuff! That is the next thing on my son's wish list - he has installed ground monitors on Kilauea to check for movement in the surface (Supposedly, the entire seaward flank of Kilauea is gonna break off and we will all be dead from the terific tsunami generated thereby!)

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 45 of 866: geospring (sprin5) * Wed, May  3, 2000 (18:35) * 1 lines
Will you let us know when the tsunami heads this way so we can climb up onto some hills?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 46 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, May  3, 2000 (18:43) * 1 lines
If you get a tsunami, I shall call you live and direct as you are fleeing! Count on it - and you'd better take my buddy with you *grin* You are both crucial to my well-being! (You gotta see this wallpaper on a good monitor! It is gorgeous! Hope he likes it, as well...)

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 47 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, May  4, 2000 (14:55) * 18 lines
Thursday's Classroom for May 4, 2000
The Amazing Moon Buggy + Planetary Alignment lessons
This week, Thursday's Classroom takes a wild ride on the original
interplanetary Sport Utility Vehicle: the amazing Apollo Moon Buggy.
Students will tap their toes to the beat of the "Moon Buggy Boogie," play a
stimulating game of "Lunar Rover Lunacy," covert measurements from English
to metric units in "Moon Math," and more...
Please visit: http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com
Thursday's Classroom

Also, a note for recent subscribers: The March 30, 2000, episode of
Thursday's Classroom features lessons and activities related to the
May 5, 2000, planetary alignment.
See: http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com/index_30mar00.html
Planetary
Alignments 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 48 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, May  4, 2000 (14:59) * 16 lines
NASA Science News for May 4, 2000
Interplanetary Low Tide
Tidal forces on Earth caused by other planets in the solar
system will be at a low point this week when Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter and Saturn "line up" on the far side of the
Sun. The alignment won't be visible to the naked-eye, but
there will be a meteor shower that could produce a nice sky
show. FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast04may_1m.htm
Interplanetary Low Tide

See also:
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast02may_1.htm
5/5/2000: The Meteor Shower 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 49 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, May  4, 2000 (17:17) * 12 lines
Three Planets and a Coronal Mass Ejection

Space Weather News for May 4, 2000

The planets Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn have entered the field of view of
instruments on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory as they
approach the Sun for Friday's much-touted conjunction. Animations of this
rare event include two coronal mass ejections with three planets in the
background. For more information, please see http://www.spaceweather.com
SpaceWeather.com 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 50 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, May  5, 2000 (14:25) * 48 lines
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 18 - May 5, 2000

It seems odd to view the solar disk at the peak of the solar cycle
and see few sunspots, but that was the case this week. Solar flux, a
measure of 2.8 GHz energy from the sun which correlates roughly with
sunspots and the ionization of the particles which reflect HF radio
waves, were down sharply this week. On Thursday, when this bulletin
was written, the thrice daily solar flux numbers were 133, 134.5 and
134.7. Solar flux has not been this low since January. Average
solar flux for this week dropped over thirty points, and average
sunspot numbers were down over seventy points, when compared to the
previous week.

Geomagnetic conditions were fairly unsettled as well, with planetary
A indices in the double-digits throughout the week, and K indices
often as high as 4. There weren't any severe geomagnetic storms, but
geomagnetic conditions were rarely quiet.

Looking at monthly trends, the average monthly solar flux for
January through April was 159, 174.1, 208.2 and 184.2.

The lower activity should continue for the next few days. Predicted
solar flux for Friday, May 5 through the following Tuesday is 130,
130, 135, 145 and 150. The predicted planetary A index for those
days is 10, 15, 12, 10 and 10.

KA5WQM wrote to remark on poor 10 meter conditions. He said that in
central Oklahoma the band has been unusable since last Thursday.
There are a couple of influences to consider. One is the season.
Ten meters is much better right around the equinox, and we are
moving every day closer to summer conditions when occasional short
skip via sporadic E-layer propagation will be the norm.

Of course the other factor is the lower sunspot activity and solar
flux. Doing a path projection from Oklahoma to Hawaii with a solar
flux of 230, there is a good bet for strong openings on 10 meters
from 1800 to 2230z. Lower the solar flux to 170, and the period in
which strong signals are likely over that path shrinks to 1930 to
2130z. With the solar flux at 130, communication is possible, but
strong openings are much less likely. During this month 15 meters
should be far better for long distance HF communications than 10.

Sunspot numbers for April 27 through May 3 were 163, 238, 142, 126,
121, 108 and 113 with a mean of 144.4. 10.7 cm flux was 183.5,
183.4, 174.9, 169.5, 157.7, 152.8 and 137.3, with a mean of 165.6,
and estimated planetary A indices were 13, 17, 12, 11, 14, 18 and
15, with a mean of 14.3. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 51 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, May  6, 2000 (11:08) * 16 lines
Space Weather News for May 6, 2000

The wide field coronagraph on board the orbiting Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory recorded a series of dazzling coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on
May 5, 2000, with Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn in the background. These
eruptions apparently came from active sunspot groups that are just over the
Sun's western limb. CMEs like these, seen in profile, are unusually
beautiful.

This weekend the visible disk of the Sun is remarkably devoid of large
sunspots as we approach the peak of the sunspot cycle in mid-2000.

For more information and images please visit: http://www.spaceweather.com
SpaceWeather.com 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 52 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, May  7, 2000 (23:13) * 12 lines
NASA Science News for May 8, 2000

NASA astronomers have collected the first-ever radar images
of a "main belt" asteroid. It's a metallic, dog bone-shaped
rock the size of New Jersey, an apparent leftover from an
ancient, violent cosmic collision. The asteroid, named 216
Kleopatra, was discovered in 1880, but until now, its shape
was unknown. FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast08may_1.htm

An Asteroid goes to the Dogs 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 53 of 866: geospring (sprin5) * Mon, May  8, 2000 (16:47) * 1 lines
I saw it, it does look like a giant dog bone.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 54 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May  8, 2000 (16:53) * 1 lines
Yup! Like the North American Nebula looks like its name, and the Owl Nebula and other goodies up there! Thanks for looking!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 55 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, May  9, 2000 (15:48) * 10 lines
NASA Science News for May 9, 2000

The Sun appeared nearly featureless this weekend as the sunspot
area dropped 10 times below its average value. Nevertheless,
scientists say Solar Max is still on the way.
FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast09may_1m.htm

Solar Ups and Downs 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 56 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, May 11, 2000 (15:10) * 11 lines
NASA Science News for May 11, 2000

Images made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show for
the first time the full impact of the actual blast wave
from Supernova 1987A. The observations are the first time
that X-rays from a shock wave have been imaged at such an
early stage of a supernova explosion.
FULL STORY at http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast11may_1m.htm

Impact! Chandra images a young supernova blast wave 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 57 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, May 11, 2000 (16:18) * 16 lines
Space Weather News for May 11, 2000

Material from a coronal mass ejection that left the Sun on May 8 is
expected to pass by our planet late on May 11 or early May 12. Depending
on the characteristics of the magnetic field within the disturbance, it
could trigger minor geomagnetic storms on Earth. There is a slim chance of
aurorae at mid-latitudes, but auroral activity will more likely be
concentrated over high latitude regions including northern Europe, Canada
and Alaska.

Visit http://www.spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

SpaceWeather.com

--- 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 58 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, May 12, 2000 (15:13) * 11 lines
NASA Science News for May 12, 2000

NASA scientists have discovered unexpected spiral-shaped
flames on Earth. By studying these peculiar flames, researchers
hope to mitigate fire hazards on spacecraft and gain new
insights about complex systems in nature. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast12may_1.htm

Not Just Another Old Flame 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 59 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May 15, 2000 (00:05) * 14 lines
NASA Science News for May 15, 2000

A black hole binary star system called XTE J1550-564 has
recently become one of the brightest sources in the x-ray
sky. Astronomers are fascinated by fluctuations in the x-ray
emission from this source, which if converted to sound
waves would feel like the deep rumbling vibrations from a
bass speaker at a rock 'n roll concert. FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast15may_1m.htm

The Humming Black Hole 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 60 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May 15, 2000 (00:33) * 20 lines
Aurora Watching

The Sun is currently entering a peak of storminess, part of
a cycle that lasts 11 years. This causes a stronger "solar
wind," which is a constant stream of charged particles.
When these particles hit the Earth's magnetic field, the
interaction releases visible light, which we in the north
know as the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights (there's
the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, Down Under).
During these storm peaks, the spectacular auroras can be
visible much further south than usual.
You can learn more about auroras, check out the space
weather forecast, and download aurora videos at

http://www.sec.noaa.gov/

Click here to learn more about auroras.
http://dac3.pfrr.alaska.edu/~pfrr/AURORA/INDEX.HTM 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 61 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May 15, 2000 (16:00) * 12 lines
NASA Science News for May 16, 2000

The planets Venus and Jupiter will pass less than 42 arcseconds
apart on May 17. Because the pair is so close to the Sun, only
the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory will have a good view of
the close encounter, which is similar to the "Christmas Star"
conjunction of 2 BC. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast16may_1.htm?list

A Christmas Star for SOHO 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 62 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, May 16, 2000 (00:44) * 12 lines
Full Halo Coronal Mass Ejection

Space Weather News for May 16, 2000
On May 15 a coronagraph on the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
captured rare images of a full halo coronal mass ejection with 4 planets
and the Pleiades in the field of view. Material from the eruption could
arrive in the neighborhood of Earth on May 17 or 18.

For more information and animations, visit http://www.spaceweather.com

SpaceWeather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 63 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, May 17, 2000 (00:12) * 14 lines
Students take control of a prototype Mars Rover

NASA Science News for May 17, 2000

Students from around the country will take control of a
prototype Mars rover named FIDO as it explores a western
Nevada desert. The FIDO rover is a testbed for future missions,
including the proposed Mars Mobile Lander that is currently
under study for a possible launch in 2003. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast17may_1.htm?list

Heel, FIDO, Heel! 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 64 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, May 17, 2000 (20:17) * 23 lines
Gravitational Lenses

The hallmark of a scientific theory is that it makes
predictions about the real world that can be tested.
Interestingly, Einstein's theory of general relativity
posed major problems for verification: The differences it
predicted from Newton's laws were so small they were
extremely difficult to measure -- especially with the
technology available in the early part of the twentieth
century.

One prediction that could be checked concerned a
gravitational field's ability to bend light rays, a
phenomenon known as gravitational lensing. Sir Arthur
Eddington used a solar eclipse in 1919 to test the theory.
He looked at the position of a distant star in line with
the edge of the sun during the eclipse (allowing it to be
observed in the daytime). It appeared to be shifted 1.75
arc seconds from its actual place in the sky. The
gravitational field of the sun was bending the light
arriving from that star, providing an early confirmation of
Einstein's theory. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 65 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, May 18, 2000 (00:09) * 9 lines
To Be or Not to Be, La Nina?
NASA Science News for May 18, 2000

Just last month, scientists were predicting that current La
Niña conditions would persist, but now data from Earth-orbiting
satellites show that it may be on the decline. Is it too soon
to revise the 2000 hurricane forecast? FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast18may_1m.htm
To Be or Not to Be, La Niña? 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 66 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, May 18, 2000 (00:43) * 16 lines
I could not resist posting this image. The solar coronal outburst framed the items you can see listed behind the solar image. Quite extraordinary!





Why were conditions so rough on HF?
Noise can get very high, especially here in the Pacific North West. Signals get weaker than normal on some bands, and deep fades occur. Why?

CME -- that's why. What's a CME? A coronal mass ejection is a huge (like, larger than earth... or bigger!) gas bubble
threaded with magnetic field lines. This bubble is ejected from the Sun. This ejection of gas lasts for several hours, and if
it is directed toward the earth, can result in a very high energy bombardment into our atmosphere and ionosphere. And
our Geomagnetic field becomes very active. A highly active Geomagnetic field degrades radio communications

http://hfradio.org/propagation.html#CME1 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 67 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, May 18, 2000 (22:56) * 23 lines
Great Ganymede!

NASA Science News for May 19, 2000

This weekend NASA's Galileo spacecraft will pass 808 km above
the surface of our solar system's largest moon, Ganymede. The
spacecraft will hunt for signs of mysterious "cryptovolcanoes"
and collect new data on Ganymede's unique magnetic field. This
story includes plasma wave audio sounds from Ganymede's magnetosphere
recorded during a previous flyby. FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast19may_1.htm

Great Ganymede!

__ 








 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 68 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, May 19, 2000 (14:23) * 13 lines
The Secret Lives of Alien Volcanoes

NASA Science News for May 19, 2000

The latest images of Io from NASA's Galileo spacecraft
reveal a bizarre world of hot volcanoes, sulfurous
snowfields, and slip-sliding mountains. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast19may_2.htm?list

The Secret Lives of Alien Volcanoes 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 69 of 866: Ginny  (vibrown) * Sat, May 20, 2000 (00:17) * 4 lines
Here's some more info on "dark matter".

http://dmtelescope.org
http://www.bell-labs.com/org/physicalsciences/projects/darkmatter/darkmatter.html

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 70 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, May 20, 2000 (00:43) * 1 lines
Ooh - good stuff to read on a dark Friday night. But, I am stuck with the W3.1 laptop because my newly installed norton antivirus has frozen the entire computer and everytime it come time to boot the task bar it shuts it down again. and we scandisk and try again with the same results. Now, what do I do?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 71 of 866: Ginny  (vibrown) * Sat, May 20, 2000 (01:03) * 3 lines
Yikes, NORTON is hanging your system? I know you mentioned that McAfee caused problems, but I'm surprised about Norton.

There's a way to boot the computer up in "windows safe mode", so you can uninstall whatever is causing problems...let me go look it up.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 72 of 866: Ginny  (vibrown) * Sat, May 20, 2000 (01:15) * 13 lines
OK, here's the info from my Windows 95 guide (the one distributed with new PCs).

1. Restart your computer.

2. When you see the following text: "Starting Windows 95...", press and release the F8 function key. This should display a menu.

3. Type the number for the option you want (or select it with the down arrow key).

I would try the "Safe mode" option, that boots Windows with a minimal configuration, and try uninstalling Norton. Hopefully you'll be able to boot the system normally after that.

Then I'd call Norton to complain. Who needs an anti-virus program that causes more problems than an actual virus??

Good luck!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 73 of 866: geospring (sprin5) * Sat, May 20, 2000 (05:34) * 1 lines
Good advice about booting in to Safe Mode. Sometimes this alone will fix some problems.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 74 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, May 20, 2000 (18:45) * 1 lines
That's what I did - as I wrote in computer conf/virus topic, I think the problem might just be the factthat I enabled Norton to check all drives at startup. There is one imbedded (know how to rid of them?!) program which is the first to load on the task bar and that is precisely where the problem came and it would shut down completely each time. I slept on it and came up with the same idea as you did and you can see that it worked. I deleted the Norton but kept the zipped download so I can reinstall it if my conclusions are correct - and have it not examine the drives until everything is up and running. However, if it still has a problem with that particular program (which I never use - an internet connection which I do not prefer but NEC did...), it will continue to shut down my computer at every encounter?! Yes?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 75 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, May 20, 2000 (18:53) * 1 lines
Someone even gave me a crutch I did not remember till just now...Your computer's FATE lies in F8. It is a good one to remember!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 76 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May 22, 2000 (13:44) * 12 lines
Radio JOVE -- NASA helps students tune in to radio bursts from Jupiter

Jupiter is a source of powerful radio bursts that can
produce exotic sounds on common ham radio receivers.
NASA scientists are helping students tune in to the
giant planet as part of an innovative educational program
called Radio JOVE. FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast22may_1.htm?list

Radio JOVE 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 77 of 866: Ginny  (vibrown) * Tue, May 23, 2000 (12:47) * 5 lines
Do you know the name of the embedded program?

If it's in your Startup folder, you should be able to delete it from the Startup folder to keep it from running. If it's not there, it might be in the win.ini or system.ini file; at least I think Windows 95/98 still has those files...they would be in the c:\windows or c:\windows\system directory.

The only other place I can think of would be the Windows Registry, but you'd have to hunt through the Registry keys for it. There should be a Registry Editor program (regedit.exe or regedt32.exe) in the c:\windows or c:\windows\system directory. (I'm not sure exactly where it is on Windows 95/98, and I'm on and NT system right now.)

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 78 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, May 23, 2000 (16:03) * 15 lines
(Answered the above in The Software/Computer conference)

Galileo swoops by the largest moon in the Solar System

NASA Science News for May 23, 2000

On Saturday, May 20, 2000, NASA's Galileo spacecraft successfully
flew past the largest moon in our solar system -- Ganymede,
which orbits around Jupiter. Galileo dipped to 809 kilometers
(503 miles) above the surface in the spacecraft's first flyby
of Ganymede since May 7, 1997. FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast23may_1.htm?list

A Big Moon Close Up 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 79 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, May 23, 2000 (16:06) * 1 lines
Ginny, the really odd thing is that it does not show up in the taskbar remove/add nor in the start/startup folder... it is so exasperating!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 80 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, May 24, 2000 (16:41) * 12 lines
NASA Science News for May 24, 2000

Crystal balls rarely have anything to do with science, but soon
NASA researchers will be using a set of quartz spheres to examine
one of the last, untested portions of Einstein's General Theory of
Relativity. The spheres make up four extraordinary gyroscopes
heading for Earth orbit on board the Gravity Probe B mission in 2002
to measure the twisting and compression of space and time around
our rotating planet. FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast24may_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 81 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, May 26, 2000 (14:42) * 10 lines
NASA Science News for May 26, 2000

The pioneering space station concepts of the mid-1950's
don't look much like the erector-set habitat in orbit today.
Read about Werner von Braun's early designs for an outpost in
space and how he advocated his ideas to the public 50 years
ago. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast26may_1m.htm?l=NzMwMjk2IG1hcmNpQEFMT0hBLk5FVCBTTkdMSVNUIC66FwsfrRgz 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 82 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, May 29, 2000 (00:19) * 12 lines
What's the Matter with Antimatter?

NASA Science News for May 29, 2000

Antimatter -- it may be the ultimate fuel for space travel,
but right now it is fleeting, difficult to work with and
measured in atoms instead of kilograms or pounds! In this
two-part story we'll explore what antimatter is, and how it
may be used for space propulsion. FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast29may_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 83 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, May 30, 2000 (13:00) * 11 lines
Solar Activity Puffs Up Earth's Atmosphere

NASA Science News for May 30, 2000

As a result of the approaching solar maximum, Earth's
atmosphere is puffed up like a marshmallow over a campfire
leading to extra drag on Earth-orbiting satellites.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast30may_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 84 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, May 31, 2000 (00:36) * 11 lines
Advanced Space Propulsion Workshop begins this week

NASA Science News for May 31, 2000

Scientists and engineers are gathering in Pasadena today to discuss
cutting-edge research in space transportation at a workshop sponsored
by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast31may_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 85 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jun  1, 2000 (13:36) * 17 lines
Arctic Asteroid!

NASA Science News for June 1, 2000

In January, 2000, a seven meter, 200 metric ton rock from space
streaked across the skies of western Canada. The meteor was at
least as bright as the Sun before it exploded over the Yukon
Territory. Scientists have recovered fragments of the carbon-rich
rock, which researchers say is the most valuable meteorite find in
at least 30 years.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast01jun_1m.htm?list 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 86 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jun  1, 2000 (13:39) * 20 lines
Yukon Meteor Blast

Thursday's Classroom for June 1, 2000

On January 18, 2000, a "small" 200 metric ton asteroid streaked across the
skies of western Canada and exploded in the atmosphere. Now, scientists
have recovered fragments of the space rock and discovered that they are
members of a rare class of meteorites possibly containing amino acids and
other organic compounds.

In this week's episode of Thursday's Classroom, students can learn more
about the Yukon meteor by attending a "Cosmic BBQ," calculating "Fractions
of a Meteorite" and more.

VISIT: http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com

Thursday's Classroom: Yukon
Meteor Blast 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 87 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jun  2, 2000 (16:26) * 14 lines
Mercury Rising -- see Mercury and the Moon this Saturday

NASA Science News for June 2, 2000

There are two really good times to see Mercury this year and next week
is one of them. Good Mercury-watching begins this Saturday evening,
June 3, when a slender crescent Moon and the elusive planet appear
together for stargazers just after sunset. Mercury's apparition
as an evening star will continue through mid-June.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast02jun_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 88 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jun  5, 2000 (12:32) * 16 lines
First Light for a Space Weather Satellite

NASA Science News for June 5, 2000

NASA's IMAGE mission, a unique satellite dedicated to the
study of space storms, has returned its first pictures of
electrified gas surrounding our planet. Using antennas as
large as the Empire State Building, IMAGE is taking
an unprecedented look at Earth's magnetic environment and
its response to fierce gusts of solar wind.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast05jun_1m.htm?list
__ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 89 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jun  5, 2000 (18:34) * 14 lines
June's Invisible Meteors

NASA Science News for June 6, 2000

During the next week thousands of meteors will streak through
the sky, but don't expect to see many. They are the Arietids and
zeta Perseids -- the most intense daytime meteor showers of the
year. The best way for many meteor enthusiasts to enjoy the show
is by listening to meteor echoes on a common FM or ham radio.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast06jun_1m.htm?list
__

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 90 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jun  5, 2000 (23:53) * 36 lines
Solar activity report for 6/5/00

Region 9026 continues to produce M-class flares,
and the A index increases.

Sunspots :
132
SFI : 171
A index : 21
K index :
3

Conditions for the last 24 hours :
Solar activity was
moderate. The geomagnetic field was unsettled to active.

Forecast for the next 24 hours :
Solar activity will be
moderate to high. The geomagnetic field will be unsettled
to active.

Solar activity forecast
SOLAR ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO BE AT MODERATE TO HIGH
LEVELS. REGION 9026 WILL LIKELY PRODUCE M-CLASS FLARES
WITH AN ISOLATED CHANCE OF AN X-CLASS FLARE.

Geomagnetic activity forecast :
THE GEOMAGNETIC FIELD IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AT UNSETTLED TO ACTIVE CONDITIONS
THROUGH DAY ONE. MOSTLY QUIET TO UNSETTLED LEVELS ARE
EXPECTED ON DAY TWO. UNSETTLED WITH OCCASIONAL ACTIVE
PERIODS ARE LIKELY ON DAY THREE DUE TO A FAVORABLY
POSITIONED CORONAL HOLE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF EFFECTS FROM
THIS MORNING'S C4/CME AT 05/0325Z. 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 91 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jun  6, 2000 (00:00) * 3 lines
The above post was from a Yahoo weather club of which I am a memeber. There is another club I'd like you to consider if you are logged into Yahoo, Jack and I would be happy for you to join the conversation going on in there.

http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/seti2000 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 92 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jun  6, 2000 (17:15) * 11 lines
Here Comes the Sun!

Space Weather News for June 6, 2000

An intense "X-class" solar flare today was followed by a full-halo coronal
mass ejection. Material from the leading edge of the disturbance is
expected to arrive on Thursday, June 8, with possible auroral displays to
follow. For images and updates please visit http://www.spaceweather.com

SpaceWeather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 93 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jun  7, 2000 (20:34) * 19 lines
More Solar Eruptions on June 7, 2000

Space Weather News for June 7, 2000

Following close on the heels of yesterday's two X-class solar flares, a
third powerful X-class flare erupted today at approximately 1545 UT. Soon
afterward, coronagraphs on the orbiting Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
detected a faint full halo coronal mass ejection. It appears to be heading
in the direction of Earth at ~800 km/s. This latest full halo CME will
probably extend the geomagnetic disturbances expected to begin on Thursday
when an interplanetary shock wave spawned by a CME on June 6 collides with
our planet's magnetosphere. Aurora watchers are advised to be on the alert
for Northern Lights beginning after sunset on Thursday, June 8.

For more information, please visit http://www.spaceweather.com

SpaceWeather.com 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 94 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jun  8, 2000 (12:49) * 13 lines
Impact: An Interplanetary Shock Wave Passes Earth

Space Weather News for June 8, 2000

A vigorous shock wave passed NASA's ACE solar wind monitoring spacecraft
this morning at 0842 UT. Disturbances detected by ACE usually reach Earth
about an hour later. This disturbance was the leading edge of a gigantic
bubble of gas ejected from the Sun on June 6. It's been expanding toward
our planet for the past day and a half. For more information and updates
please visit http://www.spaceweather.com

SpaceWeather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 95 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jun  8, 2000 (17:25) * 14 lines
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2000 16:40:9
Subject: Solar Storms A'brewing

Thursday's Classroom for June 8, 2000

This morning an interplanetary shock wave hit Earth's magnetosphere
triggering aurora over some parts of our planet. In this episode of
Thursday's Classroom, students can learn more about space storms and aurora
by calculating the speed of a coronal mass ejection, playing Sunspot
Twister, or producing their own Space Weather report. For more information
and activities, please visit http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com

Thursday's Classroom 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 96 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jun  9, 2000 (21:18) * 15 lines
A Little Physics and A Lot of String

NASA Science News for June 9, 2000

One day space tethers may be used for boosting orbits, powering
satellites, and even sending payloads to the Moon or Mars -- all
without the expense of conventional propellants. Scientists
discussed this innovative technology at the recent Advanced
Space Propulsion Workshop held in Pasadena, CA.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast09jun_1.htm?list
__ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 97 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Sat, Jun 10, 2000 (07:23) * 5 lines
From that article:

"In one variant of a momentum-exchange tether, the faster-moving tether system grabs a slower-moving satellite in a lower orbit using a grapple at the end of a tether line between 20 and 200 kilometers long.

After orbiting around the Earth once together, the rotating tether system tosses the satellite forward into a higher orbit, somewhat like a roller derby skater grabbing a teammate and slinging them forward. The first skater transfers some of their momentum to the second skater, leaving the first skater going slower afterward. Similarly, the tether system gives some of its momentum to the satellite, ending up in a lower orbit."

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 98 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Jun 10, 2000 (13:00) * 9 lines
A friend made this comment in email this morning:

They used to think about a tether attached to the surface of the earth
with the outer end 100's of miles into space. Theoretically the outer end
would have orbiting velocity. Objects could climb up the tether into
orbit. The problem was the strength and weight of such a tether;
probably impossible.

These present suggested uses for tethers may be more practical.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 99 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Jun 10, 2000 (21:55) * 17 lines
A solar flare, a CME, and a solar wind disturbance -- all in one day!

Space Weather News for June 10, 2000

The prolific flare-producing sunspot group #9026 unleashed another
moderately strong solar flare today. The eruption was accompanied by a
partial halo coronal mass ejection (CME) that might be Earth-directed. If
so, material from the CME would arrive in the vicinity of our planet on
June 12 or 13. A SOHO coronagraph animation of the event shows a beautiful
billowing CME peppered by speckles and meteor-like streaks resulting from
energetic particles hitting the spacecraft's camera.

Earlier in the day, as predicted, a solar wind disturbance from a CME on
June 7 struck Earth's magnetosphere. Active geomagnetic conditions were
observed for about nine hours, but have since subsided.
For more information and pictures, please visit
http://www.spaceweather.com

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 100 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jun 12, 2000 (13:09) * 10 lines
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 08:30:40 -0700

SFI=187 | A=24 | K=3 up from 2 at 1500 on 12 June.
SAF: moderate, GMF: at quiet to minor storm levels

Aurora Level: 4
Solar Wind: 469.6 km/s at 1.3 protons/cc

More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 101 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jun 13, 2000 (00:29) * 14 lines
From the Drawing Board to the Stars

NASA Science News for June 13, 2000

In this scientific human interest story, Dr. Jim Burch, principle
investigator for NASA's IMAGE space weather satellite, describes
what it's like to visualize a modern space mission and then, years
later, to make it happen. Burch shares his experiences as a
competitor for mission funding, as a coordinator of far-flung
personnel and institutions, and as an onlooker during the anxious
moments of launch.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast13jun_1.htm?list

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 102 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jun 13, 2000 (16:06) * 14 lines
Solar wind disturbance passes Earth

Space Weather News for June 13, 2000

The shock front from a beautiful full-halo coronal mass ejection that left
the Sun on June 10 apparently passed by Earth at approximately 2200 UT on
June 12. Although the solar wind velocity increased substantially,
geomagnetic disturbances so far have been mild. The chances for widespread
aurora tonight are low.

For more information please see http://www.spaceweather.com
SpaceWeather.com

---

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 103 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jun 14, 2000 (01:27) * 15 lines
Solstice Moon

NASA Science News for June 14, 2000

This week's full Moon, which takes place just four days before the June
solstice, will appear unusually big and colorful to observers in the
northern hemisphere.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast14jun_1.htm?list
__
You are subscribed to Science.NASA.gov NASA Science News mailing list
with the address marci@ALOHA.NET. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 104 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Wed, Jun 14, 2000 (08:14) * 1 lines
Any solstice celebrations planned, anyone?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 105 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jun 15, 2000 (15:21) * 12 lines
Ocean Tides Lost and Found

NASA Science News for June 15, 2000

Lunar tides impart tremendous energy to Earth's oceans, but
where does it all go? Scientists studying data from the orbiting
TOPEX/Poseidon satellite believe they now have an answer.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast15jun_2.htm?list
__

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 106 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jun 15, 2000 (17:27) * 19 lines
Thursday's Classroom for June 15, 2000

This month's full Moon will appear bigger and more colorful than usual
because it occurs so close to the northern summer solstice. Students can
learn more about the Moon and the famous illusion that makes the Moon
appear larger when it's near the horizon by making an edible Moon Munchie
spyglass, calculating Loony Basketball Math, and reciting "Full Moon
Wherewolf" homonym poetry. For more information, please visit
http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com

Thursday's Classroom

Note: These lessons are relevant even after this week's full Moon. For
several days following June 16, the Moon will appear nearly full and, of
course, there's another full Moon every month. Each one hovers above the
horizon for a while as it rises, triggering the 'Moon Illusion.' The
illusion simply lasts longer for northern observers near the time of the
summer solstice. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 107 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jun 16, 2000 (00:30) * 11 lines
The Incredible Ions of Space Transportation

NASA Science News for June 16, 2000

After nearly 40 years of development and the successful flight of
Deep Space 1 in 1998-1999, ion propulsion has now entered the
mainstream of propulsion options available for deep-space
missions. FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast15jun_1.htm?list
__

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 108 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jun 19, 2000 (16:53) * 15 lines
From: NASA Science News
Precedence: Bulk
Space Lasers Take Aim at the Wind

NASA Science News for June 19, 2000

NASA scientists are studying a type of radar that uses laser light instead
of microwaves to provide snapshots of the winds that travel the globe.
Knowing the wind's speed and direction over large areas could help
meteorologists answer the riddle of tomorrow's weather and benefit many
areas of the world's economy.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast19jun_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 109 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jun 20, 2000 (00:30) * 13 lines
Scientists Discover Sugar in an Interstellar Cloud

NASA Science News for June 20, 2000

Scientists have discovered a molecular cousin to table
sugar in a giant interstellar cloud known as Sagittarius B2.
The discovery of this sugar molecule in a cloud where new
stars are forming means it is increasingly likely that chemical
precursors to life are formed in such clouds long before planets
develop around stars.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast20jun_1.htm?list

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 110 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jun 21, 2000 (00:25) * 16 lines
Asteroids Have Seasons, Too

NASA Science News for June 21, 2000

Earth isn't the only world where seasons are changing this week.
Millions of miles from our planet, southern winter is giving way
to spring on asteroid 433 Eros. As the Sun rises over the south
pole of Eros, instruments on NASA's NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft
will catch a glimpse of never-before-seen terrain.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast21jun_1.htm?list
__ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 111 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jun 21, 2000 (23:41) * 11 lines
Coming Soon: Better Solar Storm Warnings

NASA Science News for June 22, 2000

In the past, predicting the onset of a geomagnetic storm was difficult. Forecasters couldn't say with much precision how long it would take for a solar coronal mass ejection to reach Earth. Now scientists have created a model that reliably forecasts the arrival of these billion-ton gas clouds.
FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast22jun_1m.htm?list
__ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 112 of 866:  (sprin5) * Thu, Jun 22, 2000 (08:40) * 1 lines
I heard on the news on the radio on the way to work that they've found water on Mars.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 113 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jun 22, 2000 (12:09) * 18 lines
Indeed.......here is the NASA press release:

Mars Surprise -- images reveal signs of recent water flow on Mars

NASA Science News for June 22, 2000

In what could turn out to be a landmark discovery in the
history of Mars exploration, scientists using data from
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft have observed features
that suggest current sources of liquid water at or near the
surface of the red planet. NASA scientists compare the features
to those left by flash floods on Earth.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast22jun_2.htm?list
__ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 114 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jun 26, 2000 (12:58) * 15 lines
The Ups and Downs of Ozone

NASA Science News for June 26, 2000

Scientists are watching carefully as the ozone layer,
which protects animal and plant life from harmful
solar ultraviolet radiation, begins an uncertain
recovery. Ozone destroying chemicals in the atmosphere
are on the decline, but the timing and nature of the
expected recovery -- and even whether a recovery is
occurring at all -- are controversial topics.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast26jun_1m.htm?list

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 115 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jun 27, 2000 (15:00) * 14 lines
Giant Planet Power Breakfast

NASA Science News for June 27, 2000

Jupiter and Saturn have spent much of the last few months hidden
in the bright glare of the Sun. Now they are rising before dawn
and are visible again with the naked eye. This week the slender
crescent moon will join the pair for a dazzling show in the sky
before sunrise.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast27jun_1.htm?list
__

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 116 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jun 28, 2000 (17:20) * 14 lines
Setting Sail for the Stars
NASA Science News for June 28, 2000

Scientists met last month to discuss the latest
developments in solar sail technology. A new
mission, the Interstellar Probe, could carry a
spacecraft beyond the edge of the solar system by
2018.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast28jun_1m.htm?list
__ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 117 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jun 29, 2000 (16:18) * 12 lines
Making a Splash on Mars

NASA Science News for June 29, 2000

On a planet that's colder than Antarctica and
where water boils at ten degrees above freezing,
how could liquid water ever exist? Scientists say
a dash of salt might help.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast29jun_1m.htm?lis

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 118 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jun 30, 2000 (14:15) * 16 lines
Earth reaches its greatest distance from the Sun on the 4th of July

NASA Science News for June 30, 2000

The Earth will reach its greatest distance from
the Sun this year on the 4th of July, but don't
expect a break from the heat of northern summer.
This article discusses Earth's slightly
elliptical orbit and the effects (some
negligible, some substantial) that lopsided
orbits have on planets around the solar system.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast30jun_1m.htm?list
__

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 119 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jul  3, 2000 (22:42) * 13 lines
Mars passes by the Sun

Space Weather News for July 3, 2000

Solar activity was low over the weekend and is expected to remain so for
the next 24 to 48 hours. Nevertheless, on July 1st and 2nd coronagraphs on
the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory captured a beautiful sequence of
images showing Mars as it passed less than one degree from the Sun. The
animation includes several coronal mass ejections associated with small
solar flares. For more information visit http://www.spaceweather.com 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 120 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jul  6, 2000 (12:29) * 10 lines
Here Comes Comet Linear

NASA Science News for July 05, 2000

Comet 1999 LINEAR S4, which can already be seen
through binoculars, is expected to become a faint
naked-eye object similar in appearance to the
Andromeda Nebula as it glides by the Big Dipper
this month. Maximum brightness is expected on
July 23, 2000.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 121 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul  7, 2000 (00:24) * 15 lines
Some Comets Like it Hot

NASA Science News for July 07, 2000

Amateur astronomers are discovering pieces of a
giant comet that broke apart in antiquity as the
fragments zoom perilously close to the Sun. You
can join the hunt, too. All you need is a
computer and an internet connection to view
realtime data from the orbiting ESA/NASA Solar
and Heliospheric Observatory.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast07jul_1.htm?list

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 122 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Jul  8, 2000 (14:01) * 15 lines
Space Weather News for July 8, 2000

Coronagraphs on board the orbiting ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory (SOHO) recorded a full halo coronal mass ejection (CME) on July
7th. Forecasters estimate that material from the CME will arrive in the
neighborhood of Earth on July 11th.

While the CME was ongoing, SOHO's wide field coronagraph also captured the
planet Mercury racing by the Sun twice as fast as the drifting field of
background stars. Mercury joined two other planets, Mars and Venus, in the
coronagraph's field of view.

For animations and more information, please visit
http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 123 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jul 10, 2000 (12:25) * 11 lines
A solar wind disturbance arrives at Earth

Space Weather News for July 10, 2000

The shock front from a July 7th coronal mass ejection has apparently
reached our planet about a day earlier than expected. The disturbance,
recorded by NASA's ACE spacecraft at 0600 UT on July 10, was not
extraordinarily vigorous. Nevertheless, skywatchers are advised to be on
the alert for aurora. For more information please visit
http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 124 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jul 10, 2000 (16:02) * 13 lines
Cosmic Light Pollution

NASA Science News for July 10, 2000

A series of unmanned balloon flights will measure
the subtle ultraviolet glow of the night sky and
help unravel one of the most perplexing mysteries
of astrophysics -- the origin of ultra
high-energy cosmic rays.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast10jul_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 125 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jul 11, 2000 (17:13) * 11 lines
The propagation continues upward:


SFI=225 up from 215 | A=28 up from 18 | K=3 down from 4 at 2100 on 11 July.
SAF: moderate to high, GMF: at active to minor storm levels

Aurora Level: 5
Solar Wind: 543.3 km/s at 5.7 protons/cc

More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 126 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jul 11, 2000 (17:20) * 18 lines
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 15:26:37 -0500
From: NASA Science News

Comet Borrelly or Bust

NASA Science News for July 11, 2000

NASA's experimental Deep Space 1 probe --left for
dead after a guidance system failure in late 1999 --
was revived last month in a thrilling cross-
the-solar-system rescue conducted by JPL
engineers. The craft set sail again on June 28,
2000, just in time for a planned rendezvous with
periodic comet Borrelly in 2001.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast11jul_1.htm?list

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 127 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jul 12, 2000 (11:58) * 13 lines
Brown Dwarf Solar Flare

NASA Science News for July 12, 2000

The Chandra X-ray Observatory has detected the
first-ever flare from what's known as a brown
dwarf, or failed star. Scientists were surprised
at the outburst, which unleashed an amount of
energy comparable to a small solar flare.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast12jul_1m.htm?list

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 128 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jul 13, 2000 (17:36) * 17 lines
Aurora Warning
Space Weather News for July 13, 2000

Stargazers in both hemispheres are advised to watch for auroras tonight as
the result of a strong solar wind disturbance that struck Earth's
magnetosphere at approximately 0940 UT (5:40 a.m. EDT) on July 13th. The
strong geomagnetic storm that started this morning may now be subsiding,
but another interplanetary shock wave is expected to arrive on July 14th
and extend the current period of geomagnetic unrest. Auroral displays at
middle latitudes are possible (but by no means guaranteed) around local
midnight on July 13th through 15th. For more information please visit
http://www.spaceweather.com

Photographers who capture pictures of Northern or Southern Lights during
the next few days are invited to send their images as attachments to
webmaster@spaceweather.com for display on SpaceWeather.com. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 129 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jul 13, 2000 (18:06) * 8 lines
SFI=232 up from 230 | A=31 up from 12 | K=2 down from 5 at 2100 on 13 July.
SAF: moderate to high, GMF: at unsettled to minor storm levels

Aurora Level: 7
Solar Wind: 618.4 km/s at 3.6 protons/cc

More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 130 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 14, 2000 (01:18) * 21 lines
Pacific Lunar Eclipse


NASA Science News for July 14, 2000

This weekend the Moon, the Sun and the Earth will
align for the longest total lunar eclipse in 140
years. The best places to see the event are in
and around the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii
and Australia. Observers along the west coast of
North America will be able to see a partial
eclipse just before the Moon sets on Sunday
morning. During totality skywatchers may also be
able to spot the asteroid 4 Vesta, which
coincidentally makes a rare appearance as a
naked-eye object during the days around the
eclipse.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast14jul_1m.htm?list

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 131 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 14, 2000 (14:56) * 11 lines
Powerful Solar Flare Triggers Radiation Storm

Space Weather News for July 14, 2000

This morning an X5-class solar flare, one of the most powerful flares of
the current solar cycle, triggered a proton storm in the neighborhood of
our planet. Just after the eruption, coronagraphs on board the ESA/NASA
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory recorded a full halo coronal mass
ejection heading toward Earth at greater than 1000 km/s. Please visit
http://www.spaceweather.com for details and updates on this developing
story.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 132 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 14, 2000 (19:20) * 20 lines
The following Alerts and Warnings are in effect:

sr@hfradio.org

The following Alerts and Warnings are in effect:

Magnetic A-Index greater than 50 Watch for 15 Jul 2000 UT
Comment: K-indices of greater than 6 are possible beginning at 1800 UT on 15 July

Magnetic A-Index greater than 50 Watch for 16 Jul 2000 UT
Comment: K-indices of greater than 6 are possible beginning at 1800 UT on 15 July

Magnetic A-Index greater than 50 Watch for 17 Jul 2000 UT
Comment: K-indices of greater than 6 are possible beginning at 1800 UT on 15 July

Magnetic K-Index of 6 Observed 14 Jul 2000 from 15:00 to 18:00 UT
Comment: None


More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 133 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 14, 2000 (19:26) * 22 lines
A Solar Radiation Storm

NASA Science News for July 14, 2000

A powerful solar flare on July 14th triggered an
intense radiation storm in the vicinity of Earth.
The eruption was followed by a fast-moving
coronal mass ejection that is expected to strike
Earth's magnetosphere as early as Saturday. The
impact could trigger Northern and Southern Lights
bright enough to be seen in spite of this
weekend's brilliant full Moon. Such a display is
by no means guaranteed, but it is possible.
Observers across the Pacific could be in for a
very rare treat: the sight of shimmering colorful
aurora during the total lunar eclipse of July 16,
2000.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast14jul_2m.htm?list
__

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 134 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Jul 15, 2000 (13:57) * 49 lines

Solar Wind data is incorrect due to proton
overload of the sensors on the spacecraft.
True solar wind speed is approx. 775 to 800 km/s
with a density of approx. 25 to 30 protons/cm3

ADVISORY: The shock wave from Friday's fast-moving
coronal mass ejection could arrive as early as
1900 UT.

ALERT(S): Magnetic A-Index Greater than 50 Watch for 15 Jul 2000 UT
Comment: K-indices of Greater than 6 are possible beginning at 1800 UT on 15 July

Magnetic A-Index Greater than 50 Watch for 16 Jul 2000 UT
Comment: K-indices of Greater than 6 are possible beginning at 1800 UT on 15 July

Magnetic A-Index Greater than 50 Watch for 17 Jul 2000 UT
Comment: K-indices of Greater than 6 are possible beginning at 1800 UT on 15 July

Magnetic K-Index of 6 Observed 14 Jul 2000 from 15:00 to 18:00 UT
Comment: None

Magnetic A-Index Greater than 30 Warning valid from 15 Jul 2000 0000 to 0600 UT
Comment: None

The following Warning was EXTENDED at 0000 UT on 15 Jul 2000 and is now
valid through 0000 UT on 17 Jul 2000
Magnetic K-Index Greater than 6 Warning valid from 13 Jul 2000 1438 to 15 Jul
2000 0000 UT
Comment: None

The following Alert was CONTINUED at 0100 UT on 15 Jul 2000
Protons Event Greater than 10 MeV @ Greater than 10pfu BEG 14 Jul 2000 1050 UT
Comment: The current proton flux is approximately 8500 pfu's.

The following Alert was CONTINUED at 0100 UT on 15 Jul 2000
Proton event Greater than 100 MeV @ Greater than 1pfu BEG 14 Jul 2000 1040 UT
Comment: The current proton flux level is approximately 100 pfu's . A
maximum proton flux of approximately 400 pfu's was reached at 1620 UT on 14 July.

Magnetic A-Index Greater than 30 Observed 15 Jul 2000 0600 UT
Comment: None

Type II Radio Emission 15 Jul 2000 1433 UT
Comment: Estimated shock velocity = 788 km/s

More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 135 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Jul 15, 2000 (19:16) * 60 lines
An Extreme Geomagnetic Storm is Underway

Space Weather News for July 15, 2000

A powerful shock wave from the fast-moving July 14th coronal mass ejection
has arrived in the neighborhood of Earth. An extreme geomagnetic storm
was underway at 1900 UT (3:00 p.m. EDT) on July 15th. If conditions
persist as they are now, aurora could be visible at middle (and possibly
even equatorial) latitudes. The best time to view aurora is usually near
local midnight. In this case, sky watchers are advised to look for aurora
as soon as night falls. For more information and updates please visit
http://www.spaceweather.com

Readers are invited to send pictures of tonight's aurora and the July 16,
2000, total lunar eclipse (visible across the Pacific Ocean) as an email
attachment to phillips@spacescience.com for possible posting on
spaceweather.com and/or spacescience.com.

For more information about the lunar eclipse:

Pacific Lunar Eclipse
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast14jul_1m.htm

**************************

SEVERE GEOMAGNETIC STORM:

Kp Index is at 9. A Index is 118.

We are in a catagory G5 Storm. NOAA's Space Weather
scale indicates the following effects:

Power systems: grid systems can collapse and
transformers experience damage.


Spacecraft operations: extensive surface charging,
problems with orientation, uplink/downlink, and
tracking satellites.


Other systems: pipeline currents reach hundreds of
amps, HF (high frequency) radio propagation
impossible in many areas for one to two days,
satellite navigation degraded for days,
low-frequency radio navigation out for hours, and
the aurora seen as low as the equator.

The Proton Monitor on the Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory is registering solar wind speeds in
excess of 900 km/s

The wave of solar particles - known as a solar
proton event - is already four times more intense
than any other event detected since the launches
of SOHO in 1995 and ACE in 1997. At mid-afternoon
(UT) on July 14th, the storm of particles from
the Sun was still intensifying.

More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 136 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jul 18, 2000 (01:00) * 12 lines
X-ray Star Stuff

NASA Science News for July 18, 2000

Astronomers using the Chandra X-ray Observatory
are seeing how supernovae spray the essential
elements of rocky planets and life into
interstellar space.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast18jul_1m.htm?list

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 137 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jul 20, 2000 (01:01) * 16 lines
Unveiling the Infrared Sky

NASA Science News for July 20, 2000

Your home computer can become a portal to a
wonderland of stars, thanks to a massive release
of images from an infrared sky survey sponsored
by NASA and the National Science Foundation. The
current release is based on a volume of data
several hundred times larger than that contained
in the human genome!

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast20jul_1.htm?list
__

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 138 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 21, 2000 (12:02) * 33 lines
Coronal Mass Ejection

21 July 2000

There is high probability that the CME (Coronal Mass
Ejection) from the major M-class solar flare of
19 July 2000 will arrive today. It is expected to
hit the Earth almost head-on. It is not expected
to be as intense as this last weekend's event.

Auroral activity is expected to increase to storm
levels on 21 July 2000. There is a good chance for
observations of auroral activity from many dark-sky
middle latitude regions, particularly prior to
midnight when the moon is still below the horizon
and optimal observing conditions exist. Moonrise
occurs near local midnight.

TWO ADDITIONAL M-Class flares occured today:

:ALERTS:

X-Ray event M5/1B/S12W14 BEG 20 Jul 2000 2022 MAX 20 Jul 2000 2025 END
20 Jul 2000 2028 UT
Comment: None

X-Ray event M5.5 BEG 21 Jul 2000 1430 MAX 21 Jul 2000 1437 END 21 Jul
2000 1443 UT
Comment: None


More: http://hfradio.org/propagation.html 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 139 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 21, 2000 (12:02) * 1 lines
Watch for Aurora tonight!!!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 140 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 21, 2000 (12:25) * 123 lines
Propagation Forecast Bulletin 29 - July 21, 2000

This has been quite a week for solar activity, with blasts of solar
wind dominating space weather news. Saturday was the big day for HF
radio blackouts and aurora, with the planetary A index jumping to an
incredible 152 and the mid-latitude A index at 148. The planetary K
index, updated every three hours, was at 9 for three readings on
Saturday. A K index reading of 9 over a 24-hour period would be
equivalent to an A index of 300. This is big, really big.

These numbers are associated with an extreme geomagnetic storm that
was nearly off the scale. On Friday one of the most powerful solar
flares of the current cycle triggered a storm of protons directed
toward earth. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory recorded a full
halo coronal mass ejection heading toward earth at greater than
one-million meters per second. Check out animations of this event at
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/CME/.

There are only a few events of this magnitude in the average solar
cycle. The only factor that probably impeded a spectacular aurora
visible far down into the U.S. was that this is the summer season.
A dark evening sky would reveal a rich tapestry of northern lights.
Of course, it being winter in the southern hemisphere, bright
displays were reported in Australia and New Zealand. The author made
a weak attempt Saturday night, walking barefoot into the middle of
the street and trying to peer north past city lights, but no auroral
glow was visible. Seattle is north of the 47th parallel, and
although there were no local reports of aurora, there were
observations as far south as 40 degrees in Europe, Asia, and parts
of Eastern North America. If you point your web browser toward
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/info/kp-aurora.html you will see a nice map
from the June, 1968 issue of Sky and Telescope which shows how far
south aurora may be visible depending on the planetary K index.
What is not clear from this map is whether it shows how far south
the edge of the aurora extends, or how far south it is visible when
looking north.

Another coronal mass ejection emerged on Wednesday, July 19, but the
predicted effect is uncertain because the ejection may not be aimed
squarely at earth. On Thursday the planetary K index went up to 6
for several hours, but by the end of the UTC day it was 3. The
planetary A index for Thursday was 43, and the College A index,
recorded in Alaska, was 57.

The latest forecast shows the planetary A index rising to 50 on
Friday, then dropping to 20 and 15 and then 10 on Saturday through
Monday. Solar flux peaked for the recent short term at 252.9 on
Thursday, and is expected to drop to 245, 235, 230 and 225 on Friday
through Monday. The next short term minimum is predicted around July
28 at 170, followed by another peak above 200 around August 6-9.

The author has received many more inquiries recently asking for
explanations of the various parameters reported in this bulletin.
Although the explanations were repeated six weeks ago, it is
probably time to run them again, and they follow this paragraph.
Feel free to send questions to the author via k7vvvarrl.net.

Amateur Radio operators who use HF generally like increased sunspots
because they correlate with better worldwide radio propagation.
When there are more sunspots, the sun puts out radiation which
charges particles in the earth's ionosphere. Radio waves bounce off
of these charged particles, and the denser these clouds of ions, the
better the HF propagation. When the ionosphere is denser, higher
frequencies will reflect off of the ionosphere rather than passing
through to space. This is why every 11 years or so when this
activity is higher, 10 meters gets exciting. 10 meters is at a high
enough frequency, right near the top of the HF spectrum, that radio
waves propagate very efficiently when the sunspot count is high.
Because of the wavelength, smaller antennas are very efficient on
this band, so mobile stations running low power on 10 meters can
communicate world wide on a daily basis when the sunspot cycle is at
its peak. There are also seasonal variations, and 10 meters tends to
be best near the spring or fall equinox.

The sunspot numbers used in this bulletin are calculated by counting
the sunspots on the visible solar surface and also measuring their
area. Solar flux is measured at an observatory in British Columbia
using an antenna pointed toward the sun tuned to 2.8 GHz, which is
at a wavelength of 10.7 cm. Energy detected seems to correlate with
sunspots and with the density of the ionosphere.

Other solar activity of concern to HF operators are solar flares and
coronal holes, which emit protons. Since the charged ions in the
ionosphere are negative, a blast of protons from the sun can
neutralize the charge and make the ionosphere less reflective.
These waves of protons can be so intense that they may trigger an
event called a geomagnetic storm.

The Planetary A index relates to geomagnetic stability.
Magnetometers around the world are used to generate a number called
the Planetary K index. You can hear the Boulder K index updated
every three hours on WWV, or by calling 303-497-3235.

A one point change in the K index is quite significant. A K index
below 3 generally means good stable conditions, and above 3 can mean
high absorption and poor reflection of radio waves. Each point
change reflects a big change in conditions.

Every 24 hours the K index is summarized in a number called the A
index. A one point change in A value is not very significant. A full
day with the K index at 3 will produce an A index of 15, K of 4
means A of 27, K of 5 means A of 48, and K of 6 means A of 80. You
can find an explanation of these numbers on the web at
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/GEOMAG/kp_ap.html.

The number reported here is the Planetary A index, which is a
worldwide average based on the K readings from a number of
magnetometers. The numbers reported on WWV are the Boulder K and A
index, measured in Colorado. Generally the higher the latitude of
the measuring station, the higher the K and A indices reported.
This is because the effects of geomagnetic instability tend to
concentrate toward the polar regions of the globe.

Currently we are near the peak of the solar cycle, so conditions are
generally better because of the increased ionization of the
ionosphere. But along with the increased sunspots come more solar
flares and coronal holes, producing disturbed conditions.

Sunspot numbers for July 13 through 19 were 240, 243, 229, 268, 335,
343 and 342 with a mean of 285.7. 10.7 cm flux was 231.9, 203.9,
213.1, 218.9, 228.3, 261.9 and 249.9, with a mean of 229.7, and
estimated planetary A indices were 33, 35, 152, 46, 9, 13 and 15,
with a mean of 43.3.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 141 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Jul 22, 2000 (21:15) * 11 lines
Contrary Thermometers

NASA Science News for July 21, 2000

Scientists are working to understand why the
lower atmosphere isn't heating up as fast as some
global warming models predict.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast21jul_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 142 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jul 26, 2000 (17:20) * 15 lines
Station Sightings

NASA Science News for July 24, 2000

Thanks to a new NASA web site, stargazers can
track the progress of the growing International
Space Station (ISS) from their own backyards.
Because it reflects sunlight down to Earth, the
ISS often looks like a slow-moving star as it
crosses the sky. It can even appear as bright as
the star Sirius if you know when and where to look.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast24jul_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 143 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jul 26, 2000 (17:23) * 11 lines
Camping Out with the Planets

NASA Science News for July 25, 2000

Earth's slender crescent Moon will glide by two
brilliant planets in the dawn sky this week as it
heads for a close encounter with Mercury on July 29th.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast25jul_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 144 of 866: Lucille Oftedahl  (alyeska) * Wed, Jul 26, 2000 (19:46) * 1 lines
You can tell when you look into the night sky which are stars and which are satellites. the satelittes are brighter and move across the sky. I don't get to see much of the night sky right now with this weather. I don't even get to use my pc in the evening, there is so much lightening that I have to unplug it.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 145 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jul 27, 2000 (10:36) * 16 lines
Yikes, Dear!!! Blessed be the laptops which enable use even with lightning... but not connected to a modem. Alas, you are in down-time summer I guess.

A Lot Less Snow

NASA Science News for July 27, 2000

An instrument on board NASA's Terra satellite
recorded much less snow than usual over parts of
North America during the winter of 1999-2000.
This story includes a snow map of North America
in March 2000 and sample pictures from Terra's
snow-mapping "MODIS" instrument.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast27jul_2m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 146 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 28, 2000 (23:24) * 16 lines
Comet LINEAR Misbehaves

NASA Science News for July 28, 2000

Although comet LINEAR was not bright enough to
see with the unaided eye when it passed by Earth
this week, the comet is grabbing the attention of
astronomers with peculiar behavior, including
orbit-altering jets and fragments breaking away
from its nucleus.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast28jul_1m.htm?list
__ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 147 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 28, 2000 (23:36) * 14 lines
Comet LINEAR breaks apart
Space Weather News for July 28, 2000

There is growing evidence that comet LINEAR, which made its closest
approach to the Sun earlier this week, is disintegrating. Today's
spaceweather.com features images and animations of the apparent breakup.

Also, an interplanetary shock wave struck Earth's magnetosphere on July
28, 2000, triggering minor geomagnetic activity.

For more information please visit http//www.spaceweather.com

http//www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 148 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jul 28, 2000 (23:58) * 17 lines
Back to the Future on Mars

NASA Science News for July 28, 2000

In 2003, NASA plans to launch a relative of the
now-famous 1997 Mars Pathfinder rover. Using
drop, bounce, and roll technology, this larger
cousin is expected to reach the surface of the
Red Planet in January 2004 and begin the longest
journey of scientific exploration ever
undertaken across the surface of that alien
world.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast28jul_2m.htm?list
__ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 149 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jul 31, 2000 (13:25) * 14 lines
The Stuff Between the Stars

NASA Science News for July 31, 2000

The cosmos is laced with tiny specks of dust that
decide the fate of young stars and planets. Now,
NASA scientists can study the properties of
far-flung space dust using special laboratory
facilities at the Marshall Space Flight Center.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast31jul_2m.htm?list
_ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 150 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jul 31, 2000 (13:41) * 16 lines
Meltdown! Comet LINEAR comtinues to disintegrate....

NASA Science News for July 31, 2000

Comet LINEAR continued to blow itself apart this
weekend as astronomers around the world monitored
the action. The comet is still bright enough to
see through amateur telescopes, but it's fading
fast. This story compares the breakup of comet
LINEAR with another famous fragmented comet,
Shoemaker-Levy 9, that collided with Jupiter six
years ago.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast31jul_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 151 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Aug  2, 2000 (20:35) * 15 lines
Looking Forward to the International Space Station

NASA Science News for August 02, 2000

Scientists at a recent media forum said they are
eager to begin using the International Space
Station as an innovative orbiting research
laboratory. "The Hubble Space Telescope is
to astrophysicists as the International Space
Station will be to other researchers -- a working
science laboratory in space," noted one participant.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast02aug_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 152 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Aug  4, 2000 (14:24) * 15 lines
Watching Wildfires from Space

NASA Science News for August 04, 2000

NASA satellites are keeping a close eye on
wildfires raging across the Western US. Every few
hours, a global map of smoky aerosols is updated
at the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer web site.
Now, anyone with a connection to the Internet can
share the same "bird's eye" view
enjoyed by NASA scientists.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast04aug_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 153 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Aug  4, 2000 (14:26) * 25 lines
A Comet Comes Apart

Thursday's Classroom for August 3, 2000
http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com
Late last month stargazers were eagerly anticipating the arrival of Comet
LINEAR, which was expected to become the first naked-eye comet in three
years. But the comet surprised observers by blowing apart as it passed
near to the Sun. Even now, astronomers are watching intently as Comet
LINEAR dissolves into a haze of gas and dust.

This week's episode of Thursday's Classroom features stories for kids and
educational lesson plans about comets and Comet LINEAR. Activities
include:
* Comet Cones -- Kids who sample one of these delicious treats will never
forget the "dirty snowball" model for comets.
* Really Big Numbers -- How many zeros are in Comet LINEAR's distance from
Earth? Kids find out in this lesson about scientific notation.
* The Comet Coloring Book -- Students can color original art by Duane
Hilton as they follow along with this week's lessons.
...and more!

Please visit http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 154 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Aug  4, 2000 (15:33) * 19 lines
Space Weather News for August 4, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

Comet LINEAR blew apart so thoroughly last week that astronomers can't
find any sizable pieces from its fractured icy core. New groundbased
images of the comet posted today revealed no fragments brighter than 22nd
magnitude. The new data are fueling speculation that Comet LINEAR itself
might have been the fragment of a larger body that passed through the
inner solar system centuries ago.

On a related note, SpaceWeather.com is pleased to announce a new feature:
the weekly Meteor Outlook by Robert Lunsford, secretary general of the
International Meteor Organization. Updated every Friday, the Outlook
offers a comprehensive preview of likely meteor activity suitable for
novices and experts. This week's update describes the growing rate of
pre-dawn Perseid meteors leading up to the shower's maximum on August
12th. 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 155 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Aug  8, 2000 (22:53) * 18 lines
Perseid Dawn

NASA Science News for August 08, 2000

The Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 12,
2000. This year the bright, nearly-full Moon
will outshine the Perseids most of the night, but
for an hour between moonset and sunrise on
Saturday morning, star gazers could witness a
brief but beautiful meteor shower. The setting
Moon may put on a show of its own Saturday.
Wildfires and dust storms have filled parts of
our atmosphere with aerosols. A low-hanging Moon
seen through such dusty air can take on a
beautiful pink or orange hue.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast08aug_1.htm?list

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 156 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Aug  9, 2000 (18:42) * 22 lines
Meteors and a Full-halo Coronal Mass Ejection

Space Weather News for August 9, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

SOLAR ACTIVITY: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory recorded a
full-halo coronal mass ejection today from sunspot group 9114, near the
center of the Sun's visible disk. Material from the eruption could
trigger geomagnetic activity when it arrives in the vicinity of Earth in
approximately three days.

NEW ONLINE METEOR COUNTS: As part of our expanding coverage of meteor and
comet activity, spaceweather.com will now feature daily meteor counts
reported by a network of observers across North America. The
daily-updated data includes visual and radio meteor detections.

COMET LINEAR: A new picture from the ESO Very Large Telescope shows
mini-comets inside Comet LINEAR's disintegrating core.

For images, animations and expanded coverage of these items, please visit
http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 157 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Aug 11, 2000 (17:45) * 26 lines
Perseid meteor update + an ongoing geomagnetic storm

Space Weather News for August 11, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

On the eve of the Perseid meteor shower, sky watchers report seeing 10 to
15 meteors per hour streaming from the constellation Perseus. That's
consistent with an expected peak rate between 30 and 50 visual meteors per
hour before dawn on August 12th. The projected maximum is somewhat weaker
than Perseid maxima of recent years, but observers are also reporting that
this year's Perseid meteors have been pleasantly bright. The shower
should put on a good show for northern hemisphere observers this Saturday
morning.

Readers are invited to send their photos of the 2000 Perseids to
phillips@spacescience.com (Tony Phillips).

There is a chance that Saturday morning sky watchers at higher latitudes
could spot colorful auroras during the Perseid meteor shower. Our planet
is experiencing an ongoing geomagnetic storm triggered by a
southward-pointing interplanetary magnetic field in the vicinity of Earth.
If conditions persist, high latitude (and possibly even mid-latitude)
auroras are possible.

For more information, please visit http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 158 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Aug 11, 2000 (17:46) * 14 lines
Twin Rovers Headed for Mars

NASA Science News for August 10, 2000

The traffic on Mars is expected to double in the
near future. NASA today announced plans to launch
two large scientific rovers to the red planet in
2003, rather than the original plan for just one.
This story includes a striking new video of the
planned Mars 2003 rover mission.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast10aug_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 159 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Aug 12, 2000 (17:34) * 24 lines
Aurora & Meteor Alert

Space Weather News for August 12, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

Last night, during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, a shock wave
from the Sun set off a beautiful display of aurora borealis. Observers in
dark-sky areas across Canada and much of the United States were treated to
the unusual spectacle of meteors seen against a backdrop of colorful
Northern Lights. Auroras were spotted as far south as Los Angeles, CA.

Conditions remain favorable for more aurora borealis Saturday night and
Sunday morning. Plus, the Perseid meteor shower is not entirely over.
Stargazers could see as many as 25 meteors per hour before dawn on Sunday,
Aug. 13.

If you have pictures of weekend auroras and/or Perseid meteors, we invite
you to submit them to SpaceWeather.com as an email attachment sent to
phillips@spacescience.com (Tony Phillips).

For more information, including pictures of last night's aurora and the
coronal mass ejection that energized the ongoing geomagnetic storm, please
visit http://spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 160 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Aug 15, 2000 (13:19) * 17 lines
The Extraordinary Geomagnetic Perseid Meteor Shower

NASA Science News for August 14, 2000

An interplanetary shock wave from the Sun struck
Earth's magnetosphere just before the peak of the
Perseid meteor shower on August 12, 2000,
triggering a powerful geomagnetic storm.
Stargazers across Canada and the United States
were treated to the rare spectacle of a meteor
shower seen against the backdrop of colorful
Northern Lights.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast14aug_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 161 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Aug 17, 2000 (12:29) * 17 lines
NASA goes on SAFARI

NASA Science News for August 16, 2000

Southern Africa offers a unique climate
sub-system where scientists can study the effects
of industrial activity, biomass burning and
changing patterns of land usage on the
environment. Last weekend an international team
of scientists launched an intensive campaign --
part of the SAFARI 2000 project -- to study this
complex region from the ground, the air and from
space.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast16aug_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 162 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Aug 17, 2000 (23:42) * 19 lines
The Indefatigable Ions of Deep Space 1

NASA Science News for August 17, 2000

NASA's Deep Space 1 probe, en route for an
encounter with Comet Borrelly, has run its unique
propulsion system for more than 200 days --
longer and more efficiently than anything ever
launched. The almost imperceptible thrust from
the system is equivalent to the pressure exerted
by a sheet of paper held in the palm of your
hand. The ion engine is very slow to pick up
speed, but over the long haul it can deliver 10
times as much thrust per pound of fuel as more
traditional rockets.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast17aug_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 163 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Aug 21, 2000 (23:25) * 13 lines
Arctic Ice Revealed

NASA Science News for August 22, 2000

An orbiting radar has cut through clouds and dark
of night to monitor the ebb and flow of Arctic
ice. Scientists say the data could reveal
important trends in global climate change.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast22aug_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 164 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Aug 23, 2000 (13:22) * 19 lines
Hot X-rays from a Cold Comet


NASA Science News for August 23, 2000

Normally, x-ray astronomers concern themselves
with the most violent and fiery denizens of the
Universe. Colliding galaxies, supernova
explosions and black holes are common targets for
x-ray telescopes like NASA's powerful Chandra
X-ray Observatory. But, last month researchers
solved a cosmic mystery when they turned Chandra
toward Comet LINEAR, a chilly snowball from the
outer solar system.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast23aug_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 165 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Aug 24, 2000 (19:10) * 16 lines
Counting Brown Dwarfs

NASA Science News for August 24, 2000

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
have taken attendance in a class of brown dwarfs
and found indications that these odd and elusive
objects also tend to be loners. The Hubble census
-- the most complete to date -- provides new and
compelling evidence that stars and planets form
in different ways.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast24aug_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 166 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Aug 25, 2000 (11:50) * 15 lines
Antibiotics in Orbit

NASA Science News for August 25, 2000

Pilot studies indicate that microbial antibiotic
production can be increased by up to 200 percent
in space-grown cultures. Scientists who studied
such antibiotics during the "John
Glenn" shuttle mission in 1998 are looking
forward to more low-gravity experiments on the
International Space Station.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast25aug_1m.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 167 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Aug 28, 2000 (14:57) * 13 lines
New Evidence for an Alien Ocean

NASA Science News for August 28, 2000

Fluctuations in the magnetic field surrounding
Jupiter's moon Europa are a telltale sign of
salty liquid water beneath the moon's icy crust.
Europa could harbor the solar system's largest
ocean.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast28aug_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 168 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Aug 28, 2000 (19:14) * 15 lines
Comet Champion of the Solar System

NASA Science News for August 28, 2000

Less than seven months after the Solar and
Heliospheric Observatory registered its 100th
comet discovery, amateur astronomers help SOHO
double its record-setting total. Scientists think
that most of SOHO's comets are fragments from the
breakup of a single giant comet long ago.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast28aug_2.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 169 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Aug 29, 2000 (23:06) * 16 lines
Culprits of Climate Change

NASA Science News for August 29, 2000

For many years, researchers agreed that climate
change was triggered by "greenhouse
gases," with carbon dioxide from burning of
fossil playing the biggest role. However, NASA
funded scientists suggest that climate change in
recent decades has been mainly caused by air
pollution containing non-carbon dioxide
greenhouse gases.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast29aug_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 170 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Aug 31, 2000 (21:51) * 15 lines
Evil-doers Beware! Space Scientists are on the Case

NASA Science News for August 31, 2000

Two NASA scientists are working with the police
and the FBI to track down criminals using
out-of-this-world video technology. The new
technique, called VISAR, is also expected to
improve military reconnaissance, medical research
and video on home computers. This story includes
pictures and video of VISAR in action.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast31aug_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 171 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Sep  1, 2000 (14:21) * 15 lines
A Close Encounter with a Space Rock

NASA Science News for September 01, 2000

This morning a half-kilometer wide space rock is
zooming past Earth barely 12 times farther from
our planet than the Moon. In cosmic terms, it's a
near miss, but there is absolutely no danger of a
collision. Instead, the encounter offers
astronomers an unusually good opportunity to
study a near-Earth asteroid.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast01sep_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 172 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Sep  6, 2000 (14:19) * 12 lines
Sunbathing at Solar Maximum

NASA Science News for September 05, 2000

NASA scientists say that Solar Maximum is now in
full swing. Does that mean you're more likely to
catch a sunburn at the beach? The answer is
"no," and this story explains why.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast05sep_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 173 of 866:  (sprin5) * Wed, Sep  6, 2000 (14:24) * 1 lines
It's very hot in Austin right now, two days ago was the hottest day in history, About 110. And we're in solar max to boot!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 174 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Sep  6, 2000 (14:36) * 1 lines
I noted it was 112 in Austin tying the all time record and 115 in San Antonio. That is not civilized!!! How does that feel?? Instant mummification??!!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 175 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Sep  8, 2000 (19:55) * 15 lines
Ozone Hole Update

NASA Science News for September 08, 2000

Antarctica's ozone hole now covers an area three
times larger than the entire land mass of the
United States - the largest such ozone-depleted
region ever observed.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast08sep_1.htm?list


There is a graphic: http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/Geo/4.2

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 176 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Sep  8, 2000 (20:35) * 18 lines
Audacious & Outrageous: Space Elevators

NASA Science News for September 07, 2000

Science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke was once
asked when the "space elevator," a
notion he helped to popularize, would become a
reality. Clarke answered, "Probably about 50
years after everybody quits laughing."
Nowadays NASA scientists are taking the idea
seriously. In fact, they've compiled plans that
could turn the space elevators of science fiction
into a real-life mass transportation system to
space by the end of the 21st century.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast07sep_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 177 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Sep 12, 2000 (00:49) * 13 lines
Watch Out for the Harvest Moon

NASA Science News for September 11, 2000

The Harvest Moon, arguably the most famous Full
Moon of the year, arrives on Wednesday, Sept.
13th. Check out this story to discover what
makes the Harvest Moon special and to ponder the
possibility of Harvest Moons on another planet.

FULL STORY at
http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast11sep_2.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 178 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Sep 12, 2000 (00:55) * 20 lines
Where did all the sunspots go?

Space Weather News for Sept 12, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

Telescopes monitoring the Sun recorded something extraordinary yesterday
-- the solar disk was nearly devoid of spots. With solar maximum in full
swing, the Boulder sunspot number dropped to its lowest value of the year.
In spite of the "blank Sun," our planet could be in for a bit of space
weather on Tuesday if, as expected, a solar coronal mass ejection that
left the Sun on Saturday strikes a glancing blow to Earth's magnetosphere.
The impact could trigger modest geomagnetic activity.

In other space weather news, astronomers have discovered a bright Near
Earth Asteroid that will pass by our planet on Sept. 17. Amateur
astronomers can monitor the fast-moving space rock in 8-inch or larger
telescopes.

For more information, please visit http://SpaceWeather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 179 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Sep 17, 2000 (13:06) * 20 lines
Three Coronal Mass Ejections and a Near-Earth Asteroid

Space Weather News for Sept. 17, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

No fewer than 3 coronal mass ejections appear to be heading toward Earth
following solar eruptions on Friday and Saturday. The CMEs could trigger
aurora at middle-latitudes when they arrive during the next few days. We
invite aspiring aurora photographers to visit our online aurora gallery,
which includes photo settings that worked well during the geomagnetic
storm of August 12, 2000.

Also, the bright Near-Earth asteroid 2000 RD53 will fly by our planet on
September 17, barely 11 times farther away than the Moon. Amateur
astronomers with 8 inch or larger telescopes can spot the space rock as it
zooms by. (Note: There is no relationship between the asteroid and the
CMEs.)

For more information please visit http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 180 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Sep 21, 2000 (23:48) * 15 lines
A Good Month for Asteroids

NASA Science News for September 20, 2000

September has been a good month for astronomers
studying Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). No fewer
than five sizable minor planets have flown past
our planet since the beginning of the month,
affording astronomers a close-up look at these
ever-scary space rocks.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast20sep_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 181 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Fri, Sep 22, 2000 (10:42) * 8 lines

from the cool astronomy picture of the day site,



\ src="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0009/spirograph_heritage.jpg">


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 182 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Fri, Sep 22, 2000 (10:44) * 6 lines
http://www.heavens-above.com/

GSOC satellite tracking pages, good stuff!

Tells you when to spot the shuttle, Mir, and other satellites.


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 183 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Sep 22, 2000 (17:25) * 1 lines
Thanks for that...it is a great url to add to the bookmark list!!! I have used it to watch them go overhead. You can really see them just after it gets dark in the evening and same with the morning!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 184 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Sep 22, 2000 (20:17) * 17 lines
HAPPY AUTUMNAL EQUINOX

Interplanetary Fall

NASA Science News for September 22, 2000

Today Earth joins two other worlds in the solar
system where it is northern autumn. Read this
story to learn more about Earth's September
equinox and to ponder the bizarre seasons of
other planets.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast22sep_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 185 of 866: Cheryl  (CherylB) * Sat, Sep 23, 2000 (10:21) * 1 lines
I'm a day late, but I hope everyone (in the Northern Hemisphere) did have a Happy Autumnal Equinox. For those south of the Equator it was, of course, their Vernal Equinox.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 186 of 866: Carys  (Carys) * Sat, Sep 23, 2000 (10:23) * 1 lines
What about the people that live on the Equator? I quess everyday is pretty much the Equinox for them.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 187 of 866: Cheryl  (CherylB) * Sat, Sep 23, 2000 (10:28) * 1 lines
It might be. Maybe Marcia can clear up what it would be.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 188 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Sep 24, 2000 (21:53) * 3 lines
Since it is "an imaginary line" encircling the globe - much like other latitude and logitude lines - it is likely and "imaginary" equinox! Can one stand on an imaginary line since it is just there - no width, no depth? Hmmm...Virtually, perhaps?

I am devoid of incoming mail so I am back to using telnet to Hawaii on Line and Pine for email. The virtual stone age is back. They are going to get a call from me in the morning!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 189 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Sep 28, 2000 (20:58) * 14 lines
Mail returned to normal...

Bright Planets and Random Meteors

NASA Science News for September 28, 2000

This week's new Moon sets the stage for a
"sporadic" meteor show featuring a cast
of eye-catching stars and planets.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast28sep_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 190 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Oct  2, 2000 (18:24) * 14 lines
Peering into the Ozone Hole

NASA Science News for October 02, 2000

Concentrations of ozone-destroying gases are
down, but the Antarctic ozone hole is bigger than
ever. It turns out there's more to ozone
destruction than just CFCs.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast02oct_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 191 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Oct 10, 2000 (21:19) * 14 lines
The Moonlit Leonids 2000

NASA Science News for October 10, 2000

Our planet is heading for a minefield of cosmic
dust streams laid down by periodic comet
Tempel-Tuttle. The result could be a series of
meteor outbursts on Nov. 17 and 18, 2000.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast10oct_1.htm?list

---

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 192 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Oct 12, 2000 (18:59) * 14 lines
Sun Sample Return Mission Nears Launch

NASA Science News for October 12, 2000

The science payload for NASA's Genesis
spacecraft, which will collect samples of the
solar wind and return them to Earth, is now
complete.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast12oct_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 193 of 866:  (sprin5) * Fri, Oct 13, 2000 (07:37) * 1 lines
Aren't they going to do some work on the space station, also?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 194 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Oct 13, 2000 (13:28) * 1 lines
I think that is also planned. Provinding they can move around in there once it is entirely stocked. Sounds claustrophobic... They will be in the direct path of solar wind and it behooves them to study it, certainly!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 195 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Mon, Oct 16, 2000 (05:10) * 1 lines
I guess the 100th Shuttle is up there now, right?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 196 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Oct 16, 2000 (14:27) * 19 lines
Shuttle finally got off the ground after the hurricane and mysterious pin kept it grounded. Check NASA tv to watch their goings-on
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/video/video45m.html

Backyard Gamma-ray Bursts

NASA Science News for October 16, 2000

With the successful launch of NASA's HETE-2
satellite, amateur astronomers will soon be able
to spot the most powerful explosions in the
Universe from the comfort of their own back
yards. Professionals are also looking forward to
the new data, which they hope will unravel the
mysteries of gamma-ray bursts.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast16oct_1.htm?list 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 197 of 866:  (sprin5) * Tue, Oct 17, 2000 (07:14) * 1 lines
Number 100?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 198 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Oct 26, 2000 (21:15) * 9 lines
A Close Encounter with Asteroid Eros

NASA Science News for October 26, 2000 5:00:00 PM

NASA's NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft swooped 5 kilometers above the surface of 433 Eros on Oct 26th, marking its closest-ever approach to the tumbling space rock. Scientists hope the flyby will uncover clues about extra boulders and missing craters on the near-Earth asteroid.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast26oct_2.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 199 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Oct 26, 2000 (21:19) * 1 lines
Think so the 100th shuttle mission...and back down again.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 200 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Oct 31, 2000 (16:44) * 9 lines
Trick or Treat: It's Toutatis!

NASA Science News for October 31, 2000

NASA scientists are monitoring a large near-Earth asteroid that tumbled past our planet on the morning of Halloween 2000. Amateur astronomers can spot it for themselves in telescopes later this month and through binoculars when it passes even closer to Earth in Sept. 2004.

FULL STORY at

http://spacescience.com/headlines/y2000/ast31oct_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 201 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Nov  2, 2000 (21:58) * 8 lines
Water on the Space Station

NASA Science News for November 2, 2000

Rationing and recycling will be an essential part of life on the newly-populated International Space Station. In this article, the first of a series about the challenges of living in orbit, Science@NASA explores where the crew will get their water and how they will (re)use it.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast02nov_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 202 of 866:  (sprin5) * Fri, Nov  3, 2000 (07:01) * 1 lines
They picked the callsign "alpha" in a jublilant video conference to Mission HQ. It's the beginning of man in space for perhaps the rest of history, there may never be a time when man is not in space from now on.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 203 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Nov  7, 2000 (15:27) * 9 lines
Much Ado about 2000 SG344

NASA Science News for November 7, 2000

Later this century a relic from NASA's earliest space exploration efforts might return to Earth, if current estimates are confirmed. The near-Earth object, which follows an orbit almost identical to our planet's, looks like an asteroid but may be an Apollo-era rocket booster.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast06nov_2.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 204 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Nov  9, 2000 (11:28) * 18 lines
Space Weather News for Nov. 9, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

RADIATION STORM: High-energy particles are bombarding satellites this
morning after a solar eruption unleashed a strong radiation storm. Radio
blackouts and minor satellite glitches are possible while the storm
persists.

NEAR-EARTH ASTEROID 2000 UG11: A 250-meter asteroid zoomed past Earth on
Tuesday just 6 times farther from our planet than the Moon. New video
clips show the space rock racing through the sky on Nov. 1st - 7th.

AURORA BOREALIS: Geomagnetic storms on November 3rd and 6th triggered
widespread aurora. Pictures of the Northern Lights are now available on
SpaceWeather.com.

For more information and images please visit http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 205 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Nov 10, 2000 (11:00) * 18 lines
Aurora Alert


Space Weather News for Nov. 9, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

The Nov. 8th solar eruption that triggered an ongoing radiation storm
around Earth also launched a coronal mass ejection (CME) that appears to
be heading in the direction of our planet. The CME raced away from the
Sun traveling faster than 2000 km/s and it could strike Earth's
magnetosphere late Friday or Saturday. Forecasters estimate a 25% chance
of severe geomagnetic storms at middle latitudes during the next 48 hours.
Stay tuned to http://spaceweather.com for continuing coverage.

Photographers who capture images of the aurora are invited to send them as
email attachments to webmaster@spaceweather.com for display on
SpaceWeather.com. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 206 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Nov 13, 2000 (17:37) * 9 lines
Breathing Easy on the Space Station

NASA Science News for November 13, 2000

Life support systems on the International Space Station provide oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, and manage vaporous emissions from the astronauts themselves. It's all part of breathing easy in our new home in space.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast13nov_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 207 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Nov 15, 2000 (18:14) * 18 lines
Wanted: Leonid Meteor Spotters

Space Weather News for Nov. 15, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

The 2000 Leonid meteor shower is just around the corner. Forecasters
expect at least two outbursts of shooting stars as Earth passes through
debris from comet Tempel-Tuttle this Friday and Saturday. Spaceweather.com
will post current meteor counts and reports from around the world
beginning Thursday and continuing through the end of the shower. We invite
all our readers to participate and report what they see. All you need are
clear skies! Visit http://www.spaceweather.com for more information and
observing tips.

And don't forget NASA's live webcast of the Leonids from the stratosphere!
Visit http://www.leonidslive.com for details. 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 208 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Nov 16, 2000 (18:22) * 10 lines
Lighting Up the Ecosphere

NASA Science News for Nov. 15, 2000

Using satellite images of city lights at night, NASA scientists are
mapping the spread of urban areas around the globe and monitoring their
impact on our planet's ecosystem. FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast15nov_1.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 209 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Nov 17, 2000 (18:19) * 12 lines
Flowing Sand in Space

NASA Science News for Nov. 17, 2000

NASA scientists are sending sand into Earth orbit to learn more about how
soil behaves during earthquakes. Their results will help engineers build
safer structures on Earth and someday on other planets, too.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast17nov_1.htm 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 210 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Nov 22, 2000 (19:09) * 8 lines
A Solar Flare Stuns Stardust

NASA Science News for November 22, 2000

Earlier this month one of the most intense solar radiation storms in decades temporarily blinded NASA's Stardust spacecraft, which is heading for a rendezvous with comet Wild-2.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast22nov_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 211 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Nov 24, 2000 (15:02) * 17 lines
Weekend Aurora Warning; Asteroid Toutatis Brightens
Space Weather News for Nov. 24, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

SOLAR FLARES: This morning, two powerful solar flares triggered an ongoing
radiation storm around Earth. The eruptions from a sunspot group near the
center of the Sun's visible disk also launched two coronal mass ejections
toward our planet. Sky watchers should be alert for aurora when the CMEs
strike Earth's magnetosphere later this weekend.

ASTEROIDS: Near-Earth asteroid Toutatis, which passed close to Earth on
Halloween, is actually brightening as it moves away from our planet.
Amateur astronomers can spot the space rock in 8- to 10-inch telescopes as
it reaches peak brightness next week.

For more information, visit http://www.SpaceWeather.com . 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 212 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Nov 27, 2000 (11:37) * 9 lines
Microscopic Stowaways on the ISS

NASA Science News for November 26, 2000

Wherever humans go microbes will surely follow, and the Space Station is no exception. In this article, NASA scientists discuss how astronauts on the ISS will keep potentially bothersome microorganisms under control.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast26nov_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 213 of 866: Mike Griggs  (mikeg) * Mon, Nov 27, 2000 (11:51) * 1 lines
That was pretty interesting. It shows that there is so much more think about than you first realise when going into space. I always thought it was a case of piling five guys into a rocket and shooting them up to an orbiting spacecan. I guess it's not that simple...

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 214 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Nov 27, 2000 (13:51) * 1 lines
Nope, or we would have done it long ago... and a lot more guys would have died...

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 215 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Nov 29, 2000 (16:35) * 13 lines
Sky show tonight: a close encounter between Venus and the Moon

Space Weather News for Nov. 29, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

The recent spate of geomagnetic disturbances produced auroras mainly at
high latitudes. Middle- and low-latitude observers didn't see much in the
way of Northern Lights. But tonight there's a sky show that anyone can
enjoy: a dazzling close encounter between Venus and the crescent Moon.
Visit http://www.spaceweather.com for details about that and to view a
gallery of pictures captured during this week's geomagnetic storms. 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 216 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec  1, 2000 (01:18) * 9 lines
Far-out Housekeeping on the ISS

NASA Science News for November 29, 2000

Life in space is a daring adventure, but somebody still has to cook dinner and take out the trash. Science@NASA interviews two astronauts about the thrill and routine of daily life in orbit.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast29nov_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 217 of 866:  (sprin5) * Fri, Dec  1, 2000 (07:03) * 1 lines
The ham satellite (the big one the hams have been waiting for) is succesfully up! Any news on this Marci?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 218 of 866: Mike Griggs  (mikeg) * Sat, Dec  2, 2000 (09:35) * 1 lines
Oh, I forgot to mention, someone pointed out Jupiter to me when I was in Japan. Is it possible to see Jupiter with the naked eye??? I was unconvinced but secretly impressed :-)

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 219 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Sat, Dec  2, 2000 (12:43) * 1 lines
Of course it is, Jupiter can be very visible.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 220 of 866: Mike Griggs  (mikeg) * Sat, Dec  2, 2000 (15:49) * 1 lines
Well I wasn't sure :-) Cool, I've seen Jupiter :-)

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 221 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Dec  4, 2000 (19:45) * 0 lines 
 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 222 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Dec  4, 2000 (19:52) * 2 lines
Get a cheap pair of binoculars, Mike - you can see the four Galillean moons easily. And, they change from night to night as you
watch them orbit!!!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 223 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Dec  4, 2000 (19:54) * 9 lines
EO-1: It's not just a good idea, it's the law!

NASA Science News for December 4, 2000

NASA's Earth Observing-1 satellite blasted off last week with a payload of new instruments that could revolutionize remote sensing. The work of the new satellite is regarded as so important it's actually required by law.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast04dec_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 224 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Dec  4, 2000 (19:56) * 9 lines
Sedimentary Mars

NASA Science News for December 4, 2000 4:00:00 PM

New Mars Global Surveyor images reveal sedimentary rock layers on the Red Planet that may have formed underwater in the distant martian past.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast04dec_2.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 225 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Tue, Dec  5, 2000 (07:42) * 1 lines
So, they're debating how much water may have been on Mars, and whether the liquid was water (probably), these sedimentary layers were found on the giant canyon that would stretch from NY to California. They should drop the next lander in this sediment!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 226 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Dec  5, 2000 (15:01) * 2 lines
..but only if they are sure it would be able to hear their commands. We lost the last one that way... I'd like a specimen for my collection, thank you!!!
Santa,I have been naughty but soooo nice this year...

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 227 of 866:  (sprin5) * Wed, Dec  6, 2000 (08:37) * 1 lines
The best of both worlds, right? Which is more important, this sedimentary area or the ice cap areas where there may be water for a landing? And when is the next Mars launch?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 228 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Dec  6, 2000 (14:55) * 11 lines
I'll let you know when I know - stay tuned...

A Disintegrating Glacier

NASA Science News for December 6, 2000

Recent satellite images reveal two new icebergs floating off the Antarctic coast. The icy behemoths are fragments of the Ninnis Glacier.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast05dec_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 229 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Dec  6, 2000 (15:05) * 3 lines
Latest Mars updates are available at

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 230 of 866: Mike Griggs  (mikeg) * Wed, Dec  6, 2000 (17:27) * 7 lines
Get a cheap pair of binoculars, Mike - you can see the four Galillean moons easily. And, they change from night to night as you
watch them orbit!!!


That is cool, Marcia!! When I was in school I dropped Astro so that I could concentrate on other stuff (like smashing rocks to pieces with hammers and blowing up alternate universes with Quantum singularities... :-)

I should definitely start checking out the sky a bit more. Trouble is it means going outside at night when it's all cold. Still, I guess in the summer it could be a joint trip with one of my lady friends.... :-)


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 231 of 866:  (sprin5) * Wed, Dec  6, 2000 (19:57) * 1 lines
One of the brightest objects in the sky will be the space station with the solar panels unfurled. Has anyone seen this yet or does anyone know a website for times, dates to view it?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 232 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Dec  7, 2000 (00:31) * 8 lines
Terry, I posted the satellite tracking and spotting of ISS back a few...

for all satellites:
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/RealTime/JTrack/

For ISS and such:
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/RealTime/JTrack/Spacecraft.html 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 233 of 866:  (sprin5) * Thu, Dec  7, 2000 (07:38) * 1 lines
Cool, I'll check it out, have you seen it yet?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 234 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec  8, 2000 (15:57) * 4 lines
ISS updates
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ops/stage4a/status.html

This is Shuttle mission 97

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 235 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec  8, 2000 (15:58) * 0 lines 
 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 236 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec  8, 2000 (16:01) * 5 lines
Have not yet seeen it. The last time I looked I saw the space junk re-entry. That was REALLY neat!!! ISS seems to orbit so they are over Hawaii
quite frequently, so I'll hunt again. Did see the Shuttle and MIR linked up - brilliant like Venus!!! 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 237 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec  8, 2000 (16:26) * 20 lines
Pass the Can Opener, Please
In early December engineers in Waco, Texas, will cut a hole big
enough to drive a truck through in the aft fuselage of a 747SP
jumbo jet. It's a key step in converting the airliner into the
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA),
whose 2.5-meter (98-inch) telescope will peer at the heavens
from an altitude of 41,000 feet beginning in 2003.

A Yuletide Partial Solar Eclipse
During the partial eclipse of the Sun on December 25, 2000,
the Moon passes slightly north of the Sun's center as seen from
nearly all parts of North America south of the Arctic Circle.

A Passing Affair
Cassini will pass 9.8 million km from Jupiter, en route to Saturn,
on December 30th. 





 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 238 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec  8, 2000 (16:33) * 9 lines
The Baffling Geminid Meteor Shower

NASA Science News for December 8, 2000

Most meteor showers are caused by comets, but the Geminid meteor shower, which peaks next Wednesday morning, seems to come from a curious near-Earth asteroid.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast08dec_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 239 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Sat, Dec  9, 2000 (10:06) * 1 lines
Curious indeed!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 240 of 866: Cheryl  (CherylB) * Sat, Dec  9, 2000 (10:23) * 3 lines
Marcia, maybe Santa Claus will bring you that Martian rock for Christmas this year. Do you have a Lunar rock to go with it? Just kidding.

On the disintergrating glazier, a few years ago an iceberg broke off the Anarctic Ice Shelf that was slightly smaller than the state of Rhode Island. Suffice to say, it was easily visible from space.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 241 of 866:  (sprin5) * Sat, Dec  9, 2000 (12:18) * 1 lines
It's probably still afloat?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 242 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Dec  9, 2000 (23:23) * 1 lines
That, or fused into the polar ice sheet next winter....

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 243 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Dec 10, 2000 (17:08) * 24 lines
NEWSALERT: Sunday, December 10, 2000 @ 0557 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, SHUTTLE DEPARTS STATION
---------------------------------------------
With hugs and handshakes, the Endeavour astronauts bid farewell to the crew of space station Alpha Saturday, closed hatches between the two spacecraft and undocked to wind up an edge-of-the-seat mission to install a huge set of solar arrays.
http://spaceflightnow.com/ops/stage4a/001209fd10/
Follow the mission's progress in our status center:
http://spaceflightnow.com/ops/stage4a/status.html
Watch video clip of shuttle crew departing station:
http://spaceflightnow.com/ops/stage4a/video/001209farewell_qt.html

FOUR ADDITIONAL MOONS DISCOVERED ORBITING SATURN
------------------------------------------------
An unprecedented surge in planetary moon discoveries continued this week as astronomers reported the discovery of four more moons orbiting Saturn, bringing the total number of moons found around the planet since October to ten.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/10saturnmoons/

DELAYED ARIANE 4 ROCKET LAUNCH RESET FOR MONDAY
-----------------------------------------------
After a postponement to double-check the rocket's nose cone, Arianespace has rescheduled the flight of Ariane 4 launcher carrying the Eurasiasat 1 communications satellite for Monday evening from South America.
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v137/status.html 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 244 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Dec 12, 2000 (16:58) * 10 lines
The Incredible Shrinking Ozone Hole

NASA Science News for December 12, 2000

After reaching record-breaking proportions earlier this year the ozone hole over Antarctica has made a surprisingly hasty retreat.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast12dec_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 245 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Dec 14, 2000 (19:35) * 11 lines
Christmas Eclipse

NASA Science News for December 14, 2000


A solar eclipse is coming on Christmas Day, 2000. The winter landscape across parts of North America will assume an eerie cast, and cooler-than-usual winds might swirl, as the New Moon glides across the face of the Yuletide Sun.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast15dec_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 246 of 866:  (sprin5) * Fri, Dec 15, 2000 (07:59) * 15 lines




src="http://a799.ms.akamai.net/7/799/388/a22603ce3aeabf/www.msnbc.com/news/719513.jpg"
align="left">
This Mars life story is *new*, as reported by MSNBC today. "Dec. 13 — A
new scientific report offers compelling evidence that primitive life
existed on Mars, NASA says. Researchers report that tiny magnetite
crystals, identical to those used by aqueous bacteria on Earth as
compasses to find food and energy, have been found in the Martian
meteorite ALH84001."



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 247 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec 15, 2000 (12:55) * 5 lines
Really nice!!!! Thank you Big Time for posting that image! 





 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 248 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec 15, 2000 (12:56) * 19 lines
NEWSALERT: Friday, December 15, 2000 @ 1612 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

HUBBLE SEES SATELLITE FOOTPRINTS IN JUPITER AURORA
--------------------------------------------------
Check out a spectacular Hubble Space Telescope close-up view of an electric-blue aurora that is eerily glowing one half billion miles away on the giant planet Jupiter. Auroras are curtains of light resulting from high-energy electrons racing along the planet's magnetic field into the upper atmosphere.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/15hubble/

UNIVERSE'S MOST MASSIVE SPIRAL GALAXY REVEALED
----------------------------------------------
The most massive spiral galaxy known so far in the Universe has been discovered by a team of astronomers. This galaxy is located at a distance of approximately 6 billion light-years and its measured mass is more than 1,000 billion times that of the Sun.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/15spiral/

TWIN TELESCOPES POISED TO EXPLORE STRUCTURE OF UNIVERSE
-------------------------------------------------------
More than 300 people traveled thousands of miles to a remote mountaintop in Chile for the dedication of two of the most powerful survey instruments ever built: the Baade and the Clay 6.5-meter reflecting telescopes.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/15carnegie/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 249 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec 15, 2000 (18:49) * 12 lines
Weekend Aurora Watch

Space Weather News for Dec. 14, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

A coronal mass ejection that left the Sun on Thursday appears to be
heading for Earth. The disturbance could trigger aurora late Saturday or
(more likely) Sunday when it strikes our planet's magnetosphere. For
details and animations please visit http://www.spaceweather.com . 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 250 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Dec 16, 2000 (12:17) * 22 lines
NEWSALERT: Saturday, December 16, 2000 @ 0520 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

CHINA PLEDGES DEVELOPMENT OF MANNED SPACE PROGRAM
-------------------------------------------------
China is poised to launch the second test flight of its Shenzhou spacecraft -- an orbiter capable of carrying an astronaut into space -- a Chinese official said this week in his year-end press briefing in Washington.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/15china/


STATION CREW AWAITS SPARE PARTS FOR AIR SCRUBBER
------------------------------------------------
The international space station's air purification system is working smoothly, NASA's lead flight director said Friday. But unexpected equipment failures during the crew's first six weeks in space have left the astronauts just one failure away from a possible forced evacuation.
http://spaceflightnow.com/ops/stage4a/001216scrubber/


KENNEDY SPACE CENTER CELEBRATES ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF 2000
-------------------------------------------------------
During the past year, NASA's Kennedy Space Center began an ambitious schedule of Space Shuttle launches as construction of the International Space Station shifted into high gear, plus managed six rocket launches and formed partnerships across the board.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/16ksc2000/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 251 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Dec 16, 2000 (19:20) * 3 lines
CHRISTMAS SOLAR ECLIPSE

http://www.skypub.com/sights/eclipses/solar/001225partial.html

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 252 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Dec 18, 2000 (00:02) * 9 lines
Learning from Lightning

NASA Science News for December 17, 2000

Little by little, lightning sensors in space are revealing the inner workings of severe storms. Scientists hope to use the technique to improve forecasts of deadly weather.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast17dec_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 253 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Dec 19, 2000 (22:15) * 23 lines
Geomagnetic activity alert + near-Earth asteroid news

Space Weather News for Dec. 19, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com


METEORS & AURORA: Sky watchers who venture outside to view the Ursid
meteor shower Thursday night or Friday morning might also spot aurora
borealis. A coronal mass ejection that left the Sun on Monday is likely
to buffet Earth's magnetosphere later this week. Forecasters estimate a
20% chance of severe geomagnetic activity when the CME arrives.


NEAR-EARTH ASTEROIDS: A newly-discovered near-Earth asteroid, 2000 YA,
will pass just two lunar distances from Earth on Dec. 22nd. There's no
danger of a collision, say scientists, but the small space rock will be
near enough to see through large amateur telescopes or through small
telescopes equipped with CCD cameras.

For more information, images and animations, please visit
http://www.spaceweather.com 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 254 of 866:  (sprin5) * Wed, Dec 20, 2000 (09:00) * 10 lines
There was a very interesting piece this morning on NPR on the Saturn moon,
Euuropa. It seems there may be water beneath the ice that may support
life. Even though the sun's energy is very distant, there is some kind of
gravitational tide effect from Saturn and other moons that may be enough
to generate higher temperatures and enable liquids under the icy surface.
There is some kind of underwater sub expedition planned by NASA in the
next 10 years. This could be an exciting development, I haven't searched
o the net yet, but I'm sure there's more out there on this, on NPR.org's
site for sure.


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 255 of 866:  (sprin5) * Wed, Dec 20, 2000 (09:06) * 5 lines
Correction, substitute Jupiter for Saturn. Big detail.

EUROPA & HOW LIFE BEGINS $

NPR's Richard Harris explores what it would take for life to begin elsewhere in the solar system. Pictures released yesterday of Jupiter's moon Europa suggest that the chemicals necessary for life may exist in large frozen oceans there -- just waiting for the right conditions to sprout life. On Earth, oceanographers think that life may have begun in a similar primordial soup at the bottom of the ocean. They're looking at unique heat-resistant organisms that live next to hot-gas vents on the ocean floor. 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 256 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Dec 20, 2000 (13:20) * 1 lines
I posted that bit of info in Geo 24 - the astronomy topic update. Fascinating stuff! (...and we knew which planet you meant *hugs*) 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 257 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Dec 20, 2000 (17:02) * 9 lines
Martian Micro-Magnets

NASA Science News for December 20, 2000

Certain types of bacteria on Earth are atomic engineers -- atom by atom they build tiny magnetic crystals to help themselves follow our planet's magnetic field. Now scientists have found such crystals in an unlikely place: a martian meteorite!

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast20dec_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 258 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec 22, 2000 (19:57) * 10 lines
Watching the Angry Sun

NASA Science News for December 22, 2000

As the Sun's stormy season approaches its zenith, solar scientists have the best seat in the house, using the largest coordinated fleet of spacecraft and ground observatories ever assembled to observe angry outbursts of solar radiation.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast22dec_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 259 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Dec 22, 2000 (20:47) * 23 lines
A meteor outburst, after all....

Space Weather News for Dec. 22, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com


METEORS: Sky watchers in Europe and on the US west coast spotted a modest
outburst of Ursid meteors Thursday night. Astronomers had hoped for a
more impressive display, but the flurry of faint shooting stars was
nevertheless welcomed because it confirmed a new model of cometary debris
streams.


AURORA WATCH: Conditions may be favorable for high-latitude auroras
tonight. The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) near Earth turned
sharply southward after a solar wind disturbance arrived in the
neighborhood of our planet. South-pointing IMFs make our magnetosphere
more vulnerable than usual to solar wind gusts -- additional gusts could
trigger Northern Lights.

For more information visit http://www.spaceweather.com 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 260 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Dec 24, 2000 (20:35) * 47 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, December 25, 2000 @ 0050 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD HOLIDAY GREETING
-------------------------------------
The international space station crew offer the people of planet Earth greetings for the holiday season in a message from their orbiting home 235 miles up. The three men are the first residents of the new station, beginning what is planned to be a continuous human presence in space for the 21st century.
Watch video message:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/video/001224greetings_qt.html
Astronauts report first Santa sighting:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/video/001224santa_qt.html

CARGO SHIP SET FOR REDOCKING TO SPACE STATION
---------------------------------------------
Spaceflight Now will have complete live coverage of Tuesday's redocking of the Progress M1-4 cargo freighter to the international space station. Cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko will manually guide the craft to the orbital linkup using two joysticks and a television picture.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

See our timeline of the redocking sequence:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/fdf/redocking.html

RARE CHRISTMAS ECLIPSE VIEWABLE IN NORTH AMERICA
------------------------------------------------
On Christmas Day, step outside and get a rare Christmas present-a partial solar eclipse! Sky watchers living in the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean will have a perfect view of the partially eclipsed Sun.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/24eclipse/

SANTA BECOMES TEST PILOT AT FLORIDA'S SHUTTLE LANDING SITE
----------------------------------------------------------
Not only does Santa Claus know when you are sleeping or awake -- bad or good, he also knows with pinpoint accuracy the exact location of each planned delivery stop. With newly-installed GPS on his sleigh, Santa plans to fly by the Kennedy Space Center to test his space-age equipment.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/24santaslf/

OBSERVATIONS CONFIRM THE UNIVERSE WAS HOTTER IN PAST
----------------------------------------------------
A fundamental prediction of the Big Bang theory has finally been verified. For the first time, an actual measurement has been made of the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation, at a time when the Universe was only about 2.5 billion years old.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/24vlthot/

SCIENTISTS DELIGHTED BY FIRST IMAGES FROM EO-1 SATELLITE
--------------------------------------------------------
Scientists have seen the first images from NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) spacecraft launched last month and now flying in formation with the Landsat 7 satellite. Researchers say they are excited with the performance of the instruments on the EO-1 technology demonstrator.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/23eo1first/


SPACEHAB RESEARCH MODULE TO FLY ON '02 SHUTTLE MISSION
------------------------------------------------------
A commercial Spacehab Research Double Module will be flown aboard a space shuttle in 2002 for a NASA science flight. Spacehab is marketing a portion of space in the module to commercial users, including other national space agencies.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/23sts112/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 261 of 866: Curious Wolfie  (wolf) * Mon, Dec 25, 2000 (15:29) * 1 lines
too bad it's rainy here, we won't be able to witness the christmas eclipse *frown*

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 262 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Dec 25, 2000 (15:53) * 1 lines
check in Geo 24 for my ex's Pennsylvania shots.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 263 of 866: Curious Wolfie  (wolf) * Mon, Dec 25, 2000 (16:23) * 1 lines
did, thanks sweetie! *HUGS*

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 264 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Dec 25, 2000 (17:35) * 2 lines
Merry Christmas Dear - and *Happy Hugs* to go with it. What was your surprise???
(We need to talk, I think)

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 265 of 866: Curious Wolfie  (wolf) * Mon, Dec 25, 2000 (18:18) * 1 lines
yes--did you get my msn invite? (for IM?)

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 266 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Dec 25, 2000 (18:29) * 1 lines
nope!!! I'll send you one!!! I had this problem with B earlier.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 267 of 866:  (sprin5) * Tue, Dec 26, 2000 (05:35) * 1 lines
Wolfie, I was in up in your 'hood yesterday, Shey and I went to Tyler to see mjy dad, but we had a short visit as we were trying to get home before any of the heavy weather predicted for today.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 268 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Dec 26, 2000 (13:45) * 30 lines
NEWSALERT: Tuesday, December 26, 2000 @ 1510 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

BRIEF LOSS OF CONTACT RAISES FEARS ABOUT MIR STATION
-----------------------------------------------------
Contact with the unmanned Russian Mir space station was briefly
lost today. While normal communications later were restored,
the incident heightened concern about the Russians' ability to
precisely control the abandoned station's upcoming re-entry and
breakup.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/26mir/

CARGO SHIP REDOCKS TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
-------------------------------------------------
Cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko remotely piloted an unmanned Progress supply ship to a trouble-free manual redocking with the international space station today as the two spacecraft sailed 230 miles above Mongolia. Includes video clips.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/001226redock/

OCEAN-HARBORING MOON GANYMEDE SEEN BY CASSINI
---------------------------------------------
The solar system's largest moon, Ganymede, is captured here alongside the planet Jupiter in a color picture taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft earlier this month at a distance of 16.5 million miles.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/26cassgany/

LAUNCH SCHEDULE
---------------
See our Tracking Station for a the latest listing of upcoming space launches for the New Year. http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/ 





 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 269 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Dec 26, 2000 (16:05) * 15 lines
Solar Eclipse Pictures

Space Weather News for Dec. 26, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com


If bad weather, over-sleeping, or simply not living in North America
prevented you from seeing the Christmas 2000 solar eclipse, now you have a
second chance. The SpaceWeather.com eclipse gallery features dozens of
images captured by sky watchers using everything from professional
hydrogen-alpha telescopes (that show sunspots and solar filaments) to
makeshift solar filters assembled from computer CDs. Visit
http://spaceweather.com for more... 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 270 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Dec 30, 2000 (00:08) * 24 lines
NEWSALERT: Saturday, December 30, 2000 @ 0505 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

CASSINI HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE JOVIAN KIND TODAY
----------------------------------------------------
NASA's Cassini space probe makes its 6-million mile flyby of Jupiter today at 1012 GMT (5:12 a.m. EST). The encounter acts as a gravity-assisted sling-shot, boosting the craft's speed by 2,500 mph to over 30,000 mph for its continued trek to Saturn. We'll have a wrap up story following a news conference later today.
http://spaceflightnow.com/cassini/

CASSINI EYES JUPITER'S CLOUDS IN GREAT DETAIL
---------------------------------------------
Images taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft using three different filters reveal cloud structures and movements at different depths in the atmosphere around Jupiter's south pole.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/30cassclouds/

HEAVY DOSE OF RADIATION CAUSES GALILEO GLITCHES
-----------------------------------------------
NASA's Galileo spacecraft passed through the highest radiation environment it will experience in its current orbit of Jupiter late Thursday. The exposure caused an alarm from the probe's camera system and a computer reset in another portion of the spacecraft.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/30galileorad/

SPACE STATION RESIDENTS GIVE NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE
-----------------------------------------------
The Alpha astronauts beamed down New Year's greetings Friday, saying "let the real space odyssey 2001 proceed." Commander William Shepherd, flight engineer Sergei Krikalev and Soyuz pilot Yuri Gidzenko fielded questions from reporters in an early morning communications session, saying they plan to mark the arrival of the new year with at least one - and probably two - special meals. (Includes video clip!)
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/001229greet01/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 271 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Dec 30, 2000 (13:34) * 10 lines
Galileo Looks for Auroras on Ganymede

NASA Science News for December 28, 2000

NASA's durable Galileo spacecraft flew above the solar system's largest moon this morning in search of extraterrestrial Northern Lights -- a telltale sign of Ganymede's unique magnetic field.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast28dec_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 272 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Dec 30, 2000 (18:12) * 62 lines
New color movie stars Jupiter's clouds / Galileo's dark encount

NEWSALERT: Thursday, December 28, 2000 @ 0525 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now


CASSINI MAKES FIRST COLOR MOVIE OF JUPITER'S CLOUDS
---------------------------------------------------
Imagery from NASA's Cassini spacecraft has been used to generate this first color movie of Jupiter's horizontal bands of clouds from the Saturn-bound probe. The orange and white bands slide in opposite directions from each other and a swirl of winds gyrate around Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/28jupmovie/


GALILEO HAS DARK ENCOUNTER WITH JOVIAN MOON GANYMEDE
----------------------------------------------------
NASA's intrepid Galileo spacecraft zips past Ganymede on Thursday for a unique close encounter that provides a chance to study the faint auroral glows on the solar system's largest moon. (Includes video clips!)

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/28ganyflyby/


MARTIAN WATER MAY BE ICE IN PLANET'S INTERIOR
---------------------------------------------
Liquid water that once flowed on the surface of Mars could now be locked up deep in the planet's interior as an unusual form of ice, scientists reported earlier this month.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/28marsice/


SURPRISE SWITCH FOR MIR EMERGENCY CREW
--------------------------------------
Russian space managers have changed the makeup of a two-man cosmonaut crew on standby for a flight to the abandoned Mir space station in the event of any future emergency that might cause an uncontrolled re-entry.

http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/001227mircrew/


RESEARCHER PROPOSES DARING ASTEROID SAMPLE RETURN
-------------------------------------------------
In the wake of NASA's successful Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous space mission, a University of Arkansas researcher is putting together a team of scientists to take asteroid research to the next level -- bringing asteroid samples back to Earth.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/27asteroid/


CONTACT RESTORED WITH NEW AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITE
-------------------------------------------------
The amateur radio community received a welcome Christmas present Monday when workers were able to restore contact with the AMSAT-OSCAR 40 satellite that had been silent for nearly two weeks.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/27ao40/


IRIDIUM SATELLITES USED TO MAP GLOBAL SPACE WEATHER
---------------------------------------------------
Scientists are now able to simultaneously measure the magnetic and electrical fields over large areas of the ionosphere above the Earth's polar regions, allowing great improvement in the understanding and forecasting of global space weather and helping prevent disruption of communication and power systems.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/27iridiumsci/


RUSSIANS LAUNCH SIX COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES
---------------------------------------------
A Ukrainian-made Tsyklon 3 rocket loaded with six Russian communications satellites blasted off Wednesday. The launch occurred at approximately 1900 GMT (2 p.m. EST) from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0012/27tsyklon/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 273 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Dec 30, 2000 (19:19) * 7 lines
More Cassini URLs

NASA Jupiter Millennium Flyby: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/jupiterflyby/

Cassini mission site: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini

Cassini imaging science team: http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/ 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 274 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Dec 30, 2000 (19:35) * 9 lines
Retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

NASA Science News for December 27, 2000

Scientists say that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is retreating more slowly than they thought. In fact, it may have been growing just 8,000 years ago -- long after the end of the most recent Ice Age.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast27dec_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 275 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Tue, Jan  2, 2001 (09:40) * 1 lines
Wow, what a plethora of space news today. Great work, gleaning all this Marci!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 276 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jan  2, 2001 (14:07) * 13 lines
Get our your receivers tonight - over 100/hour expected!! I am delighted you find it interesting - lots of goodies in there!

Listen to the Quadrantids tonight

Space Weather News for January 2, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak over North America before dawn on
Wednesday morning, January 3rd. No matter where you live you can listen
to the shower by tuning in to a radio meteor listening station at the NASA
Marshall Space Flight Center. The installation, located in Huntsville,
AL, is perfectly situated to detect a Quadrantid outburst. For more
information and realtime audio please visit http://www.spaceweather.com 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 277 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jan  2, 2001 (14:12) * 35 lines
NEWSALERT: Tuesday, January 2, 2000 @ 0541 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

STATION SKIPPER WRITES POEM TO USHER IN THE NEW YEAR
----------------------------------------------------
The international space station's Exedition One commander, Bill Shepherd, has written a poem capturing his thoughts and reflections, as he and Russian shipmates, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, usher in 2001.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/001231poem/

SHUTTLE ATLANTIS GOES FOR SIX HOUR RIDE TO PAD TODAY
----------------------------------------------------
Rolling along at speeds reaching one-mile per hour, space shuttle Atlantis will be transported from Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the seaside launch pad 39A after sunrise today. Atlantis is due for blastoff later this month on a space station assembly mission.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

DESPITE PUMMELING, EARLY EARTH CONDITIONS RIPE FOR LIFE
-------------------------------------------------------
Even during an extraordinarily violent era in Earth's early history, when our young planet was being whacked by asteroids and comets so frequently that scientists refer to it as "Late Heavy Bombardment," conditions most of the time at the Earth's surface were quite hospitable for the microbes that lived here, according to new research.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/01earlyearth/

SEA LAUNCH TO LOFT RADIO BROADCASTING SATELLITE
-----------------------------------------------
The Sea Launch command ship and Odyssey platform are sailing to the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean for next week's flight of a Zenit 3SL rocket with the first of two broadcasting spacecraft for XM Satellite Radio.
http://spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/xm1/status.html

THERE WERE A LOT SPACE HEADLINES OVER THE HOLIDAYS!
---------------------------------------------------
Do you need to catch up on the news that occurred over the holidays? Check out our weekly archived reports for all the space headlines, including Cassini's beautiful pictures and movies of Jupiter from its recent flyby, the new fears about Mir, NASA's revived mission to Pluto and the latest with the international space station.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/breaking_archive.html

LAUNCH SCHEDULE
---------------
See our Tracking Station for a the latest listing of upcoming space launches for the New Year.
http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 278 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jan  3, 2001 (17:11) * 10 lines
A New Look for the New Year

NASA Science News for January 3, 2001

The Science@NASA home page has a new look and we're pleased to offer a host of new services as well, including Spanish-language science stories ... and more!

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast03jan_1.htm?list89800
---

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 279 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jan  3, 2001 (17:14) * 29 lines
NEWSALERT: Wednesday, January 3, 2001 @ 0601 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES IN DISTANT GALAXIES MEASURED
-----------------------------------------------------
Two astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin, working with an international team of collaborators, have shown that they can provide reliable measurements of black hole masses for active galactic nuclei such as quasars even at great distances.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/03holemeasure/

NEXT TEST FLIGHT OF CHINESE CAPSULE EXPECTED SOON
-------------------------------------------------
Amid much speculation regarding a possible launch date for China's second prototype manned spacecraft, called Shenzhou, the Hong Kong-based Wen Wei Po newspaper is reporting that workers are readying the spacecraft for a launch some time in early January, possibly this week.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/03china/

COMPUTER TROUBLE FORCES HALT TO ATLANTIS ROLLOUT
------------------------------------------------
A problem with the main computer inside the crawler-transporter Tuesday forced NASA to stop the rollout of space shuttle Atlantis from Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building to the seaside launch pad 39A. Atlantis was returned to the VAB for swap-out of the crawler. Rollout is now set for Wednesday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010102rollout/

THERE WERE A LOT SPACE HEADLINES OVER THE HOLIDAYS!
---------------------------------------------------
Do you need to catch up on the news that occurred over the holidays? Check out our weekly archived reports for all the space headlines, including Cassini's beautiful pictures and movies of Jupiter from its recent flyby, the new fears about Mir, NASA's revived mission to Pluto and the latest with the international space station.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/breaking_archive.html

LAUNCH SCHEDULE
---------------
See our Tracking Station for a the latest listing of upcoming space launches for the New Year.
http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 280 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jan  4, 2001 (14:58) * 9 lines
Earth at Perihelion

NASA Science News for January 4, 2001

This morning at 5 o'clock Eastern Standard time Earth made its annual closest approach to the Sun. Although sunlight falling on our planet is 7% more intense today than it is in July, northerners shouldn't expect any relief from winter.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast04jan_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 281 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jan  5, 2001 (17:43) * 8 lines
The Case of the Missing Mars Water

NASA Science News for January 5, 2001

Plenty of clues suggest that liquid water once flowed on Mars --raising hopes that life could have arisen there-- but the evidence remains inconclusive and sometimes contradictory.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast05jan_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 282 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Jan  6, 2001 (18:23) * 26 lines
Russian PM Orders Demise of Aged Mir Space Station - Jan 5 2001 7:01AM
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov has
signed a resolution ordering that the aged Mir space station be taken
out of orbit and sunk into the ocean early this year, the Russian space
agency said Friday.
A spokesman for space agency Rosaviakosmos said that Kasyanov
had signed the document on Dec. 30, formalizing a government
decision from November to take the nearly 15-year-old Mir, originally
intended to orbit Earth for just five years, out of service due to a lack
of funding.
The order calls for establishing a commission to determine how Mir will
be brought down, and also says that resources that had been
dedicated to the orbiter were to be focused on the $60 billion
International Space Station (ISS). The ISS, a 16-nation venture, uses
technology developed for Mir, which for years was the world's only
manned space station.
During its lifetime Mir helped Soviet and Russian cosmonauts set a
string of space endurance records that have been the nation's pride --
and the envy of the envy of the better-funded United States.
But in recent years a spate of mishaps dulled the revolutionary space
station's image, including a near-catastrophic collision with a cargo craft
and a communications failure on Christmas day last month that
sparked fears that Mir was spinning out of control.
U.S. space officials have pushed Russia to dump Mir, saying it drained
sparse resources that would be better spent on Russia's role in the
International Space Station. 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 283 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jan 11, 2001 (14:14) * 18 lines
Aurora Watch and Lunar Eclipse Photos

Space Weather News for January 11, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

AURORA WATCH: SOHO coronagraphs recorded a full-halo solar coronal mass
ejection (CME) on Wednesday that could hit Earth's magnetosphere by week's
end. Our planet is already inside a faster-than-usual solar wind stream
that could set the stage for auroras when the CME arrives. Visit
SpaceWeather.com for details and animations of the CME.

LUNAR ECLIPSE: While you're at spaceweather.com, check out our growing
gallery of images from Tuesday's total lunar eclipse. Pictures include
shots of the copper-colored Moon seen over Europe, Asia and the Middle
East as well as striking views of a partially-eclipsed Moon rising over
the eastern parts of the USA.

Visit http://www.spaceweather.com

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 284 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jan 11, 2001 (22:32) * 8 lines
Chandra Links Pulsar to Historic Supernova

NASA Science News for January 11, 2001

New evidence from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory suggests that a known pulsar is the present-day leftover from a stellar explosion witnessed by Chinese astronomers in 386 AD. The discovery could force astronomers to rethink what they know about the ages of neutron stars.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast11jan_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 285 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jan 12, 2001 (22:33) * 8 lines
Ballooning for Cosmic Rays

NASA Science News for January 12, 2001 12:00:00 PM

Astronomers have long thought that supernovas are the source of Galactic cosmic rays, but there's a troubling discrepancy between theory and measurements. An ongoing balloon flight over Antarctica could shed new light on the mystery.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast15jan_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 286 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Jan 14, 2001 (16:33) * 18 lines
CME buffets Earth; Stardust flyby Monday morning
Space Weather News for January 13, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

AURORA WATCH: As expected, the leading edge of a coronal mass ejection
that billowed away from the Sun on January 10th reached our planet today.
Although conditions seemed favorable for auroras, the passing shock wave
did not trigger substantial geomagnetic activity.

STARDUST: On Monday morning, NASA's Stardust spacecraft will fly by Earth
for an orbit-altering gravity assist maneuver designed to send Stardust on
its way to comet Wild 2. Amateur astronomers with mid-sized or large
telescopes might be able to spot the spacecraft as it races by and
brightens, perhaps, to 10th or 12th magnitude.

Visit http://www.spaceweather.com for details. 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 287 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Jan 14, 2001 (16:37) * 35 lines
NEWSALERT: Saturday, January 13, 2001 @ 0558 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

CHANDRA FINDS EVIDENCE OF BLACK HOLE 'EVENT HORIZONS'
-----------------------------------------------------
Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to study some of the darkest black holes yet observed. Their work strongly confirms the reality of the "event horizon," the one-way membrane around black holes predicted by Einstein's theory of relativity.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/13chandrahole/

REMAINS OF OUR GALAXY'S 'LAST MEAL' DISCOVERED
----------------------------------------------
A telltale bulge in the disk of the Milky Way galaxy may be the remnants of a smaller galaxy consumed billions of years ago as our galaxy formed, astronomers announced this week. The discovery may provide scientists with new data to support -- or challenge -- existing models of how galaxies are created.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/13galremains/

STARDUST'S BLURRY VISION FIXED AS CRAFT NEARS EARTH
---------------------------------------------------
As NASA's Stardust comet probe barrels towards Earth for a close encounter flyby on Monday, its navigation camera appears to be working again after an apparent post-launch contamination of the device.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/13stardustflyby/

NEWBORN STAR OFFERS INSIGHT INTO OUR SOLAR SYSTEM'S PAST
--------------------------------------------------------
Evidence that small dust grains are agglomerating into larger blocks inside a persistent shell of gas and dust around a young, nearby star is giving a team of astronomers a rare glimpse into the process that likely formed our solar system.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/13newborn/

EARLIER HEADLINES
-----------------
REPORT: U.S. NEEDS STRONGER DEFENSE ROLE IN SPACE
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/12milspace/

NEW IMAGES SHOW DETAIL OF NEIGHBOR GALAXY'S GAS
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/12galaxygas/

ROCKET STAGE REPLACEMENT ON TAP FOR SEA LAUNCH ZENIT
http://spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/xm1/status.html 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 288 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Jan 14, 2001 (18:57) * 8 lines
New Evidence for Black Holes

NASA Science News for January 12, 2001

By seeing almost nothing, astronomers say they've discovered something extraordinary: the event horizons of black holes in space.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast12jan_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 289 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Jan 14, 2001 (18:58) * 34 lines
NEWSALERT: Friday, January 12, 2001 @ 0527 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

HUBBLE FINALLY MAY HAVE PROOF BLACK HOLES DO EXIST
--------------------------------------------------
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope may have, for the first time, provided direct evidence for the existence of black holes by observing the disappearance of matter as it falls beyond the "event horizon."
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/11hubblehole/

REPORT: U.S. NEEDS STRONGER DEFENSE ROLE IN SPACE
-------------------------------------------------
Calling space a "top national security priority," an independent commission chaired by the nation's next Secretary of Defense concluded in a report released Thursday that the United States military needs to take a more active and better focused role in Earth orbit.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/12milspace/

NEW IMAGES SHOW DETAIL OF NEIGHBOR GALAXY'S GAS
-----------------------------------------------
Using radio telescopes in the U.S. and Europe, astronomers have made the most detailed images ever of Hydrogen gas in a spiral galaxy other than the Milky Way -- the galaxy M33, known to amateur astronomers as the Pinwheel Galaxy.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/12galaxygas/

NEARBY GALAXIES YIELD CLUES TO EARLY UNIVERSE
---------------------------------------------
Astronomers are using these three NASA Hubble Space Telescope images to help tackle the question of why distant galaxies have such odd shapes, appearing markedly different from the typical elliptical and spiral galaxies seen in the nearby universe.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/11hubbleuv/

ROCKET STAGE REPLACEMENT ON TAP FOR SEA LAUNCH ZENIT
----------------------------------------------------
The Sea Launch vessels have set sail for home, departing the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean on a voyage back to the United States so a portion of the Zenit 3SL rocket can be replaced in the wake of an aborted engine ignition sequence this week.
http://spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/xm1/status.html

U.S. FIRM TO BUILD CHINESE COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE
---------------------------------------------------
Space Systems/Loral announced this week that it had received a contract from a Hong Kong-based satellite operator to build Apstar 5, a replacement for the aging Apstar 1 communications spacecraft.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/12apstar5/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 290 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jan 15, 2001 (22:34) * 12 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, January 15, 2001 @ 1757 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

ENGINEERS ASSESS NEW BOOSTER WIRING ISSUE
-----------------------------------------
With shuttle Atlantis poised for launch Friday on a critical space station assembly mission, NASA managers plan to meet late today to assess the resolution of booster wiring problems and the results of weekend inspections that have raised additional concerns.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010115srb/

Watch our Mission Status Center for updates today:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 291 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jan 15, 2001 (22:35) * 25 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, January 15, 2001 @ 0528 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

SUPERNOVA MAY CONTROL THE CENTER OF OUR GALAXY
----------------------------------------------
Scientists using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have discovered that an apparent supernova remnant in the center of our galaxy might help regulate a nearby supermassive black hole and that such relationships between supernova remnants and black holes might be common throughout the universe.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/15galaxycenter/

MARS ORBITER CHECKS OUT LANDING SITE FOR FUTURE PROBE
-----------------------------------------------------
The European Space Agency has announced the selection of a landing site for the British Mars lander, Beagle 2, that will be carried to the red planet aboard ESA's Mars Express orbiter in 2003. Newly released images from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the landing zone.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/15beagle2/

BRITISH AND CHINESE SATELLITES HEAD FOR SPACE RENDEZVOUS
--------------------------------------------------------
A tiny British-built spacecraft is achieving a variety of firsts in the nanosatellite technology field. SNAP-1 will finish off this series of ground-breaking accomplishments in the next few months as it approaches a rendezvous with another satellite.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/15snap1/

ATLANTIS ASTRONAUTS BOUND FOR CAPE
----------------------------------
The five astronauts that will ride space shuttle Atlantis into orbit later this week to attach the U.S. Destiny laboratory to the international space station are scheduled for arrival at Kennedy Space Center on Monday evening. Launch is scheduled for early Friday morning from Florida.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 292 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jan 16, 2001 (00:02) * 29 lines
NEWSALERT: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 @ 0500 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

WIRING CHECKS DELAY SHUTTLE ATLANTIS LAUNCH TO FEBRUARY
-------------------------------------------------------
On the eve of shuttle Atlantis' countdown to launch Friday, NASA managers on Monday instead ordered engineers to haul the spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for work to test suspect wiring in the ship's booster separation system.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010115srb/

MOST DETAILED VIEW INTO DARK CLOUD UNVEILED
-------------------------------------------
Astronomers have just taken an important step towards answering the fundamental question of which processes are responsible for transforming a dark and diffuse interstellar cloud of gas and dust into a much denser, shining object.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/16eso/

STARDUST SLING-SHOTS PAST EARTH ON COURSE TO COMET
--------------------------------------------------
Officials at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California say that Stardust is now on course to Comet Wild 2, where it will collect dust samples for return to Earth. That word comes after a close encounter with Earth early Monday, marking the completion of the craft's first solar orbit since its launch in 1999.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/16stardust/

A SHOCKING TIME FOR CLUSTER 2
-----------------------------
Studies of near-Earth space will never be the same again. For the first time in the history of space exploration, identical instruments on four spacecraft have begun to return simultaneous measurements of a region of space known as the bow shock.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/16cluster/

GALILEO KEEPS PROBING JOVIAN MAGNETOSPHERE
------------------------------------------
This week finds Galileo completing week 12 of a 14-week-long survey of the Jovian magnetosphere. Playback of data stored during the spacecraft's December 2000 passage through the Jupiter system is not scheduled to start until early next month.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/16galileothisweek/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 293 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jan 16, 2001 (23:18) * 38 lines
NEWSALERT: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 @ 0426 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

NASA'S SHUTTLE CHIEF DEFENDS ROLLBACK DECISION
----------------------------------------------
Launch of the next space shuttle mission has been delayed from Friday to no earlier than Feb. 6. NASA's shuttle program manager said in the end, the launch team had little choice after problems surfaced with wiring. "I guard against the phenomena of 'go fever' like it was the plague. And you have to be very sensitive as you get closer to launch."
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010116dittemore/

Station 'Alpha' reacts to shuttle delay:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/video/010116shepreax_qt.html

CHINA'S SHENZHOU 2 CAPSULE RETURNS TO EARTH SAFELY
--------------------------------------------------
The Shenzhou 2 spacecraft returned safely to Earth Tuesday, touching down in China's inner Mongolian region at 1122 GMT after making 108 orbits. The mission paves the way for a future manned mission by the Chinese.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/16china/

INDIVIDUAL STARS SPOTTED IN ANDROMEDA'S BULGE
---------------------------------------------
An individual team, including an astronomer of Observatoire de Paris, has recently observed for the first time individual stars in a very dense -- but very interesting -- zone of an external galaxy, enabling for the first time an eagerly awaited comparison with the corresponding zone (bulge) of our Milky Way galaxy.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/17andromeda/

SPACE TUG POISED FOR LAUNCH TO RUSSIA'S MIR STATION
---------------------------------------------------
The Progress M1-5 cargo ship, the last spacecraft to visit Russian Mir space station, rolled out to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Tuesday. Blastoff is scheduled for early Thursday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010116progroll/

NASA OPENS 2ND GENERATION REUSABLE ROCKET PROGRAM
-------------------------------------------------
NASA has created a new program office to lead its effort to enable development of a new reusable launch vehicle for flight in 2010 that will be dramatically safer and less expensive than today's rockets.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/17rlv2/

THE EASTERN U.S. KEEPS ITS COOL WHILE THE WORLD WARMS
-----------------------------------------------------
Much of the Earth has warmed over the last half-century, but the eastern half of the United States has shown a cooling trend. NASA-funded research indicates cooler temperatures in the eastern U.S. are caused by an increase in sun-shielding clouds produced by warmer ocean temperatures in the Pacific.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/17easttemp/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 294 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jan 17, 2001 (17:26) * 64 lines
Russia to Lauch Mir Space Station's Nemesis

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - Russia launches a cargo rocket on
Thursday to help it bury the last vestige of the Soviet Union's
ambitious space exploration program -- the record-breaking Mir space
station.
The unmanned Progress M1-5 vessel, one of the craft that were used
to ferry food and water to Mir, will this time only carry enough fuel for
its own engines to guide Mir out of orbit and into the Pacific Ocean.
The rocket is due to blast off from Kazakhstan's windswept Baikonur
cosmodrome at 0656 GMT. It is scheduled to dock four days later with
the 130-tonunmanned space station.
In early March, both will crash into the ocean.
Space officials have said up to 40 tonnes of debris will reach the
earth's surface at a speed high enough to smash through two meters
(6.5 feet) of reinforced concrete.
Russia has said it expects Mir to hit earth on March 5-6 but the precise
date and time will depend on solar activity and the success of the
Progress mission.
If the automatic docking controlled from the earth fails, a Russian crew
of Gennady Padalka and Nikolai Budarin is ready to take off in 12 days
to guide the station out of orbit manually.
This would end the 15-year history of Mir, whose first part was launched
into orbit on February 20, 1986, with an originally designed life-span of
just three years.
Russia, struggling to overcome an economic crisis after almost a
decade of steep recession, could not find $200 million needed to
maintain the station. It decided in November to dump Mir into the
ocean on its 15th birthday.
Yuri Koptev, head of Russia's space and aviation agency, said last
month there was little point in maintaining a station where cosmonauts
spent 80 percent of their time on repairs.
Cash-strapped Russia, where power cuts regularly plunge whole regions
into darkness and many people use kerosene lamps and home-made
stoves to survive the winter, has long regarded the station as an
example of its technological genius.
MANY RECORDS SET
The station, visited by 28 long-term expeditions with a total of 106
cosmonauts, has set many records.
Kazakh cosmonaut Talbat Musabayev spent more than 30 hours in one
month working outside the station to secure his place in the Guinness
Book of Records.
Russian Sergei Avdeyev, who spent 747 days in space, remains the
only cosmonaut in the world to have toasted the New Year three times
in orbit.
But Mir has also seen a number of frustrating glitches.
In February 1997, fire broke out when cosmonauts tried to change an
air filter. A few months later, Mir's energy supply fell dramatically after
a Progress cargo craft hit it during docking and damaged its solar
batteries.
In September 1997, a computer failed, leaving Mir spinning aimlessly.
Two years later, the station went into hibernation after Mission Control
shut down its main computer by accident.
After the dumping of Mir, Russia will focus on the ambitious $60 billion,
16-nation venture to build the International Space Station (ISS).
But for many who remember the heyday of the Soviet space industry,
when state funds were spent generously on the sector to dazzle the
West with its achievements, the dumping of Mir will mean the end of
an epoch.
"Thursday's launch would have been nothing out of the ordinary if it
wasn't aimed at guiding Mir out of its orbit," Nikolai Zelenshchikov, first
deputy head of the Energiya corporation that runs Mir, told Reuters.
"This is sad, but we understand that Mir's work must come to an end
and we should then switch over to building the ISS." 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 295 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jan 17, 2001 (18:02) * 9 lines
Precocious Earth

NASA Science News for January 17, 2001

Tiny zircon crystals found in ancient stream deposits suggest that Earth harbored continents and liquid water remarkably soon after our planet formed. Life could have established a foothold on Earth 400 million years earlier than expected.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast17jan_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 296 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jan 18, 2001 (20:46) * 30 lines
NEWSALERT: Thursday, January 18, 2001 @ 0220 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

ICE MAY HAVE FORMED MARTIAN CHANNELS
------------------------------------
Some channels on the surface of Mars believed to have been formed by running water may have instead been carved by streams of ice. Channels in one region of Mars share a number of key characteristics with those created by ice streams that flow beneath Antarctica's surface and empty into the surrounding oceans.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/18marsice/

U.S. WEATHER SATELLITE LAUNCH BUMPED TO SATURDAY
------------------------------------------------
A vintage Titan 2 rocket built in the 1960s is poised for a $430 million launch before sunrise Saturday from Central California carrying a crucial replacement global weather satellite for the U.S. military. The liftoff was delayed 24 hours so workers could replace a faulty cabling used in pre-flight rocket testing.
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/g9/preview.html

CASSINI PROBE FAILS TO FIND LIGHTNING ON VENUS
----------------------------------------------
Space physicist Donald Gurnett says that a search for lightning on Venus in 1998 and 1999 using the Cassini spacecraft failed to detect high-frequency radio waves commonly associated with lightning. The possible existence of lightning at Venus has long been controversial.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/18cassvenus/

GLOBALSTAR ACTS TO ASSURE FUNDS FOR FURTHER OPERATIONS
------------------------------------------------------
Globalstar has announced that, in order to have sufficient funds available for the continued progress of its marketing and service activities, it has suspended indefinitely principal and interest payments on all of its funded debt and dividend payments on its preferred stock.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/18globalstar/

EXPERIMENTAL EUROPEAN SATELLITE SWITCHES ROCKETS
------------------------------------------------
Europe has officially dropped a previous agreement with Japan to launch the Artemis experimental communications satellite aboard the unproven H-2A rocket in favor of using an Ariane 5 booster.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/18artemis/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 297 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jan 18, 2001 (20:52) * 8 lines
The Eastern U.S. Keeps Its Cool

NASA Science News for January 18, 2001

While surface temperatures across most of the globe are on the rise, the eastern U.S. appears to be slowly cooling. Scientists say the trend could be a result of increasing cloud cover triggered by warming Pacific waters.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast18jan_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 298 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Jan 19, 2001 (15:13) * 45 lines
NEWSALERT: Friday, January 19, 2001 @ 0606 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

REMARKABLE NEW VIEWS CAPTURES OF ORION NEBULA
---------------------------------------------
Orion the Hunter is perhaps the best known constellation in the sky, well placed in the evening at this time of the year for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres, and instantly recognizable. The new pictures captured by astronomers are a must see!
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/19orion/

NUCLEAR ENGINE PROMISES TO SLASH TRAVEL TIMES TO MARS
-----------------------------------------------------
A novel type of nuclear reactor could cut make it possible for spacecraft to travel from the Earth to Mars in as little as two weeks, one Israeli researcher has found. A little-known isotope of an artificially produced element could power future robotic or human spacecraft far more efficiently than chemical or other nuclear propulsion sources.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/19marsnuclear/

SPACE STATION CREW FACES TOUGH SCHEDULE
---------------------------------------
An 18-day delay for the next space station assembly mission has thrown a wrench into the on-board crew's timeline, compressing an already busy schedule of work that must be completed before arrival of their replacements in early March, officials said Thursday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010118issupdate/

LAUNCH OF PROGRESS FREIGHTER TO MIR SCRUBBED
--------------------------------------------
Orientation troubles aboard the abandoned Russian space station Mir forced officials to scrub Thursday's planned launch of an unmanned freighter that will ultimately deorbit the outpost in March.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010118scrub/

TITAN ROCKET TO LAUNCH WEATHER SATELLITE SATURDAY
-------------------------------------------------
The 26-hour countdown is scheduled to begin this morning at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California leading to Saturday's launch of a U.S. military weather satellite aboard a refurbished Titan 2 rocket booster. We will have live coverage launch!
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/g9/status.html

STARDUST LOOKS DOWN ON MOON'S NORTH POLE
----------------------------------------------
Just after NASA's Stardust spacecraft successfully flew by the Earth on Monday to use the planet's gravity to change its orbit, the comet-bound probe took a series of images of the Moon to calibrate its onboard camera.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/19stardustlunar/

LEONIDS ROSE TO OCCASION, DESPITE BAD WEATHER
---------------------------------------------
Read about the adventures and results of European astronomers as they attempted to image the Leonids meteors by splitting up into teams and working from different locations to create stereo observations.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/19leonids/

CASSINI SPACE PROBE JOURNEYS INTO JUPITER'S MAGNETOSPHERE
---------------------------------------------------------
NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows that the craft recent was inside Jupiter's magnetosphere at the same time the Galileo probe flew within the vast surrounding environment of charged particles moving under the influence of the planet's magnetic field. This marks the first time humankind has placed two spacecraft within the magnetosphere of an outer planet at the same time.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/19jupmagnet/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 299 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Sat, Jan 20, 2001 (11:31) * 1 lines
Wow, Mirs finally coming down in March.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 300 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jan 25, 2001 (15:40) * 11 lines
Yup - hope their aim is good!!!

Layers of Mars

Last year NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft spotted mysterious
layered regions on Mars. If the layers are sedimentary deposits that
formed underwater, as some scientists suspect, they could be the best
places to hunt for elusive Martian fossils.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23jan_1.htm?list89800

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 301 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jan 25, 2001 (21:55) * 40 lines
NEWSALERT: Friday, January 26, 2001 @ 0257 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now
Sponsored by European AstroFest 2001
http://www.astronomynow.com/astrofest


WORLD'S LARGEST HUMAN GATHERING SEEN FROM SPACE
-----------------------------------------------
Space Imaging's Ikonos satellite has taken a detailed color photograph of the largest human gathering in the history of the world, the Maha Kumbh Mela, a spiritual event held every 144 years in Northern India.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/26ikonos/

NASA SETTLES ON NEW SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH SCHEDULE
-------------------------------------------------
As expected, NASA managers Thursday agreed on a revised near-term shuttle launch schedule, delaying the next flight one day to February 7 and the flight after that from March 1 to March 8. Other downstream flights face delays of several weeks and two space station crew rotation missions are under review.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010125sked/
See our updated master timeline of Atlantis' flight:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/fdf/98plan.html

OLD CARGO SHIP LEAVES MIR TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW ONE
-------------------------------------------------
The Progress M43 cargo ship departed the Mir space station Thursday. The craft, which joined Mir last October, left from the Kvant-1 module to free up the docking port for arrival of Mir's deorbiting tug launched Wednesday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010125progm43/

NASA CRAFT REVEALS EARTH'S INVISIBLE MAGNETIC TAIL
--------------------------------------------------
The first large-scale pictures of the hidden machinations of the Earth's magnetic force-field are now available, including confirmation of a suspected but previously invisible "tail" of electrified gas.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/26image/

EUROPE'S SATELLITES TRACK CLIMATE CHANGES
-----------------------------------------
In July an Ariane 5 launcher will send into orbit Europe's big new environmental satellite, Envisat. Scientists will expect fresh insights into how the world is changing from the 8-tonne spacecraft.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/26esaearth/

SCIENTISTS RUSH TO PROPOSE PLUTO MISSION
----------------------------------------
On December 20, NASA announced that it would be soliciting proposals for a mission to the Pluto-Charon system and the Kuiper Belt beyond to arrive at Pluto by 2015. The formal announcement of opportunity was released January 19. Proposals are due on March 21.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/26plutorush/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 302 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Jan 25, 2001 (23:14) * 11 lines
Earth's Invisible Magnetic Tail

NASA Science News for January 25, 2001

The first global views of our planet's magnetosphere, captured by NASA's
IMAGE spacecraft, reveal a curious plasma tail that stretches toward the
Sun.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast25jan_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 303 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Jan 27, 2001 (20:56) * 10 lines
Greening of the Red Planet

A hardy microbe from Earth might one day transform the barren ground of
Mars into arable soil. Scientists discussed the possibility at a recent
NASA-sponsored conference

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast26jan_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 304 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Jan 27, 2001 (21:56) * 34 lines
NEWSALERT: Saturday, January 27, 2001 @ 0610 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now
Sponsored by European AstroFest 2001
http://www.astronomynow.com/astrofest

DEORBITING TUG ARRIVES AT SPACE STATION MIR
-------------------------------------------
After a three-day chase, an unmanned cargo ship successfully reached Russia's space station Mir today, becoming most likely the last arrival from Earth to the outpost. The Progress M1-5 spacecraft, carrying propellant for Mir's deorbiting, docked to the station at 0534 GMT (12:34 a.m. EST).
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010127dock/

TECHNICAL SNAG HITS NASA'S MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR
-----------------------------------------------
One of the orientation-controlling reaction wheels has failed aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in orbit around the Red Planet, the space agency says.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/27mgswheel/

ATLANTIS RETURNS TO PAD AFTER BOOSTER CHECKS
--------------------------------------------
Space shuttle Atlantis is back on its seaside launch pad for the first human spaceflight of 2001. The shuttle was rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building on Friday after precautionary cable inspections on the spaceship's twin solid rocket boosters.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

BOEING'S DELTA 2 ROCKET TO FLY TUESDAY
--------------------------------------
The first Delta rocket launch of 2001 is scheduled for early Tuesday from Cape Canaveral with a replacement Global Positioning System military navigation satellite onboard.
http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d283/status.html

AOL USERS
---------
The links below should make it easier for AOL users to reach our stories.
DEORBITING TUG ARRIVES AT SPACE STATION MIR
TECHNICAL SNAG HITS NASA'S MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR
ATLANTIS RETURNS TO PAD AFTER BOOSTER CHECKS
BOEING'S DELTA 2 ROCKET TO FLY TUESDAY 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 305 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Jan 29, 2001 (00:02) * 44 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, January 29, 2001 @ 0226 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now
Sponsored by European AstroFest 2001
http://www.astronomynow.com/astrofest

DELTA 2 ROCKET POISED TO CARRY GPS SATELLITE
--------------------------------------------
A Boeing Delta 2 rocket stands ready for an overnight liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Tuesday with a replacement NAVSTAR Global Positioning System military navigation spacecraft. We will have live coverage!
http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d283/status.html
Watch our live streaming Webcast:
http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d283/live_qt.html

15 YEARS AFTER CHALLENGER
-------------------------
On a bitterly cold January morning 15 years ago Sunday, space shuttle Challenger and her seven-member crew made a fateful voyage into history. Spaceflight Now marked the anniversary with a comprehensive timeline of the events of that day. (Includes video and audio clips)
http://spaceflightnow.com/challenger/timeline/

ULYSSES SOLAR EXPLORER DETECTS MAGNETIC SHIFT
---------------------------------------------
An intriguing change in the Sun's magnetic field has been spotted by the solar probe Ulysses. Although the shift had been previously known by scientists, this is the first time the event has been detected by a spacecraft out of the elliptic plane of the solar system, where all planets but Pluto orbit.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/28ulysses/

VIRTUAL RAINS HERALD DAWN OF NEW CLIMATE UNDERSTANDING
------------------------------------------------------
Weather prediction is hard enough. But what are the possibilities for predicting events related to weather? With new tools being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center, and NASA's ever increasing suite of Earth observations, scientists just might be on the road to estimating future weather-related incidents.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/29virtualrain/

COMPANIES JOIN FORCES TO CREATE 2ND GENERATION RLV
--------------------------------------------------
Kelly Space and Vought Aircraft Industries jointly announced last week that the two companies had signed a teaming agreement and submitted proposals to develop, in cooperation with NASA, a 2nd Generation Reusable Space Launch Vehicle.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/28sli/

NEXT ARIANE 4 ROCKET IS ON THE LAUNCH PAD
------------------------------------------
A pair of European military communications satellites are almost ready to take to the skies aboard an Ariane 4 launch vehicle that is currently undergoing final tests at its South American launch pad.
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v139/status.html

'PSEUDOGYRO' CAN SAVE SATELLITES FROM FAILURE
---------------------------------------------
Software developed by The Aerospace Corporation can save satellites from failure, extend the on-orbit life of satellites with ailing hardware gyros, and save large sums of money in insurance costs, among other benefits.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/29pseudogyro/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 306 of 866:  (sprin5) * Tue, Jan 30, 2001 (07:53) * 1 lines
Wow, a new shuttle (rlv? is that like an suv?) wonder what it will look like?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 307 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Jan 30, 2001 (17:04) * 24 lines
From the drawings I have seen, it looks very much like the current one but more swept-back angle to the tail.

High-latitude Aurora Warning

Space Weather News for January 30, 2000
http://www.spaceweather.com

A coronal mass ejection that left the Sun on Sunday could buffet Earth's
magnetosphere late Tuesday or perhaps Wednesday. Sky watchers at higher
latitudes (including places like Canada, Alaska, and the northern tier of
US states) should be alert for auroras after local nightfall for the next
two days.

For more information please visit http://www.spaceweather.com 











 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 308 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jan 31, 2001 (14:40) * 31 lines
NEWSALERT: Wednesday, January 31, 2001 @ 0647 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now
Sponsored by European AstroFest 2001
http://www.astronomynow.com/astrofest

PIN-POINTING BLACK HOLES IN DISTANT GALAXIES
--------------------------------------------
The most detailed images ever made of faint, distant radio galaxies, located billions of light years from Earth, reveal that many of them harbor central massive black holes. It adds further support to the belief that super-massive black holes are inextricably linked with the way galaxies formed in the early universe.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/31pinpoint/

ASTRONOMERS TAKE THE PULSE OF A SUN-LIKE STAR
---------------------------------------------
A team of astronomers has precisely measured the 'throbbing' of a Sun-like star that lies 24 light-years away. The slow 'pulse rate' of the star confirms ideas of what the Sun will be like a few billion years from now.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/31pulsating/

CASSINI UNCOVERS JUPITER'S MAGNETIC BUBBLE
------------------------------------------
NASA's Cassini space probe had made the huge magnetosphere surrounding Jupiter visible in a way no previous spacecraft has been able to do. The magnetosphere is a bubble of charged particles trapped within the magnetic environment of the planet.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/31jupmag/

X-RAY VIEW INTO A STARBURST
---------------------------
Luminous starburst galaxies are where a lot of young stars are currently forming. They come in different varieties including those where creation is concentrated at its nucleus and activity at the center is so intense that fantastic 'bubbles' are created giving rise to streams of hot gas, or 'superwinds'.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/31starburst/

THE FIRST 'RINGED MOLECULE' FOUND AROUND STARS
----------------------------------------------
Life as we know it is based on the ability of the carbon atom to form ring-shaped molecules. But rings of carbon are not exclusive to Earth, as experts in space chemistry now know.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/31ringed/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 309 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jan 31, 2001 (18:39) * 17 lines
The Solar Wind at Mars

NASA Science News for January 31, 2001

Scientists think Mars once had a thicker atmosphere than it does today,
perhaps even comparable to Earth's. But where did all that Martian air
go? New evidence from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft supports a
long-held suspicion that much of the Red Planet's atmosphere was simply
blown away -- by the solar wind.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast31jan_1.htm?list89800 






 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 310 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Jan 31, 2001 (19:23) * 37 lines
NEWSALERT: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 @ 1200 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now
Sponsored by European AstroFest 2001
http://www.astronomynow.com/astrofest
BOEING DELTA 2 ROCKET LOFTS ANOTHER GPS SATELLITE
-------------------------------------------------
Exactly ten years after the U.S. military troops reaped the benefits from the Global Positioning System while fighting the Gulf War in featureless deserts, a new satellite was launched into orbit today to keep the constellation going.
http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d283/
Also see our Mission Status Center:
http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d283/status.html

BUILDING BLOCKS FOR LIFE MAY HAVE COME FROM OUTER SPACE
-------------------------------------------------------
The chemical building blocks necessary for the formation of life on Earth, as well as rudimentary structures that could have been the basis for the first cells, may have come from outer space, one group of scientists has concluded.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/30spacelife/

CHANDRA SEES MULTITUDE OF NEW STARS FORMING NEARBY
--------------------------------------------------
NGC 3603 is a bustling region of star birth in the Carina spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy, about 20,000 light-years from Earth. For the first time, this Chandra image resolves the multitude of individual X-ray sources in this star-forming region.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/30chandra/

MIR IN STABLE MODE AS DISCARDED FREIGHTER REENTERS
--------------------------------------------------
The Progress M43 cargo spacecraft, which undocked from Russia's space station Mir last week, reentered Earth's atmosphere Monday where it burned up. The supply ship was replaced with a fresh craft over the weekend that carries the fuel needed to deorbit Mir in March.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010129progm43/

GALILEO WRAPPING UP JOVIAN MAGNETOSPHERE STUDY
----------------------------------------------
This week, Galileo winds down on its 14-week-long successful collaboration with the Cassini spacecraft to study the influence of the solar wind on the Jovian magnetosphere.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/30galileothisweek/

NASA NAMES STS-108 SHUTTLE MISSION ASTRONAUTS
---------------------------------------------
Astronauts have begun training for the STS-108/Utilization Flight-1 mission to rotate International Space Station crews and to deliver experiments and scientific racks for the station's U.S. Laboratory, Destiny.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0101/30sts108crew/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 311 of 866: MarkG  (MarkG) * Thu, Feb  1, 2001 (11:32) * 5 lines
I was reading yesterday that a New York museum has de-classified Pluto, stripping it of planetary status.

Apparently Pluto is twice as big as the next biggest asteroid in the Kuiper Belt (not sure of my terms here, memory plays trick), but only about an eighth as big as Uranus.

So the museum's exhibit shows only 8 planets, and they reckon Pluto will be "happier as the king of the Kuiper Belt rather than the smallest, furthest planet". Who even knew that asteroids orbited the sun beyond the planets? Not me.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 312 of 866: Moon Dreams  (Moon) * Thu, Feb  1, 2001 (14:16) * 5 lines
I was reading yesterday that a New York museum has de-classified Pluto, stripping it of planetary status.
WOT? New Yorkers! They seem to think they are the center of the world. ;-)

I don't think Astrologers will dare remove Pluto from natal charts. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 313 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Feb  1, 2001 (19:06) * 39 lines
Astronomers have considered Pluto an escaped Uranian moon for years... Astrologers are in an entirely different universe from astronomers...are they not???

Hubble gives preview to death of our Sun

NEWSALERT: Thursday, February 1, 2001 @ 0602 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now
Sponsored by European AstroFest 2001
http://www.astronomynow.com/astrofest

ANT-LIKE SPACE STRUCTURE PREVIEWS DEATH OF OUR SUN
--------------------------------------------------
This dramatic Hubble Space Telescope image, showing 10 times more detail than ground-based views, reveals the "ant nebula" -- a dying, Sun-like star. Hubble directly challenges old ideas about the last stages in the lives of stars.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/01hubble/

JUPITERS MAY BE CRITICAL IN FORMING HABITABLE WORLDS
----------------------------------------------------
If you're looking for solar systems with Earth-like planets that could harbor life, one scientist believes you should first look for planets with the mass and orbit of Jupiter that could nurture smaller worlds.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/01habitable/

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR COMPLETES PRIME MISSION
--------------------------------------------
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, which has collected more information about the red planet than all previous missions combined, completed its primary science mission Wednesday and now begins a new era of continued exploration.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/01mgs/

SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER MAKERS MERGE AS ALLIANT BUYS THIOKOL
---------------------------------------------------------
Rocket motor maker Alliant Techsystems announced Wednesday it had reached an agreement to purchase Thiokol Propulsion for $685 million in cash. Alliant builds the solid-fueled boosters for Delta, Titan 4B, Pegasus and Taurus rockets; Thiokol manufactures the space shuttle solid rocket boosters.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/01alliant/

JET PROPULSION LABORATORY GETS NEW LEADER
-----------------------------------------
Dr. Charles Elachi has been named the new director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, replacing Dr. Edward C. Stone effective May 1. Elachi has served in a variety of research and management positions at JPL since 1971. Most recently, he has been director for space and Earth science programs.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/01jplchief/ 





 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 314 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Feb  4, 2001 (19:28) * 24 lines
NEWSALERT: Saturday, February 3, 2001 @ 1844 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

TAKE A PEEK AT THE RED PLANET'S FRETTED TERRAIN
-----------------------------------------------
Martian "fretted terrain" occurs in regions of buttes and mesas that stand at the erosional margin where northern low-lying plains meet the higher-standing cratered uplands. Found mostly in the mid-northern latitudes, some of the best examples of fretted terrain occur in Deuteronilus Mensae, as seen here.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/03mgslyot/

SPACESUIT CONCERN ARISES AS ATLANTIS NEARS LAUNCH
-------------------------------------------------
Two EVA spacesuits packed aboard space shuttle Atlantis will have to be replaced before launch next week after concerns were raised about their integrity.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

COMET COLLISIONS: ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVED?
-------------------------------------------
Recurring collisions between comets during the solar system's formation may have ground smaller comets to bits, leaving only big comets larger than 20 kilometers (12 miles) to survive.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/03oort/

CLUSTER 2 CLEARED FOR SCIENTIFIC WORK
--------------------------------------
Cluster's unique mission formally got under way this week when the European Space Agency Commissioning Review Board gave unanimous approval for the start of scientific operations. Cluster's mission is to explore the magnetosphere - the region of space dominated by Earth's magnetic field.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/03cluster/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 315 of 866:  (sprin5) * Mon, Feb  5, 2001 (09:25) * 7 lines
I heard on NPRs Earth and Sky this morning that the red dwarf stars, which
are 80% of the stars in the Universe, are extrememly low energy. This is
why we can't see even the closest one, Proxima Centauri. But they've
revised the view that they could have planets with life, now they believe
it's possible for life supporting planets to revolve around the red
dwarfs. It was in interesting commentary.


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 316 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Feb  5, 2001 (15:48) * 33 lines
Fascinating! I think I posted something about it back a few or on Geo 24

NEWSALERT: Monday, February 5, 2001 @ 0601 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

STATION'S DESTINY RIDES ON LABORATORY ATTACHMENT
------------------------------------------------
The shuttle Atlantis is set for launch Wednesday on a critical mission to deliver the $1.38 billion U.S. laboratory module, Destiny, to the international space station, finally clearing the way for the start of orbital research later this year. Read our comprehensive six-part mission preview report:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010204preview/

ASTRONAUTS FLY TO FLORIDA, COUNTDOWN BEGINS
-------------------------------------------
With the five-member crew of space shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center, the launch team inside Complex 39's Firing Room 3 started the countdown on schedule Sunday night leading to liftoff at 6:11 p.m. EST (2311 GMT) on Wednesday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html
See our countdown timeline chart:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/fdf/98countdown.html

NASA OPENS SPACE STATION SCIENCE COMMAND POST
---------------------------------------------
The command and control center for scientific research aboard the international space station is open for business. The science command post linking Earth-bound researchers with their experiments and astronauts in orbit was commissioned Friday during ceremonies at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/04isspoc/

SAND DUNES LOOK LIKE SHARKS' TEETH IN MARS CRATER
-------------------------------------------------
Sometimes, pictures received from Mars Global Surveyor's Mars Orbiter Camera are "just plain pretty." This image, taken in early September 2000, shows a group of sand dunes at the edge of a much larger field of dark-toned dunes in Proctor Crater.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/04mgsshark/

HUYGENS RELAY LINK MYSTERY FULLY UNRAVELLED
-------------------------------------------
A special calibration test is being conducted with the Huygens receivers on board the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft. The test results will provide a solid engineering basis for the design of new mission scenarios which can recover the Huygens relay link performance following a problem uncovered previously.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/04huygens/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 317 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Feb  5, 2001 (16:16) * 11 lines
Carbonated Mars

NASA Science News for February 5, 2001

Here on Earth the only way to make carbonate rocks is with the aid of
liquid water. Finding such rocks on Mars might prove, once and for all,
that the barren Red Planet was once warm and wet.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast04feb_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 318 of 866: Cheryl  (CherylB) * Mon, Feb  5, 2001 (18:57) * 1 lines
Aren't there supposed to be signs on Mars of terrain forms which could only have been created by water erosion.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 319 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Feb  7, 2001 (23:15) * 32 lines
NEWSALERT: Wednesday, February 7, 2001 @ 0538 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

LAUNCH DAY ARRIVES FOR ATLANTIS AND DESTINY LAB
-----------------------------------------------
The trouble-free countdown continues at Kennedy Space Center as Atlantis nears its sunset launch today at 6:11 p.m. EST (2311 GMT), but weather at overseas emergency landing sites could be a stumbling block in getting the shuttle airborne with the Destiny laboratory module for the international space station. We will have extensive live coverage starting at 9:30 a.m. EST (1430 GMT) today!
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

Read our six-part mission preview report:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010204preview/

SPECTACULAR LAYERS OF MARS EXPOSED IN BECQUEREL CRATER
------------------------------------------------------
Toward the end of its primary mapping mission, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor acquired one of its most spectacular pictures of layered sedimentary rock exposed within the ancient crater Becquerel.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/07mgsbecquerel/

ARIANE 4 POISED FOR TONIGHT'S MILITARY MISSION
----------------------------------------------
Two European military communications satellites are stacked atop the most powerful version of Arianespace's Ariane 4 rocket for liftoff today from the jungle launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana.
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v139/status.html

TITANIC COLLISION SEEN IN DISTANT UNIVERSE
------------------------------------------
A student astronomer in Australia has discovered the "wreckage" of a vast collision between two giant clusters of galaxies. The finding changes scientists' views of how clusters and individual galaxies evolve.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/07collide/

NASA PICKS BOEING DELTA 2 TO LAUNCH WEATHER SATELLITE
-----------------------------------------------------
NASA has exercised a contract option to launch the NOAA-N polar-orbiting weather satellite aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket in January 2003 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/07noaan/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 320 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Feb  8, 2001 (12:22) * 32 lines
NEWSALERT: Thursday, February 8, 2001 @ 0740 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

LIFTOFF OF ATLANTIS!
--------------------
Putting on a dramatic sunset sky show, the shuttle Atlantis blasted off and rocketed away after the international space station Wednesday, carrying a $1.4 billion module that will serve as the station's main laboratory and central control center.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010207launch/

Watch our Mission Status Center for live updates:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

EUROPE'S ARIANE 4 CARRIES OUT MILITARY MISSION
----------------------------------------------
Arianespace launched its first double military payload Wednesday, lofting a pair of communications relay satellites for the British and Italian defense ministries.
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v139/

U.S. COMMERCIAL SPACE INDUSTRY WORTH $61 BILLION
------------------------------------------------
The American commercial space industry generated $61.3 billion in direct and indirect economic effects in 1999, putting it on a par with many existing conventional industries, a new federal study concluded Wednesday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/08faaforecast/

CONGRESS' SPACE POLICY: SUPPORTIVE BUT CAUTIOUS
-----------------------------------------------
While the new Congress and the new President are both strong supporters of NASA and space exploration, don't except any major new initiatives from either in the immediate future, a key Congressman cautioned Tuesday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/07congspace/

WHY DAZZLING STARS ARE GIVEN BORING BUT USEFUL NAMES
----------------------------------------------------
Of the 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy, only a handful have colorful names, while the rest are designated by letters and numbers that are the stellar equivalent of a Social Security card.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/08naming/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 321 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Feb  8, 2001 (23:23) * 27 lines
NEWSALERT: Friday, February 9, 2001 @ 0411 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

ATLANTIS TO RENDEZVOUS WITH SPACE STATION TODAY
-----------------------------------------------
Space shuttle Atlantis is nearing the completion of its two-day pursuit to catch the international space station with the orbital linkup scheduled for 1650 GMT (11:50 a.m. EST) today.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010209dock/
Live coverage of docking:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

OLD BROWN DWARF-LIKE STARS DISCOVERED
-------------------------------------
Astronomers have discovered a kind of star never previously observed. These small, cool stars look superficially like brown dwarfs but are actually the remnants of ordinary stars that have been whittled down to cool Jupiter-sized bodies over billions of years by spilling material over to a white dwarf companion star.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/09dwarf/

X-33 ENGINES PASS TEST
----------------------
Qualification test firings of the unique engines designed to propel America's X-33 space plane into high-speed, suborbital flight in 2003 began Tuesday at NASA's Stennis Space Center. The ignition test went the full scheduled duration of 1.1 seconds with no observed anomalies.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/09aerospike/

SPACE VIEWS OF EL SALVADOR SAVE LIVES AFTER EARTHQUAKE
------------------------------------------------------
Digital damage maps derived from satellite images are helping the teams clearing up after the disastrous earthquake in El Salvador. For the second time in a few short weeks, the recently-signed 'Charter on Disaster Relief' has swung into action to bring the satellite resources of the European, French and Canadian space agencies.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/09spot/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 322 of 866:  (sprin5) * Fri, Feb  9, 2001 (10:33) * 1 lines
What did you think about the red dwarf reassessment, Marci?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 323 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Feb  9, 2001 (17:36) * 12 lines
Not sure. It will be an interesting and lively intellectual discourse as they try to sort out the what-ifs and where-ases of the theory. Since our sun is headed in that direction in another few billion years, it may be of some relevance. Here is something I refuse to take the blame for:

Global Warming on Mars

NASA Science News for February 9, 2001

Artificial greenhouse gases that are bad news on Earth could provide the
means to make Mars a more comfortable place for humans to live.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast09feb_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 324 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Feb  9, 2001 (20:08) * 31 lines
NEWSALERT: Tuesday, February 6, 2001 @ 0521 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

SECRETS OF THE MARTIAN NOACHIAN HIGHLANDS
-----------------------------------------
Among the most exciting places that the Mars Global Surveyor's Mars Orbiter Camera has photographed during its three and a half years in orbit has been this crater in central Noachis Terra.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/06mgsnoachis/

ATLANTIS COUNTDOWN ROLLS ON
---------------------------
The countdown ticked along smoothly at Kennedy Space Center on Monday as engineers focused on loading Atlantis' three power-generating fuel cells. With a favorable weather forecast, the shuttle remains set for blastoff at 6:11 p.m. EST (2311 GMT) on Wednesday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html
See our complete STS-98 mission coverage:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/

TITAN 4 ROCKET COULD LAUNCH NEXT TUESDAY AT EARLIEST
----------------------------------------------------
A puzzling problem with a guidance computer is keeping a U.S. Air Force Titan 4B rocket and its sophisticated communications satellite cargo grounded at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/b41/010205inu.html

ATLAS 3B AND PROTON ROCKETS PICKED BY ECHOSTAR
----------------------------------------------
The rockets that will loft the next two EchoStar direct-to-home TV broadcasting satellites were picked Monday and the joint U.S.-Russian venture International Launch Services won both contracts.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/06echostar/

ARIANE 4 PREPPED FOR ALL-MILITARY LAUNCH
----------------------------------------
Arianespace officials have cleared Ariane 4 rocket with a pair of European military communications satellite for launch on Wednesday evening at 2228 GMT (5:28 p.m. EST), the opening of a one-hour window. Liftoff will take place from ELA-2 at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v139/status.html 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 325 of 866: Lucille Oftedahl  (alyeska) * Fri, Feb  9, 2001 (20:17) * 1 lines
The Atlantis launch was really spectacular Wednesday. The con trail was colored almost like a rainbow. It seemed to go up faster this time.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 326 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Feb 12, 2001 (00:14) * 14 lines
It was stunning and I hope they make a poster out of it as it crossed the terminator and into sunset and full daylight as it rose. Did you see it go up, Lucie? How envious I am!!!

Halo Coronal Mass Ejection

Space Weather News for February 11, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

A beautiful coronal mass ejection billowed away from the Sun early Sunday.
Although the bulk of the explosion was directed away from Earth, it
appears that some of the ejecta is nevertheless heading our way. The edge
of the expanding cloud will likely reach Earth on Tuesday and could
trigger auroras at high latitudes. For more information, including movies
of the event, please visit http://www.spaceweather.com. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 327 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Feb 12, 2001 (13:21) * 31 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, February 12, 2001 @ 0237 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

PROBE TO ATTEMPT FIRST LANDING ON ASTEROID TODAY
------------------------------------------------
NASA's $223 million mission to get up-close and personal with an asteroid goes out with what could very well amount to a bang as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft heads for an unprecedented landing on Eros today.
http://spaceflightnow.com/near/status.html

Tune into our live Webcast of the landing:
http://spaceflightnow.com/near/live_qt.html

SHUTTLE DOCKING PORT TO BE ADDED TO DESTINY TODAY
-------------------------------------------------
Atlantis' spacewalking astronauts Tom Jones and Bob Curbeam plan to step outside the shuttle again on Monday to lend a hand attaching a cone-shaped docking port to the newly-installed Destiny lab.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010212fd6/

We will have live updates throughout the spacewalk:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

NASA DELIGHTED BY SMOOTH DESTINY LAB ACTIVATION
-----------------------------------------------
The Atlantis astronauts and the international space station's three-man crew floated into the $1.4 billion Destiny module for the first time Sunday and sailed through the new laboratory's initial activation and check out.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010211fd5/index2.html

LAUNCHES OF XM RADIO SATELLITES SHUFFLED
----------------------------------------
Sea Launch has decided to flip-flop the flights of its Zenit 3SL rocket carrying the two broadcasting spacecraft for XM Satellite Radio in the continuing wake of an aborted countdown January 8.
http://spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/xm1/status.html 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 328 of 866:  (sprin5) * Mon, Feb 12, 2001 (14:38) * 1 lines
Wow, live webcast of the Eros asteroid landing. What time?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 329 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Feb 12, 2001 (15:19) * 50 lines
NEAR Spacecraft Leaves Orbit to Land on Asteroid

LAUREL, Md. (Reuters) - Space probe NEAR Shoemaker left its yearlong
orbit of monster asteroid Eros and headed toward the big rock's surface
on Monday, the first time any craft tried to land on this kind of cosmic
object.
"We're on a flight path now that will take us to the surface," mission
Director Bob Farquhar said in an update from the project's
headquarters outside Washington.
The bus-sized spacecraft was never meant to land -- it orbited the
21-mile-long asteroid for a year, taking some 160,000 images and
beaming them back to Earth -- but it was at the end of its expected life
and had satisfied all its objectives, so Farquhar and others decided a
landing attempt could provide some "bonus science."
To get the solar-powered ship out of its 21-mile-high orbit, thrusters
were fired around 10:31 a.m. EST to send it toward the asteroid. Four
more burns were scheduled to slow NEAR to what scientists hoped would
be a soft landing.
The landing was scheduled for about 3 p.m. EST, but because it will
take 17.5 minutes for light to travel the 196 million miles from the
craft to Earth, scientists at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics
Laboratory in Laurel said they would not have much information at the
exact instant of touchdown.
NEAR Shoemaker -- short for Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous and in
honor of the late astronomer Gene Shoemaker -- was supposed to
come down to Eros at a leisurely speed of from 2 to 7 mph. However, if
things went awry during the complicated maneuver, the landing could
be much faster and much harder. The craft could be flattened on
impact.
If all went as planned, however, NEAR would take images as it edged
closer to Eros and send them back to Earth, as it has since it first
started orbiting the asteroid on Valentine's Day 2000.
When it landed, NEAR could hit one of the huge boulders that dot the
asteroid's surface, or become buried in one of the so-called sand
ponds. Or it could go into "ostrich mode" and turn its antenna toward
the surface and away from Earth, and never be heard from again.
It took NEAR about four years to travel a 2 billion-mile, looping route
to Eros, named for the Greek god of love. At a cost of $223 million, the
mission is considered a model for the cheaper, faster space flights
envisioned by NASA.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has already rated
the mission a success for the data it has collected about Eros, a
so-called near-Earth asteroid that has the potential to collide with the
planet in 1.5 million years or so.
If Eros ever did hit Earth, the results would be catastrophic; indeed, a
much smaller space rock is thought to have been responsible for
wiping out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
Astronomers were also interested in the composition of this rock
because it is probably a remnant from the formation of the rocky inner
planets of our solar system some 4.5 billion years ago. 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 330 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Feb 12, 2001 (16:06) * 85 lines
NEAR Spacecraft Lands on Asteroid

COLUMBIA, Md. (AP) - The NEAR spacecraft touched down on the
barren, rocky surface of Eros, successfully completing history's first
landing on an asteroid.
NEAR's landing at about 3:05 p.m. EST Monday was confirmed when
Mission Control received a beacon signal from the craft resting on the
surface of Eros, some 196 million miles from Earth.
``I am happy to report that the NEAR has touched down,'' said Robert
Farquhar, mission director. ``We are still getting signals. It is still
transmitting from the surface.''
Engineers watching from monitors from Mission Control broke into
applause at confirmation of history's first landing of a manmade object
on an asteroid. The mission, controlled by the Johns Hopkins
University Applied Physics Laboratory, also was the first into deep
space operated by a non-NASA center.
NEAR flawless performed five rocket firings, starting Monday morning,
to drop it out of a 15-mile orbit of Eros and slow it toward the surface.
Early indications are that Mission control completed its plan to guide
NEAR to a feather-like touchdown by slowing its velocity, relative to the
surface of the asteroid, to about the speed of a fast walk, 3 to 5 miles
an hour.
The landing completes a five-year, 2-billion-mile mission for the robot
craft and boosts the technical experience in putting spacecraft on
objects with extremely light gravity.
``This gives us a lot of practice,'' said Ed Weiler, NASA's chief scientist.
``We'll eventually want to land on comets because they hold the clues
to beginnings.''
Weiler said the experience gained in the NEAR landing attempt on Eros
can be applied in about a decade when NASA may launch a landing
mission to a comet.
NEAR became the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid when it arrived at
Eros, an object named for the Greek god of love, on Valentine's Day
last year. The mission had been scheduled to end on Wednesday,
anniversary of achieving orbit.
Farquhar said it was decided to attempt the landing to squeeze a final
bit of science out of the $223 million mission.
No matter how the landing attempt ended, Weiler said, earlier, NEAR
was ``a total success. It returned 10 times more data than expected.''
Officials targeted NEAR to land on Eros at the edge of a deep
depression called Himeros. Scientists picked this spot because it is
thought to be on the edge of two different geologic formations.
During the final hours of its descent, NEAR furiously took pictures of
Eros' surface as it drew closer and closer. Scientists hoped the final
shots before impact would clearly show rocks as small as a fist, an
unprecedented close-up view of an asteroid.
``In those final images, we'll be seeing objects that are just a few
inches in resolution,'' said Andrew Cheng, chief project scientist of
NEAR.
Farquhar had warned in advance that landing NEAR n Eros is
exquisitely ``tricky.''
NEAR was not designed to land anywhere. Shaped like tin can attached
to four solar panels, the craft was not equipped with wheels or braces
to absorb the landing force.
Weiler commented, ``This is not a landing. It is a controlled crash.''
Eros has very light gravity, about one-thousandth that of Earth, which
means that an object, such as NEAR, weighing 1,100 pounds on Earth,
would weigh only slightly over a pound in the gravity field of Eros. A
quarter, dropped from head-high on Eros, would take five seconds to
fall to the surface.
Weiler said the final descent of NEAR was actually slower than the
asteroid's rotation and there was risk that the spinning space rock
could actually swat the craft back into orbit.
NEAR traveled more than 2 billion miles during its five-year mission. It
was launched Feb. 17, 1996, into an independent solar orbit. NEAR
swung by the Earth once to pick up speed and then streaked outward
toward Eros, an asteroid in an elongated orbit that nears Mars and
approaches Earth's orbit.
In December 1998, a rocket firing designed to put the craft into orbit of
Eros failed and NEAR sped past the asteroid. A second rocket firing
series was successful and the spacecraft eventually returned to Eros
and slipped into history's first orbit of an asteroid.
The craft spent the last year snapping photos of Eros, second- largest
of the asteroids that approach the Earth's orbit. The NEAR instruments
also gathered information about the asteroid's composition, structure,
size and shape.
NEAR was built and operated under a faster-better-cheaper space
exploration philosophy developed at NASA. Under the direction and
control of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the
spacecraft was designed, built and launched in just 26 months. Some
deep space explorations have taken a decade or more to mount. NEAR
is also the first deep-space mission to be operated by a non-NASA
space center.
On the Net:
Mission site: http://near.jhuapl.edu/media/index.html 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 331 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Feb 12, 2001 (17:50) * 10 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, February 12, 2001 @ 2100 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

NEAR SHOEMAKER SURVIVES ASTEROID LANDING
----------------------------------------
The NEAR Shoemaker probe is apparently alive and well after touching down on the surface of asteroid Eros today. The spacecraft returned remarkable close up views of the asteroid's surface as it swooped down to its historic landing. Check our home page for the latest news and pictures.

http://spaceflightnow.com/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 332 of 866:  (sprin5) * Tue, Feb 13, 2001 (07:53) * 1 lines
Pretty neat, they landed a craft not designed to land and a beacon kept sending back signals. The close ups are very clear and show some good size boulders ona very solid asteroid, not a pile of rubble or block of ice.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 333 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Feb 13, 2001 (12:34) * 29 lines
Looks amazing, doesn't it?! I NEED a litle piece for my collection!!!

NEWSALERT: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 @ 0439 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

NEAR PROBE MAKES HISTORIC LANDING ON ASTEROID EROS
--------------------------------------------------
NASA's $223 million mission NEAR Showmaker spacecraft made an unprecedented landing on the surface of asteroid Eros Monday, returning spectacular pictures on the way down. Check our home page for the latest news, pictures and video.
http://spaceflightnow.com/

ASTRONAUTS SAIL THROUGH 2ND SUCCESSFUL SPACEWALK
------------------------------------------------
The Atlantis astronauts staged a near-perfect spacewalk Monday, connecting a shuttle docking port to the $1.4 billion Destiny laboratory module, installing a mounting fixture for a new robot arm and opening the lab's picture window on the world.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010212fd6/index2.html
Latest updates in our status center:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

EXPERIMENTS TO STUDY FAILURES ON SMALL SATELLITE
------------------------------------------------
NASA experiments on a small British satellite are studying the effects of radiation on the various systems that make up each experiment. To yield this information, engineers are actually hoping for the components to fail.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/13strv/

GALILEO PLAYING BACK RECORDED OBSERVATIONS
------------------------------------------
It is going to be a relatively quiet week for the Galileo spacecraft. On Friday, the spacecraft performs standard maintenance on its propulsion systems. Other than that, playback of the data stored on the on-board tape recorder continues.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/12galileothisweek/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 334 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Feb 15, 2001 (16:52) * 10 lines
The Sun Does a Flip

NASA Science News for February 15, 2001

NASA scientists who monitor the Sun say that our star's awesome magnetic
field is flipping -- a sure sign that solar maximum is here.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast15feb_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 335 of 866: Lucille Oftedahl  (alyeska) * Thu, Feb 15, 2001 (19:13) * 2 lines
I am waiting, not so patiently for the pictures the camera will send back from the asteroid.
They had better success there than on Mars and this one wasn't intended to be.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 336 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Feb 16, 2001 (12:52) * 35 lines
I agree, Lucie!!!

NEWSALERT: Friday, February 16, 2001 @ 1800 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

ATLANTIS DEPARTS STATION AFTER FLAWLESS LAB DELIVERY
----------------------------------------------------
The shuttle Atlantis undocked from the international space station today, leaving the outpost behind with a new $1.4 billion laboratory module and some 3,000 pounds of equipment and supplies.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010216undock/index2.html

See our status center coverage of the mission:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

CHANDRA FINDS MOST DISTANT X-RAY GALAXY CLUSTER
-----------------------------------------------
The most distant X-ray cluster of galaxies yet has been found by astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Approximately 10 billion light years from Earth, the cluster 3C294 is 40 percent farther than the next most distant X-ray galaxy cluster previously known.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/16chandra/

MARTIAN SEDIMENTARY ROCK FOUND IN UNLIKELY PLACE
------------------------------------------------
Although most of the best examples of layered sedimentary rock seen on Mars are found at equatorial and sub-tropical latitudes, a few locations seen at mid- and high-latitudes suggest that layered rocks are probably more common than we can actually see from orbit.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/16mgsspall/

FIRST CANADIAN ASTRONAUT GETS A PROMOTION
-----------------------------------------
The Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency has announced the appointment of astronaut Marc Garneau as Executive Vice-President of the CSA.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/16garneau/

LAUNCH SCHEDULE
---------------
Keep up-to-date with planned space shuttle and rocket launches from around the globe with our Worldwide Launch Schedule page
http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 337 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Feb 16, 2001 (13:09) * 3 lines
SEMI-LIVE PICTURES FROM EROS ASTEROID

http://near-mirror.boulder.swri.edu/iod/descent_image/image.jpg

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 338 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Feb 17, 2001 (00:04) * 13 lines
Weekend Aurora Watch

Space Weather News for Friday, Feb. 16, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

SOHO coronagraphs spotted a full-halo solar coronal mass ejection on
Thursday that appears to be Earth-bound. The expanding cloud will likely
reach our planet during the weekend and could trigger geomagnetic activity
when it arrives. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for possible
auroras. Meanwhile, in an unrelated development, NASA scientists say the
Sun's enormous magnetic field is flipping! For more information please
visit http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 339 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Feb 17, 2001 (13:26) * 196 lines
===========================================================
SKY & TELESCOPE'S NEWS BULLETIN - FEBRUARY 16, 2001
===========================================================
For images and Web links for these items, visit http://www.skypub.com
===========================================================
"Astronomy: An Immersive Journey Through the Universe" is set of
CD-ROMs that makes astronomy accessible to beginners and delivers the
high accuracy required by serious astronomy enthusiasts. Use it to
chart the positions of more than a million objects, take more than 60
expertly narrated tours, and enjoy thousands of graphics and photos.
To order your copy for $29.95, visit Sky Publishing's online store
(http://store.skypub.com/skypub/default.asp?links=REDAC)
or call 800-253-0245.
===========================================================

NEAR AND EROS MEET
Although given no better than a 1-in-100 chance of survival, the Near
Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft thumped onto the dusty,
boulder-strewn surface of minor planet 433 Eros on Monday and lived to
tell about it. The spacecraft continued to broadcast to Earth after
touching down at an estimated 1.5 meters per second at 3:05 p.m. EST
(20:05 Universal Time). As mission personnel looked on anxiously, NASA
tracking stations in California and Spain continued to receive a
low-power signal (but no data) after the first-ever landing on a small
solar-system body.
The landing sequence began about 4 hours earlier, as a rocket firing
forced NEAR-Shoemaker out of its 35-kilometer-high orbit and sent it
on a collision course with Eros. Four more rocket firings, beginning
at altitude of 5 km, slowed the craft during its 47-minute freefall.
Engineering data and altitude measurements showed that the spacecraft
descended to the surface just as planned, perhaps bouncing once before
settling down tipped to one side and resting on the corners of two
solar-cell panels. The touchdown site is on the shoulder of Himeros, a
broad depression in the southern hemisphere.
NEAR Shoemaker's onboard camera radioed more than 50 pictures as the
surface drew closer. The landscape looked smooth and dust-covered for
the most part, peppered with myriad boulders ranging from house- to
fist-size. But mission scientists were most surprised by the lack of
small impacts. "We are absolutely amazed by the absence of small,
fresh craters," exclaimed imaging-team leader Joseph Veverka, as well
as by numerous shallow sinkhole-like depressions. The final frame,
taken from a height of 125 m, showed an area 6 m wide and revealed
details only about 1 centimeter across. NASA had intended to cease
tracking the spacecraft on February 14th, when the mission was to
officially end. However, since the spacecraft survived, it has been
granted a reprieve as scientists try to glean more useful data from
the probe.

LIFE UNDER FROZEN MARTIAN LAKES?
The Antarctic lake Vostok, has received much attention for being an
analog to the Europan surface. Scientist believe that the lake,
covered by nearly 4 kilometers of ice, closely resembled the proposed
ocean on Jupiter's frozen moon. Both bodies of water seemed to have
formed by geothermal heating, and because the ice above is so thick,
both seas remained sealed from sunlight and air for millions of years.
Thus, if life exists in Lake Vostok (drilling missions have yet to
reach the liquid layer), it's plausible that life could also exist on
Europa.
However, scientists now believe that Vostok better resembles another
planet suspected of once harboring life: Mars. Natalia Duxbury (Jet
Propulsion Laboratory) and her colleagues suggest that Vostok did not
form by geothermal heating after all. Instead models of Vostok created
by the researchers imply that the Antarctic lake was originally an
open body of water that froze over between 5 and 30 million years ago.
And as such, any life found inside the lake would be older than the
Antarctic ice sheet.
This model bares a striking resemblance to the red planet. The Martian
north pole is known to be covered with ice. However, Mars's axial tilt
has changed dramatically throughout the planet's lifetime and the
current polar regions were once much warmer. Therefore it is easy to
assume that sometime in Martian history, the poles, like Duxbury's
model of Vostok, were once open bodies of water that later froze over.
Assuming life was present while Vostok was an exposed lake, and
assuming life is seen the lake today, it seems possible that if life
existed in an ancient Martian polar lake, it may still be there too.
The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter, scheduled for launch
in 2003, will examine the Martian poles for buried liquid water. A
similar experiment will eventually be flown to Europa as well. Details
of the study can be found in the January 25th Journal of Geophysical
Research.

PLUTO'S PALETTE REVEALED
During the 1980s Pluto and its satellite Charon repeatedly passed in
front of and behind one another as seen from Earth, a fortuitous
series of "mutual events" whose light curves allowed astronomers to
create crude maps of Pluto's surface. The maps showed that the half of
Pluto facing Charon was distinctly pink with a broad, dark belt
girding its midsection. Theorists surmised that the planet's
equatorial zone contained reddish organic byproducts derived from the
frosts of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide that cover the
adjacent brighter regions.

However, when Eliot F. Young (Southwest Research Institute), Richard
F. Binzel (MIT), and Colorado high-school student Keenan Crane
analyzed four mutual events recorded in both blue and yellow light,
they got an unexpected surprise: the dark band actually consists of
separate blue and yellowish red regions. As the trio of researchers
report in the January issue of Astronomical Journal, these
variegations may indicate that bluish frosts are mixed with dark
material in varying amounts or that the equatorial belt has received
different amounts of heat and radiation to drive the organic reactions
in the icy surface.

COMET MCNAUGHT-HARTLEY HIGH IN HERCULES
Comet McNaught-Hartley (C/1999 T1) is still moving north, reaching yet
higher in the morning sky for the Northern Hemisphere. The
8th-magnitude comet rises around 11 p.m. for midnorthern latitudes and
is an easy target for binoculars as it moves through Hercules this
coming week. By the first light of dawn, the comet will be about 65
deg. above the eastern horizon. Here are positions for
McNaught-Hartley for 0 hours Universal Time in 2000.0 coordinates:

Date R.A. Dec.
Feb 17 17h 06m +30.4 deg.
Feb 19 17 12 +32.3
Feb 21 17 17 +34.1
Feb 23 17 22 +36.0
For details and a finder chart for the month of February, see the
Special Sky Events page at
http://www.skypub.com/sights/skyevents/0102skyevents.html .

THIS WEEK'S "SKY AT A GLANCE"
Some daily events in the changing sky, by the editors of Sky & Telescope.

FEB. 18 -- SUNDAY
* Some doorstep astronomy: This is the time of year when the bright
constellation Orion stands at its highest in the south in early evening.
Look for Orion's Belt, a diagonal row of three stars, in its middle.

FEB. 19 -- MONDAY
* Jupiter's Great Red Spot should cross Jupiter's central meridian (the
imaginary line down the center of the planet's disk from pole to pole)
around 11:01 p.m. EST. The "red" spot is currently very pale orange-tan. It
should be visible for at least 50 minutes before and after in a good 4- or
6-inch telescope if the atmospheric seeing is sharp and steady. For a list
of all predicted Red Spot transit times, see
http://www.skypub.com/sights/moonplanets/redspot.html .
* Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede, casts its shadow on the planet from
9:42 to 11:55 p.m. EST.

FEB. 20 -- TUESDAY
* Mars is near Beta Scorpii this morning and Wednesday morning. Take a
look with binoculars! In a telescope, Beta is revealed as a fine double star.

FEB. 21 -- WEDNESDAY
* More doorstep astronomy: Once you've found Orion and his Belt high in
the south (see Sunday above), follow the line of the Belt to the lower left
for about two fist-widths at arm's length to find brilliant Sirius. In the
opposite direction, Orion's Belt points roughly to the group of bright
Jupiter, yellow Saturn, and orange Aldebaran.

FEB. 22 -- THURSDAY
* Jupiter's Red Spot transits around 8:32 p.m. EST.

FEB. 23 -- FRIDAY
* New Moon (exact at 3:21 a.m. EST this morning).

FEB. 24 -- SATURDAY
* Shortly after sunset, look just above the western horizon, far below
Venus, for the hairline crescent Moon.

============================
THIS WEEK'S PLANET ROUNDUP
============================

MERCURY is hidden deep in the glow of sunrise.

VENUS is the brilliant object (magnitude -4.6) shining in the west during
and after dusk.

MARS (magnitude +0.6, in the head of Scorpius) rises around 1 a.m. and
glows yellow-orange in the south before dawn. To its lower left is
similarly-colored Antares.

JUPITER and SATURN (magnitudes -2.4 and -0.2, respectively) shine brightly
high in the southwest to west during evening. Jupiter is the brightest;
yellowish Saturn is 8 degrees to Jupiter's lower right. To Jupiter's right
are the Pleiades, and farther to Jupiter's left or upper left sparkles
orange Aldebaran.

URANUS and NEPTUNE are hidden in the glare of the Sun.

PLUTO (magnitude 14; invisible without a large telescope) is in Ophiuchus
in the southeast before dawn.

(All descriptions that relate to the horizon or zenith -- including the
words up, down, right, and left -- are written for the world's midnorthern
latitudes. Descriptions that also depend on longitude are for North
America. Eastern Standard Time, EST, equals Universal Time [GMT] minus 5
hours.)

More celestial events, sky maps, and news of the world's astronomy research
appear each month in SKY & TELESCOPE, the essential magazine of astronomy.
See our enormous Web site and astronomy bookstore at http://www.skypub.com/.
Clear skies! 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 340 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Feb 20, 2001 (20:35) * 13 lines
Blazing Venus

NASA Science News for February 20, 2001

Fiery Venus is a wonderful planet to look at, but you wouldn't want to
live there! This is a good time to keep an eye on the second planet from
the Sun as it approaches Earth and delivers a dazzling sky show.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast20feb_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 341 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Feb 21, 2001 (17:09) * 23 lines
NEWSALERT: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 @ 1612 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

ATLANTIS TAKES DETOUR TO MOJAVE DESERT LANDING
----------------------------------------------
Running two days late, the shuttle Atlantis dropped out of a cloudy Mojave Desert sky and glided to a smooth landing Tuesday at Edwards Air Force Base to wrap up an extended space station assembly flight. (Includes video!)
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010220landing/

Read our call of the landing:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

RUSSIAN MIR SPACE STATION REACHES 15TH ANNIVERSARY
--------------------------------------------------
The Mir space station marked its 15th anniversary in orbit on Tuesday, one day after the captains of the Russian space program defended their decision to deorbit the pioneering outpost.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010220anni/

RESEARCH DETERMINES HOW PLANTS TELL WHICH WAY IS UP
---------------------------------------------------
Scientists are expanding the understanding of how gravity affects plant growth, which has implications for agriculture and space travel. Extended space missions will need to use plants and know how gravity affects the growth of plants.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/21plants/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 342 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Feb 21, 2001 (23:08) * 14 lines
Nature's Tiniest Space Junk

NASA Science News for February 21, 2001

NASA scientists are using an experimental radar to monitor a swarm of
space dust surrounding our planet -- cosmic junk that can pose an
electrical hazard to satellites. Now anyone can listen to the radar
echoes, live on the Internet! (This story also includes an unusual radar
movie of a 2000 Leonid meteor.)

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast21feb_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 343 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Fri, Feb 23, 2001 (11:36) * 1 lines
Any news on the status of Mir, Marci?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 344 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Feb 23, 2001 (15:19) * 39 lines
Not yet other than it will take a different trajectory than originally planned!

NEWSALERT: Friday, February 23, 2001 @ 1518 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

TITAN 4 ROCKET LAUNCH ON HOLD
-----------------------------
Saturday's scheduled launch of an Air Force Titan 4B rocket from Cape Canaveral has been postponed due to a vehicle issue. Further details on the problem and when the launch might be rescheduled are expected later today.
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/b41/status.html
We'll have a live video Webcast of launch:
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/b41/live_qt.html

ASTEROID OR COMET BLAMED FOR MASS EXTINCTION
--------------------------------------------
Earth's most severe mass extinction - an event 250 million years ago that wiped out 90 percent of all marine species and 70 percent of land vertebrates - was triggered by a collision with a comet or asteroid, according to new findings.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/23extinct/

COLUMBIA UNVEILING DELAYED
--------------------------
The overhauled space shuttle Columbia is being kept inside Boeing's assembly plant in Palmdale, California, longer than planned today because of bad weather. After nearly a year-and-a-half of major modification and inspection work, Columbia is due for rollout today to be mounted atop a 747 carrier aircraft for the trek back to Kennedy Space Center.
http://spaceflightnow.com

SOHO WATCHES KAMIKAZE COMET AS IT PLUNGES INTO SUN
--------------------------------------------------
A comet that fell into the Sun on February 7 was tracked by two different instruments on the ESA-NASA SOHO spacecraft, enabling scientists to characterize it quite precisely. This was just one of nearly 300 comets discovered by SOHO since 1996!
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/23soho/

SPACE STATION RESIDENTS TO TAKE WEEKEND GETAWAY
-----------------------------------------------
The three-man Expedition One crew living aboard the international space station will depart the orbiting outpost for a short time Saturday to move their Soyuz capsule to a different docking port.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

NEW TELESCOPE MAKES BLACK HOLE DISCOVERY
----------------------------------------
Working independently, two teams of astronomers have used the new 6.5-meter telescope at the MMT Observatory on Mount Hopkins, Ariz., to discover a massive black hole -- the first ever found in the galactic halo, thousands of light years above the Milky Way galactic plane.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/23mmt/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 345 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Feb 23, 2001 (19:38) * 10 lines
The Great Moon Hoax

NASA Science News for February 23, 2001 12:00:00 PM

Yes, there really is a Moon hoax, but the prankster isn't NASA. Moon rocks
and common sense prove Apollo astronauts really did visit the Moon.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23feb_2.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 346 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Feb 23, 2001 (19:45) * 12 lines
Apocalypse Then

NASA Science News for February 23, 2001

They say lightning never strikes twice. Well, how about asteroids? A
violent collision with a space rock, like the one that doomed the
dinosaurs, may have also caused our planet's greatest mass extinction 250
million years ago.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23feb_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 347 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Feb 24, 2001 (14:25) * 29 lines
NEWSALERT: Saturday, February 24, 2001 @ 1114 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

SPACE STATION RESIDENTS TAKE WEEKEND GETAWAY
--------------------------------------------
The three-man Expedition One crew living aboard the international space station departed the orbiting outpost for a short time this morning to move their Soyuz capsule to a different docking port.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html
See a graphic illustrating the flyaround:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a/010224flyaround/graphic.html

NEAR MISSION EXTENDED THROUGH END OF THE MONTH
----------------------------------------------
NASA granted an additional four-day extension for the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Shoemaker mission on Friday so that the spacecraft can return additional data from the surface of the asteroid Eros through the end of the month.
http://spaceflightnow.com/near/010223extend/
Previous coverage of NEAR Shoemaker's landing:
http://spaceflightnow.com/near/status.html

TITAN 4 LAUNCH DELAYED FURTHER
------------------------------
Launch of the $455 million Titan 4B rocket carrying a $750 million Milstar military communications satellite has been pushed back to Tuesday at the earliest. The extra time is needed so technicians can further study and fix a problem with the rocket's telemetry system.
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/b41/status.html

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER CHIEF GEORGE ABBEY OUSTED
----------------------------------------------
NASA announced late Friday that George Abbey, one of the most powerful and enigmatic figures in the space program, was being replaced as director of the Johnson Space Center. Abbey, who becomes a special advisor to the NASA Administrator, was ousted in the wake of huge cost overuns in the international space station program. Read the NASA news release:
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/23abbey/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 348 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Feb 26, 2001 (18:56) * 54 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, February 26, 2001 @ 1100 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

BRITISH GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO NEO TASK FORCE
---------------------------------------------
The British government issued a response Saturday to a task force
report on the threat posed by near-Earth asteroids and comets,
concurring with many of the recommendations in the report but
promising little in the way of immediate, concrete action.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/26neo/

RUSSIANS LAUNCH SUPPLY SHIP FOR SPACE STATION ALPHA
---------------------------------------------------
The Progress M-44 cargo freighter is bound for the international
space station today after being propelled into orbit by a Russian
Soyuz-U rocket. On Saturday, the three-man Expedition One departed
the orbiting outpost for a short time to move their Soyuz capsule to
a different docking port to make way for the Progress.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

CANADA STUDIES THIRD-GENERATION RADARSAT SATELLITE
--------------------------------------------------
Work on the third Radarsat remote sensing satellite has officially
gotten underway as the Canadian Space Agency issued a feasibility
studies contract to MacDonald, Dettwiler, and Associates.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/26radarsat3/

GLITCH WITH TITAN 4 ROCKET RESOLVED, LAUNCH DATE SET
----------------------------------------------------
The Titan 4B rocket has been cleared for liftoff Tuesday with the
Milstar communications satellite cargo, the Air Force announced
Saturday after isolating and correcting a problem with the vehicle's
first stage telemetry relay system.
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/b41/status.html

GALAXY GROUPS SURVEYED BEYOND LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD
------------------------------------------------
In a cosmically short time, probably in a few billion years, our
Milky Way galaxy will smash into the Andromeda galaxy. Pulled
together by gravity, the two spiral galaxies will violently merge
perhaps into another kind of galaxy, an elliptical galaxy.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/25groups/

HOW DID MATTER COME TO DOMINATE THE UNIVERSE?
---------------------------------------------
The seemingly unremarkable fact that the universe is full of matter
turns out to be something physicists can't quite account for.
According to the big bang theory, equal amounts of matter and
antimatter were created at the birth of the universe, but precious
little antimatter is to be found in the universe today.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/25matter/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 349 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Feb 27, 2001 (13:00) * 29 lines
NEWSALERT: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 @ 1109 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

TITAN 4 ROCKET STANDS POISED FOR BLASTOFF TODAY
---------------------------------------------------
There is $1.2 billion on the line today at Cape Canaveral where a powerful Titan 4B rocket awaits an afternoon launch carrying a crucial U.S. military communications satellite that will serve as a switchboard-in-the-sky. We will the most comprehensive live coverage throughout the day in our status center and Webcast.
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/b41/status.html

Live streaming broadcast of the launch:
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/b41/live_qt.html

NEW EVIDENCE FOUND TO SUGGEST ANCIENT MARS LIFE
-----------------------------------------------
Crystals of the mineral magnetite, embedded within a famous Martian meteorite, have provided scientists with the latest evidence that primitive life once existed on Mars.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/27marslife/


GRISSOM 'FLIES' ONE LAST TIME AT CAPE CANAVERAL
-----------------------------------------------
Lt. Col. Virgil "Gus" Grissom, one of America's first astronauts, will once again fly from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Grissom's "flight" is possible because the Air Force's Titan 4B rocket scheduled for launch today has been named "Gus" in honor of him.
http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/b41/010226patch.html

STRESS, CHAOS FORM SOLAR SYSTEM'S TALLEST MOUNTAINS
---------------------------------------------------
Researchers studing images taken by the Galileo and Voyager spacecraft have found that enigmatic mountains on Jupiter's moon Io may be the combined result of heating, melting and tilting of giant blocks of crust. The moon has some of the tallest mountains in our solar system.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0102/27iomount/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 350 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar  1, 2001 (11:38) * 25 lines
NEWSALERT: Thursday, March 1, 2001 @ 1145 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

NEAR SHOEMAKER PHONES HOME FOR THE LAST TIME
--------------------------------------------
NASA's NEAR Shoemaker -- the intrepid space probe that provided the first intensive examination of an asteroid -- has finally reached the end of its five-year adventure.
http://spaceflightnow.com/near/010228end/

STATION, SCIENCE SQUEEZED IN NASA BUDGET PROPOSAL
-------------------------------------------------
President George W. Bush's 2002 budget proposal, released Wednesday, provides essentially no increase in funding for NASA while mandating serious reforms to the international space station and the cancellation of two planetary science missions.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/01budget/

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE SPOTS A GALAXY ON THE EDGE
-------------------------------------------------
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has snapped this remarkable view of a perfectly "edge-on" galaxy. This new Hubble picture reveals with exquisite detail huge clouds of dust and gas extending along, as well as far above, the galaxy's main disk.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/01hubble/

JUPITER'S LARGEST MOON MAY BE A WET, SLUSHY PLACE
-------------------------------------------------
Planetary scientists studying Jupiter's icy moon Ganymede have combined stereo images from the Galileo and Voyager missions and found provocative features on the moon. They have mapped long swathes of bright flat terrain that they think is evidence of water or slush that emerged one billion years or so ago.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/01ganymede/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 351 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar  2, 2001 (14:47) * 15 lines
Buck Rogers, Watch Out

NASA researchers are studying insects and birds, and using so-called smart
materials with uncanny properties to develop mindboggling new aircraft
designs.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast01mar_1.htm?list89800 








 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 352 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar  2, 2001 (15:21) * 15 lines
Sunspots and a Coronal Mass Ejection

Space Weather News for March 2, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

SOLAR ACTIVITY: This week the face of the Sun looked remarkably blank as
the sunspot number dropped to its lowest level in three months. But
there's more to solar activity than sunspots! On February 28th a filament
collapsed on the Sun and the eruption sent a coronal mass ejection toward
Earth. The expanding cloud will likely reach our planet on Saturday,
March 3rd, and trigger high latitude auroras.

For more information about this and other space weather news, please visit
http://www.spaceweather.com. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 353 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sun, Mar  4, 2001 (13:33) * 25 lines
NEWSALERT: Friday, March 2, 2001 @ 1107 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

NASA KILLS X-33 AND X-34
------------------------
NASA announced Thursday that it would not provide any additional funding for the X-33 or X-34 launch vehicle technology demonstration programs, effectively killing both projects before either made its first flight.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/01x33/index2.html

SETTING SAIL THROUGH SPACE
--------------------------
The Planetary Society and Cosmos Studios are ready to test the first solar sail ever deployed in space later this year. Solar sails are seen by many space observers as the "wave of the future" that will revolutionize space flight as spacecraft travel beyond the solar system.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/02sail/

CALLING PIONEER 10
------------------
The longest operating deep-space probe is getting at least one more chance for life as project managers have secured observation time with radio antennas to try to contact the spacecraft for the first time since last summer.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/02pioneer10/

RARE METEORITES REKINDLE SOLAR SYSTEM BIRTH DEBATE
--------------------------------------------------
A new meteorite study is rekindling a scientific debate over the creation of our solar system. The study is based on the microscopic analysis of two rare meteorites recently discovered in Antarctica and Africa.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/02meteor/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 354 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Mar  6, 2001 (12:00) * 45 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, March 5, 2001 @ 1348 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

SHUTTLE DISCOVERY SET FOR SUNRISE LAUNCH THURSDAY
-------------------------------------------------
The seven astronauts who will ride shuttle Discovery into space made a late-night arrival at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday as preparations remain on schedule to start the countdown today. The shuttle is poised for liftoff Thursday at 6:42 a.m. EST (1142 GMT).
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html

STS-102 MISSION THEATER
-----------------------
From countdown to touchdown we will provide the internet's most comprehensive video coverage of Discovery's mission to the International Space Station. Subscribe to the Mission Theater today!
http://spaceflightnow.com/theater/theater.html

VOLCANIC IO ERUPTS
------------------
Newly released images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft captures a dynamic eruption at Tvashtar Catena, a chain of volcanic bowls on Jupiter's moon Io, and changes in the largest active field lava flows in the solar system, the Amirani flow.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/04ioerupt/

PLUTO MISSION CLINGS TO LIFE
----------------------------
NASA will continue to accept proposals for a mission to Pluto at the request of Congress despite a proposed budget that includes no funding for such a mission, agency officials confirmed Friday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/03pluto/

DID COMETS WATER EARTH?
-----------------------
A physics professor at the University of Iowa says that he has found new evidence to support his theory that the water in Earth's oceans arrived by way of small snow comets.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/05smallcomet/

EUROPE, JAPAN PLAN JOINT MARTIAN OBSERVATIONS
---------------------------------------------
Japanese and European Mars orbiters will keep each other company once they arrive at the red planet in 2003 and 2004. A recent meeting between the Mars Express and Nozomi teams forged an agreement to work together once their respective probes arrive in Martian orbit.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/05marscoop/

COMMERCIAL SATELLITE TO SCAN ALL OF JAMAICA
-------------------------------------------
Space Imaging has signed an agreement with the government of Jamaica to take 1-meter, high resolution satellite images with the orbiting Ikonos spacecraft of the entire country to be used by land-related and mapping agencies.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/04jamaica/

EUTELSAT LOOKS ACROSS ATLANTIC TO BUY NEW SATELLITE
---------------------------------------------------
EUTELSAT, the 48-member European Satellite Telecommunications Organization, has signed a contract for a broadband communications satellite from Boeing Satellite Systems Inc. The satellite, to be known as e-BIRD, is a spin-stabilized Boeing 376 HP model.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/03ebird/

To Subscribe: mailto:newsalert-on@astrolists.com

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 355 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar  7, 2001 (13:33) * 44 lines
NEWSALERT: Wednesday, March 7, 2001 @ 0327 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

DISCOVERY 'GO' FOR LAUNCH AMID STATION BUDGET TROUBLE
-----------------------------------------------------
With the shuttle Discovery poised for launch Thursday on the next space station assembly mission, senior NASA managers Tuesday attempted to downplay the potential impact of a projected $4 billion budget shortfall, calling an expected down-sizing a "minor adjustment."
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010306iss/

COUNTDOWN ROLLS ON FOR THURSDAY'S SHUTTLE LAUNCH
------------------------------------------------
The trouble-free countdown continues at Kennedy Space Center for shuttle Discovery's sunrise blastoff Thursday. The weather forecast is generally favorable with the only concern being unseasonably cold temperatures.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010306count/

STS-102 MISSION THEATER
-----------------------
From countdown to touchdown we will provide the internet's most comprehensive video coverage of Discovery's mission to the International Space Station. Subscribe to the Mission Theater today!
http://spaceflightnow.com/theater/theater.html

RUSSIA OFFERS MODULE, EXTRA SOYUZ CAPSULE TO PARTNERS
-----------------------------------------------------
Russian Aviation and Space Agency, Rosaviacosmos, has endorsed the development of the first commercially operated module of the international space station in hopes of charging rent to its partners.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/06enterprise/

CHECKING ON AN OLD AND ACTIVE COMETARY FRIEND
---------------------------------------------
When Comet Hale-Bopp passed through the inner solar system in early 1997, it was admired in the sky as a "classical" comet, with a bright head and an enormous, multi-colored tail. Now four years later, astronomers have captured new views of the comet.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/07halebopp/

CHANDRA SNAPS REMARKABLE IMAGE OF GALAXY GROUP
----------------------------------------------
A new Chandra image reveals great detail and complexity in the central region of the compact galaxy group known as HCG 62. Such galaxy groups, which contain fewer galaxies than the better-known galaxy clusters, are an important class of objects because they may serve as cosmic building blocks in the large-scale structure of the Universe.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/07chandra/

UNIQUE DOUBLE-HEADER AS TWO SHUTTLES GRACE CAPE SKIES
-----------------------------------------------------
Space shuttles Atlantis and Columbia made it back to Florida's Space Coast on Monday after lengthy cross-country ferry flights from California, but there wasn't enough parking spots at Kennedy Space Center for both spaceplanes and their carrier aircraft.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/06ferryflights/

BOEING'S DIGITAL CINEMA READY FOR VIEWING
-----------------------------------------
Boeing digital cinema, a capability that enables same-day delivery of digital media via satellite to multiple movie theaters, is ready for viewing.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/06cinema/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 356 of 866:  (sprin5) * Wed, Mar  7, 2001 (14:26) * 1 lines
Digital cinema, wow. What clever cracker will be first to break this for home consumption?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 357 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar  8, 2001 (13:10) * 32 lines
NEWSALERT: Thursday, March 8, 2001 @ 0545 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

NASA COUNTS DOWN TO DISCOVERY'S SUNRISE LAUNCH
----------------------------------------------
The shuttle Discovery has been fueled for blastoff today on a flight to deliver the international space station's second full-time crew and nearly five tons of supplies and equipment, including the lab's first suite of scientific experiments. We are providing continuous live coverage in our status center:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html
Read our comprehensive mission preview:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010307preview/

STS-102 MISSION THEATER
-----------------------
From countdown to touchdown we will provide the internet's most comprehensive video coverage of Discovery's mission to the International Space Station. Subscribe to the Mission Theater today!
http://spaceflightnow.com/theater/theater.html

HUBBLE SPIES HUGE CLUSTERS OF STARS FORMED IN ANCIENT CRASH
-----------------------------------------------------------
Studying galactic interactions is like sifting through the forensic evidence at a crime scene. Astronomers wade through the debris of a violent encounter, collecting clues so they can reconstruct the celestial crime to determine when it happened. Take the case of M82, a small, nearby galaxy that long ago bumped into its larger neighbor, M81.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/08hubble/

MIR REENTRY TARGET DATE SET
---------------------------
Russian space officials decided to postpone the deorbiting of the Mir space station to around March 20 to save the propellant onboard the Progress spacecraft.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010308reentry/

ARIANESPACE TO LAUNCH FIRST ARIANE 5 ROCKET OF 2001
---------------------------------------------------
The Ariane 509 rocket was rolled to its South American launch pad Wednesday in final preparation for liftoff this evening to deliver European and Japanese telecommunications satellites into orbit.
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v140/status.html 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 358 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Mar 10, 2001 (23:02) * 10 lines
The End is Mir

NASA Science News for March 10, 2001
Space station Mir, the heaviest thing orbiting our planet other than the
Moon itself, will return to Earth around March 20th.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast10mar_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 359 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Mar 12, 2001 (12:16) * 40 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, March 12, 2001 @ 0703 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

ITALIAN-MADE 'MOVING VAN' DOCKED TO SPACE STATION
-------------------------------------------------
The Leonardo Multipurpose Logistics Module has been mounted to the international space station with its 9,993 pounds of equipment and experiments for the U.S. Destiny laboratory. The astronauts are slated to enter the $150 million pressurized module in a few hours, then start unpacking its contents on Monday night.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010312fd5/

MARATHON SPACEWALK SETS NEW ENDURANCE RECORD
--------------------------------------------
In a marathon spacewalk marked by unexpected glitches and lost hardware, two astronauts mounted critical equipment on the hull of the international space station Sunday. The 8-hour 56-minute long excursion, was the longest in spacewalk U.S. history.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010311fd4/

DISCOVERY MAKES BELATED DOCKING WITH STATION
--------------------------------------------
The shuttle Discovery glided to a delayed-but-successful docking with the international space station early Saturday to deliver the first of three new crew members after flight controllers finally managed to lock down a possibly free-swinging solar panel.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010310fd3/

STS-102 MISSION THEATER
-----------------------
We are providing the internet's most comprehensive video coverage of Discovery's mission to the International Space Station, including multiple views of Thursday's launch, extraordinary onboard video, daily news conferences and the mission highlights. Subscribe to the Mission Theater today!
http://spaceflightnow.com/theater/theater.html

REPORT: CHINA PLANS FIRST MANNED MISSION NEXT YEAR
--------------------------------------------------
China plans to launch its first astronauts in late 2002 following more unmanned test flights of the Shenzhou test capsule, according to Japanese news reports.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/11china/

TWO SPACECRAFT REVEAL NEW DETAILS OF JUPITER'S AURORA
-----------------------------------------------------
Bright auroras on parts of Jupiter where those shimmering glows have not previously been seen appear in new images taken from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The research is part of a joint study with Cassini to examine how the aurora is affected by the solar wind.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/10jupaurora/

UNIVERSE PUT ON THE SCALES
--------------------------
Only 35 percent of the Universe's contents is in the form of matter, according to new findings. The rest is believed to be in the form of 'dark energy'. This measurement, the most accurate to date, is based on data from 141,000 galaxies.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/10weigh/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 360 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 14, 2001 (21:33) * 34 lines
NEWSALERT: Wednesday, March 14, 2001 @ 1921 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

VOLCANOES MAY HAVE PLAYED ROLE IN MARTIAN LIFE
----------------------------------------------
Two of the oldest volcanoes on Mars, which have been active for 3.5 billion years, are providing clues to the possibility of life on the planet, according to preliminary analysis by geologists of new data from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/14marsvolcano/

STATION CREW ROTATION COMPLETE
------------------------------
Astronaut Susan Helms moved aboard the international space station today, completing the lab's first crew rotation and becoming the first woman to live aboard the outpost. The astronauts are ahead of schedule unloading the Leonardo cargo carrier.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010314fd7/

STS-102 MISSION THEATER
-----------------------
We are providing the internet's most comprehensive video coverage of
Discovery's mission to the International Space Station, including
multiple views of liftoff, extraordinary cockpit launch video,
daily news conferences and the mission highlights. Subscribe to the
Mission Theater today!
http://spaceflightnow.com/theater/

DEEP X-RAYS SHOW UNIVERSE TEEMING WITH BLACK HOLES
--------------------------------------------------
For the first time, astronomers believe they have proof black holes of all sizes once ruled the universe. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory provided the deepest X-ray images ever recorded, and those pictures deliver a novel look at the past 12 billion years of black holes.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/14chandra/

ASTRONOMERS FIND MISSING TYPE OF QUASAR
---------------------------------------
Astronomy's "most wanted" list shortened by one this week when researchers announced that they had spotted the first type II quasar, an object on the fringes of the known universe whose existence they had suspected for two decades.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/14quasar/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 361 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 14, 2001 (21:47) * 13 lines
Home, Space Home

NASA Science News for March 14, 2001

On the ground, the International Space Station would be an odd looking
building -- but space is an odd place to live! Find out how space
weather, orbital free fall, and the Space Shuttle's payload bay shapes the
architecture of the ISS.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast14mar_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 362 of 866:  (sprin5) * Thu, Mar 15, 2001 (08:37) * 1 lines
So Mir's going to crash somewhere in Australia. Will it land on the locale of Survivor? 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 363 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 15, 2001 (18:39) * 14 lines
What a thought - and could they have envisioned a more spectacular ending for the series?!

Welcome Interference -- astronomers get a new tool in the hunt for planets

NASA Science News for March 15, 2001

NASA scientists have combined starlight from the two largest telescopes on
Earth to form an extraordinary optical interferometer -- a powerful tool
in the search for planets outside the solar system.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast15mar_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 364 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 15, 2001 (18:48) * 25 lines
NEWSALERT: Thursday, March 15, 2001 @ 1700 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

RUSSIANS REFINE PLAN FOR REENTRY OF SPACE STATION MIR
-----------------------------------------------------
After weeks of uncertainty, Russian space officials have set the early hours of March 22 as the definitive target for the Mir's fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010314date/

SPACE STATION CARGO TRANSFER IN HIGH GEAR
-----------------------------------------
The Discovery astronauts spent the day repacking the Leonardo cargo module with space station trash and discarded equipment while the lab's departing crew members briefed their replacements on the finer points of operating the growing outpost.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010315fd8/

NOW SHOWING: MORE THAN A DOZEN SHUTTLE LAUNCH VIEWS
---------------------------------------------------
Spaceflight Now's STS-102 Mission Theater is now showing more than a dozen varied views of shuttle Discovery's spectacular sunrise blast off last week. Among the 50 other clips available, are daily reports and mission highlights. Subscribe to the Mission Theater today!
http://spaceflightnow.com/theater/

VOLCANOES ON JOVIAN MOON IO TRY ERASING THEIR AGE
-------------------------------------------------
The amount of lava gushing from individual volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io dwarfs earthly comparisons, and the pace at which lava is repainting Io's surface suggests a novel technique for determining the relative ages of surface regions there.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/15io/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 365 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Fri, Mar 16, 2001 (07:05) * 1 lines
I watched a little bit of Mission to Mars last night, have you seen this Marci? How accurate is this movies portrayal of the technology we'd actually use on a mission like this?

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 366 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 16, 2001 (12:14) * 39 lines
Propagation from ARRL

Solar flux declined this week, having reached a short-term peak a
week prior to Wednesday. But average daily solar flux and sunspot
numbers were higher this week than last. Daily sunspot numbers
reached a peak of 174 on Monday. This is the highest it has been
since February 9, when it was 179, or January 23, when it was 178.

Geomagnetic conditions have been quiet, with A indices in the
single-digits. Quiet conditions should continue, although there is a
possibility that sunspot group 9373, currently at the center of the
solar disk oriented toward earth, could produce some solar flares on
Thursday or Friday. You'll hear the results on the WWV reports a few
days later if the K index rises above 3.

Solar flux is expected to be around 135 on Friday and 130 for the
following few days, then rise to around 145 on March 22-24. By
comparison, a year ago the average sunspot number and solar flux
reported in this bulletin (ARLP011) was respectively 193.4 and
194.9.

Scott Craig has a revised version of his Solar Data Plotting
Utility, which works with the data presented in this bulletin. The
new version was released last week, and has a new feature which can
connect to the internet and automatically download the solar data
from an ARRL FTP site. His website is at
http://www.craigcentral.com, and the software is at
http://www.craigcentral.com/sol.htm.

Next week is the spring equinox, with anticipated spring propagation
conditions. 15 and 20 meters should be open later into the evening,
with 20 meters possibly open all night. 10 meters should improve
around the change of seasons, but will probably degrade for
worldwide propagation as spring moves toward summer.

Sunspot numbers for March 8 through 14 were 98, 113, 131, 139, 174,
110 and 159 with a mean of 132. 10.7 cm flux was 167.2, 161.4,
160.1, 157.8, 157.6, 147.3 and 142.2, with a mean of 156.2, and
estimated planetary A indices were 6, 6, 5, 4, 10, 7 and 7 with a

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 367 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 16, 2001 (17:36) * 42 lines
List-Subscribe:

NEWSALERT: Friday, March 16, 2001 @ 1854 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

DISCOVERY TO STAY AN EXTRA DAY AT SPACE STATION
-----------------------------------------------
Mission managers have decided to extend Discovery's stay at the International Space Station by one day. Meanwhile, the station's first crew looks forward to homecoming, if not Earth's gravity.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010316fd9/

GALILEO GETS FINAL REPRIEVE BEFORE CRASH INTO JUPITER
-----------------------------------------------------
The resilient Galileo spacecraft doesn't know when it call it quits. So, NASA has outlined the details of one last mission extension, which includes five more flybys of the Jovian moons before a final plunge into the crushing pressure of the giant planet's atmosphere.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/16galileo/

WALKER SAYS NO TO NASA ADMINISTRATOR JOB
----------------------------------------
A former Congressman who had been considered as a leading candidate to succeed Dan Goldin as NASA administrator said Thursday he has no interest in the position.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/16walker/

SEA LAUNCH TO LOFT RADIO RELAY SATELLITE SUNDAY
-----------------------------------------------
The countdown got underway Thursday for Sea Launch's planned Sunday mission to place the first digital audio relay spacecraft into orbit for XM Satellite Radio, a company that aims to broadcast music, news and entertainment programming directly to cars across America starting this summer.
http://spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/xm2/status.html

TWIN TELESCOPES TEAM UP TO SHARPEN THEIR FOCUS
----------------------------------------------
The two largest telescopes in the world were linked together this week for the first time, a key step forward for efforts to directly observe extrasolar planets.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/16keck/

TWO ASTEROIDS GET IRISH TOUCH
-----------------------------
Two asteroids have been given Irish names in time for St. Patrick's Day. Discovered in July 1987 by famed asteroid hunter and planetary astronomer Eleanor Helin, the asteroids have been officially christened by the International Astronomical Union and honor Irish contributions to astronomical research.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/16irish/

NOW SHOWING: MORE THAN A DOZEN SHUTTLE LAUNCH VIEWS
---------------------------------------------------
Spaceflight Now's STS-102 Mission Theater is now showing more than a dozen varied views of shuttle Discovery's spectacular sunrise blast off last week. Among the 50 other clips available, are daily reports and mission highlights. Subscribe to the Mission Theater today!
http://spaceflightnow.com/theater/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 368 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Mar 19, 2001 (14:52) * 42 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, March 19, 2001 @ 0718 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

DISCOVERY DEPARTS THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
-------------------------------------------------
The international space station's first commander formally turned the ship over to his replacement Sunday night, wishing the lab's second three-person crew good luck aboard the orbital outpost and urging them to "sail her well" during their four-and-a-half-month stay. Discovery then undocked to bring the Expedition One crew home.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010318fd12/

COMPUTER ISSUE RESOLVED AS MODULE RETURNS TO SHUTTLE
----------------------------------------------------
The Leonardo "moving van" was pulled away from the space station and returned to Discovery's payload bay Sunday morning after delivering five tons of equipment and supplies to the orbiting outpost. The move followed intensive troubleshooting to verify the health of the shuttle's flight computers.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010318fd11/

SATELLITE LAUNCHED TO BEAM DIGITAL RADIO ACROSS AMERICA
-------------------------------------------------------
American motorists seeking something new from their car radios received a boost Sunday when a rocket launched from a platform in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and delivered a digital audio broadcasting satellite into orbit.
http://spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/xm2/
Read our call of the countdown and launch:
http://spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/xm2/status.html

MIR VETERANS RECALL STATION'S GLORY, LAMENT ITS PASSING
-------------------------------------------------------
As the shuttle and station crews wrapped up a quiet but productive day in space, four of the five Mir veterans on board reflected on the upcoming demise of the old Russian station, lamenting its passing but looking forward to the future.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010317fd10/

GROUND CONTROL PREPARES TO BOOST MIR'S POWER SUPPLY
---------------------------------------------------
Russian mission controllers in Korolev plan to restart space station Mir's orientation system on Wednesday, or around 24 hours prior to the complex's scheduled deorbiting, officials said Friday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010317control/

U.S. PROVIDES DATA TO RUSSIA FOR MIR SPLASHDOWN
-----------------------------------------------
United States space specialists are providing Russian technicians with Mir space station positional data to help ensure the vehicle's safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010317usaf/

U.S. TO BUILD CONSTELLATION OF SATELLITES FOR TAIWAN
----------------------------------------------------
Taiwan has chosen Orbital Sciences to build a fleet of six microsatellites that aims to study Earth's atmosphere to aid scientists in weather and climate forecasting and ionosphere and gravity research fields.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/18rocsat/

To subscribe send email to newsalert-on@astrolists.com

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 369 of 866:  (sprin5) * Mon, Mar 19, 2001 (22:07) * 3 lines
Marcia, did you see the Wired article on the new rocket technology they want to use to send men to Mars, the propellant reaches a temperature of a million degrees and is contained by magnetic force. I think they said it could reach Mars in about 4 months.

Pretty amazing.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 370 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Mar 19, 2001 (23:32) * 15 lines
No, but I will look for it and report back! Thanks!

2001 Mars Odyssey: Coming soon to a launch pad near you!

NASA Science News for March 19, 2001

NASA's latest mission to Mars, an orbiter scheduled for launch on April 7,
2001, will seek out underground water-ice and explore space weather around
the Red Planet -- and that's not all!

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast19mar_1.htm?list89800 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 371 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Mar 19, 2001 (23:42) * 1 lines
Sprin5 , I searched Wired and subscribed to their news...could not find the article. Will look elsewhere but am most interested! Thanks for the Wired suggestion. I had forgotten it existed!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 372 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Tue, Mar 20, 2001 (07:21) * 1 lines
I actually read it in their magazine, I don't know if they carried it online. 140 days or so is a very fast trip to Mars considering current technology takes about 9 months. 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 373 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Mar 20, 2001 (12:52) * 18 lines
That is truly incredible. I searched their site and weent back to the last century and did not find the article. I am sure more will be written about it, and when I find it, I will put it in here!

Geomagnetic Storm

Space Weather News for March 20, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

AURORA WATCH: A moderate geomagnetic storm that began Monday when a solar
coronal mass ejection buffeted Earth's magnetic field shows no immediate
signs of abating. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras
after local nightfall.

HERE COMES THE SUN: Another coronal mass ejection is heading our way.
SOHO coronagraphs spotted a very faint CME on Monday that could arrive in
the neighborhood of our planet on March 22nd or 23rd.

For updates and more information please visit http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 374 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Tue, Mar 20, 2001 (21:40) * 8 lines
It's in the light green Jan 2001 Wired that says
"Touch me all over" on the cover. Zip Drive! Building the Fast Track to
Mars. Page 96. Aa rocket that runs on million degree plasma and could
someday fuel a fast track trip to Mars.

VASIMR - variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket.



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 375 of 866:  (sprin5) * Wed, Mar 21, 2001 (07:51) * 4 lines

Taco Bell is going to give us all free tacos if the Russians can hit a target with the re-entering Mir:

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010320/sc/taco_bell_mir.html

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 376 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 21, 2001 (19:41) * 47 lines
Ok will look for the Wired article online...thanks, Terry!

NEWSALERT: Tuesday, March 20, 2001 @ 0825 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

TITO CONTROVERSY HEATS UP
-------------------------
In an escalating battle of wills, NASA is staging a news conference today to discuss its opposition to Russian plans for launching American millionaire Dennis Tito to the international space station next month as history's first space tourist.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/20tito/
Read NASA news release on Tito training:
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/20tito/index2.html

STORMY WEATHER THREATENS SPACE SHUTTLE'S HOMECOMING
---------------------------------------------------
The Discovery astronauts tested the shuttle's re-entry systems late Monday and packed up for landing early Wednesday to bring the international space station's first crew back to Earth after 141 days in the weightlessness of space.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010320eom/
We will have live landing coverage:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/status.html
See a detailed entry timeline:
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/fdf/102entry.html

FIRE ALARM SENDS STATION CREW SCRAMBLING
----------------------------------------
A fire alarm went off in the Destiny laboratory module of the international space station Monday. It turned out to be a false alarm, but it shut down ventilation systems, computers dropped off line and the station's new crew was unable to find the documentation needed to reactive critical systems.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010319falsealarm/

SPACE STATION MIR TO REMAIN ALOFT FOR AN EXTRA DAY
--------------------------------------------------
Russian space officials have postponed the deorbiting of the Mir space station by 24 hours to Friday. The decision to delay the reentry was caused by lower than expected descent rate of the station in the upper atmosphere.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/010319date/

LOCKMART'S ATHENA ROCKET WELCOMED BACK AT NASA
----------------------------------------------
Lockheed Martin's Athena rocket, facing a very uncertain future after being left out of a NASA launch services contract two years ago, received favorable news from the space agency Monday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/20athena/

STARDUST COMET PROBE'S VISION GETS FUZZY AGAIN
----------------------------------------------
In December, Stardust, the mission to Comet Wild 2 to capture dust particles and return them to Earth, cleared a coating that was clouding its camera optics by applying heat. Today, team members are investigating the reappearance of the coating, which is similar to the frost on a car windshield.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/20stardust/

ORBITAL PICKED TO BUILD THREE TV SATELLITES FOR PANAMSAT
--------------------------------------------------------
PanAmSat has announced a new multi-spacecraft agreement with Orbital Sciences Corporation for the development of the next generation of Galaxy cable satellites. The contract solidifies Orbital as a major supplier in the world market for GEO communications satellites.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/20oscpas/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 377 of 866: Lucille Oftedahl  (alyeska) * Wed, Mar 21, 2001 (21:06) * 5 lines
That %#*&%*# shuttle woke me up this morning at 2:30. I thought a tree had fallen on the house, it was so loud. When I got awake enough to start to think I realized what it was but the blasted thing raised me right up out of the bed.

When it hits the earth's atmosphere it sounds like someone set off a pair of cannons in the back yard. This time it must have entered right over Polk county.

Pleasant dreams.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 378 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 22, 2001 (11:36) * 26 lines
Grumble grumbel - I'll trade you a few earthquakes and a volcanic eruption to hear that and watch a launch...*sighing with envy* Thanks for reporting!

New Aurora Photos + A Geomagnetic Activity Alert

Space Weather News for March 21, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

AURORA PHOTOS: The intensity of this week's strong geomagnetic storm
surprised many forecasters. Nevertheless, quick-witted photographers
around the world were able to capture beautiful photos of the aurora
borealis. You can see some of the best images in our March 20th aurora
gallery.

GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY WARNING: Coronal mass ejections that left the Sun on
March 19th and 20th could buffet Earth's magnetosphere before the weekend.
Our planet may also be heading for an encounter with a solar wind stream.
Together these events could trigger another round of geomagnetic activity.

NEAR-EARTH ASTEROID: A newly-discovered asteroid will pass by Earth on
March 23rd four and a half times farther away than the Moon. There's no
danger of a collision, but the space rock (about the size of a football
field) will be close enough for amateur astronomers to spy through
properly-equipped telescopes.

For more information please visit http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 379 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 22, 2001 (11:46) * 13 lines
Staying Cool on the ISS

NASA Science News for March 21, 2001

In a strange new world where hot air doesn't rise and heat doesn't
conduct, the International Space Station's thermal control systems
maintain a delicate balance between the deep-freeze of space and the Sun's
blazing heat.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast21mar_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 380 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 22, 2001 (12:40) * 50 lines
NEWSALERT: Thursday, March 22, 2001 @ 1650 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

FINAL HOURS COUNTING DOWN FOR SPACE STATION MIR
-----------------------------------------------
The space station Mir -- a relic of the once grand Soviet space program that later served as a stepping stone to today's world cooperation in orbit -- is making its final laps around Earth.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/status.html

STATION PIONEERS BACK ON EARTH AFTER HISTORIC VOYAGE
----------------------------------------------------
After a dramatic reversal of fortune, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and glided to a pre-dawn landing at the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday, bringing the international space station's first full-time crew back to Earth after a 141-day space odyssey.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage5a1/010321land/

NASA CONTINUES PROTESTING SPACE JOYRIDE OF DENNIS TITO
------------------------------------------------------
NASA managers vow to continue efforts to convince their Russian counterparts not to launch U.S. millionaire Dennis Tito to the international space station next month, saying the would-be space tourist has not been properly trained and represents a clear safety threat to the multi-billion-dollar station and its crew.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/20tito/

RUSSIA STANDS FIRM ON TITO; COSMONAUTS RESUME TRAINING
------------------------------------------------------
The Russian Aviation and Space Agency ordered the Russian Soyuz taxi crewmembers to resume training at the Johnson Space Center on Tuesday but remained adamant that Dennis Tito would fly with to the space station with or without NASA's consent.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/20tito/russianreax.html

DEEP SPACE 1 PROBE LOADS UP FOR TREK TO COMET
---------------------------------------------
NASA's Deep Space 1 spacecraft, sailing through the solar system today, has taken delivery of a new cargo: the latest software for its ambitious encounter with Comet Borrelly this September.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/21ds1/

BLINKING STAR EXPLAINS MYSTERY ABOARD GALILEO
---------------------------------------------
When a star tracker on NASA's Galileo spacecraft temporarily lost a star being used as a reference point for monitoring the spacecraft's attitude, engineers suspected an aberration in the equipment, not in the star. After all, this particular star is one of the 50 brightest in the sky.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/22galblink/

X-RAY TELESCOPE PROVIDES WEALTH OF DATA ABOUT COMET
---------------------------------------------------
Most of their time is spent frozen in the outer reaches of the solar system. But when these balls of ice and dust, which we know as comets, decide to make an appearance, the spectacle is often grandiose.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/22comet/

POLAR TELESCOPE SIGHTS FIRST HIGH-ENERGY NEUTRINOS
--------------------------------------------------
A novel telescope, buried deep in the Antarctic ice at the South Pole, has become the first instrument to detect and track high-energy neutrinos from space, setting the stage for a new field of astronomy that promises a view of some of the most distant, enigmatic and violent phenomena in the universe.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/22polar/

NASA ASTROBIOLOGY INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES NEW TEAMS
-----------------------------------------------
NASA has selected four new teams to become part of the agency's Astrobiology Institute (NAI), a national and international research consortium that studies the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life on Earth and in the universe.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/21astrobio/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 381 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 23, 2001 (14:07) * 26 lines

NEWSALERT: Friday, March 23, 2001 @ 1624 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

MIR DIVES INTO PACIFIC
----------------------
The 15-year odyssey of the Russian space station Mir ended in an extraordinary fireball in Earth's atmosphere today. Fiery debris rained down on the South Pacific Ocean after a successful controlled reentry of the station.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mir/status.html

DELTA 2 ROCKET PICKED TO LAUNCH QUICKBIRD 2 SATELLITE
-----------------------------------------------------
A commercial eye-in-the-sky with better vision than any other Earth imaging satellite will be lofted into space by a Boeing Delta 2 rocket this fall, officials announced Thursday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/23quickbird2/

WHITE DWARFS SHED LIGHT ON DARK MATTER
--------------------------------------
Some of the invisible "dark matter" that makes up most of the mass of our galaxy may be in the form of previously undetected white dwarf stars, astronomers reported this week.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/23darkmatter/

LAUNCH SCHEDULE UPDATES
-----------------------
Our Worldwide Launch Schedule is updated regularly to reflect the latest news on human and unmanned rocket flights planned from spaceports around the globe. Today you can find out about newly announced delays for this June's space shuttle mission and the next two Titan 4 rocket launches.
http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 382 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 23, 2001 (14:27) * 22 lines
----------------------------------------------------------
/ PHYSICSWEB: E-mail alert
\ (http://PhysicsWeb.org)
==========================================================
----------------------------------------------------------
| News
==========================================================
* First sighting of dark matter: (22 Mar)
Astronomers have seen dark matter directly for the first
time. Ben Oppenheimer of the University of California at
Berkeley and colleagues in the US and UK have discovered
a new kind of white dwarf that could account for up to a
third of the 'dark' matter in the Universe. The extremely
dim burnt-out stars were found in the 'galactic halo'
that surrounds the Milky Way. Oppenheimer's team believes
they represent part of the invisible matter - proposed to
exist 70 years ago - that binds together galaxies and
galaxy clusters with its gravitational pull (B R
Oppenheimer et al 2001 Science at press).
[ http://PhysicsWeb.org/article/news/5/3/10 ]
---------------------------------------------------------- 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 383 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Mar 24, 2001 (16:47) * 11 lines
Beam it Down, Scotty!

NASA Science News for March 23, 2001

Solar power collected in space and beamed to Earth could be an
environmentally friendly solution to our planet's growing energy problems.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23mar_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 384 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 28, 2001 (12:57) * 12 lines
Cannibal Coronal Mass Ejections

NASA Science News for March 27, 2001

Fast-moving solar eruptions that overtake and devour their slower-moving
kin can trigger long-lasting geomagnetic storms --and dazzling auroras--
when they strike Earth's magnetosphere.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast27mar_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 385 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 28, 2001 (13:05) * 60 lines
NEWSALERT: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 @ 0754 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

NASA AND MILITARY CONTINUE SEARCH FOR MARS LANDER
-------------------------------------------------
NASA said Monday that it would begin a joint review with a military mapping agency to investigate images that may have pinpointed the location for the lost Mars Polar Lander spacecraft.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/27mpl/

NASA TESTS ROCKET MODEM USING GLOBALSTAR SATELLITES
---------------------------------------------------
Imagine a day when self-diagnostic tools allow future rockets to phone home with vital information about their condition, location and performance. NASA engineers believe the technology could replace expensive ground systems, reducing the cost of space flight.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/25modem/

U.S. NAVY SATELLITE TO LAUNCH ATOP ATLAS 3 ROCKET
-------------------------------------------------
Lockheed Martin's Atlas 3 rocket will be used to loft the U.S. Navy's eleventh satellite for the UHF Follow-On communications network, officials announced Monday. Scheduled for blastoff in 2003 from Cape Canaveral, the commercial mission will be managed under the auspices of International Launch Services.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/27atlas3uhf/

SPACE TELESCOPE USING MEMBRANES STUDIED
---------------------------------------
Lockheed Martin has been contracted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to conduct a study on a low-mass membrane telescope for NASA's New Millennium Program. The telescope concept would allow construction of an orbiting observatory with reduced weight and cost.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/26dart/

FINAL CREW MEMBERS NAMED TO HUBBLE OVERHAUL MISSION
---------------------------------------------------
Three astronauts have been named to complete the STS-109 crew already in training for a mission that will feature five spacewalks to upgrade NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in late 2001.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/27sts109crew/

NASA NAMES FUTURE SPACE STATION EXPEDITION CREWS
------------------------------------------------
As the Expedition Two crew gets settled aboard the International Space Station, American crew members for future space station missions have begun formal training to meet launch dates, beginning in 2002. The 14 astronauts, six assigned to primary crews and eight assigned to backup crews.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/24expcrews/

MOVEMENT OF EARTH'S CRUST CAN BE DETECTED WITH GPS
--------------------------------------------------
The same type of technology used by motorists to help them navigate city roadways can now be used to detect and measure the smallest movements in the Earth's crust, an international group of scientists has found.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/25gps/

TRW TO CONDUCT GOES-R WEATHER SATELLITE STUDY
---------------------------------------------
TRW's weather systems business took another step forward with the award of a contract to study how to accommodate advanced sensors onto the next series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, starting with GOES-R, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/27goesr/

VETERAN SATELLITE TESTBED GETS NEW LEASE ON LIFE
------------------------------------------------
A NASA experimental satellite that completed its mission to test futuristic communications technologies has been given to a university-led consortium for use in educational studies.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/24acts/

STUDENT EXPERIMENTS TO FLY HIGH THANKS TO NASA
----------------------------------------------
A NASA education program will give high school students from across the country the opportunity for their dreams to literally take flight when experiments designed by the students fly on either a Space Shuttle or sub-orbital rocket.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/24kidexp/

NEW NASA 'TRAFFIC LIGHT' ACCELERATES COMPUTERS
----------------------------------------------
A new "traffic light" for computers, originally developed by NASA scientists, offers the potential to increase their speed and efficiency by prioritizing computer programs. The Portable Batch System enables system administrators to specify the order in which individual programs should be processed.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/26comp/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 386 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 28, 2001 (13:08) * 120 lines
QUICK SPACE

- Detecting Planet Killers as a Sideline
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/deepimpact-01c.html

- Finding Your Own Cloud Nine
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/future-01b.html

- India In High-Stakes Bid To Join Global Satellite Launch Club
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/india-01b.html

- Home, Space Home
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/iss-01m.html

- NASA And NIMA Continue Joint Review Of Mars Polar Lander Search Analysis
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-polar99-01a.html

- Engineering a Better Faster Risotto
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-01a.html

- A Constellation Of Orbital Power
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/ssp-01b.html

- World's Largest Plasma Wind Tunnel Reaches Completion
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/windtunnels-01a.html

------------------
HEADLINES IN BRIEF
March 27, 2001

----------
SPACEGUARD

- Detecting Planet Killers as a Sideline
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/deepimpact-01c.html

Paris (ESA) March 27, 2001 - A 100 metre-wide space rock known as 2001 EC16 paid a passing visit to Earth's vicinity last Friday. As it swept by at a little over 1.7 million km from Earth - approximately four and a half lunar distances - the only people to pay it much attention were a dedicated band of astronomers.

----------
TECH SPACE

- Finding Your Own Cloud Nine
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/future-01b.html

Pasadena - March 26, 2001 - In the continuous quest to find cost-effective methods to explore the planets, NASA engineers have risen to the occasion by developing a variety of new balloon methods inspired by centuries-old, solar-heated hot-air balloons, as well as by conventional helium light-gas balloons.

------------------- ADVERTISEMENT ---------------------
The Door Is Open To Cutting Edge Technologies

MSU TechLink can help your company develop strategic
partnerships between Department of Defense laboratories
and aerospace companies in the Northwest. Partnering
with DoD will help leverage R&D investments and enhance
commercialization opportunities.
Visit Techlink Today
-- http://techlink.msu.montana.edu/aero.html --
-------------------------------------------------------

---------
SPACEMART

- India In High-Stakes Bid To Join Global Satellite Launch Club
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/india-01b.html

Sriharikota (AFP) March 27 - 2001 - India will make its bid for membership of the exclusive global club of commercial satellite launchers on Wednesday with the long-awaited maiden mission of its newly-developed delivery rocket. The blandly-named Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is the most technologically challenging project so far undertaken by the Indian space programme and carries the hopes and aspirations of thousands of scientists, engineers and industrialists.

------------
STATION NEWS

- Home, Space Home
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/iss-01m.html

Huntsville - March 27, 2001 - Homes on Earth provide shelter from the wind and rain. But a home in Earth orbit must shield its occupants from the solar wind, and it must withstand a steady rain of dust-sized meteoroids, many moving faster than a speeding bullet!

---------
MARSDAILY

- NASA And NIMA Continue Joint Review Of Mars Polar Lander Search Analysis
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-polar99-01a.html

 Washington - March 26, 2001 - NASA and the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) today said researchers from the two agencies will continue a joint review of the initial results of NIMA's search for the missing Mars Polar Lander. This analysis is extremely challenging, and has thus far produced no definitive conclusions.

-------------
OPINION SPACE

- Engineering a Better Faster Risotto
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-01a.html

Herndon - March 27, 2001 - One of my nephews, due to circumstances beyond his control, ended up for a while in a very selective school. While he is blessed with many wonderful attributes, superior academic achievement isn't, and may not ever be, one of them. The faculty, quickly realizing this, spent an entire academic year not attempting to rescue him from drowning in academic quicksand, but rather figuring out how to get him to leave.

------- "SMALLER SATELLITES: BIGGER BUSINESS?" ------
Strasbourg will be the setting for the International
Space University's 6th Annual Symposium. This year's
theme will be small satellites with an emphasis on
concepts, applications and markets. Join some of the
world's leading experts, manufacturers and users in
interdisciplinary presentations and discussions on a
wide variety of issues pertaining to small satellites
Strasbourg - May 21-23 - 2001
--------- http://www.isunet.edu/Symposium/ ----------
SPACEMART

- A Constellation Of Orbital Power
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/ssp-01b.html

Huntsville - March 27, 2001 - It's December 2000 and the governor of California flips a switch illuminating the state Christmas tree on the capital lawn. Twenty minutes later, he orders aides to pull the plug. Why? Statewide power shortages.
----------
TECH SPACE

- World's Largest Plasma Wind Tunnel Reaches Completion
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/windtunnels-01a.html

Paris (ESA) March 27, 2001 - On 13 March 2001 'wind-on' was achieved in the SCIROCCO Plasma Wind Tunnel. For the first time a 6200 degree Celsius hot air plasma, that is an ionized gas produced at extremely high temperatures and flowing at a speed of approximately 4 km per second, was generated in the newly constructed Italian arc jet test facility.

-----------------------------
SPACEDAILY EXPRESS LIST NOTES
--------------------------------------------
SpaceDaily Express is issued daily and lists
all new postings to www.SpaceDaily.com
Subscription is free: subscribe@spacer.com 

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 387 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 28, 2001 (13:12) * 21 lines
Solar activity is on the rise...

Space Weather News for March 27, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

SOLAR ACTIVITY: In recent days the Boulder sunspot number has rocketed to
339, its highest level since July 2000. At least one large sunspot group
has a complex magnetic field that could harbor energy for powerful solar
flares. Forecasters estimate a 20% chance of an X-class eruption during
the next 24 hours.

AURORA WATCH: An interplanetary shock wave buffeted Earth's magnetosphere
Tuesday morning and another may be following close behind. A coronal mass
ejection that left the Sun on March 25th will arrive late Tuesday or
Wednesday and possibly trigger additional geomagnetic disturbances. In
recent days Alaskan sky watchers have enjoyed some of the best auroras of
the current solar cycle. Check out our gallery of aurora photos for the
latest images.

For more information and updates, please visit http://www.spaceweather.com 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 388 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 28, 2001 (15:32) * 91 lines
--------------------------------------------
SPACEDAILY EXPRESS - March 28, 2001
** forward SpaceDaily Express to a friend **
--------------------------------------------

-----------
QUICK SPACE

- What Should We Tell The Universe?
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/outerplanets-01c.html

- US and Taiwan Go COSMIC Over Atmospheric Studies
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cosmic-01a.html

- TechLink Helps Companies in Northwest Blast Into AeroSpace
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/techlink-01a.html

- Staying Cool on the ISS
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/iss-01n.html

- When Will Television Invades Mars
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-general-01b.html

- Can Liquid Water Still Exist On Mars
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-water-science-01e.html

- Failure IS an Option
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-01b.html

------------------
HEADLINES IN BRIEF
March 28, 2001

-------------
SPACE SCIENCE

- What Should We Tell The Universe?
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/outerplanets-01c.html

Pasadena - March 28, 2001 - NASA's embattled mission to Pluto and the Kuiper belt isn't on firm ground at the moment, but it's far from being totally dead. Even if the project is officially terminated in the short term, the possibility of resurrecting this mission in the future has not been eliminated.

---------
SPACEMART

- US and Taiwan Go COSMIC Over Atmospheric Studies
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cosmic-01a.html

Boulder - March 28, 2001 - COSMIC is a joint U.S.-Taiwan scientific project, with a goal to launch a constellation of six microsatellites to collect atmospheric sounding measurements. The scientific foundation for COSMIC is the radio occultation (limb sounding) technique developed by JPL and Stanford University in the late 1960s to study planetary atmospheres.

- TechLink Helps Companies in Northwest Blast Into AeroSpace
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/techlink-01a.html

Bozeman - March 27, 2001 - The TechLink Center at Montana State University is helping companies throughout the Northwest establish productive technology development and commercialization partnerships with NASA, the Department of Defense (DoD), and other federal agencies.

------------
STATION NEWS

- Staying Cool on the ISS
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/iss-01n.html

Huntsville - March 28, 2001 - The universe is a place of wide extremes: light, dark.. wet, dry.. air, vacuum.. hungry, fed. Human life tends to flourish in the balance. We feel most comfortable in places that are not too hot or too cold, not too light or too dark -- in other words, places that are "just right."

---------
MARSDAILY

- When Will Television Invades Mars
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-general-01b.html

Miami - March 28, 2001 - If you like TV, you'll love the Mars Channel. Take your seats for the network premiere of interplanetary telly

- Can Liquid Water Still Exist On Mars
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-water-science-01e.html

Moffett Field - March 28, 2001 - In 1998, NASA's Associate Administrator Wesley Huntress, Jr., stated, "Wherever liquid water and chemical energy are found, there is life. There is no exception."

-------------
OPINION SPACE
- Failure IS an Option
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-01b.html

Boise - March 28, 2001 - In the months since the twin failures of the Mars Polar Lander and the Mars Climate Orbiter, NASA has profoundly changed the manner in which it applies the "Faster, Better, Cheaper" philosophy of space exploration.

---------------------------------
SPACEDAILY EXPRESS LIST NOTES
--------------------------------------------
SpaceDaily Express is issued daily and lists
all new postings to www.SpaceDaily.com
Subscription is free: subscribe@spacer.com
or remove@spacer.com
------------------------------------------------ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 389 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Mar 28, 2001 (16:25) * 13 lines
The Lure of Hematite: Curious deposits of rust on Mars hint at ancient water

NASA Science News for March 28, 2001

On rusty-red Mars, a curious deposit of gray-colored hematite (a mineral
cousin of common household rust) could hold the key to the mystery of
elusive Martian water.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast28mar_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 390 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Thu, Mar 29, 2001 (19:51) * 60 lines
NEWSALERT: Thursday, March 29, 2001 @ 0705 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

IRIDIUM SYSTEM COMPLETES ITS MIRACLE RESURRECTION
-------------------------------------------------
Back from the brink of impending destruction, the reborn Iridium telephone satellite system relaunched commercial service Wednesday as the network's new owners prepare to debut data relay services via the orbiting constellation in June.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/29iridium/

LAST-SECOND ABORT GROUNDS FIRST FLIGHT OF INDIAN ROCKET
-------------------------------------------------------
India's newest rocket was one second away from launch Wednesday on its inaugural flight when computers detected a malfunctioning engine and aborted the liftoff.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/28gslvd1/

TWO SPACE PROBES SEE GIANT PLUMES ON VOLCANIC MOON IO
-----------------------------------------------------
Two tall volcanic plumes and the rings of red material they have deposited onto surrounding surface areas appear in images taken of Jupiter's moon Io by NASA's Galileo and Cassini spacecraft in late December 2000 and early January 2001.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/28galcassio/

MASSIVE INFANT STARS ROCK THEIR CRADLE
--------------------------------------
A new Hubble image has helped to decipher the complex interplay of gas and radiation of a star-forming region in a nearby galaxy. The image graphically illustrates just how these massive stars sculpt their environment by generating powerful winds that alter the shape of the parent gaseous nebula.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/29hubble/

NEW SKIES SELECTS BOEING SATELLITE TO EXPAND FLEET
--------------------------------------------------
New Skies Satellites N.V. has ordered from Boeing a power-house communications spacecraft with 88 transponders that will provide a wide-range of television, internet and multi-media services across North America. Sea Launch has been tapped to loft the craft in 2003.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/29nss8/

BOEING SATELLITE ARM PICKS SEA LAUNCH FOR SPACEWAY
--------------------------------------------------
Boeing Satellite Systems on Wednesday announced that a pair of Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rockets will carry the two Spaceway broadband communications spacecraft into orbit in 2002 and 2003.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/29spaceway/

SCIENTISTS UNRAVEL THE KINKS IN SOLAR WAVES
-------------------------------------------
Kinks in the Sun's magnetic field have puzzled scientists since they first started studying the solar wind, and now researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found the reason: they are caused by the evolution of a type of magnetic wave called Alfven waves.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/29kinks/

AFTER LOFTING DESTINY, ASTRONAUTS VISIT WEST WING
-------------------------------------------------
It was a Texas reunion of sorts at the White House Wednesday as the crew of STS-98 and their families got an opportunity to spend some time with the President of the United States.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/29sts98potus/

COLLIDING SOLAR ERUPTIONS PACK POWERFUL PUNCH
---------------------------------------------
Fast-moving solar eruptions apparently overtake and often devour their slower kin. This discovery was made by a team of astronomers working with tandem NASA spacecraft.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/28cme/

SBIRS HIGH PAYLOAD SUCCESSFULLY PASSES KEY TEST
-----------------------------------------------
Senior leaders from the Air Force recently observed a key test sequence of hardware for the next-generation missile warning satellite system known as SBIRS at the Lockheed Martin Sunnyvale facility.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/28sbirs/

HORMONE MAY PREVENT BONE BEING LOST IN SPACE
--------------------------------------------
The reality of long-term space travel is raising questions about how to deal with the impact of long-term weightlessness on the body. Researchers say that one of the destructive results -- accelerated and significant loss of bone density -- may be thwarted by a hormone secreted by the gut to help the body use food as fuel.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/28bone/ 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 391 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 30, 2001 (16:18) * 50 lines
Massive Sunspot May Lead to Geomagnetic Storms

The Sun has developed the largest sunspot seen in 10 years according to
images from SOHO, a satellite that monitors the Sun. The size of this
enormous spot is equivalent to the total surface area of 13 Earths. The
sunspot region has already produced a coronal mass ejection and a powerful
solar flare, and these are likely to lead to geomagnetic storms.

The worldwide network of Magnetic Observatories operated by the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) is monitoring the geomagnetic field that is
expected to become quite disturbed as result of this solar activity. While
geomagnetic storms give rise to the beautiful Northern lights, they can
also pose a serious threat for commercial and military satellite operators,
power companies, astronauts, and they can even shorten the life of oil
pipelines in Alaska by increasing pipeline corrosion.

Geomagnetic storms occur when plasma, a hot ionized gas of charged
particles produced by eruptions on the Sun, impacts the Earth's magnetic
field causing it to fluctuate wildly. These fluctuations cause currents to
flow in conductors on the ground and in space. Solar eruptions can produce
billions of tons of plasma traveling at speeds in excess of a million miles
an hour. The first eruption should hit the Earth's magnetic field some time
on Friday, March 30, and the second on Saturday. The geomagnetic field will
likely become very active and there is a strong chance of Aurora sightings

The USGS provides valuable geomagnetic data to a wide variety of users and
organizations that are affected by geomagnetic storms. The agency operates
a network of 14 magnetic observatories that continuously monitor the
Earth's magnetic field. The data are collected in near-real time via
satellite to a downlink center located in Golden, Colo., and provided to
numerous customers including NOAA's Space Environment Center and the U.S.
Air Force Space Command Center. Plots of the data from these observatories
can be seen on-line at: http://geomag.usgs.gov/frames/plots.htm

The SOHO satellite is operated jointly by the European Space Agency and
NASA.

As the nation's largest water, earth and biological science, and civilian
mapping agency, the USGS works in cooperation with more than 2000
organizations across the country to provide reliable, impartial, scientific
information to resource managers, planners, and other customers. This
information is gathered in every state by USGS scientists to minimize the
loss of life and property from natural disasters, to contribute to the
conservation and the sound economic and physical development of the
nation's natural resources, and to enhance the quality of life by
monitoring water, biological, energy, and mineral resources.

### USGS ### 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 392 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Mar 30, 2001 (19:02) * 13 lines
Back-to-School Time for Astrobiologists

NASA Science News for March 30, 2001

NATO and NASA are joining forces to host an Advanced Study Institute for
astrobiology in Crete, Sept 29-Oct 10, 2001. A diverse group of the
world's most prominent scientists will share with students what they have
learned lately about life in the Universe.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast30mar_1.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 393 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Sat, Mar 31, 2001 (16:44) * 41 lines
NEWSALERT: Saturday, March 31, 2001 @ 2029 GMT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

ALPHA CREW PROMISES WARM WELCOME FOR TITO
-----------------------------------------
The space station's crew will welcome U.S. millionaire Dennis Tito aboard Alpha next month if the Russians proceed with plans to launch him - over NASA's objections - as part of mission to deliver a fresh Soyuz lifeboat.
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/stage6a/010330briefing/

LARGEST SUNSPOT IN 10 YEARS BLAZES AWAY WITH ERUPTIONS
------------------------------------------------------
A huge sunspot over a dozen times larger than the surface area of the Earth and growing, has now rotated with the Sun to face our planet. The sunspot, which is the largest of the current solar cycle, is also the largest to appear in a decade.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/31sunspot/

FIRST BLACK HOLE DISCOVERED IN GALACTIC HALO
--------------------------------------------
A professor at the University of Southampton is part of an international team which has discovered a stellar mass black hole -- the first ever found in our galactic halo. This region of space lies above and below the main spiral arms of our galaxy, thousands of light years above the Milky Way galactic plane.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/31galactichalo/

A NEW MARTIAN ODYSSEY IS ABOUT TO BEGIN
---------------------------------------
With memories of recent back-to-back failures still painfully fresh, NASA is leaving no stone unturned to make sure the $305 million Mars Odyssey probe makes it safely into orbit around the Red Planet later this year. The spacecraft is scheduled for launch April 7 atop a Boeing Delta 2 rocket.
http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d284/010330preview.html

AIR FORCE MILSTAR 2 SATELLITE BEGINS ON-ORBIT TESTING
-----------------------------------------------------
A combined MILSATCOM Joint Program Office/Lockheed Martin team has begun on-orbit testing of the first U.S. Air Force Milstar 2 communications satellite following the successful February 27 launch and activation of critical spacecraft systems.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/30milstar/

BOEING BOOKS ASTRA SATELLITE TO RIDE ARIANE 5 ROCKET
----------------------------------------------------
Arianespace, Boeing Satellite Systems and Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES) have announced the signing of a contract to launch the Astra 3A telecommunications spacecraft on an Ariane 5 heavy-lift vehicle.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/30astra3a/

SBIRS FACILITY OPENS IN COLORADO
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The Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command and Lockheed Martin took a giant step toward building greater unity and teamwork as the Space Based Infrared Systems Combined Task Force opened Thursday at a ceremony in Boulder, Colo.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0103/30sbirs/

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 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 394 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr  3, 2001 (12:23) * 11 lines
A Record-Setting Solar Flare

Space Weather News for April 3, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

The biggest sunspot of the current solar cycle unleashed the most powerful
solar flare in at least 12 years yesterday. The "X17" class eruption
blasted a coronal mass ejection into space and triggered an ongoing solar
radiation storm around our planet. For details and updates please visit
http://SpaceWeather.com . 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 395 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr  3, 2001 (12:38) * 44 lines
NEWSALERT: Tuesday, April 3, 2001 @ 0512 GMT
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The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now

SUPERNOVA FOUND TO CONFIRM ACCELERATING UNIVERSE
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The serendipitous discovery of a distant supernova has confirmed that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate because of the presence of a pervasive, mysterious "dark energy," astronomers reported Monday.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0104/03supernova/

EXOTIC CO2 PROCESS MAY HAVE CARVED MARTIAN GULLIES
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Liquid carbon dioxide breakouts rather than water probably created the Martian gullies discovered last summer in high-resolution images from the Mars Global Surveyor orbiter camera, some scientists say.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0104/01co2gullies/

OBSERVATORY SEES VISTAS IN HEART OF ORION NEBULA
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A new astronomical instrument has been installed on the European Southern Observatory telescope at La Silla. It is well suited for studying the complex processes that take place in the innermost regions of star-forming clouds. Among the first images are some of the most penetrating, mid-infrared views ever obtained of the central region of the Orion Nebula.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0104/02orion/

NEW EXPLORERS: SELF-INFLATING SOLAR-HEATED BALLOONS
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In the continuous quest to find cost-effective methods to explore the planets, NASA engineers have risen to the occasion by developing a variety of new balloon methods inspired by centuries-old, solar-heated hot-air balloons, as well as by conventional helium light-gas balloons.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0104/03balloon/

COLD POLAR RINGS HELP FORM CLOUDS THAT DESTROY OZONE
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Newly discovered, narrow rings of cold air over Earth's poles help form colorful clouds that destroy ozone, according to a new report. The ozone layer protects life on Earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation that could cause skin cancer in humans and biological damage to living things.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0104/02polarrings/

JUPITER RADIATION BELTS HARSHER THAN EXPECTED
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New measurements from NASA's Cassini spacecraft indicate that any future spacecraft venturing very near Jupiter would be zapped by the radiation belts there even more severely than had been previously estimated.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0104/01jupbelts/

GALILEO CONTINUES REPLAY OF JOVIAN MOON DATA
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There are no engineering activities scheduled this week, so the spacecraft can concentrate on playing back the data stored on the on-board tape recorder during its December flyby of Ganymede.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0104/03galileothisweek/

BOEING AND ALENIA SPAZIO SIGN TRADING AGREEMENT
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Officials from Boeing and Alenia Spazio signed an agreement whereby Boeing will purchase fuel tanks from Alenia Spazio for the upper stage of the Boeing Delta 2 launch vehicle. Alenia Spazio has agreed to purchase Delta launch services for its satellite program.
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0104/02boeingalenia/ 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 396 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr  3, 2001 (12:51) * 14 lines
A Supernova Sheds Light on Dark Energy

NASA Science News for April 3, 2001

A discovery by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope supports the
notion that the Universe is filled with a mysterious form of "dark energy"
-- a possibility first proposed, then discarded, by Albert Einstein early
in the last century.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast03apr_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 397 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr  3, 2001 (23:07) * 12 lines
Plumbing the Space Station

NASA Science News for April 3, 2001 12:00:00 PM

Nothing goes to waste on the International Space Station - nearly
everything is recycled. What makes this ecologist's dream world work? Some
of the fanciest plumbing in the solar system!

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast03apr_2.htm?list89800 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 398 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Wed, Apr  4, 2001 (15:09) * 14 lines
Super-flare coronal mass ejection reaches Earth

Space Weather News for April 4th 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

Monday's super solar flare hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space
that was mainly -- but not entirely -- directed away from Earth. The edge
of the expanding CME passed our planet at approximately 1500 UT (11 am
EST) on April 4th. Sky watchers should be alert for auroras after local
nightfall. Almost certainly, this geomagnetic storm will be less intense
than the one on March 31st that spawned "Northern Lights" as far south as
Mexico. Nevertheless, isolated severe storms are possible. Check
SpaceWeather.com for details and updates. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 399 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Fri, Apr  6, 2001 (16:14) * 11 lines
Was Johnny Appleseed a Comet?

NASA Science News for April 5, 2001

A new experiment suggests that comet impacts could have sowed the seeds of
life on Earth billions of years ago.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast05apr_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 400 of 866:  (sprin5) * Sat, Apr  7, 2001 (18:19) * 1 lines
Odyssey is on the way to Mars!

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 401 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Mon, Apr  9, 2001 (20:21) * 4 lines
YES!!!! Up Up and Away!!! 




 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 402 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Tue, Apr 10, 2001 (08:33) * 3 lines
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20010406/imdf06042001011516a.jpg

Hubble shot of galaxies intermingling.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 403 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Tue, Apr 10, 2001 (08:33) * 3 lines
Eleven new planets (as reported by CNN):

http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/04/05/new.planets/index.html?s=2

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 404 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Tue, Apr 10, 2001 (08:34) * 3 lines
Really nice shot of the space station.


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 405 of 866: What's happenin' in the news? (sprin5) * Tue, Apr 10, 2001 (08:35) * 1 lines
And, since I'm on such a roll, here's the log of the space station for the last couple of months. If you really want the nitty gritty of what goes on up there.

 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 406 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 10, 2001 (18:42) * 15 lines
Here Comes the Sun (again!)

Space Weather News for April 10, 2001
http://www.spaceweather.com

A powerful X-class solar flare erupted Tuesday morning, triggering radio
blackouts and a minor radiation storm. The explosion also hurled a
coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. Today's CME joins another
already en route to our planet. Forecasters estimate a 25% chance of
severe geomagnetic activity at middle latitudes when the CMEs arrive late
Wednesday or Thursday. Sky watchers should be alert for auroras after
sunset on Wednesday.

Tune in to SpaceWeather.com for details and updates. 


 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 407 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 10, 2001 (18:50) * 12 lines
Leafy Green Astronauts

NASA Science News for April 9, 2001

NASA scientists are learning how to grow plants in space. Such far-out
crops will eventually take their place alongside people, microbes and
machines in self-contained habitats for astronauts.

FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast09apr_1.htm?list89800 



 Topic 36 of 96 [news]: Space Science News
 Response 408 of 866: Marcia  (MarciaH) * Tue, Apr 10, 2001 (20:39) * 63 lines
NEWSALERT: Monday, April 9, 2001 @ 1427 GMT
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The latest news from Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now


ODYSSEY SPACECRAFT HEADS TO MARS IN SEARCH OF WATER
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When the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft enters orbit around Mars later this year, it will kick off a restructured Mars science program that focuses on the search for water on