Scientists Surprised By Unexpected Emergence Of Periodical Cicadas -- Four Years Early May 9, 2009
A NASA mission to two asteroids, one formed of lava and the other potentially containing water, will help find clues about the formation of our solar. . (Science Daily)
Space review chief to narrow options May 9, 2009
NASA's plan to return to the moon and use it as a training ground for future expeditions to Mars, asteroids and other celestial destinations also will be reconsidered. The Obama administration launched the sweeping review of NASA's human spaceflight program Thursday as the agency unveiled a proposed $18. (Florida Today)
Recycling compliance rate getting better, but there's still room for improvement May 9, 2009
Kelso Guy wrote on May 8, 2009 11:55 AM:" Northwest Flava: The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through all kinds of things worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles...hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worlwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages...And we think some... (Longview Daily News, WA)
This Week's Sky at a Glance May 8, 2009
Irene and Flora, two springtime asteroids, are a little past opposition this week. At 9th and 10th magnitude they await your telescope, and your chart-using skills, as they drift only about 4. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter To Help Astronauts Survive On Moon's Forbidding Frontier May 8, 2009
Destinations farther away, like asteroids or Mars, don't have the protection of a global magnetic field. Powerful magnetic storms on the sun can blast charged particles -- electrons and atomic nuclei -- into space at near the speed of light. (Science Daily)
Astronomer To Search Space For Precursors Of Life May 7, 2009
"Most theories suggest that the Earth formed dry and impacts from asteroids or other objects provided the water here.". Adapted from materials provided by. (Science Daily)
Missing Planets: Destructive Stellar Tides May 3, 2009
Missing Planets Attest To Destructive Power Of Stars' Tides. Missing Planets Attest To Destructive Power Of Stars' Tides. (Science Daily)
Past Tsunamis? Contrary To Recent Hypothesis, 'Chevrons' Are Not Evidence Of Megatsunamis May 1, 2009
30, 2009) A persistent school of thought in recent years has held that so-called "chevrons," large U- or V-shaped formations found in some of the world's coastal areas, are evidence of megatsunamis caused by asteroids or comets slamming into the ocean ... Asteroids and comets bombarded Earth in the distant past, at times with devastating consequences, such as the impact 65 million years ago that is believed to have sent dinosaurs to their extinction ... A NASA mission to two asteroids, one... (Science Daily)
New missions target Mars moon Phobos May 1, 2009
In fact, some scientists think Phobos and Deimos could be asteroids that somehow ended up orbiting Mars instead of crashing into the planet, or they could be leftovers from the time of planetary formation ... This makes scientists suspect it has a chemical composition similar to that of asteroids. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Comets Contain Key Ingredients For Life? Apr 29, 2009
" Thus, the arrival on Earth of comets and asteroids led to the necessary ratio of materials for organic life, "which eventually were dissolved in the ocean and started the long process leading to the emergence of life on Earth," says Prof. Bar-Nun. Asteroid Showers and Thunderstorms The story started between 4.6 and 3.8 billion years ago, when both the moon and the Earth were bombarded by a flux of asteroids and comets. "On the Earth, most of the craters were obliterated by continental movement... (Science Daily)
Solar Wind Tans Young Asteroids Apr 28, 2009
This study has finally confirmed that the solar wind is the most likely cause of very rapid space weathering in asteroids ... Asteroids seem to get a sun tan very quickly, says lead author Pierre Vernazza ... It has long been known that asteroid surfaces alter in appearance with time the observed asteroids are much redder than the interior of meteorites found on Earth [1] but the actual processes of this space weathering and the timescales involved were controversial. (Science Daily)
Solar Systems Around Dead Suns? Apr 20, 2009
19, 2009) Using NASA s Spitzer Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers have found that at least 1 in 100 white dwarf stars show evidence of orbiting asteroids and rocky planets, suggesting these objects once hosted Solar Systems similar to our own ... The data suggest that at least 1% to 3% of white dwarf stars are contaminated in this way and that the dust originates from rocky bodies like asteroids (also known as minor planets) ... The Spitzer results imply that asteroids are... (Science Daily)
List 200 MS Point Xbox 360 XBLA and... Apr 19, 2009
Inspired by classic arcade shooters such as Galaga and Asteroids, Galax-E-Mail allows players to command a fleet of spaceships to destroy enemies and safely deliver email packages, which happen to contain useful hints and tips on how to play the game. While perhaps not as timeless as the games from which it's inspired, Galax-E-Mail offers an excellent blend of arcade shooter action and a feeling of space adventure for only 200 MS points. (Suite101.com)
The Earth-bound asteroid scientists saw coming Apr 18, 2009
Asteroids the size of 2008 TC3 are not uncommon, and fragments from one usually strike Earth every year. Because they are so small, Earth-bound asteroids usually remain unseen until they enter our atmosphere ... Larger asteroids are easier to see, but are more rare. (Science News for Kids)
• COLUMN: The crescent moon overtakes a crescent Venus Apr 16, 2009
Next week: The search for sun-hugging asteroids. Chris Anderson manages the College of Southern Idaho's Centennial Observatory in Twin Falls. (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Causes of Five Mass Extinctions Apr 14, 2009
While this is alarming, it appears that mass extinctions are a particularly unpleasant occurrence on Earth; since its formation over 4 billion years ago, our planet has undergone a series of catastrophes large and small, ranging from dramatic climate changes to impacts by asteroids. Not all of these events spelled complete disaster for the living things existing at the time, but a few such events dubbed The Big Five had devastating consequences for the planet s inhabitants. (Suite101.com)
NASA Twin Spacecraft May Reveal Secret of Moon's Origin Apr 11, 2009
At these points, the gravity of the sun and Earth combine to form gravitational wells where asteroids and space dust tend to gather ... During their journey, the spacecraft will use a wide-field-of-view telescope to look for asteroids orbiting the region ... "These points may hold small asteroids, which could be leftovers from a Mars-sized planet that formed billions of years ago," said Michael Kaiser, STEREO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. (PR Newswire)
Lost in Space: NASA's Out of This World Spending Apr 10, 2009
Dawn: Launched in September 2007, this $465 million asteroid probe is expected to visit asteroids Vesta and Ceres during its 3-billion mile trip to better understand the formation of the solar system. Costs have increased $4. (Fox News)
Spacecraft To Explore Gravity 'Parking Lots' Apr 10, 2009
"These places may hold small asteroids, which could be leftovers from a Mars-sized planet that formed billions of years ago," said Michael Kaiser, Project Scientist for STEREO at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md ... STEREO will look for asteroids with a wide-field-of-view telescope that's part of the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation instrument ... Like a picky person circling the mall for the perfect parking space, the asteroids orbit the L4 or L5... (Science Daily)
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix Apr 9, 2009
The mining mini-game, where you match as many resource tiles before you lock the board (run out of valid moves), lets you gain commodities from asteroids. The crafting mini-game lets you use these commodities to create new weapons, assuming youre skilled enough to refine a requisite number of coloured tiles. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Technology)
REGION: Asteroids named in Luiseno language Apr 8, 2009
Jean Mueller, a Palomar Mountain Observatory telescope operator, points out Tuesday one of three asteroids she discovered ... Children from the Pauma Band of Mission Indians perform a Native American "thank you" blessing during a ceremony to name three asteroids Tuesday at Palomar Mountain ... PALOMAR MOUNTAIN ---- By giving three asteroids American Indian names, astronomers at the Palomar Observatory and tribal leaders said Tuesday they hope to spark new interest in an ancient local culture. (North County Times)
400 years of the telescope Apr 8, 2009
Subsequent telescopic observations disproved the widely held belief that Earth was the center of the universe; rather, our planet is one of eight major bodies that orbit the sun with a congregation of other objects that include minor planets, asteroids and comets. Related material. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Astronomers catch a shooting star for first time Mar 30, 2009
He is a longtime advocate of a worldwide program to plan for the threat of asteroids and comets hitting Earth ... There are many different types of asteroids, all classified from afar based on color and light wavelengths. (North County Times)
TV, films boldly go down scientific path Mar 28, 2009
The 1998 film Deep Impact featured some shaky science in its plot to divert a massive asteroid from Earth with nuclear bombs, he notes, but is widely credited by astronomers with raising public awareness of the threat from "Near Earth" asteroids and helping secure funding for asteroid surveys. "I would say some representations of science can significantly impact public understanding," for better and for worse, Kirby says. (USA Today -- Tech)
Chance of impact: 100 per cent Mar 26, 2009
Being able to match spectral measurements of 2008 TC3 taken before it disintegrated with chemical analyses of the rock fragments should make it easier to recognize ureilite asteroids still in space, he noted. AFP. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Scientists track an asteroid and match its remnants Mar 26, 2009
The discovery and analysis of the meteorites, reported in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, give scientists solid data on the composition of meteorites that originate from what are known as F-class asteroids. Millions of asteroids, mostly small, whirl around the solar system ... "We now have the first samples in hand of a known asteroid, characterized in a way other asteroids are," said Petrus M. Jenniskens, a scientist at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, who organized the... (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Scientists scrape up meteorite fragments Mar 26, 2009
A first tracking of meteorites from impact to earth has yielded rare insight into asteroids, report NASA scientists. At a Monday briefing, a team led by SETI Institute astronomer Peter Jenniskens of NASAs Ames Research Center reported the find of meteorites from the asteroid 2008 TC3 which exploded over Sudan last year. (USA Today -- Tech)
Space Storm Alert: 'We're moving closer and closer to the edge of a possible disaster'... Mar 26, 2009
We could use lasers to zap asteroids that threaten to hit the Earth, or hit them with nuclear bombs but we need to be sure that we won't make the situation worse. 00:00 25 March 2009. (The Drudge Report)
80-ton asteroid's impact recorded Mar 26, 2009
Larger impacts with asteroids and comets the size of mountains occur every few tens of millions of years ... " The spectrum gathered by the astronomers allowed them to establish the first direct link between an asteroid and the individual meteorites produced as it breaks up in our atmosphere. Comparing the asteroid and meteorite data tells us that 2008 TC3 may have only spent a few million years existing in the inner Solar system before it hit our planet. Professor Richard Crowther of the... (BBC News -- Science)
Asteroid Impact Helps Trace Meteorite Origins Mar 26, 2009
The chemical compositions of asteroids can be studied from Earth by analyzing the spectra of sunlight reflected from their surfaces. This provides enough information to divide asteroids into broad categories, but does not yield detailed information on their compositions ... But because astronomers took spectral measurements of 2008 TC3 before it hit the Earth, and can compare those measurements with the laboratory analyses, scientists will be better able to recognize ureilite asteroids in space.... (Science Daily)
Watching Space Rocks: Live Chat With NASA's Asteroid Trackers Mar 25, 2009
offers a unique opportunity for viewers to ask questions of scientists with NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office about how NASA discovers and tracks asteroids ... NASA detects and tracks asteroids and comets passing close to Earth. (NASA Watch)
Workhorse Delta II set to fly overnight Mar 25, 2009
The first spacecraft destined to visit two asteroids. The first spacecraft to bring interstellar dust back to Earth. (Florida Today)
Curious Pair Of Galaxies: Best Image Ever Of Strange And Chaotic Duo Mar 23, 2009
Starting very close to home, two small asteroids, in our Solar System between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, happened to cross the images as they were being taken and show up as the red-green-blue trails at the left and top of the picture ... It is most likely a star rather like the Sun and about 500 light-years from us 20 million times further away than the asteroids. (Science Daily)
Watery asteroids may explain why life is left-handed Mar 17, 2009
Watery asteroids may explain why life is left-handed - Sify ... Watery asteroids may explain why life is left-handed ... London: A new study has suggested that watery asteroids hurtling through the solar system gave a boost to left-handed proteins on Earth, which explains why life on our planet is left-handed. (Sify.com, India)
Sculpting the Asteroid Belt Mar 16, 2009
As of today the count of known asteroids is 444,080, according to by the International Astronomical Union's clearinghouse for such matters, the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts ... Almost all of it vacated in the first 100 million years of solar-system history due to early run-ins with the planets and with massive super-asteroids that stirred up among the locals before themselves being ejected ... For example, asteroids circling at an average of about 2; a.u. from the Sun complete... (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Catch Ceres at Its Closest Mar 15, 2009
ASTEROIDS by Alan MacRobert. Catch Ceres at Its Closest. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
From the Earth to Mars - Steps Towards a First Human Mission to the Red Planet Mar 10, 2009
Human journeys to near-Earth asteroids and to the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, will also help pave the way. Dr Pascal Lee will discuss progress being made in the Canadian Arctic and around the world to achieve these milestones, and most importantly, he will explain why we should. (NASA Watch)
LOOKING UP: Moons recession is short lived Mar 8, 2009
The large craters were formed from collision with asteroids or comets. Some struck with such force, rays of brighter material were unearthed (unmooned. (Medfield Press, MA)
Spacecraft searches for other Earths Mar 7, 2009
Earth's magnetism, solar system interactions, the closest star (the Sun), cosmic ray analysis, near Earth asteroids, etc. etc. (Insight on the News)
Could life on Earth have come from Ceres? Mar 6, 2009
Houtkooper then calculated the orbital paths of candidate planets, moons and asteroids to see which were in the best positions to have pieces successfully reach the Earth, without being intercepted by other objects. Ceres fared favourably in these calculations. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Asteroids should come with warning labels Mar 6, 2009
If I've learned anything from Atari, if you shoot the asteroid, it only breaks into smaller, faster-moving asteroids that are even harder to shoot. The best strategy is to just spin your triangle spaceship rapidly in a circle, and spray the whole playing area aka our solar system with missiles haphazardly, until all those polygons are destroyed. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Clayton adds Smith Medal to his honors Mar 6, 2009
Clayton has pioneered the use of oxygen isotopes chemical fingerprints found in meteorites and lunar rocks in understanding the processes that formed the planets and asteroids early in the history of the solar system. His studies have provided surprising evidence supporting the theory that the moon was part of the Earth until a collision with another planet-sized object blasted them apart, and have helped identify the first lunar meteorite. (Univeristy of Chicago Chronicle, IL)
Things that go bump in the night Mar 5, 2009
5 billion years ago, the Earth was hit by everything but the kitchen sink, including asteroids, meteors, comets, baby planets, and other stuff from the beginning of the Solar System. The Earth had 20 to 25 times more craters than the Moon did, but most were obliterated by simple erosion. (Danvers Herald, MA)
Near Asteroid Collision Mar 5, 2009
NASA's list of PHA's (potentially hazardous asteroids) numbers at 959, though astronomers think the list should more accurately be considered at about 20,000, meaning we've only spotted 5% of them. Gee, great. (IGN Gear)
Asteroid passes close to Earth Mar 5, 2009
McNaught, who watches for asteroids with his telescope 250 miles northwest of Sydney, Australia, discovered the approaching rock last week ... While a direct hit on Earth could be a devastating natural disaster, McNaught said keeping track of asteroids can make a hit "potentially preventable." ... The number of "potentially harmful asteroids" discovered each year has grown dramatically over the past decade as "systematic programs" to scan the skies have been put in place, McNaught said. (CNN -- Law)
Asteroid plays chicken with Earth Mar 4, 2009
Funded by NASA to search for asteroids bigger than one kilometre across, Mr McNaught spotted the object on Friday night ... About 1000 asteroids are known to have come close enough to be classified as potentially hazardous. (The Age, Australia)
Space rock gives Earth a close shave Mar 3, 2009
Asteroids Secret Cheats #1 Asteroids Cheat Site. Featured. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Asteroid flies closely past Earth Mar 3, 2009
Other asteroids have been known to pass by closer to our planet ... Asteroids as big as the 1908 Tunguska object that devastated the Siberian forest might as often as once every two centuries, scientists speculate. (MSNBC -- Technology)
UH astronomy director wins prize Mar 3, 2009
Kudritzki also will give a public lecture Sept. 24 in Berlin on "Killer Asteroids, Supernovae and the Dark Side of the Universe.". His subject is related to the UH Pan-STARRS project to look for near-Earth asteroids and other threatening space objects ... Kudritzki also will give a public lecture Sept. 24 in Berlin on "Killer Asteroids, Supernovae and the Dark Side of the Universe.". (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Surprise Asteroid Just Buzzed Earth Mar 3, 2009
Asteroids are rocks that generally range from a few feet to several miles in diameter. In our solar system most asteroids orbit the sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. (National Geographic)
> read more Mar 1, 2009
This "dwarf planet," the largest of the main-belt asteroids, was at opposition on February 25th. See the article and finder chart in the March , page 60, or. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Missing asteroids reveal planet-sized mystery Feb 27, 2009
Giant planets would have disturbed many asteroids as they migrated. Minor Planet Center/NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory The main belt is between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and contains countless asteroids ... Missing asteroids in our solar system may be the handiwork of rampaging giant planets as they migrated to their current positions, according to a new computer simulation. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix a thrilling, deep take on match-three Feb 26, 2009
You'll mine ore from asteroids using the same match-three game, and then sell that ore for differing prices around the huge galaxy the game offers ... The game is set up so that each dot on the map is a system of asteroids, stations, and a jump gate or two, but to unlock each jump gate you have to play a hacking minigame that requires you to match three tiles of a certain color in order. (Ars Technica)
Comet's heart may have struck Earth Feb 24, 2009
Many meteoroids are the detritus left over from collisions of asteroids and comets and impacts to other planets. If a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere, it starts to burn up, forming a bright streak in the sky, called a meteor. (MSNBC -- Technology)
NASA Spacecraft Falling For Mars Feb 20, 2009
27, 2007) NASA's Dawn spacecraft is on its way to study a pair of asteroids after lifting off September 27 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station ... A NASA mission to two asteroids, one formed of lava and the other potentially containing water, will help find clues about the formation of our solar. (Science Daily)
NASA's Kepler Mission To Seek Other Earths Feb 20, 2009
A NASA mission to two asteroids, one formed of lava and the other potentially containing water, will help find clues about the formation of our solar. . (Science Daily)
Space Nations Unsure How to Handle Space Junk Feb 19, 2009
Science - February 18, 2009 4:27 PM. Please enter a valid E-mail addressPlease enter a valid E-mail address. (DailyTech)
* Comet to give stargazers a treat next week: NCU Feb 18, 2009
Chen said researchers at the observatory had discovered some 700 asteroids, but the Lulin Comet was the only comet the researchers had found so far. Sometimes astronomy is a bit like archeology, said former National Central University (NCU) vice president and professor of astronomy and space science Wing-huen Ip (j). (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Pluto’s descent from list of planets into controversy - Scientist retraces tiny celestial body’s history Feb 17, 2009
Not quite comets nor asteroids, not quite planets, the KBOs appeared to be a new entity unto themselves, and it started becoming apparent to more astronomers that perhaps Pluto belonged to this brood rather than to the family of planets. Up until this time, there hadn t even been a genuine hard and fast definition of a planet. (Missoulian, MT)
Plan Offers Guidance For Evaluating Menopause-like Condition In Girls And Young Women Feb 16, 2009
Astronomy students looking for supernovae examined photographs and found asteroids. They used both unaided eyes and computer analysis to identify the. (Science Daily)
Life during the “other” Big Bang! Feb 11, 2009
The Why Files -- whyfiles. Impact image by Continental Dynamics Workshop/NSF at. (Why Files)
Alien Census: Can We Estimate How Much Life Is Out There? Feb 11, 2009
If life can spread from one planet to another through biological molecules embedded in asteroids, though, the number jumps to nearly 38,000. (Even given a densely populated galaxy, Forgan notes, there is no guarantee of immediate mutual contact. (Scientific American)
NASA's SkyView Delivers The Multiwavelength Cosmos Feb 10, 2009
He speculates that people looking for asteroids and comets may be using SkyView to generate comparison images, seeing if the suspect object moves or disappears. But are they amateurs or professionals. (Science Daily)
What’s that up in the sky? (159) Feb 8, 2009
" You will find the location of the actual Haarp complex and it will give you info. Haarp is a government program working with various "chemtrails" which a few weeks ago when I checked it out (trying to keep track) were experiments spraying into the Ionisphere concerning heating up the Ionisphere creating better radio transmissons that are more easily used for stronger signals for protection of the earth and communication ... wars, missles, asteroids etc.When you get too deep into the... (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
The Cloud -- A Fascinating Adventure Packed in One Amazing Read Feb 8, 2009
A planet far away across the universe is totally destroyed by a series of asteroids. The planet was destroyed in cataclysm of flame but much of the detritus that remained form a huge cloud that was soon making its own way through the stars. (Primezone Releases)
