No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
235. |
Auroral Physics |
December 29: The Warp and Woof of
a Geomagnetic Storm - Using a team of three
satellites, scientists are studying what happens when a solar
coronal mass ejection strikes the Earth. This story includes
a new Quicktime animation of a coronal mass ejection and the
aurora borealis. |
234. |
Comets & Meteors |
December 28: Y2K Meteor Burst- One
of the most intense and least observed annual meteor showers
peaks on the morning of Jan. 4, 2000. The Quadrantids will be
the first major meteor display of the New Year. Follow the shower
at Quadrantids.com. |
233. |
Astronomy |
December 24: Interplanetary Christmas- In
an exclusive interview with Science@NASA, Santa discusses his
plans for Christmas on future space colonies. The prospect of
delivering presents throughout the solar system is, well, turning
Santa's hair white. |
232. |
Gamma-ray Astronomy |
December 22: Astronomers get a special
star for their Christmas tree - Gamma-ray
burst located, and viewed by several instruments simultaneously. |
231. |
X-ray Astronomy |
December 21: Prospecting inside a
Supernova - Chandra x-ray data from stellar
explosions. |
230. |
Looking Up |
December 19: A Whale of A Full Moon - A
bigger, brighter Moon will herald the beginning of northern winter
on Dec. 22, 1999 as lunar perigee, the winter solstice, and the
full Moon all happen within a 10 hour period. |
229. |
Cosmic Ray Astrophysics, Planetary exploration |
December 17: Balloon flight will help
scientists understand how to shield Mars crews - A
10-day balloon flight this month will include two small detectors
designed to improve our understanding of the radiation hazards
that will be faced by astronauts on extended missions such as
Mars exploration. |
228. |
Solar Physics |
December 16: Solar cycle ups and downs
continues to mystify scientists - Solar activity
is picking up, but not as much as one team of scientists had
predicted. "The sun is a variable object and there are going
to be some ups and downs," says NASA's David Hathaway. One
'up' he doesn't expect is a large eruption predicted nowhere
except in the rumor mill. |
227. |
X-Ray Astrophysics |
December 15: The End of Days -
Alerted by a supernova patrol, scientists have
used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to capture a rare glimpse
of X-radiation from the early phases of a supernova. Although
more than a thousand supernovae have been observed by optical
astronomers, the early X-ray glow from the explosions has been
detected in less than a dozen cases. |
226. |
Comets & Meteors |
December 15: Making up for Lost Leonids
- The 1999 Geminids dazzled observers in North
America, making up for a weak display of Leonids one month earlier.
Another meteor shower is just 3 weeks away. |
225. |
Exobiology |
December 14: Meet Conan the Bacterium
- A radiation-resistant microbe could play a
major role in Martian exploration. First, it can help scientists
determine the best locations to seek life on Mars. Later, it
may help keep astronauts healthy and then reshape Mars for colonists. |
224. |
Solar Physics |
December 13: The Day the Solar Wind
Disappeared - For two days in May, 1999,
the solar wind that blows constantly from the Sun virtually disappeared
-- the most drastic and longest-lasting decrease ever observed. |
223. |
Astrobiology |
December 10: Exotic microbes discovered
near Lake Vostok - Scientists have uncovered
a microbial world hidden deep beneath the frozen Antarctic ice
that could help them learn more about how life can survive under
extreme conditions on other planets or moons. |
222. |
Astrophysics |
December 10: Even the "soft"
stars have a "hard" side - Soft-gamma
repeaters have a hard side. It's hard enough that they could
almost be mistaken for the hard gamma-ray bursts that come from
deep in the observable universe. |
221. |
Astrophysics |
December 8: "1,000 Shares of
Magnetar at 12-1/2!" - Here's a hot
stock tip: the market, earthquakes, traffic jams, and magnetars
follow the same power law. This oddity of the universe won't
make you rich; it certainly can't be used to predict where the
market is headed. But it follows a recent theory called self-organizing
criticality. |
220. |
Comets & Meteors |
December 7: Great Geminids! -
On December 13 and 14, 1999, fragments of the
mysterious asteroid 3200 Phaethon will strike Earth's atmosphere
and produce a beautiful sky show. The Geminids offer the last
chance in 1999 for skywatchers to view a dazzling meteor shower.
Follow the action at Geminids.com. |
219. |
Mars Polar Lander |
December 6: Odds diminish
for Polar Lander contact - "We're nearing
the point where we've used up our final silver bullets,"
said the mission's project manager, Richard Cook of JPL. |
218. |
Mars Polar Lander |
December 3: Mars Polar Lander nears
touchdown - Polar Lander is scheduled to
land shortly after noon Pacific time on Friday, December 3. |
217. |
Comets & Meteors |
December 2: What next, Leonids?
- The Leonids of 1999 provided skywatchers in
Europe and the Middle East with a tremendous show of over 1500
meteors per hour at the peak. What lies in store for stargazers
next year and in the early 21st century? Read what the experts
say! |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
216. |
Mars Polar Lander |
November 30: Polar Lander Mission
Overview - The latest Mars lander will look
for water and study martian climate. |
215. |
Plasma Physics |
November 30: Learning how to make
a clean sweep in space - How do you clean
dust in space where a vacuum cleaner won't work? A solution starts
with understanding how a single grain of dust - in this case,
like that from rocket motors - behaves in space. |
214. |
Planetary Physics |
November 28: Galileo's No Turkey
- NASA's Galileo spacecraft survived another
daring encounter with Io on Thanksgiving Day, but not before
giving ground controllers something to worry about. |
213. |
Astrophysics |
November 24: BATSE Finds Most Distant
Quasar Yet Seen in Soft Gamma Rays - Once
upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, a supermassive black
hole burped and sent a flash of gamma rays that arrived at Earth
11 billion years later. Observations by the Burst and Transient
Source Experiment will help give insight into the birth and life
of quasars. |
212. |
Astrophysics |
November 23: Scientists mourn loss
of gifted colleague - Astrophysicists in
Huntsville and around the world are mourning the death on Nov.
2 of Dr. Johannes "Jan" van Paradijs, one of the world's
leading astrophysicists. |
211. |
Comets & Meteors |
November 22: A Leonid on the Moon?
- The first recorded impact of a meteorite on
the Moon may have been captured on video during the 1999 Leonids
meteor storm. Astronomers call for confirming data. |
210. |
The Planets |
November 19: A Volcanic Flashback
- With another Io flyby less than a week away,
JPL has released new data showing towering mountains, sizzling
hot spots, and enormous lava lakes on Jupiter's fiery moon. |
209. |
Comets & Meteors |
November 18: Leonids Rain in Spain
- An outburst of over 1500 Leonid meteors per
hour dazzled observers in Europe and the Middle East. |
208. |
Comets & Meteors |
November 17: Huge Fireball Dazzles
Midwest - Tuesday night an unusual Earth-grazing
fireball attracted stares in over a half-dozen US states. Could
it be a taste of things to come when the Leonids peak Thursday
morning? |
207. |
Comets & Meteors |
November 16: Leonids Control Center
monitors meteor activity - International
team will provide meteor counts for satellite operators |
206. |
New Planets |
November 14: It's Real! - By observing the transit of a planet across the face
of a distant star, astronomers prove that planets exist outside
our solar system. The amount of dimming of the star's light also
gives the first-ever estimate of the size and density of an extrasolar
planet. |
205. |
Looking Up |
November 12: Look at that Sunspot
Go! - On Monday afternoon, November 15, the
planet Mercury will pass in front of the Sun creating a speedy
dark spot on our star that can be seen through properly filtered
telescopes. |
204. |
Comets & Meteors |
November 10: Heads Up! - The upcoming Leonids meteor shower (Nov. 17-18) is
expected to be the biggest in decades and perhaps for the next
century. While we are safe on the ground, satellite operators
are concerned that even small impacts could short-circuit satellites.
NASA will coordinate a team that helps track changes in the shower
that could be a storm. |
203. |
Earth Science |
November 8: NASA applying space technology
to help farmers diagnose fields - An eye
in the sky and instruments in the dirt are teamed to help scientists
and farmers figure out the best way to nurture crops. At least
one preliminary result shows a striking correlation between an
image and, two months later, crop yield. |
202. |
The Planets |
November 5: A Hawaiian-Style Volcano
on Io - New images from Galileo reveal unexpected
details of the Prometheus volcano on Io including a caldera and
lava flowing through fields of sulfur dioxide snow. |
201. |
Comets & Meteors |
November 5: A Surprise November Meteor
Shower? - On November 11, 1999 Earth will
pass close to the orbit of newly-discovered Comet LINEAR C/1999J3.
The result could be a new meteor shower -- the Linearids. This
article includes tips for visual and ham radio observing. |
200. |
Astrophysics |
November 4: Ham operators will get
to help NASA with space experiment - Ham
radio operators can help NASA collect and analyze data from a
satellite scheduled for launch Nov. 19. Data from the Plasma
Experiment Satellite Test will be used in designing an advanced
propulsion system that plugs into the Earth's magnetosphere. |
199. |
Comets & Meteors |
November 3: Leonids on the Moon-
When the Leonid meteor shower strikes on November
18, Earth won't be the only place in the cross hairs. The Moon
will also pass very close to the debris stream of comet Tempel-Tuttle.
Leonid meteorite impacts on the Moon might be visible from Earth
and provide a means for long-distance lunar prospecting. |
198. |
Astronomy |
November 2: Taking a ringside seat
for a gamma-ray burst- Supercomputers are
giving scientists a ringside seat for one of the most violent
events in nature, the heart of a gamma ray burst. The "collapsar"
model simulates a star that is too heavy to go supernova, and
thus turns itself inside out. |
197. |
Comets & Meteors |
November 1: NASA Meteor Balloon Rises
Again- NASA scientists and ham radio amateurs
are teaming up for a weather balloon flight to the stratosphere
during the Leonid meteor shower on November 18, 1999. The balloon
will transmit a live webcast of the shower from an altitude of
100,000 ft or more, far above any bad weather or obscuring clouds. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
196. |
Astrophysics |
October 29: A Swift Look at the Biggest
Explosions in the Universe- Spurred by the
thousands of gamma-ray bursts recorded over the last three decades,
NASA is planning missions dedicated to discovering the causes
of what had been an oddity and now has become a primary mystery
in astronomy. |
195. |
Comets & Meteors |
October 27: Leonids in the Crystal
Ball- Most experts agree that 1999 is a likely
year for a full-fledged Leonids meteor storm. Other forecasters
think that better displays could be in store for 2000 - 2002.
Whatever the case, the place to be before dawn on November 18,
1999 is outdoors and looking up! |
194. |
Astronomy |
October 26: Chandra Spies Structure
of Huge X-Ray Jets- A new image of the Centaurus
A galaxy shows x-ray jets as long as our whole galaxy is wide.
The image helps give new insight into what happens when galaxies
collide. |
193. |
Astrophysics |
October 25: Postmortems in the Sky-
To say they are ghoulish may be going too far,
but like ghouls those studying Gamma Ray Bursts gleefully seek
the moldering remains, and never see the living victim. But they
are very much interested in both the victim and the cause. |
192. |
Aurorae |
October 22: Aurora Alert - A blast of solar wind from the Sun on October 21 is
creating strong geomagnetic storm conditions a day later. The
Ultraviolet Imager onboard the POLAR spacecraft has captured
dramatic images of the storm as seen from Earth orbit. |
191. |
Astronomy |
October 22: A Close Encounter with
Jupiter - This weekend the Solar System's
largest planet will be brighter and nearer to Earth than at any
time in the past 12 years. It's easy to see with a telescope
or binoculars, or even with the naked eye! |
190. |
Astrophysics |
October 21: Dodging pitfalls in the
hunt for the cause of gamma-ray bursts - At
the GRB conference this week, scientists discuss how to avoid
making mistakes while searching for the solution to a big astrophysical
mystery - What causes gamma-ray bursts? |
189. |
Astrophysics |
October 20: Outbursts Result in Controversy
- Scientists have different ideas to explain
the behavior of Soft Gamma Repeaters (SGRs). SGR's irregularly
give off short blasts of radiation in the gamma ray frequencies.
Magnetar theory gives an explanation, but other theories depend
on the surrounding stellar environment as well as a central neutron
star. |
188. |
Astrophysics |
October 18: After three decades of
study, gamma-ray bursts still mystify - Over
the last three decades, gamma-ray bursts have been one of the
most mysterious phenomena in astrophysics. In preparation for
next week's 5th biennial Huntsville Gamma Ray Burst Symposium,
Science@NASA caught up with Dr. Gerald Fishman for an interview
about bursts and the symposium. |
187. |
The Sun |
October 15: Solar Déjà
Vu - When Yogi Berra made his famous remark
about "déjà vu all over again," he probably
didn't have solar eruptions in mind. But this week solar physicists
did a double take, and then a triple take, as the sun produced
a rapid-fire series of coronal mass ejections. Even Yogi would
have been impressed. |
186. |
The Sun |
October 14: Solar Cycle Update
- Updated predictions from NASA scientists place
the solar maximum in mid-2000. As activity on the Sun begins
to increase toward this broad maximum, we can expect more auroral
displays, radio disruptions and power fluctuations. |
185. |
The Moon |
October 13: Moon Water Remains a Mystery
- The July 31, 1999 crash of Lunar Prospector
into the Moon did not liberate detectable signs of water, say
scientists. The possibility of water-ice in shadowed lunar craters
remains open. |
184. |
Physics |
October 12: French Nobel Laureate
turns back clock - At any given spot along
its path, the Aug. 11, 1999, total eclipse offered up to 2-1/2
spectacular minutes of total lunar coverage of the sun. But for
two NASA researchers, the show's not over. They're just getting
started probing a 50-year-old mystery. |
183. |
Planetary Physics |
October 11: Galileo survives volcanic
flyby - NASA's Galileo spacecraft has successfully
zipped past Jupiter's moon Io, the most volcanic body in our
solar system. This was the closest look at Io by any spacecraft,
and Galileo's cameras were poised to capture the brief encounter.
|
182. |
Astrophysics |
October 11: Gamma-ray bursts to take
center stage at international meeting - More
than 200 astronomers will gather to talk about gamma-ray bursts,
one of the most mysterious and increasingly watched-for phenomena
in the universe. The 5th Huntsville Gamma Ray Burst Symposium,
to be held Oct 18-22 in Huntsville, Alabama, will have a wealth
of new observations for discussions of bursts and how to study
them. |
181. |
The Planets |
October 8: Galileo has a hot date
with Io - On October 10 NASA's Galileo spacecraft
will execute a daring flyby of Jupiter's volcanic moon. This
story includes newly released images of Io and information about
the flyby. |
180. |
Astronomy |
October 8: Chandra Takes X-ray Image
of Repeat Offender - NASA's Chandra X-ray
Observatory has imaged Eta Carinae, the Milky Way's most luminous
star. This exploding star, which also has been imaged by the
Hubble Space Telescope, is huffing and puffing its way to eventual
self-destruction. |
179. |
Earth Science |
October 6: New Antarctic Ozone Data
Released - A NASA satellite has shown that
the area of ozone depletion over the Antarctic is still large,
but a bit less in 1999 than it was last year. |
178. |
Medical Science |
October 5: Scientists grow heart
tissue in Bioreactor - MIT scientists use
a NASA-developed device in a first step towards tissue engineering.
The cell constructs are less than 1/5-inch across, but represent
a significant step in developing replacement parts for damaged
organs. |
177. |
Planetary Physics |
October 4: Io's Alien Volcanoes
- Scientists are eager for a closer look at the
solar system's strangest and most active volcanoes when Galileo
flies by Io on October 11. This article explores what we know
about volcanism on Io and what researchers hope to learn from
next week's daring encounter. |
176. |
Astronomy |
October 1: Planetary Power Breakfast
- With the advent of northern autumn, the dark
morning sky is a sparkling showcase of bright planets and stars.
Early October offers a special treat featuring the slender crescent
Moon, brilliant Venus and blue-white Regulus. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
175. |
Planetary Physics |
September 30: Sulfuric Acid Found
on Europa - Sulfur from fiery volcanoes on
Io may be responsible for a battery acid chemical on Europa with
implications for astrobiology. |
174. |
Astronomy |
September 29: Chandra image
shows a powerful connection in the Crab Nebula - Another
fabulous discovery from Chandra X-ray Observatory shows a bright
ring of fire around the pulsar at the heart of the Crab Nebula.
Scientists believe this is a link between the Crab's powerhouse
and its light show. |
173. |
Astronomy |
September 28: Peering into
the heart of a Crab - A brilliant ring around
a cosmic powerhouse at the heart of the Crab Nebula will be revealed
today in new images to be released from the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
The Crab is one of the most beautiful - and most studied - bodies
in the skies, and serves as a Rosetta Stone for modern astrophysics. |
172. |
Cosmology |
September 27: The Bouncing
Baby Universe - New research by astronomers
using the Hubble Space Telescope indicates that the Universe
is only 12 billion years old. This could revive the old paradox
in astrophysics that the Universe appears younger than some of
the stars in it. |
171. |
Astronomy |
September 23: Sunrise
at the South Pole -Today's autumnal equinox
heralds the dawn of a new day at the South Pole as Earth joins
three other planets in the solar system where it is autumn in
the northern hemisphere. |
170. |
Astronomy |
September 22: Now you see it - now
you don't - A prodigious eruption of X-rays
from near the center of our Milky Way announces the latest round
of activity in a binary star system containing a variable star
and a compact object. It's put astronomers and observatories
on the ground and in space hot on the trail of an object known
as GM Sgr. |
169. |
X-Ray Astronomy |
September 21: New Chandra Images Released
- X-ray pictures from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
reveal previously unobserved features in the remnants of three
different supernova explosions. |
168. |
The Planets |
September 21: Weather Satellite Nears
Mars - Mars Climate Orbiter is set to enter
orbit around the Red Planet this week. It will become the first
interplanetary weather satellite and a communications relay for
the next lander mission to explore Mars. |
167. |
Biotechnology |
September 20: You have to break a
few (hundred) eggs to make a good crystal - Scientists
find that even when conditions are ideal, nature puts protein
crystal quality "on the curve." But that discovery
could become a tool for choosing the best proteins for space-based
studies. |
166. |
Astrophysics |
September 17: Is the 2-in-1 burster
a masquerade? - A NASA scientist finds a
peculiar rapidly rotating neutron star - a pulsar - is acting
quite a bit differently than it did in 1995, and is trying to
understand why. |
165. |
Plasma Physica |
September 16: Io or Bust - NASA's Galileo spacecraft flies by Callisto today
in an orbital maneuver designed to send the craft hurtling towards
an encounter with the volcanic moon Io. Getting there won't be
easy. The spacecraft has to survive extreme radiation from Jupiter's
inner magnetosphere before it can rendezvous with Io later this
year. |
164. |
Microgravity Science |
September 15: Materials Science 101
- So you're a PhD scientist or a top gun pilot,
and you've just been selected to be an astronaut, and now you
have to learn to be a generalist to help run experiments on the
International Space Station (ISS). So it's back to school for
astronaut trainees, too. |
163. |
Microgravity Science |
September 14: Space station
glovebox ready for scientists to start designing experiments
- A versatile experiment facility for the International
Space Station moved closer to flight recently with delivery of
the ground-test model to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. |
162. |
Astrophysics |
September 13: Chandra peers
into the Large Magellanic Cloud - The X-ray
Observatory's High Resolution Camera catches its first
light - resulting in extraordinary pictures of a distant supernova
remnant. |
161. |
Looking up |
September 13: Mars meets anti-Mars
- The red planet Mars and the brilliant red star
Antares pass less than three degrees apart this week. The pair
are easy to find in the night sky just after sunset. Stargazers
with dark skies can catch a glimpse of the Galactic Center region
at the same time. |
160. |
Astronomy |
September 10: Fading embers hold clues
to puzzle of gamma-ray bursts -Sometimes
the big fireworks aren't the whole show. Watching the embers
fade away can help you understand what was hidden by a blinding
flash of light - or gamma rays. In a paper accepted for publication
in Astrophysical Journal Letters, astrophysicists report that
an afterglow can start during a gamma-ray burst, thus suggesting
that more than one activity is causing what appears to be a chaotic
explosion. |
159. |
The Planets |
September 9: Divining Water on Europa
-Circumstantial evidence for water on Europa
continues to mount as JPL scientists try an ingenious experiment
to find hexagonal water-ice crystals on the frigid surface of
Jupiter's 4th moon. |
158. |
Space Plasma Physics |
September 7: Plasma, Plasma, Everywhere
-A NASA scientist has created a new model of
the plasmasphere surrounding our world, building on the work
of previous models. Earth's complicated plasma environment directly
affects our life on Earth - from radio transmissions and power
grids to satellite safety. |
157. |
The Moon |
September 3: The Case of the Missing
Moon Water - Lunar Prospector failed to kick
up a visible dust cloud when it crashed into the Moon, but researchers
are still sifting through their data for elusive signatures of
water. |
156. |
Solar Physics |
September 2: The Sun's Sizzling Corona
- Scientists continue to ponder one of our star's
most closely guarded secrets - why does the solar corona get
hotter farther from the Sun's surface? |
155. |
Earth Science |
September 1: Adios, Hurricanes
- El Niño gets
blamed -- rightly or wrongly -- for everything strange in the
weather. One NASA scientist has found a relationship: El Niño apparently is related to a reduction in Atlantic
hurricane severity. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
154. |
Space Weather |
August 31: Solar Activity Heats Up
- A series of major solar flares and a coronal
mass ejection this past weekend could trigger geomagnetic storms
and auroral displays visible at high latitudes. |
153. |
Physics |
August 30: North by Northwest to Catch
A Neutrino in the Act - A century-old radiation
detection tool may be pressed into service to see if neutrinos
change flavor. The answer may change our models of subatomic
particles and the universe. |
152. |
Planetary Science |
August 27: Galileo Takes a Closer
Look at Io - NASA has released new high resolution
pictures of Jupiter's volcanic moon captured during Galileo's
closest flyby since 1995. |
151. |
Astronomy |
August 26: Studying the Mysteries
of the Titanium Star - When the Chandra X-ray
Observatory took its "first light" image, it wasn't
looking at just another star shining in the darkness. It was
watching a foundry distribute its wares to the rest of the galaxy. |
150. |
Planetary Science |
August 25: NASA Announces Mars Landing
Site - Mars Polar Lander heads for a touch
down near the Red Planet's south pole to study the history of
martian climate. |
149. |
Earth Science -- Weather |
August 24: If it Rains in the Pacific
Will Kansas Have a Drought? - Who cares if
it rains and the fish get wet? A Pacific Ocean rainfall experiment
will have implications for global weather studies. |
148. |
Propulsion |
August 19: Dashing and Coasting to
the Interstellar Finish Line - A race to
the edge of the solar system and into interstellar space could
come out of a contract awarded recently by NASA for the University
of Washington to develop an innovative space propulsion concept.
The Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion - M2P2 - would use
the solar wind to push on a small imitation of the Earth's magnetosphere
and accelerate the spacecraft to overtake the Pioneers and Voyagers
and become the first manmade object to leave the solar system. |
147. |
Astronomy |
August 18: Just Passing By Earth
- The Cassini spacecraft has completed a highly
accurate flyby of Earth, giving the spacecraft a velocity boost
for its journey to distant Saturn. |
146. |
Astronomy |
August 17: Cassini & Polar Join
Forces to Study Earth - A bit of interplanetary
luck allowed two separate space missions take advantage of each
other's instruments Tuesday evening for coordinated measurements
of Earth's magnetosphere. |
145. |
Climate Science |
August 16: Planet in a Test Tube
- What do the racing winds on Jupiter and the
snail's pace circulation of molten rock inside the Earth have
in common? They're all fluids whose movements were studied in
a "planet in a test tube" experiment flown aboard the
Space Shuttle. |
144. |
Astronomy |
August 13: Pop! Ping! Perseids!
- The PerseidsLive! meteor balloon ruptured
prematurely on its way to the stratosphere. Nevertheless, many
observers on the ground were able to see and listen to Perseid
meteors. This story includes RealVideo of the meteor balloon
popping and an audio recording of a Perseid meteor radar "ping." |
143. |
Astronomy |
August 12: This Eclipse is History
- A NASA scientist views the eclipse from the
foothills of Transylvania, home of ancient legends and modern
science. Includes video replays from NASA TV and an audio account
of the eclipse as seen from Romania. |
142. |
Astronomy |
August 11: Here Come the Perseids!
- The 1999 Perseid meteor shower peaks on August
12th and 13th under the dark skies of a nearly new moon. |
141. |
Astronomy |
August 10: Don't Forget the Partial
Eclipse! - North Americans could experience
unusual shadow effects near sunrise on Aug. 11. |
140. |
Astronomy |
August 10: Scientists drawn to midday
darkness near Transylvania - Serious eclipse
science is planned near home of legendary monster. |
139. |
Astronomy |
August 6: Snagging a High Fly Ball
- On a balloon flight, scientists will attempt
to capture particles from the stratosphere during the Perseids
meteor shower, some possibly from the Perseids themselves. |
138. |
Physics |
August 6: Decrypting the Eclipse
- On August 11, scientists around the world will
attempt to solve a 45 year mystery: Does a solar eclipse somehow
affect the Foucault pendulum? |
137. |
Astronomy |
August 5: There Goes the Sun -
On the verge of solar maximum, the August 11,
1999 solar eclipse promises to dazzle millions in the path of
totality. |
136. |
Astronomy |
August 4: Audio Eclipse May Fill the
Sky - As the eclipse turns day into night
over Europe on August 11, radio transmissions from near the path
of totality may spread across the globe, due to ionospheric changes
caused by the Moon's shadow. As a result, ham radio operators
around the world can track the August 11, 1999 total solar eclipse
by monitoring changes in atmospheric radio propagation. |
135. |
Science Communications |
August 3: Turning blueprints into watercolors
- A Science@NASA writer shares notes from a science
writing workshop, where writers honed their skills at turning
scientific facts into readable prose. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
134. |
The Moon |
July 31: Farewell, Lunar Prospector
-NASA's lunar orbiter collided with the Moon
Saturday morning, July 31, 1999, at 0952 GMT |
133. |
The Moon |
July 30: Amateur astronomers target
Lunar Prospector
- While professionals watch for a nearly
transparent cloud of water vapor, amateurs will monitor the Moon's
south pole for visible signs of Lunar Prospector's crash. |
132. |
Asteroids and spacecraft |
July 29: Face-to-face with asteroid
Braille - Using an experimental autopilot
system, NASA's exotic Deep Space 1 spacecraft has completed the
closest-ever flyby of an asteroid. |
131. |
The Moon |
July 28: A Stay of Execution for Lunar
Prospector - Lunar Prospector has survived
the July 28 partial lunar eclipse and is on track for a planned
collision with the Moon on July 31. This story includes a video
clip of the eclipse as seen from Australia and new simulations
of the July 31 impact. |
130. |
Astrobiology |
July 27: Astrobiologists To Hunt Small
Game in Siberia - NASA and Russian scientists are setting
out to Siberia to hunt small game, microbes whose life styles
may hold clues to the possibilities for life elsewhere in the
solar system. Their trek is part of NASA's Astrobiology program. |
129. |
Planetary Science |
July 26: Lunar Prospector in Eclipse
- This Wednesday's partial lunar eclipse poses a last-minute
threat to Lunar Prospector, which is scheduled three days later
to crash into the Moon in search of water. |
128. |
Astrophysics |
July 23: Why launch Chandra at night?
- Blame Newton and Kepler: Chandra's beautiful
early morning launch will place it into an orbit unlike that
of NASA's other Great Observatories. |
127. |
Astrophysics |
July 22: A Richter Scale for Cosmic
Collisions - Planetary scientists have developed
the Torino Scale, a new means of conveying the risks associated
with asteroids and comets that might collide with the Earth. |
126. |
The Sun |
July 22: Seasons of the Sun -
By comparing several techniques and combining
aspects of a couple of the best, scientists better predict the
Sun's weather. Solar weather affects our weather, satellites
in orbit, electrical power systems, and radio and television
communications. |
125. |
The Moon |
July 21: Bracing for Impact -
Professional and amateur astronomers are preparing
to observe the Moon on July 31st when Lunar Prospector plunges
into a permanently shadowed crater in |
124. |
Astronomy |
July 20: Chandra has a busy observing
schedule - Dying magnetars, supernovae, and
the future of the universe are on tap for NASA's Chandra X-ray
Observatory, scheduled for launch July 20, 12:39 a.m. EDT. |
123. |
Astronomy |
July 19: "Braking glitch"
may point to massive starquake - Scientists
believe a sudden slowdown of a spinning neutron star is due to
a massive starquake and a huge release of gamma-ray energy. |
122. |
Astronomy |
July 16: The Great Leonid Meteor Stormlet
of 1997 - Newly released video shows a flurry
of Leonids in 1997 that briefly rivaled the great meteor storm
of 1966. |
121. |
Astronomy |
July 15: Galaxies in Collision
- New images from the Hubble Space Telescope
reveal an unprecedented number of colliding galaxies in a distant
cluster 8 billion light years away. |
120. |
Astronomy |
July 15: Ode to a Grecian Conference
- Black holes, neutron stars and other high energy
phenomena were the focus of a NATO Institute held in Crete in
June, 1999. |
119. |
X-ray Astronomy |
July 14: Countdown to Discovery
- Martin Weisskopf, Project Scientist for NASA's
newest Great Observatory - the Chandra X-ray Observatory - talks
about the upcoming July 20 launch, astronomy, cosmology, and
our beautiful and surprising universe. |
118. |
Astronomy |
July 9: Why Wait for the 4th of July?
- With the discovery of a bright optical
flash during a gamma-ray burst in January 1999, and the advancement
of observing technologies, it is now possible that amateur astronomers
can make meaningful scientific contributions to the study of
these enigmatic events. Find out how you can help in the quest
to understand these distant objects, from the confines of your
own back yard. |
117. |
Astronomy |
July 8: Surfing Magnetic Waves in
the Solar Atmosphere - NASA Scientists announced
today the results of dual-observations from the SOHO and Spartan
satellites, describing how the solar wind achieves its high-speed
of up to 500 miles per second - by "surfing" magnetic
waves in the Sun's outer atmosphere. |
116. |
Astronomy |
July 8: HERO will provide new view
of X-ray universe - A new method for making
high-energy x-ray optics may open the door for a new era of astrophysical
observations. |
115. |
Weather research |
July 2: Learning how to make better
"nowcasts" of weather - Weather
researchers and forecasters meet to discuss closer ties to improve
"nowcasts" - or forecasts of what the weather will
do in the next few hours. |
114. |
The Planets |
July 1: New Hubble images of the Red
Planet - NASA and
the Hubble Space Telescope Institute have released new images
of Mars to commemorate the landing of Mars Pathfinder on July
4, 1997. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
113. |
The Planets |
June 30: Taking the Scenic Route to
Io - What's happening
to the small craters on Callisto? That's the mystery scientists
were contemplating as Galileo zoomed past Jupiter's pockmarked
moon this morning in an orbit-changing maneuver designed to bring
the spacecraft closer to volcanic Io. |
112. |
Astrobiology |
June 29: Life on the Edge Update - A team of sled dogs has
braved spring storms and wily marmots to recover microbes from
a California mountain top. Yeast samples exposed to extreme conditions
near the White Mountain summit will be distributed to classrooms
as part of NASA's Life on the Edge education initiative. |
111. |
Comets & Meteors |
June 28: Radio Meteor Alert - Earth may be headed into
two meteoroid swarms that could produce shooting stars for the
next week. Radio observations reported yesterday indicate that
meteor activity may already be underway. |
110. |
The Planets |
June 24: Venus Lends a Hand - En route to Saturn, Cassini
flew less than 400 miles above Venus today, gaining a boost in
speed from that planet's gravity. |
109. |
Solar Physics |
June 23: SOHO Spies the Far Side of
the Sun - An ingenious
new technique for viewing the previously hidden side of the Sun
could improve space weather forecasting. |
108. |
Meteors |
June 22: Leonids on the Horizon - Experts make their predictions
for the 1999 Leonid meteor shower. |
107. |
Meteors - history |
June 22: The Great Meteor Storm of
1833 - Read a charming,
first-hand account of the meteor shower that marked the discovery
of the Leonids and created a new branch of astronomy. |
106. |
Astronomy |
June 21: High Noon at the North Pole-
View images of this year's June solstice from
both ends of the Earth. |
105. |
Earth Science |
June 20: El Nino Watcher Blasts Off - NASA's QuickScat ocean winds
satellite was sucessfully launched on June 19. It will provide
scientists crucial data for monitoring and understanding global
weather anomalies like El Nino and La Nina. |
104. |
Earth Science - Lightning |
June 18: Human Voltage
- From the International Conference on
Atmospheric Electricity, scientists review what happens when
people and lightning converge. |
103. |
Astronomy |
June 17: Peering through a Hole in
the Sky - A team of
NASA/Marshall scientists plan to investigate an unlikely 50-year
old mystery during the August 11, 1999 total solar eclipse. |
102. |
Earth Science - Lightning |
June 16: More lightning news from
inside hurricanes and tornadoes - 3D lightning imaging; Hurricanes suppress lightning;
Getting up close and personal with a tornado. |
101. |
Earth Science - Lightning |
June 15: Soaking in atmospheric electricity
- Although lightning is the visible, dramatic
event of atmospheric electricity, currents flow all around us
every day. Such "fair weather" electricity is the return
part of the circuitry for all the lightning in the world, and
could be an indicator of other global phenomena as well. |
100. |
Astronomy |
June 14: Just Passing By Venus
- The Moon will skim by Venus for a dazzling
sky show on June 16th. |
99. |
Astrobiology |
June 11: Unearthing Clues to Martian
Fossils - The hunt for ancient life on Mars
has led scientists to an other-worldly place on Earth called
Mono Lake. |
98. |
Earth Science - Lightning |
June 11: Lightning position in storm
may circle strongest updrafts -Much of the
lightning in a storm is inside the clouds, but new findings show
it surrounds the most intense areas, rather than bunching at
the heart. Better detection and better knowledge will lead to
better prediction and more accurate warnings. |
97. |
Earth Science - Lightning |
June 10: Spirits of Another Sort
- Dave Sentman, who originally dubbed the mysterious
red flickers of light above thunderclouds Sprites, works to move
them from the realm of mystery into scientific knowledge. |
96. |
Earth Science - Lightning |
June 10: Lightning follows the Sun
-Tantalizing findings show patterns of lightning
vary with the Sun, El Niño, and other phenomena. Such
correlations could provide a way to monitor global changes. |
95. |
Earth Science - Lightning |
June 9: Getting a solid view of lightning
-At the International Conference on Atmospheric
Electricity this week, a New Mexico research team reports they
have developed a system to depict lightning in three dimensions. |
94. |
Astrophysics |
June 8: Relics of the Big Bang - When NASA's FUSE spacecraft
launches later this month, scientists will gain a new tool to
use in the search for the "fossil record" of cosmology. |
93. |
Earth Science - Lightning |
June 8: Learning how to diagnose
bad flying weather - Scientists discuss what
they know about lightning's effects on spacecraft and aircraft. |
92. |
Earth Science - Lightning |
June 8: Three bolts from the blue
- Does lightning affect the ozone layer? What
causes "sprites?" And why does "messy" lightning
follow a simple lightning model? Hoping to stimulate further
thought about the physics of lightning, Martin Uman of the University
of Florida posed these fundamental questions to atmospheric scientists
attending a scientific conference this week. |
91. |
Astronomy |
June 7: Mars & Spica -This week the Red Planet and the blue-white star Spica
are shining in the night sky just 1 3/4 degrees apart. It's a
show that star gazers won't want to miss. |
90. |
The Moon |
June 3: Destined for a watery grave?
-NASA's first mission to the Moon in 25 years
could end with a splash next month when ground controllers deliberately
crash Lunar Prospector into a crater in search of water. |
89. |
Astronomy |
June 3: Now you see it, now you don't
- Amateur astronomers around North America captured
striking videos of the Moon as it eclipsed the bright star Regulus
on May 21. |
88. |
Solar Physics |
June 2: Solar flares show their true
colors -New research points to a common mechanism
for spectral behavior in Solar Flares. |
87. |
Auroral Physics |
June 1: How do gusts in solar wind
stir the aurora? - NASA Scientist studies
data from 3 satellites to figure out what stirs up Earth's Northern
Lights. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
86. |
Solar Physics |
May 31: "Cool" microflares
could be solar hot spots - One longstanding
mystery of the sun is why its outer atmosphere - the corona -
is 200 times hotter than its surface. Now, a trio of scientists
says it's because the corona is heated by a constant series of
mini-explosions, called microflares. |
85. |
Astrobiology |
May 28: Who wrote the Book of Life?
- NASA scientists are using neural networks to
teach a computer how to recognize life when it sees it. By practicing
first on images of terrestrial life, remote instruments someday
may be able to identify life forms elsewhere in the solar system. |
84. |
The Planets |
May 27: The Red Planet in 3D -
New data from Mars Global Surveyor reveals the
topography of Mars better than many continental regions on Earth. |
83. |
Astrobiology |
May 27: The search for life on Mars
will begin in Siberia - Russian and Marshall
scientists will look for life forms in the inhospitable realm
of Siberian permafrost. The scientists hope to broaden our understanding
of "extremophiles" - forms of life that exist under
extreme conditions - which will help in the search for life on
other planets. |
82. |
Earth Science |
May 26: What Comes Out of the Top
of a Thunderstorm - Scientists studying powerful
gamma-ray bursts in deep space accidentally discovered a closer
source of gamma energy -- thunderclouds on Earth. |
81. |
Astronomy |
May 25: Hubble measures the expanding
Universe - Scientists using the Hubble Space
Telescope today announced that they have completed measurements
needed to determine the age, size and fate of the Universe. |
80. |
Astronomy |
May 25: Lifting the veil on Hubble's
Constant - This story places today's HST
measurements in context with history and background information
about "Hubble's Constant," along with a primer on modern
cosmology. |
79. |
Earth Science |
May 24: Lightning Leaders Converge
in Alabama - Topics slated for the upcoming
11th International Conference on Atmospheric Electricity include
space-based lightning detection, purple sprites, lightning as
a precursor of severe weather, and more. |
78. |
Astrobiology |
May 23: ET, phone SETI@home -
In only one week since the release of free SETI@home
software, nearly 300,000 computers have contributed 1100 years
of CPU time to the search for extraterrestrial life. |
77. |
Astrobiology |
May 21: Astrobiology's Most Wanted:
Giordano Bruno - The story of Giordano
Bruno, a man who lived 400 years ago, who believed in other
stars, other planets, other life on those planets, and who died
for his heresy. |
76. |
Astrobiology |
May 21: The Sagan Criteria for Life
Revisited -Would we know life if we saw it?
What is essential to life, and what is just characteristic of
life as we know it? Organic compounds seem to be a key, and they
are turning out to be more common than was once expected. |
75. |
The Moon |
May 20: The Phantom Moonace - This weekend sky watchers in North America will be
treated to a rare naked-eye lunar occultation of a bright star.
Astronomers are asking amateurs to video tape the event for a
precision topographical survey of the Moon's limb |
74. |
The Planets |
May 19: Stormy
Weather on Mars -During the recent close
approach of Mars to Earth, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope spotted
a gigantic storm swirling near the Red Planet's north pole. |
73. |
NASA research |
May 19: Star Wars technology, coming
soon
to a planet near you -Although technology
you see in a Star Wars movie may seem like futuristic fantasy,
check out some research NASA is doing today to turn some of that
fantasy into fact. |
72. |
Astrophysics |
May 18: Scientists catch another gamma-ray
burster in visible light -Several southern
hemisphere telescopes observe the latest optical counterpart
to a gamma-ray burst reported by BATSE and Beppo-Sax. Scientists
estimate the burst originated 10 billion light years away. |
71. |
Microgravity Science |
May 18: Pushing the Limits of Computer
Technology - Optical computers will be much
faster than today's electronic computers. Scientists at Marshall
Space Flight Center are conducting space research to build components
needed for the next step: hybrid electro-optic computers. |
70. |
Astrophysics |
May 14: Through the Looking Glass
- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered
exotic rings, arcs and crosses that are optical mirages produced
by gigantic gravitational lenses in deep space. |
69. |
The Planets |
May 12: Star Wars by Moonlight
- Venus and the Moon will put on a dazzling show
for moviegoers May 17 through May 19. |
68. |
Biology and Microgravity Science |
May 10: Powerful plants have changed
the world - Biologists conducting Space Shuttle
experiments may be one step closer to shedding light on the biggest
power booster on the planet: a protein in green plants called
Photosystem I. |
67. |
Comets & Meteors |
May 7: Hunting for Halley's Comet
- This weekend, a high-flying weather balloon
takes off from Kansas in search of meteoroids from comet Halley. |
66. |
Satellite Tracking |
May 6: Sightings - New
software from NASA, called "J-Pass," can tell you when
and where to spot satellites passing overhead - from your own
backyard. |
65. |
The Planets |
May 5: Turn left at Callisto -
This morning NASA's Galileo spacecraft zoomed
past Jupiter's moon Callisto. The maneuver was designed to bring
Galileo closer to Jupiter in preparation for a daring encounter
with a volcano on Io. |
64. |
Image Technology |
May 4: Shake, Rattle, and Zoom-
Two NASA scientists developed VISAR, a new imaging
technology, to help the FBI with a crime scene video. VISAR eliminates
jitter, adjusts for inadvertent zoom, and brightens dark shots.
VISAR will soon be available to help anyone improve their home,
or professional video. |
63. |
Comets & Meteors |
May 3: Meteors Down Under - On May 6th debris from Halley's comet will strike
Earth's atmosphere and put on a sky show for southern observers.
The eta Aquarid meteor display is the first of two upcoming annual
showers caused by the famous comet. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
62. |
The Planets |
Apr 29: Plate Tectonics on Mars?
- NASA's Mars Global Surveyor has discovered
surprising new evidence of past movement of the Martian crust,
suggesting that ancient Mars was a more dynamic, Earth-like planet
than it is today. |
61. |
Earth Science |
Apr 28: Landsat 7 starts viewing
the the world - First images, with twice
as much detail as previous Landsat satellites, show Florida's
panhandle, South Dakota, and a startlingly clear image of a jet
contrail and its shadow on the ground. |
60. |
Climate Science/Earth Day |
Apr 28: Earth Day Education -
Students in the Huntsville, Ala. area used a
"ray gun" to measure temperature and launched a weather
balloon to measure stratospheric ozone, getting a hands-on experience
in how climate scientists monitor changes in our atmosphere. |
59. |
Comets & Meteors |
Apr 27: Tuning in to April meteor
showers - Last week's Lyrid meteor shower
was a bit of a disappointment visually, but it put on quite a
show for radio observers. In this story you can learn about the
basics of radio meteors and listen to radar echoes from a bright
shooting star. |
58. |
Climate Science |
Apr 26: Welcome to the Thunder Dome
- Climate scientists report that urbanization
has altered weather patterns over Atlanta, Georgia. Data collected
for the last 25 years link deforestation and the use of heat-absorbing
materials with oddities such as severe morning weather. |
57. |
Planets |
Apr 23: A close encounter with Mars
- The Red Planet makes its nearest approach to
Earth in 1999 during the next two weeks. It's a great opportunity
to view Mars through a telescope or simply with the naked eye. |
56. |
Earth Science |
Apr 21: Stepping back to get a closer
view- Scientists at the Global Hydrology
and Climate Center will use Landsat 7 images along with other
data to better understand the phenomenon of urban heat islands. |
55. |
Earth Day |
Apr 21: Students to learn what's
hot at Earth Day celebration- Open house
at Global Hydrology and Climate Center on April 22 will have
5th graders learning from 2nd graders and everyone learning something
new about planet Earth. |
54. |
Astrophysics |
Apr 21: April's Lyrid Meteor Shower-
The oldest known meteor shower peaks this week
on Thursday morning, breaking a 3 month lull in meteor activity.
|
53. |
Space Propulsion |
Apr 16: Riding the Highways of Light
- Science mimics science fiction as a Rensselaer
Professor builds and tests a working model flying disc. The disc,
or "Lightcraft," is an early prototype for Earth-friendly
spacecraft of the future. |
52. |
Astrophysics |
Apr 15: A Family of Giants - Astronomers from four institutions are announcing
today their discovery of the first system of planets found orbiting
a sun-like star in Andromeda. |
51. |
Comets & Meteors |
Apr 14: A Wild Ride in Search of Meteors
- On April 11, NASA scientists successfully launched
a weather balloon designed to capture meteoroids in the stratosphere.
Video highlights from the flight include the sunset as seen from
80,000 ft. and eerie gurgling sounds caused by high altitude
winds. |
50. |
Astrophysics |
Apr 13: A New Class of Black Holes?
- Astronomers may have discovered a new type
of middle-weight black hole in the centers of some nearby galaxies. |
49. |
Space Propulstion |
Apr 12: Reaching for the Stars
- At the 1999 Advanced Propulsion Research Workshop,
fusion and antimatter take center stage as rocket fuels of the
future. |
48.5 |
Meteors |
Apr 9: Meteor balloon set for launch -This weekend scientists will launch a weather
balloon designed to capture meteoroids in the stratosphere. The
flight will be broadcast live on the web from a video camera
carried aloft to 100,000 ft. |
48. |
Space Propulsion |
Apr 8: Setting Sail for the Stars
- Cracking the whip and unfurling gray sails
are among new space transportation techniques under discussion
at the 1999 Advanced Propulsion Research Workshop. |
47. |
Space Propulsion |
Apr 7: Darwinian Design - Survival
of the fittest spacecraft - NASA scientists
plan to 'breed' better spacecraft using artificial intelligence.
Such a strategy mimics nature, and may be one of the most efficient
methods of future spacecraft design. |
46. |
Space Propulsion |
Apr 7: Coach-class tickets for space?
- Scientists discuss new ideas in high-performance,
low-cost space transportation |
45. |
Space Propulsion |
Apr 6: Far Out Space Propulsion
Conference Blasts Off - Atoms locked in snow,
a teaspoon from the heart of the sun, and the stuff that drives
a starship will be on the agenda of an advanced space propulsion
conference that opens today in Huntsville. |
46. |
Space Propulsion |
Apr 6: Ion Propulsion -- 50 Years
in the Making - The concept of ion propulsion,
currently being demonstrated on the Deep Space 1 mission, goes
back to the very beginning of NASA and beyond. The path from
concept to reality has not been short or direct, but it has been
interesting. |
44. |
Gamma-Ray Bursts |
Apr 5: Answer to gamma-ray bursts
remains elusive - Eight years ago today NASA
launched the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. While the CGRO has
revolutionized our understanding of cosmic gamma ray bursts,
these distant explosions remain one of the biggest mysteries
of modern astrophysics. |
43. |
Balloon flight/ meteors |
Apr 1: Leonids Sample Return Mission
Update - Scientists will describe initial
results from a program to catch meteoroids in flight at the NASA/Ames
Leonids Workshop April 12-15, 1999. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
42. |
Astronomy and you |
Mar 30: Here Comes the Blue Moon
- The second Blue Moon of 1999 takes place this
Wednesday night. This article explains how to see it and explores
the history of the expression "Blue Moon." |
41. |
Planets - Uranus |
Mar 29: Huge springtime storms hit
the planet Uranus - A dramatic new time-lapse
movie from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows for the first
time seasonal changes and raging storms on the planet Uranus. |
40. |
Gamma-ray bursts |
Mar 26: Autopsy of an explosion
- Scientists may be closer to unravelling the
mystery of gamma-ray bursts thanks to one of the most powerful
cosmic explosions ever recorded. |
39. |
Physics and technology |
Mar 24: Old photographic technique
applied to future energy research - Specially
made photographic emulsions, made by NASA scientists, assist
in advanced studies of fusion research at Lawrence Livermore
Laboratory. |
38. |
Space Processing |
Mar 22: Three-in-One Furnace Readied
for Possible Space Flight - The Universal
Multi-Zone Crystallizator is a precision furnace from Hungary
which may finally get a chance to fly due to collaboration between
scientists at NASA and Hungarian Universities. |
37. |
Astrophysics |
Mar 22: Leftover Instruments Will
Pave Way for New Propulsion Test - Well understood
and well used scientific insturments will help verify a new instrument
as they all fly on JAWSAT. |
36. |
General |
Mar 19: Science@NASA Awarded prestigious
People's Voice Award- - Thank you all for
your support! Last night at the 1999 Webby Awards, this site
was awarded the People's Voice Award for best Science site on
the Web! |
35. |
Life on the Edge |
Mar 16: Planets in a Bottle -
NASA/Marshall's Life on the Edge program is barely
a month old but it's already producing results in grade school
classrooms. Students experimenting with "Planets in a Bottle"
are learning about extremophiles and the prospects for life elsewhere
in the solar system. |
34. |
Microgravity Science |
Mar 15: Spacelab joined diverse scientists
and disciplines on 28 Shuttle missions- Spacelab,
an integral part of science in space from 1982 through 1998,
had some remarkable achievements. Scientists met at the National
Academy of Sciences last week to present their - and Spacelab's
- accomplishments. |
33. |
Life on the Edge |
Mar 11: Sled dogs carry astrobiology
to dizzying heights - NASA/Marshall's "Life
on the Edge" program began in earnest last month when a
dog sled team delivered 50 lb. of yeast and other microbes to
a 13,000 ft summit in California's White Mountains. |
32. |
Solar Physics |
Mar 9: Finding the 'smoking gun' before
it fires - Scientists discover a new tool
for predicting solar explosions, improving space weather predictions
for storms that may affect Earth. |
31. |
Microgravity science |
Mar 8: NASA selects new biotechnology
projects for development- Principal areas
of research include protein crystal growth and cell science in
microgravity. |
30. |
Astrophysics |
March 5: Happy birthday, Magnetars-
20 years ago today, the first blast of gamma-rays
from these enigmatic objects was first observed. Ever since,
scientists have been unraveling what happened - and discovering
radical new members of the cosmos. |
29. |
Planetary Colonization technology |
March 3: Bringing Mars into the Iron
Age - NASA scientists are developing ways
to mine and process iron ore for energy production on Mars, creating
technologies needed to support a human colony. |
28. |
Solar Physics |
March 2: Future telescope could shatter
solar high-resolution barrier - Scientists
look ahead at a new telescope which could lead to observations
of violent magnetic fields on the sun with resolution 10 times
better than the best solar instrument today. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
27. |
Astronomy |
Feb 26: Once in a Blue Moon -
As February winds down with no full moon at all,
sky watchers are looking forward to two full moons in March and
the second Blue Moon of 1999. |
26. |
Astrophysics |
Feb 22: Chandra will target the age
of the Universe - Astronomers plan to combine
radio images of galaxy clusters with new data from the Chandra
X-ray Observatory and open a new window on the history of the
Universe. |
25. |
Microgravity |
Feb 19: A low-gravity "Gift
for the future" - Scientists discuss
results from the US Microgravity Payload 4, which flew on the
space shuttle last year. Highlights include microgravity crystal
growth experiments and low-gravity fluid dynamics. |
24. |
Planetary Science |
Feb 17: Much ado about Pluto -
Recent discoveries of Pluto-like objects in the
outer solar system have sparked debate about the nature of the
tiniest "planet." |
23. |
Space Weather |
Feb 16: Space weather camera set for
launch in 2000 - A unique camera that will
take some of the first pictures of Earth's invisible magnetic
shield is being prepared for flight. |
22. |
Astrophysics |
Feb 12: Next stop: the stars -
NASA's next Great Observatory, the Chandra x-ray
telescope, moved one step closer to launch this week after being
installed in a clean room for final tests and other work at the
Kennedy Space Center. |
21. |
Astrophysics |
Feb 10: Fuzzy blobs hold the secret
of gamma-ray bursts - Astronomers have released
a new Hubble photograph of a gamma-ray burst's fading optical
counterpart. The relic fireball appears to be embedded in a faint,
irregular galaxy. |
20. |
Astrophysics |
Feb 9: Stellar nurseries for baby
planets - Dramatic new Hubble images show
vast stellar disks where planets are born. |
19. |
Gamma-ray astronomy / telescopes |
Feb 9: Peering into the violent universe
- Tests prove approach for a new gamma-ray telescope.
The design will compete against others in Washington today. |
18. |
Microgravity & Aerogel |
Feb 5: Aerogel Rides Again -
Aerogel will take its next ride into space on
Stardust, launching this weekend. With aerogel, scientists hope
to capture dust samples from comet Wild and return them to Earth.
However, aerogel has many more applications, from super insulation
to computing. |
17. |
Comets |
Feb 4: Going Comet Wild - The Stardust spacecraft is poised to blast off on
a rendezvous with a comet - and set to bring back pieces of the
comet's coma to Earth. |
16. |
Planetary Exploration |
Feb 2: Galileo buzzes Europa -
The Galileo spacecraft executed a close flyby
of Jupiter's moon Europa this weekend. Recent images strengthen
the evidence for a liquid ocean beneath Europa's frozen crust
and reveal new surface features in 3D. |
No. |
Field |
Date & Title |
15. |
Astrophysics |
Jan 29: This week's gamma-ray blast
is the latest in a 30-year tale of cosmic discovery - With new discoveries coming at an ever-quickening
pace, scientists review the history of this new branch of astrophysics
and its implications for understanding our universe. |
14. |
Astrophysics |
Jan 27: GOTCHA! The Big One That Didn't
Get Away - For the first time, images of
visible light from a cosmic explosion are captured by a robotic
telescope while spectacular gamma-ray data are captured by orbiting
satellites. |
13. |
Spacecraft Propulsion |
Jan 22: Spacecraft may fly on "empty"
- Using a propulsive tether concept, spacecraft
may be able to brake or boost their orbits without using onboard
fuel. A NASA/Marshall project, named "ProSEDS," is
slated to demonstrate braking, by accelerating an expended rocket
toward re-entry. |
12. |
Auroral Physics |
Jan 21: Up, Up, and away to the Magnetosphere-
A space weather rocket blasted off from a launch
pad in Norway, early this morning. During its successful 20 minute
flight, its instruments gathered valuable data on the auroral
fountain, where solar wind directly interacts with Earth's atmosphere. |
11. |
General |
Jan 19: Science@NASA nominated for
a 1999 Webby Award - NASA/Marshall Space
Science News joins 4 other web sites as nominees for the Internet's
most prestigious science award. |
10. |
Auroral Physics |
Jan 19: Space weather rocket ready
for launch - A NASA rocket is poised to blast
off from Norway to study space weather high above the Arctic
circle. |
9. |
Astrophysics |
Jan 15: Astrophysicists puzzle over
intergalactic coincidence- Discovery of a
new supernova and a gamma-ray burst at the same time and apparent
location are not related, says astrophysicist. |
8. |
Hurricanes |
Jan 15: Scientists analyzing immense
data haul from hurricanes- The Convection
and Moisture Experiment collected the most comprehensive data
ever on individual storms of the 1998 season, and will provide
new insight on killer storms leading to better predictions. |
7. |
Astrophysics and X-rays |
Jan 14: X-ray concentrator will expand
window on high-energy universe- Capillary
optics promise a range of applications, from aiding our understanding
of mysterious violent explosions in the cosmos, to helping with
early tumor detection in people. |
6. |
Astrobiology & Education |
Jan 13: Life on the Edge- NASA and educators join for a hands-on experiment
designed for students of all ages to investigate life in extreme
environments and to learn about the possibilities for life elsewhere
in the Solar System. The program, called "Life on the Edge,"
begins later this month when a dogsled team will transport a
collection of extreme-loving microorganisms to the summit of
one of the highest mountain peaks in North America. |
5. |
Atmospheric Science |
Jan 12: Scientists Present 1998 Earth-Temperature
Trends- An updated 20-year trend in atmospheric
temperatures is unveiled at 1999 American Meteorological Society
Meeting this week. These new results are corrected for orbital
decay and drift of the nine satellites used to obtain the temperature
measurements. |
4. |
Auroral Physics |
Jan 12: Arctic CAPER ready for countdown
- A rocket set to study space weather effects
will launch from above the arctic circle very soon if all goes
well. |
3. |
Astrophysics |
Jan 8: The enigmatic fingerprints
of gamma-ray bursts - A new method of analyzing
gamma-ray bursts by plotting color-color diagrams shows that
there could be as many as five different kinds of these cosmic
explosions. |
2. |
Auroral Physics |
Jan 7: Rocket will study space weather
effects - Scientists plan a CAPER to study
the solar wind high above the arctic circle, in Norway. They
hope to find out how atoms from Earth's upper atmosphere have
escaped to become part of Earth's "auroral fountain." |
1. |
Meteors |
Jan 5: Meteors by Moonlight -
Meteor watching in 1999 began with a whimper,
but it could end with a bang. Prospects for viewing "falling
stars" in 1999. |
'98 |
Space Exploration |
Dec 28: January's chilly meteors
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Jan.
3 1999 |
'98 |
Comets & Meteors |
Dec 24: Interplanetary Christmas
- Santa discusses his plans for Christmas on
future space colonies. |
'98 |
Comets & Meteors |
Dec 22: The Ghost of Fireballs
Past - Amateur radio operators capture eerie-sounding
radar echos from Geminid and Leonid meteors. |