Archive for 2008

NASA, U.S. Chess Federation to Begin Earth vs. Space Match
September 30, 2008
News and Features NASA, U.S. Chess Federation to Begin Earth vs. Space Match

It will be the Earth vs. space in a unique chess match, and you can help Earth win.

Plume from Rabaul Volcano
September 30, 2008
News and Features Plume from Rabaul Volcano

Rabaul Volcano released a plume of ash and steam in late September 2008.

STONE-6, Microbes 0
September 30, 2008
News and Features STONE-6, Microbes 0

Using an artificial meteorite, scientists have determined that organisms in meteorites wouldn't survive a fall to Earth. However, the study does show that meteorites could still retain biosignatures that would provide evidence for life on other worlds.

NASA Mars Lander Sees Falling Snow, Soil Data Suggest Liquid Past
September 30, 2008
News and Features NASA Mars Lander Sees Falling Snow, Soil Data Suggest Liquid Past

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has detected snow falling from Martian clouds. Spacecraft soil experiments also have provided evidence of past interaction between minerals and liquid water, processes that occur on Earth.

Sunspots Pump Plasma Into Interplanetary Space
September 30, 2008
News and Features Sunspots Pump Plasma Into Interplanetary Space

Scientists find that dim areas at the edges of active sunpot regions may hold the key to the sun's energy processes.

Nicaraguan Volcano Provides Insight into Early Mars
September 29, 2008
News and Features Nicaraguan Volcano Provides Insight into Early Mars

Although volcanoes on Mars today are dormant or extinct, in the distant past the Red Planet was literally a hotbed of volcanic activity. Cerro Negro, an active volcano in Nicaragua, offers clues to what the martian era of fire and brimstone may have been like – and what types of organisms could have lived in that superheated world.

Dust Storm off Egypt
September 29, 2008
News and Features Dust Storm off Egypt

A thick plume of dust blew off the northern coast of Egypt, west of the Nile Delta, and over the Mediterranean Sea on September 25, 2008.

Earth's Oldest Rocks
September 26, 2008
News and Features Earth's Oldest Rocks

Scientists have discovered rocks that are 4.28 billion years old, making them 250 million years more ancient than any previously discovered rocks. Our planet formed about 4.6 billion years ago, so these rocks could provide a unique window on the young Earth.

Reisman Takes a Bite Out of the Big Apple
September 26, 2008
News and Features Reisman Takes a Bite Out of the Big Apple

In April, astronaut Garrett Reisman performed an unprecedented event in space when he threw out the first pitch at a Yankees game from onboard the International Space Station.

Opportunity to Endeavor
September 26, 2008
News and Features Opportunity to Endeavor

After climbing out of Victoria crater, NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity is now making a long trek to a new crater called Endeavour. This large crater could hold more clues about the history of Mars' climate.

NASA Stardust Capsule to Go on Display at Smithsonian
September 26, 2008
News and Features NASA Stardust Capsule to Go on Display at Smithsonian

Having returned the world's first particles from a comet, NASA's Stardust sample return capsule will join the collection of flight icons in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The capsule will go on public display in the museum's Milestones of Flight Gallery on Oct. 1, the 50th anniversary of NASA.

Severe Storms: Typhoon Hagupit
September 25, 2008
News and Features Severe Storms: Typhoon Hagupit

Powerful Typhoon Hagupit slammed into South China on September 24, 2008.

Powerful Nearby Supernova Caught by Web
September 25, 2008
News and Features Powerful Nearby Supernova Caught by Web

The vast online archives from many of the world's premier telescopes have helped scientists identify one of the nearest supernovas in the last 25 years, over a decade after it exploded.

Diamonds May Be Life's Birthstone
September 25, 2008
News and Features Diamonds May Be Life's Birthstone

Researchers have come up with a new model in which the first molecules of life formed on diamonds.

Solar Wind Loses Power, Hits 50-year Low
September 24, 2008
News and Features Solar Wind Loses Power, Hits 50-year Low

In a briefing today at NASA headquarters, solar physicists announced that the solar wind is losing power. This development has repercussions across the solar system.

Cool Summer, Warm Future
September 24, 2008
News and Features Cool Summer, Warm Future

Despite a moderate summer, the heat is rising in Southern California.

Earth's Platinum Standard
September 24, 2008
News and Features Earth's Platinum Standard

By comparing the composition of meteorites and planets like Earth and Mars, scientists are providing clues about planetary formation in the early solar system. The study also reveals how some of Earth's rarest metals may have come from space.

Summer as a Rocket Scientist: College Students Help Develop Earth-Observing Satellite
September 23, 2008
News and Features Summer as a Rocket Scientist: College Students Help Develop Earth-Observing Satellite

Six students spent their summer working on technology for an upcoming NASA Earth-monitoring mission.

Our Mixed-Up Solar System
September 23, 2008
News and Features Our Mixed-Up Solar System

Chemical studies of the comet Wild 2 are challenging views about the history and evolution of the solar system. Such studies could yield important clues about the early formation of the planets.

Hubble Servicing Shuttle Mission Set for October
September 22, 2008
News and Features Hubble Servicing Shuttle Mission Set for October

Atlantis' seven astronauts will upgrade what may be the most significant satellite ever launched.

This Month in Exploration - September
September 22, 2008
News and Features This Month in Exploration - September

Fifteen years ago, the space shuttle Discovery crew deployed the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite, the first high-speed, all-digital communications satellite.

Diving for the Moon
September 22, 2008
News and Features Diving for the Moon

NASA astronaut Mike Gernhardt is in charge of developing rovers and spacesuits for the next round of human exploration of the moon. This summer, however, he spent a week piloting a one-person submarine through the depths of a lake in British Columbia, Canada. There is, he insists, a connection.

Hurricane Ike
September 19, 2008
News and Features Hurricane Ike

Between the last week of August and the first week of September 2008, the Atlantic Ocean queued up a series of tropical storms. Ike became a large storm that raked over Cuba and targeted the Texas coast.

Introducing NASA eClips: A New Approach to Learning
September 18, 2008
News and Features Introducing NASA eClips: A New Approach to Learning

NASA's new free Web-based educational videos are designed to get students excited about science and engineering.

Flooding along the Gulf Coast
September 18, 2008
News and Features Flooding along the Gulf Coast

Hurricane Ike pushed water far inland over a wide swath of the Gulf Coast when the storm came ashore on September 13, 2008.

Swashbuckling Scientists Discover Northern Vents
September 18, 2008
News and Features Swashbuckling Scientists Discover Northern Vents

From Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition is a story of how researchers recently explored the ocean floor between Greenland and Norway. They discovered hydrothermal vents that support an extremophile ecosystem. The find supports the idea that biological communities could exist on other worlds.

Shake, Rattle and Roll: James Webb Telescope Components Pass Tests
September 17, 2008
News and Features Shake, Rattle and Roll: James Webb Telescope Components Pass Tests

When it comes to firing telescopes and their instruments into the frigid cold of space, the more you test your hardware, the better.

Polar Crown Prominences
September 17, 2008
News and Features Polar Crown Prominences

Japan's Hinode spacecraft is beaming back must-see movies of a spectacular solar phenomenon known as 'polar crown prominences.'

Immigrant Sun
September 17, 2008
News and Features Immigrant Sun

New simulations show that stars like the sun can migrate great distances over time. The study may challenge the idea that galaxies have 'habitable zones' that are more suited for life than other areas.

NASA Selects 'MAVEN' Mission to Study Mars Atmosphere
September 16, 2008
News and Features NASA Selects 'MAVEN' Mission to Study Mars Atmosphere

NASA has selected a Mars robotic mission that will provide information about the Red Planet's atmosphere, climate history and potential habitability in greater detail than ever before.

Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Lowest Coverage for 2008
September 16, 2008
News and Features Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Lowest Coverage for 2008

Arctic sea ice coverage appears to have reached its lowest extent for the year and the second-lowest amount recorded since the dawn of the satellite era.

NASA Satellites Provide Allergy Relief
September 15, 2008
News and Features NASA Satellites Provide Allergy Relief

When you stroll through your front door in the morning, does the yellow haze coating the porch send you leaping back into the house? Can the mere word "pollen" make you start to sniffle, sneeze and reach for the tissue to blow your nose?

Science by the Light of the Moon
September 15, 2008
News and Features Science by the Light of the Moon

Researchers, students and professionals from around the world gathered in July at the NASA Lunar Science Conference to discuss the future of robotic and human exploration of the moon.

Dust Plumes over the Persian Gulf
September 15, 2008
News and Features Dust Plumes over the Persian Gulf

Dust plumes blew over the Persian Gulf on September 12, 2008.

Luck Gave Dinosaurs an Edge
September 14, 2008
News and Features Luck Gave Dinosaurs an Edge

A new study shows that early dinosaurs survived two mass extinctions before they became dominant on Earth. Interestingly, it appears that their survival may have been based on luck alone.

Ratio is All in the Timing
September 13, 2008
News and Features Ratio is All in the Timing

A new study of carbon in seafloor sediments is helping scientists better understand the timing of life's origin on Earth. The findings may also change our assumptions about the history of Earth's carbon cycle.

National Weather Service Warning on Ike: Leave or Perish
September 12, 2008
News and Features National Weather Service Warning on Ike: Leave or Perish

A warning from the National Weather Service is never to be taken lightly, and the residents along Galveston Bay in Texas heard a "leave or perish" warning as Hurricane Ike approaches the Texas coast. About 3.5 million people live in Ike's path.

When Microbes Move In
September 12, 2008
News and Features When Microbes Move In

A team working high in the Peruvian Andes has discovered how microbes swiftly colonize barren soils uncovered by melting glaciers. The study shows how microbes are able to establish themselves in one of Earth's most extreme environments, and how these unique organisms are adapting to climate change.

Spooky Hurricane Science
September 12, 2008
News and Features Spooky Hurricane Science

To improve hurricane forecasting, NASA engineers are spending time in a spooky room where 'no one can hear you scream.'

NASA Study Illustrates How Global Peak Oil Could Impact Climate
September 10, 2008
News and Features NASA Study Illustrates How Global Peak Oil Could Impact Climate

The burning of fossil fuels -- notably coal, oil and gas -- has accounted for about 80 percent of the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide since the pre-industrial era. Now, NASA researchers have identified feasible emission scenarios that could keep carbon dioxide below levels that some scientists have called dangerous for climate.

Prolonged Precipitation
September 10, 2008
News and Features Prolonged Precipitation

A new study suggests that recurrent floods carved valley networks on Mars during a long period of time when the climate of Mars resembled arid regions on Earth. The study is an important step toward understanding the potential for past life on the Red Planet.

Naked-Eye Gamma-ray Burst Aimed Directly at Earth
September 10, 2008
News and Features Naked-Eye Gamma-ray Burst Aimed Directly at Earth

Astronomers announced today that a remarkable gamma-ray burst visible to the human eye earlier this year came from an explosive stellar jet aimed almost directly at Earth.

Solar Shift
September 09, 2008
News and Features Solar Shift

Forty years ago, strange oxygen isotopes in a meteorite were found to be different than any known planetary rock – including those from Earth and Mars. Scientists are getting closer to solving the riddle, and providing new information about the early solar system in the process.

Hurricane Ike
September 09, 2008
News and Features Hurricane Ike

As Hurricane Ike battered Cuba on September 8, 2008, the rugged island punched back.

Tropical Storm Lowell Weakening, But Still Headed to Baja California
September 09, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Lowell Weakening, But Still Headed to Baja California

The National Hurricane Center urged residents of the southern Baja California to keep an eye out for Tropical Storm Lowell.

Looking for Life on Mars – in a Canadian Lake
September 08, 2008
News and Features Looking for Life on Mars – in a Canadian Lake

At first glance, Pavilion Lake, in British Columbia, looks like just another idyllic vacation spot. But beneath its surface lie some of the most unusual carbonate formations on Earth. Unusual enough that, this summer, researchers hauled a pair of miniature submarines up the lake to find out whether or not bacteria were involved in building the distinctive structures.

NASA To Hold Briefing About Lunar Exploration Concepts And Plans
September 08, 2008
Press Releases

NASA is inviting interested industry representatives, academics and reporters to learn more about the Ares V heavy lift-launch vehicle, the Altair lunar lander, and the roles they will play in returning humans to the moon by 2020.

Cometary Missing Link
September 07, 2008
News and Features Cometary Missing Link

Scientists have identified an interesting solar system object whose orbit is backwards around the sun and which may help us understand the origin of certain comets. The finding also could yield clues about the early solar system.

Ike's Eye in Southern Bahamas on Sunday - Cuba, Florida Keys Preparing
September 07, 2008
News and Features Ike's Eye in Southern Bahamas on Sunday - Cuba, Florida Keys Preparing

On Sunday, Sept. 7, the Southeastern Bahamas were under a hurricane warning as Hurricane Ike was plowing his way through on a course to Cuba. Cuba and the Florida Keys have posted Hurricane Watches. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area...generally within 36 hours.

NASA to Explore "Secret Layer" of the Sun
September 05, 2008
News and Features NASA to Explore "Secret Layer" of the Sun

Cassini Images Ring Arcs Among Saturn's Moons
September 05, 2008
News and Features Cassini Images Ring Arcs Among Saturn's Moons

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has detected a faint, partial ring orbiting with one small moon of Saturn, and has confirmed the presence of another partial ring orbiting with a second moon. This is further evidence that most of the planet's small, inner moons orbit within partial or complete rings.

Tropical Storm Hanna Passing Bahamas Today
September 04, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Hanna Passing Bahamas Today

Tropical Storm Hanna hasn't strengthened into a hurricane yet, although forecasters expect she will by the time she makes landfall in the U.S. this weekend.

A Warm Breath of Carbon Dioxide
September 04, 2008
News and Features A Warm Breath of Carbon Dioxide

When the sun was young, it didn't produce enough heat to unfreeze ice on our planet. So why was the early Earth covered in liquid water and not ice?

NASA's Carl Sagan Fellows to Study Extraterrestrial Worlds
September 03, 2008
News and Features NASA's Carl Sagan Fellows to Study Extraterrestrial Worlds

NASA announced Wednesday the new Carl Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowships in Exoplanet Exploration, created to inspire the next generation of explorers seeking to learn more about planets, and possibly life, around other stars.

Tropical Storm Hanna's Towering Thunderclouds
September 03, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Hanna's Towering Thunderclouds

NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Tropical Storm Hanna on September 1, 2008 at 1418 UTC (10:18 EDT). At this time the storm was a tropical storm with sustained winds of 50 knots (57.5 mph) and a pressure reading of 994 millibars.

Lukewarm Supervolcano
September 03, 2008
News and Features Lukewarm Supervolcano

Yellowstone is known for its hot springs and geysers, and the unique forms of life that inhabit them. Scientists are now learning more about the mysterious 'supervolcano' that powers these environments, and whether or not the giant could erupt again.

Tropical Storm Josephine Forms in Far Eastern Atlantic
September 02, 2008
News and Features Tropical Storm Josephine Forms in Far Eastern Atlantic

Tropical Depression Ten formed in the early morning hours of September 2nd and by the afternoon it strengthened into Tropical Storm Josephine. That means that there were four tropical cyclones active in the Atlantic Ocean basin on Tuesday, September 2nd.

Amateur Astronomers See Perseids Hit the Moon
September 02, 2008
News and Features Amateur Astronomers See Perseids Hit the Moon

There's more than one way to watch a meteor shower. One, the old-fashioned way: Find a dark place with starry skies and count the meteors streaking overhead. Two, the new way: Find a dark place with starry skies and then completely ignore the meteors. Instead, watch the Moon. That's where the explosions are.

Earth's Leaky Atmosphere
September 02, 2008
News and Features Earth's Leaky Atmosphere

Using satellite observations, scientists have discovered why the Earth is constantly leaking oxygen into space. The finding provides insight into the mechanisms behind oxygen loss on our planet.

Gustav's Eyewall Crossed Southeastern Louisiana Coast Monday Morning
September 01, 2008
News and Features Gustav's Eyewall Crossed Southeastern Louisiana Coast Monday Morning

This satellite image was captured on Sept. 1 at 13:32 UTC (9:32 a.m. EDT from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-12). In the image, Hurricane Gustav is just crossing the Louisiana coast while Tropical Storm Hanna spins near the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Mars Research in Polar Bear Country
September 01, 2008
News and Features Mars Research in Polar Bear Country

New from the Nordic issue of Astrobiology Magazine, European Edition: An interview with Hans Amundsen, the expedition leader of AMASE (Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition). AMASE scientists travel to a group of islands in the High Arctic in order to conduct Mars-related field research.

Archive Summary