Archive for 2008

New Radar Maps of the Moon
February 29, 2008
News and Features New Radar Maps of the Moon

NASA has obtained new high-resolution radar maps of the Moon's south pole--a region the space agency is considering as a landing site when astronauts return to the Moon in the years ahead.

RESOLVE to Explore
February 29, 2008
News and Features RESOLVE to Explore

NASA has demonstrated new robotic technology that will aid in lunar exploration. The technology will help astronauts utilize resources from the Moon's regolith, and will sustain habitats for scientists living and working on the Moon.

SOHO to Give Early Warning of Radiation Storms
February 27, 2008
News and Features SOHO to Give Early Warning of Radiation Storms

Explosive events on the sun can blast particles to high speeds, causing intense radiation storms that can disable spacecraft and cause radiation sickness or cancer in unprotected astronauts. Advance warning of radiation storms could give astronauts time to take cover and allow satellite operators to take protective measures.

Plumbing Enceladus
February 13, 2008
News and Features Plumbing Enceladus

Scientists are beginning to understand the source of the giant geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus. A new theory points to the potential existence of a liquid reservoir or lake just beneath the moon's surface.

Astronomers Eye Ultra-Young, Bright Galaxy in Early Universe
February 12, 2008
News and Features Astronomers Eye Ultra-Young, Bright Galaxy in Early Universe

NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, with a boost from a natural "zoom lens," have uncovered what may be one of the youngest and brightest galaxies ever seen in the middle of the cosmic "dark ages," just 700 million years after the beginning of our universe.

Hunting Earths with EPOXI
February 12, 2008
News and Features Hunting Earths with EPOXI

In 2005, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft directed an impactor into comet Tempel 1 and collected valuable information about the composition of comets. Now the spacecraft is turning its largest telescope toward the stars in order to search for exosolar planets.

The Iceland Diaries
February 11, 2008
News and Features The Iceland Diaries

Last June, a group of scientists visited Iceland, one of the most active volcanic places in the world. In some ways, Iceland resembles what the young Earth was like, so studying modern bacteria that colonize Iceland’s rocks may provide clues about early life. Aude Herrera recalls the scientist’s recent rock-collecting adventure here in her journal.

Spitzer Catches Young Stars in Their Baby Blanket of Dust
February 11, 2008
News and Features Spitzer Catches Young Stars in Their Baby Blanket of Dust

Newborn stars peek out from beneath their natal blanket of dust in this dynamic image of the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

NASA's Deep Impact Begins Hunt for Alien Worlds
February 07, 2008
News and Features NASA's Deep Impact Begins Hunt for Alien Worlds

NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft is aiming its largest telescope at five stars in a search for alien (exosolar) planets as it enters its extended mission, called Epoxi.

CALIPSO Takes Its One-Billionth Measurement
February 07, 2008
News and Features CALIPSO Takes Its One-Billionth Measurement

On Sunday morning at about 8:17 Eastern Time, a laser pulse beamed down from 700 kilometers above Ivory Coast and took a 100-meter-wide picture of the atmosphere. The light reflected back to the satellite from the tiny particles in the air or clouds offers information on how they warm or cool the Earth.

Ocean-Observing Satellites Help Break Current Records
February 07, 2008
News and Features Ocean-Observing Satellites Help Break Current Records

Two different teams of ocean adventurers set records this winter crossing the Tasman Sea. One was the first expedition to kayak from Australia to New Zealand; the other was the first Australians to row across the Tasman Sea. Both took advantage of something that sailors have been relying on since the launch of Topex/Poseidon in 1992–maps of ocean currents made possible by ocean altimetry.

Mars in 3D
February 06, 2008
News and Features Mars in 3D

A new 3D model of the martian surface, created with data from Mars Express, has been released on the internet. The model allows scientists to see the topography of Mars, and will help them interpret Mars' surface features and geology.

Saturn's Giant Sponge
February 05, 2008
News and Features Saturn's Giant Sponge

One of Saturn's rings does housecleaning, soaking up material gushing from the fountains on Saturn's tiny ice moon Enceladus, according to new observations from the Cassini spacecraft.

Mapping Gases
February 05, 2008
News and Features Mapping Gases

Venus Express has peered below the thick clouds of Venus to provide accurate maps of water vapor and other gases in the planet's lower atmosphere. The data will teach scientists about Venus, and may yield important clues about climate change on Earth.

NASA Data Link Pollution to Rainy Summer Days in the Southeast
February 01, 2008
News and Features NASA Data Link Pollution to Rainy Summer Days in the Southeast

Rainfall data from a NASA satellite show that summertime storms in the southeastern United States shed more rainfall midweek than on weekends. Scientists say air pollution from humans is likely driving that trend.

Archive Summary