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The HiRISE camera the MRO looks a dunes on Mars. Click for a larger version. Image credit: Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
I was rather taken by this image from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The caption below explains it rather well, if you want to see a larger version click ...
Physical Science
Mars
NASA
A shadow creates a sharp edge to a ring arc. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
I always find these shots where the rings are cut off by a shadow interesting. If you watch enough ISS crossings you can see a similar thing happen, the ISS will just wink out before it gets to the ...
Physical Science
Cassini
NASA
Saturn
That would, of course, be a reference to the biblical Star of Bethlehem. According to the Bible story, a “star” appeared and inspired the wise men, or “magi”, from the East to follow it to Jerusalem, where they met with King Herod. After that meeting, the magi followed ...
Physical Science
Jupiter
The way out. Click for larger. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The plan is to drive Spirit out of trouble by following the tracks it made on the way in have slowed down a bit.
On November 21, 2009, the rover was instructed to drive straight ahead in two 2.5 meter (8.2-foot) increments, ...
Physical Science
Mars
NASA
Click here to view the embedded video.
The DAWN spacecraft crossed the inner limit of the asteroid belt for the last time on November 13, 2009 on its way to the asteroids Ceres and Vesta. The inner limit is defined as the greatest distance Mars travels from the Sun and is equal to 1.666 ...
Physical Science
Mars
Are you ready to pull your brain out of tryptophan-saturated cruise control? Come on… wake up and let’s play! You can slump back down into turkey-induced euphoria in a minute. Meanwhile, you’re due for a brain-teaser (just a small one) to round out your week. Remember, ...
Physical Science
Earth
Do you remember the beginning of the Space Shuttle Program? We’re coming to the end of the program now, and there are a lot of “last times” for the record books. Tom brought us that great video of the picture-perfect landing of Atlantis this morning… it’s always ...
Physical Science
NASA
Columbia
Enterprise
Click here to view the embedded video.
Congrats to the crew and welcome home!
In case you missed the landing, I managed to record it despite myself
Physical Science
Atlantis
STS-129 Landing (Atlantis)
Current Status (1st opportunity @ KSC): GO
Deorbit Burn: 08:37 EST – The go for burn has been given
Landing: 09:44 EST
NASA TV Stills reload page to refresh image Webcam Image courtesy:
NOAA’s Forecast:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 64. ...
Physical Science
NASA
Atlantis
Oh behalf of Marian and myself, I’d like to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving.
I know we have many-many readers not in the states, you should know we are very thankful for all of you coming here and reading our stuff.
Peace and good thoughts to all of you no matter where you are.
Physical Science
WOW! Click for larger. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Calar Alto Obsv./Caltech Sub. Obsv.
Kind of a follow-up to Marian’s post of the other day. Brown dwarfs are REALLY cool!
The Spitzer press release :
This image shows two young brown dwarfs, objects that fall somewhere ...
Physical Science
NASA
A Crab Nebula collaboration. Click for larger. Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/F.Seward; Optical: NASA/ESA/ASU/J.Hester & A.Loll; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. Minn./R.Gehrz
Before I get going to far: The shuttle Atlantis has departed from the ISS and will be heading home to a ...
Physical Science
NASA
Vapor jets from Enceladus. Click for a bit larger version. Image(s) credit: Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
Here’s a new image from the November 21st Enceladus flyby by the Cassini spacecraft. The unprocessed image shows the southern polar region and the jets of water ...
Physical Science
Cassini
NASA
We’re so used to thinking about other planets… around other stars… in other galaxies… that it’s difficult to believe the existence of extrasolar planets (”exoplanets”) was unconfirmed until 1992. The first published “discovery” was actually ...
Physical Science
Click here to view the embedded video.
The W ide-Field I nfrared S urvey E xplorer or WISE is getting set to launch. The launch is scheduled to happen not earlier than December 9, 2009 from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7925.
Physical Science
Twinkle, twinkle, Little Star.
How I wonder what you are!
Have you been up for a while? Had your coffee? Got those brain cells fired up and ready to rumble? You won’t need many of those cells today, because today’s riddle is real easy. Of course, all riddles are easy if you ...
Physical Science
Earth
Most of us watched with interest as the LCROSS slammed into the moon October 9, 2009. Most of us saw… not much, admittedly. But NASA has been working at high speed to analyze data from the impact, and they have discovered water.
Yes, water. On the moon .
Image: LCROSS – ...
Physical Science
NASA
Earth
A 2-year time lapse series of the ticking time bomb V445 Puppis. Click for larger. Image credit: ESO
Here is a great example of the process leading up to a type 1A supernova. Most of the time when we think of a supernova we think of a massive star collapsing in on itself because it has ...
Physical Science
Meteors are fascinating, aren’t they? Whether we’re talking about the ones we pick up off the ice in Antarctica, or the ones that go blazing by overhead at terminal velocity. Scientists have made some important discoveries from examining meteors here on Earth. Divided into ...
Physical Science
Earth
Meteorites, asteroids, comets, outer planet crossers, astronomical objects, celestial objects… the sky IS falling, and sometimes it’s falling in quite respectable-sized chunks. The object which fell 50,000 years ago to the Northern Arizona desert, resulting in Meteor Crater ...
