Space

The International Space Station-- Gone By 2016?

Just why do we have a space station, anyway? That's a question of relevance, because it turns out we might not have one after 2015. The International Space Science Station (ISS) is a football-field sized structure able to support six people 220 miles ...

Article - Alex "Sandy" Antunes - Oct 7 2009 - 9:41pm

Moon Crash

Want a chance to see the water on the moon in real life? Wake up early Friday morning (if you live in the Americas), and get out your telescope. NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) is being crashed into the moon, on purpose, alon ...

Blog Post - Kimberly Tyree - Oct 7 2009 - 4:58pm

I now own half a satellite

I now own half a satellite... and in a way, you do to.  The Scientific Blogging "Project Calliope" satellite order has been placed!  Thanks to Hank's SB contribution, we have the 'science' half covered.  The other half of the satel ...

Blog Post - Project Calliope - Oct 8 2009 - 2:24pm

The Future Of International Astronomy

I'm sitting at "Beyond the Decade: The Future of International Astronomy", a conference today at the National Academies.  The conference is small (53 people so far) but rich in material, providing a crunchy look at where astronomy is heading ...

Article - Alex "Sandy" Antunes - Oct 9 2009 - 10:48am

Mayans Upset at Blame for 2012.

Okay, the world is not going to end in 2012.  The source of this info?  The Mayans.  The living Mayans.  You didn't think all that's left is stone tablets, did you?  In that AP news report, a Mayan Indian Elder named Apolinario Chile Pixtun, amon ...

Blog Post - Alex "Sandy" Antunes - Oct 13 2009 - 6:34am

MSL: Mars Action Hero

You know, I'm tired of hearing about how the Mars Exploration Rovers are so cute, and spunky, but their successor Mars Science Lab is big and ugly. MSL isn't supposed to be cute, it's supposed to be awesome. Just how awesome, you ask? I ...

Blog Post - Ryan Anderson - Oct 15 2009 - 6:05am

Mayans, Global Warming, NASA & 2012

This is not about a Mayan 2012 apocalypse.  This is about the 9th century Mayan apocalypse, as documented by NASA.  It's also about modern global warming.  So there's plenty of doom to go around. Let's first cover the '2012 apocalypse&# ...

Article - Alex "Sandy" Antunes - Oct 16 2009 - 9:22am

Redrawing The Shape Of The Solar System

The 'heliosphere', the name given to the region of the sun's influence, may not have the comet-like shape predicted by existing models, say researchers. As the solar wind flows from the sun, it carves out a bubble in the interstellar medium. ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 15 2009 - 7:17pm

DIY Ethos & Magnetometers

Vitamin Store = Cheap Lab Gear? One part of assembly is making sure all my circuits are properly shielded and not sending out interfering signals.  A decent magnetometer-- a meter to measure magnetic fields-- costs $200-$700 dollars.  While at the vitamin ...

Blog Post - Project Calliope - Oct 16 2009 - 8:36pm

Count Stars from your Backyard for Science

The 2009 Great World Wide Star Count is already under way, and there is still time to wait for a perfectly pleasant fall evening to step outside and count the stars. Through October 23, this annual citizen science event from Windows to the Universe of the ...

Blog Post - Matthew T. Dearing - Oct 19 2009 - 7:07am