Friday, October 31, 2008

Magnetic Portals Connect Earth to the Sun

Source - NASA Science News for October 30, 2008

Magnetic Portals Connect Earth to the Sun

Researchers have discovered 'magnetic portals' forming high above Earth that can briefly connect our planet to the Sun. Not only are the portals common, one space physicist contends they form twice as often as anyone had previously imagined.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30oct_ftes.htm?list894285

Spooky Auroras

Space Weather News for Oct. 30, 2008: http://spaceweather.com

Spooky Auroras

SPOOKY SKIES: The heavens are getting into the spirit of Halloween. A solar wind stream is buffeting Earth's magnetic field, stirring up ghostly auroras around the Arctic Circle. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for them tonight. Meanwhile, Venus and the crescent Moon are converging for a sunset sky show on Halloween itself. The bright pair will be widely visible even from light-polluted cities. Check http://spaceweather.com for photos and sky maps.

COLORADO FIREBALL: On Oct. 28th, a meteoroid hit Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated with the luminosity of a full Moon. By happenstance, the event occurred directly above an all-sky video camera in Colorado. Today's issue of Spaceweather.com features a movie of the fireball, the sound of radio echoes from the fireball's trail, and eyewitness reports from several US states.

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Halloween Sky Show

Source - NASA Science News for October 28, 2008

Halloween Sky Show:

The planets are gathering for spooky sunset sky show on Oct. 31st. Read today's story to find out where to look.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/28oct_halloweensky.htm?list894285

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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Are We Alone for 10/27/08 - "War of the Worlds: Happy Anniversary!"

War of the Worlds

Are We Alone - "War of the Worlds: Happy Anniversary!"
It's been 70 years since malevolent Martians landed in Grover's Mill, New Jersey. Orson Welles described the dramatic events as they unfolded on CBS's Mercury Theater On The Air. Some listeners were so frightened, they became hysterical and fled their homes.
We revisit the famous radio adaptation of H.G. Well's novel and examine its cultural legacy. Also, what do modern invasion movies say about today's public fears?
Plus, the religious response to an alien invasion... how to protect Earth from Martian microbes... and, what Percival Lowell thought he saw on Mars.

Guests: You can listen to this and other episodes at: http://radio.seti.org/ and be sure to check the Are We Alone Profile and Blog on MySpace.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Are We Alone for 10/20/08 - "What Were You Thinking?"


Thinker

Are We Alone - "What Were You Thinking?"
Say what you mean. That's difficult, if you don't know what you're thinking. But the neuromarketers do, and they'll be happy to tell Madison Avenue what's on your mind. Discover why this marketing strategy is wired for success.

Also, Steven Pinker on how language reveals private thoughts as well as why the big-brained Homo neanderthalensis couldn't out-compete Homo sapiens. And, we tease your gray matter with the "Monty Hall Problem."
Guests: You can listen to this and other episodes at: http://radio.seti.org/ and be sure to check the Are We Alone Profile and Blog on MySpace.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Are We Alone for 10/13/08 - "Senses Census"


Senses

Are We Alone - "Senses Census" (Encore Presentation)
Don't worry if you've lost your senses - we've found them. Find out why we've evolved taste, sight, hearing, touch, and smell the way we have, and why we don't sense our world through antennae or echolocation. Discover what part of the tongue recognizes anchovies and why cats can't taste candy. And, in need of some virtual surgery? Visit the robotics lab where computers are wired with the sense of touch.

Also, release yourself from the limits of your biology: from bionic limbs to infrared vision; join humans of the future who are enhanced with super-senses.
Now that you have a feel for the taste of this show by nosing about this blurb, you can see that it's worth a listen. Make sense?

Guests:
  • Tom Finger - Cell and Developmental Biologist at University of Colorado Medical School and Co-Director of the Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center.
  • Ken Salisbury - Computer Scientist in the Bio-Robotics Laboratory, Stanford.
  • James Hughes - Sociologist and Bioethicist at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and Executive Director of the Institute of Ethics and Emerging Technologies.
  • Nina Jablonski - Anthropologist at Penn State University and author of Skin: A Natural History.
You can listen to this and other episodes at: http://radio.seti.org/ and be sure to check the Are We Alone Profile and Blog on MySpace.

News roundup for Oct. 12, 2008

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Space Weather News for Oct. 11, 2008 - Sunspot Alert
http://spaceweather.com

NEW SUNSPOT: A "new-cycle" sunspot belonging to Solar Cycle 24 is emerging near the sun's northeastern limb. This is the third time in as many weeks that a new-cycle sunspot has interrupted the year's remarkable run of blank suns. The accelerating pace of new-cycle sunspot production is an encouraging sign that, while solar activity remains very low, the sunspot cycle is unfolding more or less normally. We are not stuck in a permanent solar minimum. Readers with solar telescopes should train them on the sun this weekend to observe sunspot genesis in action.

AURORA WATCH: Sky watchers from Alaska to Scandinavia should be alert for auroras tonight. A solar wind stream is buffeting Earth's magnetic field and causing high-latitude geomagnetic storms.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

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NASA Science News for October 10, 2008 - The Day the World Didn't End

Last month when scientists switched on the Large Hadron Collider, the world did not come to an end. In today's story, a particle physicist explains why not--and why Earth is safe from black holes when the collider is reactivated in the months ahead.

FULL STORY at: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/10oct_lhc.htm?list894285

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NASA Science News for October 9, 2008 - Liquid Mirror Telescopes on the Moon

A team of internationally renowned astronomers and opticians may have found a way to make 'unbelievably large' telescopes on the Moon.

FULL STORY at: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/09oct_liquidmirror.htm?list894285

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NASA Science News for October 7, 2008- Mercury as Never Seen Before

Yesterday, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft flew past Mercury, capturing high-resolution images of the innermost planet's previously unseen landscape. Amazing first photos are arriving at Earth now.

FULL STORY at: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/07oct_firstresults.htm?list894285

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NASA Science News for October 2, 2008 - NASA Spacecraft Finds the Sun is Not a Perfect Sphere

Scientists using NASA's RHESSI spacecraft have measured the roundness of the sun with unprecedented precision, and they find that it is not a perfect sphere. During years of high solar activity the sun develops a thin "cantaloupe skin" that significantly increases its apparent oblateness.

FULL STORY at: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/02oct_oblatesun.htm?list894285

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Monday, October 06, 2008

Are We Alone for 10/06/08 - "Humans in Space... ace... ace"


Humans in Space

Are We Alone - "Humans in Space... ace... ace"
When the economy's down, will humans still be going up - into space, that is? We investigate the future of human spaceflight at the International Astronautical Congress in Glasgow, Scotland and find out whether sending Homo sapiens to the Moon and Mars is still a good idea. Also, the chief of Virgin Galactic is happy to send you into space on a private flight - but it may max out your credit card.
Plus, an Apollo astronaut's view from orbit... dining with South Korea's first astronaut... and one of Britain's great science fiction authors on how space science fuels the imagination.

Guests:
  • Rusty Schweickart - Former NASA astronaut and Chairman of the Board of the B612 Foundation
  • John Mankins - 25-year NASA veteran who managed the Agency's exploration technology activities
  • Sanjoy Som - Planetary scientist at the University of Washington, Seattle
  • Will Whitehorn - President of Virgin Galactic
  • Yi So-yeon - Biomechanical engineer and South Korean astronaut
  • Stephen Baxter - Science fiction author, most recently of Weaver
You can listen to this and other episodes at: http://radio.seti.org/ and be sure to check the Are We Alone Profile and Blog on MySpace.

Small asteroid might hit Earth's atmosphere tonight

Source: Space Weather News for Oct. 6, 2008. http://spaceweather.com

Small asteroid might hit Earth's atmosphere tonight

ASTEROID 2008 TC3: A small, newly-discovered asteroid named 2008 TC3 is approaching Earth and chances are good that it will hit. Measuring only a few meters across, the space rock poses no threat to people or structures on the ground, but it should create a spectacular fireball, releasing about a kiloton of energy as it disintegrates and explodes in the high atmosphere. At least one expert estimates that atmospheric entry will occur on Oct 7th at 0246 UTC over northern Sudan. Stay tuned to http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates to this developing story.

Sign up for free Space Weather News bulletins: http://spaceweather.com/services/


** Feel free to leave comments about this event. I'd like to know what the readers of this blog think about this story ~ Jim Cox **

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Mercury Flyby on Monday, Oct. .6th

Source - NASA Science News for October 1, 2008

Mercury Flyby on Monday, Oct. .6th

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft is returning to Mercury. On Monday, Oct.
6, 2008, the probe will conduct the second of three planned flybys and
photograph most of Mercury's remaining unseen surface.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/01oct_mercuryflyby2.htm?list894285

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Spotless Sun: 2008 is the Blankest Year of the Space Age

Source - NASA Science News for September 30, 2008

Spotless Sun: 2008 is the Blankest Year of the Space Age

Astronomers who count sunspots have announced that 2008 has become the "blankest year" of the Space Age. Sunspot counts are at a 50-year low, signifying a deep minimum in the 11-year cycle of solar activity.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30sep_blankyear.htm?list894285

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