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Those who follow the Space Shuttle Program are all too used to hear the dread words of “launch delayed.” One might even wonder why they don't turn it into one of the acronyms NASA is so well known for. But in a move which caused many to turn their heads to be sure they'd heard it right – NASA is now considering moving up the launch date for STS-125, Atlantis' trip to the Hubble Space Telescope.
Many people mistakingly think that Galileo invented the telescope. In fact he didn't, but he was the first person to point the telescope skyward at night and make observations. These observations would challenge the very beliefs and teachings of the Christian church – and change the way we looked at the universe forever. Check out our article Galileo's Telescope Observations, and the Name of our Newsletter.
How Long Will the Sun Shine? We tend to take our Sun for granted, its always been there and we don't think much about its demise. We know that some stars end their lives by exploding and some just fade away. How long will our Sun live and how will it die?
Most everyone on the planet knows that the Earth is rotating, but not so many think about how fast the Earth is moving, or why it's rotating in the first place.
We only get one or two naked eye comets per decade, and though this particular one seems to defy all the usual traits of comets - you'll want to see it just the same!
Today was perhaps one of the most difficult days for the crews on the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle Discovery. Tuesday was the third of five scheduled spacewalks and tasks included reattaching a huge solar panel plant that had been relocated, and inspecting the gears which rotate the solar panels to face the Sun. All went well despite the difficulty of the task but during the unfurling of the solar array, ISS commander Peggy Whitson noticed the solar blanket ripping and aborted the operation. In spite of the damage, the array is producing 97 percent of anticipated power.
Without a doubt, in the Northern Hemisphere, the group of stars known as the Big Dipper is the most often and easily recognized. Not everyone saw it as a giant celestial dipper and there is a myriad of stories about this group of stars.
Most of us appreciate the beauty of a full Moon sedately moving across our night skies. The Moon seems unchanging, as if for eons it has been there, controlling the tides, going through its phases every month and inspiring poets and lovers. It might surprise you to know that in the past, things were much different, and they are still changing.
Follow orbiter Discovery as the STS120 mission prepares for launch. We will continue updating the gallery throughout the mission.
Whether it softly comes in on little cat feet, or rolls in like a spooky movie, everyone has experienced fog. Although there are different types of fog, essentially fog is a cloud on the ground which reduces visibility to less than 1km. The basic requirements for fog to form are moisture in the air – the closer to 100% humidity the better, and the air near the ground must be cooling to within 5 F (3 C) of dew point – this is the temperature to which air must be cooled in order for water vapor in the air to condense to liquid water. When the air near the ground cools to dew point, the water vapor in the air will become visible as fog in the air or dew on the ground.
The Nile is the longest river in the world and its annual floods allowed civilization to flourish in the Nile Valley. the Nile is largely fed from the White and Blue Nile rivers which flow from the south. Although the Aswan dam has ended these epic floods, the river is still a fascinating feature.
If you are fortunate enough to live in an area which has dark skies far from light pollution 2013 you will likely have noticed the faint band of light in the night sky we call the Milky Way. To us - it is home to our fellow planets and the Sun we orbit. The Milky Way is visible in the night sky all year round but Summer is especially a great time to go out and view it. And once you've looked at it you can easily see how many of our ancestors saw it as a river in the sky.
When you know where and when to look - it's actually pretty hard not to notice either of these two vehicles as they make their way across the sky. The only requirement is that you get away from city lights. You do not need binoculars or a telescope to view them, in fact, due to their speed - using a telescope would be quite difficult.
Knowing when and where to look is even easy thanks to NASA. Use their Skywatch program, but first there are a few viewing tips we'd like to share with you which will make spotting them even easier.
Space Shuttle Atlantic (STS-117) is once again making the 3.5 mile trip from the VAB to launch pad 39A. It may look unlike what everyone has come to envision as a space shuttle - but NASA's engineers have determined it is both safe and ready to fly.
Hail is not a common event in our part of the country, and it is not usually
associated with being on a damage causing scale. On the rare occurrences when
we do have hail we usually make a big ordeal out of it. There are areas,
however, which do commonly get bombarded by hail, and even one area in the
US known as Hail Alley.
April, May and June are the peak months for tornadoes in the US. You have
probably heard of the term "tornado alley" which refers to the continental
plains and Gulf Coast of the US. More tornadoes strike this area than any
other.
Most people can point out the asterism known as the Big Dipper. No, the
dipper is not a true constellation, rather it is an asterism, a familiar
group of stars located within a constellation.
Astronomers believe that one day we humans will have colonies on the moon. It
is especially more likely to happen since the spacecraft Prospector
discovered water ice on the lunar surface.
The next time you are standing by a lake, pond or the ocean, ask yourself why
it looks the way it does. What makes oceans and lakes look blue or green and
sometimes black? Why do rivers most often appear brown?
Walking along a beach, it is hard not to notice salt in the air, on your skin
and on rocks washed by ocean waves. When we were children we all had to try
tasting sea water at least once. We all decided it was not a fun beverage! We
also may have wondered just where all that salt comes from. It might surprise
you to know that all that salt likely originated in a place where people
never even see the ocean.
Since we all live on this planet you'd think everyone would want to know all
there was to know about it and some do, but some people know surprisingly
little about our world. It's really a fascinating place. In out next two
articles we'll talk of interesting things about our home planet. Did you know
all these things?
Lifestyles of the Stars
How much do You know about Lightning?
The Survival of Green Things
Moon Tales: When the Moon saved the Sun - New York 1835
Doing the Dew
Watches and Warnings
Dippers in the Sky
By the Light, of the Silvery (waxing, or waning) moon?
The Mystery Of The Seventh Sisters
The Star Stories of Thailand
Tracking the Sun
Buying a piece of the Sun, Moon and Stars!
In the Eye of the Beholder
The Women in the Moon
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