Space Science News from NASA HQ 8 Feb 2001
Here’s what’s new lately at http://spacescience.nasa.gov :
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Monday is the day for NEAR. The first spacecraft to ever orbit an asteroid
will end its mission by becoming the first mission to touch down on an
asteroid. Details of the day’s events, including (large) animations of the
planned descent, are on the NEAR website at http://near.jhuapl.edu
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Astronomers have determined that a measly 5 percent of the mass of the
Universe comes from the ordinary matter that makes up planets, stars,
gases… and people. (We really ARE special!) This is consistent with
other findings in recent years, that the expansion of the Universe is
actually accelerating, and that most of the mass is either “dark matter” or
“dark energy”. A weirder cosmos than you can imagine at
http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/releases/2001/Q1/teg.html
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The first movie ever made of Jupiter’s moon Io while it is in eclipse shows
bright spots of hot lava and changes in auroral glows. Other images being
released today by the Cassini imaging team show auroras on the dark side of
Jupiter itself. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2001/csjupadv010205.html
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An international team of astronomers has precisely measured the
oscillations of a sun-like star. They used some of the same equipment
developed for finding extrasolar planets. As expected, the star oscillates
every 17 minutes. http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/press/01/pr0106.htm
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Interested in how the landing sites for Mars missions get picked? The
first Mars 2003 Landing Site Workshop was held January 24th and 25th, to
evaluate landing sites best suited to safely achieving the mission’s
science objectives. The mission will attempt to determine the history of
water and climate in locations where conditions may have been favorable for
life. More info about the Workshop and potential landing sites at
http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/landingsites/mer2003/
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Meanwhile, our Mars Global Surveyor orbiter has completed its primary
mission, and keeps on ticking. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2001/era.html
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Eight teams from industry, universities and NASA centers have been selected
to develop new technology concepts for future NASA missions. We plan to
select up to five of the concepts for Space Technology 6 (ST6), the next
New Millennium Program. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2001/nmpteams.html
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Recurring collisions between comets during the solar system’s formation may
have ground smaller comets to bits. Previous models of solar system
development may have overestimated the mass of the Oort
cloud. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2001/oort.html
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What puts the brakes on madly spinning stars? Could be magnetic
fields… http://www.news.wisc.edu/view.html?get=5732
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Web Site of the Week: the NASA Astrobiology Institute has created a
resource for teachers who want to bring the subject of Life in the Universe
into their classrooms. Lesson plans, a guidebook, and lots more at
http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/teachers.cfm
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