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Submitted by Matt Shields / UGC |
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The shuttle Endeavour's launch at 4:14 a.m. ET Monday creates a false dawn in
this photo, taken by Matt Shields at the Kennedy Space Center's visitor complex.
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The night launch of a space shuttle is a wonderful sight. Sadly, it's a sight we may never see again. But the view gets even better when you're in space, and anyone with an Internet connection can take a virtual tour.
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M. Buie / SwRI / NASA / ESA |
Click for video: Hubble Space Telescope images, taken in 2002-2003, were
combined to produce these maps of Pluto. Click on the image to watch Pluto spin.
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Pluto hasn't been getting much respect lately, but today the Hubble Space Telescope's team unveiled maps of the dwarf planet that are just a foretaste of the extreme close-up to come.
The maps spark fresh questions about the icy world that was discovered 80 years ago this month: Why has Pluto's northern hemisphere brightened so quickly over the course of just a few years? What's causing darker spots in the south? And why is Pluto getting redder all over?
"We think these changes are actually driven by seasonal changes," said Marc Buie, a planetary scientist at the Colorado-based Southwest Research Institute.
Huge amounts of methane and nitrogen ice appear to be moving from one part of the world to another through Pluto's wisp of an atmosphere. One particularly bright spot appears to be rich in frozen carbon monoxide.
So what's the precise mechanism for the shift? "That's a mystery," Buie said. The complete answers might well have to wait until 2015, when NASA's New Horizons probe swings past Pluto and its moons.
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Jim Seida / msnbc.com |
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Video clips for the iPhone feature imagery from the high-resolution camera on
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, including this view of Tyrrhena Crater.
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Mobile devices such as Apple's iPad, announced this week, are providing new ways to see the crown jewels of space science: glorious views from the frontiers of the universe. However, getting to the good stuff sometimes requires a little sleuthing. Check out some of the brightest gems - and feel free to pass along your own favorites.
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NASA / JPL / Univ. of Ariz. |
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An enhanced-color image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows streaks
in the central pit of an impact crater. The streaks are created by wind erosion.
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If you're a fan of NASA's Mars missions, a few things have started heading in the right direction - including a renewed flow of eye-pleasing pictures from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, a new program that gives you a say in picking the orbiter's future targets, and new signs of progress in the months-long effort to free the Spirit rover from a sand trap.
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David McKay / NASA |
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This photomicrograph focuses on a large "biomorph" from a Mars meteorite
fragment known as Nakhla e4150ed. Its chemical spectrum appears to be primarily
iron oxide but with a carbon content slightly greater than the underlying matrix.
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Do rocks from Mars bear the tiny fossilized signs of life? Scientists who think so say they'll subject meteorites from the Red Planet to a new round of high-tech tests in hopes of adding to their evidence.
For years, only one meteorite has figured in the controversy: ALH84001, a rock that was blasted away from Mars 16 million years ago, floated through space and fell through Earth's atmosphere onto Antarctica about 13,000 years ago. Scientists reported in 1996 that the rock contained microscopic structures that looked like "nano-fossils," but skeptics said the structures could have been created by chemical rather than biological reactions.
In November, the scientists who were behind the earlier research reported fresh findings that they said answered many of the objections from the skeptics - and they said two other space rocks traced to Mars seemed to have "biomorph" structures similar to those found in ALH84001. Pictures of the biomorphs were spread across a couple of Web pages back then, but generated relatively little attention at the time.
Over the weekend, the Spaceflight Now Web site provided further details on what the scientists saw and what they think it means.
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NASA / JPL / SSI |
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The moon Rhea, at far right, is dwarfed by Saturn. The shadow of another moon, Tethys, dots the disk at far left. Click on the image for a larger version.
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The Cassini orbiter has been working overtime during the holidays to deliver a cartload of gifts from Saturn and its moons. Highlights include fresh views of frost-spewing Enceladus and yam-shaped Prometheus, plus a "Nutcracker"-style ballet of Saturnian satellites.
The excitement began last week with the animated images of moons passing back and forth with the giant planet and its rings as a backdrop. In an image advisory, the folks who process Cassini's pictures compared the interplay to the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" ballet.
My favorite movie is "Moon Jumble," which has Rhea in the starring role, joined by its siblings Janus, Mimas and Pandora. (That's the real Pandora, not the fictional "Avatar" moon). Make sure you stretch your browser window wide enough to take in the whole picture.
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Here's hoping that the December holiday season (Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, Solstice, Kwanzaa, New Year's, Festivus) renews your sense of wonder for a whole year to come. Postings to Cosmic Log will resume on Monday. In the meantime, here are some Web links to see you through the long weekend:
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NASA / ESA / Hubble |
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Click for slideshow:
Review the top space images from 2009, including this Hubble view of a nebula.
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The highest highlight of 2009 was clearly the revival of the Hubble Space Telescope, a mission that blended moments of beauty and brute force 350 miles above the earth.
Or was it?
Maybe the top story was the reassessment of NASA's plans for human spaceflight. After all, tens of billions of dollars could be at stake. Or maybe it was the series of victories in NASA-backed competitions that had gone unwon for years.
For scientific significance, it's hard to beat this year's confirmation that the moon holds significant reserves of water. And if you're looking for Hollywood flash plus a touch of drama, you just might choose the unveiling of the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane.
Every year since 1997, we've reviewed the top space stories of the previous 12 months and looked ahead to the trends to watch in the 12 months to come. It's up to you to choose which story from 2009 and trend for 2010 should lead the list. Here's this year's lineup:
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Andrew Gombert / EPA |
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Tonight's Hollywood-style debut of the world's first commercial suborbital spaceship was a spine-tingling affair - and not just because of the historic occasion, the appearance by a movie star turned governor, or the ice-cold vodka served afterward. It was cold out here in California's Mojave Desert.
Virgin Galactic's unveiling of the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane drew hundreds of paying space tourists and travel agents, rocket geeks and glitterati to the Mojave Air and Space Port. For a while, it looked as if stormy skies and brisk winds would force a change in Virgin billionaire founder Richard Branson's plans for an after-dark, outdoor debut.
But in the end, the spotlights went on and the music blared as scheduled, despite the near-freezing temperatures, the wind and the puddles of rain. SpaceShipTwo rolled down the runway, suspended from its WhiteKnightTwo carrier airplane. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson stepped out and smashed bottles of champagne - and Branson's daughter, Holly, officially gave the 60-foot-long craft its new name: the VSS Enterprise.
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STScI |
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A Hubble holiday card features a ribbon of gas in the supernova remnant SN 1006.
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If you're seeking stars of wonder for the holiday season, the Hubble Space Telescope's bounty of cosmic imagery is a good place to start. You can choose from free e-cards, a Hubble Advent calendar and other outer-space goodies fit for three kings.
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