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Planetary Defense Conference 2013 Part 1
State of Research and Videos to Watch
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2013/05/24 05:29 CDT | 2 comments
First part of a 3 part wrap up to April's Planetary Defense Conference: a very brief review of the status of research in asteroid threat related fields based on the conference, report on special activities at the conference, and links to video and audio related to the conference.
Posted by Larry Crumpler on 2013/05/24 11:27 CDT
Opportunity finally started driving south from its location on the outcrop where it had been since solar conjunction.
Friday fun: Every moon in the solar system in an homage to Tom Lehrer
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/05/24 08:53 CDT | 3 comments
A girl named Hope Johnson performing an homage to Tom Lehrer's "The Elements" in song and ukelele, except instead of the elements, she's singing the names of all the named moons in the solar system. Check it out!
NASA Administrator Highlights Advanced Propulsion Systems at JPL
An ion engine will be used on the proposed asteroid retrieval mission
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/05/23 06:18 CDT | 6 comments
Charles Bolden stopped by JPL to highlight research being done on advanced propulsion techniques that would be used in the proposed asteroid retrieval mission.
Statement from the AAS on Proposed Elimination of NASA Science Education & Public Outreach Programs
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/05/23 02:11 CDT | 2 comments
The American Astronomical Society has issued a strongly worded statement against NASA's proposed elimination of its education and public outreach programs, and I agree with it.
Posted by Alex Karl on 2013/05/23 01:52 CDT | 2 comments
Partnering with our friends from The Planetary Society, the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), whose members hail from all over the globe, is bringing you an update on our activities and something you can join in on—at least if you are a student or young professional aged 18–35.
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/05/23 12:39 CDT
NASA has still not sent its operating plan to Congress. Rumors of the agency reprogramming away all of the additional funding to Planetary Science remains just rumors.
Planetary Society Hangout: Advocacy Update
Thursday, May 23, 1:30 PDT / 4:30 PDT / 20:30 UTC
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/05/23 11:40 CDT
The Planetary Society just returned from a major political advocacy trip out to D.C. what did we do and what did we achieve? What's going on with the current funding situation regarding Planetary Science and NASA at large? How does the asteroid retrieval mission help or hurt planetary exploration goals? What's the larger plan and what are the consequences if cuts continue?
How radar tracking of asteroids helps us know where they are
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/05/23 11:32 CDT | 5 comments
Report from the Starship Century Conference: Tuesday
Posted by Jon Lomberg on 2013/05/22 06:54 CDT | 5 comments
This week Jon Lomberg is attending the Starship Century conference, which brings together scientists, writers, and futurists to imagine the future of interstellar travel. Here he reports on presentations by Freeman Dyson, Peter Schwartz, Robert Zubrin, Geoff Landis, Neal Stephenson, and Patti Grace Smith.
India's Mars Orbiter Mission update: six months from launch
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/05/21 11:06 CDT | 10 comments
A couple of articles on India's Mars Orbiter Mission were published on the news website The Week yesterday, and they're much more in-depth and insightful than the norm.
Report from the Starship Century Conference: Monday
Posted by Jon Lomberg on 2013/05/21 10:42 CDT | 11 comments
This week Jon Lomberg is attending the Starship Century conference, which brings together scientists, writers, and futurists to imagine the future of interstellar travel. The organizers are Greg and Jim Benford, and among the attendees are: David Brin, Neal Stephenson, Vernor Vinge, Joe Haldeman, Alan Steele, Geoffrey Landis, Freeman Dyson, Jill Tarter, Paul Davies, Nalaka Gunawardene, and Daniel Richter.
Planetary Science Echoes Through the Halls of Congress
We traveled to D.C. to advocate for continued planetary exploration at NASA
Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/05/21 02:12 CDT | 3 comments
The Planetary Society just returned from a big trip to Washington, D.C. to advocate for continued planetary exploration. Here's what happened.
Opportunity and Curiosity updates: Rolling and drilling and a little wear on the wheels
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/05/20 11:27 CDT | 3 comments
For most of April, while Mars scuttled behind the Sun as seen from Earth, both Mars rovers were pretty inactive. Now that conjunction has ended, both are doing what rovers should be doing: roving and exploring. As of sol 3312 Opportunity had moved more than 300 meters southward toward Solander Point, while on her sol 279 Curiosity drilled at a second site, Cumberland.
Many More Colors than Red: Exploring Mars with Spectroscopy
Posted by Bill Dunford on 2013/05/20 01:31 CDT | 6 comments
Mars gives up its secrets through the unseen colors of its rocks.
New Horizons: Encounter Planning Accelerates
Posted by Alan Stern on 2013/05/17 10:18 CDT | 4 comments
Back in 2005 and 2006, when Pluto’s second and third moons (Nix and Hydra) were discovered, searches by astronomers for still more moons didn’t reveal any. So the accidental discovery of Pluto’s fourth moon by the Hubble Space Telescope in mid-2011 raised the possibility that the hazards in the Pluto system might be greater than previously anticipated.
Speaking engagements next week: Spacefest V and Society for Astronomical Sciences symposium
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/05/17 02:10 CDT | 4 comments
Next week I'm traveling to speak at two events. Registration is still open for both, so I hope some of you can come. I also have some commentary on women being invited to speak at public events.
Posted by Larry Crumpler on 2013/05/17 11:27 CDT
Opportunity has finally completed the detailed survey of the outcrops on the Cape York segment of the rim of the 22-km diameter Endeavour crater.
A serendipitous observation of tiny rocks in Jupiter's orbit by Galileo
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2013/05/17 09:54 CDT | 3 comments
A look at an older paper describing Galileo's possible sighting of individual ring particles orbiting Jupiter as companions to its inner moon Amalthea.
Connecting scientist mentors with students who have the desire to learn
Posted by Caleph Wilson on 2013/05/16 02:38 CDT | 9 comments
Caleph Wilson provides examples and guidance to scientists wishing to mentor students in science, technology, engineering, and math outreach programs.
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