Flowing water exists on surface of Mars
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February 22, 2016 Discovery: A look back at the workhorse of the Space Shuttle fleet
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October 2, 2015 Andy Weir has gone from ‘a nerd interested in space’ to best-selling author
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October 1, 2015 Methane in the membrane (Producing rocket fuel on Mars)
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September 30, 2015 Stuck on Mars: Comparing Mars analog simulations to ‘The Martian’
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Fresh off the press
Discovery: A look back at the workhorse of the Space Shuttle fleet
Five years ago, Space Shuttle Discovery launched on her final mission. Today we take a look back at her history and …
Book Review: The Martian (Andy Weir)
Many weeks ago I agreed to write a review for “The Martian” by Andy Weir. It seemed like a good idea …
Interviews
Andy Weir has gone from ‘a nerd interested in space’ to best-selling author
“Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the …
Al Worden on the honor of being an astronaut
“Do you know what they did down on the Moon? What those guys’ primary job was? They picked up rocks and dirt. …
Earth and the ISS
Stuck on Mars: Comparing Mars analog simulations to ‘The Martian’
I’ve never been stuck on Mars, or any other planets save for this one. But I have had a chance to …
DSCOVR sees the Earth like never before
This animation features actual satellite images of the far side of the moon, illuminated by the Sun, as it crosses between …
Troubleshooting with a ‘dead’ astronaut
I was an electronic technician for Grumman Aircraft Co. from 1964 through 1978. One of my duties was to operate the …
Lunar Exploration
DSCOVR sees the Earth like never before
This animation features actual satellite images of the far side of the moon, illuminated by the Sun, as it crosses between …
Rovering across the Moon during Apollo 15
Premier of the J-series mission changed the game for Apollo 15 Four hundred miles (640 km) to the north of the …
Troubleshooting with a ‘dead’ astronaut
I was an electronic technician for Grumman Aircraft Co. from 1964 through 1978. One of my duties was to operate the …
Mars
Methane in the membrane (Producing rocket fuel on Mars)
Vocabulary • Carbon (C): Element with a mass of 12 g/mole • Hydrogen (H): Element with a mass of 1 g/mole …
Stuck on Mars: Comparing Mars analog simulations to ‘The Martian’
I’ve never been stuck on Mars, or any other planets save for this one. But I have had a chance to …
Flowing water exists on surface of Mars
Today, NASA made an exciting announcement about Mars. New information out of NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) confirms that sporadic salty …
Around the Solar System
Flowing ice and atmospheric haze discovered on Pluto
Flowing ice and a surprising extended haze are among the newest discoveries from NASA’s New Horizons mission, which reveal distant Pluto …
New Horizons unveils Pluto and its moons
After traveling more than three billion miles during a nine-and-a-half year journey, the New Horizons spacecraft has made a successful investigative flyby …
New Horizons: Pluto garners the spotlight
Nine years ago, in 2006, NASA launched the New Horizons spacecraft to the outer reaches of the Solar System in order …
Gazing at the Universe
Kepler has found Earth’s older, larger cousin
Some of the very fundamental questions about our existence – why we are here, what is out there, if we will …
Planets may rejuvenate around dead stars
For a planet, this would be like a day at the spa. After years of growing old, a massive planet could, …
Stellar sparklers that last
While fireworks only last a short time here on Earth, a bundle of cosmic sparklers in a nearby cluster of stars …
Educational Resources
Methane in the membrane (Producing rocket fuel on Mars)
Vocabulary • Carbon (C): Element with a mass of 12 g/mole • Hydrogen (H): Element with a mass of 1 g/mole …
Kepler has found Earth’s older, larger cousin
Some of the very fundamental questions about our existence – why we are here, what is out there, if we will …
Kerbal Space Program: Bringing rocket science to games
Bob, that Despicable Me Minion mixed with a Martian in the photo, floats at the boundary of space, high above planet …
The thrill(e) on the Rille
Vocabulary • Depth: How deep the rille is. • Distance: How far from the edge of the rille to its center. …
Clusters of jewels shining in the night sky
Stellar Clusters are groups of stars that fall into two broad categories: Open Clusters or Globular Clusters. Both types of cluster …
Omega Centauri
This issue it was a coin toss for the spotlight object between The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules and Omega Centauri. …
A new look in 3D at the Pillars of Creation
New study suggests that iconic structures more aptly named the Pillars of Destruction The original Hubble Space Telescope image of the famous Pillars …
Beginner's Astronomy Guide
Clusters of jewels shining in the night sky
Stellar Clusters are groups of stars that fall into two broad categories: Open Clusters or Globular Clusters. Both types of cluster …
How they do it: Processing Hubble images from B&W into stunning full-color
Everyone has seen the dramatic images produced by the Hubble Telescope from the iconic Pillars of Creation to the hundreds of …
Photographing the planets (part 2)
Following on from last issue where we looked at the equipment and capture of video to produce a photograph of the …
