Stellar

No, fo realz, dis iz awesomely stellar.

A group of German scientists have recently released their findings on the Australian landed Murchison carbonaceous chondritic meteorite (the lucky dawgs...they get all the cool stuff...c'mon the speed of light really?).

This thing is most likely older than the sun, in the general range of about 4.65 billion years old, but it contains what could be MILLIONZ of lil organics!  Like you and me or little Whovillians?  Mebe not, but organic molecules all da same.  Wowzers.

This could be huge for better understanding our solar system.  Life on other planets?  Looks like we're getting closer.

Cheers - Martha

Shuttle Launch

In case you weren't up at 4:30 a.m. on February 8th, NOW you can feel like you were with this BRAND NEW, ONE OF A KIND, photo of the launch!  This photo was taken from the County Route 210 bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway in Ponte Verda Beach, Florida.  This is the last time the shuttle will have a nighttime launch.

So, check it out right now, FREE OF CHARGE!  COME ONE, COME ALL!

I hear those ooohs and aaaahs.

Ciao - M

Ahem...we're going to have to ENDEAVOR at another time...

MY BAD.

So Houston had a wee bit of a problem (sorry for the cliche, but yanno I had to).

The Endeavor is now scheduled to launch TOMORROW at 4:14 a.m., weather allowing.  Again, nobody but Dago will be up.

You can check out THE FINAL COUNTDOOOOWWWN here ------>

Does anyone know anything about these orange glow sticks they are now giving the astronauts?  I kinda thought raving was against protocol...

Ciao - M

NASA's Endeavor to fly this Sunday

On Sunday, the Endeavor shuttle will meet up with the International Space Station on it's STS-130 mission.  The lift off time is scheduled at 4:39 EST, so waaaaay before anyone wants to wake up, but what a great way to start the day!


You can check out the briefing at this NASA TV link from Kennedy's press sight.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will meet with
reporters covering the launch of space shuttle Endeavour at the
Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Sorry for the late notice on this, guys.  But we (POSSE) just got back from visiting the Johnson's Space Center yesterday. Pictures and a re-cap of events will be posted shortly. We had a FANTASTIC time and learned a lot!

Have a happy shuttle launch and Superbowl Sunday!

Cheers - Martha

Like Liquid Gold, but Better

Nature Physics, via Discovery News features a new article which states that Neptune and Uranus may have oceans composed of......LIQUID DIAMONDS.

If De Beers gets a hold of this information, I think the funding for exploration and research may come a bit quicker. Jus sayin.

The article goes on to say that an ocean of diamonds could help explain the off-axis magnetic field of these two planets (Earth's is lined up with the north and south poles).

The article is quite interesting, explaining why little icebergs of diamond can float on a diamond sea, just like water.

Ahhhh... In other words, heaven.

Cheers - Martha

VAMPIRES

Well, sorta kinda.

The Hubble Space Telescope has recently determined another theory why some stars in globular clusters, pictured below, appear brighter than others.  It's not necessarily because they are bigger and farther away, or smaller and closer, but because they may actually be stealing some thunder from their neighbors.  Vampire style.

Or you could call it leeching, I guess.  Pretty much the same thing.  But NASA's right; vampires are way cooler.

Anyway, these clusters (usually 12-13 billion years old, abuh!) have a few loners (blue stragglers) that don't really appreciate their old age, and siphon youth (hydrogen) from the other stars.  Greedy, if you ask me.

The telescope also found that some of the blue stragglers increased their brightness after colliding with other stars, in a sort of nuclear fusion.

That's an interesting little elderly community right there.  Check it out here!

Cheers-Martha

Rover Update

Ello ello!  Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!


Recent news on our sturdy little Mars Rover:


The little-rover-that-could may be finally reaching its courageous end...


The signs have been slowly creeping up (see the "Awwww Poor Rover... post on 11.13.2009), but still, the loyal followers, such as myself, kept pushing for the friendly robot to keep chugging along.
The dusty and rough Martian terrain has proven to be just too much to handle as of late, as the rover currently lies stuck in a ditch.  If circumstances don't change, power will run out by May.


Here's a little 2:32 minute video with an article below from National Geographic.  The text is taken word-for-word from the video.


Energizer batteries wouldn't work in this case, I'ma guessin'.


Ciao-Martha