News, Thursday, 03 AUG 2006 Dedication / Star Parties This Weekend SLAS will host a public star party at the Harmons in Midvale tomorrow night starting at sunset. Saturday night's public star party at SPOC will be preceded by the official opening of the Refractor House and the dedication and naming of the refractor. Opening and dedication will begin at 7:45 pm. Star party to start at 8:30 pm. Opening and dedication will be held regardless of the weather. Star parties will be held weather permitting. http://slas.us/CALENDAR.ASP +++++ USU Tool Will Help Protect Astronauts It looks like a metallic cross and researchers joke that its purpose is to ward off space vampires. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C640199167%2C00.html +++++ Lowell Observatory, UA Optical Sciences to Complete Discovery Channel Telescope Primary Mirror (Submitted by SLAS member Richard Tenney) Lowell Observatory and the University of ArizonaÂ’s College of Optical Sciences have finalized a $3 million, three-year contract to complete the Discovery Channel Telescope primary mirror. http://www.lowell.edu/press_room/releases/recent_releases/DCT_UofA.html +++++ Wannabe Star Escapes Near-Death Experience Jupiter-sized body survives the explosion of its companion star unscathed. http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060731/full/060731-8.html +++++ Supernovae Make Dark Matter Bloat The invisible dark matter at the centre of galaxies is not as dense as we would expect - and now we know why. http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/mg19125633.900-supernovae-make-dark... +++++ NASA Exploration Systems Progress Report Marshall Center engineers recently completed a series of hot-fire tests that support development of keys to NASAÂ’s exploration goals to return to the moon and travel to Mars and beyond. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2006/H-06-273.html +++++ Extraterrestrial Fireworks NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of a cosmic explosion that is quite similar to fireworks on Earth. http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2006/35/ +++++ Huygens Scientific Archive Data Set Released The unique data obtained by the six Huygens experiments are now being archived in the ESA Planetary Science Archive. http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEM8TYIZBQE_0.html +++++ Watching Atlas's Waistline The Cassini spacecraft finds oddly-shaped Atlas gliding along the edge of the A ring. http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2220 +++++ Space Shuttle Moves to Launch Pad The Space Shuttle Atlantis arrived at its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center yesterday. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/aug/HQ_06287_Atlantis_roll_out.html +++++ Evolution Debate Not Settled by Election Evolution's victory in Kansas state school board election doesn't mean debate is over. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/02/ap/tech/mainD8J8JH080.shtml +++++ Rosetta Update http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=39767 +++++ Venus Express Update http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=39768 +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** Images and Data From Cassini-Huygens At:s http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/latest/index.cfm http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases.cfm +++++ Information On The Mars Rovers At: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html +++++ SLAS 2006 Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/LOCAL.HTML +++++ SSA / UMNH 2006 Southern Utah Public Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/STARPARTIES.HTML +++++ ************************************************** News is being sent to you because of your affiliation with the Salt Lake Astronomical Society or because you are subscribed to the Utah Astronomy Listserve. To unsubscribe please send your request to paw at wirelessbeehive dot com. Check out my NASA Solar System Ambassador web site at: http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky and mirrored at http://utahastro.info/ For astronomy clubs in Utah see: http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/UTAHCLUBS.HTML For the Utah Astronomy Listserve see: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy ************************************************** -- Patrick Wiggins NASA Solar System Ambassador to Utah & NE Nevada paw at wirelessbeehive dot com http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky http://utahastro.info/ 435.882.1209 801.918.9092