News, Tuesday, 18 July 2006 THANK YOU!!! Guy Malmborg asked that I pass along his thanks to the many SLAS members who worked last night's star party at Snowbird. Thanks to their efforts there are a bunch of happy conventioneers at Snowbird and the SLAS treasury is considerably larger. And considering the mountains of food the convention provided, the same thing can probably be said for a number of the SLAS volunteers (did I _really_ go back for thirds?). The first of the pictures are posted at the following URL until they can be transferred to the SLAS web site (if you have additional pictures, especially if they were taken at the top of the tram, please email them to me as soon as you can). http://utahastro.info/temp/SNOWBIRD17JUL2006.HTML +++++ NASA Welcomes Space Shuttle Crew Back to Earth The Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew are home after a 13-day, five million-mile journey in space. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/jul/HQ_06280_Discovery_lands.html +++++ Minuteman III Launch Alert An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled to launch from North Vandenberg tomorrow (Wednesday) morning as an operational test to demonstrate the weapon systemÂ’s reliability and accuracy. The six-hour launch window is from 2:01 to 8:01 a.m. MDT. While sunset launches (where the exhaust plume is backlit) from VAFB are easily seen from northern Utah, those in the middle of the night are much more difficult, but not impossible to see. +++++ Shuttle's Human Experiments Pave Way for Moon, Mars Voyages Throughout their nearly two weeks in space, the crew kept diaries of their sleeping habits and filled containers with various bodily fluids. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/07/060717-shuttle-health.html +++++ Mimas in Hiding Four minutes after Cassini captured dark Mimas and softly-lit Enceladus (see Light from Many Paths) near the ringplane, Mimas had slipped into near-obscurity against Saturn's dark side. http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2198 +++++ More Images From Genesis 1 Stills: http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/out_there/index.php Videos (exterior and interior): http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/out_there/video.php Editor's Note: Genesis 1 was easily seen from a site near SPOC with 7x35 binoculars Monday morning. See http://www.heavens-above.com for more sighting opportunities. +++++ Robotic Geologist Demonstrates Remarkable Precision Engineers designed NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers to be exceptionally predictable when it comes to studying specific rocks and patches of soil. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20060717a.html +++++ Chaotic Terrain in Iani Chaos These images, taken by ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, show Iani Chaos, a region east of Valles Marineris... http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMVCOWALPE_0.html +++++ Saturn's Spare Tire Cassini has spotted a new feature around Saturn: a thick bulge from a thin ring. http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1756_1.asp +++++ Plasma Bubble Could Protect Astronauts on Mars Trip If the idea proves viable, it would mean a lightweight alternative to the thick metal panels needed to protect against radiation on long-haul space flights. http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9567-plasma-bubble-could-protect-... +++++ ELV UPdate http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/status/2006/elvstatus-2... +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** Images and Data From Cassini-Huygens At: 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