News, Tuesday, 13 June 2006 Cuts at NASA Lead to 20-30 Layoffs at USU Cuts in NASA's science budget are causing pain in Utah: 20 to 30 employees of Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory will lose their jobs in July, and more layoffs are possible by next year. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C640186331%2C00.html +++++ Utah ranks No. 1 in U.S. in Voluntarism Utahns of all ages volunteer their time more than the residents of any other state, according to a national report released Monday. Editor's note: Considering the countless hours I've seen volunteered to public astronomy in Utah over the years, this article didn't comes as that big a surprise. Just too bad about my home state, Nevada... http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,640186501,00.html +++++ NASA Firm On Discovery Launch In July NASA's manager of the space shuttle program said Discovery is looking fit and ready to go for its launch next month, and the agency has every intention of lifting off as scheduled - perhaps as early as July 1... http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_Firm_On_Discovery_Launch_In_July.html +++++ Astronomers Planning Close-Ups of Mars From (of All Things) a Balloon The two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have accomplished more than their creators thought possible. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/13/science/space/13mars.html?ex=1150862400&en... +++++ XMM-Newton Spots the Greatest of Great Balls of Fire A team of international scientists has found a comet-like ball of gas over a thousand million times the mass of the sun hurling through a distant galaxy cluster over 750 kilometres per second. http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMWD1AATME_index_0.html +++++ Possible Meteorite in 'Columbia Hills' on Mars The rock in the center foreground of this Mars rover picture is suspected of being an iron meteorite. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/images.cfm?id=1962 +++++ Venus Express Update http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=39386 +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** 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 asked to be subscribed. 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://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/ 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://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/ 435.882.1209 801.918.9092