News, Saturday, 15 July 2006 SPOC Tonight, Snowbird Monday SLAS will be opening SPOC tonight (Saturday) to the public. If you'd like to help out with some needed weeding (only 1 has volunteered so far...), please show up at 8:00. Dave Bernson's talk starts at 8:30 and general observing begins around 9:30. Monday evening SLAS will conduct a star party for a convention at Snowbird. Some will observe from down below while others will ride the tram to the summit. SLAS members who show up with a scope will receive a free dinner and, provided at least 10 SLASers show up with scopes, SLAS will receive a $500 donation rain or shine. Sign up at the link below and please show up for dinner even if it's raining. Tonight: http://slas.us/DisplayEvent.asp?EventID=895 Monday: http://slas.us/displayevent.asp?EventID=845 +++++ NASA'S Space Shuttle Discovery Set to Land Monday Commander Steve Lindsey and his crew onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery will complete their mission, STS-121, with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/jul/HQ_M06115_DiscoverySet_to_land.html +++++ Senators Step In to Save Space Science The US Senate is moving to boost NASA's budget and restore funding for a host of space-science missions now on the chopping block. http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1757_1.asp +++++ Mars Rover Flight Director Report The focus over the past few weeks on both vehicles has been to finish the file upload. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/videos/mer/flightdir071406/ +++++ Spirit to Get New Robotic Capabilities As Martian Winter Turns to Spring This week Spirit greeted the 900th day, or sol, of exploration on Mars. Spirit is healthy and continues to make science observations despite winter power limitations. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_spiritAll.html#sol897 +++++ Nine Years to the Ninth Planet, and Counting Nearly six months after launch, New Horizons has tested several of its science instruments, tracked an asteroid, and is closer to Jupiter than it is to the Sun. http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/overview/piPerspectives/piPerspective_current.php +++++ Spitzer Spots Building Blocks of Life in Supernova Remnant A team using the Spitzer Space Telescope and the 8-meter Gemini South infrared telescope in Chile have probed supernova 1987A's remnant and found the building blocks of rocky planets and all living creatures. http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/happenings/20060714/ +++++ Landscapes From the Ancient and Eroded Lunar Far Side 14 July 2006 This image, taken by the advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board ESA's SMART-1 spacecraft, shows a highly eroded highland area on the lunar far side, close to the equator. http://www.esa.int/esaMI/SMART-1/SEMDWNWALPE_0.html +++++ Your International Space Station photos This image of the International Space Station (ISS) against the darkness of space was captured by the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery as they approached for docking last week. http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMY46XAIPE_index_0.html +++++ NASA Marks 30th Anniversary of Mars Viking Mission Thirty years after the first successful landing on Mars by NASA's Viking spacecraft, the ambitious mission continues to evoke pride and enthusiasm for future space exploration. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/jul/HQ_06279_Viking_anniversary.html +++++ Deep Impact Reveals Comet's Components The Fourth of July last year had some extra fireworks. NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft sent a hefty projectile into the body of comet Tempel 1. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=000891F1-AEA2-14B6-A... +++++ Russians Launch Inflatable Spacecraft Genesis 1 could pave the way for space hotels by 2015. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13828908/ First picture: http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/out_there/index.php +++++ NASA Hatches Plan to Save Shuttles From Vultures As the space shuttle Discovery rocketed away from Earth this July 4, errant pieces of foam weren't the only hazards worrying NASA scientists and astronauts. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/07/060714-shuttle-birds.html +++++ STS Update http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/status-20060714.html +++++ Cassini Update http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/sig-event-details.cfm?newsID=674 +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** 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