I hope you don't mind Patrick...I fixed the +++++ problem with the links Begin forwarded message: From: Patrick Wiggins <paw@trilobyte.net> Date: Tue Feb 25, 2003 11:25:21 PM US/Mountain To: paw@trilobyte.net Subject: News, 26 FEB 2003 Reply-To: paw@trilobyte.net News, 26 FEB 2003 SPOC Training Update The Ealing introductory class for the evening of Saturday, 8 March is full. Two spots remain in the Friday, 7 March class. Those wishing to qualify for a key to the observatory need to first take an introductory class followed by an advanced class and final checkout. Additional introductory classes will be held throughout the observing season. +++++ Pioneer 10 Spacecraft Sends Last Signal After more than 30 years, it appears the venerable Pioneer 10 spacecraft has sent its last signal to Earth. http://www.nasa.gov/HP_news_03082.html +++++ More Moons Over Pluto? Pluto has only one known satellite - Charon - discovered in 1978 by American astronomer James Christy. Recently, astronomers have discovered that some large Kuiper Belt Objects also have large satellites. This suggests to the New Horizons mission team that Pluto might have other, as-yet undiscovered satellites. http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/022403.htm +++++ Genesis Hits Halfway Mark! Genesis has passed the midpoint of its record setting solar sample return mission. As of today, the Genesis spacecraft has logged 565 days in space and has only 562 days remaining until Earth return. http://www.genesismission.org/mission/statusupdate.html +++++ Flying With Nature's Own Fuel Hundreds of years ago, early discoverers used the Sun as a compass. Turns out the light of the Sun can do more than just guide us; it can actually propel us farther and faster into the vast realm of space than we've ever been able to go. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/technology/features/solarsails.cfm +++++ NASA's Newest Seawinds Instrument Breezes Into Operation One of NASA's newest Earth-observing instruments, the SeaWinds scatterometer aboard Japan's Advanced Earth Observing Satellite 2 has successfully transmitted its first radar data to our home planet, generating its first high-quality images. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2003/24.cfm +++++ The Cosmos 1 Update The development of the Cosmos 1 solar sail spacecraft is going well despite some delays with some of the spacecraft electronics. We are, however, waiting for problems to be resolved with our launch vehicle, the Volna. Until then, we are prisoners on Earth, trapped in our planet's gravity well. http://www.planetary.org/solarsail/Media.htm +++++ Green Light For World's Most Powerful Radio Observatory Dr. Rita Colwell, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, director general of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), today signed a historic agreement jointly to construct and operate ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, the world's largest and most powerful radio telescope operating at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths. http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/epo/pr/2003/almasigning/ +++++ Fossil Plant and Insect Communities Key to Understanding Global Change Insect damage recorded in fossil plants and the types of plants present in the fossil record are helping researchers to understand how ecological communities recover from climate change and mass extinction events, according to a Penn State paleontologist and his colleagues. http://www.psu.edu/ur/2003/leafinsects.html +++++ OK, Our Next Caller Is... From Mars! It is midnight on 1 January 2004 and you want to send a greeting on your mobile phone to a friend. Sorry, the line is too busy, try again later. If you think you are alone with this problem, you are wrong. Space agencies have had to work out ingenious solutions to prevent similar 'engaged, call later' tones from happening on Mars. For the first time, there will be seven spacecraft on the Red Planet at the same time. Will they all be able to 'phone home'? http://sci.esa.int/content/news/index.cfm?aid=9&cid=32&oid=31426 +++++ A Most Surprising Observation "Quite by accident, we have made a most surprising observation," reports Don Pettit, the science officer of the International Space Station. It happened during his spare time on a Saturday morning last month. Pettit was preparing to make some weightless soap bubbles--just for fun--when he discovered a very curious property of water in space. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/25feb_nosoap.htm?list726251 +++++ A Bit O' Humor Non-astronomical but topical... http://planet.state.ut.us/GASPRICES.JPG +++++ ************************************************** News is being sent to you because of your affiliation with an astronomy club in Utah or because you asked to be subscribed. To unsubscribe please send your request to paw@trilobyte.net. News Internet access provided by: Trilo BYTE, http://www.trilobyte.net. Check out my NASA Solar System Ambassador web site at: http://planet.state.ut.us For astronomy clubs in Utah see: http://planet.state.ut.us/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 http://planet.state.ut.us 435.882.1209 (observatory) 801.918.9092 (cell)