The 2009 Leonid Meteor Shower

Source - NASA Science News for November 10, 2009

The 2009 Leonid meteor shower peaks on Nov. 17th with a sprinkling of meteors over North America and a possible outburst over Asia.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/10nov_leonids2009.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

Are We Alone for 11/09/09 - Skeptic Check: Doomsday at the Movies

Are We Alone - Skeptic Check: Doomsday at the Movies

ENCORE PRESENTATION: Hollywood has a few ideas of how the world will end: killer asteroids … lethal pandemics … deadly ice-ages. These themes have all played out on the big screen. But, hey, they’re only movies, right?

We’ll separate the science from the fiction in doomsday movies. From the 2012 prophesy of the Mayans … to colliding worlds … to abrupt climate change, find out which among this crowd of cinematic scares are for real, and which aren’t worth the price of popcorn.

Guests:

• Dave Morrison – Astrobiologist, NASA Ames Research Center
• Phil Plait – Astronomer, keeper of badastronomy.com, and author of Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . .
• Lynn Rothschild – Astrobiologist, NASA Ames Research Center
• Ken Caldeira – Scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Department of Global Ecology

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

A Tale of Planetary Woe

Source - NASA Science News for November 6, 2009

Long ago, something calamitous happened to Mars, transforming a warm and hospitable world into the frigid, seemingly lifeless desert we see today. Many scientists believe the Red Planet lost most of its atmosphere, but how? A new NASA mission named MAVEN is specifically designed to answer that question.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/06nov_maven.htm?list894285

Hidden Territory on Mercury Revealed

Source - NASA Science News for November 3, 2009

The MESSENGER spacecraft's third flyby of the planet Mercury has given scientists, for the first time, an almost complete view of the planet's surface and revealed some dramatic changes in Mercury's comet-like tail.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/03nov_hiddenterritory.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

SPACE.com: Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Expected Nov. 17

Yesterday (11/01/09) SPACE.com posted an article titled "Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Expected Nov. 17" regarding this months Leonid Meteor Shower.

Here are a few other articles about the upcoming Leonids:

• NASA - Leonids 2009
• NASA - 2009 Leonids Peak Visibility
• Mike’s Science and Nature Blog - Watch Out for Leonids 2009 Meteor Shower
• StarDate Online - 2009 Meteor Showers and Viewing Tips
• Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine - Will the Leonids roar in 2009?

Hopefully the skies will be clear here in Seattle, and where ever you are ~ Jim Cox

Are We Alone for 11/02/09 - Do Computers Byte?

Are We Alone - Do Computers Byte?

The march of computer technology continues. But as silicon chips and search engines become faster and more productive – can the same be said for us?

The creator of Wolfram Alpha describes how his new “computational knowledge engine” is changing – and improving – how we process information. Meanwhile, suffering from data and distraction burnout? Find out what extremes some folks take to stop their search engines.

Also, the Singularity sensation of humans merging with machines… and, why for the ancient Greeks all of this is “been, there, done that.” A deep sea dive turns up a 2,000 year old computer!

Guests:

• Jo Marchant – Freelance science journalist and author of Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer—and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets
• Stephen Wolfram – Mathematican, computer programmer, and founder of Wolfram Research and Wolfram Alpha
• Fred Stutzman – PhD student at the University of North Carolina School of Information and Library Science
• Peggy Orenstein – author and contributing editor to the New York Times Magazine, which is where we found her article “Stop Your Search Engines”
• Ray Kurzweil – Inventor, futurist and author, most recently, of The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

Next Mars Rover Named "Curiosity"

Source - NASA Science News for October 30, 2009

NASA's next Mars rover, a super-capable robot named "Curiosity," will push Mars exploration to a new level.

FULL STORY at:

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/30oct_curiosity.htm?list894285

Asteroid Explodes Over Indonesia

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 28, 2009: http://spaceweather.com

INDONESIAN ASTEROID: Earlier this month, with no warning, a ~10-meter wide asteroid hit Earth's atmosphere above Indonesia and exploded. The break-up was so powerful, it triggered nuclear test ban sensors thousands of kilometers away. A just-released analysis of infrasound data shows that the asteroid detonated with an energy equivalent of about 50 kton of TNT, similar to a small atomic bomb. This significant impact has received relatively little attention in Western press. Details are available today on http://spaceweather.com.

SUNSPOT UPDATE: Since it emerged last weekend, new-cycle sunspot 1029 has become the biggest and most active sunspot of 2009. It is crackling with B- and C-class solar flares and putting on a good show for amateur astronomers. This one sunspot does not put an end to solar minimum, but it is a remarkable break from the calm. Check htttp://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

CONNECT YOUR PHONE TO THE SKY: Would you like a call when Earth-orbiting satellites detect strong solar flares and solar wind gusts? Sign up for Spaceweather PHONE to turn your telephone into a bona fide solar activity alert system: http://spaceweatherphone.com

The Sun's Sneaky Variability

Source - NASA Science News for October 27, 2009

It might not be obvious to the naked eye, but the sun is a variable star. A sensor slated for launch onboard NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory will probe the sun's "sneaky variability" with better time and spectral resolution than ever before.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/27oct_eve.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

A Big Sunspot Emerges

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 25, 2009: http://spaceweather.com

BIG SUNSPOT: The sun is showing signs of life. Sunspot 1029 emerged over the weekend, and it is crackling with B- and C-class solar flares. The active region's magnetic polarity identifies it as a member of new Solar Cycle 24. If its growth continues apace, sunspot 1029 could soon become the biggest sunspot of 2009. Check http://spaceweather.com for animations and updates.

MONDAY NIGHT SKY SHOW: When the sun sets on Monday, Oct. 26th, go outside and look south. Jupiter and the Moon are converging for a beautiful conjunction. The bright pair can been seen even through thinly-clouded skies and city lights. Don't miss it!

CONNECT YOUR PHONE TO THE SKY: Would you like a call when Earth-orbiting satellites detect strong solar flares and solar wind gusts? Sign up for Spaceweather PHONE to turn your telephone into a bona fide solar activity alert system: http://spaceweatherphone.com

Are We Alone for 10/26/09 - Skeptic Check: Mind Your Body

Are We Alone - Skeptic Check: Mind Your Body

Popping a pill may help when you’re sick… but maybe not for the reasons you think. Sugar pills – placebos – cure illness better than prescription pills in as many as half of all cases in clinical trials … and the placebo effect is getting stronger.

Plus, the safety – or otherwise – of electromagnetic waves, and the “electro-sensitive” refugees who have built a camp to protect themselves from waves they say are causing pain. Is it all in their minds?

And, New York Times reporter Dennis Overbye joins Phil Plait on the latest lapse in critically-thinking brains – a wild idea that may not be so loony: namely, could a cosmic censor from the future be thwarting efforts to find the Higgs boson?

It’s Skeptic Check … but don’t take our word for it!

• Dennis Overbye – Cosmic Affairs Correspondent, New York Times
• Phil Plait – Keeper of the skeptical website badastronomy.com and author of Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . .
• Steve Silberman – Contributing editor, Wired Magazine, author of “The Placebo Problem” in the September 2009 issue
• Leeka Kheifets – Epidemiologist, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

NASA App now Available from App Store

NASA posted a media advisory today about the release of NASA App for the iPhone and iPod touch is available free of charge at the App Store from Apple.

The full media advisory can be found here:

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/oct/HQ_09-248_NASA_App.html


For more information about NASA's iPhone application, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/iphone

NASA Mission to Study the Moon's Fragile Atmosphere

Source NASA Science News for October 23, 2009

NASA is planning a mission to study the Moon's fragile atmosphere--before it's too late.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/23oct_ladee.htm?list894285

Meteors from Halley's Comet

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 20, 2009: http://spaceweather.com

METEORS FROM HALLEY'S COMET: Earth is entering a stream of dusty debris from Halley's Comet, and this is causing the annual Orionid meteor shower. If forecasters are correct, the shower will peak on Wednesday morning, Oct. 21st, with dozens of meteors per hour. The best time to look is during the dark hours before local dawn.

For the past three years, Orionid rates have been unusually high, with reports of 60 or more meteors per hour. Researchers believe this is a result of some very old and rich debris from Comet Halley drifting across Earth's orbit. Computer models of the debris suggest that it is still in the neighborhood, so the trend of "good Orionids" could continue in 2009. Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.

Are We Alone for 10/19/09 - Seth's Storage Locker

Are We Alone - Seth's Storage Locker

It’s always an adventure to go digging in Seth’s storage locker – who knows what we’ll find …

In this imposing pile of paraphernalia, tucked between boxes of socket wrenches and old 45s, we stumble upon the hunt for extrasolar planets, the evidence for water on moons of the solar system, theories of language, a controversial hypothesis for the peopling of the Americas, and a new dinosaur fossil.

Guests:

• Steve Brusatte – Vertebrate paleontologist from the American Museum of Natural History in New York
• Steven Pinker – Psychologist, Harvard University
• Geoff Marcy – Astronomer, University of California, Berkeley
• Adam Showman – Planetary scientist at the University of Arizona
• Mike Collins – Associate Director, Texas Archeological Research Laboratory

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.