Friday, January 30, 2004
Ancient Whale Fossil Discovered in Md.
Heavy erosion by Hurricane Isabel pounding on the cliffs that line St. Mary's River uncovered the fossilized skull of what paleontologists say was a whale that swam in the area eight million years ago.
The discovery of the complete skull could help scientists fill a gap in their knowledge of the evolution of Atlantic Ocean whales during the warm Miocene epoch millions of years ago.
"It (the whale) occurs in a 3 million year block of time where we know very little about the whales that were here," said Stephen Godfrey, curator of paleontology for the Calvert Marine Museum.
This is an exciting find which could hopefully help fill in the evolution of whales.
From The Washington Post.
The discovery of the complete skull could help scientists fill a gap in their knowledge of the evolution of Atlantic Ocean whales during the warm Miocene epoch millions of years ago.
"It (the whale) occurs in a 3 million year block of time where we know very little about the whales that were here," said Stephen Godfrey, curator of paleontology for the Calvert Marine Museum.
This is an exciting find which could hopefully help fill in the evolution of whales.
From The Washington Post.
Opportunity rover set for 'coolest geologic field trip'
The discovery of layered rocks in the Martian bedrock next to the Opportunity's landing platform has scientists anxiously awaiting the rover's exploration of the terrain beginning next week.
"Opportunity has now sent us the most striking image yet obtained by the Mars Exploration Rover mission. We have discovered some wonderful finely-layered rocks in the outcrop at Meridiani Planum," Steve Squyres, the principal investigator announced Tuesday.
The rocks are about 25 feet away from the lander where Opportunity came to rest early Sunday. The craft landed in a small crater on the plains of Meridiani along the Martian equator.
As a degreed geologist, I wish I could be in mission control to witness this whole "field trip".
From Spaceflight Now.
"Opportunity has now sent us the most striking image yet obtained by the Mars Exploration Rover mission. We have discovered some wonderful finely-layered rocks in the outcrop at Meridiani Planum," Steve Squyres, the principal investigator announced Tuesday.
The rocks are about 25 feet away from the lander where Opportunity came to rest early Sunday. The craft landed in a small crater on the plains of Meridiani along the Martian equator.
As a degreed geologist, I wish I could be in mission control to witness this whole "field trip".
From Spaceflight Now.
World's first bowling alley discovered
The Italian team excavating at Madi city in Fayyoum has unearthed an open structure dating back to the Ptolemaic age.
The floor is composed of a single large block of limestone with a groove 10 cm deep and 20 cm wide. In the middle there is a 12 cm-square hole.
The team found two balls of polished limestone, one of which fits the groove and the other the square hole. The structure is like no other found in the ancient world.
If this turns out to not be a hoax (yes I can be a skeptic at times), I am amazed that this has survived intact this whole time.
From Arabic News.
The floor is composed of a single large block of limestone with a groove 10 cm deep and 20 cm wide. In the middle there is a 12 cm-square hole.
The team found two balls of polished limestone, one of which fits the groove and the other the square hole. The structure is like no other found in the ancient world.
If this turns out to not be a hoax (yes I can be a skeptic at times), I am amazed that this has survived intact this whole time.
From Arabic News.
World's first bowling alley discovered
The Italian team excavating at Madi city in Fayyoum has unearthed an open structure dating back to the Ptolemaic age.
The floor is composed of a single large block of limestone with a groove 10 cm deep and 20 cm wide. In the middle there is a 12 cm-square hole.
The team found two balls of polished limestone, one of which fits the groove and the other the square hole. The structure is like no other found in the ancient world.
If this turns out to not be a hoax, I am amazed that this has survived intact this whole time.
From Arabic News.
The floor is composed of a single large block of limestone with a groove 10 cm deep and 20 cm wide. In the middle there is a 12 cm-square hole.
The team found two balls of polished limestone, one of which fits the groove and the other the square hole. The structure is like no other found in the ancient world.
If this turns out to not be a hoax, I am amazed that this has survived intact this whole time.
From Arabic News.
NASA Chief: Hubble Decision Under Review
Retired U.S. Navy Adm. Harold Gehman, the chairman of the now disbanded Columbia Accident Investigation Board, will be taking a second look at NASA's decision to curtail the use of the space shuttle for any further servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope , NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said Thursday.
O'Keefe said he has asked Gehman to review the decision to cancel what would have been the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission to satisfy a request by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) that NASA not scrap the mission without getting a second opinion. Mikulski wrote O'Keefe last week to say she was "shocked and surprised" by the decision and urged him to reconsider.
The two have spoken about the matter several times since then, according to O'Keefe, and the decision to ask Gehman to weigh in was made out of respect for the senator.
Don't forget to call/email/snail mail your Congressional representatives to get them behind saving the Hubble Telescope.
From Space.com.
O'Keefe said he has asked Gehman to review the decision to cancel what would have been the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission to satisfy a request by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) that NASA not scrap the mission without getting a second opinion. Mikulski wrote O'Keefe last week to say she was "shocked and surprised" by the decision and urged him to reconsider.
The two have spoken about the matter several times since then, according to O'Keefe, and the decision to ask Gehman to weigh in was made out of respect for the senator.
Don't forget to call/email/snail mail your Congressional representatives to get them behind saving the Hubble Telescope.
From Space.com.
Mars Rover Spirit Snaps Healthy Photo
NASA's recuperating Mars rover Spirit snapped and sent home its first image since communication problems began on Jan. 22.
The black-and-white image showed Spirit's instrument arm in the place it had been instructed to go a week earlier, with the Mössbauer spectrometer, which studies iron-bearing materials, placed against the rock scientists have dubbed Adirondack.
"The arm is exactly where we expected," Jennifer Trosper, mission manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., said in a press release.
YAY! Spirit is transmitting data again.
From Discovery Online.
The black-and-white image showed Spirit's instrument arm in the place it had been instructed to go a week earlier, with the Mössbauer spectrometer, which studies iron-bearing materials, placed against the rock scientists have dubbed Adirondack.
"The arm is exactly where we expected," Jennifer Trosper, mission manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., said in a press release.
YAY! Spirit is transmitting data again.
From Discovery Online.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
At dinosaurs' feet, rat race played out
Golden's Fossil Trace Golf Club has yielded the tracks of a rat-sized mammal that hopped across the mud 68 million years ago.
The Golden prints, and a similar set found near Rifle, mark the first time that mammal tracks from the dinosaur age have been found in the western United States, according to geologist Martin Lockley of the University of Colorado at Denver.
Small mammals - none larger than a house cat - lived alongside dinosaurs for millions of years, before the dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. But the delicate bones of early mammals are rarely found, and their tracks are even harder to come by.
This is a significant find, considering it is only one of four sites across the globe where mammal footprints are found during the Cretaceous.
From The Rocky Mountain News.
The Golden prints, and a similar set found near Rifle, mark the first time that mammal tracks from the dinosaur age have been found in the western United States, according to geologist Martin Lockley of the University of Colorado at Denver.
Small mammals - none larger than a house cat - lived alongside dinosaurs for millions of years, before the dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. But the delicate bones of early mammals are rarely found, and their tracks are even harder to come by.
This is a significant find, considering it is only one of four sites across the globe where mammal footprints are found during the Cretaceous.
From The Rocky Mountain News.
Monday, January 26, 2004
Fossil find 'oldest land animal'
It is thought that the one-centimetre millipede which was prised out of a siltstone bed is 428 million years old.
Experts at the National Museums of Scotland and Yale University, US, have studied the fossil for months.
They say the specimen is the earliest evidence of a creature living on dry land, rather than in the sea.
The discovery on the foreshore of Cowie Harbour was made by an amateur fossil hunter, Mike Newman.
Remarkable find for one of the first land based critters. I am not that suprised that it is a millipede either.
From BBC Online.
Experts at the National Museums of Scotland and Yale University, US, have studied the fossil for months.
They say the specimen is the earliest evidence of a creature living on dry land, rather than in the sea.
The discovery on the foreshore of Cowie Harbour was made by an amateur fossil hunter, Mike Newman.
Remarkable find for one of the first land based critters. I am not that suprised that it is a millipede either.
From BBC Online.
First pictures from Opportunity show bizarre martian world
The Opportunity rover unfolded its solar panels and beamed back its first snapshots of Mars four hours after landing today, providing stunning views of nearby slab-like rock formations, the first bedrock ever seen on the red planet. The images also showed what to this point is the smoothest fine-grain soil ever seen on Mars.
"Welcome to Meridiani! I hope you enjoy your stay!" Flight director Chris Lewicki told his landing team as they marveled at the flood of photos. "You are privileged to be in one of the most exciting rooms on Earth at the moment."
Principal investigator Steve Squyres was stunned at the vista, a scene strikingly different from the rock-strewn terrains of the Spirit landing site and those of the Viking and Pathfinder landers. The rock-free soil near Opportunity appeared to have a consistency similar to talcum powder, clearly preserving the imprint of seams in the lander's airbags. Nearby, an outcrop of rectangular, slab-like rocks stood in stark contrast, a formation unlike any seen before on Mars.
This picture is just as amazing as the one showing the bedrock (see other story) as it shows the bouncing path of the lander.
From Spaceflight Now.
"Welcome to Meridiani! I hope you enjoy your stay!" Flight director Chris Lewicki told his landing team as they marveled at the flood of photos. "You are privileged to be in one of the most exciting rooms on Earth at the moment."
Principal investigator Steve Squyres was stunned at the vista, a scene strikingly different from the rock-strewn terrains of the Spirit landing site and those of the Viking and Pathfinder landers. The rock-free soil near Opportunity appeared to have a consistency similar to talcum powder, clearly preserving the imprint of seams in the lander's airbags. Nearby, an outcrop of rectangular, slab-like rocks stood in stark contrast, a formation unlike any seen before on Mars.
This picture is just as amazing as the one showing the bedrock (see other story) as it shows the bouncing path of the lander.
From Spaceflight Now.
Rover Updates: Opportunity Checks in; Work Continues on Spirit
NASA's Mars Opportunity rover is in excellent shape, relaying sets of photos that show Meridiani Planum to be just as scientists pledged: A surreal, dark landscape unlike any ever seen before on the red planet.
After traveling nearly 300 million miles through interplanetary space, Opportunity made a hole-in-one, said Steven Squyres, Principal Investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project from Cornell University.
The new arrival on Mars has wound up inside a small impact crater.
The landing site is just amazing, and landing in this crater with the bedrock exposed is even more exciting.
While Mars scientists are euphoric about where Opportunity has landed, software wizards are digging in their heels and scripting a recovery mode for the balky Spirit rover sitting on the other side of the planet.
Spirit’s condition is still serious, "but we’re moving to guarded condition," said Peter Theisinger, JPL’s MER Project Manager.
Theisinger said steady progress is being made in troubleshooting what ails Spirit.
A leading theory is that a file management software module experienced a condition that it could not cope with. "It is not robust enough for the operations we were engaged in" when the problem cropped up.
Hopefully they can have these issues resolved quickly, and Spirit will be back in working order.
From Space.com
After traveling nearly 300 million miles through interplanetary space, Opportunity made a hole-in-one, said Steven Squyres, Principal Investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project from Cornell University.
The new arrival on Mars has wound up inside a small impact crater.
The landing site is just amazing, and landing in this crater with the bedrock exposed is even more exciting.
While Mars scientists are euphoric about where Opportunity has landed, software wizards are digging in their heels and scripting a recovery mode for the balky Spirit rover sitting on the other side of the planet.
Spirit’s condition is still serious, "but we’re moving to guarded condition," said Peter Theisinger, JPL’s MER Project Manager.
Theisinger said steady progress is being made in troubleshooting what ails Spirit.
A leading theory is that a file management software module experienced a condition that it could not cope with. "It is not robust enough for the operations we were engaged in" when the problem cropped up.
Hopefully they can have these issues resolved quickly, and Spirit will be back in working order.
From Space.com
Dinosaur Hunters Make New Antarctic Finds
Bundled in fleece and hacking away with drills, jackhammers and dynamite, dinosaur hunters have carved another 200 million-year-old jigsaw puzzle out of a frozen, wind-swept Antarctic mountain.
But it could be a year or more before the Illinois-led expedition team knows whether the rock-encased puzzle pieces can match its earlier prehistoric find — a previously unknown species that also was the first dinosaur ever found on Antarctica's mainland.
Augustana College paleontologist William Hammer, who led both trips to the ice-covered continent, suspects the fossils found last month are from an early ancestor of the brontosaurus, among the best-known dinosaurs because of its long neck and massive body.
With Antarctica being one of the last few areas that have not been extensively explored, I am sure many important discoveries regarding the evolution of the dinosaurs will be coming as more expeditions to study/find dinosaurs will happen.
From Yahoo - Science AP.
But it could be a year or more before the Illinois-led expedition team knows whether the rock-encased puzzle pieces can match its earlier prehistoric find — a previously unknown species that also was the first dinosaur ever found on Antarctica's mainland.
Augustana College paleontologist William Hammer, who led both trips to the ice-covered continent, suspects the fossils found last month are from an early ancestor of the brontosaurus, among the best-known dinosaurs because of its long neck and massive body.
With Antarctica being one of the last few areas that have not been extensively explored, I am sure many important discoveries regarding the evolution of the dinosaurs will be coming as more expeditions to study/find dinosaurs will happen.
From Yahoo - Science AP.
Second Mars rover lands on geologist's dream
An emotional roller-coaster of a weekend for the sleep-deprived teams running NASA's Mars rovers ended in euphoria with Opportunity landing safely and its ailing twin Spirit apparently on the mend
Opportunity's landing, like that of Spirit, was flawless. Every system worked as expected, the landing was unusually gentle, all of the rover's systems passed their initial checkout and a black-and-white panorama of the scene arrived at mission control at the earliest possible communications link.
Furthermore, the small crater in which Opportunity touched down appears to be a geologist's dream. Its smooth and rock-free surface will make driving as easy as possible and straight ahead of a forward ramp lies a large outcrop of bedrock. This is the very thing geologists have been hoping to study but have never before seen on the Martian surface in an accessible place.
I can't wait for Opportunity to drive up to this exposed bedrock and analyze it.
From New Scientist.
Opportunity's landing, like that of Spirit, was flawless. Every system worked as expected, the landing was unusually gentle, all of the rover's systems passed their initial checkout and a black-and-white panorama of the scene arrived at mission control at the earliest possible communications link.
Furthermore, the small crater in which Opportunity touched down appears to be a geologist's dream. Its smooth and rock-free surface will make driving as easy as possible and straight ahead of a forward ramp lies a large outcrop of bedrock. This is the very thing geologists have been hoping to study but have never before seen on the Martian surface in an accessible place.
I can't wait for Opportunity to drive up to this exposed bedrock and analyze it.
From New Scientist.
Changsha: More Ancient Bamboo Slips Discovered
More than ten thousands pieces of bamboo slips (used for writing on in ancient times) were unearthed recently in Zoumalou Street, Changsha City, Hunan Province. These bamboo documents were mainly used to record administration and judicatory conditions in Han Dynasty 2100 years ago, especially in the reign of Emperor Wudi.
Song Shaohua, director of the Changsha Museum of Bamboo Slips, declared the discovery on January 12. He said, “After primary verification, we believe these bamboo slips are mainly administration and judicatory documents, in fields like lawsuit systems, legislative reforms, statistics systems, traffic and basic conditions of Changsha Kingdom of the Han Dynasty.” He also said these documents are dated to 125 to 120 BC, the early period in the reign of Emperor Wudi, all for official use except one for private use.
The bamboo slips are highly valued by archaeologists and history experts since they provide uniformed correspondence recording government offices, organization and management in Han Dynasty. They also can be used as great supplementary to China’s history masterpiece Records of the Historian (Shiji) compiled by Sima Qian, and History of Han Dynasty (Hanshu).
This is a pretty remarkable find.
From China.org.cn.
Song Shaohua, director of the Changsha Museum of Bamboo Slips, declared the discovery on January 12. He said, “After primary verification, we believe these bamboo slips are mainly administration and judicatory documents, in fields like lawsuit systems, legislative reforms, statistics systems, traffic and basic conditions of Changsha Kingdom of the Han Dynasty.” He also said these documents are dated to 125 to 120 BC, the early period in the reign of Emperor Wudi, all for official use except one for private use.
The bamboo slips are highly valued by archaeologists and history experts since they provide uniformed correspondence recording government offices, organization and management in Han Dynasty. They also can be used as great supplementary to China’s history masterpiece Records of the Historian (Shiji) compiled by Sima Qian, and History of Han Dynasty (Hanshu).
This is a pretty remarkable find.
From China.org.cn.
Friday, January 23, 2004
Opportunity Closes in on the Red Planet
Early Jan. 25, at about 12:05 a.m. EST, NASA's second Mars Exploration Rover -- Opportunity -- will arrive on Mars. It's headed for a region known as Meridiani Planum, halfway around the planet from where its sister robot, the Spirit rover now resides.
What Opportunity might find at that landing site could be the geological mother lode at Mars that scientists seek -- a type of mineral that cries out: "Water was here!" This site may well have been a suitable environment for microbial life.
Lets hope the landing of Opportunity goes as smoothly as Spirit's did, and that the problems that have appeared on Spirit do not happen.
From Space.com.
What Opportunity might find at that landing site could be the geological mother lode at Mars that scientists seek -- a type of mineral that cries out: "Water was here!" This site may well have been a suitable environment for microbial life.
Lets hope the landing of Opportunity goes as smoothly as Spirit's did, and that the problems that have appeared on Spirit do not happen.
From Space.com.
Bob Keeshan, Captain Kangaroo, Dies at 76
Bob Keeshan, who gently entertained and educated generations of children as television's walrus-mustachioed Captain Kangaroo, died Friday at 76.
Keeshan's "Captain Kangaroo" premiered on CBS in 1955 and ran for 30 years before moving to public television for six more. It was wildly popular among children and won six Emmy Awards, three Gabriels and three Peabody Awards.
This is sad, I grew up watching Captain Kangaroo every morning when I was young. This is one of those days you wish you would never see happen.
We will miss you Captain Kangaroo!
From Yahoo - Top Stories AP.
Keeshan's "Captain Kangaroo" premiered on CBS in 1955 and ran for 30 years before moving to public television for six more. It was wildly popular among children and won six Emmy Awards, three Gabriels and three Peabody Awards.
This is sad, I grew up watching Captain Kangaroo every morning when I was young. This is one of those days you wish you would never see happen.
We will miss you Captain Kangaroo!
From Yahoo - Top Stories AP.
U.S. Senator Rushes To Hubble’s Defense
The Hubble Space Telescope’s staunchest congressional protector is urging NASA to reconsider its decision to curtail any further servicing of the 14-year-old observatory.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said she was "shocked and surprised" by NASA’s decision, announced Jan. 16, to terminate what would have been the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission.
In a Jan. 21 letter to NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe, Mikulski, the ranking minority member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees NASA’s budget, askeds the space agency chief to reconsider his decision. Mikulski also asked O’Keefe to appoint an independent panel of outside experts to assess all the ins and outs of conducting another space shuttle mission to Hubble.
Make sure you call your congressional representatives and let them know you want them to support keeping Hubble alive and working for years to come!
From Space.com.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said she was "shocked and surprised" by NASA’s decision, announced Jan. 16, to terminate what would have been the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission.
In a Jan. 21 letter to NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe, Mikulski, the ranking minority member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees NASA’s budget, askeds the space agency chief to reconsider his decision. Mikulski also asked O’Keefe to appoint an independent panel of outside experts to assess all the ins and outs of conducting another space shuttle mission to Hubble.
Make sure you call your congressional representatives and let them know you want them to support keeping Hubble alive and working for years to come!
From Space.com.
Mars Express Confirms Water Ice on Red Planet
The European Mars Express orbiter has confirmed the existence of water ice in the south polar cap of Mars. The craft also beamed back a detailed photo of a channel on the red planet that might have long ago been created by flowing water.
Scientists have long known that Mars' north polar cap is composed mostly of water ice. Previous observations by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) had experts convinced the south polar cap contained water ice, too.
In fact there appears to be a vast store of frozen water mostly buried under a blanket of carbon dioxide ice, commonly called dry ice.
Nice confirmation of data received from Mars Global Surveyor.
From Space.com.
Scientists have long known that Mars' north polar cap is composed mostly of water ice. Previous observations by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) had experts convinced the south polar cap contained water ice, too.
In fact there appears to be a vast store of frozen water mostly buried under a blanket of carbon dioxide ice, commonly called dry ice.
Nice confirmation of data received from Mars Global Surveyor.
From Space.com.
Spirit Rover Sending Data Again, Status Unclear
NASA's Spirit rover communicated with ground controllers early this morning, sending back some data and giving hope that normal operations might resume
The rover had gone mostly silent Wednesday, returning only beeps to acknowledge it was alive. For unknown reasons, Spirit could not transmit data.
NASA officials said in a statement this morning they had received a signal at the agency's Deep Space Network antenna complex near Madrid, Spain at 7:34 a.m. ET.
Spirit communicated for 10 minutes initially and then later for 20 minutes more, for a total of a half-hour of data transmission.
This is good news for the mission, and hopefully things will get back on track.
From Space.com.
The rover had gone mostly silent Wednesday, returning only beeps to acknowledge it was alive. For unknown reasons, Spirit could not transmit data.
NASA officials said in a statement this morning they had received a signal at the agency's Deep Space Network antenna complex near Madrid, Spain at 7:34 a.m. ET.
Spirit communicated for 10 minutes initially and then later for 20 minutes more, for a total of a half-hour of data transmission.
This is good news for the mission, and hopefully things will get back on track.
From Space.com.
The marks of Spirit landing on Mars
Below is an image from JPL showing the landing bounces of Spirit, along with the heatshield and parachute landing spots.
Hubble shows the colorful lives of the outer planets
Uranus and Neptune aren't the identical egg-blue twins they appear to be in natural color, according to NASA Hubble Space Telescope images released today.
Erich Karkoschka of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory used different color filters on Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and the Advanced Camera for Surveys for the observations, taken in August 2003.
Karkoschka used red, green, and blue light filters to show Uranus and Neptune in their natural colors. He used other filters, including near-infrared, for enhanced views. Enhanced views show that Uranus and Neptune are two different worlds.
These images of Neptune and Uranus are pretty amazing.
From Spaceflight Now.
Erich Karkoschka of the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory used different color filters on Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and the Advanced Camera for Surveys for the observations, taken in August 2003.
Karkoschka used red, green, and blue light filters to show Uranus and Neptune in their natural colors. He used other filters, including near-infrared, for enhanced views. Enhanced views show that Uranus and Neptune are two different worlds.
These images of Neptune and Uranus are pretty amazing.
From Spaceflight Now.
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Spirit rover suffers 'serious anomaly'
After a day of troubleshooting, engineers have not yet been able to restore communications with the Spirit rover, which stopped beaming back science and engineering data Wednesday. Project manager Pete Theisinger at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., described the situation as "a very serious anomaly," but said it was too soon to say what might be causing the problem, whether it might be potentially fatal or whether the spacecraft can be restored to normal operation.
"The team has been meeting this morning and through the night working on a set of postulated fault scenarios," Theisinger said. "There is no one single fault that explains all the observables."
He said engineers planned to regroup later this evening to continue troubleshooting and to determine a plan of action.
More information regarding the problems with Spirit.
From Spaceflight Now.
"The team has been meeting this morning and through the night working on a set of postulated fault scenarios," Theisinger said. "There is no one single fault that explains all the observables."
He said engineers planned to regroup later this evening to continue troubleshooting and to determine a plan of action.
More information regarding the problems with Spirit.
From Spaceflight Now.
Spirit rover on Mars goes silent after breakdown
NASA has lost contact with the US robotic probe on Mars, Spirit, because of a serious breakdown, space agency officials said.
"We have a very serious anomally (anomaly) on the vehicle," said Pete Theisinger, project manager for the Mars Exploration Rover mission.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said Wednesday that thunder and lightning storms over Australia had prevented scientists from sending Spirit its daily instructions.
But experts now think a more serious problem caused the blackout.
Not good -- especially after everything had been going so well so far.
From Yahoo - AFP Science
"We have a very serious anomally (anomaly) on the vehicle," said Pete Theisinger, project manager for the Mars Exploration Rover mission.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said Wednesday that thunder and lightning storms over Australia had prevented scientists from sending Spirit its daily instructions.
But experts now think a more serious problem caused the blackout.
Not good -- especially after everything had been going so well so far.
From Yahoo - AFP Science
Canadian finds signs of ancient Greek battle, Archeologist uncovers artifacts of Persian invasion
With help from Herodotus and an Aegean Sea octopus, a Canadian-led scientific expedition appears to have discovered the site of a turning point in world history: The sinking of a massive Persian invasion fleet in a fierce storm that saved Greece at the dawn of western civilization.
During an October dive off the country's northeast coast near Mount Athos -- a site pinpointed by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus -- archeologists retrieved ship storage jars dating from the fifth century BC and the metal butt of a spear that matches those carried by Persian warriors.
The researchers also learned of an earlier find in the same waters by a local fisherman that clinches the significance of the site: Two bronze battle helmets that the Persians would have worn at the time of the world's first great clash between East and West.
This discovery would be a great find, and would fill in any missing information about the doomed Persian invasion force.
From Canada.com, Saskatoon Section.
During an October dive off the country's northeast coast near Mount Athos -- a site pinpointed by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus -- archeologists retrieved ship storage jars dating from the fifth century BC and the metal butt of a spear that matches those carried by Persian warriors.
The researchers also learned of an earlier find in the same waters by a local fisherman that clinches the significance of the site: Two bronze battle helmets that the Persians would have worn at the time of the world's first great clash between East and West.
This discovery would be a great find, and would fill in any missing information about the doomed Persian invasion force.
From Canada.com, Saskatoon Section.
Complete mammoth skull unearthed
A complete mammoth skull has been unearthed in southern England, only the second to be found in Britain.
The specimen was discovered in a gravel pit in the Cotswolds and is estimated to be about 50,000 years old.
The only other complete specimen found in the UK is displayed in the Natural History Museum in London.
With all of the other finds in the United Kingdom, this suprised me when I read it is only the second complete mammoth skull found there.
From BBC Online.
The specimen was discovered in a gravel pit in the Cotswolds and is estimated to be about 50,000 years old.
The only other complete specimen found in the UK is displayed in the Natural History Museum in London.
With all of the other finds in the United Kingdom, this suprised me when I read it is only the second complete mammoth skull found there.
From BBC Online.
New Mars rock hints at past water
A rock found in the Atlas Mountains of southern Morocco in 2001 has been confirmed as Martian in origin.
The meteorite's chemical signature was checked out by researchers at the UK's Southampton Oceanography Centre.
The team that found it was led by experienced meteorite hunters Carine Bidaut and Bruno Fectay, who have now found six rocks from Mars - a record.
The meteorite would have been blasted off the Red Planet by an impact and may hold clues to Mars' watery past.
This type meteorite is only one of 2 that have been discovered on this planet so far. Maybe the information gained from studying this meteorite will help scientists with the current Mars missions.
From BBC Online.
The meteorite's chemical signature was checked out by researchers at the UK's Southampton Oceanography Centre.
The team that found it was led by experienced meteorite hunters Carine Bidaut and Bruno Fectay, who have now found six rocks from Mars - a record.
The meteorite would have been blasted off the Red Planet by an impact and may hold clues to Mars' watery past.
This type meteorite is only one of 2 that have been discovered on this planet so far. Maybe the information gained from studying this meteorite will help scientists with the current Mars missions.
From BBC Online.
Big chill killed off the Neanderthals
It is possibly the longest-running murder mystery of them all. What, or even who, killed humankind's nearest relatives, the Neanderthals who once roamed Europe before dying out almost 30,000 years ago?
Suspects have ranged from the climate to humans themselves, and the mystery has deeply divided experts. Now 30 scientists have come together to publish the most definitive answer yet to this enigma.
They say Neanderthals simply did not have the technological know-how to survive the increasingly harsh winters. And intriguingly, rather than being Neanderthal killers, the original human settlers of Europe almost suffered the same fate.
Interesting article on what might be the answer to why the Neanderthals died out.
From New Scientist.
Suspects have ranged from the climate to humans themselves, and the mystery has deeply divided experts. Now 30 scientists have come together to publish the most definitive answer yet to this enigma.
They say Neanderthals simply did not have the technological know-how to survive the increasingly harsh winters. And intriguingly, rather than being Neanderthal killers, the original human settlers of Europe almost suffered the same fate.
Interesting article on what might be the answer to why the Neanderthals died out.
From New Scientist.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Mars rover science team ponders soil mysteries
In the first patch of soil examined in detail by instruments aboard the Mars Spirit rover, scientists were surprised to find olivine, a silicate mineral that typically forms in igneous rocks of volcanic origin. It also weathers rapidly in the presence of water, posing a mystery of sorts for the rover science team.
Spirit's landing site - Gusev Crater - is believed to have harbored a vast lake in the distant past and the major goal of the rover mission is to find out if water might have existed on the martian surface long enough for life to have evolved.
Olivine was discovered earlier, elsewhere on Mars, by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft currently in orbit around the red planet. The mineral quickly weathers to form clays and iron oxides and its presence could imply an absence of long-standing water in Gusev Crater.
Well, this really isnt a smoking gun against water, but it is against there being any surface water (or water in the upper levels of the soil) recently. Olivine could also be present from more recent meteor impacts.
From Spaceflight Now.
Spirit's landing site - Gusev Crater - is believed to have harbored a vast lake in the distant past and the major goal of the rover mission is to find out if water might have existed on the martian surface long enough for life to have evolved.
Olivine was discovered earlier, elsewhere on Mars, by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft currently in orbit around the red planet. The mineral quickly weathers to form clays and iron oxides and its presence could imply an absence of long-standing water in Gusev Crater.
Well, this really isnt a smoking gun against water, but it is against there being any surface water (or water in the upper levels of the soil) recently. Olivine could also be present from more recent meteor impacts.
From Spaceflight Now.
Europe's orbiter reveals savage Martian landscape
A landscape gashed with valleys is revealed in the first image from the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. It shows an aerial view of part of the Solar System's grandest canyon, the Valles Marineris.
The true colour image was from 275 kilometres above the surface. It shows details as small as 12 metres across in a view that stretches across 65 kilometres of the Red Planet's surface.
This is an amazing picture of Mars.
From New Scientist
The true colour image was from 275 kilometres above the surface. It shows details as small as 12 metres across in a view that stretches across 65 kilometres of the Red Planet's surface.
This is an amazing picture of Mars.
From New Scientist
Mars rover meets its first rock
The Mars rover Spirit has made its first journey on Mars, crossing nearly three metres of the red plains to reach its first target - an angular 30 centimetre rock dubbed "Adirondack".
The rover arrived at the rock on Sunday and has begun at least three days of data collection. First it will take microscopic pictures of the rock's surface, then measurements with the Mossbauer spectrometer and Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer, and ending possibly with the first use of its grinding wheel, the Rock Abrasion Tool.
But mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are also increasingly focusing on the arrival of Spirit's twin rover, Opportunity. It is due to land on the Meridiani Planum at 0505 GMT on Sunday. By that time, the team must have preplanned Spirit's activities for the following three Martian days, in order to give Opportunity their full attention.
And what an exciting 3 days that will be, with dual rovers on the surface of Mars, one relaying back information on its current project, and the other sending back information on its landing site. Watch the NASA TV telecast (either through your tv programming provider or online) for the landing of Opportunity.
From New Scientist.
The rover arrived at the rock on Sunday and has begun at least three days of data collection. First it will take microscopic pictures of the rock's surface, then measurements with the Mossbauer spectrometer and Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer, and ending possibly with the first use of its grinding wheel, the Rock Abrasion Tool.
But mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are also increasingly focusing on the arrival of Spirit's twin rover, Opportunity. It is due to land on the Meridiani Planum at 0505 GMT on Sunday. By that time, the team must have preplanned Spirit's activities for the following three Martian days, in order to give Opportunity their full attention.
And what an exciting 3 days that will be, with dual rovers on the surface of Mars, one relaying back information on its current project, and the other sending back information on its landing site. Watch the NASA TV telecast (either through your tv programming provider or online) for the landing of Opportunity.
From New Scientist.
Monday, January 19, 2004
Fossil embryos delight scientists
UK and Chinese researchers have linked a fossil embryo to a particular animal species for the very first time.
Palaeontologists sifted 6,000 kilograms (13,200 lbs) of rock excavated from southern China, yielding 100 fossil embryos dated to 500 million years ago.
The fossils belong to an extinct species of worm and scientists now know more about its development than that of its closest living relatives.
This is amazing, since there had been approximately 15 true embryos known to science. And to think that these date up to 500 million years ago.
From BBC Online.
Palaeontologists sifted 6,000 kilograms (13,200 lbs) of rock excavated from southern China, yielding 100 fossil embryos dated to 500 million years ago.
The fossils belong to an extinct species of worm and scientists now know more about its development than that of its closest living relatives.
This is amazing, since there had been approximately 15 true embryos known to science. And to think that these date up to 500 million years ago.
From BBC Online.
Rescue for medieval salt ship
Archaeologists are preparing to rescue a medieval salt ship that has been buried beneath mud in Cheshire for nearly 700 years.
The 26ft-long ship was carved out of a single oak tree and experts say it is of national importance.
The vessel, which was discovered during work on a building site, was originally used to store brine as part of a medieval salt works in the centre of Nantwich.
Another ancient ship found preserved in the United Kingdom.
From BBC Online.
The 26ft-long ship was carved out of a single oak tree and experts say it is of national importance.
The vessel, which was discovered during work on a building site, was originally used to store brine as part of a medieval salt works in the centre of Nantwich.
Another ancient ship found preserved in the United Kingdom.
From BBC Online.
Spirit's robot arm extended for detailed study of soil
The Spirit Mars rover unlimbered its robot arm today and took the first microscopic images of another planet's surface. The smooth operation of the arm during the rover's 13th day on Mars was another major milestone in a mission that, so far, has sailed through activation and checkout without any significant problems.
"Today, Spirit began its mission," said Mark Adler, the Mars Exploration Rover mission manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We had a good day. It was a lucky sol No. 13. About seven hours ago, we made our first use of the arm. We put the arm out in front of the rover, down hovering over the soil with the microscopic imager, and we took the first microscopic images of the surface of another planet."
As if that wasn't enough, Spirit made a series of observations in concert with a European satellite that arrived at Mars on Christmas day.
The pictures Spirit has brought back with its microscopic imager are amazing. They can be seen at the bottom of this article.
From Spaceflight Now.
"Today, Spirit began its mission," said Mark Adler, the Mars Exploration Rover mission manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We had a good day. It was a lucky sol No. 13. About seven hours ago, we made our first use of the arm. We put the arm out in front of the rover, down hovering over the soil with the microscopic imager, and we took the first microscopic images of the surface of another planet."
As if that wasn't enough, Spirit made a series of observations in concert with a European satellite that arrived at Mars on Christmas day.
The pictures Spirit has brought back with its microscopic imager are amazing. They can be seen at the bottom of this article.
From Spaceflight Now.
Getting closer to the 'Lord of the Rings'
This time next year, ESA's Huygens spaceprobe will be descending through the atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon, becoming the first spacecraft to land on a body in the outer Solar System.
Earlier this month, the giant ringed planet Saturn was closer to Earth than it will be for the next thirty years. All the planets orbit the Sun as if on a giant racetrack, travelling in the same direction but in different lanes.
I never realized that this probe was hitching a ride on Cassini, but the information we gather back will be worth the wait.
From Spaceflight Now
Earlier this month, the giant ringed planet Saturn was closer to Earth than it will be for the next thirty years. All the planets orbit the Sun as if on a giant racetrack, travelling in the same direction but in different lanes.
I never realized that this probe was hitching a ride on Cassini, but the information we gather back will be worth the wait.
From Spaceflight Now
Spirit Moves Into Martian Rock Garden
Easy pickings is what NASA’s Spirit rover has found on Mars.
Over the weekend, the robot was steered to a select rock at the Gusev Crater landing site, inching up to the target for detailed camera inspection.
The scientific pace of Spirit is picking up.
Once it wheeled off its landing base last Thursday, the robot parked itself on Mars and began to survey the scene. Rover control here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) spotted a set of candidate rock types within a short driving distance for up-close scrutiny.
Things are starting to pick up with Spirit's exploration of Mars. I can't wait for more data on the discoveries to be released.
From Space.com
Over the weekend, the robot was steered to a select rock at the Gusev Crater landing site, inching up to the target for detailed camera inspection.
The scientific pace of Spirit is picking up.
Once it wheeled off its landing base last Thursday, the robot parked itself on Mars and began to survey the scene. Rover control here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) spotted a set of candidate rock types within a short driving distance for up-close scrutiny.
Things are starting to pick up with Spirit's exploration of Mars. I can't wait for more data on the discoveries to be released.
From Space.com
Ancient Cosmic Superstructure Defies Theory
A string of ancient galaxies has thrown astronomers for a loop by defying standard predictions for the evolution of the universe. The colossal structure hints at possible misunderstandings of how the universe, or maybe mysterious dark matter, behaved shortly after the universe was born.
The arc of galaxies is arranged in an easily defined, gravitationally bound superstructure. But it's so old -- forming just 2.8 billion years after the Big Bang -- that astronomers aren’t sure how it had enough time to develop.
While the modern universe is full of galaxy clusters, it should not have been that way so long ago.
Ah the joys of those wrenches that the universe likes to throw into what people thought should happen.
From Space.com Mystery Mondays.
The arc of galaxies is arranged in an easily defined, gravitationally bound superstructure. But it's so old -- forming just 2.8 billion years after the Big Bang -- that astronomers aren’t sure how it had enough time to develop.
While the modern universe is full of galaxy clusters, it should not have been that way so long ago.
Ah the joys of those wrenches that the universe likes to throw into what people thought should happen.
From Space.com Mystery Mondays.
Hubble, Its Fate Sealed, 'Has a Place in Everybody's Heart'
It was hard for astronomers to argue with astronaut and astrophysicist John Grunsfeld when he announced that the Hubble Space Telescope would no longer be serviced again, meaning the venerable observatory's days, or at least its years, were numbered.
Now chief scientist at NASA, Grunsfeld flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia's March 2002 mission to attach a new camera to Hubble, he took along an important science paper written by Edwin Hubble, for whom the telescope was named.
Edwin Hubble discovered in the 1920s that all galaxies are receding from each other -- that the universe is expanding.
This saddens me, as I had hoped that Hubble would have outlived its expectancy like so many NASA missions have done.
From Space.com
Now chief scientist at NASA, Grunsfeld flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia's March 2002 mission to attach a new camera to Hubble, he took along an important science paper written by Edwin Hubble, for whom the telescope was named.
Edwin Hubble discovered in the 1920s that all galaxies are receding from each other -- that the universe is expanding.
This saddens me, as I had hoped that Hubble would have outlived its expectancy like so many NASA missions have done.
From Space.com
Friday, January 16, 2004
A Martian Perspective: The Strange Tale of Two Moons
Viewer's of the Martain sky would be treated to the unusual sight of not one, but two tiny moons, likely asteroids that were captured in the distant past by Mars’ gravitation.
Both were discovered in August 1877 as a result of a systematic search by Asaph Hall (1829-1907) of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Hall actually became so disconsolate after not finding anything that he considered giving up the search, but after some encouragement from his wife, he persisted and found two satellites within several nights of each other.
Hall aptly named them Phobos (fear) and Deimos (panic) after the two sons of Mars who served as his chariot attendants as well as his constant companions.
This is a great story about what the moons of Mars would look like if you were standing on the Red Planet looking for them.
From Space.com.
Both were discovered in August 1877 as a result of a systematic search by Asaph Hall (1829-1907) of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Hall actually became so disconsolate after not finding anything that he considered giving up the search, but after some encouragement from his wife, he persisted and found two satellites within several nights of each other.
Hall aptly named them Phobos (fear) and Deimos (panic) after the two sons of Mars who served as his chariot attendants as well as his constant companions.
This is a great story about what the moons of Mars would look like if you were standing on the Red Planet looking for them.
From Space.com.
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Dinosaurs Once Roamed Brazil's Amazon - Scientists
Scientists said on Wednesday they had found dinosaur fossils in Brazil's Amazon, calling it the "first proof" that the ancient creatures once roamed the region.
The Rio de Janeiro Federal University said in a statement its researchers found 110 million-year-old remains of a new genus and species of dinosaur, dubbed Amazonsaurus maranhensis after the state of Maranhao in northern Brazil.
The find confounded the view of many scientists that paleontology research in the Amazon rainforest is fruitless because of the high humidity, which they believe would have caused relatively rapid decay of fossils.
Just more confirmation on South America and Africa being one large continent.
From Yahoo Science - Reuters
The Rio de Janeiro Federal University said in a statement its researchers found 110 million-year-old remains of a new genus and species of dinosaur, dubbed Amazonsaurus maranhensis after the state of Maranhao in northern Brazil.
The find confounded the view of many scientists that paleontology research in the Amazon rainforest is fruitless because of the high humidity, which they believe would have caused relatively rapid decay of fossils.
Just more confirmation on South America and Africa being one large continent.
From Yahoo Science - Reuters
Historic find is pure gold!
City archaeologists have struck gold - with a major Bronze Age discovery in eastern Europe.
A team of experts from the University of Birmingham has discovered what may be one of the most important archaeological sites of the last 50 years, in a riverbed in Croatia.
Items recovered from the river include more than 90 swords, a Roman legionnaire's dagger complete with sheath, more than 30 Greco-Illyrian helmets, plus numerous items of jewellery, axes and spearheads.
It is believed a large number of objects were thrown into River Cetina deliberately, possibly as offerings to gods.
This is a trove of items discovered in the River Cetina, with some dating back 6000 years ago.
From ICBirmingham
A team of experts from the University of Birmingham has discovered what may be one of the most important archaeological sites of the last 50 years, in a riverbed in Croatia.
Items recovered from the river include more than 90 swords, a Roman legionnaire's dagger complete with sheath, more than 30 Greco-Illyrian helmets, plus numerous items of jewellery, axes and spearheads.
It is believed a large number of objects were thrown into River Cetina deliberately, possibly as offerings to gods.
This is a trove of items discovered in the River Cetina, with some dating back 6000 years ago.
From ICBirmingham
Mummified lion unearthed in Egypt
Archaeologists have uncovered the first example of a lion mummified by the ancient Egyptians, in the tomb of the woman who helped rear King Tutankhamun.
Although the breeding and burial of lions as sacred animals in Egypt is mentioned by ancient sources, to date no one had found a mummified specimen.
The male lion is amongst the largest known to science and its bones show it lived to an old age in captivity.
Details of the discovery are published in the scientific journal Nature.
This is the first lion that has been found mummified in Egypt.
From BBC Online.
Although the breeding and burial of lions as sacred animals in Egypt is mentioned by ancient sources, to date no one had found a mummified specimen.
The male lion is amongst the largest known to science and its bones show it lived to an old age in captivity.
Details of the discovery are published in the scientific journal Nature.
This is the first lion that has been found mummified in Egypt.
From BBC Online.
Six Wheels on Mars! Spirit Free to Roam
NASA’s Spirit Mars rover has wheeled itself onto martian landscape, leaving its stationary lander that served as the robot’s home base for 12 days on the red planet.
Spirit was awoken today from its robotic slumber to the tune, Born to be Wild by the rock group Steppenwolf.
The Mars Exploration Rover was commanded by the click of a mouse button to exit down a lander petal at 12:21:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST). It was ordered to head in a north-northwest direction. The six-wheeled robot is now resting in the stark, rock strewn and geologically rich landscape that is Gusev Crater.
And the rover is ready to roam the Red Planet!
Story from Space.com, Picture from JPL.
Spirit was awoken today from its robotic slumber to the tune, Born to be Wild by the rock group Steppenwolf.
The Mars Exploration Rover was commanded by the click of a mouse button to exit down a lander petal at 12:21:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST). It was ordered to head in a north-northwest direction. The six-wheeled robot is now resting in the stark, rock strewn and geologically rich landscape that is Gusev Crater.
And the rover is ready to roam the Red Planet!
Story from Space.com, Picture from JPL.
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Reworked images reveal hot Venus
As the world looks at Mars, an American scientist has produced the best images ever obtained from the surface of a rather different planet - Venus.
The second planet from the Sun is blanketed with a thick layer of cloud.
Computer researcher Don Mitchell used original digital data from two Soviet Venera probes that landed in 1975.
His reprocessed and recalibrated images provide a much clearer view of the Venusian surface which is hotter even than the inside of a household oven.
I am really suprised this has not gotten more news coverage, as we have not been back to Venus in a while. I would like to see NASA try and send a lander or three to Venus to try and explore the surface with todays technology.
From BBC Online.
The second planet from the Sun is blanketed with a thick layer of cloud.
Computer researcher Don Mitchell used original digital data from two Soviet Venera probes that landed in 1975.
His reprocessed and recalibrated images provide a much clearer view of the Venusian surface which is hotter even than the inside of a household oven.
I am really suprised this has not gotten more news coverage, as we have not been back to Venus in a while. I would like to see NASA try and send a lander or three to Venus to try and explore the surface with todays technology.
From BBC Online.
Spirit Free to Head for the Hills
A robot patiently sitting on the surface of Mars has received its first marching orders.
Scientists have charted where the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover is to journey once the robot’s wheels hit the dirt. After driving off its perch, Spirit will first analyze neighborhood soil and rock, then travel to a nearby crater.
But the long-haul hopes of scientists and engineers here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is to have Spirit head for the hills.
This is great, I was wondering if they were going to try and explore the hills in the distance. I hope that it will make it that far (a little under 2 miles), which would be an incredible boost for the mission.
From Space.com.
Scientists have charted where the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover is to journey once the robot’s wheels hit the dirt. After driving off its perch, Spirit will first analyze neighborhood soil and rock, then travel to a nearby crater.
But the long-haul hopes of scientists and engineers here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is to have Spirit head for the hills.
This is great, I was wondering if they were going to try and explore the hills in the distance. I hope that it will make it that far (a little under 2 miles), which would be an incredible boost for the mission.
From Space.com.
Melting ice in Yukon reveals ancient hunting artifacts
Archeologists working in the Yukon's melting snow fields say they've found some of the oldest evidence of human habitation in the territory.
Last year's warm summer further melted the territory's alpine snowfields, which have become a rich source of artifacts from the territory's pre-history.
The sites have been the subject of worldwide attention since scientists discovered the snowfields were once favourite summer hunting grounds. In 1997, a sheep hunter found the first artifacts near caribou droppings that had melted out of the ice in an alpine meadow.
These sites in the Yukon have been giving up treasures of the inhabitants of Canada ranging as far back as 9000 years ago.
From CBC News
Last year's warm summer further melted the territory's alpine snowfields, which have become a rich source of artifacts from the territory's pre-history.
The sites have been the subject of worldwide attention since scientists discovered the snowfields were once favourite summer hunting grounds. In 1997, a sheep hunter found the first artifacts near caribou droppings that had melted out of the ice in an alpine meadow.
These sites in the Yukon have been giving up treasures of the inhabitants of Canada ranging as far back as 9000 years ago.
From CBC News
Unearthing the past
Scientists have reconstructed the environmental history of a Celtic mining town by digging through a peat bog near Dijon in France in search of lead residues and pollen grains1.
Their results confirm some historical theories about the settlement says Fabrice Monna from the University of Bourgogne in Dijon, who led the study. "Archaeologists suspected that there had been mining there before the first century AD, but there was no direct proof until now."
But the results also serve as a sobering reminder about how long pollution lasts. Monna's team concludes that about 20% of the lead pollution in the peat today was introduced before the eleventh century, and about 50% before the eighteenth century. "This demonstrates that any lead pollution we create today will persist for thousands of years into the future," says Monna.
This mining discovery shows how early certain cultures in Europe were extracting certain materials in France. This will also allow us to understand how long lead poisons an area where it has been left behind.
From Nature.
Their results confirm some historical theories about the settlement says Fabrice Monna from the University of Bourgogne in Dijon, who led the study. "Archaeologists suspected that there had been mining there before the first century AD, but there was no direct proof until now."
But the results also serve as a sobering reminder about how long pollution lasts. Monna's team concludes that about 20% of the lead pollution in the peat today was introduced before the eleventh century, and about 50% before the eighteenth century. "This demonstrates that any lead pollution we create today will persist for thousands of years into the future," says Monna.
This mining discovery shows how early certain cultures in Europe were extracting certain materials in France. This will also allow us to understand how long lead poisons an area where it has been left behind.
From Nature.
Archeologists baffled by ancient wordless bamboo slips
Archeologists declared they found nowritten records on over 1,000 ancient bamboo slips which recently unearthed in Jiuliandun Tombs in central China's Hubei Province.
The archeologists said this is the first time for them to find wordless ancient bamboo slips. Ancient Chinese wrote their recordson bamboo slips, which usually provide more direct information than other cultural relics.
This is a pretty interesting find, considering that they normally would provide information about the history of this area during the Warring States Period.
From People's Daily
The archeologists said this is the first time for them to find wordless ancient bamboo slips. Ancient Chinese wrote their recordson bamboo slips, which usually provide more direct information than other cultural relics.
This is a pretty interesting find, considering that they normally would provide information about the history of this area during the Warring States Period.
From People's Daily
Experts Say Swiss Glaciers Melting Faster
Swiss glaciers have been melting faster than in previous years thanks to the warm weather of 2003 in Europe, officials said Tuesday.
"The general picture shows clearly something is happening that has been unobserved since the beginning of annual measurements in 1880," said a report by the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences.
For the first time, it said, all of the glaciers evaluated — 96 this year — had become shorter. In previous years, a few were unchanged or had even grown longer thanks to snow that had accumulated during the prior winter, it said.
Another victim of global warming.
From Yahoo - Science AP.
"The general picture shows clearly something is happening that has been unobserved since the beginning of annual measurements in 1880," said a report by the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences.
For the first time, it said, all of the glaciers evaluated — 96 this year — had become shorter. In previous years, a few were unchanged or had even grown longer thanks to snow that had accumulated during the prior winter, it said.
Another victim of global warming.
From Yahoo - Science AP.
Mammoth Skull Discovered Near Gulf Coast
The skull of a woolly mammoth unearthed here has been tentatively dated to an age of 38,000 years, paleontologists say.
The remains were unearthed in a sand pit by Texas A&M University students and the Brazosport Archaeological Society. No mammoths had earlier been discovered on the Texas Gulf Coast, Brian Miles, paleontology curator at the Brazosport Museum of Natural Science, told The Brazosport Facts in Tuesday's online edition.
Digging that began Friday had by the weekend produced about 40 strands of clumped hair, presumably from the mammoth, said lead researcher Robson Bonnichsen, director of the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas A&M.
Mammoth finds this far south are exciting, and a possible DNA comparison to the Wooly Mammoth will hopefully shed some light on how similar these two mammoths are.
From Yahoo - Science AP
The remains were unearthed in a sand pit by Texas A&M University students and the Brazosport Archaeological Society. No mammoths had earlier been discovered on the Texas Gulf Coast, Brian Miles, paleontology curator at the Brazosport Museum of Natural Science, told The Brazosport Facts in Tuesday's online edition.
Digging that began Friday had by the weekend produced about 40 strands of clumped hair, presumably from the mammoth, said lead researcher Robson Bonnichsen, director of the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas A&M.
Mammoth finds this far south are exciting, and a possible DNA comparison to the Wooly Mammoth will hopefully shed some light on how similar these two mammoths are.
From Yahoo - Science AP
Monday, January 12, 2004
Spirit Mars Rover Hot On The Science Trail
The Spirit Mars rover sits atop its landing platform and has made one small step toward a giant leap onto the surface of the Red Planet. Engineers have passed a key hurdle in preparing the large robot for its first traverse across its landing site -- Gusev Crater.
On the science front, a central piece of Spirit’s onboard gear relayed its first findings to provide the first clues about Gusev Crater’s past.
Data gleaned over the last several days by the Mini-Thermal Emission Spectrometer -- also dubbed "Mini-TES -- has begun viewing the landscape in infrared, to start determining the mineral composition of martian surface features.
Already the information we have gathered from Spirit has been amazing. There is still so much to learn about Mars.
By far the most intriguing first result is the detection of carbonate by Mini-TES. Carbonate minerals, such as limestone, can form from chemical reactions that pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere into bodies of water.
In addition, the Mini-TES is measuring the carbon dioxide resident in Mars’ atmosphere, data that will be of benefit to atmospheric scientists.
This is great news, regarding the carbonate minerals. The scientists who had already started to discount the lakebed theory due to how the terrain looked where Spirit landed must now be thinking "Why didn't we wait until the initial analysis was over to open our mouths".
From Space.com
On the science front, a central piece of Spirit’s onboard gear relayed its first findings to provide the first clues about Gusev Crater’s past.
Data gleaned over the last several days by the Mini-Thermal Emission Spectrometer -- also dubbed "Mini-TES -- has begun viewing the landscape in infrared, to start determining the mineral composition of martian surface features.
Already the information we have gathered from Spirit has been amazing. There is still so much to learn about Mars.
By far the most intriguing first result is the detection of carbonate by Mini-TES. Carbonate minerals, such as limestone, can form from chemical reactions that pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere into bodies of water.
In addition, the Mini-TES is measuring the carbon dioxide resident in Mars’ atmosphere, data that will be of benefit to atmospheric scientists.
This is great news, regarding the carbonate minerals. The scientists who had already started to discount the lakebed theory due to how the terrain looked where Spirit landed must now be thinking "Why didn't we wait until the initial analysis was over to open our mouths".
From Space.com
Whee
We went out and got Katy a new car this weekend. Her old subaru is being sold to a co-worker, and we have replaced it with a Silver 2003 Honda Accord with 9700 miles on it and a full warranty. It is a sweet car.
Europe's Latest Bid to Contact Mars Probe Fails
The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter failed to contact the Beagle 2 probe in its latest attempt on Saturday, British scientists said.
Mars Express flew over Beagle's designated landing site on Mars at about 1404 GMT but heard no signal, mission scientists said.
Hopes of finding the British-built lander, which was due to touch down on the Red Planet on Christmas Day, are fading fast. Scientists said Mars Express would make another pass over the landing site early on Monday and would listen for a signal. After that, the orbiter will move to less advantageous communicating position.
It is a shame that they haven't been able to contact the Beagle 2. Maybe this loss with drive the European Space Agency to attempt more Mars missions in the future.
From Space.com
Mars Express flew over Beagle's designated landing site on Mars at about 1404 GMT but heard no signal, mission scientists said.
Hopes of finding the British-built lander, which was due to touch down on the Red Planet on Christmas Day, are fading fast. Scientists said Mars Express would make another pass over the landing site early on Monday and would listen for a signal. After that, the orbiter will move to less advantageous communicating position.
It is a shame that they haven't been able to contact the Beagle 2. Maybe this loss with drive the European Space Agency to attempt more Mars missions in the future.
From Space.com
Space Station Leak Traced to U.S. Lab, NASA
A leak which caused air pressure to drop aboard the International Space Station (news - web sites) is most likely to have originated in a hose in a U.S. laboratory on board, a NASA (news - web sites) official in Russia said on Monday.
The leak, discovered late last month, sparked a fresh row over the 16-nation station between the United States and Russia. But both acknowledged that it posed no danger to the two-man crew.
Well, at least the leak has been found and there is no more need for worry on the ISS.
From Yahoo - Reuters Top Stories.
The leak, discovered late last month, sparked a fresh row over the 16-nation station between the United States and Russia. But both acknowledged that it posed no danger to the two-man crew.
Well, at least the leak has been found and there is no more need for worry on the ISS.
From Yahoo - Reuters Top Stories.
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Hope all but gone for Beagle 2
The Beagle 2 mission to Mars is almost certainly dead. A last-ditch attempt to contact the probe by the lander's mothership turned up nothing on Wednesday.
The mothership, Europe's Mars Express orbiter, made its first pass over Beagle 2's landing site at about 1215 GMT. Scientists hoped the orbiter might hear signals from the lander, despite the failure of NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and the 76-metre Jodrell Bank radio dish in the UK to hear any communications after Beagle 2's arrival at Mars on Christmas Day.
But at about 1500 GMT, David Southwood, head of science at the European Space Agency, announced bad news at a press conference in Darmstadt, Germany.
This is unfortunate news, lets hope that they do find something in the next few days and the mission turns into a success.
From New Scientist.
The mothership, Europe's Mars Express orbiter, made its first pass over Beagle 2's landing site at about 1215 GMT. Scientists hoped the orbiter might hear signals from the lander, despite the failure of NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and the 76-metre Jodrell Bank radio dish in the UK to hear any communications after Beagle 2's arrival at Mars on Christmas Day.
But at about 1500 GMT, David Southwood, head of science at the European Space Agency, announced bad news at a press conference in Darmstadt, Germany.
This is unfortunate news, lets hope that they do find something in the next few days and the mission turns into a success.
From New Scientist.
Efforts called for salvaging inscriptions on Great Wall bricks
Inscriptions on bricks on the imperial Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Great Wall section are fading owing to wind and rain erosion for centuries and deterioration of the environment in recent years.
The inscribed bricks are mainly found on the sector of the Great Wall sections in north China's Hebei province, according to Hao Sanjin, a member of the Great Wall Society of China.
The characters mainly record data about the soldiers who built and guarded this section of the wall.
Saving this information can help inform us who built and guarded the particular sections of walls.
From Peoples Daily
The inscribed bricks are mainly found on the sector of the Great Wall sections in north China's Hebei province, according to Hao Sanjin, a member of the Great Wall Society of China.
The characters mainly record data about the soldiers who built and guarded this section of the wall.
Saving this information can help inform us who built and guarded the particular sections of walls.
From Peoples Daily
Castle Ruins Must Make Way for M-Way Roundabout
Work to dismantle historic castle ruins to make way for a roundabout was given the go ahead today.
The decision paves the way for the roundabout on the site of Carrickmines Castle in south Dublin.
The High Court rejected an application for a judicial review of the Government’s decision to demolish the medieval remains – the latest in a series of attempts by conservationists to prevent construction of the M50 junction.
Justice Paul Gilligan threw out all of campaigner Michael Mulcreevy’s main points in seeking an injunction for the work at the castle, which began last month.
So, if you are in this area, call up Justice Paul Gilligan and flood him with requests for this historical landmark to be saved.
From Scotsman.com
The decision paves the way for the roundabout on the site of Carrickmines Castle in south Dublin.
The High Court rejected an application for a judicial review of the Government’s decision to demolish the medieval remains – the latest in a series of attempts by conservationists to prevent construction of the M50 junction.
Justice Paul Gilligan threw out all of campaigner Michael Mulcreevy’s main points in seeking an injunction for the work at the castle, which began last month.
So, if you are in this area, call up Justice Paul Gilligan and flood him with requests for this historical landmark to be saved.
From Scotsman.com
Biggest, Brightest Star Puzzles Astronomers
A team of researchers has found what appears to be the most luminous known star around, one so massive that it shouldn’t have formed in the first place.
The star, known as LBV 1806-20, tips the scales of stellar masses at about 150 times the heft of the Sun. It shines up to 40 million times brighter than the Sun. The previous title-holder called the Pistol Star, is a mere six million times brighter than the Sun and weighs about 100 solar masses.
LBV 1806-20 was known before, but just as a bright blue object in high-powered telescopes. Now it has been examined more closely. Even if it proves to be a binary or triple-star system, and therefore all the mass is not its own, it would still be behemoth, astronomers said here yesterday at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
This star is just HUGE.
From Space.com
The star, known as LBV 1806-20, tips the scales of stellar masses at about 150 times the heft of the Sun. It shines up to 40 million times brighter than the Sun. The previous title-holder called the Pistol Star, is a mere six million times brighter than the Sun and weighs about 100 solar masses.
LBV 1806-20 was known before, but just as a bright blue object in high-powered telescopes. Now it has been examined more closely. Even if it proves to be a binary or triple-star system, and therefore all the mass is not its own, it would still be behemoth, astronomers said here yesterday at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
This star is just HUGE.
From Space.com
Black Hole Gives Up Some Secrets
Three separate teams of researchers have unlocked some longstanding secrets of two stars that have puzzled astronomers for more than 20 years.
The studies focus on the pair of objects known as binary system SS 433, some 16,000 light-years from Earth. The pair consists of an old, faint star locked in a tight orbit with a stellar corpse -- either a black hole or dense neutron star. The presumed black hole constantly strips gas from its companion, channels it into a flat "accretion disk" and then later spits the material out in opposing, polar jets that shoot out at 90-degree angles to the disk.
Astronomers have seen SS 433 do some strange things since the system was first discovered in the 1960s. Not only are its jets detectable in infrared and X-rays, but also visibly too. And the light spectrum seen by astronomers seems to change over time.
This star and black hole duo is pretty interesting, as the light being sucked in by the black hole is too much for it to handle, allowing it to expel the jets of material that are so bright the companion star is not visible except when it eclipses the black hole every 13 days.
From Space.com
The studies focus on the pair of objects known as binary system SS 433, some 16,000 light-years from Earth. The pair consists of an old, faint star locked in a tight orbit with a stellar corpse -- either a black hole or dense neutron star. The presumed black hole constantly strips gas from its companion, channels it into a flat "accretion disk" and then later spits the material out in opposing, polar jets that shoot out at 90-degree angles to the disk.
Astronomers have seen SS 433 do some strange things since the system was first discovered in the 1960s. Not only are its jets detectable in infrared and X-rays, but also visibly too. And the light spectrum seen by astronomers seems to change over time.
This star and black hole duo is pretty interesting, as the light being sucked in by the black hole is too much for it to handle, allowing it to expel the jets of material that are so bright the companion star is not visible except when it eclipses the black hole every 13 days.
From Space.com
Stardust Captures the Best Comet Image Ever
NASA yesterday released a second close-up image of a comet taken Jan. 2 by the Stardust spacecraft. Astronomers said the dozens of photographs beamed back are the best ever made of a comet.
The observations promise to help scientists unravel many remaining mysteries about the makeup and history of comets.
The images of Wild 2 (pronounced "Vilt") were made during a high-speed flyby in which the robotic probe's primary mission was to capture dust particles cast off by the comet. That part of the project was successful, managers said, and the dust is on its way back to Earth inside a sealed capsule. The samples will be returned in 2006.
I can't wait til the samples are returned and we find out more about comets.
From Space.com
The observations promise to help scientists unravel many remaining mysteries about the makeup and history of comets.
The images of Wild 2 (pronounced "Vilt") were made during a high-speed flyby in which the robotic probe's primary mission was to capture dust particles cast off by the comet. That part of the project was successful, managers said, and the dust is on its way back to Earth inside a sealed capsule. The samples will be returned in 2006.
I can't wait til the samples are returned and we find out more about comets.
From Space.com
Astronomers Find Sun's Twin
The Sun has a twin, astronomers announced Tuesday.
The solar doppelganger hits nearly identical marks in temperature, rotation and age. Planet hunters have it on their lists, but there’s no word yet whether carbon-based folks are looking back at their star’s twin, our own Sun.
The star, 18 Scorpii, sits about 47.5 light-years away in the constellation Scorpio, and has long-been suspected of being Sun-like. A team of researchers from Villanova University, however, used observations from four space-based observatories to separate 18 Scorpii from the chaff of thousands of candidates as a definite solar twin.
Considering they only found 3 real differences between this star and our Sun, it is nice to know that our local star is just one of the normal types out there.
From Space.com
The solar doppelganger hits nearly identical marks in temperature, rotation and age. Planet hunters have it on their lists, but there’s no word yet whether carbon-based folks are looking back at their star’s twin, our own Sun.
The star, 18 Scorpii, sits about 47.5 light-years away in the constellation Scorpio, and has long-been suspected of being Sun-like. A team of researchers from Villanova University, however, used observations from four space-based observatories to separate 18 Scorpii from the chaff of thousands of candidates as a definite solar twin.
Considering they only found 3 real differences between this star and our Sun, it is nice to know that our local star is just one of the normal types out there.
From Space.com
First Color Images from the Mars Rover Spirit
Scientists are having a "field day" on Mars, ogling a staggering new view of the Red Planet revealed through the camera eyes of NASA's Spirit rover.
Sitting on its landing perch within Gusev Crater, Spirit used its Panoramic Camera, PanCam for short, to reveal the martian landscape to be a colorful, dazzling locale ripe for exploration.
The initial view released, a mosaic of 12 separate pictures, was taken from the front of the rover. At 12 million pixels, the image and the rest that followed, are the highest resolution pictures ever obtained from Mars. It is a 45-degree field of view of the terrain in Gusev Crater.
I know i posted the first picture yesterday, but here is a story to go along with it.
From Space.com
Sitting on its landing perch within Gusev Crater, Spirit used its Panoramic Camera, PanCam for short, to reveal the martian landscape to be a colorful, dazzling locale ripe for exploration.
The initial view released, a mosaic of 12 separate pictures, was taken from the front of the rover. At 12 million pixels, the image and the rest that followed, are the highest resolution pictures ever obtained from Mars. It is a 45-degree field of view of the terrain in Gusev Crater.
I know i posted the first picture yesterday, but here is a story to go along with it.
From Space.com
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
First Color Image from Spirit
Well Yields Insights Into Jamestown
Artifacts found in the remains of a 17th-century well in historic Jamestown, including farm tools and a pewter flagon, provide glimpses into the early life of the pioneering settlement and its struggles for survival, archaeologists said Monday.
The well, built as early as 1617, is likely the oldest of two dozen wells discovered at the first permanent English settlement in North America. Since it was found in the summer of 2002 it has yielded a treasure trove of artifacts ranging from drinking vessels likely dropped by accident to armor, the archaeologists said.
Intersting finds from the earliest settlement times of Jamestown.
From Yahoo Science - AP
The well, built as early as 1617, is likely the oldest of two dozen wells discovered at the first permanent English settlement in North America. Since it was found in the summer of 2002 it has yielded a treasure trove of artifacts ranging from drinking vessels likely dropped by accident to armor, the archaeologists said.
Intersting finds from the earliest settlement times of Jamestown.
From Yahoo Science - AP
Archeologists find ancient cemetery in Egypt
Polish and Egyptian archeologists have unearthed an ancient cemetery containing the 4,000-year-old tomb of a royal official, Egypt's antiquities officials announced Wednesday.
Culture Minister Farouk Hosni said the necropolis near the pyramids of Saqqara, about 25 kilometres south of Cairo, contained the tomb of Ny-Ankh-Nefetem, identified in hieroglyphic writing as the god's servant of the pyramids of kings Unas and Teti, who ruled successively from 2375 to 2291 B.C.
Any information about Saqqara is important.
From The Globe and Mail
Culture Minister Farouk Hosni said the necropolis near the pyramids of Saqqara, about 25 kilometres south of Cairo, contained the tomb of Ny-Ankh-Nefetem, identified in hieroglyphic writing as the god's servant of the pyramids of kings Unas and Teti, who ruled successively from 2375 to 2291 B.C.
Any information about Saqqara is important.
From The Globe and Mail
The 400BC Ferrari
AN Iron Age chariot unearthed at an Edinburgh building site has been proved the oldest in Britain.
Radiocarbon tests on the wheels of the chariot, which has been described as a "Ferrari of the Iron Age", have proved it dates back to 400BC - 200 years earlier than the previous oldest British find.
Archaeologists studying it have also discovered ancient Scots were more in touch with continental Europe than was previously thought.
This is an important find which links the northern British Isles with mainland Europe much earlier than believed.
From Scotsman.com
Radiocarbon tests on the wheels of the chariot, which has been described as a "Ferrari of the Iron Age", have proved it dates back to 400BC - 200 years earlier than the previous oldest British find.
Archaeologists studying it have also discovered ancient Scots were more in touch with continental Europe than was previously thought.
This is an important find which links the northern British Isles with mainland Europe much earlier than believed.
From Scotsman.com
Sunday, January 04, 2004
More Spirit Information regarding Mission Status
Spaceflight Now has a great text based page for mission updates, along with links to pictures from Spirit on Mars. They are doing a great job of posting frequent updates of the status of the rover and the mission.
Keep up the great work guys!
Keep up the great work guys!
Spirit's First Images of the Red Planet
What a night," said Steve Squyres, Principal Investigator for Spirit from Cornell University. "Spirit has shown us her new home, Gusev Crater. It’s a glorious place…a wonderful place from a science perspective," he said in a midnight press event at JPL.
In taking a first look at images, Squyres said that Spirit’s final resting spot shows it near distinctive patterns of impact craters. "It looks to be tailor made for our vehicle. We see rocks. We see enough rocks that we can do great science with them…not so many that they are going to get in our way," he said.
"I’m looking forward to some good driving in the weeks and months ahead," Squyres said. The site is ideally suited for Spirit’s suite of instruments, he said.
Great pictures from the Matrian landscape. And a great mission ahead still.
From Space.com.
In taking a first look at images, Squyres said that Spirit’s final resting spot shows it near distinctive patterns of impact craters. "It looks to be tailor made for our vehicle. We see rocks. We see enough rocks that we can do great science with them…not so many that they are going to get in our way," he said.
"I’m looking forward to some good driving in the weeks and months ahead," Squyres said. The site is ideally suited for Spirit’s suite of instruments, he said.
Great pictures from the Matrian landscape. And a great mission ahead still.
From Space.com.
Spirit's First Images of the Red Planet
What a night," said Steve Squyres, Principal Investigator for Spirit from Cornell University. "Spirit has shown us her new home, Gusev Crater. It’s a glorious place…a wonderful place from a science perspective," he said in a midnight press event at JPL.
In taking a first look at images, Squyres said that Spirit’s final resting spot shows it near distinctive patterns of impact craters. "It looks to be tailor made for our vehicle. We see rocks. We see enough rocks that we can do great science with them…not so many that they are going to get in our way," he said.
"I’m looking forward to some good driving in the weeks and months ahead," Squyres said. The site is ideally suited for Spirit’s suite of instruments, he said.
Great pictures from the Matrian landscape. And a great mission ahead still.
From Space.com.
Spirit's First Images of the Red Planet
What a night," said Steve Squyres, Principal Investigator for Spirit from Cornell University. "Spirit has shown us her new home, Gusev Crater. It’s a glorious place…a wonderful place from a science perspective," he said in a midnight press event at JPL.
In taking a first look at images, Squyres said that Spirit’s final resting spot shows it near distinctive patterns of impact craters. "It looks to be tailor made for our vehicle. We see rocks. We see enough rocks that we can do great science with them…not so many that they are going to get in our way," he said.
"I’m looking forward to some good driving in the weeks and months ahead," Squyres said. The site is ideally suited for Spirit’s suite of instruments, he said.
Great pictures from the Matrian landscape. And a great mission ahead still.
From Space.com.
Saturday, January 03, 2004
Ancient site hints at first US settlers
Stone-age people lived in the lands north of the Arctic Circle before the peak of thelast Ice Age - much earlier than had been thought, suggests new findings.
The discovery of the site in eastern Siberia also hints that people might have moved from the Old World into the Americas at a much earlier date than believed.
The site along the Yanu River, carbon-dated as 30,000 years old, is twice the age of the oldest previously known Arctic settlement, report Vladimir Pitulko of the Institute for the History of Material Culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and colleagues.
This is huge, and renews the debate on when people first settled in the America's. And being 2000 km from the Bering Straight, it shows that people could have moved across the land bridge at a much earlier time.
From New Scientist
The discovery of the site in eastern Siberia also hints that people might have moved from the Old World into the Americas at a much earlier date than believed.
The site along the Yanu River, carbon-dated as 30,000 years old, is twice the age of the oldest previously known Arctic settlement, report Vladimir Pitulko of the Institute for the History of Material Culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and colleagues.
This is huge, and renews the debate on when people first settled in the America's. And being 2000 km from the Bering Straight, it shows that people could have moved across the land bridge at a much earlier time.
From New Scientist
That's the Spirit! Mars Rover Lands Safely on Mars
After some seven months of interplanetary travel, NASA’s Mars rover, Spirit, has rolled to a full stop on the surface of the Red Planet.
Jubilant scientists and engineers here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) monitored the craft’s tricky list of entry, descent, and landing duties via a series of tones. The signals relayed from the Mars-bound Spirit helped ground controllers assess the state of the rover as it fell into a pre-selected landing zone within the center of Gusev Crater, thought to have held a lake long ago.
I can't wait to see what information is discovered in this landing zone. If it is found that this might actually have been a lake, we will know that Mars once did have water on its surface.
From Space.com
Jubilant scientists and engineers here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) monitored the craft’s tricky list of entry, descent, and landing duties via a series of tones. The signals relayed from the Mars-bound Spirit helped ground controllers assess the state of the rover as it fell into a pre-selected landing zone within the center of Gusev Crater, thought to have held a lake long ago.
I can't wait to see what information is discovered in this landing zone. If it is found that this might actually have been a lake, we will know that Mars once did have water on its surface.
From Space.com
Quarry in Tow, Stardust Begins Long Journey Home
Stardust is on its way home with its quarry -- comet particles some 4.5 billion years old -- in tow.
After a five-year journey covering nearly 3.2 billion kilometers, the NASA sample-grabber finally closed Jan. 2 on the object of its pursuit, the Comet Wild 2 (pronounced “Vilt 2”)
Even more congratulations to NASA for this successful mission.
From Space.com
After a five-year journey covering nearly 3.2 billion kilometers, the NASA sample-grabber finally closed Jan. 2 on the object of its pursuit, the Comet Wild 2 (pronounced “Vilt 2”)
Even more congratulations to NASA for this successful mission.
From Space.com
WE SEE IT! SPIRIT TONES ARE HEARD!
Direct quote from CNN, Spirit's tones have been heard, the craft is sitting on the ground and is intact! HUGE congratulations to NASA on this successful landing of Spirit.
Rover Enters Mars Atmosphere for Risky Landing
A robotic explorer designed to search for signs of life on Mars entered the planet's upper atmosphere on Saturday on its way to a dangerous parachute and rocket-assisted landing, NASA scientists said.
The Spirit rover, encased in a protective shell and heat shield, sent an electronic signal to the scientists at the space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena telling them that it had begun its six-minute final descent through the red planet's atmosphere.
And here I sit watching CNN and NASA TV waiting to hear if they have found the signal from Spirit after its landing. When i hear any additional information, I will be sure to post it here.
From Yahoo - Top Stories - Reuters
The Spirit rover, encased in a protective shell and heat shield, sent an electronic signal to the scientists at the space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena telling them that it had begun its six-minute final descent through the red planet's atmosphere.
And here I sit watching CNN and NASA TV waiting to hear if they have found the signal from Spirit after its landing. When i hear any additional information, I will be sure to post it here.
From Yahoo - Top Stories - Reuters
