News, Tuesday, 04 July 2006 NASA Aims for Independence Day Space Shuttle Launch The next launch attempt for Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-121 mission to the International Space Station is scheduled for today, July 4, at 12:38 p.m. MDT. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/releases/2006/release-20060702.html +++++ NASA TV Shuttle Launch Coverage Begins at 6:30 a.m. MDT Today http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html +++++ Jul/Aug Nova Officially On Line The newest issue of SLAS's newsletter, Nova, is now officially available as a PDF from the SLAS web site. http://slas.us/Nova/2006/NOVAV36N4.PDF +++++ SLAS 2006 New Member Handbook Officially On Line The 2006 version os SLAS New Member Handbook is now officially available as a PDF from the SLAS web site. http://slas.us/docs/NEWMEM2006.pdf +++++ Small Asteroid Flies By Earth An asteroid hurtling through space came within a hair's breadth -- in astronomical terms, at least -- of crashing into the Earth early Monday, US scientists said. http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Small_Asteroid_Flies_By_Earth_999.html +++++ Clues in the Clouds Cassini images of Saturn's dynamic atmosphere... http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2187 +++++ Cosmic Fireworks The remains of four supernovas in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy provide a dazzling display of one of nature's most explosive events. http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2006/4snr/ +++++ Falling Onto the Dark ESO's Very Large Telescope has helped astronomers discover a large primordial 'blob', more than 10 billion light-years away. http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2006/pr-23-06.html +++++ Spirit "Warms up the Engines," Continues Work on Mars Spirit has conducted studies of a soil target nicknamed "Halley Brunt," which is an undisturbed exposure of bright, sparkly bits of soil near the rover's left front wheel. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_spiritAll.html#sol874 +++++ Jules Verne Passes Acoustic Test Acoustic testing of Jules Verne, the first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), has successfully been completed at ESA's test facilities in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMTHPVT0PE_index_0.html http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESApod/SEMYIPVT0PE_0.html +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** Images and Data From Cassini-Huygens At: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/latest/index.cfm http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-releases.cfm +++++ Information On The Mars Rovers At: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html +++++ SLAS 2006 Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/LOCAL.HTML +++++ SSA / UMNH 2006 Southern Utah Public Star Party Schedule http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/STARPARTIES.HTML +++++ ************************************************** News is being sent to you because of your affiliation with the Salt Lake Astronomical Society or because you are subscribed to the Utah Astronomy Listserve. To unsubscribe please send your request to paw at wirelessbeehive dot com. Check out my NASA Solar System Ambassador web site at: http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky and mirrored at http://utahastro.info/ For astronomy clubs in Utah see: http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/UTAHCLUBS.HTML For the Utah Astronomy Listserve see: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy ************************************************** -- Patrick Wiggins NASA Solar System Ambassador to Utah & NE Nevada paw at wirelessbeehive dot com http://www.umnh.utah.edu/utahsky http://utahastro.info/ 435.882.1209 801.918.9092