News, Saturday, 12 AUG 2006 SLAS Web Site Updated SLAS President Lowell Lyon reports he has updated SLAS's on line events calendar with information on all of the year's remaining general meetings. A quick check of the site shows that lecture topics will include archaeoastronomy, astrophotography and astrobiology. http://slas.us/CALENDAR.ASP +++++ SLAS Board Nominations Due This Month According to the SLAS constitution "Members wishing to run for office shall file their candidacy with the Secretary during August but no later than the end of the August general meeting. All candidates will be announced during the August general meeting." +++++ Post Readiness Review Press Conference NASA officials will host a news conference no earlier than noon MDT, Wednesday, Aug. 16, following a two-day detailed assessment of the readiness of Space Shuttle Atlantis for launch. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/aug/HQ_M06125_readiness_review.html +++++ 1000th Sungrazing Comet Discovered by SOHO Polish amateur comet hunter Arkadiusz Kubczak recently discovered his third comet in SOHO LASCO coronagraph images, but this one was special... http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMQ0AJZBQE_index_0.html +++++ Earth From Space: Raging Fires This Envisat image taken on 9 August 2006 captures some of the fires raging across north-western Spain and Portugal. http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMMDJY7QQE_index_0.html +++++ Opportunity Recovers from Brief Operational Anomaly While Opportunity was collecting images with the panoramic camera on the rover's 902nd Martian day a spacecraft anomaly caused the rover's fault protection software to interrupt operations... http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_opportunityAll.html#sol900 +++++ Spirit Survives Second Winter Solstice on Mars Spirit has now survived the rover's second Martian winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year with the least amount of sunlight and solar energy. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_spiritAll.html#sol922 +++++ Danish Expedition Tracked by Envisat Satellite The purpose of the expedition is to carry out research on climate and weather changes, earthquakes, tsunamis and animal and plant marine life. http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMA29JZBQE_index_0.html +++++ Barcelona Footballers Call Space Station Crew On board the International Space Station the Expedition 13 crew were delighted to receive a phone call from some of the world's most famous football stars earlier this week. http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMJ5MY7QQE_FeatureWeek_0.html +++++ Ariane 5 launches two telecommunications satellites On 11 August 2006, an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits. http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMDW969PQE_index_0.html +++++ U of U Display Captures Range Creek Secrets Previously hidden treasures of Range Creek Canyon are featured in an extensive new exhibit in the Utah Museum of Natural History, opening today. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C3949%2C%2C00.html +++++ Rosy Tan Moon Unlike most of the dull grey moons in the Solar System, Hyperion's color is a rosy tan, as this view shows. http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2229 +++++ Science: Glaciers Important Factor in Sea Level Rise The Greenland Ice Sheet is melting at an increasing rate—three times faster than in the preceding five years, according to new research published in the 11 August 2006 issue of the journal Science. http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0811scipak.shtml +++++ SR-71 Blackbird Simulator Leaves NASA Dryden for New Home One of the last vestiges of the SR-71 high-speed flight project at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center was hauled away on a flatbed truck in early July. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/NewsReleases/2006/06-30.html +++++ Boston’s Classy Telescope Auction The Skinner auction in Boston featured a stunning array of “brass and glass.” http://skytonight.com/news/3513326.html +++++ Bigelow's Bigger Ambitions In a provocative announcement, Bigelow Aerospace says that the success of its Genesis 1 inflatable orbital module has led it to make some "bold decisions"... http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/08/11/1993.aspx +++++ Jonathan's Space Report - Latest Issue http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html +++++ STS Update http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/status-20060811.html +++++ Cassini Update http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/sig-event-details.cfm?newsID=683 +++++ ISS Update http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/spacenews/reports/issreports/2006/iss06-37.html +++++ ************************************************** ************************************************** Free Telescopes For SLAS Members SLAS has several scopes available for free, long term loan to current SLAS members who have belonged to SLAS for at least 30 days. http://slas.us/membership_benefits.htm +++++ Images and Data From Cassini-Huygens At:s 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