News, 07 AUG 2003 Today Mars Reaches 23.5 Arc Seconds & Transits At 03:22 (at SPOC) +++++ Saturday's CCD Seminar There are 3 spots open in this coming Saturday afternoon's CCD seminar to be hosted by SLAS member Edward Kort in SLC. If you'd like to sign up please reply to this message. +++++ Mars Exploration Rover Mission Status The first in-flight checkouts of the science instruments and engineering cameras on NASA's twin Spirit and Opportunity spacecraft on their way to Mars have provided an assessment of the instruments' condition after the stressful vibrations of launch. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2003/109.cfm +++++ Riding The Sun: Maiden Flight Looms For Solar Sail Satellite Before the year's end, a team of civilians united by a passion for space travel will launch a spacecraft into orbit to test a new space-traveling technology. http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/cosmos_sail_030806.html +++++ Asteroids Dedicated to Space Shuttle Columbia Crew http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2003/108.cfm +++++ Asteroid Juno Has A Bite Out Of It If someone sneaks a bite of your chocolate chip cookie, they leave behind evidence of their pilferage in the form of a crescent of missing cookie. The same is true in our solar system, where an impact can take a bite out of a planet or moon, leaving behind evidence in the form of a crater. http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/press/pr0318.html +++++ Theory Of Time Rattles Halls Of Science A radical new theory of time and motion has some of the worlds physicists doubting the claim while others laud the 27-year-old college dropout who came up with it, an unknown big thinker named Peter Lynds. http://www.msnbc.com/news/949048.asp?cp1=1#BODY +++++ The Latest Mars Global Surveyor Images South Polar Scarps (Released 31 July 2003) http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/07/31/index.html Gale Sedimentary Rocks (Released 01 August 2003) http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/08/01/index.html Warrego Valles (Released 2 August 2003) http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/08/02/index.html Labou Vallis (Released 03 August 2003) http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/08/03/index.html Marte Vallis Platy Flows (Released 04 August 2003) http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/08/04/index.html Aeolis Yardangs (Released 05 August 2003) http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/08/05/index.html Pedestal Crater and Yardangs (Released 06 August 2003) http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/08/06/index.html +++++ More Amateur Pics Veil Nebula http://www.starryscapes.com/nebula/ic1340.html Helix Nebula http://astroshed.com/st10pics/helix.html NGC 281 http://members.aon.at/wpromper/ngc_281.htm +++++ ************************************************** News is being sent to you because of your affiliation with an astronomy club in Utah or because you asked to be subscribed. To unsubscribe please send your request to paw@trilobyte.net. News Internet access provided by: Trilo BYTE, http://www.trilobyte.net. Check out my NASA Solar System Ambassador web site at: http://planet.state.ut.us For astronomy clubs in Utah see: http://planet.state.ut.us/utahclubs.html For the Utah Astronomy Listserve see: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy ************************************************** -- Patrick Wiggins NASA Solar System Ambassador to Utah http://planet.state.ut.us 435.882.1209 (observatory) 801.918.9092 (cell)