The sharpest images ever taken of Jupiter's icy moon Callisto show a group of features never seen before on the remote bodyicy, knoblike spires that show signs of slow but steady erosion. (p. 174)
Found in: Planetary Science
The largest dust storm observed on Mars in 25 years is now engulfing the Red Planet. (p. 53)
Found in: Planetary Science
For armchair space explorers, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers a tutorial on how to operate an interplanetary space mission. Originally created a decade ago, the newly updated guide includes information on spacecraft engineering, mission design, trajectories, launch, navigation, telecommunications, and much more.Go to: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/basics/
Published:
2001-07-23 11:09:44
Found in: Planetary Science
Observations of warm dust swaddling a young, nearby star suggest that astronomers may have found evidence of a massive asteroid belt outside the solar system. (p. 375)
Found in: Planetary Science
Measurements with a magnetometer aboard the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft a few days after it landed on the asteroid 433 Eros confirmed a major puzzle: The rock has no detectable magnetic field. (p. 341)
Found in: Planetary Science
Two recent studies could inject new life into the argument that a 4-billion-year-old Martian meteorite contains fossils of bacteria from the Red Planet but several scientists say the reports fall short of resurrecting that notion. (p. 150)
Found in: Planetary Science
New stereo images of Ganymede, the solar system's largest satellite, suggest that eruptions of water or slushy ice a billion or more years ago gave parts of the moon a facelift, creating long, flat bands of nearly pure water-ice. (p. 133)
Found in: Planetary Science
On Feb. 12, NEAR Shoemaker became the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid, the space rock 433 Eros. (p. 103)
Found in: Planetary Science
The 11-year cycle of solar storms has begun to peak, already affecting several Earth satellites and disturbing electric power systems on the ground, and scientists expect 2 more years of this solar maximum turmoil. (p. 26)
Found in: Planetary Science