The potentially habitable alien world, a first for Kepler, orbits a star very much like our own sun. The discovery brings scientists one step closer to finding a planet like our own — one that could conceivably harbor life, scientists said… more..
This diagram compares our own solar system to Kepler-22, a star system containing the first "habitable zone" planet discovered by NASA's Kepler mission. Source NASA / Ames / JPL Caltech
You know by now my desire for you to find the wonder in science: the origin of the universe, multi-generational space travel, life on other planets, even the confluence of doomsday theories for 12.21.2012. So has your curiosity been piqued yet?
Scientists spend their lives exploring the unknown, searching for clues that might lead to the answers. Just such a quest is about to begin this week! The Curiosity Rover, pictured above is set to launch from Cape Canaveral this Saturday (11/26) at 10:02 am. Its mission to Mars will try to answer the question, “Is there life out there?”. Read more ….
Although the Shuttle Program has come to an end, our exploration of space continues. At 12:25 pm (EDT) today, the Juno spacecraft blasted off atop an Atlas V rocket bound for
NASA's Juno mission lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Jupiter. This five year 1.7 billion mile journey will culminate in the spacecraft making 33 orbits of the largest planet in our solar system. Using a variety of on-board instruments Juno will peer through Jupiter’s dense cloud cover to learn more about its origins, structure and atmosphere.
“From Juno we’re going to go learn about Jupiter so we can start to put together the pieces of how the solar system was made,” said planetary scientist and mission leader Scott Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute in the video below. “Jupiter’s got the first clues for us.”
Did you see it? I was watching the count down and launch on TV then went outside to see Discovery clear the clouds in the distance.
So with only 2 shuttle flights left, what are your thoughts on the future of human space exploration?
NASA’s Stardust NExT does — a date with a comet. At around 11:30 tonight Stardust NExT will meet up with Temple 1, the comet previously visited by Deep Impact in 2006. …. read more
Yah, I know I need my sleep, and I need to be ready for school in the morning but everyone I know will be up at 1:36 am EDT Tuesday (tomorrow). How about you?
I’ve been sitting at my computer watching live feed from the Cape. The sun is setting and Discovery’s on the launch pad bathed in light, vapor coming off the external fuel tank. Really a beautiful site.
I am a little concerned about the weather both at the coast and here. There maybe some rain and concerns about lightning near the launch site and here we might have cloud cover to obscure the site.
I’ll be watching the forecast tonight before I set my alarm. Hmmm 1:30 am or 6:30 am?