entire Web this site SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS: July 2006 home > space & science news > space & science news: July 2006: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Newfound blob is biggest thing in the universe Jul 30, 2006 Station studies face hibernation Jul 29, 2006 NASA's plans could hurt Moon and Mars missions Jul 28, 2006 Mysterious quasar casts doubt on black holes Jul 27, 2006 Titan weather: Methane downpours and drizzle Jul 27, 2006 Close encounter for Jupiter spots Jul 26, 2006 Amazon chief sets out to make space affordable Jul 26, 2006 Titan may be a land of lakes after all Jul 25, 2006 Bigelow's big gamble: Building a space station Jul 25, 2006 Relic neutrinos join the hunt for dark energy Jul 24, 2006 Electromagnetic space travel for bugs? Jul 23, 2006 Space tourists offered walkabout Jul 21, 2006 Patch of Saturn's moon resembles Earth Jul 21, 2006 Stellar explosion revealed in unique detail Jul 20, 2006 Secrets of ocean birth laid bare Jul 19, 2006 Europe set for bigger station role Jul 19, 2006 MIT team envisions exploring Mars with mini probes Jul 19, 2006 Discovery makes Florida landing Jul 17, 2006 Back to back rocket shots set for New Mexico spaceport Jul 17, 2006 Space shuttle moves away from ISS Jul 16, 2006 Inflatable space module launches Jul 14, 2006 Astronauts finish final spacewalk Jul 13, 2006 Model of inflatable space hotel set to launch Jul 12, 2006 Earliest black holes bent the 'laws' of physics Jul 12, 2006 High drama spacewalk ends in success Jul 11, 2006 Key Indian satellite launch fails Jul 11, 2006 Space shuttle cleared for return Jul 10, 2006 Mini solar system could reveal hidden dimensions Jul 9, 2006 Discovery docks after 'backflip' Jul 7, 2006 Bizarre neutron star is old before its time Jul 6, 2006 Dark matter cloud found sucking in nearby gas Jul 6, 2006 Sunshade to look for distant life Jul 6, 2006 Shuttle's tank 'performed well' Jul 5, 2006 Shuttle Discovery races skyward Jul 4, 2006 Was there life on Mars? Shiny rock coating may hold the answer Jul 3, 2006 Weather frustrates shuttle again Jul 2, 2006 Asteroid set for close encounter Jul 1, 2006 NASA chooses names for future launchers Jul 1, 2006 Space station's future rides on next shuttle launch Jul 1, 2006 Newfound blob is biggest thing in the universe (Jul 30, 2006) An enormous amoeba-like structure 200 million light-years wide and made up of galaxies and large bubbles of gas is the largest known object in the universe, scientists say. The galaxies and gas bubbles, called Lyman alpha blobs, are aligned along three curvy filaments that formed about 2 billion years after the universe exploded into existence after the theoretical Big Bang. The filaments were recently seen using the Subaru and Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea. Read more. Source: space.com Station studies face hibernation (Jul 29, 2006) The US space agency, NASA, is considering putting research onboard the space station on hold for at least a year to make up for a cash shortfall. The space station research budget was cut to $200m last year due to increased costs in the shuttle programme and Hurricane Katrina losses. Read more. Source: BBC NASA's plans could hurt Moon and Mars missions (Jul 28, 2006) A sharply-worded US government report says that NASA is on the verge of a major mistake that could make its plans for finishing the space station and going on the explore the Moon cost more, take longer and achieve less. The report, by the Government Accountability Office, specifically criticises NASA's stated plan to award a contract in September 2006 for the design, testing, fabrication and maintenance of the Crew Exploration Vehicle. Read more. Source: New Scientist Mysterious quasar casts doubt on black holes (Jul 27, 2006)A controversial alternative to black hole theory has been bolstered by observations of an object in the distant universe, researchers say. If their interpretation is correct, it might mean black holes do not exist and are in fact bizarre and compact balls of plasma called MECOs. Read more. Source: New Scientist Titan weather: Methane downpours and drizzle (Jul 27, 2006) Only two worlds in the solar system have rain that falls all the way to the ground. We live on one; the other is Saturn's giant moon Titan. Now findings from the Cassini mission and the Huygens probe that landed on Titan last year are starting to reveal the patterns of rainfall on the moon. Unmistakable river channels cut into Titan's icy terrain. So there must be some kind of rainfall, almost certainly drops of liquid methane, to feed the rivers. Read more. Source: New Scientist Close encounter for Jupiter spots (Jul 26, 2006) Jupiter's two giant red spots have brushed past each other, after approaching on a "collision course". The Great Red Spot has been known for at least 130 years. The newer spot, nicknamed "Red Jr", formed from three smaller features between 1998 and 2000. The two spots are actually massive storm systems in Jupiter's atmosphere. Read more. Source: BBC Amazon chief sets out to make space affordable (Jul 26, 2006) He has conquered the world of online shopping and now he is set to conquer the universe. Unless, that is, the gophers and chipmunks stop him. Fresh details have emerged about a plan by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, to develop commercial spacecraft that would launch into orbit from a spaceport being planned for the scrubland of West Texas. Read more. Source: Independent Titan may be a land of lakes after all (Jul 25, 2006) At last, we know that Titan has lakes. Probably. NASA's Cassini spacecraft buzzed the giant moon again this weekend, and raked its radar beam across Titan's north pole. The image it returned shows black patches near the pole, some of them apparently fed by drainage channels. The darkness of these areas implies that none of the radar beam bounced back to Cassini. The most likely explanation is that it hit a very smooth surface – probably liquid methane or ethane, which are stable at the -180°C temperatures of Titan's surface. Read more. Source: New Scientist Bigelow's big gamble: Building a space station (Jul 25, 2006) The Genesis-1 module orbiting the Earth not only transmits its temperature, integrity, power levels and overall health – it also signals entrepreneurial zeal and private sector spunk. As a pathfinder demonstrator spacecraft, the Genesis-1 mission marks the birth of a long-term vision to build and orbit space structures for commercial and public use. Footing the bill on this business venture – now gauged at upwards of a $75 million outlay – is Robert Bigelow. Read more. Source: space.com Relic neutrinos join the hunt for dark energy (Jul 24, 2006) Massive optical telescopes on mountain tops have been the main tools for exploring dark energy – the mysterious stuff that is accelerating the expansion of the universe. Soon the quest could move underground. Neutrinos born in stellar cataclysms and detected in gigantic water tanks buried in mines may become the new probes for dark energy. Read more. Source: New Scientist 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 BACK TO TOP

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