Last Night: Longest Total Solar Eclipse of the Century

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The total solar eclipse July 22, 2009 set a record for the longest and darkest of the 21st century. In eastern China and India today, the eclipse was watched in numbers under its trajectory across Southeast Asia. Reports of the day quickly becoming pitch black also accompanied by a drop in temperature, spooking zoo animals and inspiring reflection in onlookers. The eclipse lasted 6 minutes and 39 seconds and will not be surpassed in length until January 2132.

The stunning spectacle in the sky was 2 of 3 total eclipses happening in a 1-month period. The third will occur August 6th.

More information can be found at NASA's eclipse bulletin board.

 

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEpubs/20090722/rp.html

 

 

Possible Damage to Shuttle After Recent Launch

After more than a month of problems and delays and five previously aborted attempts the shuttle Endeavor finally launched Wednesday evening. The launches had been delayed by an array of problems including hydrogen leaks and bad weather that hindered their launch abilities. During the launch the shuttle was hit by pieces of debris that broke off from the fuel tank as Endeavor took off. Initial observations made by the ground grew when Endeavor made its launch made a quick assessment of the perceived damage which they do not believe is as severe as the damage that occurred during the launch of the last shuttle. However, they will be spending the next day or so going over all of the photographs taking of the launch to get a better idea of the damage that may have been caused to Endeavor and shuttle integrity.

NASA to release polished moonwalk footage

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For those of you who believe that man has walked on the moon, NASA will today unveil enhanced footage of Neil Armstrong’s famous moonwalk where he uttered the famous words “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” before his hair burst into flames on the set of the Pepsi commercial. What? Ohhh, the other moonwalk… Sorry, just not over the King of Pop yet.

NASA Pillownauts

NASA, in an effort to study the long

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term effects of low gravity on humans has been using paid human research volunteer "pillownauts" who spend months, face up, lying in a bed tilted to 9.5 degrees, with their feet placed firmly against a panel. This setup puts roughly the same gravitational stress on the pillownaut's feet as the moon would. Ronita Cromwell, a NASA senior research scientist heading up the project explains that "What we're doing is removing some of the effects of 1 G and achieving one-sixth G along the long axis of the body."

UFO sightings at all time record HIGH in 2009

UFO sightings are at an all time high, as reported by the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense. A total of 231 so far in the first 6 months of the year rivals every end of year total thus far, which have been steadily increasing. In 2008, 285 total sightings supported with video or photos were submitted to the MoD.

In reporting on a spring 2009 Atlantis mission, Fox News shows some clear footage of "space debris" flying alongside and just below the space shuttle as it attempts to return to Earth. Clearly, the debris appears to be three UFOs flying close enough for cameras to record their observation of the space shuttle. The following attempts of NASA personnel to dismiss the footage as inconsequential are trite and unconvincing. 

NASA Crashing on Purpose to Set Up Shop on Moon

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Crashing hellishly expensive equipment into the moon at 6,000 miles per hour doesn’t sound like such a great scientific move to me, but apparently NASA thinks it’s a good idea. Right now, two robotic probes are careening wildly to the moon on a mission that will supposedly help mark future “human camp sites.”

I guess the U.S. National Park Service has become too dull for us humans. Long have we ogled the bear, the moose, the Grand Canyon; they have lost their allure. We now ache to carry home chunks of moon rock in our pockets rather than sea shells and arrow heads from our adventures.

Space Energy Chief Nominee

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Charles Bolden, a rather dapper looking former NASA Astronaut, has recently been named as Obama's Space Agency Chief.  If confirmed, Charles Bolton will be only the second astronaut to hold the position. There is, however, a possibility that Bolton will not be nominated, as he has lobbied for rocket companies. According to the BBC, his biggest challenges as chief if he is confirmed will be the budgetary restraints imposed by the current financial crisis.

Apparently, the United States is now dependent on Russia to fly us into orbit, a situation that I'm sure many never saw coming. To shed some light on the current  situation, Science Magazine relays that, "An expensive new launcher is now in the works to replace the space shuttle, due to retire next year, but its projected costs are rapidly rising."

NASA Astronauts Drink Recycled Urine

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One small sip for man, one giant sip for mankind. No, that's not beer they're toasting with, but "Recycled Urine"......kind of makes you thirsty, doesn't it? Imagine how different the tv shows Gilligan's Island and Lost would be if they had this capability. I mean, seriously. What up with this?

In a quote in Space magazine, Michael Barratt said,

"We have these highly attractive labels on our water bags that essentially say 'brought to you by ECLSS,' and 'drink when real water is over 200 miles away,'"

That's pretty funny, but the price tag of the "Operation Urine" is not quite as funny:
$250 million. Not cheap. On the flip side however, the article points out that:

" Having recycled water available also lightens the load for Russian resupply ships."

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