2000
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Interplanetary Low Tide
May 4, 2000
Tidal forces on Earth caused by other planets in the solar system will be at a low point this week when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiterand Saturn "line up" on the far side of the Sun. The alignment won't be visible to the naked-eye, but there will be a meteor shower that could produce a nice sky show.
Lunar Leonids 2000
Oct. 26, 2000
Next month The Moonwill plow through a stream of debris from comet Tempel-Tuttle, the parent of the Leonid meteor shower. Meteoroids that strike The Moondon't cause shooting stars as they do on our planet. Instead, they hit the lunar terrain at high speed. Scientists will be watching for signs of impacts as The Moonheads for a close encounter with the Leonids.
Giant Planet Power Breakfast
June 27, 2000
Jupiterand Saturn have spent much of the last two months hidden in the bright glare of the Sun. Now they are rising before dawn and are visible again with the naked eye. This week, the slender crescent moon will join the pair for a dazzling show in the sky before sunrise.
X-ray Star Stuff
July 18, 2000
Astronomers using the Chandra X-ray Observatoryare seeing how supernovae spray the essential elements of rocky planets and life into interstellar space. New data include images of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A at x-ray wavelengths emitted by ions of silicon, calcium and iron.
Hubble Opens for Business
Jan. 24, 2000
Following the successful Space Shuttleservicing mission last December, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is working better than ever.
Kamikaze Comets
Feb. 10, 2000
A surprising pattern emerges from satellite observations of lightning. Storms over the Great Plains States have significantly more Lightningthat never reaches the ground, an indicator of violent activity that can spawn hail and tornadoes.
A Solar Radiation Storm
July 14, 2000
A powerful solar flare on July 14th triggered an intense radiation storm in the vicinity of Earth. The eruption was followed by a fast-moving coronal mass ejection that is expected to strike Earth's magnetosphere as early as Saturday. The impact could trigger Northern and Southern Lights bright enough to be seen in spite of this weekend's brilliant full Moon. Such a display is by no means guaranteed, but it is possible.
Spotting Tornadoes from Space
May 1, 2000
One year ago this week killer tornadoes raged across Oklahoma. Now, NASA scientists are figuring out how to predict such storms using Lightningdata from Earth orbit. This story includes animations of space-based data obtained during the May 3, 1999, tornado outbreak.
Arctic Asteroid!
June 1, 2000
In January, 2000, a seven meter, 200 metric ton rock from space streaked across the skies of western Canada. The meteor was at least as bright as the Sun before it exploded over the Yukon Territory. Scientists have recovered fragments of the asteroid, which researchers say is the most valuable meteorite find in at least 30 years.
Leonid Meteor Balloon Rises Again
Nov. 9, 2000
A team of NASA scientists and ham radio amateurs will loft a weather balloon toward the stratosphere on Nov. 18th to record the sights and sounds of the 2000 Leonid meteor shower. Readers can follow the balloon flight thanks to a live webcast at LeonidsLive.com.