2006
The 2006 Geminid Meteor Shower
Dec. 12, 2006
The best meteor shower of the year peaks this week on Thursday, Dec. 14th.
Martian Misinformation
Aug. 25, 2006
Contrary to a wide-spread report, Mars will not look as big as the full Moon on August 27th. In fact, The Red Planetwill be nearly invisible to the human eye. There is, however, something real to see on August 27th--a morning alignment of Venus and Saturn.
Bizarre Lunar Orbits
Nov. 6, 2006
Mysterious concentrations of mass in the Moon's ancient lava seas disturb the orbits of Moon-circling spacecraft. NASA is taking these "mascons" into account as the agency prepares to return to the Moon.
Mariner Meteor Mystery, Solved?
Aug. 23, 2006
In 1967, NASA's Mariner 4 spacecraft was hit by a surprising flurry of meteoroids--a shower more intense than any Leonid meteor storm. Where did the meteoroids come from? It's been a mystery for 40 years.
Solar Minimum has Arrived
March 6, 2006
Something's happening on the sun: all the sunspots have vanished. Solar physicists say this is a sign that solar minimum has arrived.
Lunar X Games
Aug. 4, 2006
The X Games are underway in Los Angeles. One day--who knows?--they might be held on the Moon.
The Pull of Jupiter
May 4, 2006
Right now, Jupiteris having a close encounter with Earth. The giant planet is very bright in the night sky and looks terrific through backyard telescopes.
An Alignment of Stars and Planets
May 30, 2006
Something remarkable is about to happen in the evening sky. Three planets and a star cluster are converging for a close encounter you won't want to miss.
In Search of Crater Chains
May 12, 2006
What happens when a fragmented comet hits the surface of a planet? It makes a chain of craters. Researchers are looking for evidence of these crater chains here on Earth.
Birthplace of Hurricanes
July 26, 2006
NASA researchers are joining an international campaign to catch hurricanes in the act of being born.