2008
Solstice Moon Illusion
June 16, 2008
Sometimes you just can't believe your eyes. This week is one of those times. Check out the full Moon on June 18th and prepare to be deceived!
NASA's Gift to Mr. Claus
Dec. 24, 2008
True story: NASA Technologysaves Claus from a disaster at sea! Christmas (and the sport of fishing) may never be the same.
Partial Eclipse, Total Fun
July 29, 2008
This Friday, August 1st, millions of people in China will witness a well-publicized total eclipse of the sun. Less widely reported is the partial eclipse, which *billions* of people across a quarter of the globe can observe and enjoy.
Gamma-ray Bursts: The Mystery Continues
Oct. 16, 2008
More than four decades after they were discovered, Gamma-ray Burstscontinue to mystify astrophysicists. Next week, experts from 25 countries will converge on Huntsville, Alabama, to discuss and debate clues to the biggest explosions since the Big Bang itself.
Venus and JupiterConverge
Jan. 29, 2008
The two brightest planets are converging for a beautiful close encounter on Friday morning, February 1st.
Dark Halos Discovered on Mercury
March 7, 2008
The surprises continue. Scientists studying the harvest of photos from MESSENGER's Jan. 14th flyby of Mercury have found several craters with strange dark halos and one crater with a spectacularly shiny bottom.
New Discoveries at Mercury
July 3, 2008
Mercury's magnetic field is "alive." Volcanic vents ring the planet's giant Caloris basin while the planet itself is surrounded by a plasma nebula of unexpected complexity.
Biggest Full Moon of the Year
Dec. 9, 2008
This Friday's full Moon is the biggest full Moon of the year. It is a 'perigee Moon' as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons we've seen earlier in 2008.
100 Explosions on the Moon
May 21, 2008
In 2005, NASA astronomers began watching The Moonto see how often meteoroids crashed into the lunar surface. They've just video-taped their 100th explosion.
Solar Cycle 24 Begins
Jan. 10, 2008
Hang on to your cell phones, a new solar cycle is underway. Solar Cycle 24 began last week with the appearance of a magnetically "backward" high-latitude sunspot.