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2009

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  • LCROSS Finds Water on the Moon

    Nov. 13, 2009

    The argument that The Moonis a dry, desolate place no longer holds water. At a press conference today, researchers revealed data from NASA's LCROSS mission indicating that water exists in a permanently shadowed lunar crater.

  • Can Spirit be Freed?

    Nov. 12, 2009

    On Monday, NASA will begin transmitting commands to its Mars Explorationrover Spirit as part of an escape plan to free the venerable robot from its Martian sand trap.

  • The 2009 Leonid Meteor Shower

    Nov. 10, 2009

    The 2009 Leonid meteor shower peaks on Nov. 17th with a sprinkling of Meteorsover North America and a possible outburst over Asia.

  • A Tale of Planetary Woe

    Nov. 6, 2009

    Long ago, something calamitous happened to Mars, transforming a hospitable world into the apparently lifeless desert we see today. Many scientists believe The Red Planetlost most of its atmosphere, but how? A new NASA mission named MAVEN is specifically designed to answer that question.

  • Hidden Territory on Mercury Revealed

    Nov. 3, 2009

    The MESSENGER spacecraft's third flyby of the planet Mercury has given scientists an almost complete view of the planet's surface and revealed some dramatic changes in Mercury's comet-like tail.

  • A Mars Rover Named "Curiosity"

    Oct. 30, 2009

    NASA's next Mars rover, a super-capable robot named "Curiosity," will push Mars Explorationto a new level.

  • The Sun's Sneaky Variability

    Oct. 27, 2009

    It might not be obvious to the naked eye, but the sun is a variable star. A sensor slated for launch onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory will probe the sun's "sneaky variability" with better time and spectral resolution than ever before.

  • NASA Mission to Study the Moon's Fragile Atmosphere

    Oct. 23, 2009

    NASA is planning a mission to study the Moon's fragile atmosphere--before it's too late.

  • The 2009 Orionid Meteor Shower

    Oct. 19, 2009

    Caused by debris from Halley's Comet, the 2009 Orionid meteor shower peaks on Wednesday, Oct. 21st, and forecasters say it could be an unusually good show.

  • Giant Ribbon Discovered at the Edge of the Solar System

    Oct. 15, 2009

    NASA's IBEX spacecraft has discovered a vast, glowing ribbon at the edge of the solar system. One mission scientist calls the discovery "shocking" and says theorists are "working like crazy" to explain the finding.