Solar System Topics
Now you see it, now you don't
1999 — April 6, 2011
Amateur astronomers around North America captured striking videos of The Moonas it eclipsed the bright star Regulus on May 21.
Weather Satellite Nears Mars
1999 — April 6, 2011
Mars Climate Orbiter is set to enter orbit around The Red Planetthis week. It will become the first interplanetary weather satellite and a communications relay for the next lander mission to explore Mars.
A close encounter with Mars
1999 — April 6, 2011
The Red Planetmakes its nearest approach to Earth in 1999 during the next two weeks. It's a great opportunity to view Mars through a telescope or simply with the naked eye.
Lifting the veil on Hubble's Constant
1999 — April 6, 2011
This story places today's HST measurements in context with history and background information about "Hubble's Constant," along with a primer on modern cosmology.
Tuning in to April meteor showers
1999 — April 6, 2011
Last week's Lyrid meteor shower was a bit of a disappointment visually, but it put on quite a show for radio observers. In this story you can learn about the basics of radio Meteorsand listen to radar echoes from a bright shooting star.
Radio Meteor Alert
1999 — April 6, 2011
Earth may be headed into two meteoroid swarms that could produce shooting stars for the next week. Radio observations reported yesterday indicate that meteor activity may already be underway.
Mars & Spica
1999 — April 6, 2011
This week The Red Planetand the blue-white star Spica are shining in the night sky just 1 3/4 degrees apart. It's a show that star gazers won't want to miss.
Leonids on the Horizon
1999 — April 6, 2011
Experts make their predictions for the 1999 Leonid meteor shower.
Heads Up!
1999 — April 6, 2011
The upcoming Leonids meteor shower (Nov. 17-18) is expected to be the biggest in decades and perhaps for the next century. While we are safe on the ground, satellite operators are concerned that even small impacts could short-circuit satellites. NASA will coordinate a team that helps track changes in the shower that could be a storm.
Taking the Scenic Route to Io
1999 — April 6, 2011
What's happening to the small craters on Callisto? That's the mystery scientists were contemplating as Galileo zoomed past Jupiter's pockmarked moon this morning in an orbit-changing maneuver designed to bring the spacecraft closer to volcanic Io.