Tag Archives: Space.com

Catch a falling star

Posted on December 12, 2006 | Comments Off on Catch a falling star

The Geminid meteor shower could be a winner this year, for the Northern Hemisphere, from Wednesday evening into the twilight before dawn on Thursday. If the waxing moon doesn’t get in the way. To avoid that, face west with the moon at your back.

"…people in dark, rural areas could see one or two meteors every minute," for what could be the best meteor shower of 2006, in speedy, bright streaks of yellow across the star-spangled black.

Via Spaceweather, Sky & Telescope, and Space.com, the most pessimistic of the trio.

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Mars orbiter not calling home

Posted on November 13, 2006 | Comments Off on Mars orbiter not calling home

The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, orbiting the red planet since 1996, has developed a mystery communications problem.

"No signal was received on Nov. 3 and 4, but a weak signal was received on Nov. 5, suggesting the spacecraft had switched to a safe mode and was awaiting further instructions from Earth. The signal cut out completely later that day and nothing has been heard since. Engineers think the spacecraft has performed a programmed maneuver in which it turns its solar arrays toward the sun to maintain its power supply. When it does this, it also reorients its entire body in the same direction, thus making communication with Earth less effective."

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