The Last 30 Days in Astronomy

NOV–22–2006 • MGS on the Fritz • The Mars Global Surveyor has apparently stopped working. On Nov. 21, NASA announced that several attempts to communicate with the spacecraft have failed. Another attempt to communicate via the Mars rovers was attempted on Nov. 22 and it also failed. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006–139

NOV–30–2006 • Meade sued for the RC.• Meade Instruments is being sued by Star Instruments, RCOS and another plaintiff for claiming that Meade’s new telescope lines, the LX200R and RCX400, are advanced Richey–Chrétien. When Meade announced the telescopes they said they would probably be sued if they said the new scopes were not using the RC design. It might be a case of “sued if you do, sued if you don’t”. http://skytonight.com/news/wires?id=100827758&c=y

NOV–30–2006 • 30 year old Viking landers imaged from new orbiter.• The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has imaged the Viking landers and the Spirit rover. The Vikings landed in 1976. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006–142

DEC–05–2006 • Water found on Mars. • Maybe. Some photos from the Mars Global Surveyor compared the same location 7 years apart and show changes that are indicative of water on the surface. The changed surface is lighter in color. This would seem to eliminate dust devils or new impacts because they generally result in darker surface features. But look for other possible explanations to be proposed. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006–145

DEC–05–2006 • NASA to set up lunar polar camp. • NASA has announced plans to have a permanently inhabited lunar settlement by 2024 which will be located near the lunar south pole. http://skytonight.com/news/wires?id=100977580&c=y

DEC–06–2006 • Arecibo fading away. • It appears that research at the Arecibo radio telescope will be sharply cut back as the facility faces its first layoffs in its 43 year history. http://skytonight.com/news/wires?id=101024257&c=y

DEC–09–2006 • STS–116 • The latest space shuttle mission, STS–116, was successfully launched on Dec. 9. There are 5 launches planned for 2007 and, if that number is achieved, the odds for a Hubble servicing mission in 2008 is increased. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/status.html

DEC–10–2006 • Black Hole Snacking Detected. • A black hole has been caught in the act of eating a star according to an article dated Dec. 10. Such an event at a relatively dormant black hole is expected to occur once every 10,000 years. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006–144