Fw: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine

[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Sounding Out Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1464.htmlAfter 
a year's delay, the MARSIS instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars 
Express orbiter will soon be deployed. In this interview, Jeffrey Plaut of the 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory describes how the radar instrument could uncover how 
much, if any, liquid water lies hidden below the surface of Mars.Robots 
Join Rat Racehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1463.htmlRat 
pups learn by exploration but their journey may be less random and more 
convolutated that a robot can mimic. But experiments with sensors on the snout 
of a mobile robot shows that robots may be less random explorers than one might 
first suppose.Forming the Canyon on Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1462.htmlHow 
does an arid and bone-dry landscape form the largest canyon in the solar system? 
The question on Mars maps to the Valles Marineris, a crack in the planet so 
large as to dwarf the Grand Canyon and a primary imaging target for the Mars 
Express spacecraft.The Ancient Splice of Lifehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1461.htmlOne 
of the key motivations for revisiting the probability of life elsewhere in the 
universe is the surprising proclivity of life in hostile places on Earth. New 
findings suggest that modern organisms may have useless DNA fragments today that 
once saved their ancestors lives in extreme environments.Monday, 
February 28 For more astrobiology news, 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2005 5:31 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Earth's Childhood Attichttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1456.htmlThe 
moon is sometimes referred to as Earth's childhood attic, a rich repository of 
what the early terrestrial geology might have promised prior to the advent of 
life. Europe's Chief Scientist, Bernard Foing, looks at what the moon can tell 
us about our past.Frozen Sea Once Near Martian Equator?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1455.htmlRecent 
observations from the orbiting Mars Express probe may show the characteristic 
rippling expected from past sea-ice. When coupled with findings that methane may 
be generated today on Mars, this sea-ice finding enriches the debate over modern 
prospects for life-supporting conditions on the red 
planet.Hyperventilating Grasshoppershttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1454.htmlHow 
the Earth adapted to life has much to do with the generation of a stable oxygen 
atmosphere. But how life adapted to Earth often hinges on whether oxygen is a 
poison. New research on insect oxygen use highlights the novel ways that life 
has shaped the Earth, and vice versa.Titan Rising, Part IIhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1453.htmlJust 
over a month ago, the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descended through 
the atmosphere of Saturn's giant moon Titan. The probe sent back stunning 
close-up images of a world never before seen is such detail. In this, the second 
of a two-part series, science reporter Michael Benson shares his impressions of 
the event from his front-row seat at ESA's control center in Darmstadt, Germany. 
Wednesday, February 23 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
The Smart Onehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1452.htmlBernard 
Foing, Chief Scientist for the European Space Agency, kicks off a regular essay 
series exclusive to Astrobiology Magazine. In this part, he takes a tour of the 
novel ion propulsion employed by the current lunar orbiter, 
SMART-1.Titan Rising, Part Ihttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1451.htmlJust 
over a month ago, the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descended through 
the atmosphere of Saturn's giant moon Titan. The probe sent back stunning 
close-up images of a world never before seen is such detail In this, the first 
of a two-part series, science reporter Michael Benson shares his impressions of 
the event from his front-row seat at ESA's control center in Darmstadt, Germany. 
Priming the Human Primatehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1450.htmlSharing 
ninety-nine percent of a chimpanzee's DNA code does not tell the story of its 
distance from humans, according to a new report in Science Magazine. The code 
itself is just part of the story. The cut points or hotspots that combine mates 
to yield the next generation may determine the difference between 
species.Titan's Ringtoneshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1449.htmlThe 
microphone onboard the Huygens probe captured the descent turmoil durings its 
descent to Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The rapid tone changes give hints at 
what fast, supercold winds greeted the arriving science package.Monday, 
February 21 For more astrobiology news, 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Something Bigger Than Lifehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1444.htmlThe 
next decade offers unique chances to do what might be called, comparative 
planetology. How is the Earth different from its neighbors and why? NASA's 
Associate Administrator for the Science Directorate indicates that to do this 
hard work, the motivation follows from something bigger than life.Spirit 
Finds Peacehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1443.htmlAn 
unusual fragmented rock called Peace appears to have been cemented by some 
action that the Spirit rover has yet to analyze completely. If the sulfate-rich 
interior represents Epsom salts, or magnesium sulfates, then the discovery may 
hint at a percolating water history near the Columbia Hills. What's Up, 
Below Martian Soilhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1442.htmlThe 
use of orbiting radar to probe the first three miles underneath the martian 
surface has been greenlighted. Following review board panels to assess the 
feasibility, the Mars Express probe will commence its underground searching in 
May.Moved by Science in Motionhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1441.htmlAl 
Diaz is the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate of NASA 
- meaning the highest official solely focused on science at NASA. On the day 
after the successful landing of the Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan, Diaz 
talked about astrobiology's central role within NASA.Wednesday, February 
16 For more astrobiology news, visit http://www.astrobio.netTo 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Moved by Science in Motionhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1441.htmlAl 
Diaz is the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate of NASA 
- meaning the highest official solely focused on science at NASA. On the day 
after the successful landing of the Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan, Diaz 
talked about astrobiology's central role within NASA.The Wrinkles of 
Youthhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1440.htmlMany 
of Saturn's more interesting moons are crusted with ice. The moons are often too 
small for a radioactive core and internal heating. The bizarre wrinkled surface 
on one of the moons, Enceladus, may reveal a geologically young 
age.Piranha to Petuniahttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1439.htmlIf 
it's pretty easy to spot different species in the human-scale part of the plant 
and animal kingdoms. But a new study shows that species differences aren't so 
clear, at least as currently measured, when it comes to microscopic 
bacteria.Was Life Wasted on the Young?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1438.htmlDid 
life shape the early Earth, or did the early Earth shape life? The choice may be 
a false dichotomy, but living without light, water or oxygen gave the earliest 
microbes a limited menu to order their lives around.Monday, February 14 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Martian Methane Mysteryhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1436.htmlIn 
this excerpt from the new Forward to the paperback edition of "Lonely Planets", 
planetary scientist David Grinspoon ponders what the recent discovery of methane 
on Mars could mean for the possibility for life on the Red Planet.Titan 
Wind Mystery Settled from Earthhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1435.htmlIn 
a fortuitous turnabout, large ground-based telescopes have provided data needed 
to measure the winds encountered by the Huygens spacecraft as it descended 
through the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan last month -- measurements feared 
lost because of a communication error between Huygens and its mother ship, 
Cassini.Moon, Planet or Star?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1434.htmlA 
strange miniature solar system may be composed of a star only slightly larger 
than a planet. At this scale, are the celestial objects that orbit it, planets 
or moons? Carbon Worldhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1433.htmlMost 
of the rocky planets familiar to us are predominantly silicate worlds, but a 
proposal for carbon or even diamond-like planets may add to the diversity of 
known solar systems.Wednesday, February 09 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
High Voltage Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1431.htmlMeteorites 
and comets should have delivered vast amounts of organic chemicals to Mars, yet 
the Viking mission found no organics in the red soil. A new hypothesis by Sushil 
Atreya suggests how dust storms may zap away any chances for life on the martian 
surface. Opportunity's Big Smoking Holehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1430.htmlAs 
the Opportunity rover has surveyed the heat shield debris from its own landing a 
year ago, the six-wheeled laboratory has found a new target: the deepest 
drilling field yet. Opportunity took a stunning image of the big smoking hole it 
left in the Meridiani plains.Saturn's Hot Southern Vortexhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1429.htmlNASA 
astronomers using the Keck I telescope in Hawaii are learning much more about a 
strange, thermal hot spot on the tip of Saturn's south pole. Social 
Robots Without Leadershttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1428.htmlHow 
a flock of birds or school of fish may go in a single direction without having a 
permanent leader is a mystery of social organization. But adding a mechanized 
component to the question raises the possibility of robotic swarms which may 
lack much in the way of social skills or leadership qualities.Monday, 
February 07 For more astrobiology news, 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Templating Ourselveshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1423.htmlIn 
Part Two in the series on stellar and terrestrial evolution, Neil deGrasse 
Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium and host of the PBS/NOVA Series 
"Origins", discusses the human tendency of being self-centered, and how that can 
shape our reality and cloud our vision of the truth. Martian Dust 
Bowlhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1422.htmlAfter 
a year on Mars, the rovers have been covered with dust. Scientists believe one 
cannot understand today's changes on Mars--its weather, temperature or 
water--without also accounting for dust. But the engineers trying to extend the 
lifetime of the rovers' solar power are as concerned about the first year of 
dust.A Marvelous Sense of Theaterhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1421.htmlIn 
this multipart series on the twin Viking landers that pioneered surface imagery 
and exploration on Mars, the events leading to the first and tense 
rocket-powered landing of Viking I are described.Aliens of the 
Deephttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1420.htmlFilm 
director and exploration enthusiast James Cameron (Titanic, Aliens) gave 
Stanford graduate student Kevin Hand a chance to search for "alien" life close 
to home-- a mere 2 miles below the ocean surface-- as part of Cameron's IMAX 
documentary, Aliens of the Deep, which opens today.Monday, January 31 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
The Origins Umbrellahttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1414.htmlIn 
Part One in the series on stellar and terrestrial evolution, Neil deGrasse 
Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium and host of the PBS/NOVA Series 
"Origins", describes the origin and evolution of astrobiology and its public 
interpretations. Does Titan Rain Methane?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1413.htmlAs 
director of the Planetary Science Laboratory in the University of Michigan 
College of Engineering, Professor Sushil Atreya discusses the fate of 
carbon-based transformations on Titan. In this initial interview, Atreya 
describes why methane on Mars means different things to what might be happening 
on Titan.Floating Planets Put in their Placehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1412.htmlAccording 
to new results from a powerful southern sky telescope, astronomers may have 
overestimated the number of young "brown dwarfs" and "free floating" extrasolar 
planets. Brown dwarfs are objects 75 times more massive than Jupiter but not 
massive enough to burn as stars. If young objects identified as brown dwarfs are 
twice as massive as has been thought, many actually are low mass stars. Objects 
recently identified as 'free-floating' planets are in turn likely just low mass 
brown dwarfs. Clockwork Orange Planethttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1411.htmlAs 
the MER rovers blow out the candle on their one-year anniversary, they continue 
to make new discoveries on the Red Planet. How long they'll keep running is an 
open question, but NASA has several programs in the works for an encore. 
Wednesday, January 26 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Clockwork Orange Planethttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1411.htmlAs 
the MER rovers blow out the candle on their one-year anniversary, they continue 
to make new discoveries on the Red Planet. How long they'll keep running is an 
open question, but NASA has several programs in the works for an encore. 
Titanic Rainmakerhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1410.htmlAs 
part of the Cassini Imaging team studying the atmosphere on Saturn, NASA's 
Anthony Del Genio explained in this part of his interview, how to make sense of 
a moon potentially making methane rain.Moonlander: Let it Rainhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1409.htmlSince 
the remarkable landing of the Huygens probe on the surface of Saturn's largest 
moon, Titan, the community of planetary scientists has wondered anew about the 
discovery prospects in our own solar system. As part of the Cassini Imaging team 
studying the atmosphere on Saturn, NASA's Anthony Del Genio explained to 
Astrobiology Magazine his interests in the giant ringed world and its strange 
moons. In this part of the interview, he explains what role liquid methane might 
be playing on Titan.Lighting Up the Flammable Moonhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1408.htmlTitan 
is a world where bits of muck continually fall out of the smoggy sky, blanketing 
the frozen surface like dark gooey snow. Squalls of methane rain periodically 
wash the surface clean, sweeping the organic gunk into rivers. Scientific 
interest is sparked by the frozen moon so rich in methane that it seems ready to 
catch fire.Monday, January 24 For 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Methane Worldhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1402.htmlUniversity 
of Hawaii astronomer Toby Owens spoke with Astrobiology Magazine shortly after 
the successful Huygens mission had completed. In this part of the interview, 
Owens talks about the significance of methane in Titan's atmosphere. 
Targeting Titanhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1401.htmlUniversity 
of Hawaii astronomer Toby Owens is one of the original planners of the 
Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and its moon Titan. Owens talks about the 
history of the mission and the reasons scientists were interested in exploring 
Titan. Huygens Landed with a 'Splat'http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1400.htmlThere 
were three scenarios for the landing on Titan, assuming all went well with the 
hardware itself. The Huygens probe could land on solid ground, in mud, or in 
liquid like a lake or even ocean. The three choices could be summarized as: 
Would humanity's first encounter with another planet's moon end with a thud, 
splat or splash?It Came Out of the Skyhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1399.htmlIn 
this excerpt from the new Forward to the paperback edition of "Lonely Planets", 
planetary scientist David Grinspoon discusses the exciting discoveries unveiled 
by the twin rovers on Mars.Wednesday, January 19 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
It Came Out of the Skyhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1399.htmlIn 
this excerpt from the new Forward to the paperback edition of "Lonely Planets", 
planetary scientist David Grinspoon discusses the exciting discoveries unveiled 
by the twin rovers on Mars.Race for Pale Blue Dot Image Quickenshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1398.htmlAstronomers 
announced the first results of a search for extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs 
in an unlikely place--the stellar graveyard. A research team found two candidate 
planets in its survey of 20 dead stars--white dwarfs at distances between 24 and 
220 light-years. The research is part of an intense race to take the first 
"photograph" of an extrasolar planet. Lakefront Landing in Crème 
Bruléhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1397.htmlFor 
the first time, humans have gotten a close-up look at Titan, the planet-sized 
moon. Huygens, scientists say, has landed in soil with the consistency of wet 
sand or clay. The scenery surrounding the landing site resembles a postcard 
panorama of undeveloped lakefront property, hand-tinted in pastel shades of 
orange.Titan: Piercing the Foghttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1396.htmlThe 
first color-processed images from Titan have beamed down to Earth from over two 
billion miles away. To complete the sensory exploration of this alien moon, a 
microphone onboard the probe captured the sounds of rushing air from the 
atmosphere closest in density to our own.Monday, January 17 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Plunge to Methane Lake?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1385.htmlAnthony 
Del Genio of the Cassini Imaging team takes a tour of the strange and perplexing 
world, Titan, where hurricane winds and supercold smog promise some of the most 
startling imagery in our solar system. The mission to descend towards Titan's 
surface will draw global attention in a few days, when a tiny space probe will 
test the limits of parachutes, cameras and communications.Landing on 
Liquid?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1384.htmlAfter 
flying 2 billion miles, a probe to Saturn's moon will attempt what has never 
been tried before. The Huygens' probe will plunge into Titan and its mysterious 
atmosphere on Jan. 14, 2005. Whether it will crash or splash has become of 
extreme scientific interest to those watching the controlled 
collision.Hubble Spies New Worldhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1383.htmlIn 
the southern constellation Hydra, about 225 light-years away orbits what may be 
a planet and its parent brown dwarf star. Because an extrasolar planet has never 
been directly imaged before, this remarkable observation required Hubble's 
unique abilities to do follow-up observations to test and validate if it is 
indeed a planet. More than Monkey See, Monkey Do?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1382.htmlLanguage 
has long been considered one of the defining characteristics for humans, but 
recent work with Tamarin monkeys and rats suggest that picking up speech cues 
has a rhythmic quality throughout the mammalian world.Wednesday, January 
12 For more astrobiology news, visit http://www.astrobio.netTo 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Before the Beginninghttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1373.htmlAstronomer 
Royal, Sir Martin Rees discusses the limits to our knowledge of what might have 
preceded the big bang. Everyong asks the question, what was there the instant 
before everything came to be, but the question may not go as deep as the answers 
it spawns.Viewing Saturnhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1372.htmlViewing 
both the inner and outer planets with a telescope may promise some of the best 
views during January, particularly as the Saturn-Earth distance closes near the 
scheduled January 14th descent of the Huygens probe towards the surface of 
Titan.Not So Nebuloushttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1371.htmlFor 
the first time, a team of astronomers based in Germany has detected the presence 
of magnetic fields in the central stars of four planetary nebulae. Planetary 
nebulae are expanding gas shells that remain after Sun-like stars eject their 
outer layers at the end of their lifetimes. It is a long-standing and unsolved 
mystery why 80% of all planetary nebulae are not spherical. Theories suggest 
that magnetic fields play a role in shaping planetary nebulae. The team, led by 
Stefan Jordan, has now discovered the first direct clue that magnetic fields 
might indeed create these remarkable shapes. New Worlds, Living 
Largehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1370.htmlCounting 
down the top ten astrobiology stories for 2004 highlights the accomplishments of 
those exploring Mars, Saturn, comets, and planets beyond Pluto. Number three in 
this countdown was the remarkable progress in discovering new planets in other 
solar systems. Wednesday, January 05 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Mysterious Martian Methanehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1365.htmlCounting 
down the top ten astrobiology stories for 2004 highlights the accomplishments of 
those exploring Mars, Saturn, comets, and planets beyond Pluto. Number seven in 
this countdown was the startling detection of methane on Mars. Since methane 
concentrations would fall dramatically after only 300 years, some source of 
replenishing this gas is needed, whether biological or non-biological in 
origin.Mars Remotehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1364.htmlCounting 
down the top ten astrobiology stories for 2004 highlights the accomplishments of 
those exploring Mars, Saturn, comets, and planets beyond Pluto. Number eight in 
this countdown was the Mars Express mission, the most complete study of martian 
topography and water from below the surface to the upper atmosphere. 
Venus: Sizing Up the Solar Systemhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1363.htmlCounting 
down the top ten astrobiology stories for 2004 highlights the accomplishments of 
those exploring Mars, Saturn, comets, and planets beyond Pluto. Number nine in 
this countdown was the rarest of all eclipses, the once-per-century eclipse of 
the Sun by Venus.Genesis: In the End...http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1362.htmlCounting 
down the top ten astrobiology stories for 2004 highlights the accomplishments of 
those exploring Mars, Saturn, comets, and planets beyond Pluto. Number ten in 
this countdown was the remarkable story of the Genesis mission, the first 
attempt to capture solar wind and return it for laboratory 
analysis.Wednesday, December 29 For 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Genesis: In the End...http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1362.htmlCounting 
down the top ten astrobiology stories for 2004 highlights the accomplishments of 
those exploring Mars, Saturn, comets, and planets beyond Pluto. Number ten in 
this countdown was the remarkable story of the Genesis mission, the first 
attempt to capture solar wind and return it for laboratory 
analysis.Release Towards Titan Successfulhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1361.htmlThe 
Huygens probe which will descend through Titan's thick, smoggy atmosphere on 
January 14, was successfully detached from its carrier ship, the Cassini probe 
now orbiting Saturn. The Christmas day release set Huygens on its ballistic 
trajectory towards an attempted landing on the mysterious moon.Modern 
Martian Marvels: Volcanoes?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1360.htmlThe 
European Mars Express orbiter continues to take overhead and perspective shots 
of landmarks on the red planet. The remarkable clarity at first glance appears 
to be a simulation. Scientists have pursued their mapping tour around Olympus 
Mons, the solar system's largest volcano, as one of the mission's goals. This 
week's announcement of relatively recent volcanic activity on Mars is likely to 
heat up the debate on habitability. Titan: The Moon That Howls 
Backhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1358.htmlOn 
Christmas Eve, the Cassini spacecraft will release its wok-shaped Huygens probe 
on the start of an intimate date with Saturn's largest moon, Titan. On Jan. 14, 
at 4 a.m. EST, Huygens will enter Titan's methane-rich atmosphere at a speed of 
12,000 mph, rapidly decelerate, then deploy its parachute at an altitude above 
90 miles. Because methane gas gets depleted quickly, its high concentration on 
Titan implies a regenerative source. But which one?Monday, December 27 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Titan: The Moon That Howls Backhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1358.htmlOn 
Christmas Eve, the Cassini spacecraft will release its wok-shaped Huygens probe 
on the start of an intimate date with Saturn's largest moon, Titan. On Jan. 14, 
at 4 a.m. EST, Huygens will enter Titan's methane-rich atmosphere at a speed of 
12,000 mph, rapidly decelerate, then deploy its parachute at an altitude above 
90 miles. Because methane gas gets depleted quickly, its high concentration on 
Titan implies a regenerative source. But which one?Antimatter over 
Antarctica?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1357.htmlAn 
international team of researchers will fly a balloon and sensitive detectors 
over the South Pole. They won't be searching for anything known in our universe 
of matter. They will seek out remnants of antimatter.Cometary Big 
Dighttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1356.htmlThe 
Deep Impact mission will send a large copper projectile crashing into the 
surface of a comet at more than 20,000 miles per hour, creating a huge crater 
and revealing never before seen materials and the internal compostion and 
structure of a comet. The impact will excavate a crater of approximately 100 
meters in diameter and 25 meters in depth. Dramatic images from both the flyby 
spacecraft and the impactor will be sent back to distant Earth in near-real 
time.Saturn's Lightning Bolts Shockinghttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1355.htmlAs 
hard as it might be to imagine a lightning bolt a million times stronger than on 
Earth, Saturn offers such enormous storms. The approaching Cassini spacecraft 
detected disruption of its radio signals nearly 100 million miles from the 
planet, and the source has been linked to such astonishing storm systems on the 
turbulent planet.Wednesday, December 22 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Cometary Big Dighttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1356.htmlThe 
Deep Impact mission will send a large copper projectile crashing into the 
surface of a comet at more than 20,000 miles per hour, creating a huge crater 
and revealing never before seen materials and the internal compostion and 
structure of a comet. The impact will excavate a crater of approximately 100 
meters in diameter and 25 meters in depth. Dramatic images from both the flyby 
spacecraft and the impactor will be sent back to distant Earth in near-real 
time.Saturn's Lightning Bolts Shockinghttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1355.htmlAs 
hard as it might be to imagine a lightning bolt a million times stronger than on 
Earth, Saturn offers such enormous storms. The approaching Cassini spacecraft 
detected disruption of its radio signals nearly 100 million miles from the 
planet, and the source has been linked to such astonishing storm systems on the 
turbulent planet.Jack Frost Hits Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1354.htmlAs 
the evidence for past martian water becomes stronger, what can be said about the 
hydrology today on the red planet? Looking for images showing weather on Mars 
requires some patience, but one may have to look no further than the rovers 
themselves to see what a cold, martian morning might bring.Titan: 
Peeling the Onionhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1353.htmlThe 
mystery of Titan's atmosphere has to do not only with its methane-rich smog, but 
also with its comparable pressure to Earth. Often called the Earth-like moon, 
Titan shows finely layered boundaries as the smog dissipates into 
space.Monday, December 20 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Diving for Life under Antarctic Icehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1349.htmlLife 
manages to hang on pretty much anywhere on Earth where there's liquid water. 
Ice-covered lakes in Antarctica are no exception. But to study the microbes that 
hang out down under the ice, researchers have to do some risky diving. Dale 
Andersen is a pioneer of the technique. Living Above the Tree Line, 
Inside a Rockhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1348.htmlAre 
there places on Earth devoid of life? One of the most barren spots on the planet 
is above the tree line, where glaciers strip the land of nutrients and life. But 
enough dissolved organics may flow in melting streams to point to microbial life 
where no life was previously imagined.Preparing for Deep Impacthttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1347.htmlThe 
Deep Impact mission will deploy a probe that essentially will collide with the 
nucleus of comet Tempel 1 at approximately 37,000 kph (23,000 mph). The probe is 
designed to excavate a crater in the comet about the size of the Roman Coliseum, 
while a nearby spacecraft will be taking pictures and data 
continuously.Dione and Titan: Zooming Into Viewhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1346.htmlThe 
close approach of the Cassini probe, now flying by Saturn's moons, Dione and 
Titan, reveals a complex atmosphere with clouds hovering over what may prove 
next month to be continents and even oil-rich oceans.Wednesday, December 
15 For more astrobiology news, visit http://www.astrobio.netTo 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
On Top of Titan's Mountainhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1336.htmlWhen 
Cassini flew by Saturn's moon Titan on October 26, scientists got a small taste 
of the discoveries to come. Athena Coustenis of the Paris-Meudon Observatory 
discusses a potential landscape of mountains and lakes on this strange, 
smog-filled world. Countdown to Controlled Collisionhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1335.htmlFor 
the mid-January descent to Saturn's largest moon, Titan, scientists look forward 
to measuring the atmospheric chemistry and listening in as the strong winds toss 
the probe. They hope to see the surface for a few brief, but precious minutes. 
No one knows today what the surface will offer.Ordering Geneshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1334.htmlLess 
can be more, at least with regard to how genes organize themselves into an 
entire ecosystem. Two new studies reveal how genes maintain control and don't 
run wild in a single organism, and then how few genes it may take to predict new 
branches on the tree of life.Proof of Waterhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1333.htmlThe 
evidence supporting a watery past on Mars is summarized by the rover team in 
their recent synopsis of early Opportunity results in Science magazine. 
According to Mark Lemmon of Texas AM University, proof of water begins in 
the clouds but mostly remains locked in the geology.Wednesday, December 
08 For more astrobiology news, visit http://www.astrobio.netTo 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, December 06, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
The Martian Methane Surprisehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1332.htmlIs 
the methane on Mars coming from deep underground? Why is the finding a clue in 
the search for biochemistry elsewhere? Astrobiologist Mike Mumma discusses some 
possibilities while explaining how to measure methane on another 
world.Earthlings' Low Signal-to-Noise?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1331.htmlOur 
most efficient attempts to broadcast our planet's existence to another 
civilization would resemble the thermal radiation emitted by stars. By analogy, 
more advanced worlds would likely do the same, making our chances of listening 
in hard to distinguish from hearing stellar noise.Planet Swappinghttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1330.htmlCould 
a passing star exchange planets with our own Sun? Computer simulations suggest 
that a glancing blow might contribute far outer planets following star disk 
collisions. Prometheus Steals Ringhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1329.htmlThe 
tiny moon, Prometheus, shapes Saturn's outer ring by shepherding icy debris into 
ridges and gaps as Prometheus orbits the giant planet. The Cassini spacecraft 
captured images not only showing its gravitational interplay, but also its 
debris trail in a haunting show of how the rings change today.Monday, 
December 06 For more astrobiology news, 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
The Search for Ourselves in the Cosmoshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1323.htmlOur 
senses alone offer only a narrow window on the physical universe, as Neil 
deGrasse Tyson writes in his four-part NOVA/PBS series, "Origins". The tour de 
force looks at how we measure our place in the universe based on the part of the 
universe we sense around us.Did an Asteroid Trigger the Great 
Dying?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1322.htmlThe 
devastating cycles of plant and animal extinctions have spawned different 
schools of thought: Did the earth or the heavens bring 
catastropher?Splendid Saturnhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1321.htmlThe 
interplay of light and gravity feature in the shaping of Saturn's rings. As its 
moon orbit, they attract dust particles into fine bands or divisions. New images 
from the Cassini probe reveal both what the moons look like up close and also 
how they sculpt the planet's signature rings.Dust to Rocky Planetshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1320.htmlNew 
observations reveal how pristine, primordial dust aggregates to form rocky 
planets around other stars. One question astronomers would like to answer is how 
common such Earth-like planets are and whether solar system formation proceeds 
routinely around other stars.Wednesday, December 01 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
The Origin of Life on Earthhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1319.htmlNeil 
deGrasse Tyson, author and host of the NOVA series, "Origins, Fourteen Billion 
Years of Cosmic Evolution", gives a galvanizing tour of the cosmos revealing 
what the universe has been up to while turning part of itself into 
us.Advancing the Webbhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1318.htmlThe 
Webb Space Telescope is one of the next generations observatories that will 
reside near the balance point (L2) between the Earth and Sun. Because the Webb 
is sensitive to infrared, its contributions will include looking to the earliest 
dawn of stellar structures. The mirror system is expected to be completed in 
2007 in time for its planned 2011 launch.SWIFT to Unravel Energetic 
Flasheshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1317.htmlWhen 
the SWIFT detector looks at the sky using its gamma-ray sensitive view, the 
chance to unravel the cause of the most energetic stellar events may become 
possible.Mars: Collapsed Canyonhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1316.htmlThe 
Mars Express orbiter continues to offer high-resolution clues to the strange 
geological formations in the largest canyon in our solar system, Valles 
Marineris. The middle and eastern sections feature a collection of collapsed 
structures along the steep canyon walls.Monday, November 29 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Big Planet, Tiny Vehicleshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1312.htmlWhat 
can the Mars rovers do after reaching Endurance Crater and the Columbia Hills. 
Principal investigator Steve Squyres talked with Astrobiology Magazine what's 
next: Can Opportunity drive five more kilometers to Victoria Crater, while being 
commanded by dedicated graduate students? He introduces two tiny vehicles to a 
big planet where the work is never done.Apollo 12 Rememberedhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1311.htmlThis 
last week marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the precision landing for 
Apollo 12. The mission sought to retrieve a camera casing from the robotic 
Surveyor 3 which had survived three years on the surface. But did biology sneak 
into their equation? The debate is examined with fresh historical 
perspective.The Breathable Earthhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1310.htmlHow 
did Earth achieve an atmosphere that is oxygen-rich and breathable, while Mars 
and Venus couldn't? One answer is that deeper, mantle volcanoes started bringing 
up water vapor and carbon dioxide, instead of hydrogen and carbon 
monoxide.Soft-Shelled Crab, Fossil-Stylehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1309.htmlOne 
of the mysteries in paleontology is how extraordinary preservation happens and 
whether a soft-shelled animal can be studied in the fossil record. One instance 
of this that seems plausible is the decayed carcass that gets consumed by 
bacteria, which then encase and preserve the earliest animals.Monday, 
November 22 For more astrobiology news, 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
RADAR Surprises from Titanhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1306.htmlAs 
scientist puzzle over the Titan images from the recent Cassini flyby, some of 
the most intriguing landforms appear in radar reflections. Ralph Lorenz from the 
University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Lab takes a tour of Titan's 
surprises including what may be icy volcanoes.Dinosaurs in Bullet-Proof 
Vestshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1305.htmlOne 
just has to skim the terrestrial timeline of species to be astonished at the 
alien experiments done in Earth's biological history. Animals and plants evolved 
all sorts of protective methods, but among the mighty dinosaurs, there was one 
particular animal that was tough to crack.Living Large in a Lava 
Tubehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1304.htmlWhile 
the current generation of Mars missions seek out the planet's water history, 
another line of evidence is also required for life: heat. Active surface 
volcanoes may not currently exist on Mars, but the red planet has a colorful 
volcanic past and some enormous lava tubes that may bring polar ice to a liquid 
bubble.Smart Way to the Moonhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1303.htmlThe 
SMART-1 probe has reached lunar orbit. To get there, the moon mapper relied on 
solar electric propulsion and the tiny push from an ultra-efficient ion 
engine.Wednesday, November 17 For 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Water from a Stonehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1302.htmlOne 
question that has puzzled planetary scientists is where is the water on Mars 
today? One answer that is being investigated is mineral storage, particularly 
hydration of magnesium sulfate salts. If these storehouses protect water from 
evaporation, a second set of questions arise as to whether their delicate 
balance between temperature, pressure and humidity could be controlled on any 
future sample return mission. One priority for future Mars missions is bringing 
some pristine rocks home during a six months or longer martian 
journey.Opportunity: On the Edgehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1301.htmlThe 
Mars Opportunity rover is trying to back its way out of the steep Endurance 
Crater. Mission planners have judged their first route as too risky, and now 
look to climb the way they descended months ago.Phobos Up Closehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1300.htmlThe 
Mars Express high-resolution camera has captured stunning images of the red 
planet's largest moon, Phobos. Because the moon orbits so close, Mars dominates 
the sky to a viewer on the surface of Phobos.Leonid Meteors, 2004http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1299.htmlThe 
Leonid meteor shower is an annual mid-November chance to view comet dust as it 
passes across the Earth's orbit. Once every third of a century, the shower 
becomes a storm. This year, the peak may not offer much of a storm, but the 
moonless nights of Wednesday and Friday give the best observing 
opportunities.Monday, November 15 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 5:31 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Tugboat as Lifeboat?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1295.htmlAmong 
the proposals for diverting an asteroid collision with Earth, one involves 
gently pushing the incoming rock over the course of a year. This low-thrust 
solution has its challenges since at various stages of that perilous year, if it 
ever came, locations on Earth would naturally see human influences as they 
became the bullseye. Birds, Bees and Cool Shadeshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1294.htmlWhen 
the sky is bright, few may realize it is also polarized. Few humans without 
sunglasses, that is. Birds and insects may locate their navigational tiepoints 
using the sun's polarization and their own built-in shades.Titan 
Oozinghttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1293.htmlRadar 
images of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, can reveal surface roughness at the 
scale of a human hand. But the smoothness and flow patterns observed during the 
recent Cassini flyby may more closely resemble cryovolcanism, or flowing molten 
ice. Surfing Saturn's Wave Actionhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1292.htmlSaturn 
looks like anything but a quiet place when viewed in ultraviolet. The giant 
planet features wayward moons, colliding meteoroids, rippling rings and 
flickering auroras.Wednesday, November 10 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Winging It: Black Skyhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1291.htmlOn 
October 4, the first privately-owned, manned craft reached space. In the next 
four years, a spaceline called Virgin Galactic hopes thousands of astronauts 
will follow suit. Burt Rutan, the winner of this X-Prize competition to launch 
humans to the boundary of space, told an eager audience at the Moontown Airport 
what he thinks 'natural selection' in spacecraft design will offer 'us 
carbon-based folks'. Counting on Toeshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1290.htmlA 
key question for the history of life is the origin of terrestriality, when 
ancestral species first took advantage of movement on land. New tracks dried 
into the Canadian mud, shows fingers and toes progressing quite early in the 
Carboniferous period, tens of millions of years br / earlier than 
thought.Did Bees Survive When Dinosaurs Couldn't?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1289.htmlThe 
reign of tropical honeybees may have outlasted the great dinosaur age, and if 
true, the clue may raise questions about whether a single, cataclysm really took 
the Earth into a prolonged winter. One paleontologist looks not to what died, 
but what survived the events from 65 million years ago.Where Cosmic Rays 
Come Fromhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1288.htmlA 
century-old mystery is the origin of cosmic rays. Viewing a supernova remnant 
with high energy detectors, or gamma-ray eyes, shows that particles are likely 
accelerated by such massive explosions. Cosmic rays are thought to have played a 
major role in the early Earth's evolution and life's first 
mutations.Monday, November 08 For 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Shiva: Another K-T impact?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1281.htmlMost 
scientists believe a large meteorite impact in the Yucatan Peninsula led to the 
extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. But could a second, larger 
impact off the coast of India share the blame? The Left-Handed 
Lobsterhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1280.htmlNature 
versus nurture, what is the cause of the lop-sided claw weight in lobsters? The 
question borders on watching evolution in action, as a new study reveals that 
after being born with same-sized claws, the favored one in use becomes the big 
one.Hatching the First Animalhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1279.htmlWho 
laid the first egg? Thousands of 600 million years old embryo microfossils have 
been found in China that may be among the first animals. It is a case of 
preserving the seemingly unpreserveable.Dark Echoes from Titanhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1278.htmlLooking 
at radar reflections of Titan, scientists are puzzled by what they see: is the 
surface dotted with black pools or two different materials, one light, the other 
dark? Connecting these dots will depend on overlaying the visual with more 
bouncing radio waves.Wednesday, November 03 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2004 5:31 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Titan's Drumroll Pleasehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1266.htmlThe 
Cassini flyby of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, captured four gigabytes of data 
and images Wednesday morning. So far, the smoggy moon looks free of impact 
craters, shows streakiness or wind-scouring and harbors dark boundaries against 
a lighter 'shoreline'. Whether the moon actually has oily lakes will not be 
clarified until radar and stereo views are processed in the next 
24-hours.Moon Shadowshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1265.htmlFor 
much of the Americas, Wednesday's lunar eclipse highlights the delicate question 
of whether our Moon is the thing that actually stabilizes the Earth in its 
habitable, climatic zone. Their complementary sizes can be observed in dramatic 
fashion when the Earth's shadow intersects the moon's orbit.Magical 
Xanaduhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1264.htmlThe 
region of most interest on Titan is a continent-sized, bright area called 
Xanadu. Images acquired while the Cassini probe approached the moon suggest a 
landscape shrouded by heavy clouds and contrasting albedo.Yale Lock on 
Martian Ageshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1263.htmlA 
Yale geology team has tested an isotope method to correlate the age of martian 
meteors to how uranium and thorium decay to form helium. An important byproduct 
is a profile of how the rock may have been heated during its ejection or 
atmospheric entry.Wednesday, October 27 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Multiple Impacts?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1253.htmlThe 
Chicxulub meteorite impact is largely credited with the extinction of 50 percent 
of the world's species, including the dinosaurs. But could there have been more 
than one meteorite impact 65 million years ago? Worlds in 
Collisionhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1252.htmlPlanet-building 
is a violent, messy process. Observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope 
indicate this process may last much longer than previously thought. 
Planet Building: Colliding Mountainshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1251.htmlHow 
is a planet built? The standard model assumes aggregation of fine stellar dust, 
but observations using the infrared Spitzer telescope now suggest that 
mountain-sized aggregates collide to make new worlds.Step Off a 
Cliffhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1250.htmlIn 
high-resolution, an ancient martian basin called Huygens shows evidence of 
sediment filling, erosion and dendritic patterns characteristic of water 
run-off. Wednesday, October 20 For 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Mission to Mars: Risky Businesshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1249.htmlThe 
Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, will claim a place in history 
as tremendous successes. But to get the rovers ready for launch, mission team 
members had to push themselves to their limits. MER Principal Investigator Steve 
Squyres explains how they handled the challenge. Charged Up Saturnhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1248.htmlSaturn 
has an unusual magnetic environment, which acts as a planetary electrical 
transformer. The instrument measuring the charged Saturn on Cassini has already 
found a plasma between what previously was just thought to be a ring 
gap.Emoticons Invade Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1247.htmlThe 
Mars Global Surveyor released the latest glyph image that appears to evoke the 
kinds of communication in rock formations that has become famous among Mars' 
watchers on the internet. But there is a serious side to interpreting remote 
sensing data, and shadow is not always one's ally.Fault Tree for 
Genesishttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1246.htmlBy 
November, the Genesis Mishap Board will issue its report on the impact of the 
solar wind collecting probe. The investigation so far has focused on the 
parachute deployment and whether the probe detected the re-entry using gravity 
sensors.Monday, October 18 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Extrasolar Planets: A Matter of Metallicityhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1241.htmlThe 
130 extrasolar planets discovered so far are in solar systems very different 
from our own, in which life-bearing planets like Earth are unlikely to exist. 
But an obscure characteristic of these planets and their stars has led 
astronomers to predict that our galaxy is brimming with solar systems like ours. 
The key to their prediction is something called metallicity. Beaming Up 
a Software Doctorhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1240.htmlThe 
Mars rovers were launched without a complete software unit. As the red planet 
loomed ever closer, the control code was beamed up. This model of not just 
transfering new mission protocols, but actually letting the protocols carry some 
'self-healing' may play an increasing role for future explorers.Saturn's 
Perfect Stormshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1239.htmlTo 
see a hurricane grow on Earth, one's best view is from orbit. But on the 
windiest planet in the solar system, Saturnian clouds can gather to sizes 
greater than our tiny blue planet.Popping the Escape Hatchhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1238.htmlThe 
Mars Opportunity site continues to intrigue scientists as they decipher the 
chemistry deeper in Endurance crater. The rise in chlorine and fall in sulfur 
may suggest alterations by evaporating water in the crater's 
past.Monday, October 11 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
The Forensics of Genesishttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1232.htmlWithin 
the next few months, the scientific community will get a first look at the 
recovered samples from the Genesis probe. In the best cases 85-100 percent of 
some samples will be recovered intact and in other cases, forensics will be 
needed to understand the sample history.The Shape of Things to 
Comehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1231.htmlIt 
will probe the dark ages before the era of re-ionization, and perhaps before the 
birth of the first stars. It will observe the formation of the first galaxies. 
It will map the web of neutral hydrogen that is spread across our universe, near 
and far. In 2015, an array of 4400 twelve meter fully steerable paraboloid radio 
dishes, called the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) is scheduled to be complete and 
operational.New Star-Type Stillbornhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1230.htmlWhen 
a binary star system starts to transfer mass, one of the twins may well win out, 
leaving its companion to occupy a strange region half way between a star and a 
planet. A new star-type of this sort has been found, which resembles the 
infrared ash of a stillborn star.Galactic Dead Zonehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1229.htmlAt 
the center of the Milky Way may lie the most fertile star forming region, but 
the bust-boom cycle of star birthing can hinder what might be considered any 
real biological fertility.Wednesday, October 06 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Splitting Cargo and Crewhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1228.htmlThe 
next generation shuttle, designed to support eventual lunar stops on the way to 
Mars, may benefit from a NASA concept to separate crew and cargo in future 
missions. Before a crew is sent, the cargo will be waiting for 
them.Wrapping Up Genesis Sitehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1227.htmlGenesis 
engineers and scientists have wrapped the crash site of the solar-wind 
collecting probe, with hopes of recovering mission objectives. Pinhole 
Camera to Image New Worldshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1226.htmlA 
University of Colorado study has embarked on demonstrating that new planets can 
be found with the help of an orbiting starshade. The method has been compared to 
building a giant pinhole camera in space.Neo-Tugboatshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1225.htmlIn 
an open letter, Apollo 9 astronaut Russell Schweickart questions whether a 
non-nuclear option for asteroid deflection isn't the more prudent 
path.Monday, October 04 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Coming Soon: "Good" Jupitershttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1222.htmlMost 
of the extrasolar planets discovered to date are gas giants like Jupiter, but 
their orbits are either much closer to their parent stars or are highly 
eccentric. Planet hunters are on the verge of confirming the discovery of 
Jupiter-size planets with Jupiter-like orbits. Solar systems that contain these 
"good" Jupiters may harbor habitable Earth-like planets as well. Blown 
Away by Dry Mars?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1221.htmlWhere 
did all the martian water go? It is a basic question that has puzzled planetary 
scientists, even more now that evidence of past water becomes more 
comprehensive. One theory that the Mars Express orbiter is trying to test 
suggests that solar wind has scavenged volatile gases and liquids from the 
martian atmosphere.Making Tracks on Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1220.htmlIn 
a remarkable series of orbital pictures, the Mars Global Surveyor's cameras have 
imaged the tracks of the Spirit rover on the surface. Individual debris pieces 
including the backshell and lander are visible with remarkable clarity using an 
innovative roll of the satellite.Toutatis: Almost Too Close for 
Comforthttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1219.htmlThe 
asteroid Toutatis last flew close by Earth in 1992 and 1996, but it has not come 
as close to us as it will this year since 1353. On Wednesday morning, scientists 
and skywatchers alike will be able to witness its passage within only four 
Earth-moon distances. At three miles in diameter, this massive asteroid is the 
largest to pass that close in a century. Toutatis will measure about half the 
size of the asteroid that 65 million years ago caused the last mass 
extinction--or what is sometimes called 'The Great Dying'.Wednesday, 
September 29 For more astrobiology news, 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Toutatis: Almost Too Close for Comforthttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1219.htmlThe 
asteroid Toutatis last flew close by Earth in 1992 and 1996, but it has not come 
as close to us as it will this year since 1353. On Wednesday morning, scientists 
and skywatchers alike will be able to witness its passage within only four 
Earth-moon distances. At three miles in diameter, this massive asteroid is the 
largest to pass that close in a century. Toutatis will measure about half the 
size of the asteroid that 65 million years ago caused the last mass 
extinction--or what is sometimes called 'The Great Dying'.Postcards from 
the Grander Canyonhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1218.htmlAs 
the largest feature of its kind in the solar system, the martian canyon, Valles 
Marineris, stretches an equivalent terrestrial distance from New York to Los 
Angeles. But getting a robotic explorer down into the canyon floor challenges 
even the most intrepid of navigators.Galactic Construction Boomhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1217.htmlImagine 
clusters that smash together thousands of galaxies and trillions of stars. Its 
energy would seem second only to the Big Bang itself. While inconceivable from 
the comfort of our planet, just such an event was witnessed near the 
constellation, Hydra, like two heads of that giant monster coming 
together.Titan on Targethttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1216.htmlAt 
the beginning of next year, the descent probe, Huygens, will try to sample what 
lies beneath the thick atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Huygens 
passed its last in-flight checks and scientists are preparing for the perilous, 
one-way trip towards the surface.Monday, September 27 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Coping with Contaminationhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1208.htmlDrilling 
is a messy business. Drilling fluid is anything but sterile. For most drilling 
applications, that's no problem. But when astrobiologists drill into the 
subsurface for new and unusual life forms, they need to be sure that the 
bacteria they find really do come from underground, that they're not being 
fooled by contaminants that hitched a ride down from the surface. One group of 
scientists is working out a solution to this problem at an astrobiological 
drilling project in southern Spain. The lessons they learn will help prepare for 
future drilling missions on Mars. Mars Methane Pairs with Water?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1207.htmlThe 
Mars Express team has reported an intriguing connection between methane and 
water vapor found in three broad geographic regions, a result that may suggest 
looking further for past or dormant microbial life.Life on Earth: 
Signpost to Life on Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1206.htmlThe 
Río Tinto is a river in Spain with highly acidic water the color of red wine. A 
group of astrobiologists wants to know what microbial life forms are lurking 
deep below the surface where the river's headwaters seep out of the ground. Then 
answer may help them search for subsurface life on Mars.High Carb 
Heavenhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1205.htmlFrom 
26,000 light-years-- near the center of our galaxy-- comes a radio signal that 
can be interpreted as a cloud of sugar molecules, one key component of what 
might have assisted the development of life if transported on primordial 
comets.Wednesday, September 22 For 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Drilling for Weird Lifehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1204.htmlScientists 
interested in the search for life on other planets often spend their time 
hunting for novel life forms and unique ecosystems here on Earth. The Río Tinto, 
a river in Spain with highly acidic water the color of red wine, has one group 
of researchers intrigued about what might be living underground, in the pyrite 
deposits along the river's edge.Saturn: Through a Glass Brightlyhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1203.htmlThe 
natural beauty of Saturn's rings shine through when Cassini looks on the 
nearly-translucent, icy debris in color.Day in the Sunhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1202.htmlSince 
September 8th and 9th, the twin Mars rovers have been taking a well-deserved 
break, while the Sun-Earth line clears again for communication directly to Mars. 
While this conjunction may temporarily halt their wheels in the sand, other 
science tasks have kicked off under autonomous control.Shape-Shifting 
Borg Gets Its Groove Onhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1201.htmlA 
concept for adaptive robotics has been demonstrated for what specialists call 
"lattice robots"--mechanical connectors that tie together many moving parts to 
shift their shape in response to changes in their environment.Monday, 
September 20 For more astrobiology news, 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 5:35 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
The Other Mars Meteoritehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1197.htmlThe 
most famous Mars meteorite, the one with strange, cylindrical rock segments, may 
not be the most intriguing. Consider a rock launched from Mars only 700 million 
years ago called Lafayette. Judging by detailed chemical analysis, the outcome 
of its long journey to Earth did little to obscure its earlier life at the 
bottom of some salt-water pool. Or at least that conclusion is what meteor 
scientists suspect might have landed in North America about three millenia 
ago.Martian Mesashttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1196.htmlWith 
its high-resolution stereo camera, Mars Express continues to beam back orbital 
views of the kind of massive erosion features expected around Earth mesas and 
canyons. Whether aqueous or tectonic erosion, the perspective views show 
spectacular snapshots demonstrating inverted relief.Saturn's Family 
Portraithttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1195.htmlThe 
Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn takes a wide-angle view of the ringed 
planet's extended moon system. These mostly icy moons have highly reflective, 
bright surfaces and tend to smooth over many impact scars when their frozen 
veneers heal.Surfing the Wavehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1194.htmlA 
tsunami, a series of large waves caused by the disruption of seawater, is one of 
the many hazards of living on Earth. Bill McGuire, Director of the Benfield 
Hazard Research Centre, says that a mega-tsunami could cause death and 
destruction to both the eastern and western Atlantic coasts. Wednesday, 
September 15 For more astrobiology news, 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Surfing the Wavehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1194.htmlA 
tsunami, a series of large waves caused by the disruption of seawater, is one of 
the many hazards of living on Earth. Bill McGuire, Director of the Benfield 
Hazard Research Centre, says that a mega-tsunami could cause death and 
destruction to both the eastern and western Atlantic coasts. Headshake 
to SETI Headfakehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1193.htmlDid 
the famous screensaver, [EMAIL PROTECTED], uncover the first strong evidence for an 
extraterrestrial signal? The SETI Institute's Seth Shostak discusses how 
hyperbole can misrepresent the last addition to a list of stellar 
candidates.Unsung Species Co-Endangeredhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1192.htmlExtinction 
of a species is not just a permanent loss of biological diversity, but may have 
ripple effects as co-dependent species suffer from the absence of what may be 
linked predator-prey relatsionships.Ring of Lifehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1191.htmlMolecular 
biologists have uprooted a traditional perspective on life's ancient ancestry, 
if their supplanted tree-of-life metaphor is modified to look more like a 
ring-of-life.Monday, September 13 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Time to Collect the Coronahttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1183.htmlIf 
all goes as planned, the sample capsule from the Genesis spacecraft will be 
returning to Earth on Wednesday morning. The spacecraft has spent the past two 
years collecting the solar wind. Rebuilding the Biggest Buildinghttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1182.htmlOne 
of the world's largest buildings sustained damage over the weekend as hurricane 
Frances pounded a natural scar on the face of a manmade wonder. Florida's Space 
Coast has witnessed many launches designed specifically to study and predict the 
damaging effects of hurricanes--one of the few storms so large that it can best 
be viewed from orbit.Death Star Lookalikehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1181.htmlSaturn's 
satellite, Mimas, can be imaged from afar and imagined up close, but its 
striking resemblance to the fictional Death Star from Star Wars gives the most 
dramatic view of its violent past.Giving Up the Galactic Ghosthttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1180.htmlWhile 
a terrestrial view of a galaxy might disguise the turbulent, changing mergers 
that fuel their formation, a famous cluster called Stephan's Quintet shows that 
seemingly immutable stars are always in flux.Wednesday, September 08 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, September 06, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Deception Pointhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1177.htmlBestselling 
author, Dan Brown, has concocted a tale for astrobiologists called "Deception 
Point". But how can one separate facts from fiction? Consider the scientific 
possibilities of dissecting a meteorite full of insect-like 
fossils.Astronaut's View of Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1176.htmlLooking 
at Mars as if viewed outside an airplane window offers a remarkably clear 
picture of what other planets might offer for future landers. The high 
resolution images from Mars Express continue to survey the largest canyon in our 
solar system.How Life First Bubbled Uphttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1175.htmlIf 
evolution is viewed as a battle of the fittest, it becomes possible to imagine a 
battle even at the chemical level for what might ultimately act as a single 
cell. In what biochemists might term, the battle of the bubbles, competition for 
encapsulating a protocell has some new contestants.Eye Through the 
Hurricanehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1174.htmlPlanet-scale 
storms are best seen from far away, preferably from orbit. Hurricane Frances is 
no exception, but terrestrial storms are nothing compared to what shapes Saturn, 
the windiest place in our solar system.Monday, September 06 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Searching for Scarce Lifehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1167.htmlChile's 
Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth. So dry that, in some regions, not 
even bacteria can survive. That makes it a perfect place to test out Zoë, a 
prototype rover designed to detect life's faintest traces.Whipple's 
Flying Sandbankhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1166.htmlThe 
most cited astronomy papers date back to the early fifties, when astronomer Fred 
Whipple proposed that comets were dirty snowballs. His legacy will live long 
beyond the passing of America's oldest astronomer.Neptune-Class Worlds 
Foundhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1165.htmlWhile 
striving to find ever smaller, more rocky worlds, planet hunters have moved from 
discovering not just Jupiter-class planets outside our solar system. Now 
astronomers have found two new Neptune-class planets on their road to 
pinpointing a new Earth-like system.Choices in The Quantum 
Universehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1164.htmlAsking 
questions about the quantum universe is a fool's game: one cannot get a single 
answer, only a probability. A committee of particle physicists bounced this 
concept around a table to pose the top nine questions, and a probable path to 
answering them.Wednesday, September 01 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Life on Mars: A Definite Possibilityhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1163.htmlThis 
much is known: At some point in Mars's past, at least one region of the planet 
was drenched in water. Ancient Mars provided a habitat suitable for life as we 
know it. What kind of organism might have lived there? And is life lying dormant 
there still, just waiting for things to warm up a bit? No one can say. But one 
scientist, taking cues from earthly bacteria, has a pretty good idea of how a 
martian microbe could survive.Footprints on the Moonhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1162.htmlThe 
Moon offers a unique preserved laboratory free from the weathering that ages the 
record of how life arose on Earth. Studying radiation and polar craters may be 
targets for the next human or robotic missions.Enceladus: Grand 
Tourshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1161.htmlSaturn's 
moon, Enceladus, was discovered two hundred and fifteen years ago today, but the 
Cassini probe has targeted this icy world for its lunar tour through the 
Saturnian system.Scratching the Duneshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1160.htmlOpportunity's 
mission scientists have eyed the dunes in the deep pit known as Endurance 
crater. The sandy terrain has deterred the rover from going further, at the risk 
of getting trapped.Monday, August 30 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Citizen of the Solar Systemhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1156.htmlNASA's 
David Morrison won the 2004 Carl Sagan medal from the Division for Planetary 
Sciences. He talked with Astrobiology Magazine about the risks and rewards of 
extending science beyond our biosphere.Meteorites Donated Life's 
Phosphorushttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1155.htmlPhosphorus 
is much rarer in nature than are hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, but 
just as critical to life. Where the phosphorus came from has been a mystery, but 
one recent hypothesis maintains that meteorites might be a source of Earth's 
early phosphorus. Beagle 2: Lessons Learnedhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1154.htmlThe 
ambitious Mars lander, Beagle 2, never was able to respond from the surface back 
to Earth, but the mission team has assembled their thoughts on making the next 
one better.Backyard Telescopes for New Planetshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1153.htmlCould 
a new world be discovered with a department store telescope having only a small 
4-inch diameter lens? It was a little more than a decade ago that the world's 
most powerful telescopes could just begin to discover extrasolar planets, but 
with over 120 new worlds found, the technique seems primed to become 
general.Wednesday, August 25 For 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Flying the Sun to Safetyhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1149.htmlThe 
Genesis spacecraft spent 27 months collecting atoms from the solar wind as they 
streamed off the sun's corona. When the Genesis sample capsule comes hurtling 
back to Earth on September 8, helicopter pilots will be waiting to grab it out 
of the sky. It's a Bird, It's a Planethttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1148.htmlWhen 
the space station passes across the Sun or moon, the scene offers an interesting 
demonstration of how planet hunter's look for new candidates by measuring the 
periodic dimming of a parent star. The space station is large enough and close 
enough to rival the appearance of a sunspot or the recent Venus transit. But is 
the sun crossing a novel instance of humans inducing an eclipse?Sniffing 
a Comethttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1147.htmlThe 
European Rosetta mission will sample a comet as it tries to harpoon and hook 
onto its surface. A specially designed oven will cook the comet in analogy to 
sniffing for recognizable elements.Whirly Bird Catches the Urnhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1146.htmlThe 
Genesis mission will end September 8th, after capturing the first 
extraterrestrial samples to be returned since Apollo. The spacecraft has stowed 
pristine solar wind to help scientists search back in the planetary 
timeline.Monday, August 23 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 5:35 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Venus: Inhabited World?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1142.htmlIn 
part 1 of this interview with Astrobiology Magazine editor Henry Bortman, 
planetary scientist David Grinspoon explained how Venus evolved from a wet 
planet similar to Earth to the scorching hot, dried-out furnace of today. In 
part 2, Grinspoon discusses the possibility of life on Venus.Underneath 
Ganymede's Ice?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1141.htmlThe 
largest moon in our solar system, Ganymede, has lumpy mass concentrations 
underneath its icy shell. The lumpy features appeared by surprise when watching 
the Galileo spacecraft's flyby and may point to rock features on a ice floor. 
Saturn Yields Two New Moonshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1140.htmlTo 
add to its system of 31 moons, Saturn may have many smaller moons only visible 
with the sharp vision of the Cassini spacecraft. Two candidate moons have been 
identified that are likely captured comets.Celestial Geodehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1139.htmlIn 
the latest Hubble images, a remarkable young star has yielded the visual 
equivalent of a celestial geode. Like the sparkling interior of a crystalline 
sphere, a strong stellar wind is inflating this super-bubble. Wednesday, 
August 18 For more astrobiology news, visit 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, August 16, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Venus: Hothouse Planethttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1137.htmlBefore 
spaceprobes could photograph Venus up close, the second planet from the Sun was 
often compared to a sister world, much like the Earth. Planetary scientist, 
David Grinspoon, discusses with Astrobiology Magazine how that view evolved to 
consider the extremes encountered on the Venusian surface.Dust Clears, 
Mars Brighthttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1136.htmlOne 
hundred twenty scientists have published their current running tally of results 
from the Spirit rover. No lakebed evidence has been found yet, but scientists 
are impressed with the equipment's diagnostic capabilities so far.How 
Mars Fooled the Worldhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1135.htmlThe 
famous Orson Welles' radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" is about to hit 
the big screen, as film moguls Spielberg and Cruise bring the H.G. Wells' 
classic back into the popular imagination. Are we so clever today not be 
duped?Towards Biological Machines?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1134.htmlBy 
encouraging ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules to self-assemble into 3-D shapes 
resembling spirals, triangles, rods and hairpins, scientists have found what 
could be a method of constructing lattices on which to build complex microscopic 
machines. Monday, August 16 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 5:32 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Saturn's Moon Titan: Prebiotic Laboratoryhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1130.htmlJonathan 
Lunine, professor of planetary science and physics at the at the University of 
Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, has a longtime 
fascination with Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Astrobiology Magazine's Managing 
Editor Henry Bortman spoke recently with Lunine about the Huygens mission slated 
to descend into Titan's thick atmosphere in early 2005. In this second and final 
part of the interview, Lunine explains how Huygens may help scientists 
understand the origin of life on Earth, even if it doesn't detect life on Titan. 
Plurality of Worldshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1129.htmlDid 
the same Greek philosophers who declared the first truce for Olympic competition 
have the foresight to imagine a universe not just where many countries could 
coexist, but also a universe occupied by many such habitable 
worlds?Saturn's Moon Titan: Planet Wannabehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1128.htmlJonathan 
Lunine, professor of planetary science and physics at the at the University of 
Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, has long been 
fascinated by Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Astrobiology Magazine's Managing 
Editor Henry Bortman spoke recently with Lunine about the Huygens mission. In 
this first part of the interview, Lunine explains what scientists hope to learn 
from Huygens. Lightning Bolts from Saturnhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1127.htmlIn 
orbit around Saturn for more than a month now, the Cassini spacecraft has been 
sending back mountains of scientific data. It's now detected flashes of 
lightning and a new radiation belt. The spacecraft's radio and plasma wave 
science instrument is detecting the lighting, which varies from day to day; a 
dramatically different situation from what the Voyagers found 20 years ago. The 
new radiation belt is just above Saturn's cloud tops and extends around the 
planet, yet the radiation particles are able to "jump over" the planet's 
rings.Wednesday, August 11 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Saturn's Moon Titan: Planet Wannabehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1128.htmlJonathan 
Lunine, professor of planetary science and physics at the at the University of 
Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, has long been 
fascinated by Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Astrobiology Magazine's Managing 
Editor Henry Bortman spoke recently with Lunine about the Huygens mission. In 
this first part of the interview, Lunine explains what scientists hope to learn 
from Huygens. Lightning Bolts from Saturnhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1127.htmlIn 
orbit around Saturn for more than a month now, the Cassini spacecraft has been 
sending back mountains of scientific data. It's now detected flashes of 
lightning and a new radiation belt. The spacecraft's radio and plasma wave 
science instrument is detecting the lighting, which varies from day to day; a 
dramatically different situation from what the Voyagers found 20 years ago. The 
new radiation belt is just above Saturn's cloud tops and extends around the 
planet, yet the radiation particles are able to "jump over" the planet's 
rings.Perseids to Storm August 11?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1126.htmlThe 
annual Perseid meteor shower has already started, but it's going to peak on the 
night of August 11, with observers in dark locations seeing upwards of 60 
meteors an hour. This year could be special, though, since the Earth is expected 
to pass through a brand new filament of material left over from Comet 
Swift-Tuttle when it flew past in 1862. This year's Perseids could turn into a 
full fledged meteor storm, but the only way to know for sure is to get out and 
watch. The best time will be after 11 pm, in the darkest skies you can find. 
Hubble in Troublehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1125.htmlThe 
spectrometer or color detector on the Hubble Space Telescope seems to have a 
malfunction, which jeopardizes about a third of the science observations. One 
possible casualty, if engineers cannot recover the instrument, is detection of 
atmospheres around newly discovered planets outside our solar 
system.Monday, August 09 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Rocking the Cradle of Lifehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1115.htmlWhen 
did life begin? One evidential clue stems from the fossil records in Western 
Australia, although whether these layered sediments are biological or chemical 
has spawned a spirited debate. Oxford researcher, Nicola McLoughlin, describes 
some of the issues in contention.Comet Cruiser Glimpses Earthhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1114.htmlThe 
comet chasing probe called Rosetta glanced back towards Earth using its 
navigation cameras at the end of July. From a distance of over 42 million miles, 
the Earth and Moon look faintly like two headlights on a deserted 
road.Towards Mysterious Mercuryhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1113.htmlThe 
MESSENGER spacecraft launched into space early this morning. It then began a 
long seven-year journey to Mercury, an incredibly dense world that may have 
withered in the heat of the sun. Virtual Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1112.htmlAs 
Mars mission planners begin to look at the next major launch opportunity, the 
public can access a virtual planet that shares the same mapping software as what 
the scientists use. The Mars' Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is slated for launch 
in August of 2005.Wednesday, August 04 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Countdown Meets Perfect Stormhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1110.htmlThe 
early Monday morning launch of the first orbital mission to Mercury encountered 
a difficult weather pattern that scrubbed what operators call an 'instantaneous' 
launch window. Although the mission will extend to seven years until 2011, only 
twelve seconds are available to time a successful trajectory. Mission 
controllers forecast a next launch attempt for a twenty-four hour turnaround. 
Moon Written in Stonehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1109.htmlIn 
stark relief against the arid Oman desert, meteor hunters have found a rock 
launched from the moon before life even had time to take hold on Earth. More 
remarkable was the scientists' ability to unravel its complex timeline to give a 
complete history written in stone.Titanic Purple Hazehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1108.htmlCassini's 
camera captured a good view of the upper and lower atmosphere on Saturn's moon 
Titan. The moon has a thicker atmosphere than Earth's.Francis Crick 
Rememberedhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1107.htmlThe 
British molecular biologist Francis Harry Crick died on Wednesday at the age of 
88. Crick won the Nobel Prize for the co-discovery of a double helical structure 
for all our DNA. Crick also studied the origin of life, which he considered to 
be that life arrived on Earth from somewhere else in our solar 
system.Monday, August 02 For more 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 5:33 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Sending a Messenger to Mercuryhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1099.htmlVisiting 
an inner planet like Mercury exposes a spacecraft to eleven times the solar 
intensity compared to Earth. But the early August launch of the MESSENGER probe 
will look for cometary water-ice in any shaded areas, until it eventually 
crashes and plants its flag.Ringscape in Natural Colorshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1098.htmlThe 
Saturnian ring system is visible in natural colors using an amateur telescope, 
but to see it up close as one would riding on the Cassini spacecraft reveals a 
world of icy-white and what one can only refer to 'earthtones'.Martian 
Racetrackshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1097.htmlThe 
Mars Express orbiter has captured a stunning image of what on Earth is called 
yardangs: wind erosion sweeping across a flat plain can carve grooves that look 
mysteriously like racetracks.Mars Echoes of Earthtoneshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1096.htmlAs 
the Spirit rover gets its bearings after a one-mile trek to Columbia Hills, the 
landscape has transformed from flat plains to exposed vertical faces. To a 
geologist, finding such layering offers a history lesson in which element 
dominated its ancient past. Mission scientists continue their detective work to 
balance the corrosive contributions of wind, water, and impacts.Monday, 
July 26 For more astrobiology news, visit http://www.astrobio.netTo 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Moving Forward By Moving Backwardhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1089.htmlTo 
manage on five out of six wheels, the Spirit rover has found backing up to be 
more efficient than driving forward. The net result however continues to impress 
mission scientists as they back their way into the Columbia Hills.New 
Martian Meteoritehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1088.htmlWeighing 
nearly two pounds, a black hunk from ancient Mars has been discovered against 
the white Antarctic backdrop. Following its December 2003 discovery, the 
nakhlite meteorite is now thought to have crystallized from thick martian lava 
flows over a billion years ago, then landed on earth around 11 million years 
ago.The Big Dighttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1087.htmlPreparing 
to explore the subsurface of Mars involves a new generation of missions, ones 
that benefit from a natural analogy to burrowing like a mole. The mission 
concept is referred to as the Mars Mole, which scientists hope to have in 
prototype stage later this year.The Human Extremehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1086.htmlMost 
scientists never think of extremophiles as higher organisms like humans, but 
deciphering what Greek antiquity considered a noble extreme--the marathon 
race--suggests that what one organism can survive may not be entirely dependent 
on the traditional environmental pressures.Wednesday, July 21 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2004 5:35 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Terraforming Mars, the Noble Experiment?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1074.htmlMars 
Society founder, Robert Zubrin, talks about how to terraform the red planet. His 
engineer's eye reveals his robust plans for not just getting to a new home, but 
also how to build one from scratch.The Good, the Bad, and the 
Ozonehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1073.htmlThis 
week NASA will add to its tools for tracking changes in the global climate with 
the launch of the Aura spacecraft. Primarily geared to imaging atmospheric 
changes, Aura will answer questions about ozone: the good, the bad and what 
makes Earth unique among the other nine planets. Farmer Droidshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1072.htmlThe 
practicality of inexpensive robots opens a host of worldly applications, whether 
tending a cornfield or testing for bugs. Just as in the film Star Wars, there 
may be a future role for autonomous robots to tend the farm while farmers blast 
off for other adventures.Detecting Single Biomoleculeshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1071.htmlTeasing 
out a single biomolecule from a stark martian landscape may seem impossible. But 
even a trace of one of life's building blocks, RNA enzymes or ribozymes, can be 
analyzed in quantities too small to see or handle without special techniques 
that make them glow under fluorescent light.Monday, July 12 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Investigating Endurance Craterhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1063.htmlNASA's 
Opportunity rover has spent the past few weeks exploring Endurance Crater in 
Meridiani Planum. Steve Squyres, principal investigator for the rover mission, 
spoke recently with Astrobiology Magazine's managing editor Henry Bortman, and 
explained what scientists have learned so far from their study of the crater. 
Dirty Dozen Wheels Downhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1062.htmlSteve 
Squyres summarizes his first half-year on Mars, as the mission progressed from 
first images to twelve wheels roaming the red planet. The Martian 
Marathonhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1061.htmlTwin 
rovers on opposite sides of the planet have nearly opposite terrain in front of 
them. Spirit looks to climb the largest hills in sight, while Opportunity looks 
to descend into the largest crater in sight. As Spirit has already exceeded 
twice its nominal lifespan, the surprising images continue to roll in from the 
red planet.Spirit Explores the Columbia Hillshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1060.htmlAfter 
a long trek across the floor of Gusev Crater, NASA's Spirit rover arrived late 
last month at the base of the Columbia Hills. Scientists believe that the hills 
are older than the surrounding plain, and holds clues to Gusev's more-distant 
past. In this exclusive interview with Astrobiology Magazine, Steve Squyres, 
principal investigator for the rover mission, discusses why the hills are 
important, what is known about them so far, and what remains to be puzzled out. 
Wednesday, July 07 For more 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 5:35 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Light This Candlehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1041.htmlIn 
the early days of the astronaut program, scientists weren't sure if the human 
body could survive space flight. In Neal Thompson's engaging biography of Alan 
Shepard, "Light This Candle," he writes of the extreme tests astronauts had to 
undergo in order to prove themselves fit for space. Phoebe, the Ice 
Princesshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1040.htmlWhen 
Cassini captured close-up views of Saturn's moon, Phoebe, its bright and clear 
patches revealed a probable cometary origin and a marked contrast to the rest of 
the moons in the Saturnian system.Counting Nemohttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1039.htmlAmong 
big numbers few can outclass counting all the fish in the sea. A large 
international census looks to take a census of biodiversity starting with any 
changes in the Arctic Ocean.Spirit's Iron Willhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1038.htmlThe 
Mars Rovers continue their surprising journeys across the red planet, as Spirit 
now reports its own findings of hematite, the iron-rich mineral, at Gusev 
Crater.Monday, June 28 For more 
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Fw: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine - June 30, 2004

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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 5:31 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Cassini Closes In on Saturnhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1045.htmlCassini 
is poised to provide the most comprehensive set of images and other scientific 
data ever collected on the giant ringed planet Saturn. And its piggyback probe, 
Hugyens, should yield a wealth of new information on Saturn's moon Titan. But 
before the mission can begin exploring, it must first perform a critical 
maneuver. Cassini Saturn Orbit Insertion Timelinehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1044.htmlOver 
the next few days, if the Cassini spacecraft achieves its next critical 
milestone, Saturn will capture it for at least a four-year mission. But if the 
orbital insertion doesn't succeed, the spacecraft flies past Saturn towards deep 
space.Dawn to Dusk on Saturnhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1043.htmlIf 
one thing seems certain it is that the sun will rise again tomorrow. But on 
Saturn, the length of a day has become a matter of scientific dispute. To find 
an answer, scientists tuned their radio receivers to listen for the planet's 
periodic rhythms.Patching Titan's Surface Viewhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1042.htmlThe 
Cassini spacecraft has sent back images three times better than previous best 
views of the intriguing moon, Titan. Using a near-infrared polarizing filter, 
much of Titan's smog can be penetrated to look at the patchy 
surface.Wednesday, June 30 For more 
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- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, June 21, 2004 5:34 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
Planetary Uncertainty Principlehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1029.htmlA 
biological version of what quantum physics calls the Heisenberg uncertainty 
principle centers on whether the act of looking for life on another world might 
somehow induce it to arise. NASA's Planetary Protection Officer John Rummel 
discusses the implications of planetary contamination with science-fiction 
author, Kim Stanley Robinson, and former Mars Pathfinder Mission Manager, Donna 
Shirley.Naming Mars: You're in Chargehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1028.htmlWhen 
the current rover missions first began, mission planners started with naming 
surface features broadly as 'this crater' or 'that hill'. The unofficial rules 
have now been refined to reflect famous or interesting people, places, ships 
--and a few names borrowed from Mars-Earth analogs.Questions: The 
Martian Futurehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1027.htmlAt 
the Astrobiology Science Conference on March 30, scientists and science fiction 
writers faced off in front of a packed house to debate the promise and pitfalls 
of terraforming Mars. In the final part of this series, the panel answers more 
questions from the audience. Questions: Living on Marshttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1026.htmlAt 
the Astrobiology Science Conference on March 30, scientists and science fiction 
writers faced off in front of a packed house to debate the promise and pitfalls 
of terraforming Mars. In part 6 of this 7-part series, the panel answers some 
questions from the audience. Monday, June 21 
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[LARRY KLAES]

- Original Message - 
From: Astrobiology Magazine 
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 5:31 AM
Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine
I Want My Sci-TVhttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1032.htmlAmericans 
love science in their movies and TV shows, yet recent reports indicate we are 
losing our scientific dominance to the rest of the world. Can science-themed 
entertainment get Americans off the couch and into the lab? Biomolecules 
Without a Planet?http://www.astrobio.net/news/article1031.htmlMolecules 
are typically looked at through a microscope but their spectra are also of 
intense interest to those manning the world's largest fully-steerable radio 
telescope. Seeing the fingerprint of an eight-atom molecule from twenty-six 
thousand light-years is not about optics as much as about speculating on how 
biomolecules might arise in deep space, in the absence of a home 
planet.Leaving Homehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1030.htmlThis 
installment concludes the debate on terraforming Mars which included such 
luminaries as Sir Arthur C. Clark, Greg Bear, Kim Robinson, Donna Shirley and 
Chris McKay.Planetary Uncertainty Principlehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article1029.htmlA 
biological version of what quantum physics calls the Heisenberg uncertainty 
principle centers on whether the act of looking for life on another world might 
somehow induce it to arise. NASA's Planetary Protection Officer John Rummel 
discusses the implications of planetary contamination with science-fiction 
author, Kim Stanley Robinson, and former Mars Pathfinder Mission Manager, Donna 
Shirley.Wednesday, June 23 For more 
astrobiology news, visit http://www.astrobio.net

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[LARRY KLAES]

   - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 7:35 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine   All Topics Extrasolar Life Extreme Life Giant Planets Mars Life Meteors Missions New Planets Stellar Evolution Climate Origins·Home·BrowseFeatures·Mars Edition·Great Debates·Table Talk·Perspectives·Expeditions  Image Galleries·Studio·Panoramas·eCards·Genesis ProjectChomping on Nano-NuggetsEight years ago, nanometer-sized features resembling bacteria were discovered in the Martian meteorite ALH84001. Although some scientists think nanometer-sized life can't exist, others contend that nanobacteria are the new frontier in life science. A recent study published in the journal Geology suggests that nanometer-sized structures are proof of life, although they are not life itself.   Full story... Wednesday, September 17 Display Options:   Planetary Primer: Mars and Venus Early Mars Was Frozen, But Habitable: I  Spaceguard: Five Years Finding Nemo 2: Nameless Creatures  Finding Nemo I: Originating Species Enigmatic Martian Gullies  Featured stories in syndication on Google News Unsubscribe

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   - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 9:42 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine   Licancabur Expedition Journal: Part TwoA team of scientists has traveled to the Andes mountains to explore the highest lake in the world. In this second of four articles, Astrobiology Magazine editor Henry Bortman talks with Nathalie Cabrol, the expedition leader, about what they've discovered so far.Display Options |Full story... | | | | | | | | |   This article comes from the Astrobiology Magazinehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/ The link for this story is: http://www.astrobio.net/news/article301.htmlMon Oct 28 00:11:11 PST 2002  Most Recent Mars | Earth | Moon | Sun

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[LARRY KLAES]

   - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 10:05 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine   Galileo Flyby: Extreme Explorers Hall of FameThe Jupiter probe, Galileo, is this week's selection for the Extreme Explorers Hall of Fame. In the next ten days, the robotic spacecraft flies within 100 miles of the unusual moon, Almathea, which gives off more heat than it receives. As Galileo has filled its mission objectives and is running low on maneuvering fuel, NASA plans to crash the spacecraft into Jupiter during 2003. Display Options |Full story... | | | | | | | | |   This article comes from the Astrobiology Magazinehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/ The link for this story is: http://www.astrobio.net/news/article300.htmlFri Oct 25 00:25:43 PDT 2002  Most Recent Mars | Earth | Moon | Sun

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[LARRY KLAES]

   - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2002 4:25 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine Looking for Carbonates in Dry Places http://www.astrobio.net/news/article290.html  A research team claims it has found carbonates in dust around two dying stars, where water cannot exist. If the finding is confirmed, astronomers may have to re-think some assumptions about the presence of water during the formation of our own solar system. But both the discovery and its implications are in question. Beyond Pluto: Ice Planet http://www.astrobio.net/news/article289.html The Hubble Telescope astronomers have found beyond Pluto, a distant object with the volume of all the asteroids combined. Unlike the long-contested 'Planet X', this candidate is one of a myriad of exotic, comet-like worlds (otherwise known as 'Kuiper Belt Objects', or KBOs). Approximately half the size of Pluto, the icy world-- 2002 LM60, dubbed "Quaoar" (pronounced kwa-whar) by its discoverers,-- is the farthest object in the solar system ever to be resolved by a telescope. ___Read more news from the Astrobiology Magazine @www.astrobio.net

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[LARRY KLAES]

   - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 4:35 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Latest News from the Astrobiology Magazine Tracking the Path of Green Slimehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article259.htmlMost life on Earth owes its existence to tiny organisms called cyanobacteria. Whatever ecological catastrophes fate has thrown at the Earth - be it another Ice Age, a large asteroid impact, or changes in the atmosphere - through it all cyanobacteria have survived. "Like fantastic aliens of a class B movie," Schopf writes in his book, 'Cradle of Life,' "they've proven impossible to wipe out, surviving on and on as life around them has gone extinct." And, even more extraordinarily, cyanobacteria appear to have survived relatively unchanged. Gravity's Telescopehttp://www.astrobio.net/news/article258.htmlNearly 70 years ago, Albert Einstein published an article in which he predicted that a star's gravity could function as a lens to focus distant light, much as a curved glass lens does. As it turned out, he was right. But Einstein didn't think that this effect would ever be observed. On that score, he was wrong. Today, the effect not only has been observed, but is being intensively monitored. "Gravitational microlensing," as it is known, is one of the exciting new techniques astronomers are using in their search for extrasolar planets.Find our more from Astrobiology Magazine @ www.astrobio.net