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Science Vote for your Top Ten NASA story of 2008
Science Vote for your Top Ten NASA story of 2008 | Vote for your Top Ten NASA story of 2008 |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Tuesday, 16 December 2008 | |
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Page 3 of 4 ARES I ROCKET PASSES IMPORTANT DESIGN MILESTONE Featured Whitepaper
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Science DiscussionsWant to know more about the Ares rocket? Check out Constellation: Ares and Orion. ARCTIC SEA ICE DECLINE CONTINUES “In September, Arctic sea ice coverage reached the second-lowest level recorded since the dawn of the satellite era, according to observations from the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado. While slightly above the record-low set in September 2007, this season further reinforces the strong negative trend in summer sea ice coverage observed during the past 30 years …. NASA developed the capability to observe the extent and concentration of sea ice from space using passive microwave sensors.” Educate yourself by going to “Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Lowest Coverage For 2008.” LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT “Researchers using a fleet of five NASA satellites discovered in 2008 that explosions of magnetic energy occurring a third of the way to the moon power substorms that cause sudden brightenings and rapid movements of the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. The cause is magnetic reconnection, a common process that occurs throughout the universe when stressed magnetic field lines suddenly snap to a new shape, like a rubber band that has been stretched too far. These substorms often accompany intense space storms that can cause power outages and disrupt radio communications and global positioning system signals. Scientists are studying the beginning of substorms using a network of 20 ground observatories located throughout Canada and Alaska and five THEMIS, or Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, satellites.” More information about THEMIS is found at Understanding Space Weather. Page four adds the last three accomplishments by NASA. |
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