It’s life,
Jim, but not as we know it! NASA supported researchers have discovered an
organism that not only thrives in a high-arsenic environment, but also
incorporates it into its DNA structure.
Until this discovery, the 6 building blocks of life (as we know it) are
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. The microbes living in Mono Lake, CA use
arsenic in place of phosphorus when building DNA chains. In other organisms, arsenic is poisonous
because it is chemically similar to phosphorus and interrupts metabolic
pathways. Read more at
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/02dec_monolake/
Private
space vehicle to launch Tuesday: Eyes will be on the skies as SpaceX
launches an unmanned capsule on December 7th. The capsule will launch around 9 am Florida
time from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The Dragon is expected to make 4 orbits around the earth, then reenter
the atmosphere and land in the Pacific Ocean. The craft will be recovered after
its 4-5 hour flight by SpaceX personnel in a ship. Launching a spacecraft into orbit is not the
most difficult part; that would be reentering the atmosphere and landing without
burning up. Read more at
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/spacex-dragon-space-capsule-ready-101206.html
Photos
from space: Check out some really amazing views of our earth taken by
astronauts in the International Space Station.
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/astronaut-twitter-photos-earth-101118.html
New app:
Climate Change on the Go: GeoOptics
released a Climate Mobile App that you can download to get climate data from
space satellites and surface instruments.
Look for changes and trends in parameters that scientists have indicated
as important for monitoring climate change, such as temperatures.
http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Climate_Change_On_The_Go_999.html
New Solar Activity: The
sun is continuing to increase its activity.
Monday morning (December 6) a fantastic solar filament was
observed. See the photo at www.spaceweather.com.
(Martian) Year
of the Solar system will be celebrated starting this month until
August 2012, which is a Martian year.
The website has activities for each month that you can do with your
family, community, or school. Check it out at
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss/display.cfm?Year=2010&Month=12&Tab=Featured%20Activity
Clear Skies!
Kathy