2008 Woodie Awards
Space exploration is never dull
Emily Iorg
Issue date: 1/23/06 Section: Forum
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He is speaking, however, from the viewpoint of an astronomer actively involved in a network of those researching the heavens. Others in the field echo his excitement.
"We're realizing just how much there is to the deep, outer solar system," said Alan Stern, principal investigator for the Pluto mission, in a Jan. 20 Associated Press report from Cape Canaveral, Fla. "I think it's exciting that textbooks have to be rewritten, over and over."
Pluto remains the last unexplored planet of the big nine and has been complex since its 1930 discovery by Clyde Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.
On a road trip to California, my family and I checked out the 13-inch telescope through which Tombaugh viewed the distant planet. The experience was necessarily awesome considering the implications of the discovery.
Pluto has proven both mysterious and vexing. Some scientists believe it isn't a planet, but more like an asteroid or comet. The International Astronomical Union is contemplating a revamped definition of a planet.
The public, however, is curiously lacking in interest.
"Is this new world the true end of the solar system? No, it is not," Levy said in the PARADE article. "Although we have never seen a world out there, we often receive postcards from the edge. They come in the form of comets that travel from the depths of space, swing around the Sun once and return to a great sphere which, astronomers believe, marks the true end of the solar system."
Scientists are using these comets to learn more about the unexplored "edge."
NASA's Stardust spacecraft returned to Earth Jan. 15 after a 7-year, $212 million mission that included collecting interstellar and comet dust. A collector of "aerogel," a material which catches dust particles, captured samples as the craft circled the sun three times and also traveled in the wake of comet Wild 2.
The capsule of space dust landed in Utah and was transported to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. A NASA trip has not yielded solid souvenirs since 1972, when Apollo 17 returned with 244 pounds of moon rocks.
In a truly global effort, samples will be sent to 150 scientists worldwide for study. They will determine the mineral composition and the presence of organic material and compare dust particles to meteorites as well.
These recent explorations present an opportunity for a readjusted understanding of the universe and our part in it. They also increase excitement among the public, which can hopefully be sustained rather than peter out as other headlines dominate.
Make a personal investment in space exploration. Visit the Warkczewski Observatory located atop Royall Hall this spring to view planetary objects. Watch for new space ventures.
And mark your calendars for July 2015. New Horizons' findings on Pluto and planet formation will undoubtedly prove captivating.
eiorg@unews.com
"We're realizing just how much there is to the deep, outer solar system," said Alan Stern, principal investigator for the Pluto mission, in a Jan. 20 Associated Press report from Cape Canaveral, Fla. "I think it's exciting that textbooks have to be rewritten, over and over."
Pluto remains the last unexplored planet of the big nine and has been complex since its 1930 discovery by Clyde Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.
On a road trip to California, my family and I checked out the 13-inch telescope through which Tombaugh viewed the distant planet. The experience was necessarily awesome considering the implications of the discovery.
Pluto has proven both mysterious and vexing. Some scientists believe it isn't a planet, but more like an asteroid or comet. The International Astronomical Union is contemplating a revamped definition of a planet.
The public, however, is curiously lacking in interest.
"Is this new world the true end of the solar system? No, it is not," Levy said in the PARADE article. "Although we have never seen a world out there, we often receive postcards from the edge. They come in the form of comets that travel from the depths of space, swing around the Sun once and return to a great sphere which, astronomers believe, marks the true end of the solar system."
Scientists are using these comets to learn more about the unexplored "edge."
NASA's Stardust spacecraft returned to Earth Jan. 15 after a 7-year, $212 million mission that included collecting interstellar and comet dust. A collector of "aerogel," a material which catches dust particles, captured samples as the craft circled the sun three times and also traveled in the wake of comet Wild 2.
The capsule of space dust landed in Utah and was transported to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. A NASA trip has not yielded solid souvenirs since 1972, when Apollo 17 returned with 244 pounds of moon rocks.
In a truly global effort, samples will be sent to 150 scientists worldwide for study. They will determine the mineral composition and the presence of organic material and compare dust particles to meteorites as well.
These recent explorations present an opportunity for a readjusted understanding of the universe and our part in it. They also increase excitement among the public, which can hopefully be sustained rather than peter out as other headlines dominate.
Make a personal investment in space exploration. Visit the Warkczewski Observatory located atop Royall Hall this spring to view planetary objects. Watch for new space ventures.
And mark your calendars for July 2015. New Horizons' findings on Pluto and planet formation will undoubtedly prove captivating.
eiorg@unews.com
