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Space Game: Where in the Solar System is Destination One? (day 2)
Posted in Destination One, Solar System, Space Game
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Space Game: Where in the Solar System is Destination One? (day 1)
Hey Space Boggers!
Are you ready to play Space Game? Here’s how it goes. We are taking a tour of the Solar System that is slightly unusual in two ways.
Posted in Destination One, Solar System, Space Exploration, Space Game
4 Comments
Space Game
Hey SpaceBloggers!
Do you like to travel? Are you ready for a break from homework and practicing for TAKS tests? Do you need a little space?
I have been talking to a lot of kids in Austin, Texas and they sure know a lot about our ‘stellar’ neighborhood. So I was thinking now might be a good time to get out and take a little tour. And while we’re at it, we might as well play a game; I love travel games – hope you do, too!
I’ll start off tomorrow posting a picture of a well know object in our solar system.
Posted in Solar System, Space, Space Exploration, Space Game
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Want to Explore?
Hi Space Bloggers!
Bella Bear wrote in recently and said that she would like to explore an unknown planet. If you like that idea, but don’t want to wait until we find one – and figure out how to get there – and you grow up and go through astronaut training – here’s a thought.
How about exploring Mars? This year? So far no one has gone there in person. But scientists are studying it right here from Earth. You probably heard about NASA’s Mars Rover mission. Two robot scouts, named ‘Spirit’ and ‘Opportunity’, rolled over Mars testing the air and surface and sending back live video. Well, another mission is getting ready to go, Mars Science Laboratory. And guess what? Its going to look for signs of LIFE!
Right now a new rover named ‘Curiosity’ is taking its first steps in a NASA laboratory in California. Once it learns to walk, it’s going to Mars. And you can go with it. Well, practically. Just check in each day at the MSL website and see live footage of the mission preparation, launch, and discoveries on Mars. It’s almost like being there! Except you won’t miss your birthday party.
New Mars rover out for a test drive (image credit: NASA)
Oh, and don’t miss the Mars fun zone set up especially for kids!
Posted in Mars Rover, Mars Science Laboratory, Planets, Space Exploration
Tagged Mars, NASA
3 Comments
Earth-Like Planets?
Hey Space Bloggers!
After my last post, Erin wrote in about NASA’s Kepler Mission, a space telescope that is searching for Earth-like planets in our galaxy. She heard they found one.
And guess what? She’s right!
Following the Earth around the sun like a friendly puppy dog, Kepler looks for planets in nearby star clusters – that is if you consider a span of 3,000 light years to be nearby!
So far Kepler has found over 1000 possible planets, and confirmed that 15 definitely are planets.
Image credit: NASA/Tim Pyle
And that’s not all!
Just three days ago, NASA announced the discovery of 5 more possible planets; planets that are special for two reasons….
- First, they are about the same size as Earth, and
- Second, they are in the ‘habitable zone’ of their stars.
That means that they get enough light and heat from their stars to form liquid water and maybe even life.
So kids, what do you think…
Is there life out there? Do we share our galactic neighborhood?? Will we one day be holding an intra-solar system potluck???
Check in soon to see what your fellow Earth-kids have to say. Think up your own SpaceBlog nickname and sign on below. Leave a thought, fact, idea, or question for the cosmos…
I’ll be back soon with another SPLOG inspired by your comments; perhaps about the chances of life out there–in the great, distant, darkness of space–beyond our solar neighborhood.
What about Jupiter?
Hi all you SpaceBloggers!
After learning that we don’t know what Pluto looks like yet, mathematician1 asked, “What about Jupiter?” A very good question that I couldn’t wait to answer!
As it turns out, New Horizons took some fantastic pictures when it passed Jupiter on its way to Pluto. Here is one of Jupiter and Io, one of its FOUR large moons! ?
Jupiter and its volcanic moon Io, taken when New Horizons flew by Jupiter in early 2007. Photo courtesy of NASA.
So you see, we have a very good idea of what Jupiter looks like! You can see more pictures and discover lots about Jupiter at this website: http://nineplanets.org/jupiter.html
Hey SpaceBloggers, feel free to chime in with what you know about Jupiter, or raise other fascinating space topics.
Welcome to SpaceBlog!
Here you can ask, answer and discuss all things space related.
To get us started, I’m going to ask a question: What does Pluto look like?
Those of you who are already googling, don’t bother. Because the answer is: WE DON’T KNOW. That’s right; even though we have telescopes that can take pretty amazing pictures of galaxies billions of light years away, we can barely see the outskirts of our solar system. Even though Pluto is right here in our own neighborhood, orbiting the same sun we are, no one on Earth knows what it looks like.
This photograph, compiled by the Hubble Space Telescope (courtesy NASA) is the best we can do.
So far.
But we humans are very curious.
Post Script
In case you’re wondering:
1.
