To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.
If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@space.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
Thursday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the world. Astronomers using imagery from NASA’s Kepler space telescope suggest a wealth of planets circling red dwarf stars in the Milky Way. Scientists find hearty bacteria after drilling a half mile through Antarctic ice – findings that may underscore the prospects for biological activity in harsh alien environments. NASA and others in the astronomy community prepare live web casts of the asteroid 2012 DA 14 as it glides past the Earth on Feb. 15. An op-ed from former astronaut and author Jerry Ross calls for a more inspirational course in space. NASA’s Deep Impact probe captures distant images of comet ISON. ISON could make a spectacular appearance in late November as it approaches the sun. A Russian rocket lofts a half-dozen communications satellites. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University announces plans for a new degree in commercial space operations. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield transmits a new batch of photographs of the Earth from the International Space Station.
1. From USA Today: Red Dwarfs, a class of stars cooler than the sun, are plentiful and may be home to habitable planets in the Milky Way galaxy, say Harvard University astronomers based on observations with NASA’s Kepler space telescope. One of those alien worlds may circle a red dwarf 13 light years from the Earth. http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2013/02/06/red-dwarf-earth-habitable/1895909/
A. From Space.com: Billions of Earth-like planets may circle red dwarfs in the Milky Way. http://www.exploredeepspace.com/19659-alien-earth-exoplanets-red-dwarfs.html
B. From CBS News: New space observatory instrumentation may be necessary to assess the full sweep of faint red dwarf stars, say astronomers. http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/home/spacenews/files/33ec3956a7471ff9162e0f046caf00b4-538.html
C. From New Scientist: Harvard University study of NASA Kepler space telescope imagery spots 95 possible planets circling red dwarf stars, three of them in the “habitable zone”, the region where water, if present, would be stable as a liquid. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23144-closest-earthlike-planet-may-be-13-light-years-away.html
2. From The New York Times: In the Antarctic, scientists find bacteria after drilling through a half-mile of ice. The organisms, still to be analyzed, could shed light on how life might thrive in harsh conditions on alien planets. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/science/living-bacteria-found-deep-under-antarctic-ice-scientists-say.html?_r=0
3. From The Coalition for Space Exploration: On Feb. 15, the large asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass close to the Earth. NASA and others plan video feeds of the close encounter on the Internet. http://www.exploredeepspace.com/blog/skywatch-2013-close-call-with-asteroid-%E2%80%93-viewing-resources
4. From The Huffington Post: The United States has reached a precarious point in its space policy, writes Jerry Ross, the former NASA astronaut and author, in an op-ed. It’s time for the nation to unite behind ambitious space goals, he writes, citing a recent report from the National Research Council that finds enthusiasm for current objectives lacking. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jerry-l-ross/we-must-restore-our-commi_b_2630668.html
5. From Scientific American: NASA’s Deep Impact probe captures a long range view of Comet C 2012SI (ISON), which some experts believe will put on a spectacular show in the night skies in late November. The bright comet was discovered in Sept. 2012 by Russian astronomers. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/life-unbounded/2013/02/06/will-this-be-the-comet-of-the-century/
6. From Spaceflightnow.com: A Russian Soyuz rocket, launched from Kazakhstan, places a half dozen Globalstar voice and data satellites in orbit. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/soyuz/st26/130206launch/#.URMXnx1_F48
7. From Florida Today: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University of Daytona Beach finds the time is right to offer a new Bachelor of Science degree in commercial space operations. The school plans to begin instruction in the degree track in the fall of 2013. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20130206/SPACE/130206019/Embry-Riddle-offer-1st-ever-Commercial-Space-Operations-degree?nclick_check=1
8. From The Washington Post: Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, a resident of the International Space Station, dispatches a new collection of stunning Earth imagery. Each photo carries a brief geography lesson. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/scenes-of-earth-tweeted-from-space/2013/02/06/e9a9b3c2-5a7b-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_gallery.html#photo=3
Brought to you by the Coalition for Space Exploration, CSExtra is a daily compilation of space industry news selected from hundreds of online media resources. The Coalition is not the author or reporter of any of the stories appearing in CSExtra and does not control and is not responsible for the content of any of these stories. The content available through CSExtra contains links to other websites and domains which are wholly independent of the Coalition, and the Coalition makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or authenticity of the information contained in any such site or domain and does not pre-screen or approve any content. The Coalition does not endorse or receive any type of compensation from the included media outlets and is not responsible or liable in any way for any content of CSExtra or for any loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of any content appearing in CSExtra. For information on the Coalition, visit www.space.com or contact us via e-mail at Info@space.com.
