Go, Kepler, Go!
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Artist:
From the Astronomy Picture of the Day:
Streaking skyward, a Delta II rocket carries NASA's Kepler spacecraft aloft into the clear night of March 6. The dramatic scene was recorded in a time exposure from the crowded pier in Jetty Park at the northern end of Cocoa Beach, Florida, about 3 miles from the Cape Canaveral launch site. Kepler's mission is to search for Earth-like planets orbiting in the habitable zone of other stars.
I'm going all science-geek again. Had a PASWA (science writer's) meeting at the Mutter Museum tonight, and met THE Neil deGrasse Tyson last week. Reading Failure Is Not an Option by Gene Kranz. Added various NASA tweets.
I'm comin' back, baby!
Comments (4)
Geek out hard, lady.
NdGT is a hero to me, pretty cool.
I remember reading in the Enquirer a few years ago that an inhabited earth like planet was discovered only 5 short years away, I wonder why we're not going there?
Have you seen 'galaxy zoo'? Just the site to get you excited.
dachmo: I suppose it's the same reason why our manned missions only go as far as ISS -- the budget. We're getting too practical in our old age. NASA and Obama seem to be working to get the public fired up about space again -- see NASA's "Mission Madness" brackets -- so even if the dollars don't come right away, interest may help direct which missions get priority.
Jonh: I did hear about it a couple of weeks ago -- simply haven't had the time to start sorting!