First Photo of a Planet Around Another Star/Shuttle Launch/Astronaut to be in Jonesboro

Posted Friday, November 14, 2008, at 9:36 PM

This week, astronomers with the Hubble Space Telescope have released the first visible-light photo in all of human history, showing a planet around another star (about 3 times the size of Jupiter), at Fomalhaut, a bright nearby star. The planet is about a billion times dimmer than the star it orbits. Astronomers also released an infrared photo of 3 planets around another star.

Today (11/14), NASA launched STS-126, the 124th launch of the space shuttle (this one was the Endeavour). It will dock with the ISS (International Space Station) and install a second toilet, additional sleep quarters, and a water processor so that 6 astronauts can now live there (rather than the current 3). Four space walks are also scheduled, so the solar panels can track the Sun better.

Astronaut Story Musgrave is scheduled to speak at the ASU Student Center (Jonesboro) 7 PM this Tuesday (11/18). I would encourage EVERYONE to take advantage of this rare (and free) opportunity to see one of the best known of our American astronauts. Musgrave was the first astronaut to perform a space walk from the Shuttle and led the first repair of the Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA and space exploration

By Kenneth Renshaw

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Kenneth Renshaw NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador/Saturn Observation Campaign Kenneth is one of 494 volunteer educators and astronomers who donate their time to educate America's youth, and the general public, about astronomy and the U.S. space program. Organized in 1999 by NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab,it focuses on spacecraft built by the JPL such as Voyager, Mars Rover, Galileo, Cassini as well as the Hubble Space Telescope. Renshaw is one of four ambassadors in Arkansas, and makes presentations to all age and experience groups from pre-school to university science level. His official NASA website it www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/profiles/Kenneth_Renshaw.htm His email address is renshaw@newwavecomm.net

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