Astro Blog

Source:   Larry O'Hanlon, MSNBC Discovery News Excerpt: A miniature magnetic field has been imaged on the surface of the moon, making it a rare, minimally protective lunar refuge from some aspects of the harsh solar wind.... "You can think of it as kind of a mini umbrella," said Martin Wieser of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Kiruna, Sweden. "It will be effective for certain kinds of (space) weather."... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36806530/ns/technology_and_science-discoverycom/

Source:   NASA RELEASE: M10 - 081 Excerpt: For the first time, scientists have detected clear signs of recent lava flows on the surface of Venus. The observations reveal that volcanoes on Venus appeared to erupt between a few hundred years to 2.5 million years ago. This suggests the planet may still be geologically active, making Venus one of the few worlds in our solar system that has been volcanically active within the last 3 million years. The evidence comes from the European Space Agency's Venus Express mission, which has been in orbit around the planet since April 2006….See also  European Space Agency News Item . http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/apr/HQ_10-081_Venus_Volcanoes.html

Source:   Phil Plait, Astronomy, Pretty Pictures, Science  Excerpt: Does liquid water still flow on Mars? We know that in the distant past — like, a billion years ago — liquid water was abundant on Mars. We also know that water currently exists on Mars in the form of ice, .... But can there still be liquid water flowing on Mars, even if only for a very, very short time? Maybe. ... HiRISE image shows a small region of a Martian crater named Russel… There are a lot of sand dunes in it, and … many gullies as well.... Sometimes, these gullies can form due to the presence of dry ice: … the dry ice turns into a gas, dislodging material and letting it roll downhill. …But these Russell Crater gullies are different. …The gullies do widen where two tributaries meet, which is exactly as you’d expect from flowing material. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/04/12/new-evidence-of-transient-liquid-water-on-mars/

Source:   Rober W. Ahrens, NASA, USA Today Interactive International Space Station (ISS) construction timeline http://i.usatoday.net/tech/graphics/iss_timeline/flash.htm