g STARS - A new study suggests that scientists may soon be able to predict sunspots before they're visible to the human eye. Sunspots are the starting point for coronal mass ejections - powerful bursts of energy that sometimes hit the Earth. See article.
g MESSAGE - How can we estimate the number of technological civilizations that might exist among the stars? While working as a radio astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia, Dr. Frank Drake (currently on the Board of the SETI Institute) conceived an approach to bound the terms involved in estimating the number of technological civilizations that may exist in our galaxy. The Drake Equation, as it has become known, was first presented by Drake in 1961 and identifies specific factors thought to play a role in the development of such civilizations. See article.
g LEARNING - NASA has been given a presidential directive to land astronauts on an asteroid by 2025. Is a human mission to an asteroid possible in this time-frame, and what benefits will such a mission provide for the future of space exploration? See article.
