January 27

Scientists Debunk Spate of UFO Claims Tied to Sun-Observing Spacecraft

The folks who run the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft say that over the years "there's been a number of people who've claimed to have seen flying saucers" and other suspected UFOs, all of which the NASA and ESA scientists and engineers say are, instead, artifacts, natural objects or other explainable things.

But: "In recent days, we've been receiving so many questions and claims that we'd like to set the record straight: We've never seen anything that even suggests that there are UFOs 'out there,'" the SOHO team said the other day.

People do see interesting things in SOHO images. Among the most common sources of UFO claims, according to the SOHO scientists: Imaging artifacts (cosmic rays, for example, can produce spots and streaks on the detector); data and software flaws; planets.

Some instrument defects have been known since before launch, but the resulting artifact gets "discovered" and reported as UFOs over and over. Still, claims are looked into because SOHO does make discoveries, including more than 500 comets that were either rounding the Sun or on their way to a fiery death plunge.

• See SOHO Images Live
• More detailed explanations of SOHO/UFO claims are here.

January 24

Flurries in Florida? Kennedy Space Center Gets Weird Weather

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Northerners may feel free to scoff, but it's a big deal here on Florida's Space Coast: Snow flurries were reported at the Kennedy Space Center Friday morning.

"It's so exciting," said Linda Mullen, a NASA employee originally from Virginia who works at the KSC Press Site. "It's itty bitty, almost like sleet that is ready to turn into snow."

A black cape she wore made it easier for her to see, she said. Attempts to capture the flurries on videotape haven't been successful yet.

An artic cold front blew through Central Florida on Thursday, bringing a hard freeze and warnings of icy wind chills to much of the Sunshine State.

The cold air blowing over the relatively warm ocean water created low, thick clouds over Merritt Island, and what little precipitation was falling turned into snow -- but not enough to accumulate or even begin to think about making a snow angel.

One more weather note from Florida: The harsh windchills in the teens and single digits was too much for the Flagler County school system located just north of Daytona Beach. Classes were closed Friday because it was too cold.

-- Jim Banke

January 23

Starshine Satellite Crashes Down, as Planned

A TV-sized satellite described as looking like a disco ball fell out of orbit and burned up in Earth's atmosphere early Tuesday, just as its student builders had expected.

Starshine 3 was one of a series of NASA objects (Starshine 4 is being assembled) designed to go up, come down, and hopefully teach some lessons. Its travels ended shortly after midnight ET. Witnesses are asked to send in reports and images of what was expected to appear as a bright shooting star or, near the end, and explosive fireball.

Officials don't know exactly where the craft was as it disintegrated, but its final half orbit carried it in a northeasterly direction over California, Nevada and Idaho, then across Alberta and Saskatchewan, according to a NASA statement. It crossed the Atlantic and went along the eastern coast of Scotland and England, across the border of France and Germany, and along the spine of Italy. Then it passed over the Mediterranean Sea west of Crete and into North Africa near the border between Libya and Egypt.

The final burnup occurred between 0504 and 0534 Universal Time. More information on the path, and where to send eyewitness reports, is here.

January 22

Ireland's Internet Access Gets a Boost from the ESA

The European Space Agency and the South West Regional Authority in Ireland have secured funding to carry out trials to provide high bandwidth broadband Internet access via satellite to remote areas of the country.
 
An Tnaiste Deputy Mary Harney T.D., Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, launched the South West Broadband Initiative on Friday, January 17 in Cork, the Republic of Ireland. The launch was also attended by Pat Cox, President of the European Parliament, alongside representatives from the South West Regional Authority.

The Initiative, in cooperation with Cork County Council and Kerry County Council, along with project partner organisations will test, demonstrate and evaluate the usability, cost-effectiveness and reliability of local wireless networks in Cahirciveen, and Killarney in Co. Kerry and in Bantry, Co. Cork. These towns are expected to be the first of many towns in the South West to benefit from satellite-fed wireless broadband.

This infrastructure is expected to stimulate and facilitate the development of new economic activities in towns around the region and will also act as a shop window across the rest of Ireland, and be of significant interest around Europe.

January 20

Asteroid/Comet Threat Studied by International Group

The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) kicks off a three-day meeting today in Frascati, Italy, hoping to better characterize the threat -- how real or how hyped -- concerning impacting Near Earth Objects (NEO) - comets and asteroids.

The OECD is an international group comprising 30 member countries, organized to help governments tackle the economic, social and governance challenges of an increasingly global economy.

Under the aegis of OECD's Global Science Forum, among a variety of topics, experts want to gauge whether the threat is vastly under-appreciated or exaggerated by some scientists and the media.

"The OECD workshop is being designed to approach the subject without preconceptions about the level of the threat or the needed actions. A sober, science-based, international analysis under the aegis of the Global Science Forum, and with full appreciation of the policy contexts, should bring clarity, rigor, and political realism to this complex and still largely unfamiliar issue," notes an OECD statement on the meeting.

-- Leonard David

Australia's Mount Stromlo Observatory Destroyed in Canberra Fires

The Mount Stromlo Observatory has been largely destroyed Sunday by the bushfires which have ravaged Canberra, Australia.

"The fires have been a devastating blow to Canberra and the ANU is committed to helping rebuild the lives of those affected," Australian National University (ANU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb said Sunday. "We are thankful that no staff or students were injured in the Mount Stromlo fire."

The Observatory, an integral player in the international planet finding research project, lost two of Australia's largest and oldest research telescopes.

The Observatory, operated by the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, is one of Australia's leading centres of Astronomical research. The fires destroyed four telescopes, the equipment workshop, eight houses which had been occupied by staff and an administration building. Preliminary estimates have valued the losses at more than $20 million.

Two office buildings and the visitors centre were spared - importantly, preserving most of the computer data generated on site in recent years.

Professor Chubb emphasised that the work of the Research School would continue.

"The loss of Mount Stromlo is a devastating blow to Australian research and in particular to the 60 staff and 20 students who made it their workplace. To those staff who also lost homes on Mount Stromlo, these fires have delivered a double blow," Chubb said in a released statement.

"It is vital to emphasise that the work of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics will continue, however. The University has adequate workshop and laboratory facilities to accommodate the valuable equipment contracts which are being fulfilled by the school - including the $6.3 million contract to build a sharp-eyed imager for the Gemini South Telescope in Chile."

"Other research projects have been undeniably set back by this loss, although we are still evaluating the full extent of the damage."

"Plans are already being put in place to rebuild at Mount Stromlo and restore the Research School to its full capacity.

The Director of the Research School, Professor Penny Sackett, said, "Our losses are presently overwhelming and the scene of Mount Stromlo is one of devastation, but we have retained our most valuable asset, our staff, 100 per cent intact and we are extremely grateful for their safety."

"We have also saved our computer database and many of us will be back at work tomorrow."