2000
Record-setting Ozone Hole
Sept. 8, 2000
Antarctica's ozone hole now covers an area three times larger than the entire land mass of the United States - the largest such ozone-depleted region ever observed. Early spring conditions in the southern hemisphere and an unusually intense Antarctic vortex are contributing to the growth of the hole.
EO-1: It's not just a good idea, it's the law!
Dec. 4, 2000
NASA's Earth Observing-1 satellite blasted off last week with a payload of new instruments that could revolutionize remote sensing. The work of the new satellite is regarded as so important it's actually required by law.
A Christmas Star for SOHO
May 16, 2000
The planets Venus and Jupiterwill pass less than 42 arcseconds apart on May 17. Because the pair is so near to the Sun, only the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory will have a good view of the close encounter, which is similar to the
A Pop Quiz for Einstein
May 24, 2000
Crystal balls rarely have anything to do with science, but soon NASA researchers will be using a set of four to examine one of the last, untested portions of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. The spheres are heading for Earth orbit on board the Gravity Probe B mission in 2002.
To Be or Not to Be, La Nina?
May 18, 2000
Just last month, scientists were predicting that current La Nina conditions would persist, but now data from Earth-orbiting satellites show that it may be on the decline. Is it too soon to revise the hurricane forecast? Find out here.
Comet Champion of the Solar System
Aug. 28, 2000
Less than seven months after the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory registered its 100th comet discovery, amateur astronomers help SOHO double its record-setting total. Scientists think that most of SOHO's Cometsare fragments from the breakup of a single giant comet long ago.
Folding a Lincoln into a Volkswagen
April 10, 2000
On the heels of NASA's 7th annual Great Moonbuggy Race, engineers from the Apollo program discuss the challenges of building the original Lunar Rover. This story includes RealVideo of one of the original rovers in action on the Moon.
The Secret Lives of Alien Volcanoes
May 19, 2000
Detailed analysis of Jupiter's moon Io reveals a colorful, active world full of surprises, according to five reports published in the May 19 issue of Science, and based on new results from NASA's Galileo spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope.
Arctic Ice Revealed
Aug. 22, 2000
An orbiting radar has cut through clouds and dark of night to monitor the ebb and flow of Arctic ice. The Arctic is the smallest of the world's four oceans, but it may play an important role in helping scientists monitor Earth's climate shifts.