2002
Horseflies and Meteors
Aug. 7, 2002
Like bugs streaking down the side window of a moving car, colorful Perseid Earthgrazers could put on a remarkable show before midnight on August 12th and 13th.
A Cold New World
Oct. 7, 2002
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have measured a distant world more than half the size of Pluto. It's the biggest object found in our solar system since the discovery of Pluto itself 72 years ago.
Auroras Underfoot
July 8, 2002
A group of Astronautswill never forget the day they flew right through a cloud of auroras while onboard the Space ShuttleAtlantis.
The Resurgent Sun
Jan. 18, 2002
Evidence is mounting that some solar cycles are doubled-peaked. The ongoing solar maximum may itself be a double -- and the second peak has arrived.
The Distant Sun
July 2, 2002
Earth reaches its greatest distance from the Sun (aphelion) during the 4th of July holiday weekend. Curiously, our planet is globally warmer when it is farther from the Sun.
Ice Continent on the Move
March 22, 2002
For the first time, radar satellites have mapped Antarctica, revealing a continent whose frozen cloak is in constant (and surprising) motion.
How AstronautsGet Along
Oct. 21, 2002
Astronautshave a cool demeanor and good people-skills, but six months in a tiny spaceship with the same crewmates can drive anyone to distraction.
Space StationSupernova
Aug. 28, 2002
Next week, sky watchers in many US cities can see the Space Stationmaterialize in the morning sky just before sunrise.
The Real Lord of the Rings
Feb. 12, 2002
Four hundred years after they were discovered, Saturn's breath-taking rings remain a mystery
Meteorsfrom the Twilight Zone
Dec. 9, 2002
The Geminid meteor shower, which peaks this year on Saturday morning, Dec. 14th, has begun. These Meteorscome from a curious object--a "Twilight Zone" cross between a comet and an asteroid--called 3220 Phaethon.