The big day has arrived! The Comet's Curse is now available in hardcover from Tor Books. We've scheduled a big launch party for Saturday, January 31st, and you're invited!
Mark your calendar for 1/31 at 2 o'clock. The party will take place at The Tattered Cover Book Store in Highlands Ranch, CO. Here's a map to get you there.
Bring all of your friends and family members, especially those who have never before experienced a Galahad party. See you there!
The International Space Station is celebrating its tenth anniversary, and the time has come to fix things up a bit. The space shuttle Endeavor lifted off beautifully on November 14th, on a mission that will transform the orbiting science lab from a "small apartment" to a "good-sized house."
That means adding more bathroom facilities, sleeping quarters, and an amazing water recycling unit. Two links for you to check out: This link will give you the story of the launch and many of the items heading to space.
This link will take you to NASA's shuttle pages, where you can go each day for updates. That includes launches, space walks, landings, etc. Enjoy!
Of course, all of these steps in the space program are leading us to the point where Galahad may soon become a reality.
I'm a big fan of Astronomy magazine, because it's loaded with terrific articles and images that help to explain some of the most mind-blowing elements of space science in very easy-to-understand language.
And they have a fantastic site that kids will love. Here's a link that will take you to that particular page. Teachers will especially find this useful when they do a unit on science/space.
If you had worked non-stop for five months, you'd be ready for sleep, too. Well, NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander is pooped, and ready to be tucked in for the harsh Martian winter. The little robot ship has toiled away near the north pole of Mars, making big news when it discovered water ice.
But, all things must end, and with the brutally cold winter months closing in, NASA is beginning the process of shutting things down. It's a fascinating story, and here's a link to the Discover Magazine site that will tell you all about it.
It's a rare event in the universe anyway, so actually observing the death of a massive star as it happens is what some have called "winning the astronomy lottery."
In January astronomers were watching a star as it went through its final stages, when suddenly another star nearby literally exploded before their eyes.
A supernova only occurs in about 1% of all stars in the universe. This particular explosion took place in a galaxy about 100 million light years from Earth. The violent death of this star sent out more than 100 billion times the energy of our own sun.
If you'd like to read more about it, just click here.
A few years ago astronomers discovered the first planet outside of our solar system (known as an extrasolar planet). Today, more than 300 have been found, and each year we catalogue more and more.
But until now, these extrasolar objects have been huge, close to the size of (or larger than) Jupiter. Finding a planet that is approximately the size of Earth has been difficult.
However, astronomers in Spain have announced that they have found one that is at least in the ballpark, and you can read all about it by clicking on this link.
I get questions all the time about what the crew from Galahad might encounter during their voyage, and many of you have wondered if black holes might show up.
So, when teacher Jen Byrne sent this story of the smallest black hole discovered so far, I had to share. It's only about 15 miles across, and yet has the mass of almost 4 of our suns! What would happen if Triana and the crew stumbled across this thing?? Click here to read all about it!
If the crew of Galahad expects to eat during the mission to Eos, then Bon and his workers have a lot of work to do. The Farms are obviously crucial aboard the ship, and therefore get a lot of attention. But what does it really take to grow food in space?
There's an interesting NASA page devoted to this, and I thought you might like to check it out. Just click here to read all about it.
Hopefully you were able to see the moon turn a coppery color on Wednesday, Feb. 20th, during the latest lunar eclipse. If not...well, you'll have to wait a few years to get another chance!
Many people are surprised to see what happens during a lunar eclipse. No, the moon doesn't disappear. Instead, as it passes through Earth's umbral shadow, it takes on a rich color, sometimes orange, sometimes copper, sometimes gray.
Sad to say that my friend Jen and I had to put up with some wispy clouds that kept us from seeing the colorful show. Aarggh!
If you'd like to read more about lunar eclipses, and see a chart that tells you when to expect the next one, just click here. Enjoy!
