Bat Hung onto Shuttle During Liftoff

A bat that was clinging to space shuttle Discovery’s external fuel tank during the countdown to launch the STS-119 mission remained with the spacecraft as it cleared the tower, analysts at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center concluded.

Based on images and video, a wildlife expert who provides support to the center said the small creature was a free tail bat that likely had a broken left wing and some problem with its right shoulder or wrist. The animal likely perished quickly during Discovery’s climb into orbit.

Because the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge coexists inside Kennedy Space Center, the launch pads have a number of measures available, including warning sirens, to deter birds and other creatures from getting too close. The launch team also uses radar to watch for birds before a shuttle liftoff.

Nevertheless, the bat stayed in place and it was seen changing positions from time to time.

Launch controllers spotted the bat after it had clawed onto the foam of the external tank as Discovery stood at Launch Pad 39A. The temperature never dropped below 60 degrees at that part of the tank, and infrared cameras showed that the bat was 70 degrees through launch.

The final inspection team that surveys the outside of the shuttle and tank for signs of ice buildup observed the small bat, hoping it would wake up and fly away before the shuttle engines ignited.

It was not the first bat to land on a shuttle during a countdown. Previously, one of the winged creatures landed on the tank during the countdown to launch shuttle Columbia on its STS-90 mission in 1998. That animal flew away as the engines ignited.

Creadit : NASA

Sun-Earth-Day 2009

It has been a long time since I haven't up-date my post. As for today, I like to share with you all about one of the program that held by NASA for this special year "The International Year Of Astronomy(IYA 2009) " that is The Sun-Earth Day 2009!

[The Story]

Sun-Earth Day is comprised of a series of programs and events that occur throughout the year culminating with a celebration on or near the Spring Equinox (Mark on your diary!). For Sun-Earth Day 2009, NASA will engage a worldwide audience in the celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, with an emphasis on daytime astronomy. Tremendous strides have been made as satellites and ground-based observatories attentively monitor the sun to understand the processes that govern the sun's influence on the solar system. NASA will offer a series of coordinated events to promote and highlight the sun and its connection to Earth and other planets. The events will support the spirit of international collaboration.

Over the past eight years, the NASA Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum has sponsored and coordinated education and public outreach events to highlight NASA Sun-Earth Connection research and discoveries. The Forum's strategy involves using celestial events, such as total solar eclipses and the Transit of Venus, as well as Sun-Earth Day during the March equinox, to engage K-12 schools and the public in space science activities, demonstrations, and interactions with space scientists.

On March 20, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. EST, join a panel of scientists for a live Sun-Earth Day Webcast. During the webcast, scientists Eric Christian, Nicky Fox, Terry Kucera and Sten Odenwald will share discoveries about the sun, while students monitor the sun and prepare their own space weather forecast. New and exciting images and visualizations will be shared during the program.

creadit : Nasa

The International Year Of Astronomy

"The Universe, Your To Discover"

This year is "The International Year Of Astronomy"!. I'm so excited because I like ASTRONOMY! There many things to discover, see and learn! I like it! Looking at the starry light in the night sky makes me feel calm and wonder with Allah's creation! Based on this special year, my beloved country, MALAYSIA also will be participating celebrating this year with many programmes such as observe the night sky with telescope at Planeterium Negara ( National Planeterium) and more. I want to share with my readers, something useful I found in "Majalah Kosmik" (Cosmic Magazine-february). It shows some elebration about "The International Year Of Astronomy", how it will give us the chance especially the teens of MALAYSIA about this ASTRONOMY field. Past few years, people or today's youth never thinks to participate in this field. This field is just like a fairy tales? Maybe? As for me, I think we didn't have enough explanation or a clear view about this field. My friend once said to me when he saw me reading this book, "What a booring, book that you buy?" See? They didn't see the benefits, that we can get! People are not interested in this field because too lack of explanation or clearer view like I wrote earilier. As for me, I will help to "generate" or to tell my friends about this field, so that they will have the interest. To me, Astronomy is something big, mysterious and magical to discover.

More About IYA? :

Branding and Identity Guidelines

The official name of this global celebration is the International Year of Astronomy, abbreviated IYA2009.

The official slogan of the IYA2009 is "The Universe, Yours to Discover".

The official logo of the IYA2009, which also incorporates the slogan, appears on this page in several formats. We can provide versions of the logo with the text translated into other languages; e-mail your translations to iya2009@eso.org.

We encourage widespread use of the IYA2009 logo by individuals and groups who organize or support IYA2009 activities. An IYA2009 "activity" is here understood to be an event, exhibit, performance, commercial or promotional product, print or electronic publication, or other creation intended to advance the aims of the IYA2009 as described elsewhere on this website.

In order to use the IYA2009 logo you need to provide contact information and a brief description of your IYA2009 activity/product to your National Node Chair, including the URL of your IYA-related website, if applicable, as well as time and place. If the country in which you are organizing an IYA activity/product does not have an IYA2009 National Node Chair, or if the activity/product is of an international nature, you will provide the required information to the IAU's IYA2009 Secretary instead.

If you use the IYA2009 logo on a website or in any other electronic publication that supports hyperlinks, you should link to www.astronomy2009.org as well as to your National Node's IYA2009 website, if applicable.

As a rule of thumb, the IYA2009 logos must not be modified. Please contact the IYA2009 Secretariat in case of doubt (please submit your graphics).

The IAU Officers and the IAU Executive Committee Working Group for the IYA2009 reserve the right to revoke the use of the logo by any individual or group at any time for any reason, and you agree to promptly comply with any such revocation.

All IYA2009 National Nodes are required to show the IYA2009 logo on their Web pages and on any printed or electronic materials produced to support the IYA2009. All other organizers and supporters of IYA2009 activities are encouraged to do the same.

Note: All use of the IAU logo shall only occur with the explicit permission of the IYA2009 Secretariat in writing, and shall only be used for the event or events covered by that permission and that any use which in accordance with such permission shall be reported immediately to the National Node and the IYA2009 Secretariat for corrective action, failing which the IAU reserves the right to withdraw permission to use the IAU logo.