The Science Blog

It has recently come to light that NASA scientists have been altering photos sent from Mars to make the planet appear more "foreign" and less hospitable. This has been proven by looking at photos that include parts of the NASA Spirit, which has been photographing Mars.

We know what colors certain parts of that device are because it was displayed before being sent to Mars. By comparing the true colors to the colors we see in the photographs, it's clear that NASA is editing photos to give them a strong red tint. When readjusted to appear more like the original, the planet appears more like the Mojave Desert.

Are NASA scientists trying to hide the fact that Mars could be a life-harboring planet? If so, how long have they been doing this? Is this a policy of the NASA program, or just the Bush administration?
NASA hides the true colours of Mars

NASA's plans to build a base on the moon by 2024 is causing some to draw lines in the political moon dust. Democrats have criticized the $200 billion plan, which will likely divert money that NASA would have otherwise used to study the Earth and send out more unmanned probes.

While I'm worried about what this mission will mean for other NASA projects, I think there are some great advantages to having a permanent base on the moon. Aside from mining rare minerals, the mission would allow us to practice for a possible manned Mars mission, and having a telescope on the moon would provide great advantages over Earth-based telescopes, and even satellite telescopes like Hubble. Earth-based telescopes having to deal with Earth's atmosphere, which hampers what we can see. The Hubble Space Telescope does not have that problem, but because it is floating in space it is not easy to reach it and make modifications or repairs. A telescope on the moon could be repaired or even replaced with newer equipment for a lot less money, and we'd still be able to see into deep space like with Hubble, and even further with new advancements.
NASA shooting for the stars, via the moon | Chicago Tribune

Renowned scientist Stephen Hawking is planning to go on a space flight in 2009. Despite being confined to a wheelchair with limited use of his body, Stephen Hawking has written several books about such things as the history of the universe and how space-time works. He is widely regarded as one of the smartest people on the planet.

The space flight will be aboard Richard Branson's SpaceShipTwo, part of the billionaire's Virgin Galactic space travel venture. Branson has already offered to sponsor Hawking's seat on the flight, which would usually cost nearly $200,000.
Telegraph | News

A solar storm has released charged particles that will hit Earth's outer atmosphere later tonight. The space storm poses no danger to those of us safely on terra firma, but it will force astronauts to take cover inside the space station.

These storms cause no damage to Earth, but they can disrupt satellites. In addition, they will create some really amazing Northern Lights.
SPACE.com -- New Forecast: Severe Space Storm Headed to Earth

Have you ever looked at the wrinkled skin of a turtle and wondered how old it is? Ok, so some of you may have been deprived of that during childhood, but I grew up in the sticks, so that's about as far as science and philosophy took us.

It turns out that wrinkled old turtle might not be so old after all. Even young turtles tend to look old. In fact, it's hard to tell a young turtle from an old turtle, and there's a good reason for it: there's very little difference.

For all practical purposes, many turtle species are ageless. Their cells and the tissues that consist of them do not show the signs of deterioration seen in most other animals. Some turtles have lived to be well over 200 years old. A turtle that died last spring in Calcutta was brought to India by British sailors in the mid-18th century, when King George II was still in power. That would be the father of the king whose soldiers fought against the US in the American Revolution.

So remember, the next time you're about to smash open a turtle and eat their delicious innards, think about how old that meat might be. Humans are predator #1 for most species, beating out wild dogs and father time.
All but Ageless, Turtles Face Their Biggest Threat: Humans - New York Times

A very rare species of big cat has been captured in the remote forests of southeast Russia. The Far Eastern leopard is so rare only a few dozen are believed to be living in the wild.

Biologists from New York were able to capture the rare cat in a snare while trying to study Siberian tigers. Their studies of the captured animal will help them figure out if the species can continue to survive on its own.
Photo in the News: World's Rarest Big Cat Captured