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Space Exploration & Astronomy

I've noticed that there is no thread on this subject here. I have a website dedicated to Space Exploration and I'll try to keep folks here updated from time to time on some major discoveries and events.

Contrary to what you have heard on tv, space exploration is not being terminated, that's just the shuttle. I feel like I have to explain this to everyone, because most people seem to think that NASA is going out of business. It's not. Actually they have a number of exciting exploration missions, both ongoing and to be launched in the near future. ESA and JAXA are also conducting some small scale exploration of the Solar System.

Right now we have a spacecraft called DAWN that is exploring the Asteroid Belt. In fact, it has recently entered the orbit of Vesta, a proto-planetary world, sometimes even referred to as the smallest terrestrial Dwarf Planet. DAWN is utilizing radically new ION propulsion system, which will allow to exit Vesta's orbit in about a year and proceed to another celestial object.

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Permalink Reply by Cameron on August 5, 2011 at 4:36am

This is really awesome! Thank you for the update, I'll be sure to follow along. My mind would be blown if they found fossils, let alone extant biology! Exciting :D

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Permalink Reply by Astroslav on August 6, 2011 at 12:29am

For anyone who is excited about the DAWN mission, check out this presentation, it's a bit over an hour and will leave you with a thorough understanding of the importance and innovative nature of this mission.

It's surprising how there is literally nothing in the media about it.

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Permalink Reply by Atheist Andrea on August 6, 2011 at 5:44am

Thanks, Astrolav!

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Permalink Reply by Astroslav on August 6, 2011 at 12:13pm

A compilation of more liquid flowing water images from Mars:

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Permalink Reply by Cameron on August 7, 2011 at 2:11am

Great videos! Thanks for sharing!

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Permalink Reply by Astroslav on August 7, 2011 at 5:20pm

I'm glad you're enjoying this. Another exciting area of space exploration is remote observation of extrasolar planets. These are worlds (planets) located in other star systems. It blows my mind away that just ~15 years ago we knew of 8 planets, now we know of more than 570 and this number will jump to a few thousand in the coming years.