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astronomers

DARPA SpaceView enlists amateur astronomers

DARPA today announced a new approach to tracking the increasing population of space debris: crowdsourcing. The SpaceView program will reach out to amateur astronomers in helping to protect satellites from what NASA estimates is more than 500,000 pieces of hazardous space debris orbiting the Earth. It's a low-cost way to both improve the scope of the space coverage and better protect assets in space, some of which are satellites providing mission-critical combat support. Decomissioned satellites, spent rocket stages, aluminum oxide slag, and lost tools make up some of the half million pieces of debris -- and the Space … Read more

Pluto is a planet again! (in Illinois)

Some people who spend their nights staring up at the stars still have black bands around their telescopes.

This is to commemorate the heinous day in 2006 when the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto to dwarf planet status.

Now, the bountifully deep and forward-thinking state of Illinois is showing its Illinoyance. It has decided that the IAU is comprised of downright plonkers and that Pluto will, on March 13, 2009, be reinstated as a full, mature rockstar planet.

In fact, March 13 will be Pluto Day in Illinois.

It appears that Clyde Tombaugh, the fine citizen who discovered Pluto, was … Read more