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16 ONTENT C Cassini was approximately 2.2 million km New Images from the Cassini from when the images in this mosaic on the cover were acquired. Image scale on Saturn is about 260 km per pixel. Superb The above image shows Janus, Saturn’s curious small moon, visible against the cloud- streaked backdrop of the giant . Unlike our moon, Janus (181 km across) On Monday, 4 December 2006, is irregular in shape, i.e., it resembles a It is believed that large portions of Helene showers occurred in Alexandria gigantic potato! Many minor and have been blasted away by meteoritic in the evening. I observed the rain, hoping to photograph a planetary moons are too small to attain a impacts. rainbow. No rainbows appeared, round shape. but actually, I encountered my Cassini flew by Helene on 17 August 2006, first tornado! There are many craters on the surface of when these images were acquired, at a Janus, but some areas seem to have been distance of about 50,000 km. The series of smoothed by some geological process. Like images were recorded over the course of Pandora and Telesto, Janus is believed to one hour. be covered with a mantle of fine dust-sized Helene (32 km across) is co-orbital with icy material. Dione (1,120 km across), the second densest Editorial The image was taken using a spectral of Saturn’s moons. Dione is believed to be filter sensitive to of composed of rock and ice. NASA recently published the following announced that there are rings 4 centered at 930 nanometers. The view In 2004, Cassini discovered another superb images of Saturn and its moons, surrounding Saturn. was acquired with the Cassini spacecraft small co-orbital moon, Ploydeuces. acquired by the Saturn-bound Cassini narrow-angle camera on 25 September 2006, spacecraft. Seven major rings have been named Supervisor at a distance of approximately 145,000 km Further reading A through G, in order of discovery. They The Now from Janus and at a -Janus-spacecraft, The Janus/Epimetheus Ring In Saturn’s Shadow contain several gaps, due to the gravitational Hoda Elmikaty or phase, angle of 62 degrees. North on http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ influence of some of Saturn’s moons. Director 5 Saturn is up. Image scale is 871 meters per pia08322.html This is a unique image of Saturn. The Moon-Made Rings Planetarium Science Center pixel. Cassini spacecraft was flying in the shadow Saturn’s rings are composed of ice and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ of Saturn, viewing the planet’s glorious dust. They contain fine microscopic dust pia08328.html Editors Helene’s Close-up rings as never seen before. particles, best viewed when the Sun is The Cassini-Huygens Mission Aymen Ibrahem directly behind Saturn. The distribution of Hot Topic The images show Saturn’s small, peculiar http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm The picture reveals previously unknown PSC Senior Specialist these particles provides information about moon Helene. The images were obtained Helene.jpg faint rings, and even shows our home planet the space environment of the planet. by the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft, 162056main_PIA08329.jpg from afar. It is a composite of 165 images and they show the bizarre, rugged terrain Janus.jpg obtained by Cassini on 15 September 2006, The outermost ring, the E ring, is Maissa Azab encircling the entire . The narrow of Helene. PIA08329.jpg when it flew beyond Saturn for 12 hours. PSC Publications Specialist G ring is visible between the E ring and the Cassini detected two new rings; one main bright rings. The E ring is believed to Bibliotheca Alexandrina Fun Fact coincident with the shared of the have originated due to volcanic eruptions Planetarium Science Center moons Janus and Epimetheus, and another on the surface of the icy, geologically active P.O. Box: 138, Chatby, 11 Alexandria 21526, Egypt. along the orbit of the tiny moon Pallene. moon Enceladus. Tel.: +(203) 4839999 The rings were discovered by Galileo in was over a billion km from Saturn Ext: 1451 1610, but he failed to perceive their shape during the observation. It is visible as a pale Fax: +(203) 4820464 Picture Gallery with his small . In 1655, observing dot, interior to the G ring, and above the [email protected] with a more powerful telescope, Christian bright main rings. www.bibalex.org/psc 12 14 3 2 15 Cassini was approximately 2.2 million km from Saturn when the images in this mosaic were acquired. Image scale on Saturn is about 260 km per pixel. Superb Janus The above image shows Janus, Saturn’s curious small moon, visible against the cloud- streaked backdrop of the giant planet. Unlike our moon, Janus (181 km across) is irregular in shape, i.e., it resembles a It is believed that large portions of Helene gigantic potato! Many minor planets and have been blasted away by meteoritic planetary moons are too small to attain a impacts. round shape. Cassini flew by Helene on 17 August 2006, There are many craters on the surface of when these images were acquired, at a Janus, but some areas seem to have been distance of about 50,000 km. The series of smoothed by some geological process. Like images were recorded over the course of Pandora and Telesto, Janus is believed to one hour. be covered with a mantle of fine dust-sized Helene (32 km across) is co-orbital with icy material. Dione (1,120 km across), the second densest The image was taken using a spectral of Saturn’s moons. Dione is believed to be filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared composed of rock and ice. light centered at 930 nanometers. The view In 2004, Cassini discovered another was acquired with the Cassini spacecraft small co-orbital moon, Ploydeuces. narrow-angle camera on 25 September 2006, at a distance of approximately 145,000 km Further reading from Janus and at a Sun-Janus-spacecraft, The Janus/Epimetheus Ring or phase, angle of 62 degrees. North on http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ Saturn is up. Image scale is 871 meters per pia08322.html pixel. Moon-Made Rings http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ Helene’s Close-up pia08328.html The Cassini-Huygens Mission The images show Saturn’s small, peculiar http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm moon Helene. The images were obtained Helene.jpg by the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft, 162056main_PIA08329.jpg and they show the bizarre, rugged terrain Janus.jpg of Helene. PIA08329.jpg

2 15 Picture Gallery The Universe Now By Aymen Ibrahem Hubble Explores Negative

1 Credit: NASA, ESA and A. Riess and Credit: NASA, ESA

Formation Scientists observing with the Hubble to rule out competing explanations that This is the first photo Ibrahem obtained. It is a close-up showing the formation of the tornado. (HST) have discovered predict that the influence of Actually, the twister grew rapidly! evidence that dark energy, a hypothetical changes over time. form of energy that pervades the entire The researchers also arrived at an Universe and counteracts gravity, is not interesting conclusion that the type of a new characteristic of space, but rather exploding , or supernovae, used to has been acting for of the Universe’s history. determine cosmic distances today look remarkably similar to those that exploded Dark energy is believed to accelerate nine billion years ago and are just now being 2 the rate of cosmic expansion, discovered by detected by Hubble. This important finding in the 1920s. In his theory of provides additional support to the use of , Albert Einstein introduced these supernovae for tracking the cosmic a cosmological constant to achieve a model expansion through most of the evolution of Tornado Develops of a static Universe. Einstein, however, the Universe. The tornado develops. Few passers abandoned this constant after Hubble’s were on the Plaza. discovery of the expansion of the Universe, Supernovae provide reliable distance calling it “greatest blunder”. measurements because their brightness variation and intrinsic brightness are well 3 In 1998, researchers used HST and studied. They are therefore reliable distance ground-based to detect the indicators, enabling to acceleration of the expansion of space determine their vast distances from Earth. from observations of distant supernovae. Astrophysicists realized that Einstein may These Hubble images reveal five have been correct after all, as there appeared supernovae in distant . The arrows to be a negative gravity in space that was in the top row of images point to the subsequently dubbed “dark energy”. supernovae. The bottom row shows the host galaxies, before or after, the stars The researchers used Hubble to find exploded. The supernovae exploded that dark energy was already increasing between 3.5 billion and 10 billion years the expansion rate of the Universe as long ago. TornadoTornado Close-upClose-up as nine billion years ago (The Universe is This is a close-up photo showing the swirling Further reading winds of the tornado. believed to be about 14 billion years old). Hubble Finds Evidence for Dark Energy in the Young Universe The tornado grew considerably in size. Hubble’s data would allow cosmologists http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/52/full/

12 5 Picture Gallery The Universe Now Editorial By Aymen Ibrahem Hubble Explores Negative Gravity 4 A CCloselose EncounterEncounter withwith a ....

1 Credit: NASA, ESA and A. Riess and Credit: NASA, ESA

Formation Scientists observing with the Hubble to rule out competing explanations that This is the first photo Ibrahem obtained. It is a Space Telescope (HST) have discovered predict that the influence of dark energy close-up showing the formation of the tornado. By Aymen Ibrahem Actually, the twister grew rapidly! evidence that dark energy, a hypothetical changes over time. Senior Astronomy Specialist, PSC form of energy that pervades the entire The researchers also arrived at an Universe and counteracts gravity, is not interesting conclusion that the type of a new characteristic of space, but rather On Monday, 4 December 2006, showers are fascinating creatures. I always enjoy Tornado over BA exploding stars, or supernovae, used to The tornado is nearly fully-grown. has been acting for most of the Universe’s occurred in Alexandria in the evening. I observing them. I sought to take some history. determine cosmic distances today look observed the rain hoping to photograph a photos of the snails. remarkably similar to those that exploded rainbow. No rainbows appeared, instead, I Shortly, after I photographed the snails, Dark energy is believed to accelerate nine billion years ago and are just now being encountered my first tornado! I noticed a little funnel-shaped cloud, the rate of cosmic expansion, discovered by detected by Hubble. This important finding 2 Tornadoes are among the most developing amid the clouds. It was an2 Edwin Hubble in the 1920s. In his theory of provides additional support to the use of dangerous natural disasters. They are rare interesting feature. I began to photograph it. General Relativity, Albert Einstein introduced these supernovae for tracking the cosmic in Egypt; the country witnessed its last While I was taking the photos, it grew rapidly a cosmological constant to achieve a model expansion through most of the evolution of tornado, which occurred in Upper Egypt, in in size. It was swirling, and approaching the 5 Tornado Develops of a static Universe. Einstein, however, the Universe. 1981. On the other hand, tornadoes occur ground. I soon realized I was experiencing The tornado develops. Few passers abandoned this constant after Hubble’s were on the Plaza. frequently in a region in the mid-section of a close encounter with a twister. discovery of the expansion of the Universe, Supernovae provide reliable distance the , known as the Tornado 6 calling it “greatest blunder”. measurements because their brightness Fortunately, the tornado was not variation and intrinsic brightness are well Alley. This is due to that region’s climate that powerful. It lasted about 10 minutes, but it features frequent powerful thunderstorms. 3 In 1998, researchers used HST and studied. They are therefore reliable distance was a spectacular phenomenon. I did not Dissipation ground-based telescopes to detect the indicators, enabling astronomers to I recorded all the stages of the tornado, fear the terrible hazard. I was very thrilled, The tornado dissipated. All what remained was a rotating oval cloud (just above center). acceleration of the expansion of space determine their vast distances from Earth. from its birth, through its development, and and monitored it closely. I have always from observations of distant supernovae. finally its dissipation. Some of the photos dreamed to travel to Tornado Alley, to These Hubble images reveal five Astrophysicists realized that Einstein may show the twister approaching the Library, observe the meteorological wonders. supernovae in distant galaxies. The arrows have been correct after all, as there appeared others are close-ups acquired just under the in the top row of images point to the My pictures were published by several to be a negative gravity in space that was tornado. international publishers, and stimulated supernovae. The bottom row shows the subsequently dubbed “dark energy”. worldwide interest. I found online texts in host galaxies, before or after, the stars At about 15:45 EET, expecting to observe The researchers used Hubble to find a rainbow, I was waiting for sunlight to English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean exploded. The supernovae exploded and several other languages reporting and that dark energy was already increasing between 3.5 billion and 10 billion years shine through breaks in the drifting rainy the expansion rate of the Universe as long discussing my twister observation. ago. clouds. There were beautiful garden snails Tornado Declines TornadoTornado Close-upClose-up as nine billion years ago (The Universe is feeding on nearby plants. Garden snails are I present my photos of the tornado in The tornado started to decline in about This is a close-up photo showing the swirling Further reading 10 minutes. winds of the tornado. believed to be about 14 billion years old). Hubble Finds Evidence for Dark Energy in the Young Universe nocturnal animals, but they are active in the this issue’s Picture Gallery, “Tornado over The tornado grew considerably in size. Hubble’s data would allow cosmologists http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/52/full/ day during rains, or in humid weather. They Bibliotheca Alexandrina”.

12 5 4 13 Hot Topic A Critical Decision: NASA to Save NASA Launches the STEREO Mission . repaired the optical defect during the first Hubble On Thursday, 26 October 2006, NASA servicing mission in 1993. Ever since, Hubble launched the Solar Terrestrial Relations has captured hundreds of thousands of (STEREO) mission aboard images of the cosmos and made many a Delta II . The mission comprises startling discoveries. two almost identical spacecrafts that will Actually, Hubble acquired some of the study the Sun from . The twin most famous images in the history of science, space will create the first 3D including an iconic image of the Eagle images of the Sun and observe violent solar , known as “”, and the “Hubble Ultra Deep Field”, the deepest eruptions known as Coronal Mass Ejections

Image credit: A. Loll NASA, ESA, J. Hester and ever image of the Universe in the visible (CMEs). light, showing galaxies over 13 billion light Images acquired by the Hubble Space Telescope were CMEs are capable of damaging used to create this magnificent mosaic of the Crab years away. Nebula, the remnant of a dead massive whose artificial and disrupting power explosion was observed in 1054 CE. Hubble is one of the largest artificial networks and telecommunications. The Credit: NASA/JHUAPL satellites ever flown into space. It is 13.2 m two solar observatories will also study the On Tuesday, 31 October 2006, NASA long and weighs over 11 tons. Its primary STEREO spacecrafts in space, an artist’s impression Administrator, Dr. Michael Griffin, decided to interplanetary space near Earth and in the mirror is about 2.5 m across. Hubble is one STEREO is the first NASA mission to reinstate a space shuttle mission to maintain of NASA’s four Great Observatories, with inner . and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope use separate lunar swing-bys to place two the Compton Ray Observatory The two observatories were launched (HST). Without this mission, HST, one of the (CGRO), Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) observatories into different orbits around greatest scientific projects in history, will and the (SST). in a stacked configuration and separated the Sun.The observatories will be so precisely be operational only for 2-3 years. The new from the rocket approximately 25 minutes positioned to provide depth perception, in servicing mission would extend Hubble’s From its Earth orbit, at an altitude after lift-off. About 63 minutes after launch, mission till 2013. a manner similar to that due to the slight of about 600 km, above the clouds and mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins hazes of our atmosphere, Hubble conducts offset between human eyes. The placement NASA earlier considered this mission images with unprecedented detail. Hubble’s University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), also allows the two spacecrafts to take local risky, after the powerful light grasp enables astronomers confirmed each observatory’s solar arrays disaster in 2003, and deorbiting HST particle and magnetic field measurements to detect faint, distant galaxies at the edge successfully deployed and were operating was deemed necessary. Some scientists of the solar as it flows by. of the visible Universe. Hubble orbits Earth disagreed with the decision, urging NASA well. NASA’s Deep antennas every 97 minutes. to send robots to repair Hubble. The issue in Canberra, Australia, received the initial The STEREO mission is expected to also stimulated public concern. Hubble can also observe the Universe radio signals. last two years. During the mission, the in the near infrared wavelengths, enabling observatories will explore the origin, The final Hubble Servicing Mission astronomers to explore star birth regions in In a few weeks, mission controllers at 4 is scheduled for launch in May 2008. evolution and effects of CMEs. our and other galaxies. Hubble can APL will examine all systems aboard the Veteran will point to, and track any celestial object with observatories. For the next three months, CMEs pervade the entire Solar System, command the to an amazing accuracy. the observatories will fly from a point near Hubble. Discovery’s astronauts will install and interact with Earth’s magnetic field. two new instruments, the Cosmic Origins Thousands of published research articles Earth to one that lies just beyond the lunar They give rise to the fascinating , the Spectrograph, and the Wide Field Camera have been based on Hubble’s data. The HST orbit. bright colorful observed in the night 3. They will also repair Hubble’s , budget is over $2.5 billion. sky, usually in the polar regions. crucial for the telescope’s pointing After about two months, STEREO Further reading observatories will encounter the Moon. accuracy. Hubble Websites Scientists hope that STEREO’s http://hubblesite.org/ Observatory A will use the lunar gravity measurements will improve our In 16 years of operation, HST has captured http://www.spacetelescope.org/ to place it in an orbit “ahead” of Earth. more than 750,000 images of the cosmos, CGRO understanding of CMEs and methods of and made many startling discoveries. http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/cgro/index.html Observatory B will encounter the Moon predicting them. CXO http://chandra.harvard.edu/ again for a second swing-by about one Further reading Hubble’s first images, however, were SST month later to adjust its position “behind” blurry, due to a flaw in the telescope’s main http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/ STEREO Earth. http://www.nasa.gov/stereo 10 7 Fun Fact 1000 Days on The Lightest Planet! is a six-wheeled robot. Scientists regard it as a robotic geologist. Spirit is powered by solar energy. It has 9 cameras that enable it to explore our , small planetary neighbor and roam its surface. On 6 February 2004, Spirit achieved Credit: NASA/JPL history when it performed the first grinding of a rock on Mars, applying its Rock Abrasion Tool. Occasionally, Spirit points its cameras to the Martian skies to perform astronomical observations. Spirit observed a solar by Mars’s moon Deimos, and obtained the only picture of Earth from the surface of another planet. Spirit also recorded the eclipse of Mars’s larger moon, Phobos, when it plunged in Mars’ shadow, on 27 November 2005. An artist’s impression of the Rover Spirit Spirit has endured the most challenging On 26 October 2006, NASA celebrated part of its second Martian winter. It is gaining th the 1000 sol of its highly successful solar power, and spring in the Martian robotic Spirit. A southern hemisphere is due in early 2007. sol is the length of the day on Mars, which Further reading lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes, 35 seconds. Mars Exploration rover Mission http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/index.html Credit: Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA/ESA) Spirit landed on Mars on 4 January 2004. Its voyage in interplanetary space lasted over 6 months. Among the mission’s primary goals was to search for and characterize rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity on Mars. Spirit has a twin, the Mars Saturn is the second largest planet. With an equatorial diameter of over Exploration Rover , which landed on the opposite side of Mars on 120,000 km; its volume is approximately 650 times that of Earth. With a mass 24 January 2004. of approximately 600 × 1024 kg, Saturn is nearly 100 times more massive than Originally, Spirit’s mission was scheduled Earth! to be only 90 sols long. Thus, Spirit has been operating successfully for over one Martian Saturn’s mean density of 0.7 g/cm3, is less than that of water (1 g/cm3). year, or two Earth years (Mars orbits the Sun every 687 Earth days). Earth from Mars, pictured by the Spirit rover This means that, if there were a hypothetical ocean, large enough to fill the space of the Solar System (about 30 billion km across), Saturn would float on The McMurdo the surface of this ocean! Panorama, a panorama from Mars, obtained by Spirit The Earth, Moon, Sun and all the other planets are denser than water. To avoid sinking, they will need a buoy, or a lifejacket.

Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell

6 11 was launched toward , the eighth planet from the An Image of on 19 January 2006. It is expected to Neptune at 160 Sun, was discovered on 23 September 1846. arrive at Pluto in 2015. After studying Pluto Its discovery, based on calculations made and its system of moons, it will probably independently by the British John explore one or more of the Adams and the French astronomer Urbain Le Objects. Verrier, was a scientific .

Further reading Celebrating the 160th anniversary of the New Horizons discovery of Neptune, Aymen Ibrahem, http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Jupiter Senior Astronomy Specialist, gave a public http://www.nineplanets.org/jupiter.html lecture at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Pluto Auditorium, on 25 September 2006. http://www.nineplanets.org/pluto.html The lecture, entitled “Neptune, the The Kuiper Belt Giant”, was a virtual http://www.nineplanets.org/kboc.html of Neptune. Ibrahem also presented the story of the discovery of Neptune. Due to its vast distance from the Sun of approximately 4,500 million km, Fourth Space Neptune orbits the Sun every 164.8 years. The planet has not yet completed Tourist Returns one orbital revolution since its discovery! Further reading Neptune to Earth http://www.nineplanets.org/neptune.html Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institutea On 4 September 2006, the New On 29 September 2006, the first female Horizons spacecraft, en route to the dwarf space tourist, Anousheh Ansari, landed planet Pluto, obtained an interesting safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan, after image of Jupiter. New Horizons was still a 10-day mission aboard the International 290 million km from the giant planet. The Space Station (ISS). The Soyuz space capsule image was acquired by an imaging device also carried Russian cosmonaut Pavel aboard New Horizons, the Long Range Vinogradov and American astronaut Jeff Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI). Williams. The image shows the shadows of two of The landing occurred, according to plan, the major four Jovian moons, transiting the in the Kazakh steppe. The descent lasted disc of the planet, and prominent features over three hours. in the planet’s atmosphere. Airborne search and rescue teams New Horizons is hurtling in space retrieved the spacefarers. toward Jupiter at 45,000 miles per hour. It will reach the closest approach distance Ansari is the fourth space tourist to visit on 28 February 2007. New Horizons is the ISS, after Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth expected to acquire the most detailed and Greg Olsen. She is also the first Iranian images of Jupiter since the Cassini in space. She was standby of Japanese spacecraft flyby in 2000, and the final businessman Daisuke Enomoto who had images of the Galileo spacecraft, which been in astronaut training, but eventually was in orbit around Jupiter, in 2003. unqualified for space travel for unspecified New Horizons will observe Jupiter again medical reasons. in January 2007. The spacecraft will continue Further reading to study the gigantic magnetosphere of ISS Jupiter after the closest approach. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

8 9 New Horizons was launched toward Neptune, the eighth planet from the An Image of Pluto on 19 January 2006. It is expected to Neptune at 160 Sun, was discovered on 23 September 1846. arrive at Pluto in 2015. After studying Pluto Its discovery, based on calculations made and its system of moons, it will probably independently by the British astronomer John Jupiter explore one or more of the Kuiper Belt Adams and the French astronomer Urbain Le Objects. Verrier, was a scientific glory.

Further reading Celebrating the 160th anniversary of the New Horizons discovery of Neptune, Aymen Ibrahem, http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Jupiter Senior Astronomy Specialist, gave a public http://www.nineplanets.org/jupiter.html lecture at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Pluto Auditorium, on 25 September 2006. http://www.nineplanets.org/pluto.html The lecture, entitled “Neptune, the Blue The Kuiper Belt Giant”, was a virtual space exploration http://www.nineplanets.org/kboc.html of Neptune. Ibrahem also presented the story of the discovery of Neptune. Due to its vast distance from the Sun of approximately 4,500 million km, Fourth Space Neptune orbits the Sun every 164.8 years. The planet has not yet completed Tourist Returns one orbital revolution since its discovery! Further reading Neptune to Earth http://www.nineplanets.org/neptune.html Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institutea On 4 September 2006, the New On 29 September 2006, the first female Horizons spacecraft, en route to the dwarf space tourist, Anousheh Ansari, landed planet Pluto, obtained an interesting safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan, after image of Jupiter. New Horizons was still a 10-day mission aboard the International 290 million km from the giant planet. The Space Station (ISS). The Soyuz space capsule image was acquired by an imaging device also carried Russian cosmonaut Pavel aboard New Horizons, the Long Range Vinogradov and American astronaut Jeff Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI). Williams. The image shows the shadows of two of The landing occurred, according to plan, the major four Jovian moons, transiting the in the Kazakh steppe. The descent lasted disc of the planet, and prominent features over three hours. in the planet’s atmosphere. Airborne search and rescue teams New Horizons is hurtling in space retrieved the spacefarers. toward Jupiter at 45,000 miles per hour. It will reach the closest approach distance Ansari is the fourth space tourist to visit on 28 February 2007. New Horizons is the ISS, after Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth expected to acquire the most detailed and Greg Olsen. She is also the first Iranian images of Jupiter since the Cassini in space. She was standby of Japanese spacecraft flyby in 2000, and the final businessman Daisuke Enomoto who had images of the Galileo spacecraft, which been in astronaut training, but eventually was in orbit around Jupiter, in 2003. unqualified for space travel for unspecified New Horizons will observe Jupiter again medical reasons. in January 2007. The spacecraft will continue Further reading to study the gigantic magnetosphere of ISS Jupiter after the closest approach. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

8 9 Fun Fact 1000 Days on Mars The Lightest Planet! Spirit is a six-wheeled robot. Scientists regard it as a robotic geologist. Spirit is powered by solar energy. It has 9 cameras that enable it to explore our red, small planetary neighbor and roam its surface. On 6 February 2004, Spirit achieved Credit: NASA/JPL history when it performed the first grinding of a rock on Mars, applying its Rock Abrasion Tool. Occasionally, Spirit points its cameras to the Martian skies to perform astronomical observations. Spirit observed a solar eclipse by Mars’s moon Deimos, and obtained the only picture of Earth from the surface of another planet. Spirit also recorded the eclipse of Mars’s larger moon, Phobos, when it plunged in Mars’ shadow, on 27 November 2005. An artist’s impression of the Rover Spirit Spirit has endured the most challenging On 26 October 2006, NASA celebrated part of its second Martian winter. It is gaining th the 1000 sol of its highly successful solar power, and spring in the Martian robotic Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. A southern hemisphere is due in early 2007. sol is the length of the day on Mars, which Further reading lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes, 35 seconds. Mars Exploration rover Mission http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/index.html Credit: Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA/ESA) Spirit landed on Mars on 4 January 2004. Its voyage in interplanetary space lasted over 6 months. Among the mission’s primary goals was to search for and characterize rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity on Mars. Spirit has a twin, the Mars Saturn is the second largest planet. With an equatorial diameter of over Exploration Rover Opportunity, which landed on the opposite side of Mars on 120,000 km; its volume is approximately 650 times that of Earth. With a mass 24 January 2004. of approximately 600 × 1024 kg, Saturn is nearly 100 times more massive than Originally, Spirit’s mission was scheduled Earth! to be only 90 sols long. Thus, Spirit has been operating successfully for over one Martian Saturn’s mean density of 0.7 g/cm3, is less than that of water (1 g/cm3). year, or two Earth years (Mars orbits the Sun every 687 Earth days). Earth from Mars, pictured by the Spirit rover This means that, if there were a hypothetical ocean, large enough to fill the space of the Solar System (about 30 billion km across), Saturn would float on The McMurdo the surface of this ocean! Panorama, a panorama from Mars, obtained by Spirit The Earth, Moon, Sun and all the other planets are denser than water. To avoid sinking, they will need a buoy, or a lifejacket.

Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell

6 11 Hot Topic A Critical Decision: NASA to Save NASA Launches the Hubble Space Telescope STEREO Mission mirror. Space shuttle astronauts repaired the optical defect during the first Hubble On Thursday, 26 October 2006, NASA servicing mission in 1993. Ever since, Hubble launched the Solar Terrestrial Relations has captured hundreds of thousands of Observatory (STEREO) mission aboard images of the cosmos and made many a Delta II rocket. The mission comprises startling discoveries. two almost identical spacecrafts that will Actually, Hubble acquired some of the study the Sun from solar orbits. The twin most famous images in the history of science, space observatories will create the first 3D including an iconic image of the Eagle images of the Sun and observe violent solar Nebula, known as “Pillars of Creation”, and the “Hubble Ultra Deep Field”, the deepest eruptions known as Coronal Mass Ejections

Image credit: A. Loll NASA, ESA, J. Hester and ever image of the Universe in the visible (CMEs). light, showing galaxies over 13 billion light Images acquired by the Hubble Space Telescope were CMEs are capable of damaging used to create this magnificent mosaic of the Crab years away. Nebula, the remnant of a dead massive star whose artificial satellites and disrupting power explosion was observed in 1054 CE. Hubble is one of the largest artificial networks and telecommunications. The Credit: NASA/JHUAPL satellites ever flown into space. It is 13.2 m two solar observatories will also study the On Tuesday, 31 October 2006, NASA long and weighs over 11 tons. Its primary STEREO spacecrafts in space, an artist’s impression Administrator, Dr. Michael Griffin, decided to interplanetary space near Earth and in the mirror is about 2.5 m across. Hubble is one STEREO is the first NASA mission to reinstate a space shuttle mission to maintain of NASA’s four Great Observatories, with inner Solar System. and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope use separate lunar swing-bys to place two the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory The two observatories were launched (HST). Without this mission, HST, one of the (CGRO), Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) observatories into different orbits around greatest scientific projects in history, will and the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST). in a stacked configuration and separated the Sun.The observatories will be so precisely be operational only for 2-3 years. The new from the rocket approximately 25 minutes positioned to provide depth perception, in servicing mission would extend Hubble’s From its Earth orbit, at an altitude after lift-off. About 63 minutes after launch, mission till 2013. a manner similar to that due to the slight of about 600 km, above the clouds and mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins hazes of our atmosphere, Hubble conducts offset between human eyes. The placement NASA earlier considered this mission images with unprecedented detail. Hubble’s University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), also allows the two spacecrafts to take local risky, after the Space Shuttle Columbia powerful light grasp enables astronomers confirmed each observatory’s solar arrays disaster in 2003, and deorbiting HST particle and magnetic field measurements to detect faint, distant galaxies at the edge successfully deployed and were operating was deemed necessary. Some scientists of the solar wind as it flows by. of the visible Universe. Hubble orbits Earth disagreed with the decision, urging NASA well. NASA’s Deep Space Network antennas every 97 minutes. to send robots to repair Hubble. The issue in Canberra, Australia, received the initial The STEREO mission is expected to also stimulated public concern. Hubble can also observe the Universe radio signals. last two years. During the mission, the in the near infrared wavelengths, enabling observatories will explore the origin, The final Hubble Servicing Mission astronomers to explore star birth regions in In a few weeks, mission controllers at 4 is scheduled for launch in May 2008. evolution and effects of CMEs. our Galaxy and other galaxies. Hubble can APL will examine all systems aboard the Veteran astronaut Scott Altman will point to, and track any celestial object with observatories. For the next three months, CMEs pervade the entire Solar System, command the Space Shuttle Discovery to an amazing accuracy. the observatories will fly from a point near Hubble. Discovery’s astronauts will install and interact with Earth’s magnetic field. two new instruments, the Cosmic Origins Thousands of published research articles Earth to one that lies just beyond the lunar They give rise to the fascinating aurora, the Spectrograph, and the Wide Field Camera have been based on Hubble’s data. The HST orbit. bright colorful lights observed in the night 3. They will also repair Hubble’s gyroscopes, budget is over $2.5 billion. sky, usually in the polar regions. crucial for the telescope’s pointing After about two months, STEREO Further reading observatories will encounter the Moon. accuracy. Hubble Websites Scientists hope that STEREO’s http://hubblesite.org/ Observatory A will use the lunar gravity measurements will improve our In 16 years of operation, HST has captured http://www.spacetelescope.org/ to place it in an orbit “ahead” of Earth. more than 750,000 images of the cosmos, CGRO understanding of CMEs and methods of and made many startling discoveries. http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/cgro/index.html Observatory B will encounter the Moon predicting them. CXO http://chandra.harvard.edu/ again for a second swing-by about one Further reading Hubble’s first images, however, were SST month later to adjust its position “behind” blurry, due to a flaw in the telescope’s main http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/ STEREO Earth. http://www.nasa.gov/stereo 10 7 Picture Gallery The Universe Now Editorial By Aymen Ibrahem Hubble Explores Negative Gravity 4 A CloseClose EncounterEncounter withwith a ....

1 Credit: NASA, ESA and A. Riess and Credit: NASA, ESA

Formation Scientists observing with the Hubble to rule out competing explanations that This is the first photo Ibrahem obtained. It is a Space Telescope (HST) have discovered predict that the influence of dark energy close-up showing the formation of the tornado. By Aymen Ibrahem Actually, the twister grew rapidly! evidence that dark energy, a hypothetical changes over time. Senior Astronomy Specialist, PSC form of energy that pervades the entire The researchers also arrived at an Universe and counteracts gravity, is not interesting conclusion that the type of a new characteristic of space, but rather On Monday, 4 December 2006, showers are fascinating creatures. I always enjoy Tornado over BA exploding stars, or supernovae, used to The tornado is nearly fully-grown. has been acting for most of the Universe’s occurred in Alexandria in the evening. I observing them. I sought to take some history. determine cosmic distances today look observed the rain hoping to photograph a photos of the snails. remarkably similar to those that exploded rainbow. No rainbows appeared, instead, I Shortly, after I photographed the snails, Dark energy is believed to accelerate nine billion years ago and are just now being encountered my first tornado! I noticed a little funnel-shaped cloud, the rate of cosmic expansion, discovered by detected by Hubble. This important finding 2 Tornadoes are among the most developing amid the clouds. It was an2 Edwin Hubble in the 1920s. In his theory of provides additional support to the use of dangerous natural disasters. They are rare interesting feature. I began to photograph it. General Relativity, Albert Einstein introduced these supernovae for tracking the cosmic in Egypt; the country witnessed its last While I was taking the photos, it grew rapidly a cosmological constant to achieve a model expansion through most of the evolution of tornado, which occurred in Upper Egypt, in in size. It was swirling, and approaching the 5 Tornado Develops of a static Universe. Einstein, however, the Universe. 1981. On the other hand, tornadoes occur ground. I soon realized I was experiencing The tornado develops. Few passers abandoned this constant after Hubble’s were on the Plaza. frequently in a region in the mid-section of a close encounter with a twister. discovery of the expansion of the Universe, Supernovae provide reliable distance the United States, known as the Tornado 6 calling it “greatest blunder”. measurements because their brightness Fortunately, the tornado was not variation and intrinsic brightness are well Alley. This is due to that region’s climate that powerful. It lasted about 10 minutes, but it features frequent powerful thunderstorms. 3 In 1998, researchers used HST and studied. They are therefore reliable distance was a spectacular phenomenon. I did not Dissipation ground-based telescopes to detect the indicators, enabling astronomers to I recorded all the stages of the tornado, fear the terrible hazard. I was very thrilled, The tornado dissipated. All what remained was a rotating oval cloud (just above center). acceleration of the expansion of space determine their vast distances from Earth. from its birth, through its development, and and monitored it closely. I have always from observations of distant supernovae. finally its dissipation. Some of the photos dreamed to travel to Tornado Alley, to These Hubble images reveal five Astrophysicists realized that Einstein may show the twister approaching the Library, observe the meteorological wonders. supernovae in distant galaxies. The arrows have been correct after all, as there appeared others are close-ups acquired just under the in the top row of images point to the My pictures were published by several to be a negative gravity in space that was tornado. international publishers, and stimulated supernovae. The bottom row shows the subsequently dubbed “dark energy”. worldwide interest. I found online texts in host galaxies, before or after, the stars At about 15:45 EET, expecting to observe The researchers used Hubble to find a rainbow, I was waiting for sunlight to English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean exploded. The supernovae exploded and several other languages reporting and that dark energy was already increasing between 3.5 billion and 10 billion years shine through breaks in the drifting rainy the expansion rate of the Universe as long discussing my twister observation. ago. clouds. There were beautiful garden snails Tornado Declines TornadoTornado Close-upClose-up as nine billion years ago (The Universe is feeding on nearby plants. Garden snails are I present my photos of the tornado in The tornado started to decline in about This is a close-up photo showing the swirling Further reading 10 minutes. winds of the tornado. believed to be about 14 billion years old). Hubble Finds Evidence for Dark Energy in the Young Universe nocturnal animals, but they are active in the this issue’s Picture Gallery, “Tornado over The tornado grew considerably in size. Hubble’s data would allow cosmologists http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/52/full/ day during rains, or in humid weather. They Bibliotheca Alexandrina”.

12 5 4 13 Picture Gallery The Universe Now By Aymen Ibrahem Hubble Explores Negative Gravity

1 Credit: NASA, ESA and A. Riess and Credit: NASA, ESA

Formation Scientists observing with the Hubble to rule out competing explanations that This is the first photo Ibrahem obtained. It is a close-up showing the formation of the tornado. Space Telescope (HST) have discovered predict that the influence of dark energy Actually, the twister grew rapidly! evidence that dark energy, a hypothetical changes over time. form of energy that pervades the entire The researchers also arrived at an Universe and counteracts gravity, is not interesting conclusion that the type of a new characteristic of space, but rather exploding stars, or supernovae, used to has been acting for most of the Universe’s history. determine cosmic distances today look remarkably similar to those that exploded Dark energy is believed to accelerate nine billion years ago and are just now being 2 the rate of cosmic expansion, discovered by detected by Hubble. This important finding Edwin Hubble in the 1920s. In his theory of provides additional support to the use of General Relativity, Albert Einstein introduced these supernovae for tracking the cosmic a cosmological constant to achieve a model expansion through most of the evolution of Tornado Develops of a static Universe. Einstein, however, the Universe. The tornado develops. Few passers abandoned this constant after Hubble’s were on the Plaza. discovery of the expansion of the Universe, Supernovae provide reliable distance calling it “greatest blunder”. measurements because their brightness variation and intrinsic brightness are well 3 In 1998, researchers used HST and studied. They are therefore reliable distance ground-based telescopes to detect the indicators, enabling astronomers to acceleration of the expansion of space determine their vast distances from Earth. from observations of distant supernovae. Astrophysicists realized that Einstein may These Hubble images reveal five have been correct after all, as there appeared supernovae in distant galaxies. The arrows to be a negative gravity in space that was in the top row of images point to the subsequently dubbed “dark energy”. supernovae. The bottom row shows the host galaxies, before or after, the stars The researchers used Hubble to find exploded. The supernovae exploded that dark energy was already increasing between 3.5 billion and 10 billion years the expansion rate of the Universe as long ago. TornadoTornado Close-upClose-up as nine billion years ago (The Universe is This is a close-up photo showing the swirling Further reading winds of the tornado. believed to be about 14 billion years old). Hubble Finds Evidence for Dark Energy in the Young Universe The tornado grew considerably in size. Hubble’s data would allow cosmologists http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/52/full/

12 5 Cassini was approximately 2.2 million km from Saturn when the images in this mosaic were acquired. Image scale on Saturn is about 260 km per pixel. Superb Janus The above image shows Janus, Saturn’s curious small moon, visible against the cloud- streaked backdrop of the giant planet. Unlike our moon, Janus (181 km across) is irregular in shape, i.e., it resembles a It is believed that large portions of Helene gigantic potato! Many minor planets and have been blasted away by meteoritic planetary moons are too small to attain a impacts. round shape. Cassini flew by Helene on 17 August 2006, There are many craters on the surface of when these images were acquired, at a Janus, but some areas seem to have been distance of about 50,000 km. The series of smoothed by some geological process. Like images were recorded over the course of Pandora and Telesto, Janus is believed to one hour. be covered with a mantle of fine dust-sized Helene (32 km across) is co-orbital with icy material. Dione (1,120 km across), the second densest The image was taken using a spectral of Saturn’s moons. Dione is believed to be filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared composed of rock and ice. light centered at 930 nanometers. The view In 2004, Cassini discovered another was acquired with the Cassini spacecraft small co-orbital moon, Ploydeuces. narrow-angle camera on 25 September 2006, at a distance of approximately 145,000 km Further reading from Janus and at a Sun-Janus-spacecraft, The Janus/Epimetheus Ring or phase, angle of 62 degrees. North on http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ Saturn is up. Image scale is 871 meters per pia08322.html pixel. Moon-Made Rings http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ Helene’s Close-up pia08328.html The Cassini-Huygens Mission The images show Saturn’s small, peculiar http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm moon Helene. The images were obtained Helene.jpg by the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft, 162056main_PIA08329.jpg and they show the bizarre, rugged terrain Janus.jpg of Helene. PIA08329.jpg

2 15 ONTENT CCassini was approximately 2.2 million km Cassini was approximately 2.2 million km New Images from the Cassini from Saturn when the images in this mosaic from Saturn when the images in this mosaic wereon acquired. the Image scalecover on Saturn is were acquired. Image scale on Saturn is Spacecraft about 260 km per pixel. about 260 km per pixel. Superb Janus Superb Janus The above image shows Janus, Saturn’s The above image shows Janus, Saturn’s curious small moon, visible against the cloud- curious small moon, visible against the cloud- streaked backdrop of the giant planet. streaked backdrop of the giant planet. Unlike our moon, Janus (181 km across) Unlike our moon, Janus (181 km across) is irregular in shape, i.e., it resembles a It is believed thatOn largeMonday, portions 4 December of Helene 2006, is irregular in shape, i.e., it resembles a It is believed that large portions of Helene gigantic potato! Many minor planets and have been blastedshowers away occurred by meteoriticin Alexandria gigantic potato! Many minor planets and have been blasted away by meteoritic in the evening. I observed the planetary moons are too small to attain a impacts. rain, hoping to photograph a planetary moons are too small to attain a impacts. round shape. rainbow. No rainbows appeared, round shape. Cassini flew by butHelene actually, on 17 I encounteredAugust 2006, my Cassini flew by Helene on 17 August 2006, There are many craters on the surface of when these imagesfirst tornado! were acquired, at a There are many craters on the surface of when these images were acquired, at a Janus, but some areas seem to have been distance of about 50,000 km. The series of Janus, but some areas seem to have been distance of about 50,000 km. The series of smoothed by some geological process. Like images were recorded over the course of smoothed by some geological process. Like images were recorded over the course of Pandora and Telesto, Janus is believed to one hour. Pandora and Telesto, Janus is believed to one hour. be covered with a mantle of fine dust-sized Helene (32 km across) is co-orbital with be covered with a mantle of fine dust-sized Helene (32 km across) is co-orbital with icy material. Dione (1,120 km across), the second densest icy material. Dione (1,120 km across), the second densest of Saturn’s moons. Dione is believed to be The image was taken using a spectral Editorial The image was taken using a spectral of Saturn’s moons. Dione is believed to be filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared composed of rock and ice. filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared composed of rock and ice. NASA recently published the following Huygens announced that there are rings light centered at 930 nanometers.4 The view In 2004, Cassini discovered another light centered at 930 nanometers. The view In 2004, Cassini discovered another superb images of Saturn and its moons, surrounding Saturn. was acquired with the Cassini spacecraft small co-orbital moon, Ploydeuces. was acquired with the Cassini spacecraft small co-orbital moon, Ploydeuces. acquired by the Saturn-bound Cassini narrow-angle camera on 25 September 2006, narrow-angle camera on 25 September 2006, spacecraft. Seven major rings have been named at a distanceSupervisor of approximately 145,000 km Further reading at a distance of approximately 145,000 km Further reading A through G, in order of discovery. They from Janus and at a Sun-Janus-spacecraft, The Janus/Epimetheus RingThe Universe Now from Janus and at a Sun-Janus-spacecraft, The Janus/Epimetheus Ring In Saturn’s Shadow contain several gaps, due to the gravitational or phase,Hoda angle Elmikaty of 62 degrees. North on http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ or phase, angle of 62 degrees. North on http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ influence of some of Saturn’s moons. Saturn is up. ImageDirector scale is 871 5meters per pia08322.html Saturn is up. Image scale is 871 meters per pia08322.html This is a unique image of Saturn. The Moon-Made Rings Moon-Made Rings pixel. Planetarium Science Center pixel. Cassini spacecraft was flying in the shadow Saturn’s rings are composed of ice and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/ of Saturn, viewing the planet’s glorious dust. They contain fine microscopic dust pia08328.html pia08328.html Helene’s Close-upEditors Helene’s Close-up rings as never seen before. particles, best viewed when the Sun is The Cassini-Huygens Mission The Cassini-Huygens Mission Aymen Ibrahem directly behind Saturn. The distribution of The images show Saturn’s small, peculiar http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfmHot Topic The images show Saturn’s small, peculiar http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm The picture reveals previously unknown PSC Senior Astronomy Specialist these particles provides information about moon Helene. The images were obtained Helene.jpg moon Helene. The images were obtained Helene.jpg faint rings, and even shows our home planet the space environment of the planet. by the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft, 162056main_PIA08329.jpg by the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft, 162056main_PIA08329.jpg from afar. It is a composite of 165 images and they show the bizarre, rugged terrain Janus.jpg and they show the bizarre, rugged terrain Janus.jpg obtained by Cassini on 15 September 2006, The outermost ring, the E ring, is Maissa Azab encircling the entire ring system. The narrow of Helene. PIA08329.jpg of Helene. PIA08329.jpg when it flew beyond Saturn for 12 hours. PSC Publications Specialist G ring is visible between the E ring and the Cassini detected two new rings; one main bright rings. The E ring is believed to Bibliotheca Alexandrina Fun Fact coincident with the shared orbit of the have originated due to volcanic eruptions Planetarium Science Center moons Janus and Epimetheus, and another on the surface of the icy, geologically active P.O. Box: 138, Chatby, 11 Alexandria 21526, Egypt. along the orbit of the tiny moon Pallene. moon Enceladus. Tel.: +(203) 4839999 The rings were discovered by Galileo in Earth was over a billion km from Saturn Ext: 1451 1610, but he failed to perceive their shape during the observation. It is visible as a pale Fax: +(203) 4820464 Picture Gallery with his small telescope. In 1655, observing dot, interior to the G ring, and above the [email protected] with a more powerful telescope, Christian bright main rings. www.bibalex.org/psc 12 214 153 2 15 16