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Planetary Report, More Than the Cat’S Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) Was One of the First Planetary Any Other Issue I Can Recall, Reflects the Ideas, Nebulae to Be Discovered

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Planetary Report, More Than the Cat’S Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) Was One of the First Planetary Any Other Issue I Can Recall, Reflects the Ideas, Nebulae to Be Discovered The PLANETARYPLANETARY R REPORTEPORT Volume XXIX Number 3 May/June 2009 Celebrating Hubble From The Editor On the Cover: This issue of The Planetary Report, more than The Cat’s Eye nebula (NGC 6543) was one of the first planetary any other issue I can recall, reflects the ideas, nebulae to be discovered. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) first opinions, and choices of Planetary Society revealed, in 1994, its intricate structures, including concentric gas Members. As you page through, you’ll see shells, high-speed jets of gas, and unusual shock-induced knots of what you and your fellow Members have done gas. This portrait of the Cat’s Eye nebula, captured in September and what you’ve made possible. 2004, was one of our Members’ favorite Hubble images. To view You’ll see the report on our 2009 Member more Members’ favorites, see page 12. Survey—an overwhelming success by any mea- “One massive star expires in a series of violent explosions, shed- sure. Jim Bell, the new Planetary Society presi- ding veils of fusion-forged elements that race through the cosmos. dent, has heard what you want our organization When enough of these elements congregate elsewhere, they may to do, and, as he promises, we’re on it! eventually produce new stars, planets, or even organisms. We, and We describe progress on our Members’ top- everything around us, are formed from the final throes of distant, rated concern: monitoring potentially danger- long-dead stars. In our universe, death is the engine of life.” ous asteroids and comets. The survey results —Minna Lunney coincided with our selection of winners of the Image: NASA/ESA/HEIC and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA/R. Corradi Shoemaker Near Earth Objects Grants, con- and Z. Tsvetanov) firming that we were on the right track with our project priorities. Background: Then, you’ll read a feature composed of Comet-like filaments are embedded along a portion of the inner rim Members’ words and pictures—at least, the of the Helix nebula’s red and blue gas ring. At a distance of 650 pictures you chose as your favorites taken by light-years from Earth, the Helix nebula is one of the nearest plane- the Hubble Space Telescope during its first few tary nebulae to Earth. This composite view, assembled in 2003, is incarnations. Planetary Society Members can a blend of images from the HST’s Advanced Camera for Surveys take justifiable pride in the just-completed combined with a wide-view photo from the Mosaic Camera on the Hubble repair mission. Three years ago, you National Science Foundation’s 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak, campaigned to save the Hubble (and keep Arizona. Image: NASA/NOAO/ESA/the Hubble Helix Nebula Team/M. Meixner NASA from shutting down the Voyager space- (STScI) and T. A. Rector (NRAO) craft), so you can rightfully say you played a role in making this mission happen. And there’s so much more we’re doing. You can track our actions even more closely if you become a “fan” of The Planetary Society on Facebook. We have a very active community Contact Us growing there, with daily postings, links to new Mailing Address: The Planetary Society, web features, event announcements, and much 65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106-2301 more. General Calls: 626-793-5100 So stay in touch! Joined together, Planetary Sales Calls Only: 626-793-1675 Society Members are a force to be reckoned E-mail: [email protected] with. —Charlene M. Anderson World Wide Web: http://planetary.org 2 THE PLANETARY REPORT MAY/JUNE 2009 Cofounder CARL SAGAN 1934–1996 Board of Directors Chairman of the Board DAN GERACI Chairman and CEO, Club Achilles—The Iron Age President JAMES BELL Professor of Astronomy, Cornell University Vice President BILL NYE science educator Executive Director Contents LOUIS D.FRIEDMAN HEIDI HAMMEL Senior Research Scientist and Co-Director, Research, Space Science Institute G. SCOTT HUBBARD 4 You Spoke Up: The Planetary Society professor, Stanford University WESLEY T. HUNTRESS JR. Director Emeritus, Geophysical Laboratory, 2009 Member Survey Carnegie Institution of Washington LON LEVIN by Jim Bell SkySevenVentures ALEXIS LIVANOS Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Northrop Grumman Advisory Council Chair CHRISTOPHER P. McKAY 6 We Make It Happen! Planetary Defense: planetary scientist BRUCE MURRAY Professor of Planetary Science and Geology, Shielding the World From Asteroids California Institute of Technology ELON MUSK by Bruce Betts Chairman and CEO, SpaceX JOSEPH RYAN Ryan Investments, LLP STEVEN SPIELBERG director and producer 12 All Hail Hubble! Planetary Society Members BIJAL “BEE” THAKORE Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific, Space Generation Advisory Council Salute the Hubble Space Telescope NEIL deGRASSE TYSON Astrophysicist and Director, Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History GEORGE YANCOPOULOS President and Chief Scientific Officer, 19 WorldWatch Regeneron Research Laborabories 20 Questions and Answers International Council ROGER-MAURICE BONNET Executive Director, 22 Members’ Dialogue International Space Science Institute YASUNORI MATOGAWA Associate Executive Director, 23 Planetary Sales Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency MAMORU MOHRI Director, National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation RISTO PELLINEN Director of Science in Space Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute Advisory Council BUZZ ALDRIN RICHARD BERENDZEN JACQUES BLAMONT RAY BRADBURY DAVID BRIN JAMES CANTRELL FRANKLIN CHANG-DIAZ FRANK DRAKE The Planetary Report (ISSN 0736-3680) is published bimonthly at the editorial offices of The Planetary Society, 65 North OWEN GARRIOTT Catalina Avenue, Pasadena CA 91106-2301, 626-793-5100. It is available to members of The Planetary Society. Annual dues in the United States are $30 (U.S. dollars); in Canada, $40 (Canadian dollars). Dues in other countries are $45 GARRY E.HUNT (U.S. dollars). Printed in USA. Third-class postage at Pasadena, California, and at an additional mailing office. Canada BRUCE JAKOSKY Post Agreement Number 87424. THOMAS D.JONES Editor, CHARLENE M. ANDERSON Copy Editor, A.J.SOBCZAK Associate Editor, DONNA ESCANDON STEVENS Proofreader, LOIS SMITH SERGEI KAPITSA Managing Editor, JENNIFER VAUGHN Art Director, BARBARA S.SMITH CHARLES E.KOHLHASE JR. Technical Editor, JAMES D. BURKE Science Editor, BRUCE BETTS LAURIE LESHIN Viewpoints expressed in columns and editorials are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent positions of JOHN M. LOGSDON The Planetary Society, its officers, or its advisers. ©2009 by The Planetary Society. JON LOMBERG ROSALY LOPES HANS MARK JOHN MINOGUE ROBERT PICARDO JOHN RHYS-DAVIES KIM STANLEY ROBINSON DONNA L.SHIRLEY KEVIN STUBE A PUBLICATION OF 3 THE PLANETARY REPORT MAY/JUNE 2009 You Spoke Up: The Planetary Society2009 Member Survey y first year as President of The Planetary Society has it will turn up. The Europa Jupiter System Mission (let’s M not yet finished, and already I’m overwhelmed with hope it gets a better name) will be a NASA-ESA partnership, the goodwill and support I’ve received from our Members. and we’re giving our full support to this flagship mission. The enthusiastic response to the 2009 Member Survey is The largest negative vote on this question was something just one way you’ve shown me how much you care about of a surprise to me: 9.3% rated “human space missions” as our organization, and your responses will help me make sure “not important.” Personally, I want to see human explorers that we are serving your interests and fighting for the pro- follow the rovers to the Red Planet, but I don’t see a conflict grams you feel are important. here with current Planetary Society policy. (A negative vote It’s now time to unveil the results and offer you a few of less than 10% is, after all, not a terrible result.) Our words about what I think they mean. You can either go Roadmap to Space, which we continue to present to policy- straight to the numbers and analyze them yourself or read makers in Washington, D.C. (most recently to the new through the following analysis of the 2009 Member Sur- Augustine review board), calls for robotic missions to Mars vey—and then go to the numbers if you wish. Here goes: blazing a trail for humans to follow. I interpret this survey result as supporting that effort. What do you feel should be the 1 focus of space exploration in the Which of these Planetary Society immediate future? 2 projects and activities do you Mars is the place you most want to explore immediately, support? with 62.5% ranking it as “very important” and 33.0% as I found a bit of a surprise here, but maybe it’s one we should “important.” This response makes me really happy, as I am have expected: “Monitoring potentially dangerous near-Earth a member of the Mars Exploration Rovers science team. asteroids and comets” was the most-supported Society pro- Destination-wise, the Moon ranks a little lower, with 46.3% ject or activity. Near-Earth object (NEO) project supporters voting “very important” and 41.5% “important.” may be a quiet bunch (we don’t receive a lot of mail cheering Robotic space exploration is your preferred means to get on these activities), but their support runs deep, with 88.8% the job done, with 60.3% ranking it “very important” and saying to “do more” or “keep it.” 35.4% “important,” giving an overall thumbs-up of 95.7%. We’re on it! You should soon be receiving a letter about Keep those rovers coming! The Mars Science Laboratory our NEO program and the ways we’re ramping up our efforts (Curiosity)—a really big rover—is being built for a 2011 in planetary
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