Astronomy
Maya Skies
Armed with laser technology, Bay Area engineers are helping create detailed virtual records of the world's great monuments. Their realistic recreation of the Mexican ruins of Chichén Itzá is the basis for "Tales of Maya Skies," a new half-hour film about Maya astronomy designed especially for a planetarium. The film opens at Oakland's Chabot Space & Science Center on November 21. QUEST takes you behind the scenes.
Video on Oct 13, 2009 by Gabriela Quirós from QUEST Northern California
Producer's Notes: Maya Skies
Go behind the scenes of Tales of Maya Skies, the new film produced by Oakland's Chabot Space and Science Center. The half-hour film about Maya astronomy opens at the center's planetarium on November 21.
Post on Oct 13, 2009 by Gabriela Quirós
Post on Oct 09, 2009 by Ben Burress
MOON Spells "Water"
Even before NASA's LCROSS spacecraft is set to hit the Moon and hopefully kick up a cloud containing water, evidence for the presence of water on the Moon is mounting.
Post on Sep 25, 2009 by Ben Burress
Science Event Pick: LCROSS—Hitch-hiking to the Moon
As the satellite impact grows closer, NASA is making an effort to talk about the locally driven mission. Many of the upcoming talks are suitable for any audience, from kids to adults.
Post on Sep 18, 2009 by Kishore Hari
Crab Nebula: Awesome Beauty From Destruction
As I write this blog, the age of the Crab Nebula is exactly 955 years and 40 days.
Post on Aug 28, 2009 by Ben Burress
Science Event Pick: Stardust in our Bones
David Lindberg, Professor of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, and Steve Croft, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Astronomy at UC Berkeley will tie these great anniversaries in a unique lecture this weekend.
Post on Aug 15, 2009 by Kishore Hari
Mars Rock Talks, Opportunity Listens
Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity finds a meteorite on Mars that may shed more light on the history of Mars' atmosphere.
Post on Aug 15, 2009 by Ben Burress
Post on Jul 31, 2009 by Ben Burress
3-D is Quidditch, but Much More, Too
Whether here to stay in film this time or another passing fad, 3-D technology will remain both a fascinating technology and valuable tool in science.
Post on Jul 13, 2009 by Christopher Smallwood
Far Out, Man: Measuring Astronomical Distances
How do we know how far away celestial objects are? This shouldn't be taken for granted, as it's not as straightforward as sounding the depth of the ocean.
Post on Jul 03, 2009 by Ben Burress
"Mars Encounter:" An Inconvenient Hoax
As August approaches, the ghost of Mars returns to haunt us….
Post on Jun 19, 2009 by Ben Burress
Google Mars
I was sitting at my computer the other day, quietly exploring minute details of the surface of planet Mars…did I say quietly exploring the surface of Mars? You can too!
Post on Jun 05, 2009 by Ben Burress
Crash Landing
NASA scientists in Mountain View are building a spaceship that they will deliberately crash into the moon in 2009, sending up a 37-mile high cloud of debris. Their goal? To possibly find water in the form of ice buried deep within one of the moon's poles.
Audio Report on Jun 01, 2009 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Crash Landing
When the LCROSS satellite, nicknamed Centaur, smacks into the south pole of the moon in late October, it is expected to produce a plume of dust 37 miles high, which may be visible from Earth with a good backyard telescope. It will be visible in an arc from Hawaii to Texas.
Post on May 29, 2009 by David Gorn
Hubble Gets a New Lease on Space
Hubble Space Telescope gets upgrades and repairs… for the last time.
Post on May 22, 2009 by Ben Burress
Do-It-Yourself Mini-Satellites
NASA will soon attempt to launch an unusual satellite. Most satellites are the size of a car, but this one is small enough to fit inside a glove compartment. Mini-satellites are reaching space in increasing numbers, thanks also to a do-it-yourself satellite program at Stanford University.
Audio Report on May 18, 2009 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Do-It-Yourself Mini-Satellites
It's a classic engineering story – a garage inventor spends years working in isolation, only to produce something that gets the attention of the world. Ok, the CubeSat story may not be quite as romantic, but it does have a lot of the same ingredients.
Post on May 15, 2009 by Lauren Sommer
Shooting the Moon
Launching a spacecraft bound for the Moon with the deliberate intention of striking the Moon in a spectacular impact! Sounds like something out of a Jules Verne novel…
Post on May 08, 2009 by Ben Burress
Springtime on Mars
It's spring again, that time of year when my thoughts return to… blasts of carbon dioxide gas jetting up from beneath the frigid layer of dry ice below
Post on Apr 24, 2009 by Ben Burress
