SUNSET: 
News from the AAS
About 3,000 scientists from around the world gathered Sunday in Seattle, Washington, for the 209th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Hundreds of discoveries were announced on the conference’s first day. Here are few of the highlights.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
What Missions Do You Want NASA to Fly?
With public indifference to many NASA programs, what kind of missions would inspire future generations to reach for new heights?
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Weird Cosmic Explosions
Astronomers are struggling to explain two recent cosmic cataclysms.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Bringing About Lunar Bases
If we're going to see NASA lunar bases in our lifetime, Congress is going to have to change the way it does business.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Lunar Bases? Yeah, Right
Earlier this week NASA announced plans to set up lunar bases. Don't get too excited.
Flowing Mud on Today's Mars?
Newly released images from Mars Global Surveyor strongly suggest that liquid water could be flowing across the surface of Mars right now.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Respect for the Ancients
A sophisticated Greek astronomical computer raises a lot of interesting "what if" questions.
Plethora of Puffy Planets
Astronomers have confirmed 14 exoplanets that transit their host stars. All of these worlds orbit their suns at very close distances, and thus are heated to high temperatures. Strangely, however, a bevy of these bodies are much less massive than they should be. Astronomers are trying to find out why.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Requiem for a Space Traveler
Mars Global Surveyor might be gone, but its incredible achievements guarantee it will never be forgotten.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
The Universe Is What It Is
NASA's latest announcement supports the prevailing model that the universe's expansion is accelerating due to a mysterious dark energy.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Good Times, Bad Times for Astronomy
To pay for next-generation telescopes, astronomy will have to make some painful but necessary choices.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Saving Hubble: A No-Brainer
The decision to fly another servicing mission to the space telescope was the obvious thing to do.
A Planet that Runs Hot and Cold
In a "seminal result" astronomers using NASA's infrared Spitzer Space Telescope have made the first measurement of the difference between an extrasolar planet's daytime and nighttime temperatures.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Technological Civilizations: Few and Very Far Between
The best evidence we have right now suggests that intelligent life is very rare in our galaxy.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Sticking Out My Neck
S&T's senior editor comes up with his own definition of "planet," which avoids some of the pitfalls plaguing the IAU's.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Am I a Trekkie?
A lot of Star Trek episodes are really dumb, but I watch them anyway.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Pluto: The Way Forward
In the great Pluto controversy, it's time to put the rancor behind us and move on to a broader definition of "planet."
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
The Case for Pluto
If all other types of astronomical objects are classified by their physical properties, the same should hold true for planets.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Was the Pluto Vote Anti-American?
Some American astronomers think the IAU's vote to reclassify Pluto was partially based on anti-American sentiment.
Bob's World of Astronomy with Robert Naeye
Join the Search For Extrasolar Planets!
S&T senior editor Robert Naeye writes about how thanks to an innovative Web site, you can find an extrasolar planet using your own computer.
