SPACE.com Update for December 20, 2006  * DESTINATIONS:* *News* *|* *SpaceFlight* *|* *Science/Astronomy* *|* *SETI* *|*   *Space Business News* *December 20, 2006*     *TOP STORY* *posted: December 20, 2006 01:32 pm EDT* *Shuttle Crew to Scan Heat Shield, Deploy Satellites*HOUSTON -- Astronauts aboard NASA?s space shuttle Discovery will take a second look and their vehicle?s heat shield today and ...Continue Reading

Dec. 20, 2006 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 Susan Hendrix Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-7745 RELEASE: 06-373 NASA SATELLITE DISCOVERS NEW KIND OF BLACK HOLE EXPLOSION GREENBELT, Md. - Scientists using NASA data are studying a newly recognized type of cosmic explosion called a hybrid gamma-ray burst. As with other gamma-ray bursts, this hybrid blast is likely signaling the birth of a new black hole. It is unclear, however, what kind of object or objects exploded or ...Continue Reading

LiveScience.com Tuesday, December 19, 2006 Study: Happy Marriage Calms Nerves Holding a spouse?s hand can relieve the nerves of a woman in a threatening situation, according to a new study. Why Queen Bees are So Darned Promiscuous A queen will mate with dozens of males, even though its bad for her. Turns out the behavior is good for the hive. Teen Talk: Science Needs to Dazzle Scientists who want to get their messages across to hip teens should spice up their presentations ...Continue Reading

SPACE.com Update for December 19, 2006  * DESTINATIONS:* *News* *|* *SpaceFlight* *|* *Science/Astronomy* *|* *SETI* *|*   *Space Business News* *December 19, 2006*     *TOP STORY* *posted: December 19, 2006 11:52 am EDT* *Mission Discovery: Shuttle Astronauts to Leave Space Station Today*HOUSTON -- Seven shuttle astronauts will say their orbital goodbyes to the three-person crew of the Internation ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 18 December 2006. -- DUST AND SMOKE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- DUST STORM OVER THE RED SEA On December 17, 2006, a plume from Saudi Arabia crossed the Red Sea toward Sudan. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14035 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Dec 17 2006 (Posted on Dec 18 2006 2:20PM) -- FIRE (1 updated events, 1 new images) -- FIRES IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA Throughout December 2006, bushfires sweeping over Victoria filled the skies with smoke. * http ...Continue Reading

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006 FOLLOW ON NASA TELEVISION AND THE WEB. NASA is providing extensive television and Internet coverage of space shuttle Discovery's mission. The NASA television schedule for STS-116 is available at: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/mission_schedule.html For Web coverage, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle QUARTERLY FARE SUBSIDY DISTRIBUTION Date/Time/Location: Dec. 27, 28 and Jan. 3, 4, 10 , 11, 10 a.m. - noon and 1:30 - 3:30 p.m., ...Continue Reading

12_15_06_LSS No2Late_SP ...Continue Reading

12_15_06_LSS No2Late_LS ...Continue Reading

LiveScience.com Monday, December 18, 2006 New Wheat is Totally Sweet Sweet wheat is a hybridized variety of wheat with twice the sugar of its ancestor. It's expected to hit stores two to three years. Picture Perfect: How to Make Blink-Free Holiday Photos To help photographers get the perfect shot, an Australian scientist has calculated the number of photos that need to be taken to ensure at least one blink-free photo. The Art of Deception Revealed The great fake psychics are gr ...Continue Reading

The following sections were updated since 15 December 2006. -- DUST AND SMOKE (2 updated events, 2 new images) -- HAZE ALONG THE HIMALAYA Haze hugged the southern side of the Himalayas in late November 2006. Haze remained in the area the following month. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=14031 *** MODIS(Aqua) image from Dec 11 2006 (Posted on Dec 15 2006 9:17AM) DUST STORM FROM THE BODELE DEPRESSION A dust storm blew out of the Bodele Depression on December 11, 2006. * http://naturalhazards.nasa.g ...Continue Reading