Kepler findings and other space news

More was going on in space last week than GOCE falling to Earth.  NASA Television has an overview of U.S. space news in Kepler Conference on This Week @NASA.

During the Kepler Science Conference at Ames Research Center, the science community discussed the latest news from the Kepler mission's hunt for exo-planets.... which are planets outside our solar system Among the findings -- 833 newly discovered candidate planets -- 10 of those orbiting in their sun's habitable zone -- a distance at which their surface temperature may be suitable for liquid water. Also, Full house on ISS, The New Chief & MAVEN, Russia Meteor Study and High School Satellite.

NASA has more on the lead story in Administrator Bolden on Kepler Mission Findings.

Scientists working on this mission both inside and outside government will continue to explore potential planets outside our solar system for years to come, based on the spacecraft's groundbreaking work.

Among the amazing findings, a stunning result that found that there may be many more Earth-like planets than previously thought in the Milky Way.

For a space enthusiast like me, that's good news, although some of them might already be dead.  Science at NASA describes our efforts to find out who done it to our neighbor in ScienceCasts: What Happened to Mars? A Planetary Mystery.

Mars was once on track to become a thriving Earth-like planet, yet today it is an apparently lifeless wasteland. A NASA spacecraft named MAVEN will soon journey to Mars to find out what went wrong on the Red Planet.

Finally, in keeping with the theme of science on campus that I've been exploring at Daily Kos and importing back here for the past two-and-one-half months, here is the University of Cincinnati showing its memorial to a late former faculty member who just happened to be the first human on the Moon: UC Honors Neil Armstrong with Exhibit and Digital Collection.

The University of Cincinnati announced on Nov. 6, 2013 the vision for a Neil Armstrong Space Science Institute and an important research partnership with NASA's Ames Research Center while also honoring the life of Neil Armstrong, who taught at UC from 1971 to 1979.

University of Cincinnati: Honoring the Life of Neil Armstrong: UC Signs NASA Space Act Agreement
The University of Cincinnati has announced a forward-looking effort to promote space-based research while also looking back on the life of the first man on the moon.
By: John Bach
Date: 11/6/2013 1:00:00 PM

In honor of Armstrong, UC:

• Opened an on-campus exhibit
• Unveiled a bas-relief honoring Armstrong for Rhodes Hall
• Launched the vision for the Neil Armstrong Space Science Institute
• Signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Ames Research Center
• Revealed a commemorative website celebrating Armstrong’s career
• Started a new award and scholarship in his honor

"Although Neil Armstrong was a private and unassuming hero who preferred not to be in the spotlight, the University of Cincinnati community wanted to do something to honor his memory and his achievements,” said UC President Santa Ono. “We wanted to do it in a way that takes into account how we at the University of Cincinnati knew him best — as a teacher and an engineer, as a pilot and astronaut.

“The relief at Rhodes, the scholarships, our partnership with NASA and our other activities are all intended to carry on his legacy of probing new frontiers and inspiring the pursuit of scientific inquiry.”

That's it for this week's space news.  Stay tuned for more science on campus, including the next installment of my series on health research and outreach.  This one will be huge!