Second lunar eclipse this year will be visible from the U.S. by Corina Ciubotaru

A new lunar eclipse is going to be visible for all interested eyes in America, Asia and the Pacific Islands on Tuesday morning, starting at 4:51 A.M. EDT. It's the second one this year and it won't be visible from Europe, but sky watchers from the two continents will have the chance to see it live for about 3.5 hours, if the weather conditions are good and the sky is clear. People in the Eastern states on the U.S. will not be able to experience the entire phenomenon because the sunrise will interrupt them but the show will most likely prove awesome for the lucky ones in the West. It's going to be the longest eclipse in seven years. An eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun and sunlight can't reach the Moon anymore. The Sun's light will pass through our planet's atmosphere and the refraction effect will give the moon a reddish glow if the atmosphere is dusty enough during the full eclipse period, lasting about one and a half hours. Though partial eclipses have been spotted now and then, total ones only occur about twice a year. The last total lunar eclipse was on March 3rd and was visible in parts of the world that won't get to see this one, such as Europe and Africa. The next time a lunar eclipse will be visible from Earth is going to be on February 21st 2008, and will be visible in Europe, America and Asia.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070826/ap_on_sc/lunar_eclipse;_ylt=Apkc3FMgyFOdg3osVV9ejf2s0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Artificial life likely in 3 to 10 years by Delia Cruceru

Scientists gathered to create "life", not a normal one, but a synthetic. A group of scientists from around the world say that they are researching on how to create artificial life forms. They claim that in 3 to 10 years this fact will be possible and maybe even to become usual. "It's going to be a big deal and everybody's going to know about it," said Mark Bedau, chief operating officer of ProtoLife of Venice, Italy. "We're talking about a technology that could change our world in pretty fundamental ways - in fact, in ways that are impossible to predict." They will create the first cell of synthetic life from the basic chemicals in DNA, allowing it to function and reproduce, but the cell will be so small that would be visible only through a microscope. Jack Szostak from Harvard Medical School predicted that in six months a report of the first evidence will be released by the scientists, an artificial cell membrane for which they're going to use fatty acids. But Steve Benner, a biological chemist at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution in Gainesville, Fla. attacks this theory trying to add another eight new bases to the genetic alphabet. "When these things are created, they're going to be so weak, it'll be a huge achievement if you can keep them alive for an hour in the lab," Bedau said. "But them getting out and taking over, never in our imagination could this happen."

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/ap_on_sc/artificial_life;_ylt=AoQIMN7GsTpp.ZhxI7tl_BSs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Endeavour arrived safely in Florida by Delia Cruceru

After two weeks of mission on the orbit, the space shuttle Endeavour received the ok to come back home on Earth, but one day early than planned. Due to concerns that Hurricane Dean might hit Houston and the NASA's Mission Control will become inoperable, but later the worries evaporated as Dean headed instead towards central Mexico. The mission managers have commander Scot Kelly the ok, as engineers concluded there were no holes or cracks from micrometeorites or space junk. The unrepaired gouge in the Endeavour's belly didn't pose any threats the shuttle or its seven astronauts, although reentering Earth's atmosphere always is risky. The gauge was made when a piece of foam insulation or ice from a bracket on the external fuel tank broke off and bounced in Endeavour. NASA didn't expect that to happen: "We didn't think that could happen before. Clearly, we're smarter now," Wayne Hale said. Barbara Morgan, a teacher that was on the shuttle said: "I think the shuttle program gets an A-plus. Once we don't have the shuttle anymore, I think it's going to be something we look back at with great nostalgia and we're really, really going to miss it." Endeavour orbited around Earth about 201 times and NASA space shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said it founded the program extraordinarily productive: "Endeavour, in fact, has performed nearly flawlessly."

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/ap_on_sc/space_shuttle;_ylt=AjWUuSx_Uv7yZUnCY_usJeWs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Endangered spacewalk by Claudia Sonea

The fifth and final operational NASA space shuttle faced some troubles when Rick Mastracchio noticed that his glove was pierced with a hole in the outer layer. NASA pulled back the astronauts and shortened a six and a half hours spacewalk. Mastracchio assured the Mission Control that he is alright and the only thing that bothers him is that he can't be outside with his team mate Clay Anderson who was wrapping up. As a standard procedure, astronauts check their gloves every 30 minutes in order to be sure their space suits don't have any holes and snags. The two astronauts were already more than four hours in space when the hole was spotted, so most of their assignments were fulfilled. Except the retrieval of some experiments, the spacewalk completed the primarily task of rearranging equipment. A fourth spacewalk should be performed, because there is a gouge in the belly of the space shuttle Endeavour. However, NASA is optimistic and hopes that it will not be necessary to do it. Although officials stated their expectations, they still not confirmed as a sure measure to not make another spacewalk. Mastracchio transmitted to the Mission Control that he doesn't know from where the little hole appeared and that the gloves were good. A similar thing happened last year after a shuttle flight to the international space station. Also the shuttle confirmed damage from the external fuel tanks striking the thermal protection of the outer hull. Let's say a pray that everything will have a happy end and for all those that are out there were thoughts can only penetrate.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070815/ap_on_re_us/space_shuttle;_ylt=AhR02b8z5tX6N8mmHu5jGrWs0NUE

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Scientists marvel at 'tail' of speeding star by Delia Cruceru

On Wednesday NASA announced that Galaxy Evolution Explorer (Galex) space telescope discovered that a star which they were studying for a long time has a cometlike tail. The scientist declared that is the first time they ever saw that around a star. "I was shocked when I first saw this completely unexpected humongous tail trailing behind a well-known star," said Christopher Martin of the California Institute of Technology, principal scientist for the Galaxy Evolution Explorer spacecraft. The star is known as Mira and scientist were studying it from 400 years ago, but the tail was spotted by Galex because features surrounding Mira are visible just in ultraviolet light. That's why other observatories haven't spot the enormous tail before. If they will be able to study the trail, it could offer information about how stars like the sun die and then give birth to other stars. The star from the constellation Cetus it's about 350 light-years distance from Earth and has a huge comet-like tail composed of carbon, oxygen and other elements shed from the star. NASA researchers said that Mira it's a slowly dying star, billion of years ago it would have been compared to our Sun. The tail has been ejecting over 30.000 years ago. The telescope discovered that the star has in front a "bow shock" believed to be hot gas that creates the ultraviolet tail.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070815/tsc-us-space-astronomy-e123fef_1.html

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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NASA does swift tests of shuttle damage by Delia Cruceru

On Monday NASA decided to conduct a swift series of test on the ground to determine whether the space shuttle Endeavour needs to be repaired by the astronauts. The shuttle has a deep gouge in the belly, relatively small â€" 3 1/2 inches by 2 inches, but it penetrates the protective thermal tiles. By Wednesday astronauts will be announced by the mission managers if they need to go out in the space to patch the gauge or not. John Shannon, chairman of the mission management team said: "The damage is benign enough for Endeavour to fly safely home, it's more a matter of avoiding extensive post-flight repairs to any possible structural damage." In the whole history of NASA such attempts of repair were never done before on an orbiting shuttle, and two of the three remedies are untested in space. The astronauts Rich Mastracchio and Dave Williams removed a 600-plus-pound gyroscope from the space station's exterior and replaced it with a new one. The shuttle will leave next Monday and it's set to land on August 22. Repairs were planned before for Wednesday and Friday and any repairs, if they're going to be ordered would take place on one of those two outings.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070813/ap_on_sc/space_shuttle;_ylt=AhF05ROiI5LN5LGgrCVxIC2s0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Endeavor's accident has been caused by ice by Corina Ciubotaru

There is a problem concerning NASA scientists these days: a block of ice hit the underbelly of Endeavour and created a gouge. What is Endeavour, you may ask. Well, it's the spaceship that carried its crew of seven to the International Space Station for some inspections and repairs. After the take-off, a chunk of ice from the fuel tank seems to have broken off and hit protective insulation tiles on the underside of the ship, which are intended to keep it from burning up when entering the atmosphere. Although scientists aren't sure it was ice that caused this mess, one thing’s for sure: the damage must be fixed before the crew comes back to Earth, in order to avoid a disaster like Columbia a few years back. Then, a piece of insulation foam the size of a briefcase broke off, causing the overheated spaceship to burn up when it re-entered the atmosphere. The astronauts have 3 ways to fix the tile problem: they can screw on a plate, apply black paint or try to apply some goo. They have a week to do this, as this is the time they are expected to spend in space on this particular trip. The mission was to connect an additional truss to the Space Station, which was done on Saturday, as well as install a new storage unit for spare parts, replace a gyroscope and, if the mission extends, check for any damage that needs repairs. The Endeavor is also testing a new system that allows spaceships to draw their power directly from the Space Station. By using this, it may be possible for the crew to spend a record 10 days on the Station.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6942573.stm

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Did you make a wish last night? by Ana Maria Ciobanu

The annual Perseid shower occurs when the Earth's orbit crosses the path of debris thrown off by Comet Swift-Tuttle. If last night you were far away from city lights, with no moon in sight to interfere with the Perseid meteor shower, and willing to watch the Universe's fireworks show you probably saw streaking fireballs. If you stood up late you saw more than 100 "shooting stars" per hour- enough to wish your whole future... This year's sky show came with a bonus. Mars was visible as a bright red dot in the northeastern sky. And it was a remarkable show indeed. Watching it from the Astronomical Observatory in my city, made me feel like a lead character in a science fiction movie. Dim meteors appeared as a flash of light, while the brighter ones left a beautiful glowing streak. The Perseids zipping the sky reached their peak just before sunrise. The sky looked as if someone up there was painting the wonderful landscape with the speed of light. If you by any chance missed the Perseids premier you can try gazing at the sky these days because the show isn't actually over. The Perseids are visible for several nights after the big show so you'll get your shot at wishing upon a "shooting star". Make sure you don't waste it and be careful what you wish for.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Hungary has an ancient underground forest by Corina Ciubotaru

You'd never guess what some people can find in a coal mine. Apart from workers sweating away extracting, one who looks closely enough may stumble upon trees and even people. In Hungary, an entire underground forest has been found, consisting of 16 trees six meters tall, which date back 8 million years ago. It seems they were covered by sand during a sandstorm and that they probably had a much bigger height, but the canopy was destroyed over time. The trees are a type of cypress that grew in the marshes surrounding Lake Pannon in the Miocene period and are estimated to have taken three to four hundred years to reach the height at which they died. Scientists will now have loads of study material as the trees are very well preserved and have even remained brown on the inside, but they prove hard to move. The ancient trees are now brittle and they need to be protected from the sunlight and even from air. Only scientists and journalists are allowed to visit the site, 60 meters below ground and preservation efforts are being made, despite the large costs. Another forest like this has previously been found in Japan, where the trees have already been covered in a concrete case for preservation purposes. And while some miners found ancient trees near Bukkabrany, some other folks in Hungary have discovered a man's body in a lake from a mine, near Székesfehárvár. Unfortunately, not much can be said about him right now, as he is in very bad shape.

related story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6942733.stm

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Dinosaur mass grave discovered in Flick by Ana Maria Ciobanu

An amateur paleontologist in Switzerland made a huge discovery, literally. He may have discovered Europe's largest dinosaur mass grave after he unearthed the remains of two Plateosaurus. The hobby paleontologist was house-building in the village of Frick, near the German border when he discovered the bones. This important discovery may prove us that the area known for Plateosaurus finds for decades may be much larger than we originally thought. According to a dinosaur paleontologist at the University of Bonn in Germany the area might extend for 1.5 kilometers and this would make it the largest site in Europe. The paleontologist Martin Sander also said that the bones of one animal were spread per 100 square meters and that this could mean the area contains bones of 100 more Plateosaurus. Plateosaurus were bipedal herbivores that dominated the European arid landscape. It was the largest known dinosaur of its time, reaching 6 to 10 m in length and approximately weighted 700 kg. Two other large Plateosaurus sites can be found in Germany but it is not known how big they are because one is covered by the town of Halberstadt and the other by a vast forest.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Teacher in space by Ana Maria Ciobanu

After spending 22 years preparing to fly in space, Barbara Morgan( a former teacher from Idaho), finally woke up on Thursday aboard the Endeavor space shuttle, heading for the International Space Station after a successful launch from Florida. Barbara Morgan left her classroom in Idaho in 1998 to become an astronaut and fulfill the legacy of her fellow teacher Christa McAuliffe who tragically died in 1986 along with six astronauts after the Challenger launch failed. Photographs and videos of the launch showed Endeavour acting well during its 8-1/2-minute catapult into space on Wednesday. There were no reports of potentially dangerous debris impacts, according to NASA managers. Endeavour is expected to reach the outpost Friday afternoon. The shuttle will be delivering a replacement gyroscope to help keep the complex properly positioned in orbit without gas-guzzling rocket thruster, along with 5000 pounds of equipment and supplies. It's a wonderful thing that NASA kept their promises to this brave teacher. NASA promised her 22 years ago, after the terrible accident which happened with the Challenger, a space flight in the future. The teacher couldn't have stood by and waited. She trained and prepared for this day and her dream finally came true. Barbara Morgan is on her way to the International Space Shuttle. Have a nice trip Miss Barbara Morgan and a safe return!

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Atlantic hurricane season will be above-normal by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

Forecasts are warning people not to be fooled by past month's weak cyclonic activity, as many as nine storms could develop into hurricanes this year. According to the US government's Climate Prediction Center, the Atlantic season that started on the 1st of June is due to remain well above-average for the next 6 months. Experts expect a total of 13 to 16 tropical storms to hit the Atlantic basin this year, with seven ofthem becoming hurricanes. Three to five of the storms are likely to strengthen into "major" hurricanes, meaning they will pack sustained winds of at least 178 kilometers (111 miles) per hour. Gerry Bell, the lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center, urged residents along coastal areas not to let their guard down following last year's relative calm and this year's slow start of the Atlantic hurricane season. "The fact we have seen no hurricane so far (this year) means absolutely nothing," said Bell. "Complacency is not good. We found that people who prepare fare much better than those who don't," he said. Last year saw nine storms form, including five hurricanes, which did relatively little damage after a disastrous and record-breaking 2005 season. In 2005, 28 tropical storms formed in the Atlantic, 15 of which became hurricanes, including Stan which killed some 2,000 people in Guatemala and Katrina, which hit the US Gulf coast flooding most of New Orleans and killing about 1,500 people. Only 3 tropical storms have formed this year in the Atlantic basin so far, none of them managing to strenghten into hurricanes. The last one, named Flossie, swirled above the Atlantic on Thursday, but presented no immediate threat to land.

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Hominid fossils discovered in Kenya by Ana Maria Ciobanu

Two hominid fossils were discovered in Kenya. This discovery will bring light in many dark chapters of the human's evolution. Previously it was believed that the hominid Homo habilis had evolved into the more advanced Homo erectus which eventually evolves into us. The new fossils discovered show that Homo habilis and Homo erectus must have co-existed 500.000 years in the Turkana basin area, the region of East Africa where the fossils were unearthed. The broken upper jaw-bone found in Kenya was attributed to Homo habilis because of its distinctive primitive dental features and was dated to be about 1.44 million years old. The skull was assigned to the species Homo erectus and was dated to be approximately 1.55 million years old. These new dates can prove us the two species have lived together, side by side. Researchers say that the fact they coexisted for so long means they weren't in direct competition for resources and that they had their own distinct ecological niches. Both species could have been stone tool-makers, but it is possible that the more mobile Homo erectus could have been a skilled hunter. Year by year, what we know about evolution changes; light comes in chapters of our existence we didn't even know about. We're just starting to learn more about life, nature, ourselves and let's hope knowledge isn't limited...

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Shuttle launches with teacher aboard by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

Wendnesday, space shuttle Endeavour blasted into orbit from Cape Canaveral, with teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan onboard, who finally fulfilled the dream of Christa McAuliffe and the rest of the fallen Challenger crew. The seven man crew of the Endeavour blasted off right on schedule on 6.36 PM, from te seaside pad, and are expected to reach the international space station on Friday. Mission Control exclaimed "Morgan racing towards space on the wings of a legacy", right after Endeavour safely passed the 73-second mark - the moment when Challanger exploded - and added "For Barbara Morgan and her crewmates, class is in session", right after the shuttle reached orbit. The launched was watched by more than half Of the 114 Teacher-in-Space nominees, and by June Scobee Rodgers, the widow of Challenger's commander who stated : "The Challenger crew â€" my husband, Dick Scobee, the teacher Christa McAuliffe â€" they would be so happy with Barbara Morgan". "Every time we fly I know that we can lose a crew," said Michael Griffin, NASA Administrator to The Associated Press early Wednesday afternoon. "That occupies a large portion of my thoughts. Unless we're going to get out of the manned space flight business, that thought is going to be with me every time we fly." Morgan's main responsibility will be to help operate the robotic arm, and oversee the transport of cargo from the shuttle to the station. the rest of the crew will be busy installing a new gyroscope and a swuare-shaped beam to the exterior of the station, and will be also using a 50-foot laser boom to inspect the shuttle's wings, nose and belly. The shuttle underwent a massive refitting that included imporved main engine monitoring equipment, complete sattelite navigation and new power trasnfer system from the station to the shuttle. This is Endeavours first flight since 2002, and was actually scheduled for Tuesday, but a leaky valve in the crew cabin delayed the lift-off.

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Teacher aboard by Claudia Sonea

Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour was constructed in order to replace Challenger which was lost in an accident in 1986 and because refitting Enterprise was too expensive. Rockwell International spent $2.2 billion USD constructing it and used structural spares from the construction of Discovery and Atlantis. The name comes from a ship commanded by James Cook in the 18th century, HM Bark Endeavour. It is spelled in the British English manner to honor the Command Module of Apollo 15. Its latest Orbiter Major Modification period ended in October 2005 and is now on his way to International Space Station, STS-118. The crew is formed by Commander- Naval Scott Kelly (43 years old from Orange, New Jersey; worked as Test pilot, head of NASA's Moscow office), Lt. Col. Charles Hobaugh- pilot, Richard "Rick" Mastracchio- flight engineer and lead spacewalker, Dafydd "Dave" Williams- Spacewalker and three rookies: Tracy Caldwell and Col. Benjamin "Alvin" Drew- mission specialists, Barbara Morgan- a 55 years old teacher that will be the education mission specialist. Except the rookies all the others have already been in space. The teacher trained twenty years ago as a backup for the teacher-astronaut on Challenger in Space Christa McAuliffe. The ship mentioned previously blew up shortly after launch. Barbara Morgan's aspirations are to be a classroom teacher, but this space mission is way beyond her imagination and it will go down in history. Someday children will learn about her. Let's wish them all good luck and say a pray to return home without any incidents.

related story: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070808/tts-uk-space-shuttle-crew-ca02f96_1.html

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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A Scottish team of scientists discovered a way to create floating robots by Corina Ciubotaru

After intensive studies, Scottish scientists have discovered a way to make things levitate by using a force that makes objects stick together. It's really not as strange as it sounds. The force is called Casimir-Polder force and it causes nano-particles to attract each other more as they are pushed closer together in a vacuum. This effect can be reversed, as the two Scots found, thus creating a repelling effect that can be used to make the small particles levitate. Micro-machines, airbags...the possibilities for development are endless. And they may all be explored, given that the scientific world is very interested in nano-technology these days. Scientists have organized a soccer match between nanobots a few weeks ago, to prove how well they could be controlled by remote. Levitating machines would be much more maneuverable and fast, so the progress is huge, a well-earned reward for the long time it took the science world to measure and use this force. The team from the University of St. Andrew's believes the repelling effect could be used in the first stage to keep tiny machines from sticking together. Scientists also made other important discoveries in regard to things we only read about in science-fiction books. Some proved they could create an invisibility cloak by directing light waves around a subject. Even though it will still take a while for people to be floating from one place to another, this breakthrough certainly brings the science-fiction future much closer to our reality. I, for one, anxiously expect the day that teleporting will be widely available.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070806/wl_uk_afp/britainsciencelevitation;_ylt=AiOutUt38sNnGlmE2XHdjaes0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Endeavour is ready for blastoff by Ana Maria Ciobanu

NASA managers cleared space shuttle Endeavour and seven astronauts on Monday, for launch on Wednesday. The blastoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is scheduled for 6:36 p.m.(USA time). According to forecasters there is a 70% chance of good weather for blastoff. The crew, which plans to spend 7-10 days at the orbital complex, includes former Idaho elementary school teacher Barbara Morgan. Barbara Morgan trained as a backup for "teacher-in-space" Christa McAuliffe, a member of the final Challenger crew. Unfortunately on January 28, 1986, 73 seconds after liftoff, Christa McAuliffe and other six astronauts were killed because one of the space shuttle's booster rockets leaked fuel and generated a huge explosion. NASA promised Morgan a flight in the future and now, after 21 years it is finally happening. Barbara Morgan is now a fully trained mission specialist. Endeavour hasn't left the ground for about five years. The space shuttle is ready for anything now and NASA is very optimistic about the launch on Wednesday. This is a true lesson of keeping promises well exposed by NASA.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Observing one of the biggest cosmic collisions ever seen by Ana Maria Ciobanu

Nasa's Spitzer and Chandra space telescopes along with ground-based observatories offered the chance to a US team of astronomers of observing one of the biggest cosmic collisions ever seen; Four gigantic galaxies have crashed into one another and are expected to eventually merge into a single huge galaxy- ten times as massive as our Milky Way. This is a very important event for us all because it gives us a closer look at how the most massive galaxies in the Universe were formed and are formed. "It's the first one that I know about. So far, nobody has written to me to say they've found another four-way merger," Kenneth Rines, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, in Cambridge, USA, declared. Kenneth Rines compared the collision to "four sand trucks smashing together, flinging sand everywhere". The stars studied from the merger so far, seem to have formed within the first three billion years after the Big Bang. Who knows what the next years will bring us? We're beginning to see light where there was only dark five years ago so our Universe understanding possibilities are expanding.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Dirt digger rocketing towards Mars by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu

NASA rocketed a robotic ice and dirt digger, saturday, towards Mars's Arctic Circle on a 422 million-mile journey that will hopefully end next spring. If everything goes according to plan this mission could be the sixth succesfull landing out of 15 international attempts, and will touch martian soil on May 25, 2008. For three months the robot will collect and analyze samples in it's minuscule ovens and bowls. The Phoenix Mars lander will look for traces of organic compounds in the baked and moistened samples, which are possible indicators for conditions favorable to life, now or once upon a time. The reason why NASA is aiming for the planet's Arctic Circle is that organic compounds are more likely to be preserved in ice, if they have ever been present. The ice is expected to be covered by about 6 inches of red soil, but also it is expected to be as hard as concrete , so the robot has been equiped with a drill to help gather enough ice samples. Even if organic molecules pop up, they could be from incoming meteorites, Boynton (lead scientist for the oven experiment) noted. "It is important, I think, to keep in mind that we are just looking for organic molecules to see if the conditions are right that they could survive," he said, "and that we aren't really going to be making any inference about whether these molecules are indicative of life." Because he North Pole would be too cold for the mission to operate properly the scientist chose a lower latitude for landing, and one of the flattest, rock free areas, so the mission can deploy properly. The Phoenix lander, weighting 772 pounds will stretch 18 feet across with it's solar panel deployed and the weather mast will measure 7 feet. NASA never tried to land a craft at such a high northern latitude, and the only mission flown to the south pole of the planet went completely silent right after landing. Because the new mission has pieces of the old one built in it, NASA decided to call it phoenix, like the legendary bird that rises from it's own ashes.

by Ioana Madalina Tantareanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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Secret Chinese deal by Claudia Sonea

Chinese government usually uses giant pandas, a sort of unofficial national mascot, as currency like in the old age. Because this type of animal is very rare and found mostly in the wild in China, it is loan as a sign of warm diplomatic relations or treaty. That is why the pair of giant pandas, that is due to arrive next month in Spain, could be easily interpreted as a deal, moreover, a secret deal, because the financial details of the arrangement with Spain were not made public. The loan has been agreed to after the visit of Spanish King Juan Carlos to Beijing. The pair, seven-year old "Bing Xing" and four-year old "Hua Zui Ba" will be flown to Madrid for a ten-year stay on September 8. Any panda cubs born abroad remain the property of China, like the fourth cub of Bai Yun, born at San Diego Zoo. Usually female panda are suitable to remain pregnant when they are between 4 and 5 years old. They can give birth to one or two cubs at a time, but only once a year. Pandas are very beautiful and very rare and China has the ownership over them. Realizing their rarity, they exploit them like a piece of paper, like an exchangeable good. The desire of remaining the only ones that can capture them, because it is actually impossible for someone to be the owner of a wild animal, the Chinese government doesn't allow Zoos, where the animals were lent, to keep the cubs. Furthermore, they use the money from loans to fund extensive research and breeding programs. Pandas should be let free and I don't see the good side of this story yet. Surf on to find more on this subject.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070804/ap_on_sc/china_spain_pandas;_ylt=AvpqyRK5YAiye6Pe9P.Px02s0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.