Astrosphere for October 4th, 2007

Today’s photo, captured by Patrick Taschler, is absolutely spectacular. It’s an image of the volcano Tungurahua, located in Ecuador. You really need to click and see the larger version to see why I posted this on Universe Today. In the background, above the volcano is the Pleiades star cluster.

It’s time for the 22nd Carnival of Space. I finally got my act together, and I’ve got an entry there.

The 50th anniversary Sputnik stories are flying fast and furious, everywhere you look. Everyone, has a story about this. I didn’t write one for Universe Today, because I was too busy working on one for Wired. Check out Sputnik’s grandchildren.

A Mars Odyssey considers the future of creepy space exploration robots.

Were older supernovae brighter? It could mess up our ability to measure distance in the Universe. Pamela has the details.

The HiRISE team has a blog, detailing their trials and tribulations dealing with the big camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Check out this recent entry discussing why their instrument was put into safe mode.

Colony Worlds has this suggestion. Why send humans to colonize planets, when we could send pigs.