Check your odometer

[_Joseph]

CHECK YOUR ODOMETER: "On the eve of International Astronomy Day, 2011, my 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport passed a major milestone," reports astrophotographer Dennis Mammana of Borrego Springs, California. "Its odometer flipped over to 186,282 miles; in other words, it's taken 13 years and 8 months for my Jeep to travel the distance a beam of light can cover in just one second."













They came from outer space--and you can have one! Genuine meteorites are now on sale in the Space Weather Store.












METEORS FROM HALLEY'S COMET: NASA's network of all-sky cameras in the southeastern United States detected a surplus of fireballs on May 7th. Each one was a piece of Halley's Comet, source of the annual eta Aquarid meteor shower. The eta Aquarids were supposed to peak on May 6th as Earth passed through a stream of Halley-dust, but there seems to have been a delay. Worldwide counts from the International Meteor Organization agree that May 7th was better. Furthermore, the shower might not be finished yet, so stay tuned.

CHECK YOUR ODOMETER: "On the eve of International Astronomy Day, 2011, my 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport passed a major milestone," reports astrophotographer Dennis Mammana of Borrego Springs, California. "Its odometer flipped over to 186,282 miles; in other words, it's taken 13 years and 8 months for my Jeep to travel the distance a beam of light can cover in just one second." (continued below)



"Over the years this vehicle has taken me to countless star parties and night sky photo shoots, and I expect it will continue to do so for many years," he adds. "Next stop... the Moon!"

Readers, check your odometer. How far have you gone? (Distances: Moon = 238,854 miles; geosynchronous orbit = 22,236 miles; L1 Lagrange point = 930,000 miles)