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Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Andromeda Galaxy sparkles in new infrared view. Plus: Check out our new address. Full story

NASA / JPL-Caltech / CfA

Cosmic Log: May 27-June 2, 2006
Space Adventures' CEO discusses the acquisition of a spaceship-building company. Plus: Egyptologists strike gold ... Footprints on Mars ... Bigelow's big move ... Seismic setback ... Invisibility unmasked.

Cosmic Log: May 20-26, 2006
Readers weigh in on both sides of the longevity debate. Plus: A prize for Mr. X Prize ... Name that rocket plane ... Russia's SpaceShipOne ... Quasar quintuplets ... Infrared eye in the sky.

Cosmic Log: May 13-19, 2006
A scriptural scholar says ‘The Da Vinci Code" raises interesting authority issues. Plus: An army of planet hunters ... Time for Humans 2.0? ... One-way trips to Mars ... Worlds on your desktop.

Cosmic Log: May 6-12, 2006
The topic of rogue waves makes a big splash in "Poseidon." Plus: Must-see comet TV, musings on Mars, the potato chip galaxy, Nigeria's space program, "Idol" update, Hollywood rockets.

Cosmic Log: May 1-5, 2006
X Prize backer Anousheh Ansari surfaces as a backup cosmonaut in Russia. Plus: The future of space sails ... Inside the rocket factory ... Carl Sagan's spiritual quest ... H Prize on fast track.

Cosmic Log: April 22-30, 2006
A 6.5-ton robotic combat vehicle called Crusher gets a Hollywood-style rollout. Plus: Off-season ghost stories ... A masked ball for galaxies ... Broken-hearted comet ... Hubble's sweet sixteen.

Cosmic Log: April 15-21, 2006
Which robotic TV star is the People's Choice? Plus: Inconstant constant ... Regolith rush ... "Idol" update ... Space station test fizzles ... Liftoff for space challenges ... Spaceport setback in California ... Watching for the Little Ones.

Cosmic Log: April 8-14, 2006
Readers weigh the promise and peril of nanotechnology. Plus: Iranian in space? ... Good Friday feedback ... Paparazzi at Mars ... Small step for a space hotel ... DARPA linked to rocket prizes ... Remembering the shuttle's first day.

Cosmic Log: April 1-7, 2006
The military X-37 plane lands autonomously after its first free flight but goes off the runway. Plus: "Idol" predictions 2.0 ... More shuttle delays? ... SpaceShot's first stage ... Religious science on thin ice ... Dark matter of a different kind ... Blue Origin update ... Zero-G at KSC ... Science in high-def ... and more.

Cosmic Log: March 25-31, 2006
Researchers go beyond the oohs and ahhs in the eclipse zone. Plus: Blue Origin on the move ... When black holes collide ... Pros and cons of hydrogen ... Silver linings in space.

Cosmic Log: March 18-24, 2006
Congressman calls for a $100 million "H-Prize" Plus: Countdown for SpaceX ... Science "Idolized" ... Mystery of the missing moon.

Cosmic Log: March 11-17, 2006
The Pentagon picks 10 technologies for rapid deployment. Plus: Your views on the problem with programming ... Galaxy on fire ... Starry river found ... The science of office pools ... See Mars on your desktop.

Cosmic Log: March 4-10, 2006
There are plenty of places to look for extraterrestrial life, but why should we bother? Plus: SpaceX raises its sights ... The MPG Prize and other ideas for the auto industry ... Mars of a different color.

Cosmic Log: Feb. 25-March 3, 2006
Colorized galaxy cluster rattled by sonic boom. Plus: Jupiter's Little Red Spot ... Proofs for pickup lines ... See the 3-D sea ... Round-the-moon rescue? ... Visions of Venus ... A grand galaxy ... Asteroid alert ... The Altair era ... Olympic gold for economists ... Deals in the space race.

Cosmic Log: Feb. 21-24, 2006
SpaceX's fourth attempt to pull off its first launch is tentatively scheduled for March. Plus: Search engines for shapes ... Take me to your funder ... Rules for lunar landers ... The neutrino hunters ... GloveSat and more.

Cosmic Log: Feb. 11-20, 2006
Space Adventures confirms planned spaceport network will extend to Singapore and an Arab emirate. Plus: Kliper's wings clipped ... Play it again, SuitSat ... The science of pickup lines ... Next floor for the space elevator.

Cosmic Log: Feb. 4-10, 2006
NASA rocket contest planned for X Prize Cup. Plus: NASA and the Olympics .. Geeks bearing gifts ... Predicting the Olympics ... Olympics from space ... Galaxy-go-round ... Big Bang politics ... Microscopic Mars.

Cosmic Log: Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2006
Readers share insights on ethanol and other alternative-energy futures. Plus: The science of hibernation ... Latest chapter in small-fish story ... Microfossils mapped ... Three years after Columbia.

Cosmic Log: Jan. 21-27, 2005
Maybe NASA's next spaceship is deserving of the name from the space effort's glory days. Plus: Mars movie update ... Prime time for Saturn ... A deal for Rocketplane ... Spots on space shots ... Feedback on methane and native languages.

Cosmic Log: Jan. 14-20, 2005
How a linguist reconstructed a language for "The New World." Plus: Rocket home on the range ... Powered by methane ... Do astronauts and alcohol mix? ... Testing the space hotel ... Rocketplane's pacts ... Pluto's lighter side.

Cosmic Log: Jan. 7-13, 2006
Take a virtual tour of the Saturnian moon's surface. Plus: Agony and ecstasy, triskaidekamania, Pluto's planethood, new constellations, galactic glories, hyperspace hype and "Survivor" spaceman.

Cosmic Log: Jan. 1-6, 2006
Hyperspace hype ... Pluto pros and cons ... Visit a celestial cavern ... Farewell to a sea-watching satellite ... The politics of stem cells ... Still dry in space ... Getting set for SpaceShot ... Mummy mystery tour ... Real sea monsters.

Cosmic Log: Dec. 24-31, 2005
NASA's twin-rover mission to Mars gets the big-screen treatment in "Roving Mars." Plus: Scientific hit parades for 2005, and a time-warp book list

Cosmic Log: Dec. 17-23, 2005
A winter wonderland on the Web ... E really does = mc2 ... Feedback on intelligent design ... The expanding podiverse ... Our galaxy's center in focus ... Supernova hunters wanted.

Cosmic Log: Dec. 10-16, 2005
’Tis the season for name-a-star schemes. Plus: Stem cell snafu ... Orbital movie review ... Assessing the year in science.

Cosmic Log: Dec. 3-9, 2005
Snags could well rule out shuttle launch in May. Plus: Literary adventures ... Dark matter in detail ... Orbital prize studied ... Moonstruck meteors ... Rules for space winners ... Seeing space storms ... Hearing science.

Cosmic Log: Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2005
Denizens of the hurricane zone strike back at those who think New Orleans is sunk. Plus: Crab feast for the eyes ... Einstein-a-thon ... Santa-tracking season ... Science re-Seeded.

Cosmic Log: Nov. 19-25, 2005
Einstein's "biggest blunder" may be the right answer to dark-energy riddle. Plus: Is New Orleans sunk? ... Spirit's Martian birthday ... Moonrock memories ... 3-D delights.

Cosmic Log: Nov. 12-18, 2005
Use those 3-D glasses to explore Mars. Plus: Lord of the Einstein rings, Deja vu spaceship, kids make space contact, Newton renewed, and more.

Cosmic Log: Nov. 5-11, 2005
How the Net helps vets ... Plus: Silver space salute ... Strange science explained ... Watching the elections ... Space dreams deferred ... and more.

Cosmic Log: Nov. 1-4, 2005
A galactic supergroup gets rowdy...Look for meteors and Mars ... The dunes of Titan ... Sex and science ... The tree of alien life ... Ghost stories.

Cosmic Log: Oct. 22-31, 2005
Ghosts on the rise ... Spooky space sounds ... A telescope is born ... Visit a virtual moon ... It's just a string theory ... Getting mad isn't that bad ... Dispatches from the evolution debate.

Cosmic Log: Oct. 15-21, 2005
Titanic weather studied on Saturn's moon ... The road to Pittsburgh ... Space station snags ... A black hole's banquet ... Visual tricks and treats.

Cosmic Log: Oct. 8-14, 2005
Evolutionary turnabout ... China's place in space ... Mars makeover ... Galactic lady in red ... Mining the moon ... Tips for space tourists ... Einstein in prime time.

Cosmic Log: Oct. 1-7, 2005
"Liftoff" for Interorbital venture ... A sharper sunspot ... Rocket reaction ... Ghost of a supernova ... To zap or not to zap?

Cosmic Log: Sept. 24-30, 2005
Debating intelligent design ... Intelligent-bleep theory ... How to zap a hurricane ... Partying with Einstein ... Questions about the space lift.

Cosmic Log: Sept. 18-23, 2005
"Cosmos" reborn at 25 ... Unnatural disaster ... Techies stand up to the storm ... Brane food ... A contest for robo-diggers ... Re-creating the moon.

Cosmic Log: Sept. 10-17, 2005
Making sense out of a 10-dimensional puzzle

Cosmic Log: Sept. 3-9, 2005
Solar activity on the upswing, forecasters say

Cosmic Log: Aug. 27-Sept. 2, 2005
Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath spark questions

Cosmic Log: Aug. 20-26, 2005
After three years off, rocket plane gets back in the game

Cosmic Log: Aug. 13-19, 2005
PlanetSpace aiming to start escape-tower tests in fall

Cosmic Log: Aug. 6-12, 2005
$100 million ride sounds ‘fantastic’ ... or ‘absurd’

Cosmic Log: Aug. 1-5, 2005
Aerodynamic effects add to space shuttle spectacle

Cosmic Log: July 23-31, 2005
Rocket scientists test prototype for Red Planet flight

Cosmic Log: July 16-22, 2005
Building a better space glove ... and much more

Cosmic Log: July 9-15, 2005
As NASA struggles, thoughts turn to SpaceShipOne

Cosmic Log: July 2-8, 2005
Cometary crash created cloud of ‘talcum powder’

Cosmic Log: June 25-July 1, 2005
125 questions reveal what scientists don't know

Cosmic Log: June 18-24, 2005
Scientists call for wind-hydrogen power play

Cosmic Log: June 11-17, 2005
Statistics can be reassuring in wake of California's quakes

Cosmic Log: June 4-10, 2005
Trace Arlene's path from hundreds of miles above

Cosmic Log: May 28-June 3, 2005
Do-it-yourself DNA bank may be the best option

Cosmic Log: May 21-27, 2005
Trainee may have had trouble with G-forces

Cosmic Log: May 14-20, 2005
Definitions can be a matter of life or death

Cosmic Log: May 7-13, 2005
How will the debate over Darwin evolve?

Cosmic Log: May 1-6, 2005
How consensus plays a role in research

Cosmic Log: April 23-30, 2005
Blend old hands and new faces for success

Cosmic Log: April 17-22, 2005
1927 footage shows scientific meeting of the minds

Cosmic Log: April 9-16, 2005
Space telescope’s 15th birthday nears

Cosmic Log: April 2-8, 2005
Enjoy a double dose of outer-space celebration

Cosmic Log: March 26-April 1, 2005
Readers weigh in on big-screen science

Cosmic Log: March 19-25, 2005
Your views on an unorthodox Easter

Cosmic Log: March 12-18, 2005
Would you pay to send messages into space?

Cosmic Log: March 5-11, 2005
Rover spots whirlwind on Red Planet plain

Cosmic Log: Feb. 26-March 4, 2005
Saturn probe captures close encounter

Cosmic Log: Feb. 19-25, 2005
How to get the coolest cosmic images on the Web

Cosmic Log: Feb. 12-18, 2005
Hubble scientists compared to Old West romantics

Cosmic Log: Feb. 5-11, 2005
Maybe we should keep our interstellar mouth shut

Cosmic Log: Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2005
Beyond the Super Bowl, there's plenty to watch online

Cosmic Log: Jan. 22-28, 2005
Some casualties don’t show up on NASA’s list

Cosmic Log: Jan. 15-21, 2005
Could space telescope be fixed? Should it?

Cosmic Log: Jan. 8-14, 2005
Ruling on textbook stickers reignites discussion

Cosmic Log: Jan. 1-7, 2005
‘White Noise’ focuses attention on spooky sounds

Cosmic Log: Dec. 25-31, 2004
Rocket scientists help assemble space float for Pasadena pageant

Cosmic Log: Dec. 18-24, 2004
Take a look at some modern Christmas ‘stars’

Cosmic Log: Dec. 11-17, 2004
Professor campaigns for day-and-date switch in 2006

Cosmic Log: Dec. 5-10, 2004
SPIRIT would use space railway to study cosmic origins

Cosmic Log: Nov. 28-Dec. 4, 2004
Red-nose alert: NORAD on heightened holiday status

Cosmic Log: Nov. 21-27, 2004
Suggestions for fans of the final frontier

Cosmic Log: Nov. 14-20, 2004
Private spaceflight legislation moves on to Senate

Cosmic Log: Nov. 7-13, 2004
Darwin’s doubters and defenders have their say

Cosmic Log: Oct. 31-Nov. 6, 2004
Alternative-energy prize could be a winner

Cosmic Log: Oct. 24-30, 2004
Homegrown ghost stories for Halloween

Cosmic Log: Oct. 17-23, 2004
Vote for your favorite political future

Cosmic Log: Oct. 10-16, 2004

Cosmic Log: Oct. 3-9, 2004

Cosmic Log: Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2004

Cosmic Log: Sept. 19-25, 2004

Cosmic Log: Sept. 12-18, 2004

Cosmic Log: Sept. 5-11, 2004

Cosmic Log: Aug. 29-Sept. 4, 2004

Cosmic Log: Aug. 22-28, 2004

Cosmic Log: Aug. 15-21, 2004

Cosmic Log: Aug. 8-14, 2004

Cosmic Log: Aug. 1-7, 2004

Cosmic Log: July 25-31, 2004

Cosmic Log: July 18-24, 2004

Cosmic Log: July 11-17, 2004

Cosmic Log: July 4-10, 2004

Cosmic Log: June 27-July 3, 2004

Cosmic Log: June 20-26, 2004

Cosmic Log: June 13-19, 2004

Cosmic Log: June 6-12, 2004

Cosmic Log: May 30-June 5, 2004

Cosmic Log: May 23-29, 2004

Cosmic Log: May 16-22, 2004

Cosmic Log: May 9-15, 2004

Cosmic Log: May 2-8, 2004

Cosmic Log: April 25-May 1, 2004

Cosmic Log: April 18-24, 2004

Cosmic Log: April 11-17, 2004

Cosmic Log: April 4-10, 2004

Cosmic Log: March 28-April 3, 2004

Cosmic Log: March 21-27, 2004

Cosmic Log: March 14-20, 2004

Cosmic Log: March 7-13, 2004

Cosmic Log: Feb. 29-March 6, 2004

Cosmic Log: Feb. 22-28, 2004

Cosmic Log: Feb. 15-21, 2004

Cosmic Log: Feb. 8-14, 2004

Cosmic Log: Feb. 1-7, 2004

Cosmic Log: Jan. 25-31, 2004

Cosmic Log: Jan. 18-24, 2004

Cosmic Log: Jan. 11-17, 2004

Cosmic Log: Jan. 4-10, 2004

Cosmic Log: Dec. 28, 2003-Jan. 3, 2004

Cosmic Log: Dec. 21-27, 2003

Cosmic Log: Dec. 14-20, 2003

Cosmic Log: Dec. 7-13, 2003

Cosmic Log: Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2003

Cosmic Log Archive, 2002-2003

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Cosmic Log: Will the space elevator rise?
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Space elevator enthusiasts gather to assess how far they've risen on what they hope will be a radically new path to orbit and beyond.