Google to hold programming competition in China

I heard about this on NPR.
I am reading this article, Google to hold programming competition in China, on Computerworld's website.
According to this article, the Google Chinia Code Jam is an effort to attract talented Chinese computer programmers to Google Inc.'s R&D facility planned for Beijing.

NASA's Spitzer and Deep Impact Build Recipe for Comet Soup

I am reading this article, NASA'sSpitzer and Deep Impact Build Recipe for Comet Soup, on NASA's website.
According to this article, when Deep Impact's probe collided with the comet Tempel 1 on 4 July 2005 Spitzer observed the cloud of ejected material with it infrared spectrograph.
The data from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope is being studied to determine with materials make up not just comets but planets and other bodies in our solar system.

Now a Stationary Research Platform, NASA's Mars Rover Spirit Starts a New Chapter in Red Planet Scientific Studies

I heard about this on NPR and I am reading this article, Now a Stationary Research Platform, NASA's Mars Rover Spirit Starts a New Chapter in Red Planet Scientific Studies, on NASA's website.
According to this article, Spirit is still stuck in a sand trap and will be used to study Mars from where it is now.

Newborn Black Holes May Add Power to Many Exploding Stars

I am reading this article, Newborn Black Holes May Add Power to Many Exploding Stars, on NASA's website.
Usually in typical supernovae you observe matter expanding at no more than 3 % of the speed of light due to explosion dynamics, according to an astrophysicst at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center Chryssa Kouveliotou.
According to this article, two objects were studied, SN 2007gr in the spiral galaxy NGC 1058 and SN 2009bb in the spiral galaxy NGC 3278.
Jets of particles were detected traveling from these exploding stars at speeds of more that one half of the speed of light.

Endeavour Launch Date Officially Set

I am reading this article at NASA's website, EndeavourLanch Date Officially Set.
According to this article, the launch of the Space Shuttle is scheduled for 7 February 2010 at 0439 at Kennedy Space Center.
Endeavour is scheduled to carry the Tranquility node and cupola to the ISS.
The STS-130 mission crew members are George D. Zamka, Terry W. Virts Jr., Nicholas J. W. Patrick, Robert L. Behnken, Stephen K. Robinson and Kathryn P. Hire.

Monthly Meeting

We are having our regular monthly meeting at Books-A-Million Sunday around 2:00 PM. Everyone is welcome!

Steven Collins

I am reading a biography of Steven Collins on NASA's website, http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/deepimpact/mission/bio-scollins.cfm
According to this article, he is an Attitude Control Engineer and works for JPL.
He worked on the Deep Impact Project.

Kepler Discovers New Planets

The Kepler Space Telescope discovered its first five new exoplanets it was announced yesterday: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/jan/HQ_10-002_Kepler_5_Exoplanets.html.

Saturn's Day

I am reading this story, Saturn's Day, on StarDate Online's website.
I hear this story on NPR yesterday morning.
Several ways used to determine the length of Saturn's day were discussed.
Saturn has no solid features to track.