https://www.nasa.gov/...s-demonstrate-technique-to-improve-particle-warnings-that-protect-astronauts

Our constantly-changing sun sometimes erupts with bursts of light, solar material, or ultra-fast energized particles — collectively,
these events contribute to space weather. In a study published Jan. 30, 2017, in Space Weather, scientists from NASA and the National
Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR, in Boulder, Colorado, have shown that the warning signs of one type of space weather event
can be detected tens of minutes earlier than with current forecasting techniques – critical extra time that could help protect
astronauts in space.

Fragmented asteroid pair develops twin comet-like tails
https://phys.org/news/2017-03-fragmented-asteroid-pair-twin-comet-like.html

Asteroids on the main belt, situated between Mars and Jupiter, move around the sun in quasi circular orbits,
so they do not undergo the temperature changes which, in comets, produce the characteristic tails. Nevertheless,
some twenty cases have been documented of asteroids which, for various reasons, increase their glow and unfurl
a tail of dust. Among the latter stands P/2016 J1, the youngest known "asteroid pair."

Fourth Hubble Servicing Mission Launches -- March 1, 2002 | NASA
https://www.nasa.gov/...k-in-nasa-history-fourth-hubble-servicing-mission-launches-march-1-2002.html

This week in 2002, space shuttle Columbia and STS-109 launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to begin the fourth Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission.
Here Hubble is berthed in Columbia’s cargo bay, silhouetted against the airglow of Earth's horizon. During this mission, astronauts replaced Hubble's solar
panels and installed the Advanced Camera for Surveys, which took the place of Hubble's Faint Object Camera, the telescope's last original instrument.

YaleNews | Yale-led team puts dark matter on the map
http://news.yale.edu/2017/03/01/yale-led-team-puts-dark-matter-map

A Yale-led team has produced one of the highest-resolution maps of dark matter ever created, offering a detailed
case for the existence of cold dark matter — sluggish particles that comprise the bulk of matter in the universe.

The dark matter map is derived from Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields data of a trio of galaxy clusters that
act as cosmic magnifying glasses to peer into older, more distant parts of the universe, a phenomenon known as
gravitational lensing.

Rapid changes point to origin of ultra-fast black hole 'burps'
https://phys.org/news/2017-03-rapid-ultra-fast-black-hole-burps.html

Gas outflows are common features of active supermassive black holes that reside in the center of large galaxies. Millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun,
these black holes feed on the large disks of gas that swirl around them. Occasionally the black holes eat too much and burp out an ultra-fast wind, or outflow.
These winds may have a strong influence on regulating the growth of the host galaxy by clearing the surrounding gas away and suppressing star formation.

Espectacular anomalía en Marte 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=birj6V5Yd4U

For the 1st time since 2014 New Horizons will enter hibernation NEXT MONTH
as it cruises to 2014 MU69. This hibernation runs 7 Apr-11 Sep.

Catch Comet Encke this evening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gRdPDjL6s8

Earth probably began with a solid shell | EurekAlert! Science News
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-02/uom-epb022317.php
New research suggests that plate tectonics began later in Earth's history

Today's Earth is a dynamic planet with an outer layer composed of giant plates that grind together, sliding past or dipping beneath one another, giving
rise to earthquakes and volcanoes. Others separate at undersea mountain ridges, where molten rock spreads out from the centers of major ocean basins.

But new research suggests that this was not always the case. Instead, shortly after Earth formed and began to cool, the planet's first outer layer was
a single, solid but deformable shell. Later, this shell began to fold and crack more widely, giving rise to modern plate tectonics.

The research, described in a paper published February 27, 2017 in the journal Nature, is the latest salvo in a long-standing debate in the geological
research community: did plate tectonics start right away--a theory known as uniformitarianism--or did Earth first go through a long phase with a solid
shell covering the entire planet? The new results suggest the solid shell model is closest to what really happened.

The TRAPPIST Worlds: Should We Invest In A Backup Planet For Earth?
https://www.forbes.com/...appist-worlds-should-we-invest-in-a-back-up-planet-for-earth/#340287386cc7
Investing in a backup planet might be a good idea, given what’s been happening on Earth lately. The cost would only be a little over
$20 trillion, but some nice real estate just came on the market.

Tonight's Sky: March 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_lfHxjPJxA

Rise of the Super Telescopes: The Overwhelmingly Large Telescope - Universe Today
http://www.universetoday.com/...800/rise-of-the-super-telescopes-the-overwhelmingly-large-telescope/

Adaptive Optics Discoveries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6hmLcJOkzM

Sols 1623-1624: MAHLI Diagnostics & Remote Sensing: Curiosity Mission Update by Lauren Edgar
http://www.flickr.com/photos/105796482@N04/32321734204/sizes/l

Today’s two-sol plan is devoted to MAHLI diagnostics and remote sensing. It’s another late slide sol, so planning started three and half hours later than usual.
The plan kicks off with arm activities to better understand the fault that MAHLI experienced last week. Then ChemCam will investigate “Dunn Brook,” a target that
is just above “Chase Brook” from the weekend plan, and is shown in the above Mastcam image. The target shows some interesting color variations so ChemCam will be
used to investigate changes in composition. We’ll also acquire a ChemCam observation of “Leighton,” to study the coarse sand grains at the crest of a ripple. Then
Navcam will look for dust devils and clouds, in response to orbital observations that suggest recent increasing atmospheric opacity. On the second sol, Mastcam
will acquire a multispectral observation on “Dunn Brook,” and will be used to document the previous APXS locations at “Tomhegan” and “Waweig.” We’ll also acquire
a Mastcam image for deck monitoring to assess the movement of fines, and an upper tier Navcam mosaic to enable us to target features on Mt. Sharp. The second sol
includes a number of environmental monitoring observations, using both Mastcam and Navcam to monitor the color and opacity of the atmosphere and search for dust
devils. The plan also includes an APXS thermal characterization test and a number of change detection observations.

By Lauren Edgar: Lauren is a Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the MSL science team.