Word: solarity
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Despite the enormous complexity of mounting the new mirrors, replacing the solar-energy panels and making all the other necessary fixes on the Hubble, the space agency has several factors going in its favor. Unlike every other satellite NASA has flown to rescue, Hubble was designed to be serviced in orbit. Before it was launched, more than 16,000 photographs were taken of every square inch of the spacecraft to ensure that astronauts wouldn't be surprised once they started working. Handrails, footholds and handholds were strategically placed around Hubble, and every bolt was made the same size so that...
...safe to say that people attend Harvard for its academics. Upon receiving acceptance letters, high school seniors bask in the invitation to attend the supposedly number-one university in the solar system. They don't dwell on Harvard's shortcomings...
Could such mass extinctions happen again? Astronomers have no doubt; the solar system is littered with flying debris, and they say it is only a matter of time before another large celestial object bears down on Earth. Reminders of that potential for disaster occur frequently. Early in January, for example, NASA released several radar images of the 6.4-km-long (4-mile) dumbbell-shaped asteroid Toutatis taken when it sped within 3.5 million km (2.2 million miles) of Earth -- a hairbreadth by astronomical standards. And while the warning that the 10-km-wide (6-mile) Comet Swift-Tuttle might slam...
...likely than not, a threatening asteroid of that size would be spotted earlier. But so-called long-period comets (those making their first appearance or returning at intervals of greater than 200 years) are another matter. Appearing without warning as they streak in from the outer reaches of the solar system, they usually become visible to astronomers only from a few months to two years before passing Earth. Should one suddenly appear on a collision course, traveling as fast as 217,000 km/h (135,000 m.p.h.) relative to Earth, defenders would not have the luxury of years of observation...
...Paul II made a speech vindicating Galileo Galilei. In 1633 the Vatican put the astronomer under house arrest for writing, against church orders, that the earth revolves around the sun. The point of the papal statement was not to concede the obvious fact that Galileo was right about the solar system. Rather, the Pope wanted to restore and honor Galileo's standing as a good Christian. In the 17th century, said the Pope, theologians failed to distinguish between belief in the Bible and interpretation of it. Galileo contended that the Scriptures cannot err but are often misunderstood. This insight, said...