[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 1 - 14:17:52 ]
If you attempt to post messages in the chat room at this time they will not appear on your screen. However, they will remain in our chat queue and may be posted during the chat. We invite you to return to the chat room on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. for our chat with Sten Odenwld. We look forward to hearing from you then!

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 2 - 10:56:19 ]
Good morning or afternoon! The chat room is now open. Thank you for volunteering to chat with us Sten.

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 3 - 10:56:50 ]
After the chat, please provide NASAQuest with feedback pertaining to this chat by clicking on the host URL, and filling out our survey. Thank you.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 7 - 10:59:08 ]
RE: [Terri/NASAChatHost] Good morning or afternoon! The chat room is now open. Thank you for volunteering to chat with us Sten.
Hi Everyone! Its great to be back from Vacation...yes even astronomers goof-off....SO send be your best questions and lets get busy!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 8 - 11:00:35 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] What advice would yougive the adolescent world today?
Keep asking questions...and keep learning how to answer them. Your value as an adult will be measured on your creativity, and this will flow from your ability and enjoyment in asking questions....how's that?

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 10 - 11:01:32 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] What are your favorite science fiction novels?
Greg Bear's 'Legacy' Steven Baxter's 'Ring' are my latest entries. As for TV show...nothing competes with Babylon V.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 11 - 11:02:35 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] What is the most interesting project you are working on now at NASA?
Searching for the shadows of infant galaxies in the light from the cosmic fireball...what we call the cosmic background radiation....

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 14 - 11:03:31 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] Do you enjoy other hobbies or past times?
Yep! I love writing, and have authored a bunch of articles and books. I love the written word, and to use it well. I also love being a Papa.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 15 - 11:04:04 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] What do you know about Black Holes?
A lot...what do you have in mind?

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 17 - 11:05:17 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] Do scientists get paid well at NASA?
Noone ever gets paid well at NASA...seriously, it really depends on what you are doing. They can only pay at the government rate not the much higher private industry rate. They tend not to be lavish when it comes to research grants given the science that needs to be done.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 18 - 11:06:34 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] How do you apply to be a NASA scientists?
You don't. You try ever other opportunity you can in academe and private industry before you go after NASA. NASA is not set up to do general research. They simply build satellites and manage data archives for the scientific community.

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 22 - 11:08:11 ]
Sten's online, please submit your questions.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 23 - 11:08:28 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] How did you become interested in astronomy?
You might want to visit my 'Career Guide' over at my private web site called The Astronomy Cafe at www.theastronomycafe.net. I say lots of things there that I could never talk about elsewhere about my profession.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 24 - 11:09:39 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] What is the best part about your job?
Talking to you like this. Astronomy is about studying the universe, but id doesn't mean a hill of beans unless you bring it all back to earth!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 25 - 11:10:28 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] Did you have anything to do with any newly discovered solar systems?
I just go 'Oh wow!' that's all. Did you know we have a catalog of over 50 new planets we have detected around 45 stars!!!!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 27 - 11:12:50 ]
RE: [Danielle] Why can't we feel the earth spin? Danielle, age 10
'cause everything that is on the earth is moving along with its spinning so you don't notice it. Its like closing your eyes when you are on the freeway. Unless you open them, you don't feel like you are moving at all...

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 30 - 11:14:43 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] Are there any new planets that have just been discovered?
Yeah. We now know about a planet about the size of Jupiter that orbits Epsilon Eridani which is 10.5 light years away...its the closest planet to the sun in another system. Its also the home star of Mr. Spock....Woah!

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 31 - 11:16:08 ]
Great questions, Mr. Thomas' students!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 32 - 11:16:23 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] Does NASA employ a lot of women scientist?
They are committed to being fair in hiring everyone. The problem is that there are still very few women who make it through high school still interested in science and then make it through college and graduate school. Until that changes, NASA will never get close to 50/50

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 33 - 11:17:10 ]
Mrs. Mock, do your students have any questions for Sten?

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 35 - 11:22:47 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] What do the rings around Saturn consist of?
They are made from chunks of ice that are anywhere from a 1/2 mile across down to bolders and dust. Here and there there are 'sheparding satellites' that can be 10-50 miles across, and these guys make many of the thousands of 'ringlets' we see in the photographs.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 40 - 11:27:51 ]
RE: [Danielle] Are we able to visit and observe things at NASA?
Hmmm..not sure what you mean. NASA is a dozen different centers all over the country and each has their own 'visitor center' and displays if thats what you mean.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 41 - 11:30:09 ]
RE: [Jonathan] Will there be any missions to Europa in the near future (10-20 years)?
Absolutely. But its still being decided when it will be built and launched and what it will do. There are so many possibilities and only one 'shot' every 10 years or so. Like Cassini or Galileo, it will be an expensive mission. Probably around 2010 or so is my guess.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 43 - 11:31:49 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] How many scientists work for NASA?
I don't really know. If you really separate PhD research scientists from engineers and technicians, I would say not more than a few thousand.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 45 - 11:37:18 ]
RE: [Jonathan] do you think that NASA will send a landing vehicle to Europa that would possibly drill through the ice? Or would they send and orbiting craft?
All of the designs I have heard indicate probably two missions. One would be an orbiter to radar-map the surface down to the resolution of an automobile. A second, possibly independent mission, would have a surface penitrator, but the design depends on whether the ice crust is 2 kilometers thick, or twenty! We have no idea which.

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 46 - 11:38:43 ]
What a thought provoking question, Jonathan!

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 47 - 11:39:15 ]
Keep those interesting questions coming.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 50 - 11:43:13 ]
RE: [Jonathan] Did they really name that newly discovered planet Vulcan? haha!
Nope. We actually do not have a 'naming convention' for the planets orbiting other stars. We still just call them by catalog numbers. Perhaps you should start a company on the web!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 51 - 11:44:12 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] Your sentences are so organized and complete. Do you create these sentences from the top of your head or do you have time to really think out your completed sentences?
It just happens...but thanks. I have my mother to credit for any vestige of writing skills I have...but my typing and spelling are uniformly terrible. ;<

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 53 - 11:47:34 ]
RE: [Jonathan] Well, I've got to head to class. Thanks for answering my questions!
Thanks for stopping by...whereever you are or should really be!

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 54 - 11:48:40 ]
We have 10 minutes left until this chat closes. Please send your questions in soon

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 55 - 11:50:59 ]
Please fill out our NASAQuest chat survey after this chat. Simply click on the host's featured url. Thank you for your participation.

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 57 - 11:53:12 ]
Thank you for joining us, Sten. We look forward to chatting with you again on Thursday, September 28, 2000 at 11:00 am Pacific time.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 59 - 11:56:40 ]
RE: [MrThomasStudents] Have you made any rockets to go farther into our solar system?
Right now, the Voyager space craft are about twice the distance from the sun as Pluto is. They are a 'freebie' because their mission was to flyby Jupiter, Saturn Uranus and Neptune, but after that was done they of course just kept going and are still working. After 20 years they have traveled 1/250 the distance to the nearest stars.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 60 - 11:57:20 ]
OK everyone...its been great, and thanks for the exciting and thoughtful questions. See you next week!!

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 61 - 11:58:06 ]
Thank you, Sten. See you next week!

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 62 - 11:58:32 ]
Thank you chatters for your participation in our NASAQuest chat.

[ MrThomasStudents - 63 - 11:59:21 ]
Are you planing any Mars expedition?

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 64 - 12:01:21 ]
Mr. Thomas, I'm not sure whether your last question will be answered or not. I believe that Sten has already signed off, but I will wait a minute to see whether he replies, just in case.

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 65 - 12:03:23 ]
Sten has left the room. We appreciate your students' participation in this chat. Thank you.

[ Terri/NASAChatHost - 66 - 12:04:03 ]
This chat has come to its end.