Bats Go Into Space!

OK, so the coolest thing! So just before the much-delayed Space Shuttle launch yesterday, the folks at mission control spotted a bat (yes, a bat) hanging onto the fuel tank. They concluded it was not a threat to Discovery and the shuttle lifted off yesterday. When they lifted off...the bat was still onboard. Apparently, it held on even after lift-off, thereby becoming the first (potential) BAT IN SPACE!

Here's a link, and a dramatic re-enactment of what probably happened when said bat met E.T.

Stephen Colbert and NASA, BFF

(image credit: NASA)

In case you hadn't heard, over the past few months NASA and friends have been tricking out the International Space Station, adding rooms, fixing the plumbing, and so on. During the course of this home makeover space edition, they've added a new nodule, or room, to the space station. Well, to get people excited, they decided to hold a contest to give it a name. NASA provided four options, Earthrise, Legacy, Serenity, and Venture, but allowed write-ins too. Well, Stephen Colbert exhorted his viewers to stuff the ballot box, and they've done so. Colbert is now the leader, far and away, though it remains to be seen whether NASA will actually follow through with it. In any case, head over to the site and make your suggestion. And yes, I followed the crowd and voted Colbert. I love this sort of stuff.

And a side note: with the recent additions, the international space station is actually so bright it's pretty easy to spot from the ground with the naked eye. (According to the wonderful website spaceweather.com, it has an apparent magnitude of -4. In English, that means the ISS is about as bright as Venus.)

Even cooler, you can type in your zipcode and it will give you a heads-up of what will be....well...above your head on a given night.