HERE’S a YouTube clip from the PBS show “NOVAscienceNOW” that sheds some light on the mysteries of dark matter.

By Allison Lopez
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–They may not see a night sky filled with stars from their homes in the city, but an amazing simulation of one inside the Planetarium in Manila certainly made kids scream and clap their hands in wonder and perhaps, in appreciation.

“Ang galing (It’s great)!” said a girl from the Industrial Valley school in Marikina City as she and her classmates stared at the bright dots moving slowly on the ceiling.

“It’s an exact copy of the real night sky,” said Bel Pabunan, officer in charge of the Planetarium division. “Here in Metro Manila, the kids don’t see a night sky like that because of pollution and bright lights. But with the Goto Projector, we can simulate the night sky and project the planets and other deep space objects like satellites.”

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By Agence France-Presse

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan–Malaysia’s first astronaut was to blast off on Wednesday on a space voyage seen as breaking new boundaries for the Asian nation and for space travel by Muslims.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor was to lift off from the Baikonur cosmodrome at 1322 GMT in a Russian Soyuz rocket headed for the International Space Station (ISS) with Russian cosmonaut Yury Malenchenko and American Peggy Whitson.

He was to spend about nine days on the ISS, arriving at the orbiting station near the end of the holy month of Ramadan and staying there for the Eid festival, when he will treat the long-term crew to festive Malaysian food.

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LOOKING for a fun way to learn about science?

Why don’t you check out this online science show on blip.tv called Spacegeek?

These are five- to eight-minute video clips hosted by the astrophysicist Doctor-P, whose real name is Dr. Jean-Marc Perelmuter.

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