This concludes the Science Question of the Week for this school year. Have a terrific and safe Summer. See ya in the Fall!

Previous weeks questions with links to the answers:

1. During the first 10 days of May, more tornadoes occurred in the U.S. than during any other 10-day period. Why has this month's weather been so violent? (30 May 2003)
   
   
2. Why don't space rockets use wings like airplanes, but overcome gravity by rocket thrust alone, as they rise vertically? Wouldn't wings provide extra lifting power? (23 May 2003)
   
   
3. What's a black hole made of? (16 May 2003)
   
   
4. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is an orbiting space telescope launched on April 28, 2003 to observe galaxies in ultraviolet light. How can this satellite see light that our eyes cannot? (09 May 2003)
   
   
5. Can science confirm the missing day referred to in the Bible? (02 May 2003)
   
   
6. Is any of the scientific equipment left on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts still in use? (25 April 2003)
   
   
7. Can anything from Earth live on the Moon? (18 April 2003)
   
   
8. What is "radiation"? And--if you "nuke" food in a microwave oven, can it become radioactive? (11 April 2003)
   
   
9. Are there more trees in North America now than 400 years ago, about the time the first European settlers arrived? Are any of the trees they may have planted still alive today? (04 April 2003)
   
   
10. Why is space black? (28 March 2003)
    
    
11. Spring in the Northern hemisphere is coming! And for many of us, that is welcome news indeed. The first day of Spring is March 20, 2003. But what does this day mean from an astronomical point of view? (21 March 2003)
    
    
12. Scientists have discovered that events on the Sun can affect the Earth and pose a danger to orbiting satellites and astronauts, but could they also be a hazard to commercial airline flights? (14 March 2003)
    
    
13. What are the best current estimates of the age of the Universe and what makes up the Universe? (07 March 2003)
    
    
14. If it is true that all heavier substances move towards the center, then why is it that the sun is the center of our solar system when it is made of hydrogen? (28 February 2003)
    
    
15. How high does the atmosphere go? (21 February 2003)
    
    
16. Nearly everyone has seen a rainbow, but is there such a thing as a snow bow or a fog bow? (14 February 2003)
    
    
17. What's inside a neutron star? Don't assume it's neutrons. (07 February 2003)
    
    
18. In the medical and dental fields, x-rays are often used for diagnosing what ails us. There are also x-rays in space. Where do they come from? (31 January 2003)
    
    
19. What causes a Halo around the Moon? (24 January 2003)
    
    
20. Two of the three winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2002 worked on the Solar Neutrino Problem. What is this problem? Has it been solved? (17 January 2003)
    
    
21. Can you see aurora (sometimes called the northern lights) in places other than the Earth's northerly latitudes? (10 January 2003)
    
    
22. Can the Earth's magnetic field just "dwindle away," as a forthcoming movie "The Core" proposes? And if this were somehow to happen--what dire consequences (also described in the film) could we expect? (03 January 2003)
    
    
23. Using satellite sensors that operate in the visible wavelengths, is there a way to observe the polar regions during the winter months? (20 December 2002)
    
    
24. What carries more kinetic energy than a Randy Johnson fastball, yet is only the size of an atom? (13 December 2002)
    
    
25. What are the Pleiades, and where can we see them? (06 December 2002)
    
    
26. Why do we measure rain from space? Isn't a rain gauge good enough? (22 November 2002)
    
    

27. If the Sun and Moon are both visible, are there ever circumstances where the Moon is brighter than the Sun? (15 November 2002)

28. How often does a storm (or an eruption) happen on the Sun? (08 November 2002)

29. Why is the Earth round (planets and the sun, too)? (01 November 2002)

30. This week's science question is - Which of the following is true?
    
    --The world's lowest temperature (excluding Antarctic) has never occurred in Africa.

    --The low temperature for a given day in the US has occurred at a location further south than the nation's highest temperature.

    --The US is the only country that has recorded the world's highest temperature and lowest temperature (excluding Antarctica) on the same day. (25 October 2002)
    

31. How can we see a black hole when, by definition, black holes harbor a gravitational force so powerful that not even light can escape? (18 October 2002)
    
    
32. What is the closest star to us that is most like our Sun? (11 October 2002)
    
    
33. What is an Urban Heat Island and How Does It Affect the Global Water Cycle? (04 October 2002)
    
    
34. While watching a meteor shower (like the Perseids last August or the Leonids coming up in November), perhaps you have asked yourself this question: Would I be more likely to be hit by a meteor, a meteoroid, or a meteorite? Why do scientists care about any of these? (27 September 2002)
    
    
35. "Space" suggests emptiness. Where can we find pure emptiness? (20 September 2002)
    
    
36. Where and when am I most likely to see Northern Lights? (13 September 2002)
    
    
37. This weather-related phenomenon has severely affected almost every continent in the past year. What is it, and why might it be more of a concern now than in year's past? (06 September 2002)

Previous Years Questions:
[1995] [1996] [1997]  [1998] [1999]  [2000] [2001]