Best wishes for a great summer!
The final week's question of this school year is listed under Answer #1 below.

Answer:  Come back next fall for more great Science Questions of the Week.

Science Question of the week brought to you by Jim Foster of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center


Science Questions and Answers from past weeks:   (click on underlined text to call up the answers)

1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has already issued their outlook for the upcoming hurricane season. What kind of a hurricane season is predicted, and what goes in to making the forecasts?  (26 May 2000)

2. Wild fires in north central New Mexico have now forced the partial evacuation of Los Alamos, New Mexico. In which season are wild fires most common in the U.S.? (19 May 2000)

3. According to a new geological report, it's possible that the Mid Atlantic coast could in the future experience a tsunami as a result of landslides along the continental shelf. Has the Atlantic seaboard of North America been hit by a tsunami in recent history - the last two hundred years? (12 May 2000)

4. According to some people, on May 5, the Earth's polar axis will suddenly shift due to the supposed tidal forces of the planets. Don't lose any sleep over this. Will there be anything special or unusual about the appearance of the planets in the evening sky on May 4 or 5? This is related to the question asked on April 6. (05 May 2000)

5. This meteorological station is said to perhaps have the worst weather in the world. Where is it, and what makes the weather so bad? Hint, it's in the contiguous U.S. (28 April 2000)

6. This week's question deals with Mount Usu in Japan. It has experienced several eruptions during the past few weeks, and though it's currently quiet, there's some concern that a significant eruption might soon occur.  What makes Usu so dangerous? (21 April 2000)

7. During the coming days, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will appear to be nearing each other in the western sky after sunset. By mid month, the gathering of these three planets will be as close as they've been anytime in the last how many years; 10 years, 100 years, 1,000 years, they've never before appeared so close to each other in the sky? (14 April 2000)

8. In the fall of 1998, one of the science questions dealt with a mystery concerning why many homing pigeons became disoriented and were grounded during a race between Virginia and Pennsylvania. The answer may now be partially resolved. Any ideas? (07 April 2000)

9. Two years ago, a science question dealt with iridium flares - brilliant flashes of light caused by sunlight reflecting off satellites in low-Earth orbit. Now, because the telecommunications company that launched the 66 iridium satellites has gone bankrupt, the satellites are being destroyed. How is this being done and why?   (March 31, 2000)

10. In the movie Mission to Mars, an evil tornado-like creature plays a feature role in one scene. Can sever storms and tornadoes occur on Mars? (March 24, 2000)

11. Except for the Pacific Northwest, the places in the U.S. that usually get snow didn't fare so well this winter. What about Europe and Asia? (March 17, 2000)

12. Since it's now March, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes will likely soon be in the news before too long. If you see a tornado, where do you not want to go to escape? (March 10, 2000)

13. Mozambique and parts of southern Africa have been having torrential rains and terrible flooding recently. What is causing the rain and floods? (March 03, 2000)

14. We're nearing the solar maxima - the 11 year peak of sunspot activity. Auroras generally occur more frequently at the peak of the 11 year cycle than at other times. What's the furthest south (in the Northern Hemisphere) that the northern lights have been observed, and would you have a better shot at seeing them from Novosibirsk in, Siberia or from Sioux Falls, South Dakota? (February 25, 2000)

15. On Valentine's Day, the NEAR spacecraft will approach the asteroid Eros, named for the Greek god of love. This potato-shaped hunk of rock is only about twice the size of Manhattan. NEAR will orbit Eros for about a year (I can't wait to hear Jay Leno's monologue on Monday night). Eventually, we may send someone to explore one of these things. What is the smallest size an asteroid can be in order to keep us from falling off of it? (February 18, 2000)

16. Since we're about in mid winter now, let's think warmth. Yesterday, it was 111 degrees F in Port Augusta, Australia. Is the Earth's maximum daily air temperature always over 100 degrees F? (February 11, 2000)

17. Why were forecasters caught off-guard by the big
    East Coast storm that delivered some record snows to parts of the Middle Atlantic states this past Tuesday (January 25)?(February 04, 2000)
    

18. This week's question is - Last month, two of the most powerful storms in decades ripped into western Europe. What made these storms so strong, and did global warming or La Nina play a role? (January 28, 2000)
    

19. This week's question again brings our attention to the full moon. A total lunar eclipse will occur next Thursday night (January 20 before midnight, January 21 after midnight). Will the moon's disk during totality be visible, and if so, will we be able to detect any color?
    (21 January 2000)

20. What are some of the most memorable natural events, eruptions, earthquakes, storms, etc. of the last century in the U.S.?
    (13 January 2000)

21. The next full moon will occur next Wednesday (December 22). What's so special about this moon?
    (23 December 1999)

22. The lowest ozone values ever observed were recently measured in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, the ozone hole is near the Antarctic Peninsula. Where are the lowest values observed in the Northern Hemisphere and why?
    (16 December 1999)

23. So far this fall/early winter, there has been a shortage of snow in most of the Mid West and northeastern U.S. Has the winter-time snow cover been less extensive in recent years? 
    (09 December 1999)

24. Since mid August there have been a number of major earthquakes around the world. Name some common features and some differences about them? This will be answered on December 2 - Have a good Thanksgiving.
    (02 December 1999)

25. In eastern India, a tropical cyclone left 5,000 people dead and missing. Name one or more reasons, related to geography, why these storms are often more deadly than typhoons or hurricanes?
    (18 November 1999)

26. Next week the Leonid Meteor Shower may put on a great show. If so, where in the world would you want to be to get the best view? Even though last year's display was, for the most part, a dud here in the east, it's worth taking a look again. For best results, look to the east in the early morning hours of Thursday the 18th.
    (11 November 1999)

27. .  A frozen mammoth was dug out of the Siberian tundra earlier this month. Even though they lived in the mid latitudes as well as the Arctic, why is it that most are found in northern lands, and what can they tell us about the climate at the time they were alive? 
    (04 November 1999)

28. Other than the Sun, is it possible to see the same star just after sunset and again before sunrise? (28 October 1999)

29. This week, a woman who has been at the South Pole since February and who was diagnosed with cancer several months ago, is being shuttled via airplane from the South Pole back to the States. Why couldn't she be retrieved before now?
    (21 October 1999)

30. While were talking about insects, why is it that at this time of year, things like ladybugs and crickets try to get inside our homes? (14 October 1999)

31. A virus transmitted by mosquitoes, the West Nile Virus, is showing up in New York and other places in the northeast. Where is it likely to show up next, and what will help slow its progress? (07 October 1999)

32. The equinox officially arrived at 7:31 a.m. this morning (Thursday the 23nd), and there will be a full (harvest) moon on Saturday the 25th.  What's the relationship between the equinox and the harvest moon?   (30 September 1999)

33. Which of the following are true?  (23 September 1999)

    • The Mid Atlantic region experienced severe droughts during each of the past two years.

    • The total precipitation for many places in the Mid Atlantic region was near normal last year and is above normal so far this year.

    • For a day or two this past summer, the volume of water in the Potomac River was the lowest observed during this century.

    • September 1999 will likely be one of the wettest Septembers ever in the Middle Atlantic region this century.

    • From August 1998 through July 1999, rainfall was 16 inches below normal in Baltimore.

34. Hurricane Greg, which formed in the eastern Pacific off the coast of Mexico, slammed into Baja California earlier this week. Has there ever been a hurricane that formed in the Atlantic off of Africa and crashed into Spain or Portugal? (16 September 1999)
    
    

35. On August 17 a devastating earthquake rocked northwestern Turkey. The fault that generated this quake stretches all the way across the northern part of Turkey. Less then a week before the earthquake, a total eclipse of the Sun was visible over this fault. What is the connection between the eclipse and the earthquake?
    (07 September 1999)

Previous Years Questions:
[1995] [1996]    [1997]    [1998]  

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