It has been raining here for days. I think global warming is becoming a reality, since by mid-November you’d think we’d have a little snow. Not that I’m complaining… a mild autumn is a good thing for the spirit.

Speaking of spirits, I read where the Mars Global Surveyor didn’t phone home about a week ago, and now its scientist and controller teams are trying to get it to log in and talk to them again. They’re in hopeful spirits it will get back in contact, but they’re also going to use the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to take a picture of the ailing orbiter when the two spacecraft pass within 90 miles or so of each other this week. This may help them diagnose the problem and find a way to get MGS to phone home. I hope they get MGS working—it’s been a marvelous machine, giving us “flyover” views of Mars that have reshaped our view of the Red Planet.

If the weather’s clear here, I hope to get out on Saturday and check out the Leonid meteor shower. It might be a good one this, as the folks at Sky & Telescope report. If it’s clear out your way, check ’em out!

Finally, I’ve disabled comments on this thing until I can figure out why they don’t work. If anybody wants to write me comments, please use my email address at: cc dot petersen at gmail dot com (to foil spammers for at least a minute).