Mysterious Tabby’s Star, With Tabby Herself

It may not host an alien “megastructure” but Tabby’s Star still guards many mysteries of science. Astronomer and astrophysicist Tabetha “Tabby” Boyajian leads the worldwide team that is revealing this strange light in the sky. The Curiosity rover has spent another busy four months on Mars. Emily Lakdawalla returns with an update on its progress. Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan share two new contests and begin preparations for a total lunar eclipse.

Related Links:

• New Data Debunks Alien Megastructure Theory on the ‘Most Mysterious Star in the Universe’
• Draft: “The First Post-Kepler Brightness Dips of KIC 8462852”
• KIC 8462852: Where's the Flux? (Tabetha Boyajian’s blog)
• Planet Hunters Citizen Science Project
• Curiosity update, sols 1814-1926: Vera Rubin Ridge Walkabout
• Aerospace Contest: When will Tiangong-1 Reenter?
• Chop Shop Planetary Society Store

This week's prizes are a Planetary Society t-shirt and a 200-point iTelescope.net astronomy account.

This week's question:

As measured by surface area, what is the largest known body of liquid on Saturn’s moon Titan?

To submit your answer:

Complete the contest entry form at http://planetary.org/radiocontest or write to us at [email protected] no later than Wednesday, January 17th at 8am Pacific Time. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Last week's question:

Who chose the names of the Galilean moons of Jupiter?

Answer:

The answer will be revealed next week.

Question from the week before:

What was the last successful Soviet mission to the Moon?

Answer:

The last successful Soviet mission to the Moon was the Luna 24 sample return mission in 1976.