Science Movies to Avoid on Date Night - Discovery News

Another criminally underappreciated sci-fi film, director Andrew Niccol's 1997 "Gattaca" deals with both the hard science and social science aspects of human genetics technology. In a near-future setting, a kind of popular eugenics system allows parents to genetically profile embryos prior to implantation, selecting for optimal hereditary traits. Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke -- surely two of our most genetically gifted movie stars -- must navigate a scary future society in which destiny is determined by genes. The name of the space agency in the film, Gattaca, is composed of the letters GATC -- or guanine, adenine, thymine and cytosine, the four bases of DNA.

While there's nothing particularly gross or disturbing in "Gattaca," the very subject matter -- and the presence of those two elite specimens Thurman and Hawke -- might lead a romantic interest to start questioning your own genetic potential.

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Look Up! International Observe the Moon Night Rises Tonight

The moon will take center stage for stargazers in the around the world tonight (Sept. 22) during International Observe the Moon Night to share the beauty of Earth's nearest neighbor with the public.

Many moon-watching events are planned around the world tonight, with NASA and Canadian astronomers aren't missing out. NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., and Western University in Ontario, Canada, will hold special events to share methods on how to observe the moon with the public, as well as interesting moon facts and history.  

Tonight, the moon will appear half-full in what is known as the first quarter moon, making it a prime target for amateur astronomers and casual night sky observers.

"The first quarter moon rises around 2:25 p.m. and sets around 12:15 a.m." explained SPACE.com contributor Geoff Gaherty, an astronomer with Starry Night Software, which offers computer guides to the night sky. "It dominates the evening sky."

The full moon of September, which is also known as a Harvest Moon, will rise on Sept. 29.

At the Ames Research Center, astronomers with NASA's Lunar Science Institute will hold five 15-minute discussions and presentations on the moon at Shenandoah Plaza, while visiting amateur astronomers and astronomy clubs will set up telescopes for public viewing. The event runs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. PDT.

"Through International Observe the Moon Night, we hope to instill in the public a sense of wonderment and curiosity about our moon," Ames center officials said in an announcement. [Amazing Blue Moon Photos for 2012]

You can learn more about how to participate in Ames' event here: http://lunarscience.nasa.gov/inomn/

At Western University, meanwhile, scientists with the school's Center for Planetary Science and Exploration will convene at the Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time to discuss moon observation, lunar science and other moon-oriented subjects.

"In addition to observing the Moon with Western's Perkin-Elmer refracting telescope (weather permitting), astronomers and planetary scientists will deliver talks, present lunar meteorites and lead a cell phone photo contest," Western University officials said in a statement.

More information on the Western University's event is here: http://cpsx.uwo.ca/outreach/event-news/inomn-2

The NASA Ames and Western University events are just two of countless public moon-watching programs scheduled around the world for the International Observe the Moon Night, which is now in its third year.

This year's event comes just weeks after the death of Neil Armstrong, the first person ever to walk on the moon. Armstrong, who commanded NASA's Apollo 11 moon landing mission, died on Aug. 25 at age 82 due to complications from recent heart surgery. He was buried at sea on Sept. 14.

To honor Armstrong's memory, his family has asked that the public take time to think of the pioneering astronaut when gazing at the moon.

" Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink," they said in a statement.

International Observe the Moon Night officials have set up a public Flickr webpage where amateur astronomers can post their "winks" at the moon for Armstrong here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/inomn2012/

For a complete list of International Observe the Moon Night webcasts and events, or to find an event near you, visit: http://observethemoonnight.org/

Editor's note: If you take an amazing photo of the moon that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.

Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Wait for it: Earth adds leap second Saturday night

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saturday night will stretch longer by a second. A leap second.

International timekeepers are adding a second to the clock at midnight universal time Saturday, June 30, going into July 1. That's 8 p.m. EDT Saturday. Universal time will be 11:59:59 and then the unusual reading of 11:59:60 before it hits midnight.

A combination of factors, including Earth slowing down a bit from the tidal pull of the moon, and an atomic clock that's a hair too fast, means that periodically timekeepers have to synchronize the official atomic clocks, said Daniel Gambis, head of the Earth Orientation Service in Paris that coordinates leap seconds.

The time it takes the Earth to rotate on its axis — the definition of a day — is now about two milliseconds longer than it was 100 years ago, said Geoff Chester, spokesman at the U.S. Naval Observatory, keeper of the official U.S. atomic clocks. That's each day, so it adds up to nearly three-quarters of a second a year.

Timekeepers add that leap second every now and then to keep the sun at its highest at noon, at least during standard time. This is the first leap second since January 2009 and the 25th overall. Gambis said the next one probably won't be needed until 2015 or 2016.

There should be no noticeable affect or inconvenience on computers or any other technology that requires precise timekeeping because they adjust for these leap seconds, Gambis said Friday.

Earlier this year, official timekeepers from across the world discussed whether to eliminate the practice of adding leap seconds. They decided they needed more time to think about the issue and will next debate the issue in 2015.

So for now, Chester said, "you get an extra second, don't waste it."

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Online:

Earth Orientation Center in Paris: http://bit.ly/LVB70Q

U.S. Naval Observatory: http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/leapsec.html

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Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears

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Spot the Space Station in Night Sky This Fourth of July (SPACE.com)

Fireworks aren't the only lights in the night sky across the United States this Fourth of July. The International Space Station is up there too, just in time for the holiday weekend.

The space station is making a series of evening passes over parts of the United States through Monday, July 4, according the skywatching website Spaceweather.com.

The International Space Station is the largest and the brightest human-built object in orbit around the Earth. On good passes, the station's brilliance can rival the planet Venus and is more than 25 times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. [Photos of Space Station and Shuttle From Earth]

The $100 billion space station is about as long as a football field and can clearly be seen with the unaided eye by observers who know where to look and have a clear night sky.

Skywatchers in Utah have already been treated to amazing space station views when the orbiting laboratory soared 220 miles (354 kilometers) above the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival, where more than 750 amateur astronomers had gathered, Spaceweather.com reported.

To find out where to look when the space station flies over your part of the country, you can visit these three websites:

Each site will require for your zip code or city in order to pull up sightings information, and then respond with a list of suggested spotting times.

Predictions are typically computed a few days ahead of time are usually accurate within a few minutes. However, viewing times can change due to the slow decay of the space station's orbit and the outpost's periodic reboosts to higher altitudes, so it is best to check your chosen website for updates.

Another great site is this one, which provides real-time satellite tracking and shows you at any given moment during the day or night over what part of the Earth the space station or shuttle happen to be.    

The International Space Station is currently home to a six-man crew that includes two Americans, three Russians and one Japanese astronaut. The astronauts have the Fourth of the July weekend off in honor of the American holiday.

The station crew is also preparing for a busy month in space. On Friday, July 8, NASA plans to launch the final space shuttle flight on a mission to deliver supplies and spare parts to the space station.

The four-person crew for that final shuttle mission will arrive at NASA's Kennedy Space Center launch site in Florida on July 4.

Atlantis will fly a 12-day mission to the space station during the final shuttle flight. NASA is retiring its shuttle fleet to make way for a new program aimed at deep space exploration.

You can follow SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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