Global and real-time "space weather" observations of near-Earth space--and the solar storms that can knock out electric power grids--is about to happen for the first time, thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., have been awarded an NSF grant to perform an experiment called the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment (AMPERE).

AMPERE will use the Iridium constellation of communications satellites to measure the electric currents that link Earth's atmosphere and space. By measuring this key component of the space weather system, AMPERE will allow 24/7 tracking of Earth's response to supersonic blasts of plasma ejected from the sun.

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Take in all you can that is unique and unfamiliar to you this year. The knowledge you pick up will determine what you do next. There is financial gain in the future if you aren't too conservative. Open up to new ideas and don't be afraid of what lies ahead. You can gain from the experience. Your numbers are 4, 10, 18, 22, 31, 40

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You can make headway at home if you focus on fixing, amending or changing what needs alterations. An interview or chance to move ahead professionally is apparent if you put in time, effort and detail. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Do what comes naturally and you will avoid trouble. A bargain can be found. A relationship you have with a friend is probably not what it appears. Don't share too many of your secrets just yet. 4 stars

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If you look closely at the Dalai Lama's astrological chart, you see the destiny of a great spiritual leader written in the stars. The planetary alignment of his birth chart makes it clear as to why he has the ability to touch the minds and hearts of people all over the world - making him perhaps the most influential spiritual leader of our time.

The Dalai Lama's teachings help us all to look closely at our own assumptions about love and violence - for that, his existence is a gift to all humanity.

All of our astrological charts are a snapshot into our destiny, our challenges, our relationships and our personality traits. As for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he has tried to distance himself from any violence in his exiled homeland of Tibet as it is completely at odds with his peace-loving Buddhist principles. Yet he continues to be challenged. So what is going on in his chart to explain this? The heavy hand of transiting Saturn, of course.

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A high-tech breakthrough in solar cells and flash drives may just come down to good old-fashioned pencil and paper calculations, says an award-winning young chemist at the University of Houston.

Amorphous materials, such as glass, expensive porcelain and plastics, may be at the very root of advances in solar batteries and computer memory, according to Vassiliy Lubchenko, an assistant professor of chemistry at UH who researches the electronic structure of these materials.

The underlying physics and chemistry of electrical properties of amorphous materials is one the most fascinating and difficult problems in chemistry and physics. Direct computer modeling and existing theoretical approaches that have worked well for regular crystals and small molecules have not provided satisfactory insight into these disordered systems.

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Authorities in Ocala, Fla., said a man who allegedly sold stolen merchandise at a yard sale was arrested after the true owners recognized a pilfered item.

Fred and Betty McAteers said they were walking the neighborhood Tuesday in search of information about the burglary when they spotted their missing wooden dresser outside of an apartment building The Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner reported Wednesday.

Ocala police arrested Branden Mitchell Gardiner and charged him with one count of residential burglary and one count of dealing in stolen property.

The McAteers found several other items that had been stolen from their home inside Gardiner's apartment, police said. However, neighbors said many of the items had been sold by Gardiner at a yard sale and he reportedly told them he was planning a second sale."Marble top tables, rocking chairs, they're gone," Betty McAteers said.

Robbinsville, NJ, USA: EPV SOLAR, Inc., a thin-film solar module manufacturer and technology developer headquartered in Robbinsville, NJ, announced its appointment of Mr. Franz Kemper as General Manager of its newly established Senftenberg, Germany, facility. Mr. Kemper, who comes to EPV SOLAR with over 25 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, is presently overseeing the facility’s start up operations including the hiring of management, engineers, technical teams, and more than 200 production workers--and will assume overall responsibility for the plant’s operations and profitability.

The Senftenberg plant, which is located in Brandenburg, a region in eastern Germany currently undergoing significant industrial development, has been progressing rapidly and according to schedule. A rooftop ceremony to celebrate the completion of the physical plant was held in April; the manufacturing equipment is currently being installed; and by October of this year manufacturing is expected to be running 24/7 to meet full capacity in 2009 30 MW per year.

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ARIES (March 21-April 19)
We’re halfway through 2008. It’s a perfect moment to take inventory of how well you’re capitalizing on this year’s unique opportunities. So let me ask you, Aries: Are you working your ass off in order to stoke the fire in your belly? In other words, are you doing everything you can think of to get more motivated? Are you trying hard to supercharge your ambitions and refine your passions? If so, this will be the year when you finally figure out how to do what you love to do a majority of the time and how to get rewarded by the world for doing it. It’s high time to answer your highest calling.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
We’re halfway through 2008. It’s time to take inventory of how well you’re capitalizing on this year’s unique opportunities. So let me ask you, Taurus. Have you been climbing out on a limb in order to think outside of the box? Have you been having adventurous fun while experimenting freely? I hope so. Playing around with smart gambles has been and will continue to be the secret to your success. Note well the adjective “smart” in the previous sentence. Dumb gambles and poorly thought-out risks should not be part of your game plan.

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With the first Indiana Jones move in nineteen years opening this month, Harrison Ford has proved he can still deliver an action hero performance. Most of us know of his body of work as an actor, but what about the person behind the mask. What kind of man is Harrison Ford? Read on to learn what his Astrology - Numerology combination tells us about the man behind Indiana Jones.

Astronumerology - your Sun Sign - Life Path Combination

If you know someone’s birth date, one of the best ways to learn the basis of their personality is to determine their Astrology - Numerology combination. Astronumerology uses a person’s sun sign and their numerology life path number to determine their personality type. You can calculate someone’s Life Path number by summing the numbers in a persons Gregorian birth date, and reducing the total to a single digit with fadic addition. Harrison Ford was born on July 13th, 1942, so his Astrology - Numerology combination is that of Cancer with a Life Path (9).

Cancer (9) - The Pragmatic Performer

Those who have this combination are literally an approachable fantasy figure; they combine accessibility with a high dose of sex appeal and charisma. These souls have a genius for seeing the world just a little off kilter. This person can read peoples hearts and emotions with uncanny accuracy. They have a gift for keeping their audience upbeat, and always leave them laughing and feeling good about themselves. They also tend to be an extremist, being either a wild child or one who is tranquil, always in tune with their environment.

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Despite four centuries of telescopic study, we still don't fully understand our Sun. But the scientists who came to the annual meeting of the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society (held May 26–30 in Fort Lauderdale) are working hard to narrow our knowledge gap. They offered their most recent insights on topics ranging from coronal heating to the origin of the solar wind.

New observations with the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) on Japan's Hinode solar spacecraft captured an unprecedentedly detailed view of a coronal mass ejection (CME) on April 9th. CMEs are giant blowouts of hot, ionized gas from the Sun's outer atmosphere. When they strike Earth's magnetic field, they often set off auroras and other near-Earth disturbances. Scientists believe that the events leading to a CME may also help to heat the solar chromosphere and corona to their anomalously high temperatures.

At the meeting, Ed DeLuca of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (which built and runs the XRT) reported that this particular CME started just around the edge of the Sun from our viewpoint. This lineup hid the dazzle of the associated X-ray flare and allowed the XRT to take longer exposures of the CME's upper reaches. The views show the CME's structure unwinding in a twist as it left the Sun.

Such unwinding releases a lot of energy. CMEs travel about 2,400 km per second as they leave the Sun, fast enough to cross the continental United States in two seconds. When aimed in our direction, they reach Earth in hours.

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The first Kavli prizes were announced today in Oslo, Norway. Fred Kavli, a science philanthropist who has been establishing research centers around the world in his main areas of interest, established the prizes as a rival to the Nobel prizes but in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience. Each prize is US$1 million shared between the winners.

Symmetry readers are probably most interested in the astrophysics prize: It will be shared by Maarten Schmidt, of the California Institute of Technology, United States, and Donald Lynden-Bell, of Cambridge University, United Kingdom, “for their seminal contributions to understanding the nature of quasars.”