Space Station visible tonight and tomorrow

The International Space Station will be visible to area residents three times tonight (July 6) and Tuesday.

At 10:43 p.m. Monday evening, the space station will be visible for approximately 5 minutes. The Space Station will appear as a solid white light rising in the West and moving to the north-northeast approximately 31 degrees above the horizon.

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Museum talks feature maritime marvels

Programs at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort have people talking! Throughout the month of June, local and regional experts will share their knowledge on topics ranging from nautical archaeology to marvels of the museum collection. Unless otherwise noted, talks at the Museum are free.

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NC Gov authorizes new NC Aquarium Pier

Gov. Bev Perdue has signed a bill authorizing the construction of the North Carolina Aquarium Pier at Nags Head. The project is expected to “create jobs and enhance tourism in one of North Carolina’s most popular destinations,” according to a news release.

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North Carolina Aquarium works to lower new pier costs for Nags Head Pier

Bids opened earlier this month for the construction of the new North Carolina Aquarium Pier at Nags Head exceeded the funding available for the pier project.

Six general contractors submitted bids, with the lowest bid coming from Clancy and Theys, a North Carolina company based in Raleigh.

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Partnership with NCSU to help education take root at gardens

As far as its assets go, The Elizabethan Gardens can now add academic substance to its considerable beauty.

A new partnership with North Carolina State University will provide a full-time educator and two graduate horticultural science students to work at the Outer Banks attraction, as well as the funding for new community outreach programs.

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Send scientists, not wildcatters

The Bush administration’s Council on Environmental Quality asked marine advocacy groups and others last year to suggest which areas in U.S. waters President Bush might name as national monuments. The southeastern coral reefs are believed to be near the top of a short, final list.

Bruce Henderson at the Charlotte Observer says that designation could save the ecosystem.

At the same time, President Bush called for more offshore oil and gas exploration. A federal moratorium now prohibits drilling along most of the U.S. coastline until 2012, and political opposition in North Carolina remains strong. But momentum to lift the ban is growing with the price of gasoline.

NOAA Announces $1.4 Million Grants to N.C. Aquarium, others for Earth Science Exhibits

NOAA’s Office of Education is providing funding to eight science education institutions for exhibits incorporating NOAA’s Science On a Sphere® or Magic Planet® and new Earth System Science information. These exhibits, composed of globe-shaped screens that use computers and video projectors to display planetary data, give an exceptional view of our ever-changing world.

Five awards — totaling $494,528 — provide support for the incorporation of either NOAA’s Science On a Sphere® or Global Imagination’s Magic Planet® into public exhibits showing NOAA and NASA Earth science datasets. Exhibits will be developed at institutions including the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island in Manteo, N.C.

Continue reading NOAA Announces $1.4 Million Grants to N.C. Aquarium, others at 7thspace.com