The comet or asteroid that struck the Yucatan 65 million years ago, perhaps setting off the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs and other animals, impacted at a low angle. This low angle exacerbated the effects of the impact, Brown University researchers say, by creating a "ballistic fireball" that impacted downrange in North America, setting off more fires which eventually spread around the globe. "It was like a nuclear explosion taken north on a jet-powered sleigh ride," said Professor Peter Schultz. "This was indeed the day the Earth shook."

NASA astronaut Hoot Gibson announced his retirement November 6. He plans to leave NASA in mid-November to pursue "private business interests", according to a NASA press release. Other astronauts have left NASA to take up executive positions in a variety of corporations. Was this the path Gibson chose to follow? No: he'll be reporting to Dallas to begin training for his new position. The five-time shuttle astronaut, who commanded the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission, will become a pilot for Southwest Airlines, a discount airline.

Do you have a lot of frequent flyer miles to burn, or are just itching to get out and travel while doing space related things in the next week? Well, you can fly to San Diego to attend the Third Annual Lunar and Mars Exploration Conference November 17-20. Co-sponsored by the National Space Society and International Space Enterprises, the conference will focus on future plans for the exploration and commercial development of the Moon and Mars. Then, head east to Washington for the Mars Symposium at George Washington University on November 22. The day-long symposium, cosponsored by the NSS and The Planetary Society, will look at the implications of past (or even present) life on the Red Planet.

Correction: In the November issue SpaceViews erroneously reported that astronaut John Blaha voted for Bill Clinton in the 1992 Presidential election. In fact Blaha did not vote for Clinton in 1992 but said Clinton "has done a great job in the past four years." SpaceViews regrets the error.