Lunar eclipse will be visible in October\nStargazers in most of North America, South America, western Europe and Africa will be able to observe a full lunar eclipse as the moon passes through Earth's shadow on the night of Oct. 27 and 28. \nThe eclipse will last for an hour and 22 minutes. The edge of the shadow will begin to cover the moon at 9:14 p.m., with the actual total eclipse lasting from 10:23 to 11:45 p.m. The moon will be fully clear of Earth's shadow by 12:54 a.m.\nFor details about where the eclipse will be visible, see http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse. \nThe next total lunar eclipse will be in March 2007.
Soybean plant lacks allergy-causing protein\nURBANA, Ill. -- Plant geneticist Ted Hymowitz knew that finding an allergy-free soybean would take a painstaking search through thousands of varieties. So Hymowitz got a grant, fetched a hammer and pounded away until he proved he was right.\nHymowitz and fellow University of Illinois researcher Leina Mary Joseph found a seed that lacks the protein, known as P34, responsible for most allergic reactions. It took them about eight months of crushing seeds from thousands of varieties in the U.S. Agriculture Department's soybean germplasm collection at the university.\n"This thing is so rare that you need the huge collection to find the needle in a haystack," Hymowitz said.\nScientists already had used genetic engineering to silence the gene that creates P34 in most soybeans. But it likely will be much easier to market soybeans that naturally lack the protein, said Eliot Herman, the USDA researcher who developed the biotech bean two years ago.\nWhile much testing remains before farmers can grow allergy-free soybeans, Hymowitz's research shows promise for people who are allergic, said Anne Munoz-Furlong, founder of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network based in Fairfax, Va.,
Original Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper dies at 77\nVENTURA, Calif. -- Gordon Cooper, who as one of the original Mercury astronauts was a pioneer in human space exploration, has died. He was 77.\nCooper died Monday at his home in Ventura, NASA officials said in a statement.\n"As one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, Gordon Cooper was one of the faces of America's fledgling space program," said NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. "He truly portrayed the right stuff, and he helped gain the backing and enthusiasm of the American public, so critical for the spirit of exploration. My thoughts and prayers are with Gordon's family during this difficult time."\nCooper piloted the final flight of the Mercury program, the United States' first manned spaceflight program that had the primary goal of putting a man in orbit around Earth.
