It's a space nerd weekend, folks. Not only is the Griffith Observatory celebrating its 75th Anniversary (with events all day today), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is hosting their annual open house this weekend. Then add to that this: "This weekend, Venus and the crescent Moon are gathering in the western sky for a spectacular conjunction, and they’re not alone. The International Space Station and, very likely, space shuttle Atlantis will join them for a rare four-way meeting of spaceships and planets over many locations," says Space Fellowship. Anthony Cook at the Observatory's Sky Report offers up some more information. more ›

Randy Bresnik blasted off into space on Atlantis just last Monday, but this weekend his life changed in a whole new way. Back in Houston, Bresnik's wife Rebecca gave birth to a baby girl, Abigail Mae, "just hours after the astronaut's first-ever spacewalk," reports KTLA. more ›

NASA has decided to land Space Shuttle Atlantis here in Southern California this morning, after first scrapping plans to land in Florida yesterday in favor of landing here, and then opting to hold off the landing for one more day in hopes of more desirable weather back in Florida. But Atlantis is coming in for its landing here, at Edwards Air Force Base. "So Cal residents should anticipate twin sonic booms just prior to 8:39 PDT," the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey tells us. Let us know if you hear them, and where you are! And welcome home, Atlantis. more ›

Cancel that Sonic Boom heads-up warning for today: NASA has announced that they will not be landing the space shuttle Atlantis here in Southern California at Edwards Air Force Base. The local landing was decided upon when weather conditions in Florida were determined to be less favorable than here, but ultimately the shuttle won't be landing anywhere today, period. NASA is holding off the landing until tomorrow, and prefers Florida's Kennedy Space Center, but "there’s still a chance Atlantis will go to Edwards. If thunderstorms linger in Florida Sunday, the shuttle will likely be diverted to Southern California," which means we just might "hear the orbiter’s twin sonic boom shortly before the spacecraft lands," after all, explains the OC Register. more ›