NASA spacecraft are beaming home some festive photographic treats, just in time for the holidays.

One shot, taken by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), captures a star-forming nebula that resembles a Christmas wreath. If you squint a little, the nebula's red dust cloud could be a bow, and the bluish-white stars look like silver bells.

The nebula is called Barnard 3, and it's found in the Perseus constellation. The star in the center of the red cloud, known as HD 278942, is so bright that it's lighting up most of the surrounding clouds. The red cloud is probably composed of dust that's cooler and more metallic than the material in surrounding regions, researchers said.

The different colors in the WISE image represent different wavelengths of infrared light. Blue and blue-green represent wavelengths of 3.4 and 4.6 microns, both of which come chiefly from stars. Green and red denote light from 12 and 22 microns, respectively, which are mostly emitted by dust, researchers said. [See the space Christmas photos]

WISE launched in December 2009 on a mission to survey the sky in infrared light. The telescope shut down in February of this year, after taking about 1.8 million images of cosmic objects and discovering more than 33,000 new asteroids. Researchers are still sifting through the huge amounts of data WISE collected during its observational life.

NASA's Saturn-studying Cassini probe has also delivered a photographic holiday package. Two newly released Cassini images show three of Saturn's frigid moons hanging in space like gaudy cosmic ornaments, girded by the massive planet's magnificent rings.

The natural-color photos depict Titan, Saturn's largest satellite. In each of them, a second, icy moon — Dione in one case, Tethys in the other — is visible in the distance behind the haze-enshrouded Titan.

While Earth's northern hemisphere is just now shifting into winter, it's currently northern spring in the Saturn system and will remain so for several years. Northern summer is due to arrive in 2017, and Cassini should be around to see the seasons change. NASA has extended the mission of the spacecraft, which launched in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004, through 2017.

"As another year traveling this magnificent sector of our solar system draws to a close, all of us on Cassini wish all of you a very happy and peaceful holiday season," Carolyn Porco, Cassini imaging team lead at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo., said in a statement.

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Space Christmas: Festive Photos of Cosmic Beauty The Rings and Moons of Saturn Amazing Photos: Titan, Saturn's Largest Moon

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kurt Busch has a new ride.
Busch, who became one of NASCAR's most polarizing figures this past season, will return to the Sprint Cup series in 2012 to drive the No. 51 car for Phoenix Racing and owner James Finch.
Busch told The Associated Press that the deal was finalized late Wednesday night over a few cold Miller Lites in an establishment located "in the shadows of Charlotte Motor Speedway."
"This is a fantastic opportunity to have fun at the cup level and bring this Phoenix Racing team up from where it is," Busch said. "I'm really looking forward to it. I really think this is going to be a lot of fun."
Busch isn't used to working with smaller teams.
He previously drove Fords for Jack Roush and Dodges for Penske, will be behind the wheel of a Chevrolet for Finch, who has been a race team owner since 1990.
Busch parted ways with Penske Racing following a tumultuous season in 2011 in which he clashed with two reporters in Richmond and then was fined $50,000 by NASCAR for profanities directed at ESPN's Jerry Punch and using a hand gesture at the season's final race Nov. 20 in Homestead, Fla.
He said he's looking forward to getting back to his roots in some ways, saying this will be a lot like his days on the Southwest Tour.
"This is a small group of guys with a lot of big hearts," Busch said. "They have to because they know they have to face the big programs. This is going to be an opportunity to have a lot of fun with James Finch, who's great. And they have the Hendrick equipment which helps, too."
A.J. Allmendinger has taken over for Busch in the No. 22 Dodge at Penske.
Busch has won 24 Sprint Cup races, as well as the 2010 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
Finch is hoping Busch will bring more wins to his team, saying in a release that "all we want to do is win."
"With Kurt we have a shot every week," Finch said. "He's a past champion and he's proven he can win everywhere. Our sponsors are looking forward to Kurt representing their brands. We have excellent equipment and a hard-working group of guys who want that trophy at the end of every race. Kurt's the guy who can deliver it to them."
Finch's No. 51 car finished 30th in points last year with Landon Cassill driving.
Finch's only Sprint Cup victory came in the April 2009 race at Talladega Superspeedway when he employed Brad Keselowski as his driver.
"It's going to be old-school racing, where we show up, race hard and go for the win," Busch said in his release. "And if we don't win, we'll go back to the shop, work hard and do it all over again next week. That's the way we all started racing, and it's great to get back to that."
In the past, Finch has criticized Busch's behavior.
"He needs to simmer down a while," Finch once told ESPN. "There are a lot of people that don't like Kurt. He's never done anything to me personally. He just needs to look in the mirror and see what the problem is."

Now they'll get to work together.

"This is chance to look at life and have fun with it," Busch said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Petronas is in talks with several global oil majors including Shell (RDSa.L) and Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) to develop petrochemical plants within its $20 billion refinery complex in southern Malaysia, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Malaysia's national oil company is also talking to Japanese firms Itochu Corp (8001.T) and Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T) as well as to Dow Chemical Co (DOW.N) -- the largest U.S. chemical maker -- as it seeks to tap surging Asian demand and diversify its earnings, the sources told Reuters.

Petronas (PETR.UL) is expected to make a decision on the partnerships by mid-2012, which signals it is quickly moving beyond the feasibility stage of the project.

"Petronas is getting a lot of interest for the joint venture undertakings," said one source who declined to be identified as the talks are ongoing.

"They have moved to the basic engineering and design stage and after this the tendering process for building the complex will start," the source added.

Petronas, Shell and Mitsubishi officials in Malaysia declined to comment. Itochu, Dow Chemical and Exxon Mobil were not immediately available to comment.

Petronas first unveiled the Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development (RAPID) project in May and has said the complex will be commissioned by end-2016, which both sources said was on track.

The $20 billion complex is to be built in southern Johor state which borders Singapore -- the largest oil trading hub in Asia.

The project is key to Petronas' plan to join the likes of India's Reliance Industries (RELI.NS) in grabbing a larger share in the $395 billion global market for specialty chemicals -- high value raw materials used in products from diapers to higher performance tires and LCD televisions.

"In terms of markets for petrochemicals coming from RAPID, Petronas is aiming for Myanmar, Bangladesh and parts of the subcontinent," said a second source.

"The potential is there as these are huge markets or in the case of Myanmar, just opening up."

RAPID REACH

The RAPID project will include a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery that produces naphtha, gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and fuel oil. The first source said the crude feedstock would come mostly from Petronas' equity projects in Sudan, Chad and eventually Venezuela instead of Malaysia's own higher quality and expensive crude, domestic production of which is slowing.

The crude feedstock from Petronas equity projects will also be channeled into the petrochemicals and polymer complex, including a 3 million ton-per-year (tpy) naphtha cracker and petrochemical derivatives facility focusing on synthetic rubber.

"Over 1 million tons will be for ethylene and propylene and the rest for high grade specialty chemicals," said the first source.

"Synthetic rubber is a big thing. Nearly 90 percent of a tire is made of synthetic rubber because natural rubber production is declining in Asia, so there is an opportunity for Petronas," the source added.

STRUGGLE OR SURVIVE

The RAPID project gives Petronas' downstream operations a better chance of staying afloat in times of economic downturns and poor margins as it allows Malaysia's only Fortune 500 company to tap into its global feedstock sources, analysts say.


"From a Petronas perspective, there is vertical integration opportunity," said Andrew Wong, lead analyst covering Petronas at Standard & Poor's in Singapore.


"I think the expectation for a recovery in the petrochemical sector in 2011 did not quite happen due to the external factors and there is concern whether the project will come on-stream at a good point in time of the global economic cycle," he added.


Industry players have said Malaysia and Petronas' ramp-up of oil infrastructure in the southernmost tip of the country will create a "Greater Singapore" trading hub that allows the region to keep up with competitors like China.


Petronas is counting on interest from Japanese firms which are looking to relocate their plants or re-invest outside their home base after the March tsunami and earthquake triggered uncertainty over future energy supply, the second source said.


"The interest has particularly been strong from the usual Japanese players in the petrochemical market. This project has started at the right time," the source added.


(Editing by Himani Sarkar)

LOS ANGELES – Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is receiving a posthumous Grammy for his technological innovations in the arts.
Jobs is among a dozen people, music groups or companies receiving honorary awards Feb. 11, the day before the Grammys. He died of cancer in October.
The Grammys are honoring Jobs with one of the group's Trustees Awards, citing the late Apple boss' advancements that "transformed the way we consume music, TV, movies, and books."
Grammy organizers called him a "creative visionary" for Apple Inc. innovations that include the iPod, iPhone and iPad.
Others receiving honorary awards the day before the Grammys include Diana Ross, the Allman Brothers, Glen Campbell, Antonio Carlos Jobim, George Jones, the Memphis Horns and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder.
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Online:
http://www.grammy.com

LOS ANGELES – Melanie Amaro has "The X Factor."
The powerful 19-year-old vocalist from Sunrise, Fla., won the Fox talent competition Thursday over soulful 30-year-old singer Josh Krajcik of Wooster, Ohio.
Amaro, who was mentored by judge Simon Cowell and was at one point eliminated then reinstated to the contest, was awarded the grand prize: a $5 million recording contract and a starring role in a Pepsi commercial.
"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God," Amaro repeated after host Steve Jones announced her as the champion.
Despite continued prodding from Jones, an overly emotional Amaro couldn't quite formulate words when she was revealed to have captured the most viewer votes, and she struggled through tears to reprise Beyonce's "Listen," the soaring ballad that Amaro crooned at her audition and on Wednesday's final performance round.
"I want to say, `America, thank you for giving this girl an opportunity,'" said Cowell.
Krajcik, the struggling single father who delivered a stripped down rendition of "At Last" for his final routine, seemed content with his status as "X Factor" runner-up to Amaro, who was born in the British Virgin Islands.
"Melanie deserves it," Krajcik said. "She has a wonderful voice. I had such an incredible experience here. I got to be myself, sing what I want to sing, and I couldn't be happier."
Chris Rene, the recovering 28-year-old singer-rapper from Santa Cruz, Calif., came in third place.
Before the winner was unveiled, the three finalists crooned classic Christmas tunes, and Justin Bieber, Stevie Wonder, Leona Lewis, Pitbull, Ne-Yo and 50 Cent performed various songs with former contestants. Amaro and Krajcik also dueted on David Bowie's "Heroes."
Unlike "American Idol," the contest was open to both solo singers and groups, and had a lower minimum age of 12 and no upper age limit.
The judges also served as mentors. Cowell represented female vocalists, including Amaro; L.A. Reid headed male singers, including Rene; Nicole Scherzinger was in charge of over-30 singers, including Krajcik; and Paula Abdul helmed the groups.
Despite consistent viewership, "The X Factor" has failed to achieve popularity similar to "Idol," which Cowell left last year to import "The X Factor" from the U.K. to the U.S. Fox announced last month that "X Factor" would return for a second season next fall.
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Fox is owned by News Corp.
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AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.
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Online:

http://www.thexfactorusa.com