US Birth Tourism becoming flourishing business

Millions of foreign tourists visit the United States every year, and a growing number return home with a brand new U.S. citizen in tow.

Thousands of legal immigrants, who do not permanently reside in the United States but give birth here, have given their children the gift of citizenship, which the U.S. grants to anyone born on its soil.

The number of U.S. births to non-resident mothers rose 53 percent between 2000 and 2006, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Total births rose 5 percent in the same period.

Among the foreigners who have given birth here, including international travelers passing through and foreign students studying at U.S. universities, are "birth tourists," women who travel to the United States with the explicit purpose of obtaining citizenship for their child.

Catering to the women is a nascent industry of travel agencies and hotel chains seeking to profit from the business.

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Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing

The space station. The shuttle. And the sun.

wanted to make sure you saw the following remarkable photos of the International Space Station, with space shuttle Atlantis attached, transiting the sun on May 22.

They were taken by Thierry Legault (see his Web site for larger versions) using a Takahashi TOA-150 refractor telescope. The complex transited the sun in 0.49 seconds.

Click the image to see another picture and a link to the originals.