NASA’s done a good job getting us into space, but should it work harder on convincing people why that’s a good idea? NASA photoChances are you’ll recognize the phrase, “To boldly go,” as part of the monologue introducing each episode of Star Trek. I’ve heard it called the most famous split infinitive in the English language, and whatever a person’s science knowledge or familiarity with Star Trek, they’ll usually recognize “To boldly go — where no one has gone before.”Jeremy McCarter argues in “Rocket Men,” a story in the November 9 issue of Newsweek, that we need…
Astronomy
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Astronomy.com blog
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Are we boldly going places?
6 Nov 2009 | 11:55 am -
Approach of the robot armada!
30 Oct 2009 | 7:23 amIn this artist’s illustration, an orbiter works together with blimps and rovers to explore an unfamiliar landscape. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory photoWolfgang Fink has a dream straight out of science fiction: Instead of sending a paltry robot or two to distant planets, scientists should send multiple expendable robots. Robots that can talk to one another and adapt to unexpected events. Robots that can think. Creepy as that might sound to some, it’s really just the next step in space exploration, according to Fink, visiting associate in physics at the California Institute of Technology… -
Ares I-X finally reaches T-minus-zero
29 Oct 2009 | 8:42 amThree days ago, Contributing Editor Mike Reynolds wrote his first in what will be a series of blogs about meteorites and meteorite collecting. While we talked with Mike about that first piece, we learned that he was going to attend the Ares I-X launch. In this entry, he shares what it was like to witness Wednesday’s successful test flight. Mike also took photos of the event, and we'll post those with this entry soon.Ares I-X lifted off from Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center after a number of countdown starts and stops over 2 days. The flight appears to be a success, and we await the… -
SmartBean encourages kids’ interest in astronomy
27 Oct 2009 | 1:19 pmSmartbean lists images from the Hubble Space Telescope like this one of the Bug Nebula (NGC 6302) as a reason kids will love astronomy. NASA photoCultivating children’s interest in astronomy is a goal for professional scientists, planetarium directors, schoolteachers, and astronomy clubs alike. So it’s nice to see when parents are encouraged to get involved in astronomy with their kids. In a recently published article, SmartBean is doing just that.SmartBean is a web site dedicated to providing parents with excellent K-12 academic resources and news. In honor of the International Year of… -
Meteorite expert Mike Reynolds chats about falling stars
26 Oct 2009 | 1:50 pmAstronomy Contributing Editor Mike Reynolds presented a talk at the 2009 Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show about meteorite collecting. During the talk he passed around some great examples. Reynolds is going to share his expertise about meteorites periodically with Astronomy.com blog readers. While chatting with Astronomy magazine Contributing Editor Mike Reynolds the other day, he proposed a (roughly) monthly series that focuses on meteorites. Everyone here loved the idea, so it’s my job to introduce Mike and the first of the series. No problem.Reynolds has spent 34 years in astronomy…
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Bad Astronomy
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Reminder: Carl Sagan Day
6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmA quick reminder: the Carl Sagan Day celebration will be at Broward College in southern Florida on Saturday! Speakers include James Randi, Jeffrey Bennett, David Morrison, and me. There will be lots of stuff for kids and astronomy enthusiasts of all ages. Check my blog post from Monday for more info. Also, there will be a reception that night at 8:00 p.m. as well. Requested donation is $10. I hope to see some BABloggees there! -
Pray this doesn’t get passed
6 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amI was going to write about how Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and John Kerry (D-MA) were trying to somewhat slimily slip a provision into the health care bill about paying for prayer-based health services, but then wouldn’tyouknowit, Steve Novella (who apparently does not need to sleep or eat or breathe) beat me to it. Besides his take-down of the odd and wholly unrealistic beliefs of Christian Scientists, I’ll note that is has been pretty definitively proven that prayer doesn’t work in healing. So not only is this provision unconstitutional, it’s just an all-around bad… -
Careidolia
6 Nov 2009 | 9:30 amOK, I know that some people see the face of their religious icons in random things. I’ve written about this a zillion times. And I know that sometimes it’s just pareidolia, our tendency to see faces in random objects. And I know that people will think it’s a miracle, when really it’s the end-product of thousands of generations of the evolution of our pattern-seeking abilities. But then there’s stuff like this: a guy is "clueless" about how the face of Jesus appeared on his truck window, and why it persists day after day. Oh, I have a clue. It’s… -
The Universe Has Us in Its Crosshairs
6 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amLooking for something to do this weekend, and for the next month? Are you anywhere near New York City? Then I am very pleased to let you know that a group of artists there have created an exhibit based on my book, Death from the Skies! The exhibit is hanging at the ABC No Rio site, and runs from now until November 25 (actually it started last week). The viewing times are Sundays 1:00 – 3:00pm and Wednesdays & Thursdays 4:00pm – 7:00pm. This is very cool, and I am deeply honored they based their work on my book. I was contacted by artist Brian George about it some time ago. -
LRO sees a Moonslide
5 Nov 2009 | 9:08 pmThe hi-res Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s camera captured a pretty cool image of a (what I’m guessing is an ancient) landslide on the Moon. Check this out: [Click to embrobdingnangate.] The slide is down the steep slope of a crater called Marius, located in Oceanus Procellarum, a vast smooth-surfaced area on the Moon (generally called "maria" — singular is "mare" — and easily visible to the naked eye). The crater itself is pretty old; the floor is covered with the same smooth surface as the mare around it, so it predates Oceanus Procellarum which we…
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Science @ NASA Feature Stories Podcast
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A Tale of Planetary Woe
5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmLong ago, something calamitous happened to Mars, transforming a hospitable world into the apparently lifeless desert we see today. Many scientists believe the Red Planet lost most of its atmosphere, but how? A new NASA mission named MAVEN is specifically designed to answer that question. Please vote for this podcast at PodcastAlley! Get this podcast story. -
Hidden Territory on Mercury Revealed
2 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmThe MESSENGER spacecraft's third flyby of the planet Mercury has given scientists an almost complete view of the planet's surface and revealed some dramatic changes in Mercury's comet-like tail. Please vote for this podcast at PodcastAlley! Get this podcast story. -
A Mars Rover Named "Curiosity"
29 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pmNASA's next Mars rover, a super-capable robot named "Curiosity," will push Mars exploration to a new level. Please vote for this podcast at PodcastAlley! Get this podcast story. -
The Sun's Sneaky Variability
26 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pmIt might not be obvious to the naked eye, but the sun is a variable star. A sensor slated for launch onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory will probe the sun's "sneaky variability" with better time and spectral resolution than ever before. Please vote for this podcast at PodcastAlley! Get this podcast story. -
NASA Mission to Study the Moon's Fragile Atmosphere
22 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pmNASA is planning a mission to study the Moon's fragile atmosphere--before it's too late. Please vote for this podcast at PodcastAlley! Get this podcast story.
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Astronomy Today.com
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Lunar Landing Sights
30 Oct 2009 | 5:32 amYes, we did go to the Moon! Paul Downing designed this webpage of Lunar Landing sites taken by the high resolution camera aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Marked sites are highlighted areas where the moon-walking astronauts abandoned equipment. Thank you Paul for this interesting and important information. -
Two New Book Reviews
28 Oct 2009 | 1:16 pmZoo in the Sky: a Book of Animal Constellations (left) is aimed at teaching children about the constellations. We were quite impressed by its colourful, yet accurate, representations of the sky. Read: the full review of Zoo in the Sky. Pluto Confidential (right) focuses on Pluto’s status as a planet while also charting past astronomical disputes. Written by two astronomers with opposing viewpoints, it provides a balanced account of the arguments. Read: the full review of Pluto Confidential. -
ARES I-X rocket was ‘Go’ for launch but delayed by weather
27 Oct 2009 | 6:46 amThe goal of ARES I-X is to test a rocket design which will enable a manned vehicle to launch in a range of weather and wind conditions. More than 700 sensors will be relaying useful data, including sound waves generated by the motor as well as behavior of the stack in wind speed and direction. (more…) -
Moon/Jupiter Conjunction for 26Oct2009.
26 Oct 2009 | 6:12 amTonight (26Oct2009), just after sunset, look for a Moon/Jupiter conjunction. The pair should appear in the southern sky, in the constellation of Capricornus. The pair should be easily visible through city light pollution, so observers will not need to drive to the country to see it. Neither should high, thin clouds prevent the pair from being seen. The conjunction should be an easy target for photographers. See what you can do with it and then let me know if you have a nice shot. Don’t automatically send it to me, but let me know first, then I’ll tell you how to send a photo… -
Solar Cycle 24 Perking Up
26 Oct 2009 | 6:00 amSolar Cycle 24 has been very calm and mostly uneventful. We have seen one of the longest minimums in recorded history. And solar observers have not had much to report. This weekend, that all changed. During Oct 23-25, Sunspot 1029 grew into quite a nice display. B- and C-Class flares associated with Sunspot 1029 could be seen, and the complex grew quickly. If the growth continues, Sunspot 1029 may become one of the largest, if not the largest, sunspot complex for the year. (more…)
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Tom's Astronomy Blog
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Cassini Flyby of Enceladus
6 Nov 2009 | 10:46 amImage: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute – Cassini Cassini has weathered its Nov 2, 2009 flyby of the Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, in good shape. The flyby placed the spacecraft at about 100 km (60 miles) above the surface of Enceladus at its closest point, and directly through the plume you see imaged here in the south polar region. Water vapor, sodium, complex hydrocarbons such as propane and ethane, and other organic molecules have been detected in the plume in previous flybys. This closer look at the material in the plume might help answer some of the questions science… -
Hubble and M83
5 Nov 2009 | 1:15 pmHubble's image of a portion of M83. Click for larger. Image credit: NASA, ESA, R. O'Connell (University of Virginia), the WFC3 Science Oversight Committee, and ESO. Hubble was trained on the spiral galaxy M83 and the new camera took this image. WOW! This is just a portion of the galaxy, click the Hubblesite link below to see the image in it’s full context. M83 is the designation in the famous Messier catalog for the galaxy is also known as the Southern Spiral. Here’s the SEDS page. I really enjoyed the description of the image from Hubblesite (click the link for more… -
Mercury in Color
4 Nov 2009 | 4:40 pmMessengers look at Mercury. Click for larger. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington As the Messenger spacecraft approached Mercury for its third and final flyby, it took this image of the planet. Taken through red, green and blue filters we can see Mercury in full color. I am a little surprised at how much color there is actually, I had expected a rather bland grey tone with the occasional bright crater. Mercury is a pretty remarkable planet. It’s a pretty bright place too. Apparent brightness is inversely… -
LRO Spies Apollo 17 Site
3 Nov 2009 | 6:02 amRegion of Taurus Littrow valley around the Apollo 17 landing site. Click for larger. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this look at the landing site for Apollo 17. If you click the image above you will get a larger version of the image. You can see an enlargement of the Challenger Descent Stage and the immediate area by clicking here. Want to know what the more cryptic annotations mean? Here’s the LRO press release: Apollo 17 Lunar Module Challenger descent stage comes into focus from the new lower 50 km mapping orbit, image width 102… -
Confessions of an Alien Hunter
2 Nov 2009 | 11:31 amConfessions of an Alien Hunter, by Dr. Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute, is a look at SETI from the inside. In addition, Dr. Shostak talks about who, and what, our first alien contacts may be (aside from microbes or pond scum). You know me; I would be excited out of my tiny little mind with a microbe. The hope, the belief, that we are not alone in the universe has been with us since we could envision ourselves as “self”. We have always looked to the sky and wondered. Science now tells us that there must be other life; the universe is simply too big for there not to be. …
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Universe Today
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Early Galaxy Pinpoints Reionization Era
6 Nov 2009 | 11:17 amAstronomers looking to pinpoint when the reionozation of the Universe took place have found some of the earliest galaxies about 800 million years after the Big Bang. 22 early galaxies were found using a method that looks for far-away redshifting sources that disappear or "drop-out" at a specific wavelength. The age of one galaxy was confirmed by a characteristic neutral hydrogen signature at 787 million years after the Big Bang. The finding is the first age-confirmation of a so-called dropout galaxy at that distant time and pinpoints when the reionization epoch likely began. -
Space Junk May Force Crew from ISS
6 Nov 2009 | 8:54 amUpdate #2, 5:30 pm: NASA has now said that after further analysis, the space debris they have been tracking no longer poses any concern or threat to the ISS. Everyone can rest easy tonight! The piece of debris was only 5 cm long, and will not pass within the "pizza box" zone around the station (0.75 x 25 x 25 kilometers) that calls for an alert. A hard-to-track piece of space junk may come within a half a kilometer of the International Space Station later today, and NASA managers are considering asking the crew to board the docked Soyuz capsules as a precaution. The time of closest… -
Podcast: Planet X
6 Nov 2009 | 8:20 amAstronomers have been searching for the mysterious Planet X for hundreds of years. It was the search for a theoretical planet beyond Uranus that turned up Neptune, and then again for Pluto. And even now there are some astronomers who think there's a more distant planet out there. Oh, and there are a bunch of pseudoscience cranks trying to freak people out about the end of the world. Don't worry, we'll make time for them too, but first let's start with some real science. Click here to download the episode. Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching… -
Podcast: Pulsars
6 Nov 2009 | 8:17 amImagine an object with the mass of the Sun, crushed down to the size of Manhattan. Now set that object spinning hundreds of times a second, blasting out powerful beams of radiation like a lighthouse. That's a pulsar, one of the most exotic objects in the Universe. Click here to download the episode. Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software. Pulsars show notes and transcript. © nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Podcasts, Pulsars Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh -
Answer for This Week's WITU Challenge Now Available
6 Nov 2009 | 8:07 amIf you are still wondering what this weird object is, find out back at this week's Where In the Universe Challenge. The answer has now been posted. Thanks for playing, and check back next week for another test of your visual knowledge of the cosmos. © nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh
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Astronomy Notes
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Links for 2009-10-27 [del.icio.us]
28 Oct 2009 | 12:00 ameSILAv2 -Gerbang Maklumat Modal Insan- -
Orionids 2009
20 Oct 2009 | 5:33 amWhat does the third week of October mean to us? Yes, as indicated by the title, the earth is passing through the debris stream left by the Halley Comet. As a result, earthlings get the chance to watch the spectacular Orionids. The rate is about 60 meteors per hour. As usual, the best time to watch meteor shower is before the dawn. This year is especially good since the moon is almost new, no moon light will interfere the show. As you get under the night sky, you will notice that the winter constellations (for northern hemisphere) are up which makes the sky spectacular again. For example,… -
Links for 2009-09-25 [del.icio.us]
26 Sep 2009 | 12:00 amSlickdeals.net - The best coupons, lowest prices, and hottest deals. Save money with Slickdeals: find the lowest and cheapest price, best deals and bargains, and hot coupons. Community driven bargain hunting with thousands of free discounts, promo codes, freebies and price comparisons. -
Links for 2009-09-24 [del.icio.us]
25 Sep 2009 | 12:00 amCoupons, Deals, and Cash Back Shopping - FatWallet.com Save money and shop smarter with coupons, deals, and cash back from Fatwallet.com! -
Links for 2009-09-19 [del.icio.us]
20 Sep 2009 | 12:00 am麻省理工《科技商评》中文网--来自全球历史最悠久的权威科技商业杂志 麻省理工《科技商评》中文网――来自全球历史最悠久的权威科技商业杂志
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Astroblog
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The Moon in Scorpius
3 Nov 2009 | 11:49 amThe crescent Moon glows in the head of the constellation Scorpius, the scorpion(or crocodile, depending where you live) on 21 October . Click to embiggen -
The Sky This Week - Thursday November 5 to Thursday November 12
2 Nov 2009 | 11:52 amThe Last Quarter Moon is Tuesday November 10. Jupiter is is easily seen as the brightest object in the evening sky. In the morning, Mars is easily seen above the eastern horizon and is near the Beehive cluster. On Monday 9 November Mars and the Moon are close. Saturn is close to the dawn horizon. The variable star Mira is at maximum and Algol is at minimum.Morning sky looking north-east showing the Moon and Mars near the Beehive cluster at 4:00 am local daylight saving time (3:00 am non-daylight saving) on Monday November 9. Click to embiggen.The Last Quarter Moon is Tuesday November 10.In… -
Southern Skywatch November 2009 edition is now up!
2 Nov 2009 | 3:37 amMars in the Beehive Cluster on the morning of November 2.The November edition of Southern Skywatch is now up. There's the Mars in the Beehive Cluster, Saturn close to the Moon, lots of Jupiter action, the Leonid meteors and the maxima of the variable star Mira and minima of the variable star Algol. -
One Picture, Three Comets
1 Nov 2009 | 12:29 pmComet C/2009 U6 is a recently discovered (and currently faint) comet. On the 27th of October, several days before the official discovery, Francois Kugel imaged a rendezvous between comets 29P and 81P. 81P is at the bottom, 29P is at the top. And just to the right of 21P, under the red V is U6. No noticed it until after the official discovery. How would you feel? Sad that you missed dscovering a comet, or elate that you got an image of three comets at once? -
Why Halloween Doesn't Work in Australia (Part II)
1 Nov 2009 | 2:56 am"Daddy - I'm a BAT!!"As I've written before (and here as well) celebrating All Hallows Eve (Halloween) doesn't make sense in Australia. The bright sunshine, the sparking sea, the complete absence of any darkling shadows or any Gothic gloom completely ruins the Halloween atmosphere.Halloween has gotten bigger since we first did it in 2006. Probably because the number of families with small kids has increased. When this first started, there was about 6 kids in our group, going to people we had prearranged with, now there's about 20 kids in our pack going to two streets. The street over has it's…
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Hogg's Research
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galaxies, homogeneity
6 Nov 2009 | 6:24 pmIn the morning, Jeremy Tinker (Berkeley) led our group meeting with a discussion of information about galaxy evolution from clustering. In the approximation that we know the dark matter model, the relationship between galaxies and dark matter can be parameterized and then the observed galaxy—galaxy clustering puts constraints on how the galaxies could possibly form and evolve. He has some counterintuitive results, from the fact that at intermediate redshift, the large-scale clustering of red and blue galaxies is very similar. In the afternoon, Marc Kamionkowski (Caltech) gave the Big… -
highly parameterized models of data
5 Nov 2009 | 1:17 pmAs my loyal reader knows, I have no fear when it comes to models with huge numbers of parameters; indeed the ubercalibration project is effectively a fit with hundreds of millions of parameters, and we can prove that we got the global optimum (in the sense that we made sure the problem is guaranteed to be convex). Today Roweis pitched a generalization of all this, in which one creates a very flexible linear model space, where parameters are tied to or in a hierarchy of meta-data, such that some parameters are tied to, say, the date, some to the airmass, some to the seeing, some to the camera… -
more sampling
4 Nov 2009 | 8:59 pmIain Murray gave another nice talk today, this time in the machine learning group, about a high-end sampling method called elliptical slice sampling, optimized for gaussian process modeling, where calls to the prior probability distribution function are more expensive than likelihood calls. It was a very nice talk and got me thinking about slice sampling in general, which might be very useful to us. -
distinguishable orbits
3 Nov 2009 | 5:39 pmI assigned Jagannath the following problem: What can you learn about the gravitational potential of a gravitating system in which you yourself lie (think the Milky Way) if all you have are streams of stars that trace out orbits, and all you can measure about those streams are their trajectories in angular coordinates (think RA, Dec). That is, what can you do if you get a snapshot of a few orbits, but you only get the angular shapes of those orbits? We went back and forth a bit between the answer everything and the answer nothing. I think it is the former, but of course it will depend strongly… -
talking
2 Nov 2009 | 6:17 pmI spent an irresponsible morning talking non-stop to (at?) Iain Murray and Jo Bovy, about our various inference projects, current and future. Murray and Bovy have spent the last week figuring stuff out about our Solar System project, and are producing a much deeper (and more useful) paper; it shows that different parameterizations of phase-space distribution functions lead to different results, but (a) not very different, when stated in terms of reasonable probability intervals, and (b) you can put all possible parameterizations into the model and marginalize over them, without…
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Astronomy Cmarchesin
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“Dropouts” pinpoint earliest galaxies
6 Nov 2009 | 1:43 pmFalse color image of the Z7 galaxyThis is a composite of false color images of the galaxies found at the early epoch around 800 million years after the Big Bang. The upper left panel presents the galaxy confirmed in the 787 million year old universe. These galaxies are in the Subaru Deep Field. (These images are created by M. Ouchi et al., which are the reproduction of Figure 3 in the Astrophysical Journal December 2009 issue.)Plot of ionization historyThis plot shows galaxies' ionizing photon production rate as a function of cosmic age. Red bar indicates the team’s measurements and… -
Gamma-ray sources guide astronomers to pulsars
6 Nov 2009 | 8:41 amThe rapidly rotating ultradense remnant of a massive star, a pulsar emits jets of radiation that sweep across space like a lighthouse beam, as shown in this illustration. For the first time, gamma-ray observations have provided clues to radio astronomers about where to find millisecond pulsars. Credit: NASAFermi Telescope observations provide candidates to check for radio emissionsBy Ron CowWASHINGTON — Energetic gamma rays are providing astronomers with a new way to hunt those hard-to-find whirling dervishes known as pulsars.“We usually have to look over the whole sky” to find pulsars,… -
Hubble Image Showcases Star Birth in M83, the Southern Pinwheel
5 Nov 2009 | 10:13 amCredit: NASA, ESA, R. O'Connell (University of Virginia),the WFC3 Science Oversight Committee, and ESOSee the rest: See All the ImagesSee All the VideosThe spectacular new camera installed on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope during Servicing Mission 4 in May has delivered the most detailed view of star birth in the graceful, curving arms of the nearby spiral galaxy M83.Nicknamed the Southern Pinwheel, M83 is undergoing more rapid star formation than our own Milky Way galaxy, especially in its nucleus. The sharp "eye" of the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) has captured hundreds of young star clusters,… -
Unsettled Youth: Spitzer Observes a Chaotic
4 Nov 2009 | 2:20 pmCredit: NASA, JPL-Caltech/K.Su (Univ. of Arizona)About this image: NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope captured this infrared image of a giant halo of very fine dust around the young star HR 8799, located 129 light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. The brightest parts of this dust cloud (yellow-white) likely come from the outer cold disk similar to our own Kuiper belt (beyond Neptune's orbit). The huge extended dust halo is seen as orange-red.Astronomers think that the three large planets known to orbit the star are disturbing small comet-like bodies, causing them to collide and kick up… -
Cassiopeia A - Carbon Atmosphere Discovered On Neutron Star
4 Nov 2009 | 11:06 amCredit X-ray: NASA/CXC/Southampton/W. Ho et al.;Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.WeissJPEG (472.8 kb)Tiff (14 MB)PS (19.9 MB)Zoom-In (flash)More ImagesIllustration of Neutron Star & AtmosphereCredit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Southampton/ W. Ho et al.;Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.WeissThis Chandra X-ray Observatory image shows the central region of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A, for short) the remains of a massive star that exploded in our galaxy. Evidence for a thin carbon atmosphere on a neutron star at the center of Cas A has been found. Besides resolving a ten-year-old mystery about the nature…
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ASTRONOMY IN LIPAN (LASS)
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ARE YOU ACTING RESPONSIBLY?
3 Nov 2009 | 1:26 pmToday in California a man was give 2 1/2 years in prison for using his green laser to either distract or disorient pilots as they were preparing to land their aircraft. Using a green light laser can be a dangerous thing if the operator is careless or just doesn't care. Are you careless?The green laser used by the man in California is the very same laser that some of us have and use at various star parties to help point out satellites, constellations and even general aiming directions to find a desired target. These lasers are the most powerful that we are allowed to operate without a license… -
LET THE ARGUMENTS/DEBATES BEGIN
29 Oct 2009 | 7:53 amThe Ares l-X booster rocket made it off the launch pad with astounding success but in the long run, that launch may be the last of the Ares series rockets to see the light of day. The Ares l-X is the prototype of a rocket being designed to carry NASAs manned space effort into the future. It is an integral part of the Constellation program which is designed for replacing the current space shuttle fleet and moving their manned space program to the moon and beyond. Currently, the Ares program is so far behind schedule that there is very little chance of making it to the moon in 2020 or even… -
LOOK OUT CHICKEN LITTLE--THE SKY IS FALLING
26 Oct 2009 | 1:40 pmThere is a report out of Latvia, a small country in the northern Baltic, about a large object falling to the ground near the small city of Mazsalaca leaving a crater 66 ft in diameter and 33 ft deep. Almost as soon as the report surfaced there were indications that it might be a fake. There were all sorts of theories as to why the report was downplayed with the main one being to cover a weapons test. Just why a small country would need to cover some kind of weapon test is not clear to me but stranger things have happened. Maybe it wasn't the country of Latvia that conducted the test. One… -
A GREAT PUBLIC STAR PARTY
18 Oct 2009 | 1:25 pmI have titled this rant a "Great Public Star Party" and that's exactly what I thought it was. There was a big turnout for the North Texas Skywatch Star party held at Lake Mineral Wells State Park last Saturday night---the weather was very good and there were plenty of folks there with their favorite scope to show the visitors the night sky. And the public did turn out for the show.This particular event, which has been going on for several years, reaches out to a very select group of would be star gazers. The audience ranges from those that are mildly interested in astronomy to folks who are… -
Got Money?--- Got Ideas?
12 Oct 2009 | 10:28 amI don't know if the collision of a couple of satellites a few months ago prompted this or if someone is really thinking about space debris but if you have $995 and airfare, you can participate in a think tank that proposes to address the space junk issue. Just go to http://www.launchspace.com/ for all the details. Launchspace is a forward thinking organization that specializes in space problems. Recently, Launchspace conducted a survey asking for inputs to the vexing problems of space debris. They thought the response was very informative and decided to conduct this one day seminar on how…
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The Urban Astronomer
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Dominating the Autumn Sky: Pegasus
4 Nov 2009 | 9:44 amIn November, the nights grow longer and the sky changes rapidly. The Summer Triangle gradually fades into the west, and Orion and the winter constellations have not risen in the east to dominate the night sky. Instead, we see the less prominent (but no less beautiful) zodiac constellations of Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces in the south, and directly overhead the large constellation Pegasus with the very distinctive asterism "The Great Square" in clear view. The sketch of the constellation Pegasus shown here is courtesy of the Battle Point Astronomical Association.Pegasus is named after the… -
Close Encounter of the Pleiades and Moon
1 Nov 2009 | 9:32 pmThe Pleiades is one of the most beautiful star clusters in the sky. In Autumn it rises during the evening and its distinctive glow shines even for urban dwellers. The Pleiades, also known as M45 (from the Messier Catalog), is a collection of relatively young stars (only 100 million years old!) that shine with a blue color due to their hot temperature. The Pleiades are also known as the Seven Sisters and there is plenty of mythology describing each of the seven sisters. Despite the "Seven Sisters" mythology, most people see six stars when they look out at the Pleiades and describe the shape of… -
Jupiter and the Moon dominate the sky
25 Oct 2009 | 10:36 pmFor the next few evenings Jupiter and the Moon put on a show as they brighten up the southern sky. Jupiter is in Capricornus moving gradually eastward across the constellation. The Moon, just past first quarter phase, is also speeding across Capricornus and will appear very near to Jupiter on Monday evening October 26th.Jupiter will remain a brilliant light high in the southern sky for the remainder of 2009. I enjoy the close-up view of the planet through a telescope or binoculars because you can see the four Galilean satellites, moons that are big enough to see with just 10 or 20x… -
The Urban Astronomer LIVE!
24 Oct 2009 | 10:58 amI recorded a few videos of myself talking about star parties, what to see in the night sky, how to use a telescope, and more. They are short and to the point. I haven't done a lot with video up until now, but I think it will be a nice way to share some basics on observing and astronomy. So if you have a few minutes to spare, click here for the Urban Astronomer LIVE! -
Get Involved: Galilean Nights Star Parties in San Francisco
22 Oct 2009 | 10:54 pmAs part of the ongoing International Year of Astronomy (IYA), this weekend, October 23-25, is being hailed "Galilean Nights" in honor of the Italian scientist who used a telescope to open a new era of understanding of the heavens. Astronomy clubs around the world are hosting star parties and inviting the public to take part.The San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA) will hold two star parties on Saturday October 24th, one in the city of San Francisco and one at Mount Tamalpais in Marin County. I have often blogged about the SFAA events on Mt. Tam, where there are great lectures by…
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Homeboy Astronomy Blog
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Planets in October 2009 in Northern Hemisphere
11 Oct 2009 | 2:21 pmPhew! It was a loooong break. As you can see, my previous post is from last Christmas. It has been really busy ride at my work, so I had to skip blogging this site. Now the situation looks better, so it is time to continue writing Homeboy’s Astronomy Blog. Today I am going to present you which planets can be observed on northern hemisphere during October 2009. Right now it is a bit rare situation, because one can observe all seven planets during one night. Naturally it depends much on your location on planet, but for example here in Finland all planets can be seen on . This kind of… -
Merry Christmas to All Homeboy Astronomy Readers
23 Dec 2008 | 11:31 pmMerry Christmas to all our readers. Take it relaxed and enjoy the wonderful time of Christmas. We are going to eat a lot, open and give gifts, read books and just be together with our families. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Photo: krisdecurtis -
Planets in December 2008
5 Dec 2008 | 1:10 pmOh boy, it was a long break! I’m sorry for this blogging hiatus. I’ve been very busy at work lately, and therefore I haven’t been able to write much. Anyhow, now the rush seems to be over and I can continue writing some astronomy articles. Astronomy season here in northern hemisphere is currently ongoing and the activity of astronomy bloggers is high. I just received the latest Finnish astronomy magazine and noticed that again they have published several awesome pictures shot by their readers. Winter is great time. Not just because of Christmas and snow, but also the… -
NASA Was Able to Predict the Meteoroid Dropping to Sudan
11 Oct 2008 | 8:38 pmFew days ago a small meteoroid dropped into the atmosphere above Sudan, and NASA was able to predict this phenomenon. 2 meters wide meteoroid that dropped into our atmosphere and burned into pieces, was no threat the life on Earth. Although this small meteoroid was no dangerous, it must have lightened up the sky over Africa. Similar bolidi was seen in Finland few months ago. “This is the very first time we predicted an object before hitting the planet“, says Don Yeomans from NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). “We predict that this kind of object fall into our atmosphere… -
Planets in Northern Hemisphere in October 2008
2 Oct 2008 | 9:58 amThere are four planets we can see in northern hemisphere in October 2008. Unfortunately the planets won’t be close to each other in October, but Mercury has something interesting going on in this month. Let’s now have a look what’s up with the planets in northern hemisphere in October 2008. Shortly said, Uranus and Neptune can be seen during early night, while Jupiter can be seen already on twilight, and Saturn climbs to the sky on early morning. What planets can be seen in October 2008 in northern hemisphere? Next we’ll describe how you can find planets in October…
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Astronomy Cameras Blog
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Another Gigantic Lunar Image
5 Nov 2009 | 2:34 amWe received this complete view of the Moon yesterday from German astronomy amateur Petros Pissias. He took all the images with his DMK 21AU04.AS astronomy camera on 30.Oct.2009. Click to open the original 1.6MB image. Here is what he wrote in the email: I would like to send you this image of the moon, it is a mosaic of 25 images, each of which was a stack of 300 frames. The equipment used was my 6″ f/8 newtonian, an IRpass filter and the DMK 21AU04. The alignment / stacking was done in Avistack, the wavelets in Registax and the composition in photoshop. This was shot on 30.10.2009… -
Jupiter Picture by David Kennedy
4 Nov 2009 | 7:09 amAustralian astronomy amateur David Kennedy bought DBK 21AU04.AS astronomy camera not long ago. He had his first try with the camera on Oct.21 and managed to photograph the following Jupiter picture that night. Jupiter He wrote in email: I’ve only just recently purchased a DBK 21AU04.AS and have limited experience with imaging equipment but I managed to take this photo of Jupiter on the first night out with the camera (21st October 10:08:20 UT). I’m situated in Melbourne, Australia and I’m using a Meade 8″ SCT from the mid 1990’s, HEQ5 Pro mount, and a 2.5x… -
Solar Images by Adriano Amadori
1 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pmThe following solar images are captured by Italina astronomy amateur Adriano Amadori based in Verona. His camera model is DMK 21AU04.AS. Some info on it: 20 sec at 15 fps -> 298 frames. After capture , Registax 5 and Photoshop and very simple. Equipment: Tal 100,H-Alpha Cromixun 0,7 Ang , IR Cut Astronomik,Barlow 2x Meade,Prisma di Herschel Intes,ND 1,8 / 3,00 Continuum Baader. Thank you Adriano! Good job! -
Jupiter and its Moons
29 Oct 2009 | 9:17 pmThis Jupiter picture comes from Canadian astronomy amateur Steve Platsis. He took this picture in September on his condo terrace downtown Toronto. The camera he used is DBK 31AF03.AS. Picture of Jupiter and its Moons Here is what he told us in the email: My name is Steve Platsis. I enjoy as a hobby (when I get clear skies) the opportunity to image I have a simple website that I upload some images to share with friends and the world at http://www.astroxchange.com. I haven’t seen too many images using the DBK 31AF03.AS series, so I thought I would submit mine. I find the camera… -
ISS-Moon Transit
29 Oct 2009 | 4:00 amBased in Rüsselsheim, Germany, Dr. Bernhard Christ captured the view of ISS Moon Transit on 14th of Oct with his DMK 31AF03.AS astronomy camera. ISS Moon Transit ISS Moon Transit I translated part of his email from German: This is a rare chance we should take. … … The overall ISS Moon transit time was approximately 04. second. At 07:17 on the morning of 14.10.2009, I used my TheImagingSource astronomy camera and imaged this view. Optics include a Orion ED80-Refractor, camera DMK31AF03.AS with frame rate of 30fps. After processing the captured AVI file, I got 6 pictures. The…
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sci.astro Google Group
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Re: Our 0.1
6 Nov 2009 | 11:39 pmI’ve gotten pretty much nothing but the usual damage-control and naysay gauntlet of systematic topic/author grief and avoidance about our potentially hollow moon, anf therefore I’ve revised this topic introduction from my original rant of “The 1~10% hollow moon” as to “Our 0.1<1% hollow moon”, and not that it really matters because the -
Our 0.1
6 Nov 2009 | 10:56 pmWhere’s the objective evidence that our Selene/moon is not the least bit hollow? Where's our public funded science pertaining to the Earth-moon L1 (Selene L1)? Since most everything original about our Apollo mission obtained science is either missing or remains as need-to-know or inaccessible, where's the other 99.9% of our public funded LRO science? -
Re: ? A JEW NAMED TURCAUD
6 Nov 2009 | 10:32 pm"Greatest Embarrasment to France of all Times" < Boofhead_Turc...@neuf.fr > wrote in message 2. Which model deity did you acquire? __ Yahweh __ Jehovah __ Jesus __ Krishna __ Father, Son and Holy Ghost [Trinity Pak] __ Zeus and entourage [Olympus Pak] __ Odin and entourage [Valhalla Pak] __ Allah and Muhamad (Muslim Pak) -
Re: WHY EINSTEIN STILL RULES
6 Nov 2009 | 9:57 pmCosmological observations should not be used as evidence for or against fundamental theories (Einstein's relativity) for the simple reason that they are contaminated with lots of explicit or implicit auxiliary hypotheses, hypotheses that do not belong to the fundamental theory. In the case discussed below the observation that high-energy -
Re: ? A JEW NAMED MOHAMMED !
6 Nov 2009 | 9:49 pm*> 1) Hindus have 36 crores of gods - 360 million deities. How is *> India doing? G'day Uncle Al, Nice to spin in a yarn about those interesting aspects of Humans' superstitions ... so, re the Hindus ' gods, it is an indication there too of immaturity... further still most of Hindus' gods are direct ref to
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uk.sci.astronomy Google Group
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Re: Sirius and us, Newtonian inseparable / FAS & Brad Guth
5 Nov 2009 | 11:09 pmSo, why is the Newtonian law of gravity not apply to Sol and Sirius? (but of course it does) ~ BG -
Heads up - BBC Radio 4 - Leading Edge 21:02 Thurs 5 Nov
5 Nov 2009 | 10:55 amSCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTARY: Leading Edge On: BBC Radio Four Time: 21:00 to 21:30 (30 minutes long) Geoff Watts hears from meteorite hunters who scour the deserts of Arizona and Australia and the ice of Canada and Antarctica to seek out extra-terrestrial rocks. He meets those who analyse them, using traces -
Re: The Ping-Pong Ball and The Sun / S D Rodrian
4 Nov 2009 | 3:52 amOn Nov 1, 3:39 am, Tomm Carr Thank God! I hate it when my conclusions are flawed because of very complex reasons. See: This is why there should be a law against those TV programs that reveal how the tricks of magicians like me are done. That's in the other forces' work contract. You're thinking of a bowling ball there, friend: -
Re: GHD Straightening irons www.pickusshoes.com
31 Oct 2009 | 2:22 pm[link] Log on to Find out how you can make money by clicking my Web Site. You will find good Affiiliates for health products, such as EDTA-Oral Chelation, Apricot kernels for cancer treament, Other affiliates are for Computer, household products, Satellite TV (You may watch International Channel on -
Re: From Gamma to Eta Cygnus in H-Alpha: big mosaic
30 Oct 2009 | 6:22 amExcellent, Danilo! It isn't until "the big picture" is seen that you realise just how much gas and dust there is in many areas of the sky. Far too many folk image an object (eg the Crescent nebula) and use software to remove all of the background, perhaps assuming it is noise or gradients. Personally, I prefer to keep it in the image, if it is genuine emission.
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Are We Alone? - Science Radio for Thinking Species
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Do Computers Byte?
2 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amThe march of computer technology continues. But as silicon chips and search engines become faster and more productive – can the same be said for us? The creator of Wolfram Alpha describes how his new “computational knowledge engine” is changing – and improving – how we process information. Meanwhile, suffering from data and distraction burnout? Find out what extremes some folks take to stop their search engines. Also, the Singularity sensation of humans merging with machines… and, why for the ancient Greeks all of this is “been, there, done that.” A deep sea dive turns up… -
Skeptic Check: Mind Your Body
26 Oct 2009 | 12:00 amPopping a pill may help when you’re sick… but maybe not for the reasons you think. Sugar pills – placebos – cure illness better than prescription pills in as many as half of all cases in clinical trials … and the placebo effect is getting stronger. Plus, the safety – or otherwise – of electromagnetic waves, and the “electro-sensitive” refugees who have built a camp to protect themselves from waves they say are causing pain. Is it all in their minds? And, New York Times reporter Dennis Overbye joins Phil Plait on the latest lapse in critically-thinking brains –… -
Seth's Storage Locker
19 Oct 2009 | 12:00 amIt’s always an adventure to go digging in Seth’s storage locker – who knows what we’ll find … In this imposing pile of paraphernalia, tucked between boxes of socket wrenches and old 45s, we stumble upon the hunt for extrasolar planets, the evidence for water on moons of the solar system, theories of language, a controversial hypothesis for the peopling of the Americas, and a new dinosaur fossil. Guests: Steve Brusatte – Vertebrate paleontologist from the American Museum of Natural History in New York Steven Pinker – Psychologist, Harvard University Geoff Marcy… -
Extreme Geology
12 Oct 2009 | 12:00 amWe think of major geologic events as taking place a long time ago – but the Earth is just as active as it ever was. We’re a planet in motion. Discover why earthquakes might be increasing worldwide… descend into daring cave exploration… and take a trip to Hawaii where new volcanoes are gurgling up right now. Plus – the supervolcano under Yellowstone Park… when might it erupt again? Guests: Robert Nadeau – Geologist, University of California, Berkeley Seismological Laboratory and part of a team from Rice University researching the San Andreas Fault Joel Achenbach –… -
Say What?
5 Oct 2009 | 12:00 amThere’s no escape from the chattering classes – they talk, squawk, squeal and sing all around us. Every animal communicates in some form – it’s essential for survival. They’ve evolved to understand each other … but do we understand them? Find out what’s coded in humpback whale song and whether human-cetacean dialogue is possible… how information theory reveals communication patterns within the animal kingdom… how plants call out to animals to protect them… and why only humans evolved language. Guests: Douglas Carlton Abrams – Author of Eye of the Whale: A Novel…
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StarDate
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Moon, Mars, and Gemini - StarDate: November 7
6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmA pair of unrelated twins. (Note: Audio will be available tomorrow.) -
Regal Explosions, Part 2 - StarDate: November 6
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmA bashful exploding star. -
Regal Explosions - StarDate: November 5
4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmA little star that packed a punch. -
Gamma Cassiopeia - StarDate: November 4
3 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmLooking into the future of a giant. -
Cassiopeia - StarDate: November 3
2 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmNobility and vanity in the stars.
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About.com: Astronomy
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Elevator To Space
5 Nov 2009 | 9:47 amI can almost here it now: Elevator door opens... "What floor sir?" "Space Station Please." "Yes sir." Sound ridiculous? Well, yeah, it is actually. But, the idea of an elevator to space may be a reality sooner than you might think. The 2009 Space Elevator games are under way, and there have already been some interesting developments. For those of you not familiar the the competition, NASA has put up a $2 million prize for anyone who can construct a prototype elevator capable of taking a heavy payload up one kilometer in the air. In order to qualify for a part of the prize money, a team must… -
Lunar Landers Take Flight
3 Nov 2009 | 9:15 amAfter a suspenseful race to the finish, NASA handed out a $1 million prize to Masten Space Systems. The company, based in California, participated in the Northrup Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. The Armadillo team out of Texas earned the $500,000 second place prize. Each team that competed had to design, build and fly a module from one landing pad to another, and then return. They only had 135 minutes to complete the tasks, and were judged based on the precision and accuracy of their landings. The Masten team had difficulty getting their craft ready to fly for their scheduled attempts on… -
Scientists Detect Most Distance Object Ever Seen
2 Nov 2009 | 6:09 amOnly 630 million years after the creation of the Universe a super-massive star exploded in a violent supernova. The energy from this explosion has been traveling across the Universe ever since, more than 13 billion years. This event marks the most distant object ever observed. These types of events, known as a gamma-ray burst or GRB, typically occur at least twice a week on average. However, this is the oldest event ever recorded, besting the previous mark by 150 million years. GRBs are important to understanding the Universe as they allow us to "see" events that occurred billions of years… -
Latest iPhone App From NASA
29 Oct 2009 | 4:21 amLove space and astronomy? Have an iPhone (I wish)? Well the ultimate geek tool is now available -- a new iPhone app that will allow you to keep up on all things NASA anywhere, anytime! The new free application, developed by NASA themselves, has four functions: Missions, Videos, Images, and Updates. The video and image functions will give you access to NASAs vast archive of, well, images and videos. The mission function gives you access to information about any of NASAs many satellites, shuttle launches, Moon missions, rocket tests... well you get the idea. But if you just want to know what… -
Ares 1-X Test Launch A Success
28 Oct 2009 | 4:33 pmA prototype of NASA's new rocket, the Ares 1-X, took its first test flight this morning. After being delayed for more than 24 hours due to weather concerns, the launch went as smoothly as could be expected. The flight was designed to test new design and technology features for future NASA rockets. During the two and a half minutes before burn out -- when the rocket engine shuts off -- the Ares 1-X performed several trajectory maneuvers. Ultimately the rocket reached speeds well over twice the speed of sound and soared to more than 22 miles above the Earth. These tests are very important as…
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A Pacific View
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A photo book?
4 Nov 2009 | 11:51 pmProtege over at "Life Through Reflections" very kindly suggested I publish a book with the pictures in my blog. In fact I did try this exact thing a few months ago, a simple photo book using Blurb but the result wasn't what I'd hoped for. I don't think it was anything to do with Blurb, but the quality of the photos in the book were quite poor which I'm sure was down to the pictures I used.Since then I think my photography skills have improved a little bit so I'm willing to give things another try. One of the problems, though, is that I'm on a dialup at home so using a web-based photo book… -
Another day at the office
3 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmThe MKWC weather forecast wasn't good, the evening should be fine but come the second half of the night the inversion layer was expected to break down and we stood a good chance of fog at the summit. This meant we had to get going early because I had a few engineering tasks I really wanted to get done which required decent conditions and a dome that was in equilibrium with the outside air temperature. Having a warm dome compared to the atmosphere means you get local turbulence which has quite an impact on image quality, and that would hurt our planned tests.Still, there was time to wander… -
All quiet on the western front
3 Nov 2009 | 12:48 amIt's the beginning of another long night of observing on Mauna Kea, but it seems very quiet. Looking around, there seem to be far fewer tourists than usual and even my spot just outside the UKIRT is completely deserted. There are certainly a few tour groups on the summit this evening but the road is usually quite busy with people walking between viewing spots and it was empty when I took the picture below. Incidentally, if you look closely you can just see the shadow of Mauna Kea on the right hand side of the photo.Perhaps it's because it's Monday... -
Why I wait until after sunset
1 Nov 2009 | 1:13 amThis is your typical tourist shot, the sunset looks great to your eye but try and capture the shot with a camera and you have one nasty bright sun in the photo. Even this took a bit of an effort to get a little detail on the observatories despite that setting sun!The colours in the sky for 20 to 30 minutes after sunset are simply awesome even if I hate that word! It's worth hanging around for that long just to get a good photo from Mauna Kea's summit. It's worth the wait even if you freeze your bollocks off (apologies to the ladies).And put that flash away. I can't believe the number of… -
Probing the cosmological dark ages
31 Oct 2009 | 12:01 amThe research papers are officially published and the record breaking observation we made a few months ago is now out there for everyone to read about. It's a strange feeling because I don't think I made much of a scientific contribution to this, Nial Tanvir and Ruben Salvaterra's teams were certainly the people that should take all the credit, but as luck would have it Thor Wold and myself were the first to image and detect the most distant object ever seen in the universe from the ground! Our 20-minute observation, done despite gale-force summit winds, showed that the gamma-ray burst was…
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Remanzacco Observatory - Comets & Neo
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NOVA SAGITTARII 2009 No. 4
27 Oct 2009 | 6:29 amCbet circular No. 1994, issued on 2009 Oct. 26, announces the discovery by K. Nishiyama and F. Kabashima of an apparent new Nova (mag 9.3) on images taken with a 105-mm f/4 camera lens in the course of their nova survey. Nothing is visible on their two recent survey frames taken on 20 & 21 October 2009 (limiting magnitude 13.9).On our images taken on October 27.09 through a 0.25-m, f/3.4 reflector + CCD, near Mayhill (NM), we can confirm the presence of an optical counterpart with unfiltered CCD magnitude about 9.0 (USNO-B1 Catalogue reference stars) at coordinates:R.A. = 18 31 32.81,… -
Alan Young Award 2009
26 Oct 2009 | 6:36 amWe have just received news that our team members Ernesto Guido & Giovanni Sostero have been awarded the 2009 "Alan Young" Award by the readers of "The Astronomer" magazine. TA is a magazine for the advanced amateur with the "aim to publish all observations of astronomical interest as soon as possible after they are made". The magazine has been published monthly since 1964 and subscribers are found all over the world.The award is in memory of the late Alan Young.Congratulations to Ernesto & Giovanni!!!The Team -
Netherlands Fireball - October 13, 2009
15 Oct 2009 | 9:01 amA bright fireball has been reported to streak across the sky in the Netherlands by many observers at approximately 1658 UT on Oct. 13th. The bolide breaks apart into a half-dozen fragments, and a trail in the sky remained visible for many minutes. (Credit: Jan de Vries) (Credit: Robert Mikaelyan, The Netherlands) (Credit: Maciej Libert, The Netherlands)According to Spaceweather website: "Royal Dutch Meteorology Institute listening post detected strong infrasound (low-frequency sound) waves, apparently confirming a high-altitude breakup event":http://bit.ly/3MTfGXMore images of both the… -
New Comet Discovery: P/2009 QG31
30 Sep 2009 | 8:25 amIAU circular No. 9078, issued on 2009, Sept. 29, announces that an asteroidal object, discovered with a 0.45-m f/2.8 reflector + CCD by the "La Sagra Sky Survey" (Spain), has been reported to show cometary features by several observers, involved in its astrometric follow-up.Our attention to this object with a peculiar orbit, has been drawn by one member of the "La Sagra" staff (R. Stoss, 2009 Sept. 10, private communication). Then we planned an observing campaign, asking some help to other fellow observers of the CARA collaboration (namely, P. Bacci, E. Bryssinck and R. Ligustri).Our first… -
New Comet Discovery: P/2009 S2 (McNAUGHT)
28 Sep 2009 | 4:50 amIAUC nr. 9075, issued on 2009 Sept. 24th, announces the discovery of another comet by Robert McNaught, named P/2009 S2. This object has been picked-up by McNaught on 2009, Sept.20.7 in the southern constellation of Fornax, at about magnitude 19.We performed some follow-up of this target remotely on 2009, Sept. 24.36 with a 0.25-m, f/3.4 reflector + CCD (near Mayhill, NM). Stacking of 15 unfiltered exposures, 120-seconds each, showed a coma nearly 10" in diameter, remarkably elongated in the same direction of a narrow tail, that was measured to be about 14" long in p.a. 255 deg.Our image is…
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365 Days of Astronomy
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November 6th: SOFIA – Flight Tests and the Promise of New Science
6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amDate: November 6, 2009 Title: SOFIA – Flight Tests and the Promise of New Science Podcaster: Martin Ratcliffe Organization: SOFIA Science Center, NASA Ames Research Center Description: SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is about to begin detailed flight testing, leading to its official “First Light” flight. SOFIA houses a 2.5-meter telescope in the tail of a converted 747-SP Jumbo Jet. Flying above 99% of atmospheric water vapor, the telescope will study a wide range of astronomical objects over its expected 20-year lifetime. Come on board… -
November 5th: Earth and Sky: Together at Last! Part 2
5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amDate: November 5, 2009 Title: Earth and Sky: Together at Last! Part 2 Podcaster: Alan Perkins Organization: Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University: http://tornado.sfsu.edu/ Description: The disciplines of astronomy and geology, which used to be separate, are working together in the new field of planetary science. The episode also discusses how discoveries in astronomy and geology are useful in the study of the other field. Examples might be how geology assists in the understanding of other celestial objects, such as Titan. On the other hand, knowledge… -
November 4th: Top 10 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Astronomy!
4 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amDate: November 4, 2009 Title: Top 10 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Astronomy! Podcaster: Damian Handzy Organization: None Description: Whether you’re a parent, an educator, an aunt or uncle, or just want to show people some cool stuff about astronomy, this podcast gives practical ideas of how to share some of the amazing things astronomy has to teach us. How can you get kids excited about astronomy? What experiments can you do with kids? What games can you play that teach kids some aspect of astronomy? Since kids (and adults) learn by doing, seeing, acting, and taking… -
November 3rd: WISE – Mapping the Sky in Infrared Light
2 Nov 2009 | 4:34 pmDate: November 3, 2009 Title: WISE – Mapping the Sky in Infrared Light Podcaster: Bryan Mendez Organization: Center for Science Education at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/ Description: The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a NASA-funded Explorer mission that will capture invisible, infrared light from the universe to create a catalog of hundreds of millions of astronomical objects. WISE will find the nearest stars to the Sun, brown dwarfs too cool to be detected in visible light. It will also study objects ranging from… -
November 2nd: Cassini’s Deepest Plume Passage: The “E7″ Flyby of Enceladus
2 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amDate: November 2, 2009 Title: Cassini's Deepest Plume Passage: The "E7" Flyby of Enceladus Podcaster: Anne Verbiscer Organization: University of Virginia Astronomy Description: Today the Cassini Spacecraft makes its 7th flyby of Saturn's enigmatic moon Enceladus. The trajectory takes the spacecraft deeper into the moon's icy plumes than ever before, skimming a mere 100 kilometers (62.5 miles) above the jet sources found at the small moon's south pole. (Enceladus itself is only 500 kilometers (or 300 miles) in diameter.) Such a close flyby through the plumes presents the…
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The Daily Astronomer
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[DA November 6, 2009] Quiz: Weather and Space Weather
6 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amFrom the USM Southworth Planetarium “Every second in energy abounds” THE DAILY ASTRONOMER November 6, 2009 Quiz: Weather and Space Weather Those of us fortunate enough to reside in the nation’s right earlobe experienced snow on Thursday morning. Some citizens rejoiced at this frozen precipitation, for they revel in the change of seasons and are anxiously awaiting another winter of brisk air and crystalline snows. With the exception of these 3 – 4 people, the rest of us are in a state of lock-jawed distress. In honour of this transition, we offer a quiz about weather… -
[DA November 5, 2009] The Down and Out of Dark Energy
5 Nov 2009 | 5:54 amFrom the USM Southworth Planetarium “…and that’s just the half of it.” THE DAILY ASTRONOMER November 5, 2009 The Down and Out of Dark Energy What happened in the beginning…. The prevalent theory is that the Universe took form after the Big Bang, an inflationary event in which matter, energy and spacetime were created. The Big Bang Theory developed after early 20th century astronomers observed distant galaxies moving away from us in all directions. The assumption was that a singular event caused this expansion: an event that we now call the Big Bang, a term coined… -
Telescope Workshop December 2, 2009
4 Nov 2009 | 3:40 pmTHE USM SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM 207-780-4249 www.usm.maine.edu/planet TELESCOPE WORKSHOP December 2, 2009 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Southworth Planetarium “Telescope,” according to Ambrose Bierce in his work “The Devil’s Dictionary,” is defined as “A device having a relation to the eye similar to that of the telephone to the ear, enabling distant objects to plague us with a multitude of needless details. Luckily it is unprovided with a bell summoning us to the sacrifice.” Well. Be they adored or detested; fear or revered, the telescope is one of… -
“Music-Science-Religion” a planetarium presentation based on Haydn’s “Creation”
3 Nov 2009 | 9:33 pmThursday, November 12, 2009 7:00 p.m. The Southworth Planetarium invites you to an evening of music and cosmology with a live action presentation based on Haydn’s “Creation.” During “Music-Science-Religion,” Dr. Jerry LaSala takes his audience on a tour of the infant universe set to the music of Haydn’s creation. This planetarium program is offered in conjunction with the USM Music Department’s performance of Haydn’s Creation. Experience the music and the early epoch of the cosmos in our star dome theatre. Professor Robert Russell will begin the event with a brief… -
[DA November 4, 2009] Sea God World Stand Still
3 Nov 2009 | 9:30 pmFrom the USM Southworth Planetarium “A cohort of kiddlequicks” THE DAILY ASTRONOMER November 4, 2009 Sea God World Stand Still Now that we’re on the subject of planetary motion, it is worth some time to discuss the concept of stationary planets. The term itself seems like an oxymoron, for the word “planet,” derives from the Greek word “planetes,” meaning “wanderer.” Planets earned this name because they exhibit motions independent of the background stars. As we would eventually discover, all planets, including the one on which we live,…
