Hey Space Placers!
There will be a meeting held by NASA on observing Comet ISON August 1-2 which will be carried via Livestream. The workshop will discuss what space based assets will be used to observe the comet as it comes in by Mars, passes by the Moon and swings around the Sun.
This is a tune up for how and with what observers will observe this denizen from the deep of the solar system.
If you can't watch it live the workshop will be archived.
Get details here: http://www.jhuapl.edu/newscenter/pressreleases/2013/130715_image1.asp
Sky Guy in VA
A personal daily comment on astronomy along with space missions, NASA, observing and lots more.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Sky Guy ALERT 7-29-13 6 P.M. EDT Live Telescope Views of Large Asteroid 2003 DZ15
Hey Space Placers
Just learned about a live telescope feed of an asteroid flyby tonight - check out the details here:
http://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2013/07/02/near-earth-asteroid-2003-dz15-close-encounter-online-event-28-july-2013/
Sky Guy in VA
Just learned about a live telescope feed of an asteroid flyby tonight - check out the details here:
http://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2013/07/02/near-earth-asteroid-2003-dz15-close-encounter-online-event-28-july-2013/
Sky Guy in VA
Lunar Influence on Heart Surgery and Sleep Cycle
Hey SPace Placers!
Interesting research on how the Moon affects humans.....
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-07/thinking-having-heart-surgery-save-it-full-moon
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57595737/is-full-moon-ruining-your-full-nights-sleep-study-says-yes/
One thing is certain, our planet and the Moon affect each other, the Moon more so on the Earth in terms of tides and light at night. If there are humans on the Moon someday in colonies, I am sure the Earth will be a sight to behold in the lunar sky.
The Moon has stabilized Earth's spin on its axis which has led to consistency in sunlight, seasons and weather - all good for life to develop and thrive.
Sky Guy in VA
Interesting research on how the Moon affects humans.....
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-07/thinking-having-heart-surgery-save-it-full-moon
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57595737/is-full-moon-ruining-your-full-nights-sleep-study-says-yes/
One thing is certain, our planet and the Moon affect each other, the Moon more so on the Earth in terms of tides and light at night. If there are humans on the Moon someday in colonies, I am sure the Earth will be a sight to behold in the lunar sky.
The Moon has stabilized Earth's spin on its axis which has led to consistency in sunlight, seasons and weather - all good for life to develop and thrive.
Sky Guy in VA
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Comet ISON Photobomb
Hey Space Placers!
You have to go to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) website to see this pic in full view - it is stunning. Although it is 3-months old, it shows a beautiful tail on Comet ISON floating amongst foreground stars of our galaxy and distant galaxies.
Try to view it in the dark and take in the expanse of the Universe - our solar system, the stars of the Milky Way Galaxy and island universes that are visible. This is a classic......
The link is here: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2013/31/
Sky Guy in VA
You have to go to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) website to see this pic in full view - it is stunning. Although it is 3-months old, it shows a beautiful tail on Comet ISON floating amongst foreground stars of our galaxy and distant galaxies.
Try to view it in the dark and take in the expanse of the Universe - our solar system, the stars of the Milky Way Galaxy and island universes that are visible. This is a classic......
The link is here: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2013/31/
Sky Guy in VA
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Sky Guy Viewing ALERT-Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower
Hey Space Placers!
The Delta Aquariid meteor shower starts tonight and will continue to peak until July 31st. This shower is visible as far north as Canada but the hourly rates of the number of meteors seen improves the farther south you are.
The Delta Aquariid meteor shower starts tonight and will continue to peak until July 31st. This shower is visible as far north as Canada but the hourly rates of the number of meteors seen improves the farther south you are.
Here is an excellent article on how to see the meteor shower: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/Catch-a-Shooting-Star-216158451.html
And the best news is that this is just a warm up for the Perseid Meteor Shower which will delight us in August. I'll have more on that in the weeks to come.
Good hunting and clear skies!
Sky Guy in VA
Friday, July 26, 2013
Check Out Bill Nye the Science Guy on Asteroid Defense
Hey Space Placers!
Check out the new video by Bill Nye, the Science Guy, which discusses asteroids and defense against them.
Gives you a lot of information in 7 minutes - well worth your time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agdvt9M3NJA&feature=c4-overview&list=UUC552Sd-3nyi_tk2BudLUzA
Sky Guy in VA
Check out the new video by Bill Nye, the Science Guy, which discusses asteroids and defense against them.
Gives you a lot of information in 7 minutes - well worth your time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agdvt9M3NJA&feature=c4-overview&list=UUC552Sd-3nyi_tk2BudLUzA
Sky Guy in VA
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Curiosity From Orbit
Hey Space Placers!
Here is the view of NASA's Curiosity lab-rover from orbit:
Here is the view of NASA's Curiosity lab-rover from orbit:
The photo was taken from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's (MRO) HIRISE canera. You can see the landing area on the left where the red dust of Mars was blasted away. The rover's tracks can be seen leading to Curiosity herself, the bright blue spot. Read More About It:
Curiosity just completed her longest drive so far of the mission on July 21, going a shade over 100 meters.
Read More About It: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20130723.html
Sky Guy in VA
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Comet ISON Coming to Life
Hey Space Placers!
Even COmet ISON is still a third of a billion miles out from the Sun the comet is coming to life spewing dust and probably carbon dioxide gas as seen in these pics from NASA:
Even COmet ISON is still a third of a billion miles out from the Sun the comet is coming to life spewing dust and probably carbon dioxide gas as seen in these pics from NASA:
Monday, July 22, 2013
Tune In to the Latest on Pluto
Hey Space Placers!
We are 2 years from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flying by Pluto.
Scientists associated with the mission are holding a conference from July 22 to July 26 and you can tune in here: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/20130722.php.
You can tune in to a live presentation on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. EDT given by Dr. Alan Stern, New Horizons Principal Investigator. Tune in by clicking on the link above and going to the "webcast live" link.
Sky Guy in VA
We are 2 years from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flying by Pluto.
Scientists associated with the mission are holding a conference from July 22 to July 26 and you can tune in here: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/20130722.php.
You can tune in to a live presentation on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. EDT given by Dr. Alan Stern, New Horizons Principal Investigator. Tune in by clicking on the link above and going to the "webcast live" link.
Sky Guy in VA
Apollo 11 F-1 Engine Found
Hey Space Placers!
A Saturn-V first stage F-1 rocket engine recently recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic off of Cape Kennedy has been positively identified as being from the Apollo 11 mission.
Jeff Bezos' expedition to find the F-1's on the floor of the Atlantic recently recovered enough hardware to make up two F-1's. His dream was to be lucky enough to find an engine from the Apollo 11 mission.
Each Saturn V had five F-1's in its' first stage. With 10 apollo missions - 8 through 17 - that's 50 engines total, so the odds were pretty high against recovering one from Apollo 11.
Luck however was with Jeff as he announced on July 19 the recovery of engine serial number 2044, the number 5, or center engine of Apollo 11's Saturn V S-1C first stage:
Jeff will continue to restore the engines and they will eventually end up on display. Read More About It: http://www.bezosexpeditions.com/updates.html
F-1 Engine |
Read about the F-1 engine: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/f1_engine.html#.Ue1EjBYbRFJ
Sky Guy in VA
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Here We Are From Saturn
Hey Space Placers!
Take a look at us in a raw image from almost 900 million miles away:
Take a look at us in a raw image from almost 900 million miles away:
This image is in color and cropped:
While they may not look like much, you have to remember the distance and the size of the subjects in the camera - Earth and our Moon are not very large.
Pretty amazing that a spacecraft we sent to Saturn takes our picture which is sent such a far distance to be processed and shared worldwide on the Internet.
Our planetary portrait from Mercury should be out soon.
Sky Guy in VA
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Happy 44th Anniversary Tranquility Base
Hey Space Placers!
44 years ago the world held its breath while the Apollo 11 Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) "Eagle" carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin came in for a landing at the Sea of Tranquility. Watching Walter Cronkite and astronaut Wally Schirra on CBS News was spell binding. I still have the Kodak Ektachrome 200 slides I took of the TV broadcast.
Listening to the live feed from Mission Control one could sense the tension, even through the TV. The worrisome 1201 and 1202 alarms, and then the "60 seconds" call for the amount of fuel remaining - all added up to the world watching and waiting.
When Neil gave the call, "Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed", you could feel the planet wide relief and instant exhilaration. I don't think there has been a shared POSITIVE world wide moment like that since then.
Neil and Buzz would explore the Moon for a few hours and get the all important science experiments deployed and pick up lunar samples. All went well with the remainder of the mission and they fulfilled the second part of President Kennedy's mandate of "before this decade is out landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth."
The full measure of Apollo was never realized as budget cuts to pay for the Vietnam War and other troubles in America cancelled Apollo 18, 19 and 20 - spacecraft and rockets bought and paid for to go to the Moon on the most scientifically interesting and longest duration missions abandoned.
Mankind has not been back in person since. One wonders if America will ever return to the Moon with manned missions - the Chinese will and possibly others.
NASA and other world wide organizations keep the dream of space exploration alive. I can only hope that the current and future Congress keep funding flowing for manned and unmanned space missions.
Go out and look at the almost Full Moon tonight - the image above shows where the Sea of Tranquility is. Also go to Tranquility Base courtesy of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and see the hardware and footsteps left behind: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/apollo-11.html
I hope humans go back to stay one day.
Sky Guy in VA
44 years ago the world held its breath while the Apollo 11 Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) "Eagle" carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin came in for a landing at the Sea of Tranquility. Watching Walter Cronkite and astronaut Wally Schirra on CBS News was spell binding. I still have the Kodak Ektachrome 200 slides I took of the TV broadcast.
Listening to the live feed from Mission Control one could sense the tension, even through the TV. The worrisome 1201 and 1202 alarms, and then the "60 seconds" call for the amount of fuel remaining - all added up to the world watching and waiting.
When Neil gave the call, "Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed", you could feel the planet wide relief and instant exhilaration. I don't think there has been a shared POSITIVE world wide moment like that since then.
Image from Lunasociety |
The full measure of Apollo was never realized as budget cuts to pay for the Vietnam War and other troubles in America cancelled Apollo 18, 19 and 20 - spacecraft and rockets bought and paid for to go to the Moon on the most scientifically interesting and longest duration missions abandoned.
Mankind has not been back in person since. One wonders if America will ever return to the Moon with manned missions - the Chinese will and possibly others.
NASA and other world wide organizations keep the dream of space exploration alive. I can only hope that the current and future Congress keep funding flowing for manned and unmanned space missions.
Go out and look at the almost Full Moon tonight - the image above shows where the Sea of Tranquility is. Also go to Tranquility Base courtesy of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and see the hardware and footsteps left behind: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/apollo-11.html
I hope humans go back to stay one day.
Sky Guy in VA
Friday, July 19, 2013
Smile - You're On Two Spacecraft Cameras
Hey Space Placers!
Today and tomorrow we on Earth will have our picture taken by spacecraft cameras onboard Cassini at Saturn (Friday) and MESSENGER at Mercury (Saturday).
The 'net is abuzz about this photobombing that will take place and it is pretty cool to think that we will have a chance to see ourselves from two different viewpoints within the solar system.
Since my blog on June 19 about the Saturn photo shoot, MESSENGER scientists realized that their spacecraft would have a photo opportunity with planet Earth on Saturday, July 20th, so they will be clicking away as well.
I look forward to seeing us with the backdrop of Saturn's rings and the perspective from Mercury.
Neither planet will be visible to Northern Hemisphere residents when the pics are taken, but Saturn will be visible in the southwest after sunset, so take a wave anyway.
Read More ABout It here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-225
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/17jul_waveatsaturn/
and here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=U4-nxib2J_g
Sky Guy in VA
Today and tomorrow we on Earth will have our picture taken by spacecraft cameras onboard Cassini at Saturn (Friday) and MESSENGER at Mercury (Saturday).
The 'net is abuzz about this photobombing that will take place and it is pretty cool to think that we will have a chance to see ourselves from two different viewpoints within the solar system.
Since my blog on June 19 about the Saturn photo shoot, MESSENGER scientists realized that their spacecraft would have a photo opportunity with planet Earth on Saturday, July 20th, so they will be clicking away as well.
I look forward to seeing us with the backdrop of Saturn's rings and the perspective from Mercury.
Neither planet will be visible to Northern Hemisphere residents when the pics are taken, but Saturn will be visible in the southwest after sunset, so take a wave anyway.
Read More ABout It here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-225
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/17jul_waveatsaturn/
and here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=U4-nxib2J_g
Sky Guy in VA
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Curiosity Drives Past The 1 KM Mark
Hey Space Placers!
The nuclear powered lab Curiosity has passed a significant milestone in that the "odometer" reads over 1 KM traveled in Gale Crater. The rover passed the milestone on the 335th day on the Martian surface.
To commemorate the event Curiosity took a picture of the terrain where the odometer passed 1 KM.
.
The ultimate destination for Curiosity lies in the upper left of the picture - Mount Sharp. Curiosity is heading towards Mt. Sharp and will hit the lower slopes in about 8 KM. Boy, what a site that is going to be - seeing Mt. Sharp growing ever larger and the destination slopes ever closer.
Stay tuned - the best is yet to come.
Read More About It: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-222
Sky Guy in VA
UPDATED 7-17-13 1 p.m. EDT Press Conference on Origin of Gold
Hey Space Placers!
From Harvard Center for Astrophysics (CFA):
Read the Press Release: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2013/pr201319.html
and see the video.
CFA HOSTS JULY 17 PRESS CONFERENCE ON GOLD
Did you know:
* Gold is so pliable it can be made into sewing thread! One ounce can be stretched to 50 miles!
* The Greeks believed it was a dense combination of water and sunlight!
* Gold is so rare, the world pours more steel in one hour than all the gold ever poured in the history of civilization.
* It is rare on Earth and rare in the universe. And, it was not created by exploding supernovas!
Curious as to where it came from? Join us this Wednesday to find out.
The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) will host a press conference at 1:00 p.m. EDT (17:00 UTC) Wednesday, July 17, to discuss recent findings on the origin of Earth’s gold.
Video of the press conference will be streamed live beginning at 12:55 p.m. EDT (16:55 UTC), in both Real and Flash formats, from the links at http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/ news/webcast.html
This should be interesting!
Sky Guy in VA
From Harvard Center for Astrophysics (CFA):
Read the Press Release: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2013/pr201319.html
and see the video.
CFA HOSTS JULY 17 PRESS CONFERENCE ON GOLD
Did you know:
* Gold is so pliable it can be made into sewing thread! One ounce can be stretched to 50 miles!
* The Greeks believed it was a dense combination of water and sunlight!
* Gold is so rare, the world pours more steel in one hour than all the gold ever poured in the history of civilization.
* It is rare on Earth and rare in the universe. And, it was not created by exploding supernovas!
Curious as to where it came from? Join us this Wednesday to find out.
The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) will host a press conference at 1:00 p.m. EDT (17:00 UTC) Wednesday, July 17, to discuss recent findings on the origin of Earth’s gold.
Video of the press conference will be streamed live beginning at 12:55 p.m. EDT (16:55 UTC), in both Real and Flash formats, from the links at http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/
This should be interesting!
Sky Guy in VA
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
New Neptunian Moon
Hey Space Placers!
Add a new member to the solar system family! A tiny new moon has been discovered orbiting distant Neptune.
The moon was discovered by an astronomer who went through the archive of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photos of the blue-green planet from 2004-2009 and found the 12-mile wide moon wandering over 65,000 miles from Neptune.
Add a new member to the solar system family! A tiny new moon has been discovered orbiting distant Neptune.
The moon was discovered by an astronomer who went through the archive of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photos of the blue-green planet from 2004-2009 and found the 12-mile wide moon wandering over 65,000 miles from Neptune.
The moon, temporarily called S/2004 N1, is the 14th moon of Neptune. It was found during a study of the ring segments that partially encircle the planet. Mark Showalter made the discovery on July 1st when on a whim he decided to look beyond the ring segments or arcs and found the solitary white dot in the photos.
Pluto's newest moons were just named - see my July 4th blog - and Neptune's moon will go through the same process to get named.
Astronomy has always benefited from the study of archived telescopic observations and Snowalter's whim to go out to new territory on old photographs shows why.
Very cool.
Read More ABout It: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/15jul_neptunemoon/
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2013/30
Sky Guy in VA
Astronomy has always benefited from the study of archived telescopic observations and Snowalter's whim to go out to new territory on old photographs shows why.
Very cool.
Read More ABout It: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/15jul_neptunemoon/
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2013/30
Sky Guy in VA
Monday, July 15, 2013
Sky Guy Viewing ALERT 7-15-13 Moon and Spica Meet
Hey Space Placers!
If you skies are clear go out after it gets dark and watch the First Quarter Moon meet up with the bright blue star Spica in the southwest.
For observers in lower latitudes in the Americas and the Pacific, the Moon will actually occult, or cover up, the star. For others it will be a very close pass. Everyone will be able to see the Moon move relative to the star over the course of several hours which is caused by the Moon's easterly orbital movement. The two will get closer as the pair edge towards the western horizon and eventually set.
Binoculars will help the view. Be sure to look at the Moon and see the craters on the terminator - the line between night and day.
Read More About It:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/Moon-Occults-Spica-214932311.html
Sky Guy in VA
If you skies are clear go out after it gets dark and watch the First Quarter Moon meet up with the bright blue star Spica in the southwest.
For observers in lower latitudes in the Americas and the Pacific, the Moon will actually occult, or cover up, the star. For others it will be a very close pass. Everyone will be able to see the Moon move relative to the star over the course of several hours which is caused by the Moon's easterly orbital movement. The two will get closer as the pair edge towards the western horizon and eventually set.
Binoculars will help the view. Be sure to look at the Moon and see the craters on the terminator - the line between night and day.
Read More About It:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/Moon-Occults-Spica-214932311.html
Sky Guy in VA
Sunday, July 14, 2013
NASA's LADEE - Newest Mission to the Moon
Hey Space Placers!
NASA's newest mission to the Moon - the Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is getting closer to her September 5th launch date from Wallops Island, VA.
LADEE is designed to answer questions about the Moon's extremely tenuous atmosphere which is believed to be made up of dust. Apollo 12 astronauts reported seeing evidence of an atmosphere while in lunar orbit and there is thought to be interaction with the Moon's dust and the transition from night and day. Impact events are also thought to send dust into the lunar sky and contribute to the creation of the atmosphere.
We need to learn more about this aspect of the Moon to complete our understanding of the lunar environment, of which lunar dust is a very major factor.
The spacecraft was successfully shipped by truck from NASA Ames in California to NASA Wallops Island and is undergoing final testing.
The night time launch from Wallops will be aboard a solid fuel Air Force Minotaur rocket and will be the first planetary mission launched from Wallops.
Read More About It: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/main/#.UeLCJhYbTFI
I will have more on LADEE as we get closer to launch.
Read More About It:
Sky Guy in VA
NASA's newest mission to the Moon - the Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is getting closer to her September 5th launch date from Wallops Island, VA.
LADEE at WALLOPS CLean Room - NASA Patrick Black |
We need to learn more about this aspect of the Moon to complete our understanding of the lunar environment, of which lunar dust is a very major factor.
The spacecraft was successfully shipped by truck from NASA Ames in California to NASA Wallops Island and is undergoing final testing.
The night time launch from Wallops will be aboard a solid fuel Air Force Minotaur rocket and will be the first planetary mission launched from Wallops.
Read More About It: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/main/#.UeLCJhYbTFI
I will have more on LADEE as we get closer to launch.
Read More About It:
Sky Guy in VA
Saturday, July 13, 2013
What a Sight It Must Be
Hey SPace Placers!
A cobalt blue Jupiter sized planet orbiting ONLY 2.9 million miles from its' star. WOW!
A cobalt blue Jupiter sized planet orbiting ONLY 2.9 million miles from its' star. WOW!
This is the first exoplanet to have its' color determined and it was done using the Hubble Space Telescope. The planet is a hell hole with 2200 degree F temps and it rains GLASS. Oh, and the winds are thought to be about 9,000+ mph!
The fact we can discern such things just by the light from the exoplanet, which is a feat in of itself to do, is simply amazing.
Read More About It here: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/A-Glassy-Blue-Jupiter-215234431.html
Sky Guy in VA
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Our Star Has A Tail Of Its' Own
Hey Space Placers!
Astronomers have found stars that have tails that trail behind them.
Now it has been confirmed that our star and solar system does as well. It has also been determined that the tail is shaped like a four leaf clover. The findings are the result of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft.
IBEX was launched by NASA to learn more about the outer boundary of the solar system - the edge of where the Sun's presence is felt and then gives way to true interstellar space. Many new discoveries have resulted since IBEX launched in 2008. More are expected to come.
Read More About It and see a video here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/10jul_ibex/
Sky Guy in VA
Astronomers have found stars that have tails that trail behind them.
IBEX was launched by NASA to learn more about the outer boundary of the solar system - the edge of where the Sun's presence is felt and then gives way to true interstellar space. Many new discoveries have resulted since IBEX launched in 2008. More are expected to come.
Read More About It and see a video here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/10jul_ibex/
Sky Guy in VA
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Pluto Ahoy
Hey Space Placers!
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft enroute to Pluto passed a significant milestone by taking the first picture of Pluto and its' Texas sized moon Charon using one of the onboard instruments.
While it may not look like much, it was taken at a distance of over half a billion miles! The picture cleanly separates the two bodies and will only get better over time. New Horizons has been in space since its launch on January 19, 2006.
The spacecraft is due to fly by Pluto at closest approach on July 14, 2015, still 2 years away.
I look forward to seeing the ever better pics!
Read More About It: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/index.php
Sky Guy in VA
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft enroute to Pluto passed a significant milestone by taking the first picture of Pluto and its' Texas sized moon Charon using one of the onboard instruments.
While it may not look like much, it was taken at a distance of over half a billion miles! The picture cleanly separates the two bodies and will only get better over time. New Horizons has been in space since its launch on January 19, 2006.
The spacecraft is due to fly by Pluto at closest approach on July 14, 2015, still 2 years away.
I look forward to seeing the ever better pics!
Read More About It: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/index.php
Sky Guy in VA
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Mars 2020 Rover
Hey SPace Placers!
If you missed today's teleconference on NASA's next Mars Rover you can find out about the proposed mission here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-217#2
If you missed today's teleconference on NASA's next Mars Rover you can find out about the proposed mission here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-217#2
Monday, July 8, 2013
NASA 7/9/13 Teleconference on Science Objectives Next Mars Rover
Hey Space Placers!
Tune in on 7/9/13 at 3 p.m. EDT for a live stream on NASA's science objectives for the next Mars Rover.
Get details here: http://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/july/nasa-discusses-mars-2020-plans-in-july-9-teleconference/#.UdtzqRYbTFK
Sky Guy in VA
Tune in on 7/9/13 at 3 p.m. EDT for a live stream on NASA's science objectives for the next Mars Rover.
Get details here: http://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/july/nasa-discusses-mars-2020-plans-in-july-9-teleconference/#.UdtzqRYbTFK
Sky Guy in VA
Roswell 66 Years Later
Hey Space Placers!
Sorry this is late....I hd technical issues on Blogger today!
66 years ago today newspapers had headlines about “flying disc” wreckage being found on a ranch in Roswell, New Mexico. Years later the flying discs became a flying saucer and alien bodies being found. Congressional hearings, GAO and US Air Force investigations have probably done nothing to answer the conspiracy theories that about the incident. In face they have probably fueled the faithful regarding the 1947 incident.
Today Google has commemorated the “Roswell Incident” https://www.google.com/ with links and a game you can play.
To me UFO’s (Unidentified Flying Objects) DO exist….because there ARE things up there in the sky that we cannot identify. I have seen a few UFO’s myself that I could not equate to aircraft/satellites/aerial/astronomical causes. But do UFO’s necessarily equate to alien spacecraft? That is too large a leap.
I have studied UFO’s over the years and there are a few famous sightings, to include the buzzing of the Nation’s capitol by UFO’s in July 1952 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_Washington,_D.C._UFO_incident Fighter jets were scrambled and they were supposedly tracked on radar – I have a copy of the reprint. That is an intriguing report that remains unexplained to this day.
I personally believe that life exists elsewhere in the Universe – there are just too many planets and stars for that to NOT to be true – BUT we have no evidence of that YET. We are searching the Universe for signs of life and intelligent life – there is a difference between the two.
Life can exist in primitive form as well as in developed intelligence that may be space travel capable. According to Einstein, nothing can exceed the speed of light so there is a speed limit to space travel and the distances are exceedingly far between stars, so, it is hard to imagine that we have been visited by other alien species – I won’t go so far as to say impossible however.
The sci-fi realm has had so many wonderful movies about this question of intelligent life in the Universe – Contact being the best one I believe. We have also had the aliens have visited Earth and “made us” genre as well – Prometheus being the latest movie along those lines.
The late Carl Sagan said, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof”. Such it is with life in the Universe. We may someday have that proof. To me I do not believe it will come in the form of a spaceship landing on the White House lawn as happened in “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (original movie not the remake). It may happen with probes that land on Europa and sample the ocean known to exist under the ice or it may be a mysterious repeating signal that can’t be attributed to astrophysical processes.
That is why we must continue to look, listen and explore the Universe. The question of “Are We Alone” has its’ answer out there – not in conspiracies.
Sky Guy in VA
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Earthshine Moon OVER Earth
Hey Space Placers!
You have to see this pic taken from the International Space Station of the very young crescent Moon resplendent with beautiful Earthshine suspended over the Earth. The Moon is seen through the outer layers of the planet's upper atmosphere while the limb is visible through the thicker lower atmosphere.
You may recall Earthshine is the reflection of sunlight off of Earth's clouds and oceans that falls upon the unlit portion of the Moon. Strong Earthshine can illuminate lunar features as you can see in the pic - beautiful, just beautiful.
I wish there were more pics of the Moon from space but this is a good one that could make a perfect desktop background or in your favorites.
Enjoy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/9085751655/
Sky Guy in VA
You have to see this pic taken from the International Space Station of the very young crescent Moon resplendent with beautiful Earthshine suspended over the Earth. The Moon is seen through the outer layers of the planet's upper atmosphere while the limb is visible through the thicker lower atmosphere.
You may recall Earthshine is the reflection of sunlight off of Earth's clouds and oceans that falls upon the unlit portion of the Moon. Strong Earthshine can illuminate lunar features as you can see in the pic - beautiful, just beautiful.
I wish there were more pics of the Moon from space but this is a good one that could make a perfect desktop background or in your favorites.
Enjoy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/9085751655/
Sky Guy in VA
Friday, July 5, 2013
Arctic Permafrost and Climate CHange
Hey SPace Placers!
Read the following story about how our planet's climate may be adversely affected by the Arctic permafrost if it thaws. Quite an eye opener........
http://www.seti.org/seti-institute/press-release/plutos-smallest-moons-receive-their-official-names
Sky Guy in VA
Read the following story about how our planet's climate may be adversely affected by the Arctic permafrost if it thaws. Quite an eye opener........
http://www.seti.org/seti-institute/press-release/plutos-smallest-moons-receive-their-official-names
Sky Guy in VA
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Pluto's Small Moons Get Named
Hey Space Placers!
Happy 4th of July to my American readers!
Pluto's smallest moons have been called P4 and P5 for some time. But that has changed as they now have been officially named: Styx and Kerberos....
Happy 4th of July to my American readers!
Pluto's smallest moons have been called P4 and P5 for some time. But that has changed as they now have been officially named: Styx and Kerberos....
Read More About It: http://www.seti.org/seti-institute/press-release/plutos-smallest-moons-receive-their-official-names
Sky Guy in VA
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Details on Chinese Lunar Rover
Hey Space Placers!
The next nation to land people on the Moon will most likely be China. They just successfully returned Taikonauts from a manned mission to the Chinese space station.
China is expected to send a nuclear powered rover, complete with a piggyback solar powered rover to the Moon sometime late this year.
This will be quite a mission if successful as it will mark the first lunar surface mission since Apollo 17 in December 1972. There have been plenty of lunar orbit missions but having a rover available to go places on the Moon is pretty exciting.
Read More About It: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2013/01091341-change-3-lunar-lander.html
Sky Guy in Rain Drenched VA
The next nation to land people on the Moon will most likely be China. They just successfully returned Taikonauts from a manned mission to the Chinese space station.
China is expected to send a nuclear powered rover, complete with a piggyback solar powered rover to the Moon sometime late this year.
Glen Nagle
This will be quite a mission if successful as it will mark the first lunar surface mission since Apollo 17 in December 1972. There have been plenty of lunar orbit missions but having a rover available to go places on the Moon is pretty exciting.
Read More About It: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2013/01091341-change-3-lunar-lander.html
Sky Guy in Rain Drenched VA
Monday, July 1, 2013
The Other Mars Rover
Hey Space Placers!
Check out the story on the OTHER Mars Rover that is set to celebrate NINE years on Mars July 7th:
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/01jul_oppy/
Sky Guy in VA
Check out the story on the OTHER Mars Rover that is set to celebrate NINE years on Mars July 7th:
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/01jul_oppy/
Sky Guy in VA
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