Friday, September 28, 2018

Monday, September 24, 2018

Monday, September 17, 2018

FIRST LIGHT WITH TESS

Hey Space Placers!

Look at the first image taken by NASA's new exoplanet hunter - TESS.

TESS image of Large Magellanic Cloud, right, and the star R Doradus, left
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) took this snapshot of the Large Magellanic Cloud (right) and the bright star R Doradus (left) with just a single detector of one of its cameras on Tuesday, Aug. 7. The frame is part of a swath of the southern sky TESS captured in its “first light” science image as part of its initial round of data collection.
Credits: NASA/MIT/TESS

I LOVE the first light image that shows the Large Magellanic Cloud! One of my fave places in the sky and Universe........

Learn more about TESS......



I look forward to the worlds that TESS will discover......

Sky Guy in VA

Sunday, September 16, 2018

OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON SUNSPOT SOLAR OBSERVATORY

Hey Space Placers!

Here is the official statement from Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA, http://www.aura-astronomy.org) regarding the "X-File" - my term not theirs - regarding the solar observatory closure that I blogged on recently.

The matter appears to be a law enforcement related matter.....


Sorry, no aliens or Roswell unfortunately. Crime even strikes the science of astronomy....


Sky Guy in the Aleutians

Saturday, September 15, 2018

WHO DID IT?

Hey Space Placers!

Well, now we have a "who did it" aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Someone, somewhere, drilled a HOLE in a Russian spacecraft.

Some Russians are blaming the onboard American astronauts - wow.

Who knows if this will ever be solved.

Sky Guy in VA

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

ALASKA AURORA AND STEVE

Hey Space Placers!

Please click on this link to see more of this morning's (9/11/18) pics of Aurora off the coast of Seward, AK underway on Windstar Cruises' Star Legend.

Aurora & STEVE this am aboard Star Legend.


The purple ribbon is not an Aurora but a STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) event.

Hoping for more tonight.......

Sky Guy at Sea in AK



Thursday, September 6, 2018

UPDATES ON ORION & GATEWAY

Hey Space Placers!

Here are two updates from very in the know people about NASA's Orion Crewed spacecraft and the lunar Gateway.

Read them to get a very comprehensive understanding of these integrated NASA programs.

ORION UPDATE by former astronaut and friend Tom Jones

NASA EM-1 Spacecraft
Credit: Aerospace America
GATEWAY UPDATE by Jason Davis

THE GATEWAY (UPDATED SEPT. 2018)
At the completion of Orion’s first visit in 2024, the Gateway will consist of the three right-most modules in this artist’s concept: the power and propulsion module (far right, with solar arrays), ESPRIT (covered in gold insulation), and the U.S. utilization module (with robotic arm).
CREDIT: NASA IMAGE; Planetary Society caption

The long pole in the tent for all of this is the successful launch and flight in 2020 of the uncrewed EM-1. If that doesn't happen on schedule and successfully all of the foregoing will be affected.

It's time to go SOMEWHERE OUT THERE........

Sky Guy in VA









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Tuesday, September 4, 2018

INSIGHT ON MARS

Hey Space Placers!

Hope everyone in the U.S. had a GREAT & SAFE Labor Day.

I was off the grid for a few days but we are spooling back up today.

Animation of mountains on Mars
NASA's InSight Mars lander will carry a unique instrument capable of measuring heat flowing out of the planet. That could shed light on how Mars' massive mountains -- which eclipse Mt. Everest here on Earth -- first formed.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech 



Get more "InSight" here.

Sky Guy in VA


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