What's Up? The Space Place

Hey Space Placers! For the first time ever scientists have been able to measure the the edge of a black hole - an object that allows nothing, not even light to escape, once past a certain boundary called the vent horizon. Using the Event Horizon Telescope - a continent wide network of combined telescopes - astronomers were able to They accomplished this feat by observing the six billion solar mass black hole that resides in M-87, a galaxy that is 50 million light years away. They hope to make the Event Horizon Telescope even larger by adding more telescopes to the network and getting even more refined observations. Read More About It:  http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/ news/2012/pr201228.html Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Check out the latest news on Curiosity's findings on the stream bed by watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYHc2alzdUk&feature=player_embedded . Also be sure to watch the Harvest Full Moon tonight at sunset. You can tune in for a free live broadcast  of the Full Moon and Uranus tonight - check for the details here  http://images.slooh.com/files/2012_09_29_Uranus/pressrelease.pdf Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Curiosity has found an ancient Martian streambed that indicates a high volume of liquid water once flowed through the now dry channel. Preliminary findings are that the stream of water would have been ankle to hip deep and flowed at about three feet per second. Study of the gravel bed and the rocks will provide further information. The biggest point is that this would have been a habitable environment for life as we know it although long ago. Read More ABout It: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2012-305  and http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/27sep_streambed/ Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! A new comet has been discovered way out in the solar system that is due to pass 800,000 miles from the surface of the Sun on or about November 28, 2013. You may remember the last sungrazer last year that swung around the Sun and survived to the amazement of the whole world. Comet ISON is already causing a buzz in the astronomical community due to speculation over how bright it will become getting that close to the Sun. It is POSSIBLE that the comet could get as bright or brighter than the Full Moon which menas it would be visible in the daytime. Comest are notorious for their behavior - they can fizzle as a dud disappointing the world or flare into aw-inspiring brightness with as tail that sweeps across the sky. Only time will tell but I guarantee you I will be following Comet ISON closely! You can see a sample of the media hype already starting over Comet ISON here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2209293/Comet-brighter-moon-fly-Earth-2013...

Hey SPace Placers! Hubble SPace Telescope (HST) has just released a new deepest ever view of the Universe - a non-descript patch of sky that HST has monitored for over a decade. With an exposure time of over two million seconds (!) the combined 2,000+ images reveal a tapestry unlike anything we have ever seen.....everywhere you look there are galaxies - and all kinds of them. The link allows you to zoom in on the frame and see in detail the incedible sights: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/37 Make sure to turn down the lights and use the best resolution....you won't be sorry! Sky Guy in VA PS Tomorrow the scoop on Comet ISON!!

Hey Space Placers! Read all about the world's most powerful camera dedicated to the hunt for dark energy: http://www.noao.edu/news/2012/pr1204.php Dark energy is the force believed to be accelerating the expansion of the Universe, causing galaxy clsuters and the very galaxies themselves to move ever faster apart. We do not know what dark energy is but we DO know that it exists due to the gravitational influence it has on matter. The Dark Energy Camera will operate in the southern hemisphere on a 13 foot diameter telescope and take sky surveys to map the sky and study it. The 570 megapixel camera will cover a wide area of sky and allow astronomers to do unprecedented analysis due to the wide area covered - to include whole galaxy clusters. I look forward to reporting the results in the years to come. Sky Guy in VA

Hey SPace Placers! Got a pair of binoculars or a small telescope? Or maybe a pair of good eyes? I have a fairly easy way for you to spot the planet Uranus tonight - 9/23/12 - and a few days after. Find a viewing area that is free of street lights or other glaring lights. Reading the article and use the accompanying chart at this link to spot Uranus:   http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/Uranus-Close-Encounter-170080606.html This is a GREAT opportunity to see Uranus with your own eyes. If you have a camera that can take time exposures and be mounted on a tripod, try taking a couple of pics. You can use the chart to identify Uranus in your pic. I would try ISO 400 and about 5-10 seconds with at least a 55mm lens. Good hunting and let me know if you are successful! Sky Guy in VA