Sunday, February 12, 2012

Mystery Moon Flashes Caused by Meteorite Impacts

Mystery Moon Flashes Caused by Meteorite Impacts:

Example of a lunar flash, photographed in 1953. Credit: Leon Stuart/Columbia University Department of Astronomy

For hundreds of years, people have seen tiny flashes of light on the surface of the Moon. Very brief, but bright enough to be seen from Earth, these odd flashes still hadn’t been adequately explained up until now. Also known as Transient Lunar Phenomena (TLPs), they’ve been observed on many occasions, but rarely photographed. On Earth, meteorites burning up in the atmosphere can produce similar flashes, but the Moon has no atmosphere for anything to burn up in, so what could be causing them? As it turns out, according to a new study, the answer is still meteorites, but for a slightly different reason.

(...)
Read the rest of Mystery Moon Flashes Caused by Meteorite Impacts (251 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:13 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Astrophoto: Transit of Europa by David Billington

Astrophoto: Transit of Europa by David Billington:

Astrophoto: Transit of Europa by David Billington

Transit of Europa. Image Credit: David Billington

David Billington captured this image of the transit of Jupiter’s moon Europa, 10:20PM on November 4, 2011 at St. Agnes, Cornwall, UK.

Europa is the smallest of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter. Together with Io, Ganymede, and Callisto, Europa was discovered by Galileo Galilei in January 1610.

David used a US Orion 12inch Dobsonian telescope, Watch House Equatorial Platform and Phillips SPC 880 webcam. The image was processed with Registax5.


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:10 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

NASA’s New Eyes in the Sky

NASA’s New Eyes in the Sky:

An artist's concept of NuSTAR in space. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Orbital

On March 14, NASA will launch the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array or NuSTAR. This is the first time a telescope will focus on high energy X-rays, effectively opening up the sky for more sensitive study. The telescope will target black holes, supernova explosions, and will study the most extreme active galaxies. NuSTAR’s use of high-energy X-rays have an added bonus: it will be able to capture and compose the most detailed images ever taken in this end of the electromagnetic spectrum. (...)
Read the rest of NASA’s New Eyes in the Sky (535 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:07 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Russia Sets Its Sights on the Moon for 2020

Russia Sets Its Sights on the Moon for 2020:

The Moon. Image credit: NASA.

Looks like Republican Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich might have some competition if he wants to be the first to build a base on the Moon. Last week, the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos announced plans to put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade with a lunar base as its next step. (...)
Read the rest of Russia Sets Its Sights on the Moon for 2020 (554 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:05 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

When Stars Play Planetary Pinball

When Stars Play Planetary Pinball:

Artist's conception of a binary star sunset as seen from the exoplanet Kepler-16b. For some planets, such views may be only temporary. Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center/Kepler Mission

Many of us remember playing pinball at the local arcade while growing up; it turns out that some stars like it as well. Binary stars can play tug-of-war with an unfortunate planet, flinging it into a wide orbit that allows it to be captured by first one star and then the other, in effect “bouncing” it between them before it is eventually flung out into deep space.

(...)
Read the rest of When Stars Play Planetary Pinball (332 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:03 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Special Delivery, Low-Earth Orbit Style!

Special Delivery, Low-Earth Orbit Style!:

A Progress resupply vehicle seen on approach to the ISS on Jan. 27, 2012. (NASA)

When you’re cruising along in low-Earth orbit, running out of supplies is not an option. Fortunately there are Progress vehicles: Russian spacecraft that carry much-needed supplies and equipment to the astronauts aboard the Space Station.

The photo above, taken by Expedition 30 crew members, shows the unmanned Progress 46 vehicle approaching the ISS on January 27, 2012.

(...)
Read the rest of Special Delivery, Low-Earth Orbit Style! (150 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Most Detailed Look Ever Into the Carina Nebula

Most Detailed Look Ever Into the Carina Nebula:

This broad panorama of the Carina Nebula, a region of massive star formation in the southern skies, was taken in infrared light using the HAWK-I camera on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. Many previously hidden features, scattered across a spectacular celestial landscape of gas, dust and young stars, have emerged. Credit: ESO/T. Preibisch

Like finding buried treasure, this new image of the Carina Nebula has uncovered details not seen before. This vibrant image, from ESO’s Very Large Telescope shows not just the brilliant massive stars, but uncovers hundreds of thousands of much fainter stars that were previously hidden from view. Hundreds of individual images have been combined to create this picture, which is the most detailed infrared mosaic of the nebula ever taken and one of the most dramatic images ever created by the VLT.
(...)
Read the rest of Most Detailed Look Ever Into the Carina Nebula (252 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:59 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole is Feasting on Asteroids

Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole is Feasting on Asteroids:

Mysterious X-ray flares caught by Chandra may be asteroids falling into the Milky Way's giant black hole. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MIT/F. Baganoff et al.; Illustrations: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss

For the past several years, the Chandra telescope has detected X-ray flares occurring about once a day from the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. These flares last a few hours with brightness ranging from a few times to nearly one hundred times that of the black hole’s regular output. What could be causing these unusual, mysterious flares? Scientists have determined that the black hole could be feasting hungrily on asteroids that come too close and vaporizing them, creating the flares. Basically, the black hole is eating asteroids and then belching out X-ray gas.

If confirmed, this result would mean that there is a huge, bustling cloud around the black hole containing hundreds of trillions of asteroids and comets.

“People have had doubts about whether asteroids could form at all in the harsh environment near a supermassive black hole,” said Kastytis Zubovas of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, and lead author of a new paper. “It’s exciting because our study suggests that a huge number of them are needed to produce these flares.”
(...)
Read the rest of Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole is Feasting on Asteroids (577 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:57 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Do Alien Civilizations Inevitably ‘Go Green’?

Do Alien Civilizations Inevitably ‘Go Green’?:

Beautiful view of our Milky Way Galaxy. If other alien civilizations are out there, can we find them? Credit: ESO/S. Guisard

In the famous words of Arthur C. Clarke, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” This phrase is often quoted to express the idea that an alien civilization which may be thousands or millions of years older than us would have technology so far ahead of ours that to us it would appear to be “magic.”

Now, a variation of that thought has come from Canadian science fiction writer Karl Schroeder, who posits that ”any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from nature.” The reasoning is that if a civilization manages to exist that long, it would inevitably “go green” to such an extent that it would no longer leave any detectable waste products behind. Its artificial signatures would blend in with those of the natural universe, making it much more difficult to detect them by simply searching for artificial constructs versus natural ones.

(...)
Read the rest of Do Alien Civilizations Inevitably ‘Go Green’? (352 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:56 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Tidal Heating on Some Exoplanets May Leave Them Waterless

Tidal Heating on Some Exoplanets May Leave Them Waterless:

Venus as photographed by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter spacecraft in 1978. Some exoplanets may suffer a similar fate as this scorched world. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech

As the number of exoplanets being discovered continues to increase dramatically, a growing number are now being found which orbit within their stars’ habitable zones. For smaller, rocky worlds, this makes it more likely that some of them could harbour life of some kind, as this is the region where temperatures (albeit depending on other factors as well) can allow liquid water to exist on their surfaces. But there is another factor which may prevent some of them from being habitable after all – tidal heating, caused by the gravitational pull of one star, planet or moon on another; this effect which creates tides on Earth’s oceans can also create heat inside a planet or moon.

(...)
Read the rest of Tidal Heating on Some Exoplanets May Leave Them Waterless (462 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:50 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

NASA’s Going Green

NASA’s Going Green:

The Phoenix spacecraft launches on a Delta II rocket in 2007. NASA is looking for alternatives to hydrazine monopropellant, which Phoenix used for its navigational thrusters. Image credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph and John Kechele

NASA announced yesterday that it’s looking for new technology proposals using environmentally friendly fuels to launch payload. The space agency is hoping to move away from hydrazine, the fuel that currently launches anything that travels beyond the atmosphere from commercial satellites to private spaceflight and exploration probes. (...)
Read the rest of NASA’s Going Green (514 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:48 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Weekly SkyWatcher’s Forecast – February 12-18, 2012

Weekly SkyWatcher’s Forecast – February 12-18, 2012:

Spirograph Nebula Courtesy of the Hubble Space Telescope

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! As the Moon fades away, dark sky studies return and so do we as we take a look at a great collection of nebulae this week and expand your Herschel studies. Get out your binoculars and telescopes, because here’s what’s up! (...)
Read the rest of Weekly SkyWatcher’s Forecast – February 12-18, 2012 (2,315 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:45 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Far Above the World

Far Above the World:

Astronaut Bruce McCandless untethered above the Earth on Feb. 12, 1984. (NASA)

28 years ago today, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless left the relative safety of Challenger’s payload bay and went untethered into orbit around Earth, venturing farther than anyone ever before.

The historic photo above was taken when McCandless was 320 feet from the orbiter — about the length of an American football field, or just shy of the width of the International Space Station.

(...)
Read the rest of Far Above the World (139 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 4:44 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Monday, February 6, 2012

‘Oceanus Borealis’ – Mars Express Finds New Evidence for Ancient Ocean on Mars

‘Oceanus Borealis’ – Mars Express Finds New Evidence for Ancient Ocean on Mars:

Topographic map from Mars Global Surveyor showing colour-coded altitudes; the blue areas are the lowest and correspond to the possible ancient ocean in the northern hemisphere. Credit: NASA/JPL

For a long time now, evidence has continued to indicate that Mars was once a water world – near-surface groundwater, lakes, rivers, hot springs and, according to some planetary models, even an ancient ocean in the northern hemisphere. That last one in particular has been a subject of intense debate; some scientists see evidence for it while others do not. Even if it was there, it may have been a warm ocean or it may have been colder, like the polar seas here on Earth. The prospect of an ocean of any kind on early Mars is an exciting one, regarding the question of possible life way back then. The argument has swung both ways over the years, but now another new report has been published which comes down on the “yes” side.

(...)
Read the rest of ‘Oceanus Borealis’ – Mars Express Finds New Evidence for Ancient Ocean on Mars (495 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:52 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Students Discover Millisecond Pulsar, Help in the Search for Gravitational Waves

Students Discover Millisecond Pulsar, Help in the Search for Gravitational Waves:

Using an array of millisecond pulsars, astronomers can detect tiny changes in the pulse arrival times in order to detect the influence of gravitational waves. Credit: NRAO

A special project to search for pulsars has bagged the first student discovery of a millisecond pulsar – a super-fast spinning star, and this one rotates about 324 times per second. The Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC) has students analyzing real data from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s (NRAO) Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) to find pulsars. Astronomers involved with the project said the discovery could help detect elusive ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves.

“Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime predicted by Einstein’s theory of General Relativity,” said Dr. Maura McLaughlin, from West Virginia University. “We have very good proof for their existence but, despite Einstein’s prediction back in the early 1900s, they have never been detected.”
(...)
Read the rest of Students Discover Millisecond Pulsar, Help in the Search for Gravitational Waves (743 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:50 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

How Well Can Astronomers Study Exoplanet Atmospheres?

How Well Can Astronomers Study Exoplanet Atmospheres?:

Artist's impression of exoplanets around other stars. Credits: ESA/AOES Medialab

Exoplanet discoveries are happening at a frenetic pace, and some of the latest newly discovered worlds are sometimes described as “Earth-Like” and “potentially habitable.”

The basis of this comparison is, in many cases, based on the distance between the exoplanet and its host star. Unfortunately the distance between a planet and its host star is only half the picture. The other half is determining if an exoplanet has an atmosphere, and what the contents of said atmosphere may be.

Basically, just because an exoplanet is in the “habitable zone” around its host star, it may not necessarily be habitable. If an exoplanet has a thick, crushing, Venus-Like atmosphere, it would most likely be too hot for surface water. The opposite holds true as well, as it could be entirely possible for an exoplanet to have a thin, wispy Mars-like atmosphere where any water would be locked up as ice.

At this point, how well can astronomers study the atmosphere around an exoplanet?

(...)
Read the rest of How Well Can Astronomers Study Exoplanet Atmospheres? (500 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:49 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

New Insights into the Moon’s Mysterious Magnetic Field

New Insights into the Moon’s Mysterious Magnetic Field:

Lunar Dynamo
Ever since the Apollo era, scientist have known that the Moon had some kind of magnetic field in the past, but doesn’t have one now. Understanding why is important, because it can tell us how magnetic fields are generated, how long they last, and how they shut down. New studies of Apollo lunar samples answer some of these questions, but they also create many more questions to be answered.
(...)
Read the rest of New Insights into the Moon’s Mysterious Magnetic Field (883 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:47 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Help Astronomers Measure the Solar System!

Help Astronomers Measure the Solar System!:

The orbit of asteroid 433 Eros brings it close to Earth on Jan. 31. (www.astronomerswithoutborders.org)

As the bright Mars-crossing asteroid 433 Eros makes its closest approach to Earth since 1975, astronomers around the globe are taking the opportunity to measure its position in the sky, thereby fine-tuning our working knowledge of distances in the solar system. Using the optical principle of parallax, whereby different viewpoints of the same object show slightly shifted positions relative to background objects, skywatchers in different parts of the world can observe Eros over the next few nights and share their images online.

The endeavor is called the Eros Parallax Project, and you can participate too!

(...)
Read the rest of Help Astronomers Measure the Solar System! (366 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:46 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Carnival of Space #234

Carnival of Space #234:

This week’s Carnival of Space is hosted by our very own Ray Sanders at his very own website, Dear Astronomer

Click here to read the Carnival of Space #234.

And if you’re interested in looking back, here’s an archive to all the past Carnivals of Space. If you’ve got a space-related blog, you should really join the carnival. Just email an entry to carnivalofspace@gmail.com, and the next host will link to it. It will help get awareness out there about your writing, help you meet others in the space community – and community is what blogging is all about. And if you really want to help out, sign up to be a host. Send and email to the above address.


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:45 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Amazing Panorama of Western Europe at Night from Space Station

Amazing Panorama of Western Europe at Night from Space Station:

Western Europe at Night
European ‘Cities at Night’ from the ISS with station solar arrays and robotic hand in foreground.
Credit: NASA
See below a stunning view of Comet Lovejoy taken by the ISS crew

An amazing panorama revealing Western Europe’s ‘Cities at Night’ with hardware from the stations robotic ‘hand’ and solar arrays in the foreground was captured by the crew in a beautiful new image showing millions of Earth’s inhabitants from the Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS).

The sweeping panoramic vista shows several Western European countries starting with the British Isles partially obscured by twin solar arrays at left, the North Sea at left center, Belgium and the Netherlands (Holland) at bottom center, and the Scandinavian land mass at right center by the hand, or end effector, of the Canadian-built ISS robotic arm known as (...)
Read the rest of Amazing Panorama of Western Europe at Night from Space Station (352 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:41 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Astrophoto: Zodiacal Light with Venus and Jupiter

Astrophoto: Zodiacal Light with Venus and Jupiter:

Astrophoto: Zodiacal Light with Venus and Jupiter

Zodiacal Light with Venus and Jupiter

This image of the zodiacal light was taken by Felipe Gallego on January 23, 2012 near the natural park of Sierra Norte de Sevilla in Spain.

Zodiacal light appears as a faint, diffused, triangular, white glow extending up from the vicinity of the Sun along the ecliptic or zodiac. Ideally, zodiacal light can be seen during springtime or autumn, just after sunset and before sunrise.

Felipe used a Canon 5d Mark II camera, with a Samyang 14 mm at f2,8, 25 s of exposure and ISO 5000. The image was processed with Gimp.

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:38 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Canada Looks to the Future in Space

Canada Looks to the Future in Space:

The Canadarm2 on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

When it comes to space, the first thing most people think of is NASA. Or Russia and the European Space Agency, or even more recently, countries like China and Japan. In the public eye, Canada has tended to be a bit farther down on the list. There is the Canadian Space Agency, but it is better known for developing space and satellite technologies, not awe-inspiring launches to the Moon or other planets, which naturally tend to get the most attention.

Canada has its own astronauts, too, but they go into orbit on the Space Shuttle or Russian rockets. Canada’s role in space should not, however, be underestimated. It was, for example, the first country to have a domestic communications satellite in geostationary orbit, Anik A1, in 1972. There is also the well-known Canadarm used on the Space Shuttle and Canadarm2 on the International Space Station, as well as the space robot Dextre on the ISS. Canada has also contributed technology to various robotic planetary missions as well.

But even in these times of budget constraints, new ventures are being planned, including a mission to place two video cameras on the International Space Station late next year, via a Russian mission.

(...)
Read the rest of Canada Looks to the Future in Space (356 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:37 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Russia To Try Again For Phobos-Grunt?

Russia To Try Again For Phobos-Grunt?:

Poster art for the Russian Phobos-Grunt mission. (Russian Federal Space Agency/IKI)

Russia says “eish odin ras”* for its Mars moon lander mission, according to Roscomos chief Vladimir Popovkin.

If the European Space Agency does not include Russia in its ExoMars program, a two-mission plan to explore Mars via orbiter and lander and then with twin rovers (slated to launch in 2016 and 2018, respectively), Roscosmos will try for a “take-two” on their failed Phobos-Grunt mission.

(...)
Read the rest of Russia To Try Again For Phobos-Grunt? (190 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:35 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Hayabusa 2 Mission Approved by Japanese Government

Hayabusa 2 Mission Approved by Japanese Government:

Artist's conception of Hayabusa 2 approaching the asteroid 1999 JU3. Credit: Akihiro Ikeshita/JAXA

In 2010, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa completed an exciting although nail-biting mission to the asteroid Itokawa, successfully returning samples to Earth after first reaching the asteroid in 2005; the mission almost failed, with the spacecraft plagued by technical problems. The canister containing the microscopic rock samples made a soft landing in Australia, the first time that samples from an asteroid had been brought back to Earth for study.

Now, the Japanese government has approved a follow-up mission, Hayabusa 2. This time the probe is scheduled to be launched in 2014 and rendezvous with the asteroid known as 1999 JU3 in mid-2018. Samples would again be taken and returned to Earth in late 2020.

(...)
Read the rest of Hayabusa 2 Mission Approved by Japanese Government (339 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:31 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

The Van Allen Belts and the Great Electron Escape

The Van Allen Belts and the Great Electron Escape:

Artist concept of the twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes spacecraft, scheduled for launch in August 2012. Credit: NASA

During the 1950s and just before the great “Space Race” began, scientists like Kristian Birkeland, Carl Stormer, and Nicholas Christofilos had been paying close attention to a theory – one that involved trapped, charged particles in a ring around the Earth. This plasma donut held in place by our planet’s magnetic field was later confirmed by the first three Explorer missions under the direction of Dr. James Van Allen. Fueled by perhaps solar winds, or cosmic rays, the knowledge of their existence was the stuff of nightmares for an uniformed public. While the “radiation” can affect objects passing through it, it doesn’t reach Earth, and this realization quickly caused fears to die. However, there are still many unanswered questions about the Van Allen Radiation Belts that mystify modern science. (...)
Read the rest of The Van Allen Belts and the Great Electron Escape (861 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:30 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

“Cool” Gas May Be At The Root Of Sunspots

“Cool” Gas May Be At The Root Of Sunspots:

During the initial stage of sunspot emergence and cooling, the formation of H2 may trigger a temporary "runaway" magnetic field intensification. The magnetic field prevents the flow of energy from inside the sun to the outside, and the sunspot cools as the energy shines into space. They form hydrogen molecules that take half the volume of the atoms, thus dropping pressure and concentrating the magnetic field, and so on. (adapted from Jaeggli, 2011; sunspot image by F. Woeger et al

Although well over 40 years old, the Dunn Solar Telescope at Sunspot, New Mexico isn’t going to be looking at an early retirement. On the contrary, it has been outfitted with the new Facility Infrared Spectropolarimeter (FIRS) and is already making news on its solar findings. FIRS provides simultaneous spectral coverage at visible and infrared wavelengths through the use of a unique dual-armed spectrograph. By utilizing adaptive optics to overcome atmospheric “seeing” conditions, the team took on seven active regions on the Sun – one in 2001 and six during December 2010 to December 2011 – as Sunspot Cycle 23 faded away. The full sunspot sample has 56 observations of 23 different active regions… and showed that hydrogen might act as a type of energy dissipation device which helps the Sun get a magnetic grip on its spots. (...)
Read the rest of “Cool” Gas May Be At The Root Of Sunspots (927 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:28 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Night Sky Guide: February 2012

Night Sky Guide: February 2012:

This month, the Solar System gives us a lot to observe and we’ll even start to see the ‘spring’ constellations appear later in the evenings. But February still has the grand constellations of winter, with mighty Orion as a centrepiece to long winter nights.

The Sun has finally started to perform as it should as it approaches “Solar Maximum.” This means we get a chance to see the northern lights (Aurora), especially if you live in such places as Scotland, Canada, Scandinavia, or Alaska or the southern light (Aurora Australis) if you live in the southern latitudes of South America, New Zealand and Australia. Over the past few weeks we have seen some fine aurora displays and will we hope to seesome in February!

We have a bit of a treat in store with a comet being this month’s favourite object with binoculars as well, so please read on to find out more about February’s night sky wonders.(...)
Read the rest of Night Sky Guide: February 2012 (1,029 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:27 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

IBEX Captures ‘Alien’ Material From Beyond Our Solar System

IBEX Captures ‘Alien’ Material From Beyond Our Solar System:

NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has found that there's more oxygen in our solar system than there is in the nearby interstellar material. That suggests that either the sun formed in a different part of the galaxy or that outside our solar system life-giving oxygen lies trapped in dust or ice grains unable to move freely in space. Credit: NASA/Goddard

If we could board the starship Enterprise-D and were able to look through Giordi LaForge’s visor we might be able to see the interstellar medium – the ‘stuff’ between the stars — as wispy clouds of oxygen, hydrogen, helium and neon. Instead, since we are back in the 21st century, we have the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft, which has now made the first–ever direct observations of neutral hydrogen and oxygen atoms drifting into our solar system from the region outside our heliosphere. Surprisingly, this material is more ‘alien’ than scientists were expecting, as the matter in the galactic wind doesn’t contain the same exact material as what our solar system is made of.
(...)
Read the rest of IBEX Captures ‘Alien’ Material From Beyond Our Solar System (1,045 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:06 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Astrophoto: Flame Nebula by Trevor Durity

Astrophoto: Flame Nebula by Trevor Durity:

Astrophoto: Flame Nebula by Trevor Durity

Flame Nebula. Image Credit: Trevor Durity

Trevor Durity captured this beautiful image of the Flame Nebula on January 30, 2012 at Annaghkeen, County Galway, Ireland. The Flame Nebula, also known as NGC 2024, is an emission nebula located in the constellation Orion.

“This is a shot of the area close to Alnitak, the left most of the three bright stars in the constellation of Orion The Hunter. Those three starts are often called “Orion’s Belt” from which the “sword” of the incredible Orion Nebula hangs.”

This image was taken using an ASGT mounted William Optics Megrez 90FD 90mm refractor with a Canon 450D camera at prime focus. Subs were 120 secods a piece. Stacked with Deep Sky Stacker. Post processing in Photoshop.

Check out Trevor’s website and Flickr page for more amazing astrophotos.


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:04 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Casting Swords into Space Observatories

Casting Swords into Space Observatories:

Earth as seen from lunar orbit. Credit: NASA

Editor’s note – Bruce Dorminey is a science journalist and author of Distant Wanderers: The Search for Planets beyond the Solar System.

Planet hunter extraordinaire Geoff Marcy recently let his frustration surface about the current state of the search for other habitable solar systems. Despite the phenomenal planet-finding success of NASA’s Kepler mission, Marcy, an astronomer at the University of California at Berkeley, correctly pointed out that NASA budget cuts have severely hampered the hunt for extrasolar life.

A decade ago, only a few dozen extrasolar planets had been detected. Today, by some recent gravitational microlensing estimates, there are more planets than stars in the Milky Way. But without the ability to characterize these extrasolar planetary atmospheres from space, we are astrobiologically hamstrung.

NASA’s goal had been that by 2020, we would have a pretty good idea about how frequently terrestrial Earth-mass planets orbit other stars — whether those planets have atmospheres that resemble our own; and, more crucially, whether those atmospheres exhibit the telltale signs of planets harboring life.

But consider how the federal government spends our tax dollars on a daily basis. Each and every day for more than a decade, the U.S. military spent roughly $1 billion a day funding congressionally-undeclared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In contrast, NASA’s cancelled SIM and TPF missions were both originally estimated to have cost less than $1.5 billion dollars each.
(...)
Read the rest of Casting Swords into Space Observatories (427 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:03 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Russia Will Begin Hunt For Extrasolar Planets

Russia Will Begin Hunt For Extrasolar Planets:

Russia to Start Own Search for Extrasolar Planets - Photo: Paul A. Kempton

Located just south of Saint Petersburg on Pulkovo Heights, one of the greatest Russian Observatories of all times – the Pulkovo Observatory – is about to embark on a very noble study. According to the head of the Institute for Space Research, Lev Zelyony, the Soviet telescopes are about to turn their eyes towards deep skies in search of extrasolar planets. “Scientists from the Pulkovo Observatory are planning to use ground-based instruments to study the transit of planets around their parent stars,” Zelyony said at a roundtable meeting at RIA Novosti headquarters in Moscow. (...)
Read the rest of Russia Will Begin Hunt For Extrasolar Planets (295 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 6:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Hitchcock Haunts a Nebula

Hitchcock Haunts a Nebula:

The star-forming region NGC 3324. The intense radiation from several of NGC 3324's massive, blue-white stars has carved out a cavity in the surrounding gas and dust. The ultraviolet radiation from these young hot stars also cause the gas cloud to glow in rich colors. Credit: ESO

First impression after seeing this new image of NGC 3324? It’s Alfred Hitchcock, bulbous nose and all (see image below for comparison). The right edge of the wall of gas and dust in this star-forming region really bears a strong resemblance to the famous profile of the British film director and producer, notorious for his thriller movies from the 1940’s through the 1970’s.
(...)
Read the rest of Hitchcock Haunts a Nebula (160 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:59 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Help Support a ‘New Horizons’ U.S. Postage Stamp!

Help Support a ‘New Horizons’ U.S. Postage Stamp!:
USA FIRST SPACECRAFTTO EXPLORE PLUTO US POSTAGE STAMP
USA FIRST SPACECRAFTTO EXPLORE PLUTO US POSTAGE STAMP
Concept art for a New Horizons postage stamp. Image Credit: Dan Durda/Southwest Research Institute
Today the New Horizons mission team, along with Principal Investigator Alan Stern have unveiled their proposal for a U.S Postage stamp, to honor the first mission to Pluto.
The current concept art for the stamp was done by Dan Durda, a space scientist and artist at The Southwest Research Institute. Durda’s work has appeared on the New Horizons website and in other locations. If the stamp is approved, it would be the successor to a U.S. postage stamp issued in 1990 that labeled Pluto as “Not Yet Explored.”
“You can help make this happen.” says Stern.
(...)
Read the rest of Help Support a ‘New Horizons’ U.S. Postage Stamp! (535 words)

Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:58 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Potential ‘Goldilocks’ Planet Found

Potential ‘Goldilocks’ Planet Found:

The newly discovered planet is depicted in this artist's conception, showing the host star as part of a triple-star system. The diagram below shows the orbits of the detected planets around the host star in relation to the habitable zone. Images courtesy of Guillem Anglada-Escudé, Carnegie Institution.

A new-found planet is in a ‘just-right’ location around its star where liquid water could possibly exist on the planet’s surface. A team of international astronomers have discovered a potentially habitable super-Earth orbiting a nearby star in a habitable zone, where it isn’t too hot or too cold for liquid water to exist. The planet, GJ 667Cc, has an orbital period of about 28 days and with a mass about 4.5 times that of the Earth. The star that it orbits is quite interesting. It is an M-class dwarf star and is a member of a triple star system and appears to be quite different from our Sun, relatively lacking in metallic elements.

The team said this discovery demonstrates that habitable planets could form in a greater variety of environments than previously believed.

“This was expected to be a rather unlikely star to host planets,” said Steven Vogt from UC Santa Cruz, one of the scientists involved in the discovery. “Yet there they are, around a very nearby, metal-poor example of the most common type of star in our galaxy. The detection of this planet, this nearby and this soon, implies that our galaxy must be teeming with billions of potentially habitable rocky planets.”
(...)
Read the rest of Potential ‘Goldilocks’ Planet Found (668 words)


Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,

NASA’s Blue Marble…Side B.

NASA’s Blue Marble…Side B.:

Earth's eastern hemisphere made from Suomi NPP satellite images. (NASA/NOAA)

In response to last week’s incredibly popular “Blue Marble” image, NASA and NOAA have released a companion version, this one showing part of our planet’s eastern hemisphere.

The image is a composite, made from six separate high-resolution scans taken on January 23 by NASA’s recently-renamed Suomi NPP satellite.(...)
Read the rest of NASA’s Blue Marble…Side B. (199 words)



Posted by Nelio Inacio at 5:53 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)