Universe Today » Nancy Atkinson

De Plume! De Plume! Enceladus Raw Flyby Images

Nancy Atkinson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:50:33 +0000

Raw images are already being returned from Cassini's Nov. 21 "E-8" or eighth flyby of the tiger-striped moon Enceladus. Visible in this raw image are several plumes from fissures in the south polar region of the moon. These fissures spew jets of water vapor and other particles hundreds of kilometers from the surface. This flyby included a very different geometry to the flyby trajectory – and a different look at the plumes — approaching within 1,606 kilometers (997.9 miles) of the surface, buzzing over 82 degrees south latitude. This is the last look we'll have for several years at this intriguing area of Enceladus before winter darkness blankets the area. See below for looks at Baghdad Sulcus, the "tiger stripe" that scientists were focusing on.
(...)
Read the rest of De Plume! De Plume! Enceladus Raw Flyby Images (112 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Find the Answer to this Week's WITU Challenge

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:34:23 +0000

If you're still wondering what this very strange image is, find out by going to the original WITU challenge post for this week. Have a great weekend, and check back next week for another Where In The Universe Challenge!

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Video of Utah Fireball

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:20:31 +0000

Early Nov. 18th, eyewitnesses reported an explosion in the atmosphere above Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho in the western United States. Some said the fireball "turned night into day" and produced shock waves that shook the ground when it exploded just after midnight Mountain Standard Time. Infrasound recordings of the blast suggest a small asteroid hitting Earth's atmosphere and exploding with an energy of 0.5 to 1 kiloton of TNT. As the sun rose in the morning, remnants of the explosion were visible as noctilucent clouds over the region. The best video of the extremely bright event was just recently released, from the University of Utah's Eccles Observatory.
(...)
Read the rest of Video of Utah Fireball (85 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

What If Earth Had Rings?

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:10:26 +0000

While we're on the subject of Saturn…. I came across this video, and it poses — and answers — the interesting question, what would Earth look like if it had rings like Saturn? This animation was done by Roy Prol, and it shows not only how the rings would look from space, but also the view Earthlings would have of the rings. Prol says the ring views from Earth's surface were created according to the location's latitude and the viewer's orientation, and that the size of the rings was calculated respecting the Roche limit for the Earth. A very intriguing concept, and the video is very well done. The only bad thing about Earth having rings is that we probably wouldn't have our Moon, and we wouldn't have just found water on it!

You can read a very old discussion in the BAUT forum on the prospect of Earth having rings.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

More Cassini Eye Candy: Infrared Saturn, Peek-a-boo Moons

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:55:44 +0000

The "wow" factor from the Cassini mission never quits. Here's the latest image, released just today of Saturn, viewed in near-infrared. This image was taken with Cassini's wide-angle camera on Oct. 23, 2009 using a spectral filter sensitive to wavelengths of near-infrared light, centered at 890 nanometers. The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 2.6 million kilometers (1.6 million miles) from Saturn. The large shadow south of the equator is from the moon Tethys (1062 kilometers, 660 miles across). The small shadow near the limb of the planet, north of the equator, is the shadow of the moon Mimas (396 kilometers, 246 miles across). Absolutely stunning.

See below for more Cassini goodness of moons playing peek-a-boo with the rings and each other.
(...)
Read the rest of More Cassini Eye Candy: Infrared Saturn, Peek-a-boo Moons (57 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Spirit Rover Makes Progress

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:23:26 +0000

A little good news for Spirit! The rover successfully moved; not very much, but it's the first step of a planned two-step motion to try and get Spirit free from a sand trap on Mars. On Sol 2090 (Nov. 19), the rover spun its wheels for the equivalent of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) in the forward direction, and the center of the rover moved approximately 12 millimeters (0.5 inch) forward, 7 millimeters (0.3 inch) to the left and about 4 millimeters (0.2 inch) down. Again, not much, but it's the first good news and good movement the rover has had in months.
(...)
Read the rest of Spirit Rover Makes Progress (103 words)

© nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit Rover

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Large Hadron Collider Could Re-Start This Weekend

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:24:42 +0000

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) could be re-started on this Saturday morning CERN officials said. Engineers are preparing to send a beam of sub-atomic particles around the 27km-long circular tunnel, which has been shut down since an accident in September 2008. Scientists hope to create conditions similar to those present moments after the Big Bang in search of the elusive Higgs particle to shed light on fundamental questions about the universe.
(...)
Read the rest of Large Hadron Collider Could Re-Start This Weekend (161 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Plasma Rocket Could Help Pick Up Space Trash

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:36:20 +0000

Artist concept of a VASIMR. Credit: Ad Astra

Franklin Chang Diaz's proposed VASIMR rocket engine could create very versatile spacecraft. Not only does the plasma-fueled rocket have the potential to make a trip to Mars in just over a month, it could also help clean up space trash in Earth orbit. “Our goal is to be able to have a garbage truck that will be picking up all of these objects at various orbits,” astronaut Chang Diaz said in an article in the Global Post. The debris could put into an “orbital graveyard,” he added, “or we could actually launch them to the sun and drive them to the sun, which is kind of the ultimate, cosmic dump.”
(...)
Read the rest of Plasma Rocket Could Help Pick Up Space Trash (348 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Get a $36 Million World Map for Free

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:12:20 +0000

When the first Landsat Earth-observing satellite launched in 1972, virtually every piece of technology that we think of as essential for viewing, sharing, or analyzing digital images — like the internet or DVD's — either hadn’t been invented or commercialized, like the microprocessors that run desktop computers. “It cost about $4,000 for a single Landsat image, and it takes about 9,000 of them to map the land area of the globe,” said Jeff Masek, from NASA. "To make a global image for just one time period would have cost $36 million." But now, in this age where everything is digital and it's easy to exchange information, anyone can download Landsat images for free. Recently, NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey put the finishing touches on a new collection of mapped images covering the entire land surface of the Earth. However, if you want the entire full-size version, it would be as big as the Hoover Dam.
(...)
Read the rest of Get a $36 Million World Map for Free (131 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Where In The Universe #80

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:44:39 +0000

Ready for another Where In The Universe Challenge? Here's #80! Take a look and see if you can name where in the Universe this image is from. Give yourself extra points if you can name the spacecraft responsible for the image. As usual, we’ll provide the image today, but won’t reveal the answer until tomorrow. This gives you a chance to mull over the image and provide your answer/guess in the comment section. Please, no links or extensive explanations of what you think this is — give everyone the chance to guess.

UPDATE: The answer has been posted below.

(...)
Read the rest of Where In The Universe #80 (84 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Anti-Gravity Treadmill Developed from NASA Technology

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:09:20 +0000

Ever wonder what it would be like to walk on the Moon or run on Mars? A treadmill developed using NASA technology can provide users the feeling of moving about in less than 1 G. Anti-gravity treadmills, sold under the name of Alter-G, are becoming common in hospitals, rehab centers, and sports facilities, and just about every professional sports team in North America has one. They are a bit pricey for individuals to afford, but athletes and physical therapists say the device is a fantastic addition to their exercise repertoire.
(...)
Read the rest of Anti-Gravity Treadmill Developed from NASA Technology (341 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

"X" Marks Puzzling Galactic Bulge

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:48:20 +0000

Looking at a galaxy edge-on provides astronomers the opportunity to study different aspects of galaxies than a face-on view offers. This Hubble image of NGC 4710 is part of a survey conducted to provide more information about the puzzling bulges that form around the middle of some galaxies. Have these galaxies been "eating" too much, or is it just part of a "middle-age spread" similar to what humans experience? Astronomers aren't sure why bulges evolve and become a substantial component of most spiral galaxies.
(...)
Read the rest of "X" Marks Puzzling Galactic Bulge (432 words)

© nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | 39 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: galaxies, Hubble Space Telescope

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The 'Camera That Saved Hubble' Goes to Smithsonian Museum

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:18:41 +0000

The Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, along with the "contact lens" that corrected the defect in the Hubble Space Telescope's primary mirror will have a new home. Recently returned to Earth after more than 15 years in space, the two instruments will have a new home in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Astronauts on the Hubble servicing mission in May 2009 replaced WFPC-2 with a new and improved version, bringing the well-used camera back to Earth. "This was the camera that saved Hubble," said Ed Weiler, from NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "I have looked forward for a long time to stand in front of this very instrument while on display to the public."
(...)
Read the rest of The 'Camera That Saved Hubble' Goes to Smithsonian Museum (314 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

A Day in the Life on Board the ISS

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:46:53 +0000

In this video, International Space Station commander Frank De Winne explains what a typical day on board the ISS is like. Today, however, De Winne and his crew of Robert Thirsk, Roman Romanenko, Nicole Stott, Maxim Suraev and Jeffrey Williams are busy getting ready for the arrival of the STS-129 space shuttle crew. They need to set up to take pictures of the incoming shuttle to document the condition of the shuttle’s heat shield as it makes a "back flip" or a rendezvous pitch maneuver during its approach to the station. Plus, if the crew is anything like me, they probably have some last minute tidying to do before company arrives. Docking is scheduled for 11:53 a.m. EST. Watch it live on NASA TV.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

ALMA Telescope Makes First Observations

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:05:02 +0000

The ALMA telescope located high in the Chilean Andes made its first measurements on Tuesday using just two of the eventual 66 antennas that will comprise the array. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array took interferometric measurements of radio signals, or "fringes," from a distant quasar (3C454.3) at sub-millimeter wavelengths. Astronomers said the data from the two 12-meter antennas provided unprecedented sensitivity and resolution, and observations at a wavelength of less than 1mm showed ALMA was now truly a "submillimeter" as well as millimeter-wave telescope.
(...)
Read the rest of ALMA Telescope Makes First Observations (140 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Spirit Extrication, Day 1: Drive Stopped After 1 Second

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:18:55 +0000

Mission managers sent the drive commands to the Spirit rover at 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT) today, — Nov. 17, 2009 and Sol 2088 for the rover — but the data back from the rover indicates the rover stopped less than one second after it began moving its wheels when the rover automatically sensed more lateral tilt than permitted. A tight limit on vehicle roll and pitch of less than 1 degree change was set for this first drive, and as the rover began its first move, it sensed that its roll was outside the allowed limit and safely stopped the drive. Those driving the rover say they are starting cautiously, setting initial parameters with very tight limits with the knowledge that these hair triggers may stop the rover frequently. As the project gains confidence with extrication, these limits may be relaxed. From this limited drive the team now has a more accurate measurement of vehicle roll and pitch that will be used for subsequent drive planning. Analysis is continuing. The team hopes to completion their planning of the next drive on Wednesday, Nov. 18, with possible wheel movement again on the 19th (Sol 2090)
(...)
Read the rest of Spirit Extrication, Day 1: Drive Stopped After 1 Second (53 words)

© nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Mars, Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit Rover

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

US, China Agree to Discuss Cooperation in Space

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:05:39 +0000

The United States and China have agreed to discuss expanded cooperation in space exploration and science. According to a joint statement released in Beijing on Tuesday, the two counties will start a "dialogue" on human space flight and exploration, and both nations looked forward to reciprocal visits by the NASA administrator and appropriate Chinese space leaders in 2010. NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, currently in Japan, said cooperation on the high frontier could pay dividends for both countries.
(...)
Read the rest of US, China Agree to Discuss Cooperation in Space (220 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Podcast: Eclipses

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:05:54 +0000

Every now and then, the Moon destroys the Sun. Okay, not destroys, covers. Well, not really covers, but from here on Earth, sitting inside the shadow of the Moon, that's what it sure looks like. These events are called eclipses, or more precisely, transits and occultations. They occur whenever one object passes in front of another from a 3rd perspective. They're beautiful and exciting, and deliver a tremendous amount of science as well.

Click here to download the episode.

Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.

Eclipses show notes and transcript.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Romanian Group Attempts Moon Mission With Giant Balloon

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:59:59 +0000

The first attempt to send a rocket to the Moon via balloon hit a snag on Monday. The first test of the Aeronautics and Cosmonautics Romanian Association's (ARCA) balloon-launched rocket (or "rockoon") ended in failure when the "inflation arms" used to fill the balloon became entangled in the balloon itself. The arms had to be cut, and the operation – which required the use of a large naval frigate — was curtailed. ARCA hopes to compete in the Google Lunar X PRIZE, and intends on using their unusual rocket system to send an equally unique spherical lunar lander to win a $30 million prize.
(...)
Read the rest of Romanian Group Attempts Moon Mission With Giant Balloon (265 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Astronomers Find Type Ia Supernova Just Waiting to Happen

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:17:09 +0000

Type Ia supernovae are a mystery because no one can predict when or where one might occur. But astronomers are hedging their bets on V445 Puppis. A so-called "vampire white dwarf" that underwent a nova outburst after gulping down part of its companion’s matter in 2000, now, it appears this double star system is a prime candidate for exploding. “Whether V445 Puppis will eventually explode as a supernova, or if the current nova outburst has pre-empted that pathway by ejecting too much matter back into space is still unclear,” said Patrick Woudt, from the University of Cape Town and lead author of the paper reporting the results. “But we have here a pretty good suspect for a future Type Ia supernova!”
(...)
Read the rest of Astronomers Find Type Ia Supernova Just Waiting to Happen (506 words)

© nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | 83 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: type 1a supernova, white dwarf star

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Bob Crippen on the Current State of NASA

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:01:32 +0000

Astronaut Bob Crippen, along with John Young, made history on April 12, 1981 when they launched on one of the riskiest test flights ever, STS-1 on space shuttle Columbia. Crippen also commanded three other space shuttle missions (STS-7, STS-41C, STS-41G), and was the former director of the Kennedy Space Center and former President of Thiokol Propulsion. Crippen has always been a straight shooter — telling it like it is — and a strong supporter of human spaceflight. Personally, I will never forget the moving speech he gave after the Columbia accident, eulogizing the spacecraft itself. I had the chance to talk with Crippen today following the launch of STS-129.
(...)
Read the rest of Bob Crippen on the Current State of NASA (674 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Go to Bed for NASA

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:56:02 +0000

If you don't quite have the right stuff, but always thought being an astronaut would be cool, here's a way for you to contribute to the US space program. Go to bed. With NASA. "I would absolutely recommend it. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life," said Heather Archuletta, who has participated in three different studies for the Human Test Subject Facility (HTSF) at the Johnson Space Center. These ongoing studies use long-term bed rest to simulate the effects of micro-gravity an astronaut would experience during extended space flight. "This is a great opportunity for the general public to help NASA with their scientific research," said John Foster, who works for Solitaire Creative Services, a company that promotes the studies.
(...)
Read the rest of Go to Bed for NASA (986 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

New Movie Reveals Birth of Super-Suns

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:34 +0000

A two-year look at "proplyds," or protoplanetary disks in the constellation Orion has provided astronomers with a new high-resolution time-lapse movie that reveals the process of how massive star form. The birth of the largest stars has been mysterious, in part, because massive stars are rare and tend to spend their youth enshrouded by dust and gas hiding them from view. "We know how these stars die, but not how they are born," said Lincoln Greenhill, a principal investigator for team using radio images a thousand times sharper and more detailed than any previously obtained.
(...)
Read the rest of New Movie Reveals Birth of Super-Suns (540 words)

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Carnival of Space #129

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:49:47 +0000

This week's Carnival of Space is hosted over at Tiny Mantras.

Click here to read the Carnival of Space #129.

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, let Fraser know if you can be a host, and he’ll schedule you into the calendar.

Finally, if you run a space-related blog, please post a link to the Carnival of Space. Help us get the word out.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Water on the Moon

Nancy Atkinson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:16:28 +0000

Water has long been suspected to exist in the permanently shadowed polar craters on the Moon, and now the LCROSS impact has allowed scientists to make a direct and definitive finding of this precious resource in a place NASA and other space agencies are considering exploring with human expeditions. Many say this could be a game-changing discovery for the future of lunar science and exploration. Unlike the previous announcement in September of water on the Moon, where water exists diffusely across the moon as hydroxyl or water molecules adhering to the surface in low concentrations, this new discovery could mean underground reservoirs of water ice. "There is too much water to be just absorbed in the soil," said Anthony Colaprete of the LCROSS mission at Friday's press conference. "There has to be real solid ice there. You could melt it and drink it."
(...)
Read the rest of Water on the Moon (326 words)

© nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: LCROSS, Moon, water on the moon

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh