Universe Today

Ever wondered what the largest telescope on the Earth is? Well, this coming Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the largest telescope ever assembled here will take observations for a whole day. How big is the telescope? About the size of the whole Earth! 35 radio telescopes on 7 continents will link together for one whole day in an effort to observe distant quasars as part of an initiative to improve the reference frame that scientists use to measure positions in the sky. Click to continue…

Filed under: Astronomy, Observatories | 8 Comments »

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.
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The exoplanet HAT-P-7b has been observed to have a very curious orbit. It either has a highly tilted orbit – passing almost over the poles of its parent star, HAT-P-7 -  or a retrograde orbit; that is, orbiting in the opposite direction of its parent star. Two teams of researchers, both using the Subaru Telescope in Japan, have published papers on the bizarre properties of this planet, the second exoplanet ever observed to have a retrograde orbit. Click to continue…

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The Dawn spacecraft – which is on a course to study the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres – has taken up permanent residence in the asteroid belt as of November 13th. Dawn is officially the first human-made object to become a part of the asteroid belt, which is sandwiched between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Click to continue…

Filed under: Missions, Space Exploration | 2 Comments »

The annual Leonid Meteor Shower is about to light up the night… And the time to start watching is now. The year 2009 will not see a Leonid storm, but an outburst for sure. There are still some uncertainties regarding the time of maximum of the 1466 trail. For those of you seeking a definitive date and time, it isn't always possible, but we can learn a whole lot about when and where to look. Click to continue…

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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.
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Filed under: Astronomy | 73 Comments »

Monkeys have made contributions to spaceflight before, and NASA plans to start using them again to test the effects of radiation exposure on their performance of various tasks. With renewed efforts to send humans to the Moon and Mars – which exposes them to radiation from the Sun and galactic cosmic rays – NASA wants a better idea of exactly what the effects of this radiation will be on the cognitive performance of astronauts. A research proposal on the effects of radiation in primates is just one of twelve studies that NASA has chosen to fund through its Human Research Program grants for space radiobiology research. Click to continue…

Filed under: Space Flight | 5 Comments »

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.

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(Editor's Note: Ken Kremer is in Florida for Universe Today covering the upcoming Atlantis launch attempt.)
Space shuttle Atlantis is all fueled up and ready for launch. Liftoff time is slated for 2:28 PM EST Monday. The weather forecast has degraded somewhat to 70 percent acceptable from the prior 90 percent forecast. The only concern is the possibility of low cloud ceilings this afternoon. Skies are overcast here at the KSC press center. All the emergency landing sites are “Green”. The launch team is not working any issues at this time. Among those on site at Kennedy Space Center are about 100 Twitter devotees, who are part of a special NASA "Tweet Up." They've been able to tour different facilities and will be on hand for the launch attempt today.
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If you can build a better mousetrap, then you can certainly build a better glove for astronauts! Making a glove that both protects the hands of the astronauts in the harsh environment of space or on the Moon, and allowing them the dexterity to manipulate tools is a tough challenge for NASA. That's why they are holding the second Astronaut Glove Challenge on November 19th, with a $400,000 prize for the best glove. Click to continue…

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Editor's Note: Ken Kremer is in Florida for Universe Today covering the upcoming Atlantis launch attempt.
As the shuttle enters its final year of operation, the countdown clock is ticking towards blast-off of Space Shuttle Atlantis and her six man crew at 2:28 PM EST on 16 November 2009 towards the International Space Station (ISS) I am reporting from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Press site to witness the STS 129 launch and provide on-site coverage for readers of Universe Today. The weather is gorgeous here at KSC with clear blue skies and moderate temperatures.
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(Editor's Note: Ken Kremer is in Florida for Universe Today covering the current launch attempts of the space shuttle and Atlas) Image caption: The Atlas 5 will orbit the commercial Intelsat 14 communications satellite. This photo shows upper portion of rocket and umbilical cord connections leading from mobile launch platform to the decaled 4 meter wide white colored payload fairing and Centaur upper stage. The flight is designated as tail number AV-024. Credit: Ken Kremer

Shortly after midnight on Saturday November 14 the launch of an Atlas 5 rocket poised  at Complex 41 and bathed in xenon lights was suddenly halted when engineers discovered a power dropout with the ORCA, or Ordnance Remote Control Assembly.
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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."
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Filed under: Moon | 17 Comments »

40 years ago today, Apollo 12 launched on their mission to the Moon. On board was Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean. Bean is a gifted artist who has shared his experiences on the Moon like no other astronaut has through his paintings, which offer a unique look at both real and imagined events during all the different astronaut's moonwalks. (Check out his website to see a gallery of his amazing artwork.) And enjoy this great interview that Miles O'Brien did recently with Alan Bean.

NASA also has an interactive Apollo 12 feature.

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You've seen the pictures, now watch the movie! Zoom into the Apollo 11 landing site with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's latest images of Tranquility Base where humans took their first steps on the Moon. Thrill with the detail! Swoon with the history! Or, just enjoy it.

Filed under: Missions, Moon | 10 Comments »