Our Moon has been visited by men, yet this fact may seem like fiction to many people. Over an incredibly short span, people of one nation came together, developed a technology and achieved the goal of walking on the lunar surface. For those wanting a reference for this momentous event, Richard Orloff and David Harland provide their book, Apollo – The Definitive Sourcebook. In it are the facts and figures regarding the events surrounding the people and hardware of this amazing achievement.
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Podcast: Black Holes Big and Small
We’re finally ready to deal with the topic you’ve all been waiting for: Schwarzschild swirlers, Chandrasekhar crushers, ol’ matter manglers, sucking singularities… you might know them as blackholes. Join as as we examine how black holes form, what they consume, and just how massive they can get.
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Astrophoto: Orion Deep field by Robert Gendler
We live in an age filled with robots- both those that respond to commands issued by a person and those that autonomously respond to a program placed within their operating system. Regardless of how they function, and more fundamentally, robots are tools meant to perform tasks that are repetitive or dangerous, often in situations requiring high precision or to serve as human proxy. Interestingly, robots have also been a staple in fiction since antiquity- one of the earliest examples was the bronze giant, Talos, in Homer’s IIiad. They have also been used as an elaborate metaphor for humankind’s relationship with technology. So, whether the term “robot” conjures up a vision of Frankenstein or Tickle Me Elmo, they no longer are just a figment of fertile imaginations and humankind’s reliance is growing exponentially. For example, robots are increasingly playing a significant role in amateur astronomy- the image that accompanies this discussion was produced through robotic assistance.
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Please Digg the Astronomy Cast Podcast
Hi folks, if you’re a member of the popular social networking site Digg.com, I was wondering if you could take a second and “Digg” our Astronomy Cast podcast. That will help us rise in the rankings of Digg.com, and get more publicity. If you’re a member of Digg.com, you can access the page here: digg.com/podcasts/Astronomy_Cast
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Mars Rovers Learn Some New Tricks
Consider this for a moment. NASA’s Mars Exploration rovers are nearing their third anniversary of crawling around the surface of Mars. Spirit arrived on January 3rd, 2004, and Opportunity showed up 21 days later. And they were only supposed to be usable for a few months.
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Blue Origin’s Rocket is Finally Revealed
It’s been a huge secret for several years. Amazon.com’s founder Jeff Bezos has a rocket company on the side called Blue Origin. But that’s pretty much all we knew.
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Black Hole Found in a Globular Star Cluster
Stellar mass black holes have been discovered, and astronomers now believe that supermassive black holes exist at the centres of most galaxies. But now a black hole has been discovered inside a globular star cluster. This could be one of the elusive “intermediate-mass” black holes.
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Podcast: Where Does the Moon Come From?
We take the Moon for granted, but its effect on the Earth is very important; possibly even critical for the formation of life. But where did it come from? Did the Earth and Moon form together? Or did the Earth capture a wayward Moon? Or was there a more catastrophic cause to this lunar mystery?
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What’s Up this Week: January 1 – January 7, 2007
Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers… Welcome to the new year and 365 more nights with you! Thanks to everyone for their kind words about the new edition and how great the softcover book turned out. The sky is at the limit as we begin 2007 exploring the Moon and keep on reaching for the stars. Now, let’s head out into the night because…
Here’s what’s up!
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Close Call with Asteroid 2006 XG1 in 2041
I don’t want to get you worried, or even mildly concerned. No need to panic. In fact, just read this little piece, and remark with interest that an asteroid is going to get really really close to the Earth on October 31, 2041. It might – I repeat might – have a small, insignificant chance of hitting the Earth and causing regional devastation. Like a 1 in 40,000 chance. Those are pretty good odds when you think of it.
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