Astronaut Steve Robinson successfully pulled out the protruding gap fillers from between the shuttle's thermal protection tiles during his 7 hour spacewalk yesterday. The gap fillers came out with a simple tug; Robinson didn't need the makeshift hacksaw he'd brought with him. NASA officials were worried that the Nextel fabric could lead to overheating in the area during Discovery's re-entry. The filler material keeps the shuttle's heat tiles from bumping into each other during launch, but aren't necessary during landing.
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NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has peered through walls of galactic dust to spot supermassive black holes called quasars. Some quasars are visible to telescopes, but others are behind so much gas and dust they can only be seen in the infrared spectrum, which is good for viewing through dust. Based on background X-ray radiation, astronomers had an estimate for how many quasars are out there, but they could never see them with telescopes. Now Spitzer has shown that those quasars are there, just hidden.
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With new instruments, astronomers are filling in all the pieces that help to explain how planets form out of extended disks of gas and dust around newborn stars. This process seems to happen quickly, often just a few million years is all it takes to go from dust to planets. But astronomers have found one proto-planetary disk that refuses to grow up. It's 25 million years old, and still hasn't made the transition to form planets. Lee Hartmann is with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the lead author on the paper announcing the find.
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Astronauts Steve Robinson and Soichi Noguchi made their preparations to head outside the space shuttle Discovery today. This spacewalk had been planned for the mission, but shuttle managers gave the two men the additional task of fixing two protruding gap fillers in between the heat tiles on the underside of the shuttle. Robinson will attempt to pull the excess material out by hand, or use a hacksaw if that doesn't work.
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Shuttle managers decided on Wednesday that Discovery's leading wing edge is safe for it to make re-entry. This is the area that was damaged by falling foam during Columbia's launch, and caused the catastrophe during re-entry. High resolution photographs have analyzed every part of Discovery, and the only concerning area were some protruding tile gap fillers, which will be fixed during a spacewalk on Wednesday.
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NASA's Messenger spacecraft made a successful Earth flyby this week, getting a gravity boost that will propel it into the inner solar system. This maneuver put it on course towards Venus, where it'll get another gravity assist to put it on track towards its final destination: Mercury. It won't get into a final, stable orbit around the closest planet to the Sun until 2011. Messenger took several photographs of the Earth as it came by, using this opportunity to calibrate its scientific equipment.
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This Cassini image of Saturn's moon Rhea shows a bright, white spot in its leading hemisphere. This bright feature could have come from a large impact, and has been examined by Cassini several times from different angles. Cassini took the photo on June 25, 2005 when it was approximately 1.1 million km (700,000 miles) away from the moon.
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Stars, stars, everywhere are stars. What's that one? Oh, it's an aeroplane flying by, oops. Moments such as this would be really bad starts to an evening out viewing the skies. However, as in the word's of the illustrious Zaphod, "Don't panic". Robin Kerrod in his book
The Star Guide: Learn How to Read the Night Sky Star by Star separates the lowly flashing lights of fireflies from the twinkles overhead using a wonderful combination of maps and pictures, together with some judicious text. With this book, the stars and night sky need no longer be a mystery.
In this image of Saturn, taken by Cassini, it's possible to see how Saturn's atmosphere distorts the rings right next to the planet. This happens because Saturn's atmosphere refracts the light coming from the rings, similar to how object in the water look distorted and out of position.
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Cepheid variables are one of the most accurate tools astronomers can use to measure the distance to objects in space because the period of their pulsation is directly tied to their brightness. An international team of astronomers have used this method to calculate the distance to galaxy NGC 300 which is in the Sculptor Group. The team found more than 100 Cepheid variables, and then used them to calculate the distance to be 6.13 million light-years away; give or take 3%.
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Instead of being a dead, icy moon, Cassini has found that Enceladus is actually quite active. This moon of Saturn has a huge cloud of water vapour over its southern pole, and warmer fractures. The moon is relatively close to Saturn, so the intense tidal pressures are keeping it warmer than it should be. This is the same interaction between Jupiter and Io that keeps the moon covered in volcanoes.
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Greetings fellow SkyWatchers! Dark skies this week means a chance to further our in-depth look at globular clusters as we explore classifications, structure, population and distance. What better way to start than with the M22? Even if you only have binoculars or a small telescope, there will be many studies here to intrigue both you and the seasoned observer as well. So open your eyes to the skies, because...
Here's what's up!
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Mike Salway took this picture of
Crux and Centaurus on the 9th July, 2005 from Kulnura, on the Central Coast of NSW, Australia. This image was taken with a Sony Cybershot 5.1mp digicamthe and is a result of 5 images @30s each (ISO400).
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Physicists have used the Brookhaven National Laboratory's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider to create quark-gluon plasma; a mysterious form of matter that was probably present in the first moments after the Big Bang. The team created it by smashing the nuclei of gold atoms together at relativistic speeds. The resulting explosion of particles lasted just 10-20 seconds. Astronomers think that large neutron stars might go into a quark-gluon phase before they collapse into black holes.
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Is the discovery of methane in Mars' atmosphere the first direct evidence of extraterrestrial life? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, so scientists are working to figure out what it will take to know for sure. The best way to know for sure will be to analyze the ration of carbon-12 to carbon-13. Living creatures prefer to pick up carbon-12 as they assemble methane, so a larger amount of this isotope will be a telltale sign. Unfortunately, detecting this isotope is best done by spectrometers on the surface of Mars, so future landers/rovers with more sensitive instruments will be required.
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Astronomers have discovered a new planet orbiting our Sun, which is larger than Pluto. It's located 97 times further than the Earth from the Sun. This new, 10th planet was actually first photographed in 2003 by the Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory, but it took this long to study and confirm its size and orbit. A name has been proposed to the International Astronomical Union, which is making its decision.
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When astronomers discover a supernova, it's too late to learn much about the star before it exploded. Even if astronomers have a picture of its home galaxy before the star went supernova, there are often too many stars in the area to pick out the progenitor star. An international team of astronomers got a lucky break when a supernova exploded in the relatively nearby Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) which was well photographed by Hubble. By comparing archived pictures with a new photo containing the supernova, they were able to find the exact star that exploded.
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Scientists from NASA, MIT and other institutions have developed a comprehensive simulation of the Earth's climate that accurately models ocean, ice, land and atmosphere. This new model, called the Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF) pulls in data from a variety of sources, such as satellites and ground observations. The research team will be releasing the software publicly on the internet to the scientific community so they can use the simulator to study various processes in the Earth's environment.
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Two of Saturn's icy moons, Mimas and Tethys, circle the planet in this infrared image of the Ringed Planet taken by Cassini. Mimas is 397 kilometers (247 miles) across. Tethys is 1,071 kilometers (665 miles) across. It's also possible to see a large, doughnut-shaped storm near Saturn's southern pole which is at least 1,600 km (1,000 miles) across.
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NASA is helping researchers build machines and materials at the smallest scales - known as nanotechnology - to enable future space explorers. One example of this research is in the development of carbon nanotubes, which could have 100 times the strength of steel at 1/6 the weight, and used in the construction of a future space elevator. Nanofactories could churn out spacecraft parts where atoms are placed individually with atomic precision.
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This image, taken by ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, shows a large patch of water ice sitting on the floor of a Martian crater. The unnamed impact crater is located on Vastitas Borealis, a broad plain that covers much of Mars' far northern latitudes. This patch of ice seems to be present all year round, as the temperature and pressure don't get high enough for the ice to sublimate away into gas. There are also faint traces of ice on the inside wall of the crater.
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NASA engineers are working on a new instrument that could peer through rock and dirt on Mars to see evidence of life under the surface. The Neutron/Gamma ray Geologic Tomography (NUGGET) would be wielded by a Martian rover, and aimed at suspicious rocks. By releasing a focused beam of neutrons, some of atoms in the target rock will capture them and give off a characteristic gamma ray signature, measurable by the instrument. Ancient fossils embedded in the rock would be revealed by their chemicals.
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Sailing through space on nothing but photons from the Sun is a nice dream, but we're still years away from the reality. NASA took their next step in June, however, when they tested a 20-metre (66-foot) prototype solar sail at their Plum Brook research facility. They successfully deployed the sail using an inflatable boom designed to unfurl the sail from a box the size of a suitcase and then keep it rigid in space.
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Take your estimate for the amount of neon in a star, and triple it. At least, that's what a team of astronomers using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory have concluded. They performed a detailed survey of 21 nearby sun-like stars within a distance of 400 light-years from Earth, and found they all contained an average of 3X the neon traditionally predicted for our Sun. Neon is difficult to find in stars because it doesn't give off any light in the visible spectrum. But when heated to millions of degrees, for example, in a star, this elusive element blazes in the X-ray spectrum.
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NASA has confirmed that the space shuttle Discovery launched safely into orbit yesterday. During their 12-day mission to the International Space Station, Commander Eileen Collins and 6 other astronauts will test a series of techniques and equipment designed to make the shuttles safer. The crew of Discovery will spend seven hours today examining every inch of the shuttle with a camera attached to its robotic arm to look for any damage. The shuttle is expected to dock with the space station on Thursday.
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Most teenagers go to summer camp in order to learn arts and crafts, hang out beside a lake in the northern wilderness, and perhaps learn to horseback ride. Nevertheless, every year a small handful of teenagers opt out of the traditional camp and travel to the desert of the American Southwest. Instead of learning how to build a fire they discover how to use research-grade telescopes, instead of discussing the latest fashions they debate planetary formation, and instead of identifying plant types they identify the hydrogen line in Vega. What kind of person spends free time doing that?
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Humans have really raced up the evolutionary ladder in the last 40,000 years. From dragging knuckles on the ground to speeding jets over the sands of the Mojave desert, we've come a long way. Of course progress wasn't continuous. There were some good years and some bad years. Many people think 1905 was particularly good. John Stachel in his book, Einstein's Miraculous Year gives credit to this statement. Within it are the five papers that Einstein wrote then. With time and much investigation, his papers were fully appreciated and with this hindsight, 1905 does appear to have been particularly good.
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Cassini took this beautiful photograph of Saturn's unlit side, with its rings deep in shadow. Reflected light from the sunlit portion of the rings casts an eerie glow across the portion in shadow. This image was taken on June 8, when the spacecraft was approximately 477,000 km (296,000 miles) away from the planet.
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A clever new telescope design could allow engineers to pack larger folding space telescopes into smaller spaces on rockets, dramatically reducing their weight and launch costs. Inspired by amateur telescopes which can be disassembled for transport, this design could allow fleets of low cost space telescopes with bigger mirrors than Hubble. They could be used for detailed Earth observation, astronomical observations, or even be sent to other planets and moons to examine their surfaces in extreme detail.
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With the discovery of methane in Mars' atmosphere, scientists are trying to find out what the source is. Since methane is destroyed by sunlight, there has to be an active source constantly producing it. Here on Earth, methane is largely produced by living bacteria, called methanogens, which convert carbon and hydrogen into methane. The problem is that Earth bacteria go into a dormant state when exposed to the low pressure Martian atmosphere. So they're probably deep underground, and the methane they produce slowly moves to the surface.
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NASA and Volanz Aerospace have announced the next Centennial Challenge prize: to build a better set of gloves for astronauts. Teams will compete for a $250,000 prize to build a pair of gloves which are strong, easy on astronaut hands, and provide better dexterity than the gloves NASA currently uses. The competition is scheduled for November 2006, where various teams will submit their glove designs to a series of tests.
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Astrophotographer Chris Cook took this picture of the
The Rho Region - Scorpius on May 8, 2005 from Gila, New Mexico. This image was taken with a Pentax 67 camera, Pentax 165mm @ f/2.8 lens and Astro-Physics 400GTO mount.
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Mike O'Brien took this picture of the Solar eclipse on December 4th 2002 from Lyndhurst, South Australia. This image was taken with a 3mp Fuji Finepix 6800Z camera set on default settings.
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A new report from the National Academies' National Research Council says that NASA will need to be more careful to prevent Earth microbes hitching a ride on spacecraft from contaminating Mars. Recent findings show that there could be liquid water underneath the ground on Mars, and some Earth bacteria can survive in such hostile environments. According to the report, NASA is planning to implement new techniques that would reduce the risk for spacecraft flying after 2016.
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Cassini has obtained fascinating new images of the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The spacecraft made its closest flyby so far on July 14, when it passed only 175 km (109 miles) within the moon's southern pole. This region is strangely free of impact craters, but it is littered with house-sized ice boulders. Enceladus has the most reflective surface in the solar system; it's as pure and white as freshly fallen snow. These gigantic blocks of ice were a complete surprise to scientists and they'll take some time to figure out what could have caused them.
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The European Space Agency's SMART-1 spacecraft took this image of the Hadley Rille on the south-east edge of Mare Imbrium on the Moon. The bright bumps on the lower part of the image are the Appenine mountains, which formed a backdrop during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. The Hadley Rille is a 120 km (76 mile) long gully - probably a collapsed lava tube - that formed about 3.3 billion years ago.
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Astronomers have discovered that a relatively nearby galaxy is undergoing a tremendous amount of new star formation. This is very unusual, since galaxies normally only went through this phase billions of years ago, when the Universe was much younger. Seen in visible light, NGC 4625 only showed a diffuse halo, with a hint of spiral arms. But in the ultraviolet gaze of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer, it clearly has vast spiral arms which extend four times the size of the galaxy's core.
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Cassini has captured some strange-sounding radio emissions coming from Saturn's north and south poles. These emissions, called Saturn kilometric radiation, are generated by the planet's auroras. The changing frequencies probably come from tiny radio sources moving up and down the planet's magnetic field lines, but scientists are entirely sure what causes them. Cassini will fly close, or possibly even through, this region in 2008, so scientists will have a great opportunity to study them up close.
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By creating a detailed map of Asteroid 433 Eros, a researcher from Cornell University has helped answer questions about its interior. Even though Eros is largely pockmarked from thousands of meteor strikes, it does have a few puzzling smooth parts. The smooth parts appear to have been caused by seismic waves that passed through the asteroid's interior and shook the ground smooth after it was hit by large impacts. This means that Eros' interior is cohesive enough to transmit these seismic waves.
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Shevill Mathers took this picture of the Moon, Jupiter and Spica on the 13th July, 2005 from Tasmania, Australia. This image was taken with a Nikon D100 digital SLR with a Nikkor 80 to 200 f/2.8 zoom lens.
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Narayan Mukkavilli took this picture of the Lagoon nebula on the 16th July, 2005 from Sydney, Australia. This image was taken with an ED80, Canon 300D digital SLR with an Astronomik 1.25 inch CLS filter.(CG5 mount, autoguided with Guide Dog, 5 inch newtonian guidescope.)
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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! This week will begin a series of studies of some of the oldest formations in our galaxy - globular clusters. The Moon will visit with Mars and lucky viewers in Australia will have a chance to see it occult the Pleiades! Not enough? Then hang on as we have not one - but two - meteor showers this week. So grab your binoculars, take out your telescopes and head for dark skies because...
Here's what's up!
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NASA began the countdown for launch of the space shuttle Discovery on July 23. If all goes well, and there are no further delays, Discovery will blast off on Tuesday, July 26 at 1439 UTC (10:39 am EDT). They still have no resolution for the malfunctioning fuel gauge, but managers have said they'll be willing to let the shuttle fly, even if the problem resurfaces, because of redundant systems.
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Saturn is about to go behind the Sun. For a few days, NASA won't be able to communicate with Cassini since it's currently in orbit the planet. As Saturn neared the edge on July 24, radio distortion from the Sun made communications with Cassini impossible. NASA expects to reacquire a signal from Cassini on July 27. This situation gives scientists an opportunity to probe the Sun's corona, since communications will have to pass through it. This photograph was taken by SOHO, which is parked in a gravitationally stable spot between the Earth and Sun.
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