Thursday, October 29, 2015

Halloween Fireballs


Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 29, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

HALLOWEEN FIREBALLS:  This weekend, Earth could run into a stream of gravelly debris from Comet Encke, source of the annual Taurid meteor shower.  The last time this happened, ten years ago in Oct. 2005, the encounter sparked a two-week display of bright meteors called the "Halloween fireballs."  Will it happen again in 2015? Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information and observing tips.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Close Encounter with Enceladus


Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 27, 2015

NASA's Cassini Spacecraft is about to make a daring plunge through a plume spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2015/27oct_enceladus/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://youtu.be/nts-bkhoMt4



Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)

Monday, October 26, 2015

Spacecraft Discovers Thousands of Doomed Comets


Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 25, 2015

The ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory has discovered more than 3000 doomed comets that have passed close to the sun. .

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2015/24oct_doomedcomets/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://youtu.be/AyZI1i7lcc0



Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)

Dawn Triangle of Planets


Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 24, 2015

Look east before sunrise in late October for a beautiful conjunction of bright planets.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2015/24oct_dawntriangle/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://youtu.be/OCuQXGCuiPo



Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Big Picture Science for Monday October 26, 2015 - Skeptic Check: Check the Skeptics













Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: Check the Skeptics

ENCORE: One day, coffee is good for you; the next, it’s not. And it seems that everything you eat is linked to cancer, according to research. But scientific studies are not always accurate. Insufficient data, biased measurements, or a faulty analysis can trip them up. And that’s why scientists are always skeptical.

Hear one academic say that more than half of all published results are wrong, but that science still remains the best tool we have for learning about nature.

Also, a cosmologist points to reasons why science can never give us all the answers.

And why the heck are scientists so keen to put a damper on spontaneous combustion?

Studies discussed in this episode:
Chocolate and red wine aren’t good for you after all
The Moon is younger than we thought

Guests:

This encore podcast was first released on June 16, 2014

Download episode at: http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/Skeptic_Check_Check_the_Skeptics

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

CME Impact on Oct. 24th


Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 24, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

CME IMPACT:  Arriving earlier than expected, a CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Saturday, Oct. 24th. Polar geomagnetic storms and auroras are possible this weekend as Earth moves through the CME's magnetized wake.  Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

MORNING SKY SHOW:  Set your alarm for dawn. Venus, Jupiter and Mars are gathering for a three-way close encounter in the early morning sky. Sky maps and observing tips are available on today's edition of  http://spaceweather.com

Friday, October 23, 2015

The Solar Flare That Wouldn't End


Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 23, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

THE SOLAR FLARE THAT WOULDN'T END:  Typical solar flares are finished in a matter of minutes. On Oct. 22nd, a solar flare in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2434 lasted for more than 3 hours. The slow explosion produced a CME, which is expected to deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Oct. 25th. Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Meteors from Halley's Comet


Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 20, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

METEORS FROM HALLEY'S COMET: Earth is passing through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak tonight, Oct. 20-21, with as many as 20 meteors per hour. No matter where you live, the best time to look is during the dark hours before sunrise on Wednesday the 21st.  Visit Spaceweather.com for sky maps and more information.

MINOR STORM WARNING: High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after nightfall on Oct.21st and 22nd. Earth is about to enter a fast-moving stream of solar wind, and this could spark minor geomagnetic storms.  Aurora alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Big Picture Science for Monday October 19, 2015 - Smiley Virus














Big Picture Science - Smiley Virus

ENCORE: For many, the word virus is a synonym for disease – diseases of humans, plants, and even computers. Ebola is an example: a virus with a big and terrifying reputation. And yet the vast majority of viruses are not only friendly, they are essential for life.

Find out how viruses make plant life in Yellowstone’s hottest environments possible, and fear your spinach salad no longer: a scientist recruits viruses to defeat E. coli bacteria.

Plus, a new study presents the disconcerting facts of just how far a sneeze travels, and viruses in another kind of culture: but is ours benevolent? Find out from the man who coined the term, “viral media.”

Guests:

This encore podcast was first released on May 12, 2014

Download episode at:http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/Smiley_Virus

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Did Cosmic Rays Kill the Martian?


DID COSMIC RAYS KILL THE MARTIAN?  A senior space weather analyst has calculated the odds that astronauts in the hit film The Martian could have survived solar flares and cosmic rays during their travels to Mars. Learn more about the science behind the blockbuster on today's edition of  http://spaceweather.com.
BEAUTIFUL ERUPTION:  Earlier today, a massive and beautiful plume of plasma erupted near the sun's southeastern limb. The event could herald the approach of an active sunspot and an increase in solar activity this weekend.  

Check http://spaceweather.com for update.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Gigantic Hole in Sun's Atmosphere


Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 14, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

HOLE IN THE SUN'S ATMOSPHERE:  A gigantic hole in the sun's atmosphere has opened up and it is spewing solar wind toward Earth. Because this "coronal hole" is unusually wide, Earth could be inside the emerging solar wind stream for days. Minor geomagnetic storms are already in progress around the Arctic Circle.  Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information.

RADS ON A PLANE:  We have just completed a six-month survey of cosmic radiation on commercial air flights over the continental USA.  The results are highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Big Picture Science for Monday October 012, 2015 - Space for Everyone













Big Picture Science - Space for Everyone

ENCORE: Is space the place for you? With a hefty amount of moolah, a trip there and back can be all yours. But when the price comes down, traffic into space may make the L.A. freeway look like a back-country lane.
Space is more accessible than it once was, from the development of private commercial flights … to a radical new telescope that makes everyone an astronomer … to mining asteroids for their metals and water to keep humanity humming for a long time.
Plus, move over Russia and America: Why the next words you hear from space may be in Mandarin.
Guests:
  • Leonard David – Space journalist, writer for SPACE.com
  • Mario Juric – Astronomer working on data processing for the LSST – the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
  • John Lewis – Chemist, professor emeritus of planetary sciences, University of Arizona, chief scientist, Deep Space Industries
  • Philip Lubin – Professor of physics, University of California, Santa Barbara
  • James Oberg – Retired NASA rocket scientist, space historian, and a self-described space nut

This encore podcast was first released on March 3, 2014

Download episode at: http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/Space_for_Everyone



You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Friday, October 09, 2015

Blue Skies on Pluto, Green Skies on Earth


Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 9, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

BLUE SKIES ON PLUTO:  Earth isn't the only planet with blue skies. Pluto has them, too. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has just beamed back the first color images of Pluto's atmosphere, and they look a lot like home.  Visit http://spaceweather.com for the full story.

GREEN SKIES ON EARTH: This week, sky watchers around the Arctic Circle have seen some of the most intense auroras of the current solar cycle. Usually, such displays are caused by CMEs.  Not this time, though. The reason for the outbreak is explained on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

'Urban Auroras' Dazzle Arctic Cities


Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 7, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

URBAN AURORAS: Last night, Oct. 6th, sky watchers around the Arctic Circle witnessed an outburst of auroras so bright that they rivaled city lights. This could herald an even stronger display on Oct. 7th and 8th when a "co-rotating interaction region" followed by a solar wind stream is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field.

Check http://spaceweather.com for more information.

Sunday, October 04, 2015

Big Picture Science for Monday October 04, 2015 - Martian Madness












Big Picture Science - Martian Madness

It’s the starkly beautiful setting for the new film “The Martian,” and – just in time – NASA has announced that the Red Planet is more than a little damp, with liquid water occasionally oozing over its surface.  But Mars remains hostile terrain.  Mark Watney, the astronaut portrayed by Matt Damon, struggles to survive there. If he has a hard time, what chance does anyone else have?
 
Find out how long you could last just eating Martian potatoes.  Also, author Andy Weir describes how he prevailed upon his readers to turn his serialized blog posts into a technically accurate thriller that inspired the film.   Plus, the NASA advisor to “The Martian” sorts the science from the fiction.
 
And, how the discovery of water on Mars might change NASA’s game plan.
 
Guests:

Download episode at: http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/martian-madness

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.

Water-Based Lava on Pluto's Moon?


Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 4, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

New images just received from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft reveal a giant canyon on Pluto's moon Charon, as well as evidence that parts of Charon may have been resurfaced by strange "water-based lavas."

Visit http://spaceweather.com for the full story.

NASA Spacecraft takes GPS to New Heights


Source - NASA Science News for Sept. 16, 2015

NASA's MMS spacecraft are flying around Earth in a precise formation made possible by an out-of-this-world system of GPS navigators.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2015/16sep_gps/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://youtu.be/taMzKcehfGw



Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)

Thursday, October 01, 2015

Daytime Meteor Shower in Progress


Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 1, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

Dark Plasma Eruption: On Sept.30th, a massive plume of dark plasma erupted from sun's western limb.  A bright CME flew away from the blast site and might sideswipe Earth's magnetic field on Oct. 3rd.  Check http://spaceweather.com for geomagnetic storm and aurora forecasts.

Daytime Meteor Shower: As October begins, a radar in Canada is detecting echoes from a fairly strong meteor shower.  The source appears to be debris from asteroid 2005 UD.  Don't bother looking for these meteors because they are streaking across the daytime sky, overwhelmed by the glare of the sun.  You can, however, hear their radar echoes. 

Visit http://spaceweather.com for live audio and more information.