A Telescope Bigger than a Galaxy

Source - NASA Science News for March 7, 2014

Astronomers have figured out how to use the gravity of distant galaxies to bend light and magnify images, forming gigantic telescopes that see deeper into the cosmos than ever before.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/07mar_frontierfields/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_iTofcXqfM



License: Standard YouTube License

Big Weather on Hot Jupiters

Source - NASA Science News for May 24, 2013

Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope are making weather maps of an exotic class of exoplanets called "hot Jupiters."

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/24may_hotjupiters/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2GZ9COXUcA



License: Standard YouTube License

Kepler Discovers Earth-Sized Exoplanets

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 20, 2011

NASA's Kepler spacecraft has found two Earth-sized planets orbiting a distant sun-like star. These alien worlds are intermingled in their star system with other much larger planets, an arrangement which challenges orthodox ideas of how planets are formed.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/20dec_earthsized/

Stellar Extremophiles

Source - NASA Science News for Nov. 7, 2011

A NASA space telescope named "GALEX" has found stars forming in extreme galactic environments, places where researchers thought stars should not be. The finding could affect astronomy much as the discovery of microbial extremophiles affected biology in the 1970s.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/07nov_stellarextremophiles/

The companion video below can also be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k-XgLi1KgA

Big Picture Science for 11/07/11 - NASA or What?

Big Picture Science - NASA or What?

“Making space for everyone” could be NASA’s motto. But as commercial spaceships get ready to blast off, that populist idea is being tested. Space cowboys in the private sector say they’re the ones who can provide unfettered access to space, for tourists and scientists alike.

Meet a scientist who already has a ticket to ride on SpaceShip Two and discover what he hopes to learn about asteroids during his five minutes of weightlessness.

Plus, NASA in motion: it’s back to the moon as the GRAIL mission probes the interior of our lovely lunar satellite. Also, can you dig it? The rover Curiosity can. It’s headed to Mars to hunt for clues to alien life … with a jackhammer.

Also, as the Hubble Space Telescope shuts down, the James Webb Space Telescope revs up. Or does it? The telescope is designed to study the birth of galaxies and hunt for evidence of water on far away worlds. But will Congress pull the plug?

Guests:

• James Oberg – former Space Shuttle Mission Control engineer, and space expert
• Maria Zuber – Planetary scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Principal Investigator of NASA’s GRAIL mission
• Joy Crisp – Geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Principal Investigator on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity
• Massimo Stiavelli – Astronomer at the Space Science Telescope Institute, and Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope
• Dan Durda – Planetary scientist, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado
  
  More about the Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/NASA_or_What_

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

A Star with Spiral Arms

Source - NASA Science News for Oct. 31, 2011

Using a Japanese telescope, NASA-supported researchers have found the first clear case of a star with spiral arms.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/31oct_spiralarms/

A video version of this story is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=083fSbguKh8

Discovered: Stars as Cool as the Human Body

Source - NASA Science News for August 24, 2011

Stars as cool as the human body? Believe it. A NASA spacecraft has discovered a half-dozen "Y dwarfs" with atmospheric temperatures as low as 80 F.

FULL STORY at: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/23aug_coldeststars/

Below is an image and text from the article:


(Image copyright NASA)

"WISE 1828+2650, the coldest brown dwarf known so far, is denoted by a green dot in very center of this infrared image. The chilly star-like body isn't even as warm as a human body, at less than about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. [more]"

For more information about WISE, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/wise

Incoming CME could spark polar geomagnetic storms

Source - Space Weather News for August 3, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

MINOR STORM WARNING: On August 2nd, the sun hurled a cloud of plasma (CME) toward Earth when magnetic fields above sunspot 1261 erupted. Analysts expect the CME to arrive during the early hours of August 5th, possibly sparking geomagnetic storms around the poles. This is not a big event; the eruption that propelled the cloud in our direction registered only "M1" (for medium) on the Richter Scale of Flares. Nevertheless, sky watchers at high latitudes should be alert for auroras. Movies of the eruption and 3D models of the incoming cloud are featured on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

SUNSPOT TELESCOPE: Several large sunspots are currently transiting the solar disk. Would you like to see them? Explore Scientific's White Light Solar Observing System is now available in the Space Weather Store:
http://www.shopspaceweather.com/explore-scientific-white-light-solar-observer-system.aspx

ScienceCasts: An Astronomer's Dilemma

Source - NASAtelevision on Jul 7, 2011

Stars are bright, but their planets are not, which makes planet hunting difficult. NASA's ultraviolet telescope GALEX may be providing a solution.



You can find out more information about the GALEX ultraviolet telescope at: http://www.galex.caltech.edu/

Solar Radio Storm

Source - Space Weather News for March 28, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR RADIO STORM: A profusion of emerging sunspots has kicked off a days-long radio storm on the sun. VHF receivers on Earth are picking up loud bursts that sound like waves crashing on a beach. This ongoing event continues a recent trend of increasing activity as Solar Cycle 24 heats up. Check http://spaceweather.com for audio and images of the instigating sunspots.

OUT-OF-THE-BOX SOLAR TELESCOPE: Spaceweather.com is pleased to offer an affordable solar telescope that allows you to safely observe sunspots with minimal setup or previous experience. Unlike other solar telescopes, this one works at night, too! Visit the Space Weather Store for details:
http://www.shopspaceweather.com/explore-scientific-white-light-solar-observer-system.aspx

Are We Alone for 06/28/10 - Home Brew Science

Are We Alone - Home Brew Science

The recipe for being a scientist was easy in the old days… just be born into a rich family, have an interest in nature and plenty of time to indulge yourself. But are the days of gentlemen scientists over? Maybe not.

We go to the Maker Faire and check out how small-scale projects have big-scale ambitions.

Also, how everyday experience often tells us something profound about the universe.

Guests:

• Spencer Weart - Former director of the Center for the History of Physics, at the American Institute of Physics
• Tim Russ - Actor, and the character Tuvok on Star Trek Voyager
• Marcus Chown - Science writer and author of The Matchbox That Ate a Forty-Ton Truck: What Everyday Things Tell Us About the Universe

Permalink: http://radio.seti.org:80/episodes/Home_Brew_Science

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.

And be sure to check out the Are We Alone iPhone/iPad app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/are-we-alone-make-contact/id374968004?mt=8

An Avalanche of Dark Asteroids

Source - NASA Science News for March 26, 2010

Every day, a NASA infrared space telescope named "WISE" is discovering hundreds of previously unknown asteroids. The observatory is making a remarkable contribution to the census of dark space rocks that could potentially threaten Earth.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2010/26mar_darkasteroids.htm?list894285

Flying Telescope Passes Key Test

Source - NASA Science News for January 8, 2010

Most astronomers wouldn't dream of opening their observatory's doors in 100 mph winds. Yet NASA's new SOFIA telescope recently flew in an airplane at 250 mph with doors wide open. The successful test is an important step forward for infrared astronomy.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2010/08jan_flyingtelescope.htm?list894285

For more information about space and space exploration, visit our Home page: http://science.nasa.gov

Why Won't the Supernova Explode?

Source - NASA Science News for January 7, 2010

NASA is building a new space telescope named "NuSTAR" to answer a question that has been vexing astrophysicists for decades: Why won't the supernova explode?

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2010/07jan_nustar.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

SOFIA Seeks Secrets of Planetary Birth

Source - NASA Science News for November 19, 2009

Imagine cutting retractable doors in the side of a 747 airliner, installing a 17-ton telescope, and flying to the stratosphere to solve one of astronomy's greatest puzzles. That's what NASA and the German Aerospace Center plan to do with a cutting-edge airborne observatory named SOFIA.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/19nov_sofia.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

Giant Ring Discovered Around Saturn

Source - NASA Science News for October 7, 2009

Just when you thought every big thing in the Solar System had already been discovered, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has found an extraordinary new "supersized" ring around Saturn.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/07oct_giantring.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

Space Station Construction Visible Through Backyard Telescopes

Source - NASA Science News for March 17, 2009

Space shuttle Discovery launched Sunday, March 15th, on a construction mission to the International Space Station. Perfect timing for sky watchers! The mission coincides with a series of ISS flybys over North American towns and cities. People who go outside after sunset can see the shuttle-station combo with their naked eyes and view the changing outlines of the ISS through backyard telescopes.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/17mar_bigconstruction.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml

Seattle area astronomy swap meet

Free Astronomy Swap meet March 29th Sunday 10am to 4pm.

Clean out the garage get rid of that eyepiece you never use and turn it into cash or trade it for that other guys treasure or use your new found wealth to snag that new Ethos eyepiece you always wanted.

Besides swap meet there will be BBQ with Astro Hot Dogs, drinks, solar viewing, and raffle of Meade 8.8mm UWA eyepiece a $199 value.

I will provide some tables for swap meet and folding chairs. Please email or call if you are going to trade and if you can bring a solar telescope let me know ahead of time.

See you there.

Jim Bielaga-owner
Aurora Astro Products
11419 19th Avenue SE #A102 in Silver Lake Plaza
Everett, WA 98208
425-337-4384
Email infoauroraastro@aol.com
Web site: www.auroraastro.com

Colas for the Cosmos

Besides having an addiction to astronomy, I also have an addiction to Diet Coke (both with caffeine, and without). Since I drink a lot of Diet Coke I tend to accumulate a lot of Coke Rewards points, and I've decided to use all those points to help kids who have an interest in astronomy by giving them telescopes that I get in exchange for my rewards points.

The telescopes that are currently offered by Coke Rewards are the Celestron PowerSeeker 50 AZ, and while they are only a 50mm refractor, they do make a great beginner telescope for kids with an interest in astronomy.

So far I have given away four telescopes. Two of the telescopes have been given to local kids, another has gone to a sidewalk astronomer who works to involve neighborhood kids in astronomy, and the last one was recently donated to Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. which is part of 826 Seattle. While the latter is not directly involved with astronomy, it is an organization that is involved with encouraging kids to write, especially about space, so they were a good choice as far as I was concerned.

I am going to try and continue to give away as many telescopes as I can, and right now I have one fourth the number of points I need to get another telescope. At my current rate of cola consumption, I should have enough points to give away another telescope by late January. If you are are like me and you are an astronomer who is also a cola fiend, maybe you could save up enough points to give a new telescope to a deserving child. If you don't have the time to enter the points, I'll be more than happy to use your points to get more telescopes.

Leave a comment or send me an email if you are interested.

Cheers,

Jim Cox
Cloudymidnights
(Use this altered email address)

PS: I"d like to get the word about this project, so feel free to let others know, and list a link to this blog entry if you don't mind.

The Incredible Journey of the James Webb Space Telescope

Source - NASA Science News for December 10, 2008

From humble beginnings in a Utah beryllium mine to the most advanced laboratories in the world, the mirrors of NASA's next great observatory are taking an incredible journey to space.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/10dec_mirror.htm?list894285

Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml!