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SkyTalk May 12, 2008 Skylab, America's first space station was launched 35 years ago this week. Three crews visited to experiment in long-duration space flight. Crew visits amounted to about one month, two months, and three months respectively - 171 days total out of 2,249 days on orbit. - Let's do a little star work: Last week we talked about white dwarf stars, week before it was brown dwarf stars. Is there some system of classification we can fit these into? Yes! Next week we'll look at how stars are cataloged.
May 5, 2008 Pulsating Carbon White Dwarf Star Discovered - Typically, 1.5 times the mass of our sun packed into an earth-sized package with either an outer layer of hydrogen or an outer layer of helium. This type has both stripped away leaving an outer layer of ionized carbon atoms. The pulsations tell what's happening inside the star and since most stars will die as white dwarves this is a chance to learn more about that process. Martian Glaciers - Team led by Jay Dickson at Brown University Dept. of Geological Sciences determined that the paleo-climate of Mars allowed for glaciers to exist as recently as 10 to 100 million years ago. Monday night just after sunset, look for a record-thin crescent moon very low in the WNW. Then Tuesday night 45 minutes after sunset, you'll see a thin crescent just above Mercury.
April 28, 2008 Coldest brown dwarf star ever seen recently discovered - known to exist since 1995, brown dwarves have been identified as the most numerous stars in the galaxy. This most recent discovery looks more like an extrasolar planet than it does a star because of its extremely low temperature 350oC and the ammonia detected in its atmosphere. - Largest synthesized telescope in Europe starts up - six radio telescopes spread across Europe and connected via fiber optics were joined by the 100m Effelsberg RT to create this very sensitive network. - Saturn and Mars still the evening treats but Mercury is making a bright stand over the next three weeks in the west-northwest 10 degrees above the horizon and Thursday, May 1st? A X-quarter day of course!
April 21, 2008 Tomorrow is Primary Election Day in PA - April 22nd is also the annual observance of Earth Day which started back in 1970. This Friday, the 25th, is Hubble Space Telescope's 18th anniversary of deployment. A remarkable term of service, with its final upgrade due this August/September. Last week we talked about how to get started observing the night sky. This week, let's review what's to be seen and how. Basic stuff - stars, planets, constellations, a step up; special events - comets, meteors (Lyrid meteors tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday; they are few in number swift, and occasionally spectacular; late night to early morning, full moon's a problem this year, but...) More advanced - nebulae, galaxies, the sun, planets during the day, specialty Items - satellites (my favorite), aurorae.
April 14, 2008 Mars Rover Opportunity works in Victoria Crater - at a distance of 7.25 miles from its landing spot. Meanwhile the other Rover, Spirit is on the other side of the planet starting Martian winter. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snaps best ever photos of Martian moon Phobos - first from 4200 miles then from 3600 miles away with resolutions down to 50 feet. Phobos is only 13 miles across but its sister Deimos is only 7 miles. The two have only 1/1000th the gravity of earth so they are oblong in shape instead of spherical. Speculation is that they may be captured asteroids from the outer edge of the Mars-jupiter asteroid belt. Could be composed of water-ice and carbon-rich materials. Christian Huygens was born on this day in 1629. His invention of the telescope led to Galileo's construction of the first instrument ever used to observe astronomical objects. Next year marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first astronomical observations. And tomorrow night Saturn will be three degrees above the moon. Look for the bright star near the moon - it's Saturn!
April 7, 2008 With the spring season in full swing, lets review the best ways to have the best time viewing the night sky - And just what's there to see this spring? - Leo, Saturn, Mars, Gemini, Vega in the northeast sky. In the soutwest sky - Sirius. The Big Dipper you can see right overhead, and Orion setting in the west. If your skies are dark enough the Milky Way sweeps around the western horizon. Venus rises just 30 minutes before the sun now and that gap is shrinking. Mercury and Jupiter, the largest and smallest planets are both rising into visibility but Mercury in the evening while Jupiter's in the pre-dawn sky. Jupiter will eventually make its way around into the evening sky while Mercury, never straying far from the sun, will reach its greatest eastward stretch (of a whopping 10 degrees!) from the sun in mid-May.
March 31, 2008 Does salt on Mars translate to Life on Mars? What can meteors tell us about the birth of the solar system, and more on the Space Race...
March 24, 2008 Remembering Arthur C. Clark and the advancements he inspired. And identifying sand-sized matter thousands of light-years away and what it could mean for understanding the births of stars...
March 17, 2008 Vernal Equinox - 1:48 a.m. on Thursday morning, followed by full moon on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Spring is Aurora time! Earth's 'tilt' at spring and fall provide favorable positioning for the poles to receive solar wind. Cassini Close fly-by of Saturninan moon Rhea reveals a ring - it's the first moon discovered to have a ring. Pebbles to boulder sized particles, with a broad debris disk up to 3000 miles out. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the first spacewalk, 33 years ago. In 1965 Alexi Leonov, stepped outside the 2-man Voshkod spacecraft, the Russian version of the Gemini. Eighty-two years ago, this whole rocket thing in the US got started when Robert Goddard launched the world's first liquid fueled rocket. It rose just 41 feet above a farm field in Auburn MA but began the most exciting journey in the history of mankind.
March 10, 2008 15th of March: Ides of March - a specific day marking the full moon of the month in the Roman Republican calendar. It was considered an unlucky day. Unfortunately, for some, like Julius Caesar, it was very unlucky... 15th or ides doesn't mark full moon anymore. We're on the Gregorian calendar now and full moon is next Friday. This year is the 400th anniversary of the invention of the telescope. Dutch optician Hans Lippershey is credited with the invention. Galileo was the first to point it toward the sky in 1609.
March 3, 2008 Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday! - Energy Policy Act of 2005 shifted the date in order to take advantage of the earlier rising sun. Not sure if it actually will save any energy but will be evaluated to see. Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Neptune all in the pre-dawn sky this week. Wednesday at 6 a.m. look for the main group very low in the east, with a very thin crescent moon as well. Wednesday also the 29th anniversary of Voyager 1's flight past Jupiter. The X PRIZE Foundation and Google have announced a robotic race to the Moon. To win the Grand Prize of $20 million, a team must successfully soft land a privately funded spacecraft on the Moon, rove on the lunar surface for a minimum of 500 meters, and transmit a specific set of video, images and data back to Earth. The $20m Grand Prize is good until December 31st 2012; after that it drops to $15 million until December 31st 2014.
February 25, 2008 Structure of Space - Concordance Cosmological model describes the universe as a flat, infinite space in eternal accelerated expansion with four dimensions. Examination of data from astronomy satellites tasked to measure and map the distribution of the cosmic microwave background, indicates that the shape of the universe may be positively curved, meaning not flat and finite. Magnetic field flip observed in nearby star - Tau Bootis 51 light years away flipped its magnetic field last year. Astronomers using CFH telescope at Mauna Kea observed this phenomena for the first time in another star. Known to occur in our sun, it never had been seen anywhere else, scientists know it takes place in our sun every 11 years but think it might occur more frequently at Tau Bootis. Event is directly connected to the sunspot cycle and connected to earth's weather as well. China upping its Space efforts - Launched 8 missions each of the past two years; going to 10 missions this year. Two will be manned missions, one of which will be a space walk.
February 18, 2008 John Glenn becomes the first American in space on this date 46 years ago - 1962. Pluto discovered on Feb. 18, 1930. Total Lunar Eclipse This week - visible across North America. Edge of the Observable Universe Pushed back by 'aged' Hubble Space Telescope - It used gravitational lensing, the use of the mass of an intervening cluster of galaxies to magnify the light of the more distant galaxy. Distance? 12.8 billion light years away, 700 million years after the big bang. Galaxy seems to be just a few billions solar masses, much less that today's galaxies like the Milky Way (250- 350 billion stars). Saturn rises at sunset, sets at sunrise - middle of its best visibility for the year. Venus still bright in the morning, but slipping eastwards into the evening sky. Jupiter is left in the pre-dawn sky.
February 11, 2008 Budget proposal for NASA 2009 - 1.7% higher than last year and 15th out of 21 line items. Galileo's Birthday - Feb. 15, 1564 Galileo argued against Aristotle's view of astronomy and natural philosophy - namely that all changes in the heavens had to occur in the lunar region close to the Earth, the realm of the fixed stars being permanent. By the end of 1609 Galileo had turned his telescope on the night sky and began to make remarkable discoveries. Robotic Observatory on location in Antarctica - Speaking of Galileo, Polar Research Institute of China has placed telescope in one of the driest places, under the clearest skies, on earth. Information to be sent to researchers via satellite. Set to work during the Antarctic winter - 24 hours of darkness per day. Venus and Jupiter in the morning, Mars and Saturn at night.
January 28, 2007 Mars Asteroid Miss on Wednesday - Asteroid 2007 WD5 will miss Mars by 18,000 miles. Had it hit with a velocity of nearly 30,000 mph, it would produce a half-mile wide crater. But not this week. India Sets up Deep Space Network - to track its own space missions, Chandrayaan-1(2 year mission) heading off to the moon on April 1 and its own space telescope. In 2008, India will announce plans for their first manned mission. Suddenly everyone wants to go to Mars. . SETI @Home revitalized -.New more sensitive receivers with better frequency coverage collect 100 gigabytes a day that needs to be analyzed. Interested in joining up to look for ET? 22 years ago on this date, Space Shuttle Challenger exploded less than a minute after liftoff. Seven astronauts were killed.
January 21, 2007 The European Space Agency will launch a capsule from Kourou, Guiana in February 2008. Being used as an automated transfer vehicle for cargo to ISS but it is being treated by technicians as if it had a crew bound for ISS. First time anyone other than US or Russia has sent a re-supply vehicle to ISS. It'll dock at the Russian Supply Module. New Russian Space craft? - Six crew members, cargo space and reuseable. A Russian shuttle? Let's hope they've learned lessons from us. Not the first time they've had a shuttle though. Joint Russia/ESA project to look for life at Europa - not until at least 2015. Mercury is the star of the evening sky Jan. 16 thru 27. On Jan 22 look for it low in the west 30 minutes after sunset. Saturn rises late.
January 14, 2007 New Solar Cycle has begun - reversed polarity sunspot detected indicates the next cycle has started. We have become more and more dependent on wireless communications technologies, exactly the type that can be easily disrupted by solar storm effects. Cell phones, GPS, wireless internet, OnStar, satellite television, all dependent on the transmissive nature of the atmosphere and all can be affected by solar storms that will develop during the coming cycle. Saturn and Mars are the planetary delights to look for this week. Great telescope targets in the evening sky. Venus and Jupiter rule the pre-dawn sky. Moon at first quarter tomorrow. Mars Asteroid Strike threat now down to 1 in 40 - looks like a near miss at 18,000 miles distance. The potential smacker is about 164 feet across and with a velocity of nearly 30,000 mph, would produce a half-mile wide crater according to JPL researchers.
January 7, 2007 Eastern Orthodox Christmas is today. - Celebrated by those who still use the old Roman Julian calendar; Muslin New Year begins Thursday the 10th - but only if the new moon can be seen from the Middle East at sunset the night before; What's Up Astronomically This Year.
December 31, 2007 Perihelion - Wednesday night - Earth's closest approach to the Sun. December 24, 2007 Christmas Star - Just a conjunction but... December 17, 2007 Winter arrives Saturday, Dec. 22. Sunsets are already coming later. Sunrise bottoms out in early January, then it's on to Spring! December 10, 2007 3200 Phaeton passed by us last night. Discovered in 1983 and subsequently determined to be the parent body of the Geminid Meteor shower; which peaks this Thursday evening into Friday morning. But how? Collision with another asteroid? Maybe but it could be a former comet! December 3, 2007 Earliest Sunset - On Friday. Let's follow the sequence through Solstice to latest sunrise. November 26, 2007 Moons Like Ours May Be Rare - Don't worry - it's just a relative numbers thing.....New study shows that according to how our moon was formed we should see other star systems with large amounts of dust left over. We don't. Among observed planetary systems now at the end of their planet-production phase, only 5 to 10 % show evidence of such moon-producing collisions. With billions of stellar systems spread throughout the universe, that still means there will be hundreds of millions of moons like ours. November 19, 2007 SpaceX Merlin Engine Development - Private sector space development takes a big step forward with the successful testing of a liquid cooled rocket engine comparable to the mighty Saturn V-F1 engines that lifted astronauts to the moon. November 12, 2007 More on three 'hot newly discovered planets - - 3140 degrees Farenheit at the surface. November 5, 2007 Missing Black Holes Discovered - Struggling toward explaining how galaxies formed in the early universe, astronomers at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson and at the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique in France, have discovered that Milky-Way sized galaxies in the early universe also had super-massive black holes at their cores. Previously known as quasars but poorly understood, the super-energy sources are thought to be responsible for star formation in early galaxies some 9 to 11 billion light years away, a time when the universe was only 2.5 to 4.5 billion years old. Astronomers had suspected that these 'quasars' might exist but hadn't seen evidence until Chandra and Spitzer imaging indicated their existence. Circumstantial: infrared signatures which might indicate material falling "into" quasars. Redefine quasars. Talk about distance, age, current existence, 'ghost' light. October 29, 2007 - Space Shuttle Discovery is currently in orbit with a full schedule of International Space Station construction work to do. - Solar Power Truss move, Harmony node attachment, shuttle tile repair testing and practice. 14 missions left before the shuttle program shuts down in 2010. Hubble Space Telescope repair is one of those upcoming missions slated for next September. October 22, 2007 Shuttle could launch Tuesday Oct. 23 - Would join the recently arrived ISS crew launched last Wednesday. The new crew at space station includes Russian Yuri Malenchenko, American Station Commander Peggy Whitson and Sheik Muszaphar Shukor, Mayalsia's first astronaut. October 15, 2007 SELENE - Selenological and Engineering Explorer, Japan's first lunar satellite to successfully achieved lunar orbit. On a year-long mission to study the moon's origin and evolution. The most ambitious lunar program to date since Apollo, Luna, and Clementine missions to explore the moon. China follows with a lunar probe later this year and India with one in 2008. October 8, 2007 Venus and Saturn are close to each other in the morning sky this week. Can't miss - Venus is brilliant. Look for a very thin crescent pre-dawn. October 1, 2007 - 50th Anniversary of Launch of Sputnik, Thursday Oct. 4th - 1957 marks the start of the 'Space Age' and the 'Space Race'. Lasted all of 12 years from Sputnik through Apollo. September 24, 2007 Teachers in Spaaaaaaaaaaace! - The Northrop Grumman Foundation launched 57 teachers from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania into weightlessness two weeks ago as part of the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery program. The goal: To inspire and prepare the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers -- critical areas where the U.S. has fallen behind globally. September 17, 2007 A look at a new system that instantly synthesizes data from seven telescopes spread worldwide - an unprecedented advance that allows real-time operation. Pictures due soon from Saturn's third largest moon; the walnut-shaped Iapetus - Cassini flew by last week. This will be the closest flyby (1000 mi.) of Iapetus during the Cassini mission. Japanese astronomers determine width of meteor trails - only the width of a pencil lead! Mars Rover does the 'Ocean Test Two-Step" at Victoria crater! Tomorrow night, Moon passes below Antares and Jupiter after sunset, Venus at its brightest in the pre-dawn sky and Autumn begins at 5:54 a.m. Sunday morning.
September 10, 2007 New Moon tomorrow, and there's a partial solar eclipse visible in the extreme Southwest Atlantic Ocean, between South America and Antarctica. Thursday is both the first day of Ramadan and Rosh Hashanah - both are tied to lunar calendar and both begin at sundown on the previous evening, the sunset of the young moon's appearance closest to the autumn equinox. Pre-Dawn sky is where all the planet action is happening this month. Saturn, Venus, Mars. Evening has only Jupiter for naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune are available if only by telescope.
September 3, 2007 Why does the diminishing amount of daylight following summer solstice increase at an accelerated rate? It's the 31st anniversary of NASA's Viking 2's landing on Mars - one of a pair of experiment stations the Vikings were tasked to determine if there was any chance of life on Mars. Jupiter Still visible in the west at sunset, Mars in the predawn sky with brilliant Venus. Light Sabre going to Space Finally! When the space shuttle Discovery launches the STS-120 astronaut crew in October; stowed on-board the orbiter, in addition to a new module for the International Space Station, will be the original prop lightsaber used by actor Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the 1977 film "Star Wars". August 27, 2007 There's a limited opportunity to view a lunar eclipse along the East Coast. Now's the time to see Jupiter before it dissapears from view in September. A red giant star under observation offers possible clues to the fate of our sun. August 20, 2007 The first module component of the International Space Station has just completed 50,000 orbits around the earth. Dust storms are easing on Mars - good news for NASA rovers Spirit & Opportunity which rely on solar cells for power. Tips for finding plenty of planets and constellations in the night sky. August 13, 2007 The Perseid Meteor Shower continues - it's waning now, but if you missed last night you might catch a few after the moon sets tonight and tomorrow. NASA is considering filling the time between space shuttle and moon missions with a visit to an asteroid for training. The Phoenix spacecraft will arrive at Mars in May 2008 - looking for water at the North Pole region. Space shuttle launched last week. Good time to look for International Space Station and shuttle together over your region (check heavens-above.com for times and visibility). And the brightest star in the northern sky, Sirius, is in the daytime sky along with the sun. Ancient Romans thought the combination produced extra hot summer weather. August 06, 2007 NASA is set to revise it's medical flight health requirements for astronauts - a holdover from 50's-60's test pilot days. Seasonal Observing Links -Stellafane August 9-12 Springfield VT. - Springfield Telescope Makers -Amateur Astronomical Association of Princeton has observing every Friday night wx permitting at their observatory in Pennington NJ. -Starfest Saturday Aug. 11 at Warwick Cty. Park. -Bucks-Mont Astronomical Association has public observing sessions throughout the month in Bucks and Montgomery counties. -Bloom Observatory is open for public observing Thursday Aug. 9th 7:30 to 11 p.m. Check out for more information. July 30, 2007 The dust seems to be settling on Mars, and the change in weather is good news for the solar-powered NASA rovers. July 23, 2007 The surface of Pluto's moon Charon seems to be mostly slushy water ice -
Water is likely trickling out at a glacial pace, researchers say, repaving Charon in a thin layer of 1-millimeter deep ice every 100,000 years.
The finding, hints at water ice inside Charon and has implications for other Kuiper Belt Objects-a class of relatively small, rocky bodies located beyond the orbit of Neptune. July 16, 2007 Friday marks the 38th anniversary of Apollo 11's touchdown on the moon; the first manned mission to land on the moon. July 9, 2007 A look at fireflies - not really flies but beetles. The elements that make up these bioluminescence organics were originally cooked up in the cores of stars that used to occupy this part of space. When you see the flash of a firefly, your seeing the remnants of some star death. July 2, 2007 DAWN Space probe to be launched on Saturday - Plan is to visit the asteroids Ceres - 590 mi.. diameter, and Vesta - 330 mi. diameter. The goal is to hunt for clues which might reveal info about the early history of the solar system. June 25, 2007 Latest sunset on Wednesday evening 8:33 p.m. Enjoy the long evening twilight. Venus and Saturn close on Sunday evening - less than a degree apart; a great opportunity to identify 3 planets in the evening sky. Constellation Challenge - Sagittarius and Scorpius. Low on the southern horizon. Remember Gleise 581c? The 'earthlike' planet that some wanted to see as a possible harbor for life because to the possible 'water' component? New 'simulations' done by the Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany indicate it is probably too hot for liquid water, more like Venus with a runaway greenhouse effect in place. Listen » June 18, 2007 A look at growing business in what are being called space burials. $500./gram(thimbleful!) of cremains gets you sub-orbital and return with a plaque and a certificate. For $1295 you can be placed in orbit! The latest on Sally Ride, who took her first ride 24 years ago today - She flew twice on Challenger, once in 1983 and again in 1984. She left NASA in 1989 and is currently President and CEO of Sally Ride Science, a company that creates entertaining science programs and publications for upper elementary and middle school students, with a particular focus on girls. Summer Solstice arrives Thursday afternoon (2:11 EDT). Sun reaches its highest point of the year around noon. Earliest sunrise was last week; latest sunset comes next week. Listen » June 11, 2007 This Friday marks the earliest sunrise of the year - 4:31am. Four planets; Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter & the former planet then and now known as Pluto all visable in the night sky. Speaking of Planets - 28 new extra-solar planets were discovered last year, bringings the total known so far to 236 at the start of 2007. Wednesday marks the 24th anniversary of Pioneer 10 exiting the solar system. It left Earth in March of 1972 headed for a Jupiter flyby. It was the first satellite to cross the asteroid belt, send back close-ups of the big planet but now it's headed out of the solar system toward the star Aldebaran. At its current rate and if Aldebaran weren't also moving, P10 would get there in about 2 million years. It was last heard from on Jan. 23, 2003. Sunday is the 44th anniversary of Valentina Tereshkova's flight as a Russian cosmonaut. She was the first woman in space. Listen » June 4, 2007 New advancements in predicting solar storms could better protect astronauts and satellite systems. A new Neutrino detector is under construction in ice - frozen a mile and a half down in the Antarctic ice. Planet Action - Mars at perihelion today; closest point to the sun; about 135 million miles; visible in the pre-dawn sky 4:30 in the East. Jupiter is at opposition tomorrow; on the meridian at midnight and moves into the evening sky. Saturday, Venus reaches GEE, 45.4 degrees from the sun; greatest height in the evening sky. Listen » May 28, 2007 Extraordinary viewing challenge this week - all five of the naked eye planets are currently visible but they are scattered around the sky. China plans to launch its first mission to the moon by years' end. The first of three missions is an orbiter, second is a lander with a rover in 2012(300 ft/hr), followed by a lander, rover, and soil sample and rock return capability. And Sunday June 3rd is the 42nd anniversary of the first American first spacewalk. It was done by Ed White during the 4-day flight of Gemini 4 . White was one of three Apollo trainees to die in a launch pad fire in January 1967. Listen » May 21, 2007 Phoenix Arrives at Kennedy Space Center - the next Mars lander is due for launch in August and arrival at Mars in May 08. Mission is to land softly on the North arctic plain and drill looking for frozen water. Also, anniversary greetings go out to Skylab - the world's first space station. While Venus is still very bright in the western evening sky after sunset, look for Saturn to the left of the moon tonight; then tomorrow look for Saturn about a degree to the right of the moon. This is one day's motion of the moon. An excellent opportunity to identify it. Listen » May 07, 2007 There's a new meaning to the term 'new-moon' - seems planet earth has captured another satellite . . . actually a tiny asteroid a mere meter across; The May 1st designation of cross-quarter day was set long before timepieces were available to more accurately set the date and time; A newly identified planet a mere 20 light years away would take 150,000 years to reach from earth given our current rocket-technology. Listen » April 30, 2007 4,000 dollars now buys 90 minutes of an in-this-world zero-gravity experience (90 minutes of training included); Gliese 581C is a newly discovered planet not much bigger than Earth with a surface temperature ranging from 30 to 104 degrees F - a liquid water lover's dream!; Tomorrow is a cross-quarter-day and Saturday is the 46th anniversary of Alan Shepard's 1961 historic ride into space. He was the first American to ride a rocket into space. Listen » April 23, 2007 Wednesday marks the 17th anniversary of Hubble Space Telescope; This week is Space Weather Week; NASA will release STEREO images of the sun in 3-D; Last Friday, according to astrology, the sun entered the astrological sign Taurus. In truth, the sun has only just entered the constellation Aries. How is this? Yes, that was Venus next to the moon last week! Listen » April 16, 2007 Astronomers have discovered water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet 150 light-years away; It's National Dark Sky week with the focus on efforts to diminish urban light pollution culminating in National Astronomy Day on Sunday . Listen » April 2, 2007 Explanation about how the Easter and Passover religious holidays are tied to lunar phases. This full moon is at it's furthest distance from earth during the year...making it appear a little smaller than the full moon during the closest approach in its orbit. China prepares to launch an unmanned craft to the moon later this year. Travel agencies are now accepting deposits for outer-space flights. Listen » |
Derrick Pitts
A weekly discussion of what's new and interesting in astronomy with astronomer Derrick Pitts and 91FM's Dave Heller every Monday morning right after the 6:30 and 8:30 news. |
