These questions are beginning to yield to a series of extraordinary new lines of investigation and technologies that are letting us to peer into the most distant realms of the cosmos. But also at the behavior of matter and energy on the smallest of scales. Remarkably, our growing understanding of this kingdom of the ultra-tiny, inside the nuclei of atoms, permits us to glimpse the largest vistas of space and time. In ancient times, most observers saw the stars as a sphere surrounding the earth, often the home of deities. The Greeks were the first to see celestial events as phenomena, subject to human investigation rather than the fickle whims of the Gods.

How Large is the Universe ?

One sky-watcher, for example, suggested that meteors are made of materials found on Earth… and might have even come from the Earth. Those early astronomers built the foundations of modern science. But they would be shocked to see the discoveries made by their counterparts today. The stars and planets that once harbored the gods are now seen as infinitesimal parts of a vast scaffolding of matter and energy extending far out into space.

Just how far began to emerge in the 1920s. Working at the huge new 100-inch Hooker Telescope on California’s Mt. Wilson, astronomer Edwin Hubble, along with his assistant named Milt Humason, analyzed the light of fuzzy patches of sky… known then as nebulae …

Visit SpaceRip on Youtube for more videos.

Space Tourism: The Annoying Details

The full OSC press release is here.

But what would happen to water in space? We know that objects are not under the same gravitational force produced by the Earth as objects get further away from the Earth. So, would be water ‘float’ around in the vacuum of space or would it fall back Earth? The answer to that question is dependent on the scenario.

The following video doesn’t exactly answer those question – but it does give us an understanding of waters awesome properties and the way it behaves in space.

Enjoy

http://io9.com/watch-what-happens-when-you-wring-out-a-washcloth-in-sp-476159356

http://io9.com/watch-what-happens-when-you-wring-out-a-washcloth-in-sp-476159356

Saya menemukan video unik tentang sistem bumi yang awalnya saya dapat tautan sebelumnya dari FB kolega yang bekerja di LAPAN.

Videonya sangat menarik, yaitu menunjukkan simulasi tiga dimensi tentang dinamika planet bumi. Memperlihatkan bagaimana sistem yang ada pada bumi seperti sistem pergerakan arus laut, sistem pergerakan lempeng bumi, pergerakan awan dan sistem iklim serta perubahan iklim.

Alat peraga ini ditujukan untuk sain dan pendidikan publik, jadi dapat mempermudah pengunjung dalam memahami sistem bumi. Para pengunjung berkeliling di sekitar bula bumi tersebut dan dapat secara langsung melihat dinamika bola bumi yang ada di depannya.

Peragaan sain, museum sain, atau apapun namanya di Indonesia layak untuk memilikinya…

Reblogged from Stop Making Sense:

by Ryan Donnelly
Digital Journal

A NASA telescope has identified three distant planets that have close compositions to Earth and are the most likely candidates to host life.

The three planets are named Kepler-62f, Kepler-62e, and Kepler-62c, all of which gravitate around a Sun aptly named Kepler -62. Each of these planets were named after the $600 million dollar Kepler telescope which discovered them after it was launched in 2009 

Read more… 58 more words

Up to 400 billion stars are present within the Milky Way Galaxy

The nearest star to our sun is approximately 4.7 light years away. Not very far you say? I could get there and back before the weekend finishes?

Consider this. Voyager 1, released in 1977, is the furthest man-made object away from our sun. It has travelled 17 light hours. This means it has only travelled 17 light hours in 36 years. Hence,  Voyager 1 travelled , on average, 0.472 light hours per year over the past 36 years. Therefore, it would take Voyager 1  1482192 years to reach our nearest star. I don’t think I will be around for that.

The following link will provide more detail on the local star group while providing you with an interactive ‘tour’ and an artist impression of what the stars look like.

http://workshop.chromeexperiments.com/stars/

AS always, I hope you enjoy.

Reblogged from phoenixsic:

Betelgeuse (pronounced 'betel-jers') is a 'red supergiant' star around 450 light years away in the constellation of Orion. It is nearly 1000 times larger than the Sun and 20 times more massive - it's diameter alone would be enough to engulf Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars and would reach the orbit of Jupiter.

The star is in the final stages of its lifecycle and is expected to go supernova any time between now and the next million years.

Read more… 268 more words

But not to worry – the Earth and our Sun will be left relatively unharmed. Furthermore, this event isn’t expected to happen within the next 4 billion years.

However, if we were around to see the night sky we would see amazing images. See the image below for a great example:

Imaged obtained from: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/31may_andromeda/

Furthermore, another galaxy may intercept our galaxy before this occurs. But not to worry, we won’t be around to see that one either and the impact on our solar system is also expected to be minimal.

View the full story at: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/31may_andromeda/

Watch a video of the two colliding at: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/20/video/a/

So I’m not sure if people really know much about the International Space Station (ISS) or what it does.  According to Wikipedia, the ISS is a satellite that was launched in 1998 to orbit Earth that can be inhabited by astronauts.  It was formed by the merger of three planned satellites: Russia’s Mir-2, the proposed American Freedom, and the European Columbus.  It also merged with the Japanese Kibō module as well as Canadian robotics.  It is a joint program among five space agencies and has had astronauts from 15 different nations.

The current mission, Expedition 35, has crew members from Canada, the US, and Russia.  Col. Chris Hadfield is the first Canadian commander of the ISS.  He’s the one I think people really should look up.

He’s been very free with the public, sharing pictures that he takes on his Facebook page, tweeting about what he’s doing, and even doing a Reddit AMA from space (along with a pre-flight one). The pictures he shares on his Facebook page are incredible.  You can see a sampling of them in the slideshow below.

He was born and raised in Milton, Ontario.  He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1978 and trained as a pilot. He graduated from Royal Military College with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, and eventually received a Masters of Science in aviation systems at the University of Tenessee in 1992.  That same year, he was chosen from 5330 applicants to one of four new astronaut spots at the Canadian Space Agency and transferred to NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.  He’s done some pretty awesome sounding jobs at NASA since then, and has gone up to space several times.  He’ll land back on Earth May 14.

But really, everyone should check out his updates and posts.  They’re pretty awesome.  You’ll get so entranced you won’t even notice you’ve looked through over 400 pictures!!

It’s weird.  I don’t normally follow space news or look too hard into anytime another launch is happening.  But these pictures, along with his updates, make you feel as though you’re experiencing space with him.  His willingness to answer any and all questions – from space!! – really makes me excited to find out more.

And the best part?  No matter what city, country, or continent he shares a picture of, he always just says “us,” not “Canadians,” not “Brits,” not “Polish,” not “Korean.”  Just “us.”  He’s made us feel as though the world is border-less and we’re all the same – which we are.

Check out his Facebook.  You’ll be glad you did.

Pictured on the front row are Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield (right) and Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov. On the back row, from left, are Flight Engineers Alexander Misurkin, Chris Cassidy, Roman Romanenko and Tom Marshburn. Photo credit: NASA

Teresina, Brasil. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Boot-shaped Italy. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

From the Nile and the Sinai to Israel. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

The U.K. shines so bright, you can still make out its shape from space at night. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

London, England all lit up at night. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Morning in New York City. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Winnipeg, Manitoba in the winter. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

The sun setting over Western Australia. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Cuba, the Bahamas, Florida, the Universe. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Istanbul, Turkey at night. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

The Florida Keys. This picture makes you realize they really are tiny islands that can be swept away in a giant wave. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Mexico City, one of the largest metropolitan areas on Earth. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Pyongyang, North Korea. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Ships waiting their turn at the Panama Canal. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Col. Chris Hadfield juggles the Easter eggs he’s brought to space for his co-astronauts. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

The Great lakes, mid-march. Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

Beijing, China. Photo shared by Col. James Hadfield.

Lake Baikal, Siberia. It holds one fifth of all of the Earth’s freshwater!! Photo shared by Col. Chris Hadfield.

The Himalayas. Photo shared by Col. James Hadfield.

Brussels shining brightly at night. Photo shared by Col. James Hadfield.

Related articles

• Can You Cry in Space? ISS Commander Chris Hadfield Has the Answer (tor.com)
• ISS Commander Shows How He Brushes His Teeth In Space [Video] (latinospost.com)
• O Canada! Hadfield Becomes First Canadian Commander of ISS (universetoday.com)
• Fun Times in Space: Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Wacky Photos (space.com)
• Another Incredible Timelapse from the ISS (universetoday.com)
• Canadian Students Hear from ISS Commander (astronaut.com)
• We’ve Taken More Than a Million Pictures of Earth From the Space Station (theatlantic.com)
• Chris Hadfield: Canadian Takes Charge Of ISS (news.sky.com)

Nagin Cox has spoken to audiences all over the US, Europe and the Middle East. She is currently on her UK tour.

RocSoc in collaboration with CEPSAR (Research Centre for Physical and Environmental Sciences) is very proud to welcome Nagin Cox, a NASA engineer on the Mars Curiosity Mission, to the Open University.  Nagin will be talking in the Berill lecture theatre at 11.15am on Tuesday 16th April.  Open University distance students are invited to watch and ask questions live via the webcast (http://tinyurl.com/cx3eqr5) so please come and join us!

Summary of the talk

Since the beginning of time, people have been entranced by the night sky and by our nearest planetary neighbor- Mars. From the early missions to Viking, Pathfinder and the more recent missions – Mars has been (and is) a challenging destination. The Mars Exploration Rovers landed on Mars in January 2004 and have been successfully exploring ever since. Come hear the story of their legacy and our newest rover on Mars- the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover.

About Nagin

Nagin graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering and a BA in Psychology and was commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force. She worked in F-16 Aircrew Training and received a masters degree in Space Operations Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. As a captain, she served as an Orbital Analyst at NORAD/Space Command in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs.

In 1993, joined JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and has since served as a systems engineer and manager on multiple interplanetary robotic missions.  Among these are the NASA/JPL’s Galileo mission to Jupiter, the Mars Exploration Rover Missions and the Kepler telescope mission to search for earth-like planets around other stars. She is currently on the mission operations team for Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)- NASA’s next rover to Mars that launched in Nov 2011 and successfully landed in August of 2012. Nagin has spoken to audiences around the US, in Europe, and the Middle East on the stories of the people behind the missions. 

The following link provides a nice visual representation of how far Mars really is to Earth.

Its a long way to Mars

This is what I look like on the inside.

I’m not gonna lie, there’s not a whole lot of things in this world that gets me going like those final scenes in A New Hope and Return of the Jedi where the Rebel forces are bearing down to destroy the Death Star. All those laser blasts, explosions, the hum of the X-Wings and screaming TIE Fighters really can get your heart racing, you know? But, hold on a second…something’s not right here…

If you’ve seen the movies, you know that these sequences take place outside the Death Star, in space. In fact, throughout the three original Star Wars films (and the three prequels that shall not be named) there are a whole lot of space battles with big booms, lasers, and buzzing spaceships. So there’s a problem…all those noises-all that sound-coming from the ships, explosions, and everything else…how exactly do we hear them? I mean, we’re supposed to be in space, right?

Well, let’s back up a bit and talk about how sound actually works. Say we pluck a guitar string. As this string vibrates back and forth, it compresses the air around it. This compression travels through the air, leaving decompressed air behind it, called a rarefaction. These compressions and rarefactions travel like a wave through the air, propagating the sound from the source. Eventually, they make our way to our eardrum, causing it to vibrate, sending a cascade of movements through our inner ear that tell our brain, “hey, some guy is plucking a guitar string!”

And getting all the girls. Sheesh.

It doesn’t have to be air, either. Any matter can carry vibrations through compressions and rarefactions. But, there does need to be matter. And, let’s face it, in space, there is none (well, almost none…even in deep space, there’s an odd stray hydrogen atom or two), and if there is no matter, there’s nothing to propagate sound. So, while those ships and lasers and explosions create vibrations, they have nothing to move through. So, no matter equals no sound.

So, all those space battles should be silent. Since there’s no matter for sound to travel through, all those amazing battle noises simply don’t go anywhere.

Which, I guess, puts truth in the Alien movie tagline: In space, no one can hear you scream.

- Jeff Newman

http://www.howstuffworks.com/sound-info.htm (Sound Info)

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-Sound-Works/ (How sound works)

http://www.howstuffworks.com/sci-fi10.htm (sound in space)

http://space.about.com/od/frequentlyaskedquestions/f/Sound-In-Space.htm (sound in space)

The LCROSS lunar impacting probe crashed into the crater Cabeus A, near the Moon’s south pole.

It’s amazing when you think about it. One might think that there is a new race to the Moon underway, this time with robotic spacecraft rather than astronauts and cosmonauts. There has been a small armada of space probes sent to the Moon by many different nations since the turn of the new millennium. Collectively, these spacecraft have revealed a much more interesting Moon than we thought was the case in the aftermath of the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s.

Using remote sensing technologies ranging from visible light imaging to spectroscopy to laser ranging these spacecraft have revolutionized knowledge of the Moon and made it once again a fascinating place to visit. Among other discoveries, these robotic explorers have shown Earth’s nearest neighbor as a place where ice may well exist. For example, in 2009 NASA’s LCROSS probe, the Lunar Crater Observing and Sensing Satellite, confirmed the existence of water in a cold, permanently dark crater at the south pole of the Moon. This was just the latest of three different spacecraft indicating ice in deep craters on the lunar surface.

The spacecraft flown to the Moon since 2000 are listed below, along with their sponsoring nation and their dates of operation. This list first appeared in the March 2013 issue of the Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin.

Lunar Scientific Missions since 2000

This post is following on from a previous post – ‘How Big Are We?’ ( http://claysimpkins101.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/how-big-are-we/ ).

The above video was presented to my Middle Years Science class at university and puts into perspective how small we actually are.

If you were like me, it didn’t come too much of shock at the sheer size of the biggest known star. However, the actual size of the biggest known star did.

Enjoy.

Hunting for Dark Matter
Credit : NASA

NASA yesterday hosted a teleconference to discuss the first published results to come from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an audacious and expensive research instrument located on the outside of the International Space Station.  The goal of AMS, which was brought up on Endeavor’s final flight, is to use powerful magnetic fields to funnel incoming solar particles for analysis and classification.  Its modest goal is to determine with never before gained precision, just what the universe is made of.

AMS is the third component of a three part approach to answering  this question, the other two being the Large Hadron Particle Collider at CERN, located near Geneva, Switzerland and a network of instruments located deep under the Earth.   CERN studies what happens when particles are slammed together at relativistic speeds, and the underground network studies high energy particles which make it through the atmosphere and hundreds to thousands of feet of Earth on their way straight through the planet and into infinity. AMS by contrast, is designed to analyze and quantify those particles as they are found in space,  before they might otherwise be absorbed by Earth’s protective layers.

So what of the results?  The goal in this case was to search for evidence of dark matter, the elusive but so far unproven element that current theory predicts makes up most of the bulk of the universe. It does so by looking for an excess of positrons, the anti-matter counterpart to the electron.   According to current theory,  positrons should occur as the result of collisions between particles of dark matter occurring all around us, and significantly, should all contain approximately the same energy.  The problem is that pulsars also throw off excess positrons,  but with the distinction that they all come from the same direction, that of the pulsar. Evidence of dark matter by contrast, should come from a multitude of directions, all over in fact, and that is precisely what these first findings seem to suggest. The AMS instrument has not operated long enough however, to allow for a statistically significant assessment of positrons above a certain energy level,  which might shed light on the predicted “drop off” of particles which would be a signature of dark matter. During the presentation CERN principle investigator Samuel Ting went to some length to assert that while the results are not definitive, but they are encouraging.

On a general note, the Alpha Magnetic Sspectrometer is another example, much like the accelerating pace of research being conducted by CASIS, that the International Space Station is finally beginning to come into its own as an unparalleled platform for research.  This link, to the NASA.Gov report on the AMS-2 findings gives a good insight into how the station is serving as the ideal host platform for AMS, and the impressive team of researchers working behind it.

While this is the stuff of dreams for physicists, there is something in AMS for the run of the mill space enthusiast and sci-fi fan as well.  Besides searching for evidence of dark matter, AMS is also looking for evidence of the overall distribution of anti-matter in the universe. A small step to be sure, but we all know what fuels a warp core reactor now don’t we?

The Transit 4A satellite, launched on June 29, 1961, and the first satellite to use a nuclear power source, is shown here at the bottom of a triple-decker payload.

Flying in space requires reliable, uninterrupted, stable electrical power, not only for engines to maneuver and navigate but for systems on spacecraft performing a range of functions. During the first two decades of the space age in the 1950s and 1960s both the United States and the Soviet Union developed capabilities to power spacecraft using nuclear power, in the form of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG).

This is one of the critical components of any satellite either in Earth orbit or dispatched elsewhere is the power system that allows the operation of its many systems. There are only four methods of providing the electrical power needed for spacecraft, all of them with positives and negatives. The first method, and the one used on the first spacecraft launched into orbit, was batteries. Their wattage was limited, but even more limited was their longevity. Within a few weeks they always ran down and the spacecraft’s systems no longer operated.

Second, to help resolve that problem NASA pioneered in the 1960s fuel cell technology, which generated more electricity for the size of the cell and had a longer effective life. Even so, fuel cells have an effective life of less than two months. Of course, this may change in the future as NASA pursues more efficient fuel cells for its Constellation program that could have remarkably long lives.

Third, photovoltaic solar cells emerged in the 1960s as a useful alternative to batteries and fuel cells. They have a long life measured in years rather than weeks or months, and with additional refinement they have become the critical power generation technology for most spacecraft. They have one important drawback; they require the Sun’s powerful light source to be effective. For spacecraft traveling into deep space beyond Mars, where the Sun becomes much less intense, photovoltaic systems up to this point have proven insufficient. This may change in the future as new technologies increase the efficiency of energy collection and power management but past and present capabilities have not allowed their use. Accordingly, when requirements are for short mission times or do not require high power, chemical and/or solar energy may be used effectively to make electricity.

But for the generation of high power levels over longer periods of time, especially farther away from the Sun, nuclear energy has thus far been the only way to satisfy mission requirements. For this reason, as well as others of a more sublime nature, many spacecraft designers have adopted nuclear power technology as a means of powering spacecraft on long deep space missions. As NASA’s chief of its nuclear electric power programs remarked in 1962:

Basically, radioisotopes are of interest because they represent a compact source of power. The energy available in radioisotopes is many orders of magnitude larger than that available in batteries, and thus they constitute a unique, concentrated energy source that may be used for space purposes if design requirements are met. Radioisotope power is inherently reliable. It cannot be turned on or off. There are no moving parts of oriented arrays. It will provide heat energy in accordance with the fixed laws of radioactive decay. This heat is absorbed in a device that converts the heat directly into electricity.

There are several types of nuclear power that could be employed, everything from small reactors to nuclear heaters to the dominant technology of radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG). In those small space nuclear reactors, energy could be generated through controlled fission of uranium. Creating heat through this process, it is then used to power either a thermoelectric or a dynamic turbine or alternator conversion system. While excess heat would be dissipated through a radiator, electricity generated through this process served to power the spacecraft. These reactors had the capability to generate more than 100 kilowatts (kWe) of electricity, making them much more powerful than other forms of energy generation in space, including RTGs.

In addition to its longevity, space nuclear power offers a significant saving in terms of mass associated with an individual mission compared to the other possibilities. As policy analyst Steven Aftergood reported in 1989: “for all practical purposes, nuclear reactors are required when moderate to high levels of continuous power are required for an extended period.” Another observer wrote in 2005:

Nuclear power has been used for deep space vehicles for over 40 years. RTGs have been used for spacecraft electrical power since 1961. All RTGs have operated as designed, both in normal operations and accident conditions. RTGs were designed carefully with consideration for the accident environments that might be experienced during every phase of the launch. The design requirement is to protect public and worker health and safety during all phases of operations during launch and accident conditions.

The possibilities of space nuclear power first entered the public sphere in January 1959 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower posed for a photo-op with an RTG in the Oval Office of the White house. It was SNAP-3, an Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)developed power source on which so many involved in the space program pinned their hopes for exploration of the solar system. AEC officials hailed this RTG as a “significant breakthrough,” one that was reliable, simple, flexible, safe, and just as importantly they said, “We can tailor the product to fit the customer.”

In the context of the post-Sputnik high technology competition with the Soviet Union in the latter 1950s, Eisenhower undoubtedly viewed this showing of the first RTG as a useful propaganda device, graphically demonstrating American technological verisimilitude. He emphasized that this nuclear device was not destructive; rather it was a means of supporting peaceful scientific expeditions for ramifications for the positive development of humanity. Accordingly, the SNAP-3 served as a proof-of-concept for Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” initiative, a positive use of nuclear technology around the globe. Its small size, inconspicuousness, and non-threatening nature served Eisenhower well in helping to defuse the caustic international confrontations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

The first American nuclear powered satellite, Transit-4A, launched on June 29, 1961, from Launch Complex 17 and operated for fifteen years until the satellite finally shut down. The Transit series of spacecraft were navigation satellites built by the Naval Research Laboratory. Transit-4B followed on November 15, 1961, and operated until June 1962 when a thermoelectric converter in the power unit failed. The satellite ceased communications on August 2, 1962, but there were some reports of picking up telemetry from it as late as 1971.

The launch of Transit-4A made headlines. The New York Journal American offered a positive story. It reported: “The successful orbiting of the nuclear device…gives American scientists a significant lead over Russia in the race to harness atomic power for space exploration.” Concerns voiced by officials from the State Department withered with the success of this flight. By October 1961 AEC head Glenn Seaborg was promoting the use of atomic power as the logical technology to power spacecraft. He asserted:

The presence of the “atomic battery” in the satellite is a symbol of a “marriage” that was bound to occur—between Space and the Atom. We have known for some time that the two were made for each other. No one would be tempted, at the present time, to abandon other sources of energy for space. However, the atom has made greater strides toward coming of age for space application in the past few years than many of us could have hoped. The day is not far off when atomic energy will be available in many different packages for practical use in space vehicles.

At the same time Seaborg lobbied with Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, the chair of the Space Council, for greater use of space nuclear power. He argued that the success of the first mission could be replicated over and over, providing efficient power systems for spacecraft. it represented a major point of transition for space exploration technologies.

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