This new image of the luminous blue variable Eta Carinae was taken with the NACO near-infrared adaptive optics instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope, yielding an incredible amount of detail. The images clearly shows a bipolar structure as well as the jets coming out from the central star. The image was obtained by the Paranal Science team and processed by Yuri Beletsky (ESO) and Hännes Heyer (ESO). It is based on data obtained through broad (J, H, and K; 90 second exposure time per filters) and narrow-bands (1.64, 2.12, and 2.17 microns; probing iron, molecular and atomic hydrogen, respectively; 4 min per filter). Credit: ESO. Tap © to visit the web site.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Eta Carinae
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Private Space Exploration and a Future without NASA
I aggregated a post about the passing of Neil Armstrong the other day, but had missed some bits and pieces about his position on the space program. Could we one day see a world without NASA?
Armstrong was a proponent of continued manned space exploration, but he believed that the state should be in charge of running the program. He dismissed the wasteful spending by NASA, and even the lack of choice by taxpayers to fund these endeavors. Without a voluntary choice to fund the program, it is difficult to find benefit from it's actions.
Armstrong was against the privatization or outsourcing of portions of the space program, yet Boeing has been significantly involved in since the inception of the program, and they are just one of a hundred or more. And this was during Armstrong's time with NASA. He was against privatization, yet his career benefited from it.
Considering that NASA has been a massive boondoggle from the beginning, producing enormous amounts of wasteful spending and even considerable conflicts of interest, I would say that Armstrong was either simply defending the corrupt system from which he benefited so greatly, or he was entirely unaware of the free market efficiencies and accountability created by shifting space exploration from public to private industry.
Seeing how inexpensively companies like SpaceX have been able to do what NASA took exponentially more resources to do (and sans consent of those from which funds are extracted), it's high time to abandon NASA and take advantage of the potential of private space exploration. Thankfully, we already seem to be moving toward private space exploration, and it's capitalistic benefits.
Armstrong was a proponent of continued manned space exploration, but he believed that the state should be in charge of running the program. He dismissed the wasteful spending by NASA, and even the lack of choice by taxpayers to fund these endeavors. Without a voluntary choice to fund the program, it is difficult to find benefit from it's actions.
Armstrong was against the privatization or outsourcing of portions of the space program, yet Boeing has been significantly involved in since the inception of the program, and they are just one of a hundred or more. And this was during Armstrong's time with NASA. He was against privatization, yet his career benefited from it.
Considering that NASA has been a massive boondoggle from the beginning, producing enormous amounts of wasteful spending and even considerable conflicts of interest, I would say that Armstrong was either simply defending the corrupt system from which he benefited so greatly, or he was entirely unaware of the free market efficiencies and accountability created by shifting space exploration from public to private industry.
Seeing how inexpensively companies like SpaceX have been able to do what NASA took exponentially more resources to do (and sans consent of those from which funds are extracted), it's high time to abandon NASA and take advantage of the potential of private space exploration. Thankfully, we already seem to be moving toward private space exploration, and it's capitalistic benefits.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Neil Armstrong Dead at 82
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, has died. He was 82.
"Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job," said a statement from his family.
More: http://www.worldwidehippies.com/2012/08/25/rocket-man-neil-armstrong-dead-at-82/
Friday, August 24, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Solar Activity Moderately High
Following a week of quiet, solar activity is picking up again with a series of M-class solar flares off the sun's northeastern limb. So far none of the eruptions has been Earth-directed. This could change, however, with the approach of an active farside sunspot that appears set to turn toward our planet in the days ahead. Check http://spaceweather.com for movies and forecasts.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
1977 Wow! Signal at 35 Years
The Wow! signal was a strong, narrowband radio signal detected by Dr. Jerry R. Ehman on August 15, 1977 while working on a SETI project at the Big Ear radio telescope of Ohio State University. The signal bore expected hallmarks of potential non-terrestrial and non-solar system origin. It lasted for 72 seconds, the full duration Big Ear observed it, but has not been detected again. It has been the focus of attention in the mainstream media when talking about SETI results.
Amazed at how closely the signal matched the expected signature of an interstellar signal in the antenna used, Ehman circled the signal on the computer printout and wrote the comment "Wow!" on its side. This comment became the name of the signal.
Interesting stuff, worth tuning in to Ground Zero show to learn more...
The Wow! signal was a strong narrowband radio signal detected by Jerry R. Ehman on August 15, 1977, while working on a SETI project at the Big Ear radio telescope of The Ohio State University then located at Ohio Wesleyan University's Perkins Observatory, Delaware, Ohio.[1] The signal bore expected hallmarks of potential non-terrestrial and non-Solar System origin. It lasted for the full 72-second duration that Big Ear observed it, but has not been detected again. The signal has been the subject of significant media attention.
Amazed at how closely the signal matched the expected signature of an interstellar signal in the antenna used, Ehman circled the signal on the computer printout and wrote the comment "Wow!" on its side. This comment became the intensity variation of the signal. A space denotes an intensity between 0 and 1, the numbers 1 to 9 denote the correspondingly numbered intensities (from 1.000 to 10.000), and intensities of 10.0 and above are denoted by a letter ('A' corresponds to intensities between 10.0 and 11.0, 'B' to 11.0 to 12.0, etc.). The value 'U' (an intensity between 30.0 and 31.0) was the highest detected by the radio telescope, on a linear scale it was over 30 times louder than normal deep space.[1] The intensity in this case is the unitless signal-to-noise ratio, where noise was averaged for that band over the previous few minutes.[2]
Two different values for its frequency have been given: 1420.356 MHz (J. D. Kraus) and 1420.4556 MHz (J. R. Ehman). The frequency 1420 MHz is significant for SETI searchers because, it is reasoned, hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, and hydrogen resonates at about 1420 MHz, thus extraterrestrials might use that frequency on which to transmit a strong signal.[1] The frequency of the Wow! signal matches very closely with the hydrogen line, which is at 1420.40575177 MHz. The two different values given for the frequency of the Wow! signal (1420.356 MHz and 1420.4556 MHz) are the same distance apart to the hydrogen line—the first being about 0.0498 MHz less than the hydrogen line, and the second being about 0.0498 MHz more than the hydrogen line. The bandwidth of the signal is less than 10 kHz (each column on the printout corresponds to a 10 kHz-wide channel; the signal is only present in one column).
Wow! signal
Scientists investigate 'mad snake disease' which makes captive pythons tie themselves in knots
A mysterious 'mad snake disease' that causes pythons to tie themselves up in knots may be caused by a rodent virus, scientists believe.
The fatal condition, called Inclusion Body Disease (IBD), strikes captive pythons and boa constrictors causing them to display strange behaviour, such as 'stargazing' - staring upwards for long periods of time.
Other symptoms include appearing drunk and getting into a legless tangle.
'They tie themselves in a knot and they can't get out of it,' said snake expert Professor Michael Buchmeier, from the University of California at Irvine. Read More
Monday, August 13, 2012
EarthSky's meteor shower guide for 2012 | Astronomy Essentials | EarthSky
Many saw a fantastic display of Perseid meteors on the morning of August 12! According to the International Meteor Organization, the zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of meteors visible in a dark sky was over 90. That's the number of meteors you would have seen under a very dark sky with the radiant of the shower at the sky's zenith (highest point). Will you see more meteors on the morning of August 13? You might, although we're now past the peak. Still, it's worth a try. Read more about the August 13 prospects here. As always, after midnight is the best time for meteor-watching. The moon is waning now. The moon will be in the sky before dawn, but it shouldn't interfere much. On the morning (not the evening) of August 13, the moon will be a waning crescent, sweeping past the brightest planets Venus and Jupiter in the eastern predawn sky. You can't ask for more!
EarthSky Facebook friend Dave Walker caught this 2012 Perseid meteor on the morning of August 12, 2012.
A bright Perseid meteor seen by astrophotographer Stefano De Rosa this morning (August 12) on the island of Isola D'Elba in Italy. See more of Stefano's 202 Perseid meteor photos here.
EarthSky Facebook friend Brian Emfinger captured this amazing view early this morning (August 12). Not sure if this photo is stacked – I suspect so. Perseid meteors tend to cross the sky one by one. But this photo captures what you can expect to see during a burst of meteors – when several at once cross the sky – or during a particularly rich meteor display. Fantastic image Brian! Thank you.
Here's what NASA has to say:
August 10/11, 11/12, and 12/13, 2012 Perseids
Meteors are typically best after midnight, but in 2012, with the moon rising into the predawn sky, you might want to watch for Perseid meteors in late evening as well. You can get moonrise times via this custom sunset calendar. As seen from around the world, the waning crescent moon will rise later on August 12 than on August 11, and, on the morning of August 13, although you're slightly past the peak, the moon will rise later still. On any of those mornings, moonlight shouldn't be so overwhelming as to ruin the show. Plus the moon on those mornings will be near the bright planets Venus and Jupiter in the eastern predawn sky. It'll be a beautiful early morning scene. The Perseids are typically fast and bright meteors. They radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. You don't need to know Perseus to watch the shower because the meteors appear in all parts of the sky. The Perseids are considered by many people to be the year's best shower, and often peak at 50 or more meteors per hour in a dark sky. The Perseids tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into midnight, and typically produce the most meteors in the wee hours before dawn. These meteors are often bright and frequently leave persistent trains. Starting in late evening on the nights of August 10/11, 11/12 and 12/13. The Perseid meteors will streak across these short summer nights from late night until dawn, with only a little interference from the waning crescent moon. Plus the moon will be near the bright planets Venus and Jupiter in the eastern predawn sky.
An Eta Aquarid meteor streaks over northern Georgia on April 29, 2012. Image credit: NASA/MSFC/B. Cooke
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Perseids Shower Tonight
In the night sky, look north. The constellation just to its east is Perseus. Just to its north are the Perseids. Even in central Texas just outside the metro, I can still see a handful of meteors each hour in the early evening.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Comet Shower Sunday Night
Hundreds of shooting stars and fireballs will fill the skies over the northern hemisphere on Saturday and Sunday night as Earth passes through a stream of debris from the Comet Swift-Tuttle — otherwise known as the Perseid meteor shower.
The Perseids have presented a scintillating display for 2,000 years, according to NASA. The comet Swift-Tuttle orbits the sun once every 133 years, which means that every August, the earth passes through a the comet's debris field. The ice and dust, accumulating over a thousand years, burns up in our atmosphere to create the meteor shower.
This year's display will be even more awe-inspiring than years past because the brightest planets in our solar system will be in the middle of it all. Jupiter, Venus and the crescent Moon will align as the shower peaks. And just as the shower is beginning to wane on August 13, the planets will be at their brightest, according to NASA.
The meteor shower will peak on the night of August 12, with at least a hundred shooting stars visible per hour. NASA scientists advise that although they can be seen any time after 10 p.m., the best time to spot a flurry of meteors will be during the darkest part of the night, in the early hours before dawn.
If you live in an urban area, you might want to drive a little ways to avoid the distraction of the city lights, which can make the meteor shower seem faint. Scientists from NASA also said that camping out in the country can triple the amount of visible meteors.
Thinking of counting all of the shooting stars? If so, NASA would like for you to let them know. They have developed an app for the Android and iPhone that allows stargazers to count every meteor they see, and report the results in a scientific way that will be valuable to NASA. The data will allow scientists to study and model the debris stream of the meteor shower.
If you already plan to stay up all night in anticipation of the meteor shower, join the online chat with astronomer Bill Cooke and his team from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center on Saturday night. From 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., ask them your burning questions about the meteors filling the night sky.
And don't forget to grab your camera before you head out. Meteor showers are a great opportunity for time-lapse videos and long-exposure photography, allowing your shots of the night sky to turn into van Gogh-like paintings of this starry spectacle. Share what you capture with us on CNN iReport and your photos and videos could be featured on CNN.
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