Science | Observations in Astronomy

How can NASA Defend Itself?

NASA has done a lot for human civilization over the past 50 years or so. It has introduced us to a wide variety of materials, and taught our scientists some incredible things about the world we live, and the vast expanses beyond this world. However, they do face some difficulty in defending themselves, due to the anonymity and sometimes obscurity of the discoveries they make, along with their unpredictability. This is why they have recently found their funding reduced.

Needless to say, NASA conducts a lot of research in collaboration with scientists all over the world. We know more about our sky and the universe surrounding us than we ever have before. However, much of this knowledge is esoteric and known only to a few people. NASA has never been especially good at tooting its own horn over the discoveries it makes. Without much press coverage, it can be very challenging to launch an effective sales pitch, which in turn leads to lessened funding for their endeavors.

Simply put, NASA lacks a sales person who can put drama, heroism and immediacy into the work the organization does. If they had such an individual, it might be easier to keep their funding increasing and the public clamoring for more missions and more knowledge. Unfortunately, most people are so stuck on Earth, the notion of being able to learn anything of any use from space travel seems absurd. For a lot of people, teflon and its ilk just are not that important. However, the very nature of discovery means that through denying NASA, we could all be denying ourselves some really wonderful things.

Filed Under: General, Science Tagged With: Earth, NASA, Needless, Space

NASA’s 2012 Budget: New Focuses and New Frontiers

Released on February 14, 2011, the United States’ fiscal year 2012 budget includes a challenge to NASA to live within the means of and $18.7 billion NASA budget while attempting to educate, innovate and build beyond the abilities of the rest of the world. This challenge will be difficult but possible, and NASA looks forward to completing their goals in space and science exploration.
The Plan
The new budget breaks down to $5 billion for science, $4.3 billion for the International Space Station and Space Shuttle programs (combined), $3.9 billion for exploration systems like the Space Launch System and the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, and $569 million in aeronautics research.
NASA will continue to invest in deep space programs and to reach for the manned Mars mission goal. This means that a deep space capsule and heavy lift rocket will remain priorities in the new budget. Additionally, research and technology developments for the deep space program will be continued.
However, funding has been cut from the commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) program (100 to 1240 miles above Earth), so private companies will now be encouraged to develop low Earth orbit programs. Since space begins at about 100 miles from Earth, these private companies may offer LEO flights relatively soon.
Going forward, though, the International Space Station will remain a combined effort between NASA and other international space programs until at least 2020, even though the space station orbits at 200 miles above Earth.
NASA will also continue to research ways to enhance aviation safety, increase airspace efficiency and reduce aviation’s impact on the environment, all while supporting space observatories and new missions.
Students will remain a priority, and NASA leaders will focus on teaching our next generations science, mathematics, engineering and technology. Education still remains on the forefront of NASA endeavors.
Overall, moving into the next era of NASA leadership, NASA will focus on deep space missions, scientific developments, safety and education, leaving the low Earth orbit development opportunities open to private companies for the eventual citizen-space experience.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science Tagged With: International Space Station, NASA, Space Shuttle program

Endeavour’s Last Mission to be Lead by Commander Mark Kelly

NASA’s last mission for Space Shuttle Endeavour, will take place on April 19, 2011. The mission, STS-134, will last for 14 days, and the crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 02 (AMS-02) to the International Space Station during the flight. The mission is newsworthy for a few reasons: Mark Kelly is leading the crew and Endeavour will be retired after the mission, as detailed below.

Mark Kelly as Commander

After the tragedy of the Tucson, AZ, shooting, Mark Kelly has been featured in many news stories. As the husband of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), Kelly has stood by his wife’s side following the shooting, seeing her through ICU and a transfer to a care facility.

Although Kelly’s flight has been planned for years, the tragic events of the January 8, 2011, attack made Kelly’s attendance uncertain. Giffords’ critical condition challenged the commander’s desire to lead the mission — until Giffords’ recovery took a turn for the better.

Now, Kelly will be leading the mission, joined by a crew of Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and Roberto Vittori.

Endeavour to Retire

Additionally, the Endeavour is scheduled to retire after this mission. The shuttle has served the country well: Since its first flight in 1992, the Endeavour has flown in the first three-person spacewalk satellite rescue/repair, has been part in an unprecedented lengthy spacewalk (eight hours), and housed the Protein Crystal Growth experiment.

The space shuttle was also the first of many to incorporate new hardware designs, including the installation of an external airlock that made docking to the space station possible. Improvements also included a 40-foot-diameter drag chute, better Auxiliary Power Units, and a reduced payload.

The Endeavour’s last mission will prove to be intriguing, since the AMS Experiment scheduled to unfold will allow researchers insight and information into the workings of the universe. When Mark Kelly leads his team and the Endeavour into space, scientists may even discover the origin of the universe.

Filed Under: Satellites, Science Tagged With: International Space Station, Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-134

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, in their own words

The most ballyhooed basketball book in recent years is “The Book of Basketball” by popular ESPN columnist Bill Simmons. The book is styled similar to the columns that have gained Simmons such a loyal following. He mixes humorous personal anecdotes with pop culture references and opinions based on his life of watching basketball.

Despite the massive amount of fuss, “The Book of Basketball” is not the best of the many basketball books published recently. That honor goes to “When the Game Was Ours,” by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, along with former Boston Globe basketball writer Jackie MacMullan.

“When the Game Was Ours” details the story of the relationship and rivalry between Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird, in their own words. Together, the two players took basketball to an unprecedented level of skill and popularity.

The book begins with the first time Bird and Johnson took notice of each other as bench players on an international team made up of college all-stars. Soon after, both ascended to the top of the college basketball, and brought their respective teams with them to the 1979 NCAA championship game, where Johnson’s Michigan State team defeated Bird and his Indiana State teammates.

That fierce competition of that game continued in the NBA, where Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Johnson the Los Angeles Lakers. The two teams often faced off in the NBA Finals, and achieved eight NBA championships between them, five for the Lakers and three for the Celtics.

The more the two players competed against each other, the more respect for the other they gained. This respect led to a friendship that has blossomed in the years since their playing careers ended. Before calling it quits, the two were able to play together with for Team USA. After years of trying to prevent the other from winning championships, they were finally able to combine their talents to win one: the gold medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Filed Under: Science Tagged With: Basketball, Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson, NBA Finals, sport

Understanding Truth: Astronomy

: Image by austinevan via Flickr

It begins with a glance. You look up (Because you must. Because you’re compelled to) and see the worlds that are poised beyond you. There are other stars, other suns, other universes. You want to conquer them all. But, of course, you can’t. You’re limited instead to the answers of your telescope, the texts you so devotedly read. You learn all you can; you observe all you find; and your gaze never falls. It is forever staring beyond.

You are not the first to follow this pattern. And you certainly won’t be the last.

The sky has forever held a fascination for humankind, with civilizations charting its every eclipse and new dawn. And, through this fascination, a study of galaxies has been formed: it is called Astronomy.

Simply defined, Astronomy is the examination of all celestial bodies and occurrences formed beyond Earth. It is dubbed a natural science (far different than the criticisms of the formal sciences or the philosophic humanities). Through it elements of mathematics and religion are combined–allowing the history of the world to be charted by the discoveries found beyond it.

It is not, as some may assume, a collection of assumptions and mysticism. Stars are not shaped into mere stories. They are instead noted, explored and understood. And their patterns have become the foundations of such elements as navigation, time and physics. Through the careful observation of constellations (and all the planets they circle), the world has been offered far more than myths. It has instead received an understanding of creation. The universe is learned.

There are some who would malign this claim, however. They confuse Astronomy to lesser practices (the harmless thrills of Astrology or the premature discoveries made by amateurs). It is instead, though, the oldest science in the world–with origins predating even the empires of Babylon and Assyria–and the most vital. It explains Earth and its place among the galaxies. There is no other methodology that can challenge that.

And there is no methodology that could even try.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science Tagged With: Astronomy, Earth

What Is the Size of the Universe? – Almanacs, Books and Guides

As humans have developed the capability to get to space and travel through it, the reality has set in that space is so vast and that things are so far away, it would take longer than a lifetime to get there. This truth would still be the case if travel at light speed was even possible.

Even the closest star is over 4 light years away, so traveling anywhere at the fraction of the speed of light would take very long. The Andromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light years away, and is by far the closest galaxy to us. Probes launched from Earth many years ago still haven’t left the solar system, even though they continue to travel at high rates of speed.

As for the actual size of the universe, this is difficult to tell because there could be light from distant places that has not yet gotten here. Even the most powerful telescopes, like Hubble, would not see it if the light hasn’t arrived yet. By mapping galaxies and galaxy clusters, it is now known that there are millions and probably billions of galaxies in the universe.

The size of the universe is now measured in the many billions of light years. There are millions of light years of space between galaxies and even the Milky Way is 100,000 light years across. We couldn’t even travel across it in the lifetimes of many generations, even at the speed of light, and it is known that no object could travel that fast.

With all of the advances in technology like computerized tracking and observing, super powerful telescopes, and the ability to get into space, there are no definite estimates on how big space is. As more discoveries are made, the calculations of their age can debunk old theories. It is not scientifically proven that the universe is infinite, but an actual number still remains elusive despite our advanced state of technology.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Galaxies, Speed of light

Deflecting an Asteroid: Is It Possible?

Humans seem to be fairly protected here on Earth, but it also seems like the whole planet is hurling through a void filled with obstacles and dangers. Solar flares, Gamma radiation, and asteroids and comets are everywhere. Every once in a while, news comes out that an asteroid may pass close to the planet, and even may collide with it at some point.

These reports are often discounted eventually, but if a large asteroid was going to hit, would there be a way to stop it? One asteroid, named Apophis, has been estimated to have a chance of hitting Earth in 2029. Other estimates have the 885 foot rock smashing the planet later, perhaps in 2036 or 2069.

An impact by something just around 300 feet would kill millions of people, and it would take a rock just over 3,000 feet across to wipe out the human race altogether. The hit and miss chances of such objects coming so close to Earth means that some way must be devised that might deflect them in a dire situation.

The most effective way to destroy something is to use a nuclear bomb. Just exploding the rock won’t do, because smaller ones may end up assaulting the planet, but detonating one nearby could heat up or vaporize parts of the asteroid enough to change its path. Scientists in Russia have also proposed creating a dust cloud in front of one; the particles would strike the rock and create large craters. Enough of them could disintegrate the asteroid altogether.

Launching and landing a rocket engine on an asteroid is another theory. The propulsion from the rocket could move the object away. Not only would the rocket have to be guided correctly and landed with precision, but the proper calculations and control need to be constantly monitored in the process.

There are a few ideas on how to deflect such an object. For the most part, the technology exists for most of them, but the problem is getting the job done right and not inadvertently creating more hazards later on.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Observatory, Science Tagged With: Asteroid, Deflection

Major Meteor Showers That Occur during the Year – Almanacs, Books and Guides

Many events in the sky are missed under the light shroud in urban areas. If you live in a city, as most people do, only the brightest of stars and planets are visible and it is almost impossible to make out the expanse of the Milky Way. Even most of the streaks from meteor showers are invisible. One of the most engaging parts of astronomy, these events leave watchers staring in wonder as particles burn up in the upper atmosphere.

The objects that enter the atmosphere during a meteor shower are usually no larger than sand grains. Their high speed and relatively high temperatures of the atmosphere cause them to burn up from the intense friction. The resulting flash, though small, is bright enough to be seen from the ground. Some meteors are faint, and flash so quickly that you’ll blink if you miss them. Others can be very bright and last for a few seconds, or if a rock-sized object comes in, can last for longer and even leave a dust trail.

The occurrence of small meteors concentrates around the time of well-documented meteor showers such as the Perseids in the middle of August. This tends to be a consistent event from year to year and also is one of the most active ones of the year. The meteors tend to radiate from around the constellation Perseus in the northeast sky and there could be up to 80 per hour, or even more in active years.

The Quandrantids in January are quite vivid, and concentrate near the constellation Bootes as well as the Big Dipper. Other well known events include the Leonids, which occur in November and peak in cycles of 33 years, as well as the Gemenids, during the month of December. They feature a mixture of colors and are considered to be one of the more reliable of meteor showers.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Comets and Asteroids, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Meteor shower, Meteoroid

Types of Telescopes

Vast amounts of information have been obtained about the solar system, our galaxy, and the universe going out to billions of light years. All of it has been taken by observations from one kind of telescope or another, whether based on the ground or launched into Earth’s orbit.

Most optical telescopes use visible light and come in refracting types that use lenses to create images, reflecting types that use mirrors and compound telescopes that use lenses and mirrors. The larger the size of the mirror, known as the aperture, the finer the detail the system can see. There is a 100 inch reflecting telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory in Los Angeles, while home models tend to have mirrors or lenses down to just a few inches.

The basic kinds take the form of larger scopes used in laboratories, or smaller versions that you can buy in a store and use at home. There are also variations that detect and analyze infrared or ultraviolet light, depending on the light sources that scientists, or amateurs, want to analyze.

Radio telescopes are also widely used to scan the heavens. A form of directional radio antenna, a radio telescope detects radio waves and collects data from sources of radio waves in space. It must be shielded from electromagnetic interference rather than visible light, so is usually placed in a valley far away from urban areas. Examples are the Very Large Array in New Mexico and Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

As the universe can be analyzed differently using different wavelengths, there are also ways to see where X-rays are coming from, as well as Gamma rays. X-ray and Gamma-ray telescopes are usually placed on orbiting satellites, as the atmosphere blocks this kind of light from reaching the surface.

One of the most well-known telescopes is Hubble, which was launched by the space shuttle in 1990. The Hubble Space Telescope is a Cassegrain reflector with two hyperbolic mirrors to image over wide fields of view. It has taken pictures of some of the most distant and oldest parts of the universe yet found.

Filed Under: Science, Telescopes Tagged With: Types of Telescopes

Space Books: A Source of Knowledge and Imagination

Books on space cover a broad spectrum. There are many interesting publications that are targeted towards kids. Many of these informative books can include colorful illustrations that young children will enjoy, but the level of understanding can go up to college-level and beyond astronomy, covering anything from the observed universe to complex theories and speculative science.

We learn early on that the universe goes on forever, but scientists seem to focus on that, at 10 or 13 billion light years away from Earth, there is some kind of boundary that is the edge of the original energy from the Big Bang. The complex equations that astrophysicists have devised to explain things never seen such as black holes and wormholes are too much for the average person to comprehend.

Assuming we don’t need to know how to solve a differential equation or even algebra, it’s possible to find a book about space that is intriguing nonetheless. Books on skywatching can show the stars, constellations, and galaxies as well as comets and planets in a comical if not at least artistic fashion. With the assumption that the reader is stuck on Earth to do schoolwork or work a nine-to-five job, reading about the mysterious universe around us can at least serve as entertainment.

You can easily find something to read on the planet Earth, the solar system, and the satellites that orbit constantly. Pocket atlases are popular items as well, but the range of reading goes on until you get to authors like Carl Sagan who try to explain everything in one book. You can also read about time and the universe’s ability to make it not seem what we think from Steven Hawking.

Reading about space can also cover theories of hyperspace and travel at light speed. It can blend with science fiction, but space is so vast and unexplored that it is hard not to engage the imagination when you read about possible distant worlds, or even look up at the many stars in the sky.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Planets, Science, Universe Beyond Tagged With: Astronomy, Earth, Solar System