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New Astrophotography Series
2007-10-25 01:28:00
I won't be doing this very often, but Friday will begin a five part article series: Astrophotography on a Budget. I wanted to give a heads up to the readers so we can have the chance t get the word out about this great series.Some highlights:Essential freeware programs for the astrophotgrapher on a budget.Deep Space exposures under $2000!!Build your own Astro-Camera!!Much, much more!!
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Harmony and Balloons
2007-10-25 01:04:00
This is the first article in the new format outlined in the previous post. Hope you enjoy it!In our Solar System this week I'd like to report on two new exciting changes; Harmony and the big balloon. Most of us know what Harmony is, the newest edition to the International Space Station. It was successfully launched yesterday live on NASA TV, (which, if I have any space fans reading, and I hope I do, is definitely worth a DirectTV bill each month) and the crew is beginning preparations to attach the Harmony module, aptly named by students, the first living space enhancement to the space station since 2001. After the launch, the astronauts could be heard stating the California wildfires were clearly visible from space.Right now, according to NASAs website, the rendezvous is complete and preparations for the assembly have begun. There are five scheduled spacewalks on this mission; far more than normal on a shuttle mission such as this. The ISS will pave the way back to the Moon for ma...
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New, More Organized Format...
2007-10-25 00:30:00
Okay, here's the deal: I want my posting to be more organized than it is right now. I want to have three days a week where readers will get an article. The following is the format I have decided on:Mondays - Weekly Deep Space Object (Nebula, Supernova Remnant, Quasar, Pulsar, Galaxy, etc.)Wednesdays - Weekly Solar System Object (Planets, asteroids, moons, solar flares, etc.)Fridays - Astrophotography article.I am leaning more towards astrophotography, because that is by far what gets the most traffic, the most comments, and the most links. I'm by far an expert on the subject, but I definitelyIn addition to this new format, always keep on the lookout for articles that may be published as significant findings and new news in released but just remember, these three days there will be a new informational article.
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Adventures in Astrophotography
2007-10-21 17:42:00
I've learned quite a few lessons trying to master this thing called astrophotography. . Here are a few tidbits from my first serious astrophotography adventure last night:You will quickly outgrow basic equipment. After one night, I'm dying to do a fifteen minute exposure on an equatorial mount.You get a lot of blurry shots; especially of the moon. Keep the best; pitch the rest.At high zoom levels, a good tripod is essential. Nothing like a 30-second exposure that looks like a lightsaber battle because the tripod wobbled.30 second exposures (which is what the limit on my camera is) just starts to bring out invisible stars.In digital astrophotography, Photoshop or other digital image enhancement software is crucial to creating publishable pictures. Stars picked up on the picture often need a contrast increase to become clearly definied and visible.I'm just learning about astrophotography. Even though I write the occassional astrophotography article, I'm as new as they come. This e...
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Prepare for the Orionids! (Meteor Shower; October 21st!)
2007-10-21 02:31:00
I know I set a reminder earlier this week, but I can't resist. The O rionids are occuring in less than five hours. A few fun facts for you stargazers:The radiant is above Orion 's top-left shoulder (Betelgeuse). The radiant is the apparent origin point of all meteors.The meteor showers are actually formed because of Earth's annual movement through the debris trail left behind by Haley's Comet.The 2007 Orionids are estimated to be double the standard per hour rate.Be out around 1am to 2am to get the best seats in the house! (The gibbous moon will be gone and the radiant will be easily visible)Enjoy, be safe, and have fun!
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Habitable Planets Can Form in Binaries Research Suggests
2007-10-21 01:58:00
Nearly 20% of all exoplanets found in surveys reside in binary star systems, which can be two, or possibly more, stars orbitting around a common center of mass. But can rocky, terrestrial, life-sustaining planets survive in the complex and harsh nature of a binary system? Nader Haghighipour thinks it can.Simulations of moon and Mars sized objects lead researchers to believe habitable planets can certainly exist in the binary systems. Check out the research paper here:http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/ 0710/0710.0686v1.pdfI can't believe that researchers didn't know this; haven't they ever seen Tatooine?
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Mar's Soil Contains 16% Water New Research Says
2007-10-19 21:57:00
In perhaps one of the most significant scientific discoveries on Mars this century, and in light of recent claims Mars' past may have been drier than previously thought, researchers are conclusively saying that water still remains on the surface of Mars.The canyons and canals that are hypthesized to have contained Martian water may actually have because Spirit's X-Ray spectrometer called APXS captured significant data about the water. Oceans and surface water likely evaporated, but not before much of the water went underground and much of it trapped in mineral compounds beneath the surface.However, we still do not know how or why the Martian water is gone...
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Super Blackhole
2007-10-18 00:35:00
The most massive blackhole to date has been found located in the M33 galaxy about 3 light years from Earth. The blackhole, part of the M33 X-7 binary system, is by far the largest blackhole ever found at approximately 15.7 times the mass of the Sun.It also has a companion star; an unusually large star that is nearly 70 masses of the Sun. THe companion star in this binary system also hits the record books because it is the largest companion star to a blackhole ever recorded.This system also eclipses regularly, and is the only known blackhole/star binary system to do so. This allows for unusually accurate measurements and the extreme nature of this binary system make it a great place to check out our current astrophysics models.However, how such a large blackhole and companion have formed is very difficult to explain using current physics models....Wonder if string theory has the answer to this one!
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Orionid Meteor Shower (Sunday 10/21)
2007-10-17 22:34:00
The Orion id Meteor shower will peak early Sunday morning and the meteors should be visible anywhere from 1:30am until sunrise.The radiant of the meteor shower appears above and to the left of Betelgeuse, the massive red giant that marks Orion's upper left (from your perspective) shoulder blade.The Orionids are an annual occurance that happens when the Earth travels through the debris trail of Haley's Comet.Predictions for this year are looking quite optimistic and promising. We can expect the Orionid rate to be about twice the normal rate of twenty meteors per hours, according to the preliminary predictions of Sato and Watanabe of the Japanese Astronomical Observatory.
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Aging Galaxy Is "Unique" Researchers Say
2007-10-17 21:07:00
I Zwiky 18 looks like a typically young galaxy. However, the more researchers research this particular object, the older it appears to get.Researchers have now located faint, older stars in the center of the galaxy that have proven researchers wrong... twice. The older stars show that initial estimates of its distance were off by more than ten million light years by measuring the light from these older stars.It also proved researchers wrong because it showed that the galaxy is quite a bit older than initially thought. By dating the fainter, older stars, we find out that this galaxy formed at the same time other galaxies formed. However, the appearance of the galaxy is that of a younger universe.The main components of this galaxy are hydrogen and helium, which suggests it was around near the beginning of time after the Big Bang. However, the reason that this galaxy still produces far less stars than its peers still eludes researchers."...it is certainly developmentally challenged and...
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Iapetus Flyby
2007-10-15 20:37:00
Cassini's newest wide angle Saturn photo!In the previous post, we showed the first high definition photo of Iapetus. Cassini recently just made a flyby of Cassini at a very low altitude. Check out the great pics!

The Volcanic Atmosphere of Io
2007-10-15 19:31:00
We finally have a better understanding of Jupiter's volcanic moon, Io. On its scheduled flyby, the New Horizons spacecraft used its Alice ultraviolet spectrograph to photograph the aurora on Io for the first.New Horizon's spectrograph readings showing the aurora on Io have given researchers the necessary information to calculate how much both the frozen surface material and volcanic plumes contribute to the atmosphere.Io is the most volcanic object in the solar system. Io hurls sulfur-dioxide hundreds of the miles into the air where it eventually freezes. The frozen gas remains largely on the surface, slowly emitting gas that makes up approximately 97% of Io's atmosphere. During the daytime, present volcanic activity accounts for the remaining 3% of the atmosphere.Io's aurora performs in much the same way Earth's does. Io's magnetosphere blocks the incoming radiation from the solar wind and the charged particles create the aurora, the visual phenomenon known as the "Northern L...
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Astrophotography: Barn Door Tracker
2007-10-12 15:06:00
Ever pictured what the sky would look like with about ten times the amount of stars we have now in it? It sure would be beatiful. It actually does look like that, but your human eyes can only collect so much light, so little in fact, that we can't see nearly as many stars as other things.Your camera is one of those other things. Your aperture is the setting that determines how much light gets let in. A wide open aperture (usually f/2.8) is a great start for astrophotography and will bring bright, high contrast stars into view with exposures of 15 seconds and even less.But what about those super starry pictures you've seen? Well those must be on exposures much more than 15 seconds; more like 15 minutes! After your first fifteen minute exposure, you will learn a valuable lesson. The Earth rotates. You will have what is called "tracking errors" or blurs and in some cases, streaks. Star paths make good photos, however, to get a decent starry sky picture, you will have to compensate fo...
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Iapetus in Hi-Res
2007-10-12 01:22:00
This is the first hi-res photograph of Saturn's moon, Iapetus.Note that the two-tone color Iapetus is known for is visible even in hi-res, from close. Researchers think this stark contrast is due to uneven solar heating, which allows ice vapors to escape from the dark side (no star wars pun intended) and to be retained in the lighter side.Notice that there is no grey; the contrast goes immediately from dark to bright.

The Oceans of Venus
2007-10-12 01:09:00
Newly released computer models from the Denver museum of Natural History are presenting a very interesting fact: early Venus may have retained its oceans for more than a billion years.During Venus' early life, it was constantly bombarded with asteroids. These impacts have significantly reduced the chance of life in previous models. However, the new model adds at least 400 million years to the existence of Venus' oceans. These additional years are very significant because they allow more time for more complex life to exist.Interest in Venus has possibly been renewed with the sad news that Mars may have been less hospitable to life and even colder in its past than previously thought.Either way, surface samples from the greenhouse planet would certainly shed some light on its possibly organic past. We may be looking for microbes on Mars, but I'd certainly like to see some fossils from Venus.
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A Land of Lakes and Seas...
2007-10-11 18:33:00
NASA has released a 60% complete mosaic of the northern hemipshere of Saturn's moon Titan. The view is quite striking. There is evidence that the dark bodies seen on Titan's surface are lakes, seas, rivers, and tributaries made up of liquid methane or ethane. The distribution of the liquid bodies indicates that a process similar to Earth's water cycle is in effect. Researchers are fairly certain that it rains liquid methane on Titan. Titan is now the only known object in the solar system to have standing pools of liquid on a rocky, terrestrial landscape.While Titan may look like a rocky desert, don't be fooled. It is nearly -300 degrees Farenheit.
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Why I Think There's Life On Mars...
2007-10-10 22:45:00
Mars has always captivated earthbound observers for centuries. Giovanni Schiapelli created a modern map of Mars in 1877 that detailed a system of canals on Mars. The canals found on Mars are not the creation of an advanced race, but a natural geological phenomenon associated with standing water. The fact is, evidence readily available today proves that life exists on Mars, and however primitive it may be, it leads humanity to the inevitable conclusion that life is not a phenomenon localized to our planet, but widespread throughout our solar system, and star systems beyond ours. Many different sciences have produced substantial evidence for life on Mars. Many topics are the subject of fierce scientific debate, but the sheer range of evidence of life is almost staggering. There is geological, atmospheric, and even physical evidence that life is indeed abundant on Mars in primitive form. The opposition of the fact life exists on Mars is quickly becoming scarcer, and many theories exist...
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Fight the Light: Calling All Readers
2007-10-10 20:25:00
Many urban astonomers, stargazers, and photographers have a major problem with the night sky: light pollution. Light pollution has long robbed urban residents of the natural view of our Milky Way. Magnitudes on some of the most impressive celestial objects are greatly diminished, and the blackness of night is replaced with a reddish purple haze.There is something we can do however. While we probably won't cause any major urban blackouts, we certainly can show how inefficient our outdoor lighting actually is. To fight the ever-increasing problem of light pollution we can all join the Great Worldwide Star Count.The premise is simple. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, observe Cygnus. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, observe Sagittarius. Compare the stars to the magnitude chart available on the website, and log your findings through the website. That's it. This very possibly could be the first step to reclaiming our night sky. Log into the website and fight the light!
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Five Tips for Amatuer Astrophotographers
2007-10-08 19:50:00
Here's a few tips for armchair astronomers (such as myself) who have a digital camera, but no telescope:1.) Buy a Tripod - Buying a tripod does not have to be terribly expensive. You don't need the most expensive kind, just one that will stabilize the image. If you are like me, you've never shot long exposure pictures, which a tripod really helps with. Which brings me to...2.) Shutter speed - When we take standard photos, it happens pretty quick, usually 1/1000th of a second is what the shutter speed is set at. When we photograph stars, they typically are very dim. We need to set the shutter speed for as long as it will go. Usually the longest you can set this is 15 seconds, but many models have a manual shutter speed that lets you control how long your soon-to-be photo is exposed. The longer the better... to a certain point, so be sure to experiment with your particular model of camera!3.) Aperture - This is a variable sized hole in the camera that controls how much light hits y...
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Just 4 Fun: Space Invaders!!
2007-10-08 18:29:00
Thought you guys might like this... just for fun!
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Japan's Lunar Orbitar
2007-10-08 17:40:00
SELENE, the Roman lunar deity later supplanted by Artemis, is alive once again. She's headed back to the moon with a mission: to study the origins of the Moon, its geologic evolution, and to map its surface. SELENE has a double-meaning: part lunar deity, and part Selenological and Enginnering Explorer, and is better known by its nickname Kaguya.Kaguya carries a HDTV camera which it has used to capture the first HD images of Earth from space. Kaguya however is full of firsts. It will be the first probe to orbit the Moon at an extremely close proximity of about 100 km. Kaguya will break into three main parts once it achieves orbit: the main orbiter, a VRAD satellite (Vstar) and a relay satellite (Rstar). The main orbiter will use its instruments in conjunction with the other peripheral satellites.The instrument payload includes: HDTV High-Definition Video CameraX-Ray SpectrometerGamma Ray SpectrometerMultiband ImagerSpectral ProfilerTerrain CameraLunar Radar SounderLaser AltimeterLun...

Terragen: The Planet Renderer
2007-10-08 02:34:00
Terragen is a photorealistic landscape generator that is available for free for non-commercial use on both Windows and Mac (OS 9 and X) platforms.The wide array of options and variables lets even the most amateur graphic artist create and render photorealistic landscapes. The whole process is as complex or simple as you want it to be. I personally like the program because by tweaking the variables, you could create a very realistic Mars or other planetary landscape. You can even use Terragen to create planet views from space. The program is so flexible and versatile, the possibilities are endless.Tweak elevations, atmosphere, water levels, cloud cover, and a myriad of other options. The customization possibilities are endless.While I normally focus on astronomy and current events, I believe this is a great addition to any armchair astronomer's arsenal of software, because let's face it, sometimes we just want to have fun and be creative.Download Terragen for free at:http://www.pl...
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Elevator to the Moon
2007-10-08 01:24:00
We live in an interesting age for the space enthusiast. NASA is setting their aims at landing man on Mars, building a lunar outpost, and adding even more enhancements to the international space station. The primary problem of establishing colonies on other worlds is simple: the escape velocity of the Earth.The escape velocity of the Earth, for lack of a wordy, tedious explanation of the concept, is the amount of force required to exit the gravitational pull of the Earth. The escape velocity is the same for all objects, however heavier objects obviously need more energy to accelerate at escape velocity. Objects escaping Earth's atmosphere have to travel at nearly 11 km/s. However, there is a way to get objects into space at a much slower speed.The concept of a space elevator is not new, nor is it unfeasible. The idea is simple: make a high-strength cable, tether it to Earth, tether it to a counterweight in geosynchronous orbit, and have an "elevator" that successfully traverses th...
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Crab Nebula Simulation
2007-10-06 17:46:00
The Crab nebula is a supernova remnant found in the Taurus constellation. The only remnant of the source star is the Crab Pulsar in the middle which spins every 30 seconds or so an emits gamma rays and x-rays.The radiation emitted by this awesome supernova remnant is often used to calculate more intersolar bodies. For example, in the 1950's and 1960's the sun's corona was mapped by the Crab Nebula 's radio waves passing through it and more recently the thickness of the atmosphere of Titan, one of Saturn's confirmed moons, was studied using the Crab Nebula's radio waves as well.The Crab Nebula is 6,300 light years away and has an apparent magnitude of only +8.4.The supernova was recorded by astronomers in 1054 A.D. Below is a sample of what they may have seen:
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The Elegant Universe
2007-10-05 23:30:00
I have recently been reading a book called The Elegant Univers e . Not the newest book I know, but definitely right up my alley. It explains the new and exciting string theory that we've all been hearing about.The thing I like about this book is the real examples of what's wrong with physics today and how string theory unifies the theories of relativity. It takes wholly mathematical concepts and illustrates them in such a way to make your average joe understand. Without a complete concept of the way space and time works, we will never be as efficient as possible in space travel and exploration.It's a great read. If you are into cosmology and astrophysics along with astronomy, this book is definitely for you.
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C or D?
2007-10-04 05:22:00
Researchers can't seem to make up there mind, especially about the controversial Gliese 581c planet, coined the most earth-like planet out there. New models created have estimated that Gliese 581c is a rampant greenhouse planet, just like Venus, although the new models have been contested.We set our sights towards Gliese 581d, a world of as massive as eight Earths, now is a likely candidate for life. Despite the fact that it is slightly outside the habitable zone, researchers speculate that greenhouse effects may make it warm enough to support primitive life.On the star side, Gliese 581 is a stable burning star that has been around for a few billion years. In terms of light,brightness, and heat, it is very similar to our own star and researchers believe that if life is found outside of the solar system, a star like this likely will their "sun".

Planemos: Cosmic Nomads
2007-10-04 05:11:00
Throughout the Universe, cosmic worlds float untethered to the gravity of any host star. Often times these stars, called planemos, are similar to brown dwarf stars, but often are the size of Jupiter, or smaller. They bear much more resemblance to planets than any type of stars. They are often much smaller and less reactive than their counterparts the brown dwarfs.These eerie worlds float through space without the light of a star to shed light on the surface.
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Gliese 581c: An Extrasolar Earth?
2007-10-02 04:19:00
Gliese 581 c, the incredibly creative name of a planet found orbiting red dwarf Gliese 581, is not like any exoplanets we know. Most exoplanets are huge, massive, gas giants. They often are hot as lava, called hot 'jupiters', or five times as cold as our arctic. But not Gliese 581c. If we had to pick which exoplanet had life on it, all bets would be on Gliese 581 c, and here's why.Gliese 581 c is located in "the habitable zone". The habitable zone is the exact distance from the Sun (or another star) that a planet can be at that liquid water will not permanently freeze or completely evaporate. Gliese 581 c is located within the habitable zone of its star, Gliese 581, and if liquid water were present on the surface, it would act and behave much the same way it would on Earth .Current models predict Gliese 581 c is either a very rocky planet, or a complete oceanic planet, with no visible land. Either way there is no way to know for sure (yet) what the surface of this planet holds.Al...

Fire & Ice
2007-10-02 04:06:00
When a planet is "tidally locked", it is similar to the relation the Earth and Moon share. It means that the same side of the planet is facing the star, so if Earth were tidally locked, there would be no days, no rotation, just a world that would be half day and half night... forever.This particular phenomenon creates an interesting mixture in exoplanet Upsilon Andromeda b. The planet is tidally locked with its parent star, so one half of the planet is hotter than lava; the other half less than freezing. The temperature range of this exoplanet is astonishing: from -4 to more than 3000 degrees Fahrenheit.
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On a Personal Note...
2007-10-01 16:26:00
I may be moving from the city to country. I have located a beautiful farm I may be purchasing. I was checking the property last night, and when I looked up I saw the stars like I have never seen them before in my life.I've recently gotten a stronger prescription on my glasses, and I've never been quite so far away from the light pollution a city creates. When I looked up last night, I saw at least triple the stars I have ever seen, and a visible Milky Way streaking through the sky.I can honestly say that last night's view of the sky from the country definitely gave me a far greater appreciation for what I already love.
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