CosmoBC.com AstroBlog

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for May 2013

Paul — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:01:14 +0000

Just like last month, this will be another very eventful month when it comes to astronomical events. There will be a meteor shower, two eclipses and a conjunction. First of all, on the night of May 4 and 5 the Eta Aquarids meteor shower will peak. The Eta Aquarids is an above average shower, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. Continue reading →

US Air Force’s Secretive X-37B Space Plane [Infographic]

Paul — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:33:44 +0000

The X-37B is an unmanned space test vehicle for the United States Air Force, based on NASA's original X-37 design. It is a lot smaller than the Space Shuttle and is launched via an Atlas V booster. The first test flight was in April 2010, followed by a second test flight in March 2011. Here are the basic facts of the X-37B robotic space plane: Continue reading →

Could Space Junk Be a Threat to Our Hi-Tech Way of Life?

Paul — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 02:59:16 +0000

Space waste, space junk, orbital debris…whatever you call this orbiting mass of objects, they are a big issue. Space waste doesn't just make earth's orbital corridors look untidy, it poses a very real threat to the future of space exploration and our way of life. Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for April 2013

Paul — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:01:54 +0000

This month will be quite eventful and will have many interesting astronomical events. First of all, on April 14 we will witness the conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter. The Moon will appear to pass about two degrees of the giant planet Jupiter in the evening sky. Continue reading →

Moscow’s Secret Moon Plan: The N-1 Rocket [Infographic]

Paul — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:52:43 +0000

Hoping to beat the Americans to the moon before 1970, Soviet rocket engineer Sergey Korolyov worked in secret to plan the mighty N-1, an equal to the American Saturn V booster. In 1966 however, the sudden death of Korolyov threw Soviet plans into disarray. Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for February 2013

Paul — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:49:36 +0000

This month will be the best time to see Mercury. Usually the planet is very hard to observe because it orbits very close to the sun and it can only be seen at dawn and dusk. However on the evening of February 8, Mercury will be seen within less than 0.4 degrees of the much-fainter planet, Mars. Continue reading →

The International Space Station: Inside and Out [Infographic]

Paul — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:18:57 +0000

Begun in 1998 with the launch of the first component from Russia, the construction of the International Space Station (ISS) is the most complex space project ever undertaken. At $100 billion it is in fact the single most expensive object ever built. Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for January 2013

Paul — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 03:36:42 +0000

On the night of January 3 and 4 the Quadrantids meteor shower will peak. It is an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at the peak. Some meteors can be visible from January 1 - 5. Unfortunately the near last quarter moon will hide many of the fainter meteors with its glare. Continue reading →

NASA Releases Amazing Night View of Earth

Ezra Melino — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 18:55:26 +0000

The Hubble Telescope provides a humbling reminder of our cosmic insignificance, while the advanced satellite imagery of our own planet oddly scales back our own perceived discovery and settlement of lands. With that, the latest release of imagery from NASA provides one of the most detailed and stunning visuals of Earth – all of Earth – at night. Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for December 2012

Paul — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:47:47 +0000

On December 3 Jupiter was at Opposition. The giant planet was at its closest approach to Earth and its was fully illuminated by the Sun. Jupiter will still be very bright in the sky for the next few weeks. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. Continue reading →

What does Felix Baumgartner’s jump mean for the science world?

Jordan Wilson — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 23:40:15 +0000

On October 14th, over seven million people would watch live as Felix Baumgartner tumbled out of a capsule tied to a balloon hovering 128,100 feet in the air. Another fifty million would watch his descent on YouTube in the next 24 hours. During his fantastic freefall, Felix would become the first person to break the sound barrier unaided and survive, reaching an estimated speed of Mach 1.24. Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for November 2012

Paul — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:53:52 +0000

The month of November will be quite eventful when it comes to astronomical events, especially the second half of the month when we will be able to observe two eclipses, a meteor shower and a planetary conjunction. First of all, on November 13 there will be a total solar eclipse. Continue reading →

Nearest Exoplanet Discovered in the Alpha Centauri System

Paul — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:40:01 +0000

Astronomers from the European Southern Observatory have discovered the nearest extrasolar planet to date, in the Alpha Centauri star system 4.3 light years away. The system is composed of three stars -- two stars similar in size to our Sun orbiting close to each other, named Alpha Centauri A and B, and a third more distant faint red dwarf known as Proxima Centauri. Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for October 2012

Paul — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:47:09 +0000

By the end of this month on October 20 and 21 the Orionids meteor shower will peak. It is an average shower producing about 20 meteors per hour at the peak. This shower usually peaks on the 21st, but it is highly irregular. A good show could be experienced from October 20 to 24, and some meteors may be seen any time from October 17 to 25. Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for September 2012

Paul — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 21:03:11 +0000

By the end of the month on September 29, Uranus will be at opposition. The gas giant will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This makes it the best time to view Uranus. Due to its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes. Continue reading →

RIP. Neil Armstrong

Paul — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:27:47 +0000

Yesterday, August 25, we lost a true hero. Neil Armstrong died at the age of 82 due to complications from blocked coronary arteries. He was an inspiration to many and has taught us to dream big about the future of humanity in space. He will be forever remembered. RIP. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-08-19

Paul — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Perseids Meteor Shower: had clouded night here in Montreal. Hopefully you had better luck. Will try again tonight. http://t.co/9MzvasQe # Perseids Meteor Shower (August 13-14): On the night of August 13 and 14 the Perseids meteor shower will peak. It … Continue reading →

Perseids Meteor Shower (August 11-12)

Paul — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 15:27:18 +0000

On the night of August 13 and 14 the Perseids meteor shower will peak. It is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at the peak, but you may be able to see some meteors any time from July 23 to August 22. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-08-12

Paul — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 11:30:00 +0000

#quote Frank Herbert on Science Fiction: “The function of science fiction is not always to predict the future but… http://t.co/JkWA5iIe # Humans on Mars: The Craziest, Weirdest, and Most Plausible Plans in History http://t.co/N0Hbf3bV via @wired # Curiosity Has Landed!: … Continue reading →

Curiosity Has Landed!

Paul — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 01:37:13 +0000

Early this morning at 5:32 UTC, NASA's Curiosity rover has successfully landed on Mars, only one minute later than scheduled. The spectacular landing went without a hitch. "The Seven Minutes of Terror has turned into the Seven Minutes of Triumph," said NASA Associate Administrator for Science John Grunsfeld. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-08-05

Paul — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for August 2012: This month will be very eventful when it comes to astronomy and space… http://t.co/7LYgY8aH # Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-07-29: Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower (July 28-29): If you have missed the… http://t.co/fWEZs0Ax #

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for August 2012

Paul — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 02:06:06 +0000

This month will be very eventful when it comes to astronomy and space exploration. First off on August 6 the Curiosity Rover, also known as Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), is scheduled to land on the red planet at 5:31 AM UTC. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-07-29

Paul — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower (July 28-29): If you have missed the latest Monthly Stargazing Calendar, then… http://t.co/1PnlHhuo # Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-07-22: Astronomers Discover Galaxy They Thought Couldn't Exist | Wired Science |… http://t.co/2kfGWCkz #

Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower (July 28-29)

Paul — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 02:02:08 +0000

If you have missed the latest Monthly Stargazing Calendar, then this is a reminder that on the night of July 28 and 29, the Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower will peak. The Delta Aquarids can produce about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-07-15

Paul — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:30:00 +0000

RT @NASA_Dawn The dark side of giant asteroid Vesta and Dawn spacecraft http://t.co/MVJWdFAq http://t.co/k94dGbyo # @RyukyuMike @cinnamonshelper @amartinezga @jmontoyac @crocus_741 @Jmyers1166 @arizonamarie @glxp @FriEric Thank you all for the RTs! # RT @nasa_eyes In a few days Hubble and AIM … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-07-13

Paul — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 02:26:49 +0000

Active Region 1515 has now spit out 12 M-class flares since July 3. Early in the morning of July 5, 2012 there was an M6.1 flare. It peaked at 7:44 AM EDT. This caused a moderate -- classified as R2 on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's space weather scale -- radio blackout that has since subsided. Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for July 2012

Paul — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 18:49:21 +0000

Most of this month will be rather uneventful when it comes to astronomical events, but at the end of the month, on July 28 and 29 we will witness the Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids can produce about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-07-08

Paul — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 11:30:00 +0000

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-07-06: A maneuver on Tuesday (June 26, 2012) adjusted the flight… http://t.co/vmlDCOYB # This week I recommend to follow @MarsCuriosity for news from the Curiosity mission, currently en route to the Red Planet. … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-07-06

Paul — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 01:19:05 +0000

A maneuver on Tuesday (June 26, 2012) adjusted the flight path of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft for delivering the rover Curiosity to a landing target beside a Martian mountain. The car-size, one-ton rover is bound for arrival the evening of Aug. 5, 2012, PDT. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-07-01

Paul — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:30:00 +0000

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-06-29: The United States' space exploration program is taking a… http://t.co/u3sjzuT5 # This week I recommend to follow @Astro_Awel for tweets from Awel-Medi Evans, an astronomy enthusiast from Wales. #FollowFriday #FF # NuSTAR … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-06-29

Paul — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:35:30 +0000

The United States' space exploration program is taking a critical step forward with a successful major technical review of the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), the rocket that will take astronauts farther into space than ever before. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-06-24

Paul — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 11:30:00 +0000

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-06-22: After successfully completing nearly five months… http://t.co/LkX2uyWm # This week I recommend to follow @RichardGarriott for tweets from the first second generation private astronaut. #FollowFriday #FF # Dawn easing into its final … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-06-22

Paul — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 00:41:40 +0000

After successfully completing nearly five months scrutinizing the giant asteroid Vesta at its lowest orbit altitude, NASA's Dawn spacecraft will begin its final major science data-gathering phase at Vesta on June 15, at an average altitude of 680 kilometers above the surface. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-06-17

Paul — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:30:00 +0000

The Space Review: The economics of space sustainability (page 1): http://t.co/MgCjUYUi # The Space Review: Human space exploration: asteroids versus the Moon?: http://t.co/0hu2n439 # AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-06-15: This week I recommend to follow @TooManyParsecs for … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-06-15

Paul — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:00:22 +0000

The private spaceflight company SpaceX has signed its first launch customer for its new mega-rocket, the Falcon Heavy, even as the firm's first commercial spaceship prepares to return home from the International Space Station. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-06-10

Paul — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Black holes turn up the heat for the Universe http://t.co/zczUSZw7 via @sciencedaily # A supernova cocoon breakthrough http://t.co/AEI2eLlH via @sciencedaily # Amateur astronomers boost ESA’s asteroid hunt http://t.co/UPpmWbrA via @sciencedaily # Monthly Stargazing Calendar for June 2012: On June 4 … Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for June 2012

Paul — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:04:54 +0000

Today on June 5 we will have the chance to witness the transit of Venus across the Sun. This extremely rare event will be entirely visible throughout most of eastern Asia, eastern Australia, and Alaska. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-06-03

Paul — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 11:30:00 +0000

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-06-01: NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected light… http://t.co/LgPobkJd # This week I recommend to follow @NiteSkyGirl for news from an amateur astronomer who observes the night sky with her backyard telescopes. # … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-06-01

Paul — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:11:45 +0000

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected light emanating from a "super-Earth" planet beyond our solar system for the first time. While the planet is not habitable, the detection is a historic step toward the eventual search for signs of life on other planets. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-05-27

Paul — Sun, 27 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

New research brings satellite measurements and global climate models closer http://t.co/06p1L5Wq # Looking for Earths by looking for Jupiters http://t.co/85hvu6JR via @sciencedaily # ManageFlitter has great tools to help me manage my Twitter account. http://t.co/XDYYuiS8 # Secretive Blue Origin Reveals … Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-05-20

Paul — Sun, 20 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Futurism: This Is Lunarcrete, a Building Block for Moon Colonies – @io9 http://t.co/EbmCGq6w # Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-05-13: Io9 Backgrounder: Could Helium-3 really solve Earth's energy problems? – @io9… http://t.co/YktN5hnu #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-05-13

Paul — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Io9 Backgrounder: Could Helium-3 really solve Earth's energy problems? – @io9 http://t.co/IxddGG6i # AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-05-11: A massive alien planet that may have been ripped into… http://t.co/yRyAW6ze # This week I recommend to follow @sky_watching … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-05-11

Paul — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:14:48 +0000

A massive alien planet that may have been ripped into Earth-size chunks by its dying parent star is offering a unique glimpse into the evolution of other worlds and their stars, scientists say. Continue reading →

Monthly Stargazing Calendar for May 2012

Paul — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:15:24 +0000

On May 5, 6 we witnessed the Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. It is a a light shower, usually producing about 10 meteors per hour at the peak. The full moon ruined the show this year, washing out all but the brightest meteors with its glare. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-05-06

Paul — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-05-04: A newly unveiled company with some high-profile backers –… http://t.co/J3zBdpE6 # This week I recommend to follow @badas_tweets for interesting tweets from the Blackpool & District Astronomical Society. #FollowFriday #FF # The … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-05-04

Paul — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:10:01 +0000

A newly unveiled company with some high-profile backers -- including filmmaker James Cameron and Google co-founder Larry Page -- is set to announce plans to mine near-Earth asteroids for resources such as precious metals and water. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-04-29

Paul — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

9 Concepts for Cleaning up Space Junk : TreeHugger http://t.co/5LQd9atm via @TreeHugger # AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-04-27: Several million stars are vying for attention in this… http://t.co/CjE18Ga9 # This week I recommend to follow @ISS_NatLab for … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-04-27

Paul — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:25:01 +0000

Several million stars are vying for attention in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of a raucous stellar breeding ground in 30 Doradus, located in the heart of the Tarantula nebula. Continue reading →

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-04-22

Paul — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Discovery of the Musket Ball Cluster, a system of colliding galaxy clusters http://t.co/VM5gGJJW via @sciencedaily # NASA to fly atomic clock to improve space navigation http://t.co/nM10icHG via @sciencedaily # NASA's WISE mission sees skies ablaze with blazars http://t.co/uJMUZ9Ej via @sciencedaily … Continue reading →

AstroBlog Follow Friday & Weekly Stumbles For 2012-04-20

Paul — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 02:23:41 +0000

Some space advocates argue that private property rights on the Moon and other bodies are essential to the future of space development. Is there a way to accept property claims under the current treaty regime? Continue reading →