Astronomy Digest

NASA to Announce Findings on Extraterrestrial Life?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 01:42:00 +0000

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced that they will be having a press conference discussing the findings of their scientific findings on the aged hunt for extraterrestrial life.

To those alien-life advocates, this announcement is surely worth waiting for.

Alien search has always been a celebrated topic not only in astronomy but also in movies and novels. There also these "conspiracy theories" claiming that the US Government already proved this to be true but are hiding the truth from the general public for security reasons.

Well, let's just see NASA's announcement at 2 pm EST (1900 GMT) on Thursday, December 2.

Funny thing though is that it reminds me of a novel by Dan Brown entitled "Deception Point". The book tells the story of an amazing discovery of an undeniable evidence of alien life but in the end it was revealed as the greatest deception of the time.

News source can be read in the link below...

NASA creates buzz with 'extraterrestrial' announcement - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Goldilocks "Earth-Like" Planet Found?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 04:44:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaAstronomers recently found a planet outside the solar system with conditions they termed as "Goldilocks", neither too hot nor too cold. This they said was the perfect condition for a great possibility of extra terrestrial life.

The planet is named Gliese 581g is found to be circling a red dwarf star located 120 trillion miles from the Earth. The planet is a few times larger than the earth and scientists estimate that the mass and gravity of the planet is just comparable to the earth. the planet is also tidally locked to its parent star which means that only one side faces the star. This condition will lead to a very hot condition on the portion directly facing the star and an icy condition on the other side. The interesting part though is somewhere in the middle of the two faces of the planet where the temperature may be just right for a habitable zone.

More details regarding this on the link below...

Could 'Goldilocks' planet be just right for life? - Yahoo! News

2012 Disaster by Massive Sun Storm?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:08:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

The movie 2012 became a big hit last year. And since then, the popularity of 2012 as the year when the world will end has increased dramatically.

Well, let's add more buzz to that with this intriguing scientific news. News.com.au posted an article regarding the latest findings of astronomers. Based on their study, a massive solar storm could hit the earth the years to come. And based on their estimates, the date will be sometime in 2012? Coincidence? :-)

For those who are not well acquainted with "sun storms", you can do some research on Wikipedia. But basically, sun storms is an astronomical event when the sun's activity increases rapidly characterized by high energy solar flares and prominences. The huge amount of energy released by the sun reaches the earth causing disturbances especially in communication technologies.

The last major sun storm occurred in September 1859 disrupting the telegraph system all over Europe. According to solar astronomers, the coming solar storm will be much stronger and destructive.

Read the full story below...

Sun storm to hit with 'force of 100m bombs' | News.com.au

Meteorite Crater Found Through Google Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:58:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

(PhysOrg.com) -- A pristine meteorite impact crater has been found in a remote area of the Sahara desert in southwest Egypt. The crater was originally noticed on Google Earth images, and is believed to be only a few thousand years old.

See full article below

Untouched meteorite impact crater found via Google Earth

The Downside to the Recovery of the Ozone Hole - Yahoo! News

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:32:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Ozone Layer, the protective layer of Oxygen allotrope situated in the Stratosphere has been damaged due to the use of Ozone-depleting chemicals like CFCs. The discovery of the its enormous hole located on the Antarctic region raised concerns about it's effect of on the environment and human heath.

As we all know, Ozone Layer is responsible for filtering excessive Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. When the Ozone Layer is gone, it will pose a risk on the life on earth. On humans, it may increase the risk of acquiring skin cancer.

Now, 25 years after the discovery and excessive campaign to ban products using CFCs, recent reports said that the Ozone is recovering. That's good new but here's the catch: Ozone recovery may also pose risks like climate change and smog.

Read the full story on Yahoo news below...

The Downside to the Recovery of the Ozone Hole - Yahoo! News

Lunar Eclipse June 26 2010!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:47:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Just saw the shadow of the earth eating the disk of the moon yesterday night. Yes, there's a lunar eclipse phenomenon yesterday and it visible here in the Philippines. The lunar eclipse was just partial so the moon's white disk was not totally covered.

Eclipses (Lunar or Solar) are considered to be an omen in the ancient times. But now, with the advancement made in science and technology, we have proven that our little neighbor is not guilty of anything, except for "TIDES".

ESA Explains Jupiter Asteriod Clash

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:03:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Two weeks ago, there's a buzz in the web about the video of an asteroid hitting planet Jupiter. The said video was caught by a Filipino astronomer.

Well, here is the explanation of European Space Agency (ES)A based on the findings of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Hubble telescope sheds light on mystery Jupiter flash - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Stronger Solar Storms Ahead!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:01:00 +0000

Image by Samchio. via Flickr

The Sun will be getting more active in a few years from now. Scientists predicts that the solar activity will get higher causing stronger solar storms which affects the satellites and many communication tools such as GPS and radio communications.

The damage it may cause to earth can be reduced only by proper warning based on a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. Scientist are currently working to improve their knowledge and hence give timely and accurate warnings.

Full story below...

More Active Sun Means Nasty Solar Storms Ahead - Yahoo! News

Astronauts Paid Tribute to Space Shuttle Atlantis

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 May 2010 04:56:00 +0000

Image by nasa1fan/MSFC via Flickr

About 26 hours left before the end of the last mission of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, the astronauts paid tribute to the space shuttle.

After several decades of service, the space shuttle will be finally put down to retirement. The ship already spent 300 days in orbit and has already traveled 120 million miles.

Only two missions are left for NASA's space shuttle program. This is in accordance to the directive by the White House to end the long running space program.

For the full story, see the article below.

Space shuttle Atlantis on last leg of last mission - Yahoo! News

Space Shuttle Atlantis' last flight to be on May 14

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:18:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Space Shuttle Atlantis will have its final space mission on May 14. This was the decision of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) top officials.

Atlantis will be flying to the International Space Station (ISS) to be bring new supplies.

Atlantis together with Discovery and Endeavour space shuttles will retire this year.

For the full story see the news below.

NASA picks May 14 launch for Atlantis' last flight - Yahoo! News

Asteroid 24 Themis as a Space Gas Station?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 May 2010 03:03:00 +0000

Image by FlyingSinger via Flickr

The discovery of water compounds on the asteroid 24Themis brought a possibility of having a space gas station for manned space flights. Water can easily be converted to hydrogen fuel through a simple electrolysis or can be purified to be used as drinking water for the astronauts.

Today's space mission carries a lot of supplies from the earth (i.e water) which makes the rocket payload much heavier. Having a water supply on or along the way to the destination will be a big reduction on the weight of the space craft and the power requirement of the rocket that will carry it.

The challenge though lies in the fact that the gravity on 24 Themis is far less than that of the Earth. It will be a real challenge on how extract water from the lonely asteroid.

Read the full story on the link below.
Yahoo News-24 Themis

Planet Venus Visible After Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 May 2010 05:15:00 +0000

Image by Old Shoe Woman via Flickr

The brightest star in the night sky today is not actually a star but a planet. Planet Venus, the second planet from the sun is visible in the western sky just after the sun hides in the western horizon. It boast a magnitude of -3.9 that was brighter than any star in the dusk sky. Commonly mistaken as an airplane, the lonely planet can be seen just above the western horizon.

Planet Venus Trivia
- Planet Venus is named after the Roman equivalent of the Greek god love, Aphrodite.
- Galileo's observance of the phases of Venus led him to conclude that the Sun and not the Earth is the center of the Solar System. This was in agreement with the findings of an earlier astronomer, Copernicus.
- Planet Venus and not Mercury is the hottest planet in the Solar System. The cause of Venus' high temperature is the greenhouse effect due to its thick atmosphere of Carbon Dioxide.

NASA to Partner with Commercial Firms in Developing Space Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 May 2010 06:55:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Consistent with the goal of President Barack Obama to further the commercialization of human space flight, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected several commercial companies to help them develop space flight technology.

NASA awarded a total of $50 Million through funded agreements to the following companies.

Blue Origin of Kent, Washington

The Boeing Company of Houston

Paragon Space Development Corporation of Tucson, Arizona

Sierra Nevada Corporation of Louisville, Colorado

United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado

Will this further boost the technological capability of humans to fly to space? Or will this be the final demise to the decreasing popularity of space programs?

The full story is available in the link below.

http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=9111

Asteroid Will be Close to Earth by 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 06:06:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

An asteroid was spotted to be of close distance to Earth last April 19. The 400 mm size Asteroid 2005 YU55 orbits the sun in an orbit close to earth. For this year however, the distance poses no threat. Last April 19, the asteroid pass by the earth in a distance of 2.4 Million kilometers, about six times the distance between the Earth and the moon.

In 2011 however, the distance will be much closer. The asteroid is predicted to be as close as 308, 000 kilometers, or about eight-tenths of the distance between the Earth and the moon. According to the astronomers, the 2011 encounter would still be harmless to the Earth though they will still keep track of its position in case a possible collision may occur in the future.

For the full story, see the article below.

SPACE.com -- Potentially Dangerous Asteroid Spotted Passing Earth

Could Asteroids Be Earth's Water Origin?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:40:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

The theory that asteroids crashing with the Earth nearly four billion years ago could have been the seed to Earth's water seems to get more consideration recently. The new attention came after a team of astronomers found organic compounds in an asteroid.

The asteroid named 24 Themis situated between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter was found to be coated with thin layer of frost.

Is this evidence will be the final touch on the old theory? What questions are still unanswered and what explanations we have so far?

Read the entire article below for the full story.

Ice asteroids likely source of Earth's water: study - Yahoo! News

Soviet Rover Lunokhod 1 Reflector Redsicovered

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:02:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

The long lost moon rover Lunokhod-I launched by USSR on November 17, 1970 was found by a team of American physicists after 40 years of search.The reflector was found using a high-resolution camera on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

The finding of the Lunokhod-I reflector will greatly help scientist in verifying the deviation in the orbit of the moon as predicted by Einstein's theory of relativity.

Read the full article plus the actual photos of LRO in the link below.

SPACE.com -- Lost Soviet Reflecting Device Rediscovered on the Moon

European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) to be Built on Chile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:16:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

The soon-to-be world's largest telescope, European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) is to be built on top of a 3000-meter mountain in Chile.

The telescope will have a primary mirror with an unprecedented size of 42 meters in diameter. It is expected to be 15 times more powerful than the current largest optical telescope and will be able to produce images more clearer and more distant objects than what is currently reached by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.

The construction of this $ 1 billion worth project is planned to begin next year and the observatory is expected to start operating by 2018.

See the rest of the article in the link below.

Al Jazeera English - Americas - Chile to host giant telescope

Stephen Hawking on Alien Invasion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:13:00 +0000

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

British renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said in his new Discovery Channel program that mathematically, it is possible that there may be other life forms in the universe.

But he also warned that encounter with such aliens can be devastating to the human race. If the aliens visits the earth, it means that they have the technology to travel in distant places in space and therefore are more advanced civilization.

The encounter might be a demise to the human civilization just like what happened to the American natives when Christopher Columbus landed in the American soil.

Aliens may exist but contact would hurt humans: Hawking - Yahoo! News

LYRIDS METEOR SHOWER TONIGHT!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:52:00 +0000

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Lyrids meteor shower will be visible late tonight (Thursday, April 22) until the dawn of the next day (Friday, April 23). According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), we can expect a shower rate of 10-15 meteors per hour.

Lyrids meteor shower is named after the constellation Lyra because it appears that the meteors were coming from that region of the sky. It was an annual event that takes place sometime between April 16 to 25.

PAGASA: Meteor shower visible April 22–23 - Nation - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

NASA - Space Shuttle Discovery Returns

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:42:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Space shuttle Discovery has safely returned to Earth after its 15-day, 6 million-mile journey to the International Space Station.

This latest mission made history of most women in space, four.

Discovery is one of the oldest space shuttle that is still being used by NASA. This recent mission will be its second to the last. After it's last mission scheduled this September, it will be off to its retirement.

See the article on NASA website below.

NASA - Space Shuttle

Searching for Intelligent Life Out There - CBS Sunday Morning - CBS News

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:50:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

It's been five decades now since the search for extra terrestrial intelligence (SETI) became formally recognized as an astronomical study. It's pretty young compared to other branches of science indeed.

Until now, SETI astronomers continue to listen and they listen more intently with the aid of powerful radio telescopes.

Will they ever found intelligent life outside the earth? Will it confirm the notion of Frank Drake that there is life out there?

Read the article below to know the status of the search for the answer to the most intriguing question that faced humanity: ARE WE ALONE?

Searching for Intelligent Life Out There - CBS Sunday Morning - CBS News

Moon vets say Obama's NASA cuts would ground U.S. - USATODAY.com

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:05:00 +0000

Obama's plans for NASA was criticized by veteran astronauts including the legendary Neil Armstrong.

The return to the moon project codenamed Project Constellation is going to be cancelled.

See the original article below.

Moon vets say Obama's NASA cuts would ground U.S. - USATODAY.com

New Planets Displaying Opposite Orbital Patterns - Space News - redOrbit

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:01:00 +0000

Scientists' recent discovery of exoplanets (planets orbiting another star) that revolve on their orbits in the opposite direction as the rotation their host stars led them to reevaluate and re-validate their current understanding of how the solar system formed.

See the original news article below.

New Planets Displaying Opposite Orbital Patterns - Space News - redOrbit

QUASARS DON'T SHOW TIME DELAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:05:00 +0000

Time waits for no quasar – even though it should - space - 08 April 2010 - New Scientist

This is an article from the new Scientist magazine. It discusses the possible theories and assumptions from the observed behavior of Quasars. BTW, Quasars are distant galaxies that are bright enough that they can be seen from earth. Based on the Hubble's law of expanding universe and Einstein's theory of relativity, distant galaxies should show time delays. Distant supernova does but quasars are not. What could be the correct explanation?

Brown Dwarf Neighborhood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:55:00 +0000

'Dark sun' is one of our nearest neighbours - space - 09 April 2010 - New Scientist

The nearest BROWN DWARF star ever found. Less than 10 light years away.