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Photographing the ISS, you can do it!

2012-01-08T11:54:00.001+01:00

Taking pictures of the International Space Station seems like something that normal human could not done, but that is very possible, even from your own backyard!

If you have the right equipment, here is explanation by NASA photographer Lauren Harnett. She took photos with the moon as the background.

Here is list of equipment that you need (you can always make change, this is only equipment what was used to take these photos, you can substitute your favorite gear):

Digital Singe-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera
600 mm lens (or the largest you have)
2X telephoto lens converter (amplifies lens)
Trigger cable (minimizes camera shake)
Tripod (heavy duty works best)
Sandbag (keeps tripod stable)

Steps for photographing the Space Station with the moon you can find HERE (official NASA website).

The International Space Station can be seen as a small object in upper left of this image.
This image was taken on Jan 4. in the skies over the Houston area, flying at an altitude of 390.8 km (242.8 miles)
Photo credit: NASA

Aliens in meteorites?

2011-03-29T12:44:00.000+02:00

NASA astrobiologist Dr Richard Hoover says he found microscopic fossils in not one but three asteroid fragments that are among the oldest in the solar system. He concludes that they are the remains of life that existed in deep space on the cosmic bodies that produced the meteorites in the first place. He researches a freshly sliced fragment from the meteorite which could not have been affected by any contaminents.

The claims are published online on a website of the Journal of Cosmology which has become famous for going boldly where others do not dare. There are many skeptics, but a keen supporter to Dr Richard in his researches is Chandra Wickramasinghe, director of the Astrobiology Centre at Cardiff University.

Of his own claims, Dr Hoover said: "I believe these findings indicate that life is not restricted to Earth, but is broadly distributed, even outside our solar system."

Maybe this is the way that life on Earth started to develop?

Image of fossils in the Orgueil meteorite (Journal of Cosmology)

Testing New Rover - Curiosity

2011-03-21T22:39:00.000+01:00

Curiosity's stunt double takes a whirl around the Mars Yard.
On this video, you can see the look and design of new NASA's Mars rover Curiosity.
It will be, for sure, the best rover ever! Take a look!

Sun-Earth Day

2011-03-19T13:48:00.000+01:00

Celebrate Sun-Earth Day, today, March 19, 2011

Today is the SUN-EARTH DAY 2011.

Here you can read more about it and enjoy in Sun-Earth events.

The Sun

Employees Assemble for Historic Photo

2011-03-18T23:52:00.000+01:00

Employees at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, took a few moments to assemble for a historic photo. Thousands of workers stood side-by-side to form an outline of a space shuttle. The event was organised in honor of the Space Shuttle Program's 30-year legacy. Here you can see image of it, and HERE you can watch the whole video.

It's interesting, take a look! -> VIDEO

Print-screen from video

Stacion Crew Unbox Robonaut 2

2011-03-18T11:00:00.000+01:00

Flight Engineers Cady Coleman and Paolo Nespoli unpack the newest member of the Expedition 27 crew, Robonaut 2 - the first humanoid robot in space. If you want to read more about R2 (Robonaut 2) - click here. Now watch unpacking of $2.5 million robot, which will make space jobs much easier.

ISS - Change of Command Ceremony

2011-03-15T10:27:00.000+01:00

Expedition 26 Commander Scott Kelly ceremonially hands command of the International Space Station over to Flight Engineer Dmitry Kondratyev, who will serve as Expedition 27 commander.

Slow-motion Giants

2011-03-13T20:17:00.000+01:00

For more than 40 years, the twin crawler-transporters that first carried all the Apollo Saturn V rockets to the launch pad have borne every space shuttle on the last Earth-bound leg of their journeys to space. It's amazing how this machine-giant still works and how these powerful engines still do their jobs.

Metal Moon Water

2011-03-12T00:22:00.000+01:00

If you are planning to visit the moon, you should bring a filter if you plan on drinking moon water. Water ice recently discovered in dust at the bottom of a crater near the moon's south pole is accompanied by metallic elements like mercury, magnesium, calcium, silver... Now you can add sodium to the mix, according to Dr. Rosemary Killen of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Discoveries of deposits of water on the moon were surprising because our moon has had a tough life. Intense asteroid bombardments in its youth, coupled with its weak gravity and the Sun's powerful radiation, have left the moon with almost no atmosphere. This rendered the lunar surface barren and dry, compared to Earth.

The point - don't drink the moon water, you can become a robot!

This image is not realistic!

Discovery Touches Down!

2011-03-11T23:51:00.000+01:00

Discovery has completed his final mission, STS-133, for NASA's Space Shuttle Program landing on-time at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:57 a.m. EST, March 9, 2011 after 202 orbits around Earth and a journey of 5,304,140 miles (8.536.185 kilometers). Welcome back astronauts! Discovery, we will miss you!

Spacewalk

2011-02-28T14:47:00.003+01:00

Mission Control in Houston woke the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station crews at 6:23 a.m. EST to the song "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" by Davy Knowels & Back Door Slam, played for Mission Specialist Nicole Stott.

Spacewalk preparations begin at 7:03 a.m. Walkers - Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew are scheduled to begin their excursion at 11:18.a.m. During the 6 hour, 30 minute spacewalk, the pair will install the J612 power extension cable, move a failed ammonia pump module to the External Stowage Platform 2, install a camera, install extensions to the mobile transporter rail and expose the Japanese "Message in a Bottle" experiment to space. Good luck!

Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew - the spacewalkers!

Discovery's Launch

2011-02-26T11:22:00.001+01:00

Space shuttle Discovery lifted off at 4:53 p.m. EST Thursday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with Commander Steve Lindsey leading the STS-133 crew to deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module and Robonaut 2 to the space station. Watch the amazing power of these engines!

Glory!

2011-02-23T12:53:00.001+01:00

NASA's Glory spacecraft is to launch Feb 23. atop an Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The spacecraft carries instruments to measure aerosols in Earth's atmosphere and research their effects on the planet's climate. The spacecraft also will provide researchers with detailed information about the sun's interaction with the atmosphere.

Spiral Galaxy's Glowing Newborn Stars

2011-02-18T19:52:00.001+01:00

New Hubble photo! A stunning display of newborn stars studding a galaxy like bright blue jewels.

The spiral galaxy is NGC 2841. It lies in the constellation Ursa Major, about 46 million light-years from Earth. Hubble's newest instrument, the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), took the photo, in which newborn stars show up as bright blue clumps.

Enjoy in amazing display!

The galaxy NGC 2841 — shown here in a Hubble image — currently has a relatively low star formation rate compared to other spirals. It is one of several nearby galaxies that have been chosen for a new study, in which scientists are observing a variety of different stellar nursery environments and birth rates.
CREDIT: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration; M. Crockett and S. Kaviraj (Oxford University, UK), R. O'Connell (Univ. of Virginia), B. Whitmore (STScI) and the WFC3 Scientific Oversight Committee.

Mars 500 Crew Landing on Fake Mars

2011-02-14T18:47:00.001+01:00

Mars500 crewmembers testing their spacesuits out before a simulated journey to the Martian surface.
IBMP/ Oleg Voloshin

An international crew of six volunteers - two from Europe, one from China and three from Russia, will take their first mock "Mars-walk" today (Feb. 14.) kicking their unprecedented 500 - day simulation of a mission to the Red Planet into a whole new gear.

For the simulated landing, three members went through the motions of undocking a lander from their spaceship, plunging through Martian atmosphere and touching down on the planet's surface - and all that without leaving Earth.

They do this simulation - mission to Mars, from beginning to end, to better understand physical and psychological challenges "Marsonauts" will face on real deep space journeys. Mission started eight months ago, on June 3.

An exterior view of isolation facility at the Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow, Russia. The facility is host to the Mars500 study that will help us to understand the psychological and medical aspects of long spaceflights. A 105-day Mars simulation was held between March and July 2009, a longer 520-day study began in 2010.

Credit: ESA

International Space Station Everyday Updates

2011-02-13T18:56:00.000+01:00

You can watch ISS everyday updates and find out what the crew done that day. I posted here the newest one, but here is the link where you can watch new update every day!

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html

ISS Update - Feb. 11. 2011

French - Italian Border At Night

2011-02-13T14:05:00.002+01:00

On this amazing image you can see city lights at night along the France-Italy border. It was photographed by an Expedition 23 crew member in the International Space Station (ISS).

The brightly lit metropolitan areas of Torino, Lyon and Marseille stand out amidst numerous smaller urban areas in this dramatic photograph. The sea is ont the top of the image and Alps (not shown) are down. The full moon reflects brightly on the water surface. That and many more details make this image amazing.

Flutes in Space

2011-02-11T16:59:00.001+01:00

Flight Engineer Cady Coleman demonstrates playing a flute on the International Space Station during an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." Listen the space flute!

Valentine's Day Gift From Space

2011-02-10T21:43:00.001+01:00

Rings of gold are precious for sure, but what can you say about this? Absolutely stunning!

NASA released the black hole ring photo, yesterday on Feb. 9. The image was taken using several space telescopes across different parts of the light spectrum. Two interacting galaxies, known collectively as Arp 147, set the stage for the spectacular view!

Arp 147 is about 430 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus, the Whale.

This image of the two galaxies that form Arp 147 shows a vast cosmic ring of stars (blue) and black holes (pink) as seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope. Another galaxy is also visible (vertical at left), as well as a bright star and quasar (pink object at upper left). This image was released on Feb. 9, 2011.

NASA/CXC/MIT/S.Rappaport et al, Optical: NASA/STScI

How Big is the Universe?

2011-02-09T10:07:00.000+01:00

Our Universe. How big is it? It is for sure an enormous place! That's not secret. What stay for discussion is just how enormous it is. New research suggest it's a whopper - over 250 times the size of our observable universe - we can only see a really small part of it from our planet with our technology.

Cosmologists believe the Universe takes one of three possible shapes:

1) It is flat, like a Euclidean plane, and spatially infinite.

2) It is open, or curved like a saddle, and spatially infinite.

3) It is closed, or curved like a sphere, and spatially finite.

But, how can we reach that far? We can't. Light from any object outside of the Hubble telescope volume will never reach us because the space between us and it is expanding too quickly. According to the team's analysis, a closed universe would encompass at least 251 Hubble volumes.

Primordial light from just after the birth of the Universe started traveling across the cosmos about 13.75 billion years ago. Since special relativity states nothing can move faster than a photon, many people misinterpret this to mean that the Universe must be 13.75 billion light years across. In fact, it is much larger! Not only has space been expanding since the big bang, but the rate of expansion has been steadily increasing due to the influence of dark energy. Special relativity doesn't factor in the expansion of space itself! Cosmologists estimate that the oldest photons have traveled a distance of 45 billion light years since the big bang. That means that our observable Universe is on the order of 90 billion light years wide.

This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the distribution of dark matter in the center of the giant galaxy cluster Abell 1689, containing about 1,000 galaxies and trillions of stars. Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Coe (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, and Space Telescope Science Institute), N. Benitez (Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, Spain), T. Broadhurst (University of the Basque Country, Spain), and H. Ford (Johns Hopkins University)

First Ever STEREO Images of the Entire Sun

2011-02-08T16:33:00.000+01:00

Date: February 6, 2011: It's official: The sun is a sphere!

On Feb. 6th, NASA's twin STEREO probes moved into position on opposite sides of the sun, and now beaming back uninterrupted images of the entire star - front and back.

NASA released a 3D movie

"For the first time ever, we can watch solar activity in its full 3-dimensional glory. This is a big moment for solar physics. STEREO has revealed the sun as it really is - a sphere of hot plasma and intricately woven magnetic fields." says Angelos Vourlidas, a member of the STEREO science team at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, DC.

With this nice global model, human can track changes on the sun and predict solar storms heading toward. Many lives and billions of dollars can be saved that way!

Tiny Asteroid Zips Close By Earth

2011-02-06T21:54:00.000+01:00

A tiny asteroid passed close by Earth Friday (Feb. 4) but posed no threat of impacting our planet - or even reaching the surface, NASA officials say.

The small asteroid, named 2011 CQ 1, passed within 5470 km (3400 miles) of Earth at about 2:40 p.m. EST (19:40 GMT). It was discovered just hour or two later by astronomer Richard A. Kowalski.

Asteroid 2011 CQ 1 is only 1.3 meters (4 feet) wide, so small that it would have incinerated in Earth's atmosphere before reaching the ground. "Even if it came closer, a rocky asteroid small as 2011 CQ1 would break apart in out atmosphere and cause no ground damage", Nasa Asteroid Watch scientists wrote in a Twitter post.

Robonaut 2 (R2)

2011-02-05T00:30:00.000+01:00

Robonaut 2, will make its television debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb 6, 2011. Millions of viewers will be able to watch the state-of-the-art robot during a General Motors segment to air during the Super Bowl pre-game show on the Fox network.

Robonaut 2, or R2, was developed and built by NASA and General Motors via a Space Act Agreement. Using the latest technology, they created a new humanoid robot that can work side-by side with people. R2 is using edge control, sensor and vision technologies so will in future assist astronauts during hazardous space missions.

Like its predecessor Robonaut 1, R2 is capable of handling a wide range of tools and interfaces. It is capable of speeds more than four times faster than R1. It's more dexterous, and includes a deeper and wider range of sensing, which can really helps.

And one BIG advantage of a humanoid design is that Robonaut can take over simple, repetitive, or especially dangerous tasks on places such as the International Space Station. Will robots make spacewalks disappear? We will see in close future.

Learn more about Robonaut 2

Image above: Robonaut 2 surpasses previous dexterous humanoid robots in strength, yet it is safe enough to work side-by-side with humans. Credit: NASA.

What's Up for February 2011?

2011-02-03T20:13:00.001+01:00

What's Up for February? Don't forget to see Jupiter at sunset, Saturn at midnight and pretty moon with planet couples in - between. Have a look video with short overview for this, not so long, month. You can also read the story written by Jane Houston Jones from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. You can find the story HERE. Thank you Jane for this useful information.

Shuttle Discovery Reached Launch Pad

2011-02-01T23:07:00.000+01:00

Shuttle Discovery reached Launch Pad 39A at 2:55 a.m. EST following its 3.4 mile trek on the crawler-transporter from the Vehicle Assembly Building. First motion began at 7:58 p.m. EST Monday.

Discovery reach the Pad, and history! It's his last flight to the International Space Station. I don't need to say anything more. It's all said here, on this video about Discovery. Enjoy!

Image above: Bathed in bright xenon lights, space shuttle Discovery makes its nighttime trek, known as "rollout," from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett