Astronomy

Saturn

2011-04-26T17:20:00.000+02:00

Saturn is the sixth planet if seen through the sun. It is the largest planet after Jupiter. But if we consider the rings of the planets i.e we consider the rings in the planets diameter then Saturn becomes the largest planet in the entire solar system.

Saturn is famous specially due to its glorious rings that overs a huge huge area. The rings of Saturn, mainly made of ice rocks, can be seen from the earth with a telescope even from 4 or 5 inch reflector.

Diameter: 120,660 km. It is about 10 times larger than our Earth

Temperature: –178°C* Distance from Earth: At its closest, Saturn is 1190.4 million km

Atmosphere: Hydrogen and helium

Rotation of its axis: 10 hours, 40 min, 24 sec

Surface: consists of liquid and gas.

Rotation around the Sun: 29.5 Earth years

SPOT 4 (The Sattelite)

2011-04-11T16:07:00.010+02:00

It is the first VEGETATION instrument, developed for observation at global level Earth imaging for cartography, defence, agriculture, identifying cadastral parcels, urban planning, telecommunications, the environment, disaster management and
mitigation and renewable resources.

On Spot 4, the two identical optical instruments are HRVIR (Visible & Infrared High-Resolution) sensors.

HRVIR Sensor of SPOT Sattelite

2011-04-11T16:01:00.012+02:00

The HRVIR sensors are very similar to the HRV sensors of the previous generation (same spatial resolution and possibility of orienting the mirrors). However, they differ by:
• the presence of an additional spectral band in the middle-infrared band
• the panchromatic (0.51-0.73 µm) band’s being replaced

by the B2 (0.61-0.68 µm) band, which can function equally well in ‘10m’ and ‘20m’ mode
• onboard superimposition of all of the spectral bands.

Vegetation Scanner of SPOT 4

2011-04-11T16:00:00.005+02:00

The aim of the VEGETATION instrument is to provide accurate measurements of the main characteristics of the Earth’s plant cover. Practically daily global coverage and a resolution of 1 km make this sensor an ideal tool for observing long-term regional and global environmental changes.

VEGETATION works independently from the HRVIRs. It includes a wide-angle radiometric ‘camera’ operating in four spectral bands (blue, red, near-infrared, and middle-infrared). Given its 2,250km swaths, this instrument is thus able to cover almost all of the Earth’s dry land in just one day.

In March 1998 the SPOT 4 satellite added its new capabilities to the SPOT family thus enabling Spot Image to satisfy the requirements of users who are now familiar with space imagery.

However its performance has been increased by adding a new shortwave infrared spectral band (SWIR), extending its nominal lifetime from 3 to 5 years and improving operational possibilities.

Launching of SPOT Sattelite 5

2011-04-11T15:58:00.009+02:00

SPOT 4 has a launch mass of 2800 kg. It will be launched by an Ariane 40 version of the Arianespace launch vehicle (without strap-on boosters). The SPOT satellite will be the only passenger on board.
The launch vehicle is not designed to place SPOT 4 on its final orbit.
It is, however, expected to deliver SPOT 4:

onto its near-polar (sun-synchronous) orbital plane, with the descending node at 10:30 local time,
and in a near-circular orbit at an altitude similar to that of the other SPOT satellites, but different enough to be able to transfer SPOT 4 later onto the required final orbit (see final orbit acquisition phase): SPOT 4 will be placed in an orbit 20 km below that of the other SPOT satellites.

As Ariane is launched from Kourou in French Guiana, the launch must take place when, (given the rotation of the Earth), Kourou crosses SPOT's orbital plane. This occurs twice a day. Theoretically, it is possible to place SPOT in polar orbit either in the ascending part, by launching northwards from Kourou, or in the descending part, by launching southwards. However, the southward launch is rejected for safety reasons (launch towards Brazil).

Taking these considerations into account, the launch is in a northerly direction, into the ascending orbit, when Kourou is near the local time of the orbit's ascending node (22:30). The exact time of the beginning of the launch window is 1:37 (Universal Time Coordinated). The Ariane 40's launch capability and SPOT 4's orbital plane requirement result in a 9-minute launch window.
In fact, three launch times are chosen within this slot:

Beginning of window: 1 h 37 min 00 s (UTC)
Middle of window: 1 h 42 min 00 s
End of window: 1 h 46 min 00 s.

The target time is that of the beginning, so that if there are delays in the countdown (due to unfavorable weather conditions, for example) it is still possible to launch the satellite in the middle or at the end of the window. If the delays make it impossible to launch at the end of the window, the launch is postponed to another day.

SPOT 4 separates from Ariane's third stage 1113 seconds after ignition of the engines of the first stage (H0). By this time it is off Bermuda.

SPOT Sattelite Data Transmission Test

2011-04-11T15:57:00.001+02:00

A first data transmission test, using the laser link (SILEX) between ARTEMIS and SPOT-4, was realized on Nov. 21, 2001 (with ARTEMIS in parking orbit) on four consecutive SPOT-4 orbits for contact periods between four and 20 minutes each. The SILEX terminal on-board ARTEMIS activated its optical beacon to scan the area where SPOT was expected to be. When contact was made, SPOT-4 responded by sending its own laser beam to ARTEMIS. On receiving the SPOT-4 beam, ARTEMIS stopped scanning and the optical link was maintained for a pre-programmed period lasting from 4 to 20 minutes. Data rates of 50 Mbit/s were reached transmitting test data from SPOT-4 via ARTEMIS to the ground. An extremely low bit error rate of the data stream was confirmed (better than 10-9) at ESA's test station in Redu (Belgium) and the SPOT 4 receive station in Toulouse, France. On Nov. 30, 2001, the first-ever transmission of an image by laser link took place from one S/C to another.

SPOT Sattelite Launching Experience

2011-04-11T15:49:00.001+02:00

Final orbit acquisition

SPOT 4 is sent into a near-polar sun-synchronous orbit. The orbit must then be adjusted to meet the other requirements of SPOT orbits, particularly phasing. It must also be placed at the right altitude with respect to the other SPOT satellites.
The diagrams below show the relative positions chosen for the three SPOT satellites.

Final orbit acquisition: basic principle

Ariane will send SPOT 4 onto an orbit approximately 20 km below that of the other SPOT satellites. This difference in altitude means that SPOT 4 moves faster than the other SPOT satellites: SPOT 4 drifts with respect to the other satellites.
Advantage is taken of this relative drift as shown in the following example. We wait until SPOT 4 approaches its final position with respect to SPOT 1 and SPOT 2, then raise it to the altitude of the other SPOT satellites (which is also at the nominal phasing altitude), thus stopping the drift.
To optimize altitude correction maneuvers, the raising of the satellite to its nominal orbit is usually split into two orbit-raising maneuvers.

Final orbit acquisition depends on three points:

launch date,
launch time within the window defined above,
launch vehicle's deviation with respect to the required altitude, i.e. the difference between target altitude and actual altitude once SPOT 4 has separated from Ariane.

Effect of launch vehicle's altitude dispersion

The launch vehicle aims to place SPOT 4 on an orbit 20 km below the orbit of the other SPOT satellites. The launch is considered nominal (with respect to altitude) if the altitude is within ± 4 km of the target altitude:

If the orbit reached on separation is exactly that targeted, SPOT 4 gains 25 seconds on the other satellites per orbital revolution.
If the orbit reached is 4 km below the target orbit, SPOT 4 deviates by 28 seconds per orbital revolution.
If the orbit reached is 4 km above the target orbit, SPOT 4 deviates by 23 seconds per orbital revolution.

The time taken for final orbit acquisition depends on the drift velocity.

Final orbit acquisition-strategies

SPOT 4 must be placed on its final orbit within 18 days.

The strategy outlined in the paragraph on the basic principle of "final orbit acquisition" will enable final orbit acquisition within 18 days in most cases.

However, there are two exceptions:

The configuration following separation is such that SPOT 4 is inserted just before its target rendezvous (though 20 km below). This is shown in the diagram for "Effect of launch date" for launches on 7 or 12 March at the beginning of the launch window. In these cases, SPOT 4's drift is too fast to allow the two orbit-raising maneuvers to be performed before the rendezvous, and SPOT 4 will therefore have to complete a whole orbital revolution (with respect to the other satellites).
The configuration following separation is such that SPOT 4 is inserted at (or just after) its target rendezvous, (case of 17, 22 or 27 March 1998 at the beginning of the window), and the altitude attained leads to a slow drift.

In these two cases, the following strategy will be applied:

SPOT 4's altitude is raised above that of the other SPOT satellites. SPOT 4's velocity will then be lower than that of the other satellites, reversing the drift and returning to the rendezvous.

When SPOT 4 reaches its rendezvous, the drift is stopped by an orbit-lowering maneuver.

Phasing of SPOT Satellite

2011-04-11T15:46:00.002+02:00

Satellite "slowing" lowers the satellite, which thengets ahead in the phasing compared with a"reference" satellite.
This means that the actual orbit's descending nodes are further east than those of the reference orbit.

The Operations Control Centre monitors the difference in longitude between nodes so that at the equator it is kept within ± 3 km (mission requirement).

When this drift reaches the eastern limit allowed by the mission, the Operations Control Centre programs a maneuver to raise the satellite above the theoretical altitude, which makes the descending nodes, drift westward; the effect of atmospheric drag cancels out this drift and brings the satellite down to the theoretical altitude. At this point in time, the descending nodes must be no more than 3 km to the west.

The drift continues eastward until a further maneuver to raise the altitude is scheduled.

The frequency of orbit-raising maneuvers varies between:

o Two months when solar activity is low (the satellite descends about 20 cm a day), and two weeks when solar activity is high (the satellite can descend 5 to 10 meters a day and, occasionally, as much as 20 or 30 meters).

Phasing at upper latitudes (60° North):

· The phasing error at 60° latitude is the sum of the phasing error at the equator due to atmospheric drag and the phasing error due to the decrease in orbital inclination.

· Approximately once every 18 months, an inclination correction maneuvers is scheduled theoretical inclination, whilst respecting the phasing error upper limit of 5 km. The local time of the descending node must be kept at 10:30 ± 10 minutes for mission requirements.

The difference between local time and the theoretical local time of 10:30 varies according to a non-linear function of inclination and altitude.

Taking into account the frequency of inclination correction manoeuvres, the local time is in fact kept within one or two minutes of 10:30.

SPOT 5 (The Sattelite)

2011-04-11T15:40:00.002+02:00

SPOT 5 color satellite images at a resolution of 2.5 meters. SPOT Maps is today available over more than 100 countries, representing a total of 78 millions square kilometers. This coverage is growing and updated every month.

SPOT 5 Features

Source data: SPOT 5 satellite imagery
Resolution: 2.5 m
Addition of HRG Imaging
Addition of HRS Instrument
Spectral mode Natural color (3 bands)
Location accuracy 10 to 15 m RMS
Projection: UTM WGS 84
Preprocessing level: Ortho
File format Geo Tiff
Product framing : Per sq.km, to match your area of interest

SPOT 5 is a new satellite of the SPOT family of satellites. It is planned to be launched in the first quarter of 2002.

HRG Imaging

A new High Resolution Geometry or HRG imaging instrument is developed by CNES to be carried on-board SPOT 5. The HRG instrument promises a higher ground resolution than that of the HRV/HRVIR on SPOT 1 - 4 satellites: 5 m, and 2.5 m by interpolation in panchromatic mode, and 10 m in all 3 spectral bands in the visible to near infrared ranges.

The spectral band in the short wave infrared band is maintained at a resolution of 20 m due to limitations imposed by the geometry of the CCD sensors used in this band. The field width of HRG is 60 km, same as SPOT 1, 2, 3, & 4. With two HRG instruments, a maximum swath of 120 km at 5 m resolution can be achieved. The oblique viewing capacity is maintained providing rapid access to a given area. A dedicated instrument, High Resolution Stereo (HRS), for along track stereo acquisition will also be carried on board SPOT 5. A VEGETATION large coverage instrument will also be available.

To ensure continuity with the SPOT 1 - 4 satellites, the SPOT 5 spectral bands will be the same as those for SPOT 4: B1 (0.50-0.59 �m); B2 (0.61-0.68 �m); B3 (0.79-0.89 �m); and SWIR (1.58-1.75 �m). The panchromatic band will, however, return to the values used for SPOT 1 through 3 (Pan: 0.51-0.73 �m).

SPOT 5 will have the same swath (60 km) as SPOT 1 - 4 satellites, but with higher resolution. In order to transmit the increase volume of data within a data rate limit of 100 Mbit/s, data compression techniques will be used while down linking the data to the ground station.
The specifications of SPOT 5 call for a plan metric accuracy of 10 m (rms) and an elevation accuracy of 5 m (rms). These figures are compatible with conventional mapping standards at 1:50 000 scale. The radiometric quality of SPOT 5 imagery will be equal to or better than that of SPOT 4.

Some SPOT Sattelite taken Images

2011-04-11T15:33:00.002+02:00

The SPOT-5 satellite acquired on the afternoon of August 25th from an orbit at 800 km an image over Greece. This latest high resolution satellite image (10 meters) shows the precise extent of the areas affected by the forest fires.

The image is being used as part of the program launched by Europe and its member states to help Greece combat the forest fires. The SPOT satellites are currently operated by Astrium GEO-Information Services. As well as their operational use in giving detailed information about the extent of damage across large areas, satellite images also help the wider public see first hand the impact of major catastrophes and build awareness of the need to protect the environment and ensure the safety and security of those affected.

Commercial operator of the SPOT satellites and a supplier of imagery from a range of other optical and radar Earth-imaging satellites, Astrium GEO-Information Services is a world-leading supplier of geospatial products and services derived from satellite imagery.

Binary Star System

2011-03-26T18:40:00.004+01:00

A binary star system is a star system with two or more stars orbiting around each other. Number of stars in each system are from 2 to 7 as classified yet.

With the help of these binary stars which are very important in the field of astronomy, we can estimate the mass of the partner star in the binary system. Estimating mass is useful for contrasting it against the temperature and apparent luminosity, helping us determine absolute luminosity and distance.

Eclipsing Binary

There are many categories of binary star system, classified by their visual properties as observed/view from earth or a satellite.These including eclipsing binaries, visual binaries, spectroscopic binaries and astrometric binaries.

Eclipsing binary stars are those whose orbits form a horizontal line from the point of observation; essentially, what the viewer sees is a double eclipse along a single plane; Algol for example.

A visual binary system is a system in which two separate stars are visible through a telescope that has an appropriate resolving power. These can be difficult to detect if one of the stars’ brightness is much greater, in effect blotting out the second star.

Spectroscopic Binary

Spectroscopic binary stars are those systems in which the stars are very close and orbiting very quickly. These systems are determined by the presence of spectral lines – lines of color that are anomalies in an otherwise continuous spectrum and are one of the only ways of determining whether a second star is present. It is possible for a binary star system to be both a visual and a spectroscopic binary if the stars are far enough apart and the telescope being used is of a high enough resolution.

Astrometric Binary

Astrometric binary stars are systems in which only one star can be observed, and the other’s presence is inferred by the noticeable wobble of the first star. This wobble happens as a result of the smaller star’s slight gravitational influence on the larger star.

New Zodiac Sign

2011-03-24T16:30:00.001+01:00

Astronomer Parke Kunkle says that due to changes in the Earth's alignment the dates of many zodiac signs have changed.

In addition, there may be a 13th Zodiac sign: Ophiuchus.

The field of astrology, which is concerned with horoscopes and the like, felt a major disruption from astronomers, who are concerned with actual stars and planets. The astronomers from the Minnesota Planetarium Society found that because of the moon's gravitational pull on Earth, the alignment of the stars was pushed by about a month.

"When [astrologers] say that the sun is in Pisces, it's really not in Pisces," noted Parke Kunkle, a member of the group's board. Your astrological sign is determined by the position of the sun on the day you were born, so that means everything you thought you knew about your horoscope is wrong.

It turns out that astrology has had issues from its inception. (Aside from the fact that it tries to link personality traits with positions of the stars.) Ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations, but wanted only 12, so threw out Ophuchicus, the snake holder. Libra didn't even enter the picture until the era of Julius Caesar.

According to the Minnesota Planetarium Society, here is where the real signs of the Zodiac should fall. Get ready for your world to change forever.

Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.
Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11.
Pisces: March 11-April 18.
Aries: April 18-May 13.
Taurus: May 13-June 21.
Gemini: June 21-July 20.
Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10.
Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16.
Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30.
Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23.
Scorpio: Nov. 23-29.
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17.
Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20.

Neptune

2010-03-27T11:19:00.018+01:00

Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sunin the Solar System. It is the fourth largest planet by diameter, and the third largest by mass. The planet is named after the Roman god of the sea. Discovered on September 23, 1846, Neptune was the first planet found by mathematical prediction rather than regular observation.

Unexpected changes in the orbit of Uranus led astronomers to deduce the gravitational perturbation of an unknown planet. Neptune was found within a degree of the predicted position. The moon Triton was found shortly thereafter, but none of the planet's other 12 moons were discovered before the 20th century. Neptune has been visited by only one spacecraft, Voyager 2, which flew by the planet on August 25, 1989.

Neptune is similar in composition to Uranus, and both have different compositions from those of the larger gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. Traces of methane in the outermost regions, in part, account for the planet's blue appearance.
At the time of the 1989 Voyager 2 flyby, its southern hemisphere possessed a Great Dark Spot comparable to theGreat Red Spot on Jupiter. Neptune has a faint and fragmented ring system, which may have been detected during the 1960s but was only indisputably confirmed by Voyager 2

Constellations

2010-03-26T23:51:00.000+01:00

The constellations are totally imaginary things that poets, farmers and astronomers have made up over the past 6,000 years (and probably even more!).

The real purpose for the constellations is to help us tell which stars are which. Constellations are names for groups of stars that appear to form shapes in the sky. A constellation is what astronomers call an 'asterism': a group of celestial bodies (usually stars) that appear to form a pattern in the sky or appear visibly related to each other.

Constellations are named patterns of stars. All societies created them. Constellations are normally the product of human perception rather than astronomical realities. Constellations move so slowly that, in our lifetime, they will always be found in about the same place. All modern constellation names are Latin proper names or words, and some stars are named using the genitive, or sometimes the ablative of the constellation in which they are found. Many names we use nowadays came from the ancient Greeks. Due to their northern location they only gave names to those regions visible from their countries.

The regions around the celestial South Pole got some of their names when the astronomer Johan Bayer made his notes about the south regions of the sky. These are formed by using the usual rules of Latin grammar. Some examples include: Aries → Arietis; Taurus → Tauri; Gemini → Geminorum; Virgo → Virginis; Libra → Librae; Pisces → Piscium; Lepus → Leporis. The stars in a constellation are often vastly distant from each other, but they appear close to each other from the perspective of Earth. The 48 ancient constellations single out only the bright patterns. From around 1600 to 1800, post-Copernican astronomers invented hosts of "modern" constellations from the faint stars that lie between the classical figures. Later astronomers broke the ship Argo into three parts, yielding 50 ancient constellations.

In the early twentieth century, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted 38 of the modern constellations and drew rectangular borders around all 88. The constellations play an important role in modern astronomy. They bring order to the sky by dividing it into smaller segments, providing a base for naming celestial objects. The brightest constellation is Crux. They used to assign their gods and heroes to certain figures in the sky.

The constellations of the zodiac we know nowadays reach back to the days of the Babylonians and Chaldeans, 2000 to 3000 years ago. Back then the sun passes through twelve constellations we still assign to the zodiac.

Earth, Moon Shadows on Each Other

2010-03-26T23:23:00.005+01:00

The umbra, penumbra and antumbra are the names given to the three distinct parts of a shadow, created by any light source. For a point source only the umbra is cast. These names are usually used when referring to the shadows cast by celestial bodies.

Umbra The umbra (Latin: shadow) is the darkest part of a shadow. From within the umbra, the source of light is completely concealed by the occulting body. In astronomy, an observer in the umbra is said to be in the shadows experiencing total eclipse.

Penumbra The penumbra (Latin: paenes "almost, nearly" + umbra "shadow") the region in which only a portion of the occulting body is obscuring the light source. An observer in the penumbra experiences a partial eclipse.

Antumbra The antumbra is the region from which the occulting body appears entirely contained within the disc of the light source. If an observer in the antumbra moves closer to the light source, the apparent size of the occulting body increases until it causes a full umbra. An observer in this region experiences an annular eclipse.

Universe expansion is speeding up, proves Einstein's theory

2010-03-26T20:00:00.004+01:00

In the biggest survey ever conducted using the Hubble Space telescope, 446,000 galaxies were studied to see how matter was distributed throughout the universe and how quickly it had expanded. And the astronomers found that the universe was growing faster and faster with time, as predicted by Einstein in his theory of general relativity.

Scientists claim that the universe is made up of three different components – normal matter, which is the physical objects in the universe such as the planets – dark matter, which is invisible matter that creates the gravitational pull that causes galaxies to form – and an unknown energy referred to as "dark energy", the force which causes the universe to expand.
Einstein's theory of general relativity claims that space and time are a geometrical structure which can be changed by the behaviour of the matter inside it. So proof that the expansion of the universe is speeding up shows that the contents of the universe, such as the "dark energy" causing it to inflate, are influencing its structure.

Ludovic Van Waerbeke, of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Leiden University in the Netherlands, said: "Our results confirmed that there is an unknown source of energy in the universe which is causing the cosmic expansion to speed up, stretching the dark matter further apart exactly as predicted by Einstein's theory.

The expansion of the universe can be imagine with waves on water surface due to falling drops or stone. As the picture shows in right.

"The data from our study are consistent with these predictions and show no deviation from Einstein's theories."

Mr Van Waerbeke pioneered a technique to measure the invisible web of dark matter which was used in the study. In a method similar to taking an X-ray of the body to reveal the underlying skeleton, the technique, known as weak gravitational lensing, allows astronomers to see how light from distant galaxies is bent and distorted by the dark matter as it travels towards earth. They can then map the dark matter structures, which make up 80 per cent of the universe. The study leader Tim Schrabback said: "What we tested is how the structure of the universe grows with time. If the universe expands then the gravitational lensing changes because the distance between the objects has changed.

"I think from that perspective this is quite exciting because this is the first time this measurement has been done with weak gravitational lensing alone. Before it's always been done with other measurements because the lensing was not effective.

"The other thing that is really exciting is that in the next years there will be much larger surveys which will have more accurate measurements for dark energy and expansions, and we will see some very interesting results."

As well as this technique, astronomers in the study used the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), a joint project by the European Space Agency and NASA involving over 100 scientists from a dozen countries.

For the survey, a camera aboard the Hubble telescope photographed 575 slightly overlapping views of the same part of the universe, which took nearly 1,000 hours of observation, during which the Hubble circled the earth nearly 600 hundred times.

Mr Schrabback said: "This is the largest survey ever done with the Hubble telescope. The images make up a large mosaic of the sky.

"The Hubble has a great advantage from images taken from earth because there is no blurring from the atmosphere."

Geysers on Mars!

2010-03-26T19:48:00.001+01:00

What do you thing about the picture above?

Scientists say that Mars had huge carbonated water geysers, five episodes of volcanic activity, and a tough funding cut in the 2009 budget. The geysers spread hailstones and mud for several kilometers and would have dwarfed Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park (the weaker Martian gravity helps). Deep water (3-4 km down) gathering carbon dioxide from the rock below is hypothesized to be the source of the power of the geysers, which are not billions of years old, but less then 20 million years old.

New data from the European Mars Express spacecraft have helped scientist map out five episodes of volcanic activity based on the cratering record. They hypothesize that the volcanic activity is episodic due to Mars’ lack of plate tectonics — that the heat builds up so much that it causes the crust to crack in some places and release lava out onto the surface. This bursting of the crust may also cause a release of underground water reservoirs, resulting in wide scale flash flooding.

According to Space.com’s article, "These episodes may not be over."

Because Mars’ core is still hot, it is possible that we may see another episode of volcanic activity and wide spread flooding erupt.

Meanwhile, back on Earth another eruption is going on. That of the science community reacting to cuts to continued missions to Mars. Last week Steve Squires, Principle Investigator for the Mars Exploration Rovers and a professor at Cornell, testified on the hill. Plans to continue to send missions to Mars at most of the every-other-year launch opportunities (when the planets are best aligned to swing out to Mars) have been scrapped after 2013.

Jeff Foust’s writes a summary of the state of Mars exploration that is important reading for those committed to the future of Mars.

“In my mind, the big difference in the Mars program has been this continuous investigation and the permanent presence of these robotic scientific stations,” JPL Director Charles Elachi said. “I hope the program will continue doing that.”

NASA Photographs 'Trees' on Mars

2010-03-26T19:32:00.003+01:00

The images appear to show rows of dark "conifers" sprouting from dunes and hills on the planet surface. But the scene is actually an optical illusion. The photographs actually show sand dunes coated with a thin layer of frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice, less than 240 miles from the planet's north pole.

The "trees" are really trails of debris caused by landslides as ice melts in Mars's spring. You can even see a cloud of dust, just to the left of centre of the picture, where an avalanche is caught happening. The photograph was taken from orbit around Mars by HiRISE, the most powerful camera sent to another planet.

NASA's Candy Hansen told The Sun: "The streaks are sand, dislodged as ice evaporates, which slide down the dune. At this time of the Martian year the whole scene is covered by CO2 frost."

Last month Nasa announced a new telescope had detected five planets outside the solar system. The observatory, which was launched last year to find other Earths, made the discoveries in its first few weeks of science operations. Although the new worlds, called exoplanets, are all bigger than Neptune, Nasa said their discovery showed that the planet hunting telescope was working well.

Dying star mimics our Sun's Death

2010-03-26T18:53:00.001+01:00

According to the researchers, the star has swollen in size to become a red giant star so large that it would swallow every planet out to Mars in our solar system. The star has started to pulse dramatically beating like a giant heart, they stated.

As a sun-like star ages, it begins to run out of hydrogen fuel at its core. Like a car running out of gas, its "engine" begins to splutter, researchers said. On Chi Cygni, those sputterings are seen as a brightening and dimming, caused by the star's contraction and expansion, researchers stated.

Chi Cygni pulses once every 408 days, the scientists stated. . At its smallest diameter of 300 million miles, it becomes mottled with brilliant spots as massive plumes of hot plasma roil its surface. (Those spots are like the granules on our Sun's surface, but much larger.) As it expands, Chi Cygni cools and dims, growing to a diameter of 480 million miles - large enough to engulf and cook our solar system's asteroid belt, researchers said.

In order to see stars like Chi Cygni that are so far away the researchers used a technique called interferometry, which involves combining the light coming from several telescopes to yield resolution equivalent to a telescope as large as the distance between them.

In this case researchers used the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Infrared Optical Telescope Array, or IOTA, which was located at Whipple Observatory on Mount Hopkins, Arizona. The team also said it used amateur astronomer observations provided by the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO).

Potato Bugs on Mars

2010-03-26T18:48:00.003+01:00

In 1993, N.A.S.A. launched the Galaxy VII spacecraft from Cape Canaveral toward the planet Mars. What the Galaxy probe found on its first day on the Red Planet is nothing short of astonishing...

Three days and 4.1 million miles after blast-off, the unmanned Galaxy VII reached its final destination: the orbit of Mars. From orbit, the craft dropped a probe, Rover VII, on the surface of Mars. The four-wheeled probe was equipped with a 35mm Canon Rebel EOS camera (for landscape photos); a Sony Hi8 video camera (for landscape video); a Panasonic variable-speed microcassette audio tape recorder (for noises); extra film, tapes and double-A batteries; a scooper for sand and small Mars rocks; and antennae to pick up the remote control signals from Earth.

What the Rover VII probe found on that first day on the Red Planet is nothing short of astonishing.

“Initially, we found the planet Mars to be a lot like our own planet Moon, only bigger and red,” shrugs Dr. Edgar Turner (ret.), a key senior assistant supervisor of N.A.S.A.’s (National Association of Space and Aerodynamics) Galaxy team. Turner, seven years retired from the space program and currently between retail jobs, spoke with us from his apartment in Castaic, California.

From point of touchdown, the team on Earth had activated the probe’s video camera for some slow-pan establishing shots of the planet’s surface. “There’s just a shitload of rocks and craters up there,” continues Turner, “and it’s like, all dry... But closer inspection revealed something moving near one of the rocks.”

Via remote control on Earth, Turner and his team maneuvered the four-wheeled Mars vehicle toward the movement. “Once we got closer, we clicked on the Hi-8 video camera again, but immediately realized that the camera’s battery was really low on its charge after all that space crossing.”

Plan B was to snap a few still shots with the 35mm camera.

Dr. Edgar Turner

“We had just one shot left on a 24-exposure roll of Kodak 200 print film,” says Turner, “so we had to make it count. Whatever it was that was moving might spook and split while we changed rolls of film via remote. That one shot was really our only chance.”

That very photo, shown above, clearly shows something resembling a potato bug near one of the Mars rocks. Utilizing N.A.S.A.’s space technology, the photo was hyper-enlarged near the spot where the potato bug stands. PotatoBugs.com obtained the only known print of the Mars potato bug from Turner, who had it attached to his fridge with a Garfield magnet.

“Yeah, it’s clearly a potato bug,” says Irv Bostich, a friend of Turner’s from Castaic.

“My best guess is that potato bugs are extra-terrestrial,” reckons Turner. “How else did they get there? How did they get here?”

PotatoBugs.com has placed numerous phone calls and sent scores of e-mails to N.A.S.A. To date, they won’t return our calls or return our e-mails. In other words: denial.

So many questions, yet still no answers... Why won’t N.A.S.A. release the Mars potato bug photo to National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Redbook, or any of the other science magazines? Why have there been so many hits on this very webpage (57,309 and climbing) – many of which are directly traceable back to N.A.S.A. offices and web users? Why did a top military official at the Pentagon order over 2,000 potato bugs for “scientific study?” Why do satellite photos of Area 51 clearly show potato trees growing next to some of the buildings? Why are there no personnel records for Dr. Edgar Turner at N.A.S.A.; no college records for him at the Phoenix Institute of Technology, where he earned his PhD in space science? (Have these records been destroyed?) And what happened to the original potato bug scene that was shot and later cut out of Steven Spielberg’s movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind?” Did Spielberg’s vision hew too close to the truth?

Time will tell.

Grand Canyon on Mars

2010-03-26T18:34:00.002+01:00

Anyone who has peeked over the rim of the Grand Canyon comes away awed, because there is nothing like it on Earth. Martians, however, would merely chuckle.

Mars has Valles Marineris, a system of canyons that stretch for 2,485 miles (4,000 kilometers -- almost the entire width of the United States.

Side canyons are often up to 60 miles (100 kilometers) wide. The central gorge is 370 miles (600 kilometers) across in places. At some spots along the rim, you'd have to look 6 miles (10 kilometers) down to find the bottom. That's six or seven times deeper than the supposedly Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon on Mars would stretch from New York to California!
Some parts of the Martian Grand Canyon are 2 to 3 miles deep!
The largest volcano on Mars is 3 times the height of Mount Everest!!!

This image was created by the U.S. Geological Survey by merging Viking mission images with topographic data. It shows just a portion of Valles Marineris. The location, Candor Chasma, is one some scientists suspect has been sculpted at least in part by flowing water.

Phobos Zoomed Pictures

2010-03-25T19:07:00.004+01:00

The European Space Agency today showed off the first in a series of extreme close-up photos of the Mars moon Phobos. The photos, which show a pock-marked but otherwise relatively smooth surface, are the some closest shots of the Mars moon ever taken.

The data and photos collected by the Mars Express satellite could help unwrap some of the mystery about the moon, the ESA said. Three scenarios are possible, one, that the moon is actually a captured asteroid. The second is that it formed at the same time as Mars formed below it. The third is that Phobos formed later than Mars, out of debris flung into Martian orbit when a large meteorite struck the red planet, according to the ESA.

From the ESA Web site describing the photos:Phobos is an irregular body measuring some 27 × 22 × 19 km. Its origin is debated. It appears to share many surface characteristics with the class of 'carbonaceous C-type' asteroids, which suggests it might have been captured from this population. However, it is difficult to explain either the capture mechanism or the subsequent evolution of the orbit into the equatorial plane of Mars. An alternative hypothesis is that it formed around Mars, and is therefore a remnant from the planetary formation period. Mars Express so far has taken photos on March 7, 10 and 13. According to ESA, Mars Express will continue to fly past Phobos until the end of March.

Infared M31 taken by NASA's WISE

2010-03-24T14:21:00.001+01:00

Had not seen this here yet so I thought people might enjoy seeing old M31 in a different light.

NASA - Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)

2010-03-24T14:17:00.002+01:00

LRO is leading NASA’s way back to the moon.

The primary objective of LRO is to conduct investigations that prepare for future lunar exploration. Specifically LRO will scout for safe and compelling landing sites, locate potential resources (with special attention to the possibility of water ice) and characterize the effects of prolonged exposure to the lunar radiation environment. In addition to its exploration mission, LRO will also return rich scientific data that will help us to better understand the moon’s topography and composition.

Seven scientific instruments outfit LRO. These instruments will return lunar imagery, topography, temperature measurements and more.

Launched along with LRO was the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), a partner mission that will search for water ice on the moon.

In response to LRO's "Send Your Name to the Moon" initiative, the spacecraft carries a microchip with nearly 1.6 million names submitted by the public. Click here to view a photo of the microchip containing the names as engineers prepare to install it on the spacecraft.

Smith's Cloud set to Collide with the Milky Way!

2010-03-16T20:07:00.001+01:00

When our human mind was still busy exploring the various fascinating aspects of the universe, new and more mysterious things outside it awaits our attention. The concepts of parallel universe and life forms existing on other planets have got their share of our interests.

However, the next big discovery on the astronomical scene is that of the massive hydrogen gas cloud which is speeding towards our galaxy — The Milky Way. This cloud of hydrogen gas is known as the Smith’s cloud, named after the scientist who first discovered it in 1963.

Till date, it was not clear as to if the cloud has emerged from the Milky Way or is coming towards it until recently, when the scientists confirmed that the latter was true. When measured with the help of the Green Bank Telescope, the cloud was found to be 11,000 light-years long and 2,500 light-years wide. It is said to be containing enough hydrogen to make a million stars like our sun. It is traveling with the monstrous speed of 240 km/s and is set to hit the galaxy at 45 degrees.

The origin and orbit of the cloud is yet not discovered. However, if the collision of the cloud and Milky Way is visible to the naked eye, it would be a delight. Scientists speculate that the collision could set off huge fireworks, making it a spectacle. It is being termed as being theCelestial New Year, where the heavenly bodies will put on a firework show.