The moon-sighting committee said that the crescent moon had not been sighted
The first day of Ramadan will be April 13, Tuesday. The moon sighting committee in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said that the crescent moon had not been sighted. Accordingly, Monday, April 12, will be the last and 30th day of Shaban 1442 Hijri which means, by default, the first day of Ramadan will be on Tuesday.
Sunday marks the 29th day of Shaban, the month before Ramadan according to the Islamic calendar. Ramadan lasts for one complete moon cycle, which is usually 29 or 30 days. The moon sighting determines the duration.
Makkah is considered the holiest city in Islam. Not only was it the birthplace of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), but also the location where Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) had his first revelation of the Quran. Because of this, the rest of the Islamic world follows Saudi Arabia’s announcement. UAE also usually follows Saudi Arabia’s announcement, but residents should wait for an official confirmation from the UAE authorities.
Eid Al Fitr is a three-day celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. The exact date will be determined by the moon-sighting committee.
Ebrahim Al Jarwan, member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences and head of Sharjah Planetarium said that the crescent moon for the month of Shawwal will form on May 11, 2021, although it is not expected to be visible until Thursday, May 13, which will mark the first day of Eid Al Fitr.


In 1769 Lieutenant James Cook traveled to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus which occurred on Saturday June 3 rd:
“This day prov'd as favourable to our purpose as we could wish, not a Clowd was to be seen the Whole day and the Air was perfectly clear, so that we had every advantage we could desire in Observing the whole of the passage of the Planet Venus over the Suns disk: we very distinctly saw an Atmosphere or dusky shade round the body of the Planet which very much disturbed the times of the contacts particularly the two internal ones. D r Solander observed as well as M r Green and my self, and we differ'd from one another in observeing the times of the Contacts much more than could be expected.”
The goal was to take measurements that would be used to calculate the distance of Venus from the Sun--which would then lead to knowing the distances of the other planets from each other. Unfortunately the instruments of the time were not fine enough for the effort and the measurements were too rough to be useful. But Cook’s voyage of discovery continued and he continued on in search of the “Terra Australis Incognita” in the South Pacific Ocean and discovered and charted the east coast of Australia.
We learned this (and much, much more) after making landfall at Point Venus in Tahiti, anchoring where Cook did. It was part of what Maia called, “Sleeping where Cook slept. Can we stop now? Cook is getting on my nerves… I’m ready for a new topic.”
Point Venus though intrigued her. The low, sandy peninsula covered with ironwood is where Captains Wallis, Cook, Bligh (and us!!) landed after anchoring their (our!) ships behind the reef. Cook built a platform on the black sand beach near where a creek cuts the peninsula in two. It was here that he waited for an inky spot to glide across the sun. Small, dark, almost perfectly round, it was no ordinary sunspot—it was the key to measuring the size of the solar system. Or so hoped the Royal Academy, which sponsored Cook’s Voyage.
These days Point Venus is a park. And its highlights also include Tomb of King Pomare V and the phare (lighthouse) that was built by Thomas Stevenson, one of Scotland's famous lighthouse engineers and father of the author Robert Louis Stevenson. The park is steeped in the kind of history that’s impossible not to feel and not easy to shake off.
And it came seeping back when we learned that Venus is transiting the sun, tomorrow. Not as dramatic as an eclipse—but much more rare, perhaps the best reason to watch the transit is a historical one. Already I can recall the heavy scent of tiare flowers, the weight of warm humidity, the feeling of black sand between my toes and that mysterious feeling of being linked to a memory I can’t quite recall.
Tomorrow is the transit of Venus. Check it out--just likeCook did 242 years ago. If you miss it the next one won’t happen until 2117.


On Sunday November 15, 2020 NASA and SpaceX made spaceflight history. Crew 1 astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, and Soichi Noguchi ascended into space on the Dragon Resilience. Their 27.5 hour journey went smoothly and the crew was able to successfully land the SpaceX launch. Crew 1 arrived at the ISS (International Space Station) on November 16th 11p.m. EST. The astronauts will stay there for 6 months, returning home in the spring with new information and discoveries.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX was founded in 2002. Unlike any other space excursion companies in the past, Musk has a different view on how spaceflight will impact and improve the lives of future generations. His goal is to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars. Even though the idea of colonizing Mars sounds out of this world to us today, Elon is already on the road to achieving his goals. His company has created several launch vehicles, many that use reusable parts which makes space travel much more efficient and reduces the cost significantly. SpaceX wishes to “make life multiplanetary” through the means of space travel. Further into the future, Musk dreams of flying and landing passengers on the lunar surface. More of Elon Musk and SpaceX achievements, future plans, spacecrafts, and launch schedules can be found at spaceX.com
NASA had a number of COVID-19 precautions set in place in order to protect the astronauts and workers from getting infected. All 4 astronauts and their families began quarantining in late October and they were instructed to take COVID tests each week. The astronauts strictly followed these precautions and passed each test leading up to the lift off. However, Elon Musk tested both positive and negative for the coronavirus. Since NASA’s regulations prohibit people who test positive from being present for the launch to limit the spread of the virus, Musk was unable to attend despite the great effort he put into this project.
The SpaceX launch and landing was a milestone in spaceflight history. Surprisingly, many students at Hingham High weren’t aware of the event. Sophomore Lauren Brockwell said, “I am not familiar with the launch but it seems very interesting and I would like to learn more about it.”
In contrast, sophomore Kelsey Tarby was familiar with the event and mentioned, “I watched the SpaceX launch on the news but I didn’t know Elon Musk made it all happen.” Both students were open to learning more about the topic, and were fascinated to learn that the success of the SpaceX launch would bring Elon Musk one step closer to a whole new world of discoveries.


Join us for the second Outta-This-World Science Fun Night!
Are you interested in a fun evening filled with telescope history, science, and engineering for the whole family? Then you are in the right place!
Cheryl Owens, content creator at Art to Know with MommyO™ and Art Adventure Box®, will guide you through constructing your telescope while presenting oodles of exciting astronomy facts. After all that, you’ll blast off into the night sky for an unforgettable stargazing adventure around 7:30pm!
Cost is $60 per telescope kit. You can work independently or as a family unit. We have seating accommodations for 2-3 people per kit. We welcome more folks to join us for this fun evening but note that some of your group may have to stand or work on the floor during the indoor portion of this program. Please reach out with any questions about this.
Must be 16 years of age or older to work independently.
No previous experience or skills necessary.
No longer accepting registrations for this program.


I’m working two jobs now, both part-time positions. One is substitute teaching, which can be nice depending on the role I sign up for that day, and the other deals with space, which is pretty awesome, especially since I’m working on a sci-fi novel now. I particularly like how it’s pushed me to research more and ask questions I wouldn’t have initially known to ask, like “How many people are going on the Mars mission?”
Oh, and did you know we’re going back to the Moon, and then we’re planning on building a space station that orbits it called Lunar Gateway? Super exciting stuff.
If you couldn’t tell, I really like my job, which is such a change from working retail. I may not work as many hours as I did—not yet anyway. I’ll be pushing for full time. But I am super passionate about what I do, which has helped the transition from Europe back to the States be all the more bearable.
I used to feel robbed
by the way the night crept in
and stole my light—
my time to tend my plants,
time to read in the warmth
of the sun.
But now, I see the stars
The light is still here
if I take the time to look for it—
to spot the International Space Station,
to let the land rest,
to read in the warmth
of the fire.
Let’s chat! What did you think of the poem? What’s your take on nighttime?


Another leap year is upon us — but why is it even here at all? As you might expect, there's some math involved.
We add a day to the calendar every time the year is divisible by four, such as 2016, 2020 or 2024, unless that year is divisible by 100. Exceptions are also made when the year is divisible by 400.
体育投注A year, or the time it takes the earth to make a revolution around the sun, is thought to be 365 days. It's actually 365.2422 days, which means that we cheat ourselves out of almost six hours each year.
Without a leap day, the calendar would be off by about 24 days in 100 years. That means that spring, which usually falls on or around March 21, would start sometime in late February.
So, why not just add a day every four years and call it quits? Even doing that, we still end up cheating ourselves out of about 18 hours in 100 years.
体育投注Remember the rules about the years being divisible by 100 and 400? That's where those come into play.
体育投注If a leap year is supposed to be at the start of the century, like 2100, that leap year is skipped. Unless — you guessed it — that year is divisible by 400.
Following these rules, we can keep our calendar accurate to the day for a whopping 3,333 years.


You can listen to this audiobook in formats: FLAC, MPEG4, MP3, Apple Lossless, WMA, WAV (compression TZO, ZIP, DMG, RAR)
Total pages original book: 736
Includes a PDF summary of 65 pages
Duration of the summary (audio): 48M41S (13 MB)
Description or summary of the audiobook: Is there any connection between the vastness of the universes of stars and galaxies and the existence of life on a small planet out in the suburbs of the Milky Way? This book shows that there is. In their classic work, John Barrow and Frank Tipler examine the question of Mankind's place in the Universe, taking the reader on a tour of many scientific disciplines and offering fascinating insights into issues such as the nature of life, the serach for extraterrestrial intelligence, and the past history and fate of our universe.
Other categories, genre or collection: Cosmology & The Universe, Astronomy, Space & Time, Physics Books, Literary Studies: General
Download servers: Mediafire, Dropbox, IsoHunt, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, TinyUpload.com. Compressed in TZO, ZIP, DMG, RAR


The first images from a new mission to study the sun reveal a ubiquitous burbling of miniature solar flares. The discovery may provide clues for how turbulence in the atmosphere of the sun drives the ebb and flow of solar wind, the high-velocity charged particles throughout the solar system that buffet Earth and the other planets.
“We can already see interesting new phenomena,” Daniel Müller, the project scientist for the mission, Solar Orbiter, said in a statement from the European Space Agency, which released the images on Thursday.
The miniature solar flares, which the scientists call campfires, were seen as the spacecraft made its first pass by the sun. It came within 48 million miles of the sun’s surface, which is just a bit more than half of the distance between Earth and the sun.
The campfires are about one-millionth or one-billionth the size of flares that have been observed from Earth. “The sun might look quiet at the first glance,” said David Berghmans of the Royal Observatory of Belgium, principal investigator of an instrument that takes high-resolution images of the lower layers of the sun’s atmosphere, “but when we look in detail, we can see those miniature flares everywhere we look.”
Solar Orbiter is a joint mission between the Europeans and NASA, which paid for the rocket that took the probe to space.
Launched in February, this mission will provide a new perspective of the sun as it completes 22 orbits in 10 years. While most previous solar missions orbited in the ecliptic, or the same plane that the planets travel around the sun, the orbit of Solar Orbiter will tilt upward so that it will have a better view of our star’s North and South Poles.
That change of view could help solve mysteries about the sun’s magnetic fields and how they accelerate those solar wind particles. The data from Solar Orbiter could help explain the sunspot cycle — Why does the cycle last 11 years? Why are some quiet while others roar violently? — and help models to predict solar storms that could disrupt Earth’s power grids and satellites in orbit.
For now, the spacecraft remains in the ecliptic, even as flybys of Earth and Venus allow it to spiral inward. The first round of data demonstrates the spacecraft and instruments are working as designed.
“We can also see how our 10 scientific instruments complement each other, providing a holistic picture of the sun and the surrounding environment,” Dr. Müller said.
A flyby of Venus in 2025 will swing Solar Orbiter out of the ecliptic to an angle of 17 degrees. That is enough to get a good glimpse of the polar regions. Additional Venus flybys will increase the angle to 33 degrees.
The spacecraft carries 10 scientific instruments. Some measure what is happening directly around the spacecraft, like the magnetic fields and particles of the solar wind. Others take pictures of what is occurring on the sun.
As the orbiter approaches the sun, three peepholes in the heat shield will open to allow the instruments to collect data. The assorted cameras also have heat-resistant windows (think of them as scientific sunglasses) as protection.
The cameras will look at a range of wavelengths of light, including ultraviolet and X-rays. Some of the cameras break the light into separate wavelengths to identify specific molecules. One instrument, the coronagraph, includes a disk to block out most of the light and only look at what is going on in the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, which you can observe during a total solar eclipse.
Solar Orbiter is not the only spacecraft studying our planet’s star. Ten other missions in space also keep an eye on the sun and the solar wind. The most recently launched, in 2018, is NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which is making closer and closer flybys of the sun as it reaches the fastest speeds ever achieved by a human-built spacecraft. It will fly within four million miles of the sun’s surface, allowing direct measurements of the corona and other solar regions.


University of Washington Planetarium
Friday, January 12, 2018, 10 am – 3 pm
$5 Members / $10 Non-Members
Fridays, January 12th, 10:00am-3:00pm
The 30 foot diameter dome of the UW planetarium provides a unique space to explore the night sky. The dome has an 8-million pixel digital display. When combined with the World-Wide telescope interface, this allows for a truly interactive and immersive planetarium experience. Bring money for food and beverages at Portage Bay Café. The planetarium show is 1:00 pm.


Q.1 When was mission Chandrayaan-3 launched recently?
14 July 2023
Q.2 Chandrayaan-3 has been launched with the help of which rocket?
Q.3 Where is Chandrayaan-3 to land?
On the south pole of the moon
Q.4 Who is the present Chairman of ISRO?
Q.5 When did Chandrayaan-3 land on the south pole of the moon?
August 23, 2023
Q.6 Which country has become the first country to land on the south pole of the moon?
INDIA is the first country to land on the south pole of the moon.
Q.7 Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission of which of the following?
Q.8 What is the name of the lander of Chandrayaan-3?
Q.9 What is the name of the rover of Mission Chandrayaan-3?
Q.10 What is not designed for Chandrayaan-3?


In Edison Class (Year 2), we learn through a range of exciting projects. This terms new topic will be ‘Read for the Stars’. The classroom features a beautiful reading area, complete with interesting books featured around our topic of Space, draped ceilings with twinkly lights, a NASA rocket, and the planets of our solar system. To encourage independent learning, activities linked to the topic and the national curriculum have also been established. The children will enjoy learning about the first landing on the moon, make their own planets using paper mache and launch their very own rockets in science. With the summer months now approaching, this gives us ample opportunity to learn outside, and many of the activities have been planned with this in mind.
It is going to be a very interesting topic and I know the children will thoroughly enjoy their learning over the coming weeks.
We teach English through our project, with many opportunities for the children to write, developing their grammar, punctuation and spelling. Our book units this term link closely the theme for the term including The Smeds and The Smoos, Here We Are, The Hackney Martian and The Man on the Moon.
Mathematics is also linked to our project and covers the curriculum for Year 2. We teach maths in practical and exciting ways to deepen the children's understanding. This term, areas covered includes time, shape, money, measurement and statistics.
We also use of the Forest School area for maths, literacy and project. Outside learning gives children a fantastic opportunity to explore and be creative and so where possible, reading and creating stories will take place within the Forest School.


PBT Solar Eclipse Viewing Party presented by The Alcon Foundation
Celebrate the cosmic events of solar eclipse with a viewing party with PBT.
You can have the best view of the solar eclipse in the greater Houston area when you join Prevent Blindness Texas and The Alcon Foundation in the clouds at the Rooftop Cinema Club. Solar Eclipse-Themed Activities: refreshments, music from the Lizzerds, and the perfect view of the solar eclipse.
The 2017 solar eclipse was viewed by 88% of all Americans—more than 214 million people. In the next year, we will welcome two more solar eclipses—an annular eclipse on October 14, 2023, and a total eclipse on April 8, 2024. The entire United States will be able to view these eclipses, and Texas will be at the center with near complete coverage. There will not be another solar eclipse for 20 years, so you will want to mark your calendars and get your ticket to the rooftop viewing!


Dick said he would like to try and do it on foot rather that take the truck up there (LOL). The next day we headed off and found the trail starting up the hill. It was quite a climb with lots of switch-backs and loose rocks but what a sight when we got to the top. The park says (in its literature) that it is a .5 mile hike -- that must be as the crow flies. Nice hike, and Dick was pleased that Jackie could do it (she is not known for her balance, etc., you see).
A little bit of a close-up showing just part of the campground. Looking at it from up here it doesn't look like much, but it really is a nice park. We hiked back down and then went to town for groceries and out to a nice dinner at the Red Ocotillo restaurant here in Borrego Springs. (We have US and WA flags flying -- can you find us?)
These following pictures are for Dick's daughter Debbie; she challenged him to show the depth of the stars in a photograph. He is still trying, but needs to find an area where the north star is out and maybe get a little better shot.
Had to try and see what could be done with the moon and a long lens. This is the best that Dick could do with the equipment he has; it was fun trying.
Again with a longer lens but after the full moon was out. He is sitting out on the picnic table with his camera on a tripod. Too bright to try and see what is in the sky with that darn full moon.
The next two were taken tonight before the moon came up. Wanted to get some more but got back to the rig to change batteries and was a little concerned about all the noise out in the desert.
And finally here is the last shot Dick took. It was a 15-minute exposure at F3.8. The stars are not out-of-focus: it's just that there are so many and all at a different brightness. Two minutes after he got back home you could hear a pack of coyotes were he had set up to take these, that was the "noise out in the desert".
We are off in the morning (Wednesday January 14) for about 2 weeks on BLM land (free) near Quartzsite Arizona with 30 to 40 other Montana owners. Should be fun and maybe Dick can get out and try some more time-exposure night shots out in the desert.
To be continued...


It’s no secret that space is full of mysteries.
Our species has barely gone past our own planet’s moon, and only one of our probes, Voyager 1, has even left the solar system. Much of what we’ve learned about deep space has been pieced together from falling objects and views from telescopes.
Some of the famous (and chilling) space mysteries, like the face on Mars (it was shadows), or the black knight satellite “UFO” (it’s satellite debris), have been solved.
But space is rife with unexplained phenomena that put those two mere optical illusions to shame.
And some of the seven included in this slideshow could hold the key to understanding the universe.
star trek discovery
star trek voyager
space star trek discovery
discovery space projector


What you need to know about the Great American Solar Eclipse!
While numerous eclipses are expected to pass over America during the 2st century, the highly anticipated total eclipse is a phenomenon that no one wants to miss. Missing it means waiting for seven years before you can see another one. People around the United States are encouraged to come out and enjoy what has been described as the great eclipse.
America’s Total Solar Eclipse
From mid-August, a high influx of both residents and tourists will be preparing for the moment when the shadow of the Moon touches the earth. Make sure you see this memorable sight by selecting a strategic position that you can view it from.
A glimpse of the Sun being eclipsed will be the first time that the total solar eclipse occurs in the United States in 26 years. For people who may have not had the chance to witness an eclipse, they can rest assured that the sight is one of the most beautiful occurrences that the planet has to offer.
Preparing for the Eclipse
- As August 21, 2017 approaches, eclipse enthusiasts can begin to choose their viewing locations early enough to avoid any risk of missing their goal of seeing the eclipse. Cities that are along the aptly named path of totality provide viewing areas to ensure that that people are comfortable as they enjoy the eclipse safely.
- Counting down to the great American solar eclipse is one of the highlights of the entire experience. Preparations for the special day include making sure that you have all the photography equipment that you need, eye protection, telescopes, broadcast equipment, tables, chairs, appropriate clothing and sunscreen.
- Weather forecasts will be closely monitored during this period with minimal concerns regarding a cloudy eclipse day, constant updates and making sure that no obstacles prevent people from observing the eclipse. Tours before the eclipse are available to enable individuals to be mentally prepared for the event.
- Around August 19, 2017, scientists and photographers who plan to record the event will be making their lat-minute preparations. Actions and events have been planned for several years prior to the eclipse. These need to be practiced continually for optimal results. Everything has to be set up by this time as the big day finally arrives.
Eclipse day is officially August 21, 2017 and the shadow of the Moon will appear after going through space to collide with Earth. Astronomers already predicted decades earlier that the shadow’s arrival will be accurate.
North Pacific Ocean is the point of touch down at sunrise and this is the point where the Sun rises as it is totally eclipsed. Few people have been able to see this sight, including well-known eclipse researchers and supernatural is among the words that have been used to describe the scene. The complete shadow or umbral cone lands after a minute and races across the water’s surface at a tremendous speed.
The shadow’s passing will only be noticed when land gets in its way and this will be on American soil. The shadow makes its initial contact with land on the Oregon beach with almost 2 minutes worth of totality. This experience moves to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois (partial eclipse), Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and ends in South Carolina.


The Boar Studio
Titan Outpost review
7659 MB available space
Titan Outpost Review
Titan Outpost is an application by The Boar Studio. Titan Outpost was first published on . It is currently available for Steam, Other.
It is the year 2077. Earth is slowly dying and starving for energy, and humanity has turned to the solar system to meet its ever-growing needs. The Moon has been plundered; the Chinese have begun to colonise Mars, and now the world has set its eyes on hydrocarbon-rich Titan, Saturn's sixth moon. Your employers, the International Autonomous Space Association, are desperate to claim it before the Chinese can. On frosty Titan, this war will be very cold indeed.
- A hard science fiction setting inspired by Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov and Stanislaw Lem.
- An open-ended structure in which your choices define not only the course of the plot, but the fate of the world.
- A rich character-creation system, in which you define your character's attributes and develop his or her skills and gear over the course of the game.
- A robust base-building system, in which you must manage your crew, resources, and facilities to survive the harsh environment and your political rivals.
- Multiple approaches to the game's challenges: dialogue; crafting; exploration; trade; and violence are all viable ways to win.
- A rich and reactive story full of mysteries, twists, and memorable characters.


Ray Norris is a British/Australian astronomer with CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science who researches how galaxies formed after the Big Bang. He also researches the astronomy of Australian Aboriginal people, for which he is an Adjunct Professor in Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University. He was educated at Cambridge University, UK, and moved to Australia in 1983 to join CSIRO, where he became Head of Astrophysics in 1994, and then Australia Telescope Deputy Director before returning in 2005 to active research. He currently leads an international project to image the faintest radio galaxies in the Universe, using the new ASKAP radiotelescope being built in Western Australia. He frequently appears on radio and TV, performs in a stage show called “The First Astronomers?”, and has recently published a novel, Graven Images.


Chirp... Chirp.... Chirp....
"Hey guys, we did it! It's responding!" The room erupts with cheers.
And so goes the story of the first Open Source team to put a live robot on the surface of Luna.
If you want to be part of this exciting team of crazy folks, sign on now. We need engineers, scientists, thinkers, and doers from all disciplines to help us make this happen. If you've ever dreamt of putting your own, personal touch on something in space, this is it. We're going for it!
We need your talent and ideas. Join the team today.
Hardware Lead Engineer


European Satellite Space Agency Scientists Have Lost Contact With Envisat Satellite Which Has Been In Operation For Ten Years, It Main Purpose Was To Send Pictures Of Earth From Space. As An Example: Images From Oil Spills At Sea, Iceberg Hazards And Weather Forecasts.
Following the loss of communications, the satellite however appears to be in good physical condition, however communications and messages are no longer operational. Furthermore, the “safe mode” that ensures the solar panels point towards the sun may also be faulty or not operating. Currently, dedicated experts are working on how to solve the problem.
It appears this satellite wasn’t in fact designed to operate for as long as it has been, nevertheless the European Space Agency (ESA) was confident that the satellite would be in full operation until 2014.


Pluto in Capricorn is a period of reforms
August 7, 2008
More about Pluto in Capricorn
Pluto is the farthest planet away from the Sun in Solar System. It is a very small piece of rock and in 2007, it was “demoted” from the class of Planet. For convenience sake, we still call it a planet. Although Pluto is small, it is highly influential in astrology.
Psychic Maria Duval says Pluto represents the deepest realm of affairs, at the lowest of the unexplored pitch dark sea trenches. In early 2008, this little planet travels into the zodiac of Capricorn, until year 2023. I have written in the linked post earlier about the possible significances of this phenomenon. Today I will write more about it.
Interestingly, this celestial combination means that there will be a vertical movement of Pluto in the “Mountain Goat”. In a sense, this is highly spiritual, provided it moves upwards. As a result, there is something to do with “will” and “power”, and have huge potential of regenerative effect on the masses.
It is slow celestial movement that why it needs so many years to get out as Pluto i read is freaking slow moving body. Capricorn, on the other hand, is a cautious sign. It emphasizes in goals, targets and objectives, hence expect a lot of reforms and social impacts in the world.
A great point to take note is political leaders are heavily linked to Capricorn. This applies to governments, people with power and status. Good and bad things can happen in this period, both to the extremes, meaning can be highly harmonious or destructive! It has power and influence also on money, sex, abuse, so do expect a lot of incidents to happen due to these and selfish reasons. My view is, we are in for a tumultuous era and a time of social and political reforms.
Maria Duval predicts a general growth of consciousness will happen that culminates with the combination of Capricorn with Pluto. The astrological events can challenge the status-quo of those who hold unequal power. Ultimately, we are referring to power unequal to their Soul’s development. So, for the individual, so for a nation. We are in for a great time 😛


The United Nations of Earth is a human planet in the Milky Way galaxy, the small planet has no official government, the planet is divided into 320 independent nations which fight among st one another over the planets very limited resources. The UNE is most commonly referred to as Terra, primarily because Terra is in reference to the planet itself, since there is no planetary government. Terra is most commonly used as a derogatory term for the planet, as Terra is self defined by the Terran as meaning dirt. Terra is the poorest nation in the known universe, bearing the worst living conditions and worst average income. Terra destroyed itself in its 21st century, of which their calendar currently dates the year 2259 AD.


The space industry has changed dramatically since the Apollo program put men on the moon in the late 1960s.
Today, over 50 years later, private companies are sending tourists to the edge of space and building lunar landers. NASA is bringing together 27 countries to peacefully explore the Moon and beyond, and it is using the James Webb Space Telescope to peer back in time.
Private companies are playing a much larger role in space than they ever have before, though NASA and other government interests continue to drive scientific advances.
I’m a macroeconomist who’s interested in understanding how these space-related innovations and the growing role of private industry have affected the economy. Recently, the U.S. government started tracking the space economy’s size.
These data can tell us the size of the space-related industry, whether its outputs come mainly from government or private enterprise, and how they have been growing relative to the economy at large.
Are you a Tax Lawyer in USA?
Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic made up over 80% of the U.S. space economy in 2021. The government held a 19% share of space spending, up from 16% in 2012—mostly thanks to an increase in military spending.
There are many ways to measure economic success in space.
One way is the economic impact. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which tracks the nation’s gross domestic product and other indicators, recently began to monitor the space economy and published figures from 2012 to 2021.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis calculated the impact of space using both broad and narrow definitions.
The broad definition comprises four parts: things used in space, like rocket ships; items supporting space travel, like launch pads; things getting direct input from space, like cell phone GPS chips; and space education, like planetariums and college astrophysics departments.
In 2021, the broad definition showed that total space-related sales, or what the government calls gross output, was over US$210 billion, before adjusting for inflation. That number represents about 0.5% of the whole U.S. economy’s total gross output.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis also has a narrow definition that excludes satellite television, satellite radio and space education. The difference in definitions is important because back in 2012 these three categories represented one-quarter of all space spending.
However, by 2021, they only represented one-eighth of spending because many people had switched from watching satellite TV to streaming movies and shows over the internet.
A closer look at the data shows that space’s share of the U.S. economy is shrinking.
Using the broad definition and adjusting for inflation, the relative size of the space economy fell by about one-fifth from 2012 to 2021. This is because sales of space-related items—everything from rockets to satellite TV—have barely changed since 2015.
Using the narrow definition also shows the space economy is getting relatively smaller. From 2012 to 2021, the space sector’s inflation-adjusted gross output grew on average 3% a year, compared with 5% for the overall economy. This suggests space is not growing as fast as other economic sectors.
The number of jobs created by the space economy has also declined. In 2021, 360,000 people worked full- or part-time space-related jobs in the private sector, down from 372,000 about a decade earlier, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis could not track all space-related government jobs since spy agencies and parts of the military don’t provide much information.
Nevertheless, it has tracked some since 2018. The military’s Space Force, which is the smallest branch, adds about 9,000 workers. NASA has about 18,000 employees, which is half of its 1960s peak.
Combining these government workers plus all private workers results in just under 400,000 people. To give some perspective, Amazon’s U.S. workforce is over twice as big and Walmart’s is four times bigger than reported U.S. space-related employment.
The U.S. has long dominated the space economy, especially in terms of government spending.
The U.S. government spent a little more than $40 billion in 2017, compared with about $3.5 billion spent by Japan and less than $2 billion by Russia.
Moreover, most of the top private space companies are based in the U.S., led by Boeing, SpaceX, and Raytheon, which gives the U.S. a leg up in continuing to play a leading role with the rockets, satellites and other stuff needed to operate in space.
The U.S. also published more than twice the amount of space research in 2017 as its next nearest rival—China.
But China is catching up and has narrowed the gap in recent years as top Chinese officials decided success in space is a national priority. Their goal is reportedly to surpass the U.S. as the dominant space power by 2045. China recently put a large space station called the Tiangong into orbit and aims to put people on the Moon.
China’s not the only one joining the 21st century space race. India is expanding its space economy rapidly, with 140 space-tech startups. India launched a rocket on July 14, 2023, designed to put a lander and rover on the Moon.
And the European Space Agency’s Euclid spacecraft plans to map parts of the universe to study dark matter. The ESA released the craft’s first test images at the end of July 2023.
The U.S. has a strong foothold in space. But whether it can maintain its lead—as the space race moves into a new frontier of space mining and missions to Mars—remains to be seen. (Source)


Can we believe what we see...?
October 22, 2006 1:47pm CST
Can we believe what we see ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As the old saying goes seeing is believing. Is this really true? I hv one situation, we know that sunlight takes 8 seconds to reach earth. If the sun stops shining for some reasons, we'll still believe for next 8 seconds that sun is shining as usual. And if somebody who's observing both the events ( the sun and the earth) tells us that sun has stopped shining we'll laugh at him. This proves what we see is not always true. Any comments....


Gardening with the moon
Lunar calendar of gardening in November 2020: If you need a little helping hand with knowing when to plant and harvest fruits, vegetables, and flowers in November 2020, know that you can receive it from Earth’s natural satellite in person!
Lunar gardening calendar: the principle
For more than a century, several generations of gardeners and peasants have observed the influence of the moon on the quality of their crops.
By comparing observations and experiments, several principles were highlighted, which made it possible to establish correspondences between the phases of the moon, its trajectory in the sky, and the development of plants … with the key to real benefits of the moon on plants, fruits, and vegetables in the garden!
Lunar calendar in November 2020: which moon phases?
Lunar calendar of gardening in November 2020: If you follow the precepts of lunar gardening, the rising and falling phases of the moon are very important: indeed, the phases of the rising moon are those during which you will be able to sow, grow, graft; while the descending phases will be reserved for pruning, planting, cuttings and repotting.
Likewise, during the waxing moon phases (the period from new moon to full moon) harvests are said to be for conservation, while during waning moon phases (the period from full moon to the next new moon), the crops are made to be eaten.
During the first half of November :
From November 1 to November 2, 2020: ascending moon
From November 3 to 15, 2020: waning moon
First-quarter: Sunday 22 November
Full moon: Monday, November 30
During the second half of November :
From November 16 to 29, 2020: ascending moon
Monday, November 30, 2020: waning moon
Last quarter: Sunday, November 8
New moon: Sunday, November 15
Lunar calendar in November 2020: the days when it is better not to garden
Lunar calendar of gardening in November 2020: Gardening with the moon implies respecting certain principles, such as for example that of not gardening (or else to avoid gardening 5 hours before or after) on days when the moon is at a period:
– Of apogee, which corresponds to the moment when, during its rotation around the Earth, the moon deviates from it as much as possible (maximum distance between the Earth and the Moon).
– Perigee, which corresponds to the moment when, during its journey around the Earth, the moon approaches the latter as much as possible (minimum distance between the two stars).
– Lunar node (when, during its rotation around the Earth, the moon “cuts” the plane of rotation of the latter around the Sun).
For the month of November 2020 :
Lunar perigee: Saturday, November 14
Ascending lunar node: Tuesday, November 17
Lunar peak: Friday, November 27
Descending lunar node: Wednesday, November 4
Lunar calendar for the month of November 2020: fruit days, leaf days, flower days …
Lunar calendar of gardening in November 2020: By taking into account its orbit, its axis, and its distance from the Earth, the lunar calendar differentiates:
- Fruit days, during which you will have to focus on your fruit trees, whether it is planting, sowing, or harvesting!
- Root days, when the emphasis should be on planting, sowing, and harvesting bulbs and root vegetables.
- Flower days, in other words, the perfect days to care for your flowers, shrubs, and other plants.
- Leafy days, particularly favorable for cutting, pruning, planting, sowing, and cutting of leafy plants.
Applied to the lunar calendar of gardening in November 2020:
- Fruit days in November 2020: Sunday, November 8, Monday, November 9, Tuesday, November 10, Tuesday, November 17, Wednesday, November 18, Thursday, November 19, Friday, November 27, Saturday, November 28.
- Root days in November 2020: Monday, November 1, Tuesday, November 2, Wednesday, November 3, Thursday, November 4, Wednesday, November 11, Thursday, November 12, Friday, November 13, Sunday, November 29, Monday, November 30.
- Flower days in November 2020: Thursday, November 5, Friday, November 6, Saturday, November 14, Friday, November 20, Saturday, November 21, Sunday, November 22.
- Leaf days in November 2020: Saturday, November 7, Sunday, November 15, Monday, November 16, Monday, November 23, Tuesday, November 24, Wednesday, November 25, Thursday, November 26.


Metis Data Release 1.0
The purpose of this document is to provide information on the Metis Data Release 1.0, such that the user can technically work with these data and know their potential and limitations.
The Metis Data Release 1.0, released since 2022-07-25, contains the Solar Orbiter/Metis L2 data acquired in the period 2021-12-03 up till and including 2022-04-10. This period covers the beginning of the Nominal Mission Phase (NMP) from STP180 to STP197, under variable instrument configurations.
Access to data
The Metis Data Release 1.0 is public and can be freely downloaded through the Solar Orbiter Archive.
Technical support to the Metis data
Because of the technical and the preliminary calibrated nature of the current release, it is strongly recommended to get in contact with a Metis Team member who will provide technical assistance during data handling. In return, co-authorship on eventual publications is expected. If you are not sure who to contact, ask a suggestion to the Metis Principal Investigator. On request, the Metis Team is glad to provide technical support.
Citation and acknowledgements
When using Metis data, the authors of scientific papers are asked to:
- cite the Metis Instrument paper;
- cite the DOI to identify which Metis Data Release was used;
- include the following statement in the acknowledgements "Solar Orbiter is a space mission of international collaboration between ESA and NASA, operated by ESA. Metis was built and operated with funding from the Italian Space Agency (ASI), under contracts to the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) and industrial partners. Metis was built with hardware contributions from Germany (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie through DLR), from the Czech Republic (PRODEX), and from ESA".
The usage of Metis images as online web graphics or in printed materials should mention "Image courtesy: ESA/Solar Orbiter/Metis".
Co-authorship of the Metis Team people in charge of the planning of the acquisitions involved during the period covered in the present Data Release is expected. Please refer to this table (link) for the list of people responsible of each STP.
Please send a notice to email@example.com as to facilitate cross-referencing and accumulate statistics for future missions and team reviews.
Metis science data description and disclaimer
Metis data products are processed at various levels ranging from Level 0 to Level 3.
- Level 0 (L0): uncalibrated data (units of DN) obtained from telemetry packets that are uncompressed and formatted in standard FITS format. The FITS headers contain only information that is available from the telemetry packet headers.
- Level 1 (L1): uncalibrated data (units of DN). The metadata contains extra engineering data from housekeeping telemetry packets and scientific coordinate systems (WCS) keywords.
- Level 2 (L2): data calibrated to physical units and ready for the scientific analysis. They consist of VL fixed-polarization, polarised-brightness, total-brightness, polarization-angle, and Stokes parameters images, and UV images. Corrections for bias, dark-current, flat-field, and vignetting are applied together with exposure normalization, pointing adjustment, and radiometric calibration. All available orbital and attitude information is used and coordinates are expressed in scientific coordinate systems (WCS).
- Level 3 (L3): science data derived from L2 data obtained after scientific analysis, i.e., movies, Carrington maps, electron-density maps, solar-wind outflow velocity maps, etc.
General users are recommended to use L2 data (and, if available L3 data) from the latest release for essentially all scientific analyses, both qualitative and quantitative. L0 and L1 data are only relevant for users who wish to study the data calibration process and will be available only upon request.
The production of Metis public data reflects current instrument calibration as determined by the Metis science team. Calibration efforts are ongoing and public data will be updated over the course of the mission based on improved understanding of instrument response. Each such data reprocessing will be distributed as a new release of the data and new data will be added to the current releaseuntil a reprocessing is needed. Previous versions of the data, corresponding to old releases, will continue to be available for reproducibility of past research.
Data are provided in the standard FITS format with the following naming convention according to ESA/Solar Orbiter standards:
- descriptor is a string which uniquely identifies the data type in the file (for the details, please refer to the Appendix B of the Solar Orbiter/Metis Data Product Description Document;
- datetime is the timestamp of the data in the file, i.e., the UTC at which the observation was made by the spacecraft;
- version is the version of the FITS file.
This section contains a summary of limitations and data issues that were known and documented at the release date.
- Stray light: VL and UV images are not corrected from stray light.
- Debris: VL images sometimes exhibit multiple luminous stripes or patches that sometimes extend over a significant portion of the image and may be detected moving in several consecutive frames. These patterns can typically be attributed to debris passing in front of the instrument aperture.
- UVD anomaly: The UV channel is affected by some anomalies that temporarily alter the instrument response in the UV channel. For instance, brightenings over the entire or large parts of the detector, lasting from minutes or hours, can be detected. These anomalies are under active investigation, and are not corrected yet in the present data release. It is strongly suggested to contact the Metis Team (firstname.lastname@example.org) to verify the presence of known anomalies in any specific UV data set.
- Fixed pattern noise: The present calibration pipeline does not fully correct from the fixed pattern noise that can be seen in the VL channel images as a periodic column or row pattern.
- Vignetting function: The vignetting was measured during the on-ground characterization, and has been synthetically adapted to the in-flight occulting configuration. The occulting configuration has changed due to launch activity with subsequent internal occulter realignment. Deviations from the true vignetting function are most evident in the inner FoV.
- Optical performance: For spatial resolution and other optical performance, please refer to Antonucci et al., 2020. Updated values of plate scale and vignetting function for the UV channel are given in Andretta et al., 2021.
- Error matrices: Metis L2 FITS files come with an estimate of the data uncertainty provided in a FITS extension named “Error matrix”; however, in the present data release error matrices are still preliminary and should not be used for quantitative analysis.
- Ghost images: In case a very bright object - like a planet - is present in the instrument FOV, some ghost images may appear in the form of few luminous spots. These spots can be observed in a region more or less symmetrical to the planet with respect to the image center.
For information on data quality, content, and availability, please contact the Metis Team.
For further information please refer to the following documentation:
- the Metis Instrument paper;
- a preliminary version of the Metis Data User Guide (coming soon);
- the Solar Orbiter/Metis Data Product Description Document containing the detailed description of the Metis FITS files structure and the processing steps required to produce the L2 data
- the Metis Data Products and Publication Policy.


The Man in the Moon was a character from Georges Melies's film A Trip to the Moon. Although he only appeared once, in a brief scene, he is the symbol of A Trip to the Moon, and the Automan draws a picture of him.
Character Biography Edit
Man-Eating Moon Edit
The Man_Eating Moon could possibly be the same character as the Man In the Moon.
A Trip to the Moon Edit
The Man in the Moon was blinded by a rocket which flew into one eye.


Exoplanet research at the RIU
The RIU, Department of Planetary Research, was one of the detection teams of the CoRoT mission (CO-I contribution by Martin Paetzold). Its task was the detection of planetary candidates that were followed up with Radial Velocity.
It cooperates in Germany with:
- Observatory in Tautenburg
- DLR Berlin
Further foci at RIU-PF are:
- Transit Time Variation
- Tidal evolution of the orbits of extrasolar planets (Paetzold, M. and H. Rauer, 2002; Paetzold, M., L. Carone and H. Rauer, 2004; Paetzold, M. 2014)
Since 2004, the RIU, Department of Planetary Research, has been developing software to detect extrasolar planets from a light curve. A light curve is overlain by disturbances that make the detection of transits difficult, and, therefore, a software that can filter the disturbances is essential. Such a software that also automatically detects planetary candidates has been developed at RIU-PF by Gahr (2006) and Grziwa et al. (2012). During the six-year mission, the RIU-PF has worked on the detection of planetary candidates and was responsible for the selection of candidates for ground-based follow-up. The detection pipeline is continuously developed through the experience achieved during the mission:
In 2010 the detection pipeline received a software that simulates combinations of binary stars and compares them with the transit in the light curves (Grziwa 2010). With this software transits of binary stars can be identified and the confusion with planetary transits excluded. Stellar variations and other disturbances in light curves are reduced with new developed wavelet-based filtering methods (VARLET and PHALET (Grziwa 2016):
VARLET completely separates variations and jumps out of the light curve without removing the transit. Thus is simplifies the search for transits of small planets. VARLET filtered light curves of CoRoT were included by the CNES in the data in 2014.
PHALET separates periodic signals of known frequency like transits or binaries from a light curve. This makes the detection of planetary systems and planets in binary star systems easier.
Since the availability of the Kepler data, RIU-PF has also used the detection pipeline to search these light curves for extrasolar planets and has detected thousands of potential extrasolar planets. A comparison with the Kepler team lists (Candidates of Interest) yields an agreement of 95 %. Other previously unknown candidates for investigation were found. Currently, RIU-PF is developing new detection algorithms and specialized filters to remove instrumental noise. Further aims included determining as many planet parameters as precisely as possible directly from the light curve.
Due to a failure of two reaction wheels Kepler went out of service in 2013. The mission (now called K2) was continued with a different observing strategy and a lower pointing accuracy. RIU-PF developed an additional correction method to partially compensate this inaccuracy (tracking and correction of the movement and rotation of the CCD). As part of the KEST collaboration the RIU-Pf detected many new planets in K2 light curves which were confirmed by follow-up observation (Grziwa et al. 2016, Marshall et al. 2016).
Determining Transit Time Variations (TTV) and Transit Shape Variations (TSV) should support the process. These methods should ensure that there is an exact characterization of extrasolar planets in future missions.
Transit Time Variation:
Planets in a system mutually exert gravitational forces on each other, influencing their motion in their orbits around the star.
The consequence of the orbit disturbances of the transiting planet is that the current period is not constant but varies periodically around a mean period. This is called Transit Time Variation (TTV). More contributions to the orbit disturbance of the transiting planet in addition to the gravitational interaction are:
- The oblate (flattened) figure of the star
- The tidal forces between star and transiting planet
- The movement of transiting planets in the gravitational potential of the star (theory of relativity)
Measurements of the transit times and the deviations from a mean period may indicate the presence of other planetary bodies disturbing the orbit of the transiting planet. Thus an unknown and/or not transiting planets can be detected.
The orbit parameters of the planetary candidates that show TTV can be estimated through the simulation of the planetary system. These orbit parameters are: orbital period, semimajor axis, mass of the planet, orbit inclination and eccentricity. Thus the planetary constellation that can produce the measured TTV can be estimated. Comparing the measured TTV and the simulated TTV allows confirmation of whether a further planet (with the calculated parameters) disturbs the orbit of the transiting planet.
A consequence of the analysis of the transit times is the detection of multi-planet systems.


NASA has been inspiring the world with its mesmerizing visuals of outer space for generations. Whether you’re a space enthusiast or just looking for beautiful images to adorn your desktop, NASA’s wallpaper HD aesthetic NASA has something for everyone. Featuring stunning images of galaxies, planets, and astronauts, these HD wallpapers will take your breath away.
If you’re looking for something truly unique, consider downloading one of the many amazing NASA HD wallpapers. These images are more detailed and vibrant than your average wallpaper, giving your device a stunning, out-of-this-world look. With hundreds of images available, you’re sure to find one that’s perfect for you.
NASA also offers an array of special wallpapers. From classic images of Earth and the Moon to colorful renderings of stars and galaxies, these wallpapers will make your device look like it’s part of the universe. Plus, you’ll be able to show off your love of space exploration to family and friends.
When you’re ready to take your wallpaper experience to the next level, consider downloading one of the many 3D wallpapers available. These incredible images feature realistic textures and lighting, making them look like they’re right out of a science fiction movie. Plus, they’re sure to add a touch of drama to your desktop.
No matter what type of wallpaper you’re looking for, NASA has something to offer. From classic images to modern 3D renderings, these high-definition wallpapers will help you express your love of space exploration in style. So, what are you waiting for? Download one of these amazing wallpapers today and start exploring the universe.
Advantages of NASA Wallpaper HD Aesthetic
NASA wallpaper HD aesthetic offers many advantages over other types of wallpapers. First, these high-definition images are much more detailed and vibrant, which makes them look more realistic and eye-catching. Plus, they can be downloaded in a variety of sizes and resolutions, so you’ll always have the perfect wallpaper for your device.
Another advantage of NASA wallpaper HD aesthetic is that it’s free of charge. Unlike some other types of wallpapers, these images are available for download without any cost. This means that you can enjoy as many wallpapers as you want without worrying about going over your budget.
Finally, NASA wallpapers are also incredibly easy to install. All you need to do is download the image, set it as your desktop background, and you’re done. It’s that simple. Plus, you can switch up your wallpaper as often as you like without having to worry about any complicated installation processes.
NASA wallpaper HD aesthetic offers something for everyone. From classic images of Earth and the Moon to vivid renderings of galaxies and stars, these stunning wallpapers will turn your device into a portal to the universe. Plus, they’re free of charge and easy to install, so you can enjoy as many wallpapers as you want without any hassle. So, why wait? Download one of these amazing wallpapers today and start exploring the universe.
From classic images to modern 3D renderings, NASA wallpaper HD aesthetic has something for everyone. These stunning images will turn your device into a portal to the universe. Plus, they’re free of charge and easy to install, so you can enjoy as many wallpapers as you want without any hassle. So, why wait? Download one of these amazing wallpapers today and start exploring the universe.


Cybersecurity challenges and constraints on launch operations
Thu June 11 2020, from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm
Cybersecurity challenges and constraints on launch operations : June, 11 2020 at Guiana Space Center, Kourou
- Day introduction9:00am9:15am
- Day conclusion4:45pm5:00pm
- Social Event6:30pm11:00pm
- to establish a state of play of nowadays and future challenges and to present solutions envisioned by and for Europe's spaceport,
- together with stakeholders, to identify synergies on alike challenges encountered outside of space launch context,
- to highlight and enrich local skills and capacities:
- new methods or technologies linked to Ariane 6 project : which valorisation for CNES, space and outside space activities ?
- evolutions of systems and needs of Europe's spaceport and CSG-NG project : what are the perspectives and what are the business needs, especially related to operations and cybersecurity ?
- to think about the best ways to answer our challenges taking into accounts CSG context.
Activities around CSG will also be planned before or after this date.


Just before 5 a.m. Eastern on July 21, 2011, the Space Shuttle Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center for the final time. No American manned spaceflight has taken place since:
Currently, it has been more than five years since the Space Shuttle program came to a conclusion. This is how long ago that was:
Time since the last manned American spaceflight (STS-135):
“That’s terrible! NASA’s fallen down on the job! Blame Obama!” you say. But you miss the context. The United States of America has gone even longer without sending a person into space from its shores.
The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission, the final Apollo spacecraft flight, splashed down after a nine-day mission on July 24, 1975. Precisely 2,089 days later (5 years, 8 months and 19 days), Columbia lifted off from Cape Canaveral on the inaugural Space Shuttle flight, beginning the orbiter program’s 30-year career.
For America’s current manned spaceflight drought to last that long, we’d have to go without a manned flight through April 9, 2017.
Time to go until America’s current manned spaceflight drought eclipses the time between ASTP (1975) and STS-1 (1981):
In the meantime, American astronauts bound for the ISS have to hitch rides on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. At $82 million a seat, it’s not cheap for the American taxpayer (and that’s up from before). So the desire to get a program that can launch astronauts from American spaceports operational is quite strong around NASA.
There are several candidates, NASA merely one among them, for the next manned spaceflight to lift off from American soil. Here’s who is closest and when they might go:
SpaceX Dragon V2
First Scheduled Manned Spaceflight: Sometime in Mid-2017
Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its Dragon spacecraft are currently the closest to breaking the American space drought, which is pretty incredible for a private company. The Dragon V2 spacecraft, a manned version of their successful Dragon ISS resupply ship, is still undergoing development, although it has passed some significant milestones, including a hover test for its SuperDraco landing/escape rocket engines:
Dragon also passed a successful Pad Abort test in May of 2015 at the Cape:
The current plan is for Dragon V2 to fly an unmanned test flight in May of 2017 before putting real live people in it for a flight in the middle of the year. Operational missions, likely to the ISS, are expected to follow shortly thereafter, according to this piece in SpaceNews.
SpaceX has already racked up an impressive list of firsts, from being the first private company to successfully launch a spacecraft into orbit to being the first entity of any kind to land a used first rocket stage after it had been used in an operational launch.
But SpaceX has also had its share of mishaps, most recently the explosion of a Falcon 9 carrying the CRS7 Dragon ISS resupply capsule in June of 2015. The company said afterwards that, had it been a manned spacecraft, the abort system would probably have worked well enough to save the lives of anyone inside, according to Popular Science.
So while it is still likely that the company will be America’s first orbital standard-bearer since Atlantis, exactly when that happens, given Elon Musk’s company’s understandable conservatism, will rely on not hitting any unexpected technical hurdles along the way – something that may indeed happen, if we know anything about manned space flight. Still, their date for a manned flight is currently the most specific.
Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser
First Scheduled Manned Spaceflight: 2017
Perhaps the most ambitious of the private contenders for NASA’s Commercial Crew requirement, Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser lifting body. SNC scored a big victory with its securing of a NASA CRS-2 contract, which calls for manned launches to the ISS as soon as 2019 – not bad for a long-time space hardware firm’s first manned spacecraft, especially when you consider it is supposed to carry up to seven astronauts and land on a runway.
Dream Chaser has already completed an unpiloted glide flight, proving its automatic systems’ ability to bring the wingless craft in for a smooth landing. However, the left main landing gear failed to deploy, which resulted in the machine skidding off the runway at Edwards, not to mention a painfully awkward conclusion to the company’s video news release:
As of 2014, Dream Chaser was scheduled for an unmanned orbital test flight aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle in November of 2016, according to the BBC, with a first manned mission occurring in 2017. But no SNC launch is scheduled as of this writing for the 2016 calendar year, which leads one to believe that the company is pushing back sending the Dream Chaser to space until at least 2017.
Boeing CST-100 StarLiner
First Scheduled Manned Spaceflight: February 2018
Boeing’s StarLiner is a stripping-down of Boeing’s leftover work on the ill-fated Constellation program for use in the CRS program. Boeing is the only traditional aerospace giant involved in private spaceflight at the moment, and given the considerable resources it can throw behind the program, it would not be a logistical stretch to expect the Starliner to become operational quite quickly.
Yet, there have been delays. Initially scheduled for a first flight in early 2017, Boeing announced in an investor’s call just recently that the schedule had been pushed back by at least eight months due to mass reduction and aerodynamic problems with its planed Atlas V launch vehicle. The current schedule looks like this:
- October 2017 – Pad Abort Test
- December 2017 – Unmanned Orbital Test (30 days)
- February 2018 – First Manned Orbital Flight, including a trip to ISS (14 days)
Boeing didn’t get any help from being dropped from NASA’s CRS-2 contract consideration in favor of SpaceX, Orbital ATK and Sierra Nevada in November of 2015. As of now, Starliner is still getting NASA funding under the Commercial Crew Integration Capability (CCiCap), and Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) programs, but whether Boeing elects to keep the program going long enough for it to make a run at any CRS-3 missions to the ISS, which wouldn’t start any sooner than 2024, is a matter of debate.
NASA – Orion
First Scheduled Manned Spaceflight: April 2023 (or hopefully 2021)
Ironically, NASA’s own underfunded and over-politicized Orion capsule has the longest lead time to its first manned expedition, set currently for “no later than April 2023” according to Space.com, although there’s an “aggressive internal deadline” of 2021.
Compounding the funding and political problems of Orion are:
- An antiquated, bureaucratic development structure.
- The Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle, derisively called the Senate Launch System, since it was stipulated by non-space people to use existing leftover technology from the Shuttle and Apollo programs, eschewing innovation.
- No real place to go. The Moon? Been there. An asteroid? Likely too complex. Mars? Too risky give current technology.
Orion’s first unmanned test, EFT-1, was an astounding success, and gave us a tantalizing glimpse into what we would regularly see from an operational Orion:
Fun as that was, unmanned flights aren’t where the meat is, and Orion is still a long way off from there. Here’s the tentative schedule:
As NASA’s ostensible platform for lunar and interplanetary exploration, Orion isn’t part of the CCDev program. But that subjects it to the sluggish NASA bureaucracy, which has proven itself to be the mother of all bureaucracies.
First Scheduled Manned Spaceflight: ?
All we know at this point is that Amazon.com tycoon Jeff Bezos’ company is planning to unveil a new orbital launch vehicle and spacecraft sometime in 2016. That’s it.
Blue Origin has already found some lucrative commercial success with its proposed BE-4 engine, a liquid methane-oxygen staged combustion rocket engine that United Launch Alliance hopes will obviate its need for Russian-built, and thus highly politically sensitive, Energomash RD-180 engines currently in use with the Atlas V on its new rocket, the Vulcan, slated for launch in 2019. The BE-4 is slated for test firing in late 2016.
But as far as launching its own hardware, there seem to be a lot of high-minded promises and pretty renderings, but precious few specifics.
This is par for the course for Blue Origin, which has made Soviet-level secrecy a habit. Per their M.O., we didn’t know anything about their New Shepard system’s third and latest sub-orbital hop and full recovery in early April until after it happened:
But sub-orbital hops, though an interesting toy experience for super-rich people, don’t get anyone outside the 0.01% excited. Nor should they.
By the way, someone should tell that to Richard Branson.
Perhaps Blue Origin is instead positioning itself as a prime engine manufacturer, as the technology behind the BE-4 is so advanced as to be considered impossible just a few short years ago. Its partnership with ULA would make things really awkward if Blue Origin decided to use the same advanced propulsion technology in an in-house built competitor to Vulcan.
In the meantime, it appears that SpaceX is in prime position to carry astronauts into orbit from American soil for the first time since Atlantis concluded the Space Shuttle program in 2011. Things could change, especially regarding the politically sensitive nature of Defense Department missions, the fate of the Atlas V’s reliance on Russian engines, inevitable technical snags, and of course, politics.
America will return to orbit very soon – likely in the next year. When it does, however, the future of American manned spaceflight will look very different indeed from the way it was when we all grew up, as companies like SpaceX and Sierra Nevada, instead of nations, vie for NASA contracts, rather than political and technical prestige. We are now in the midst of a new space race, fueled by capitalism, and it will be a lot of fun seeing who win.


Exciting news on India’s space journey! 🚀🌕 Chandrayaan-3 mission is taking a leap towards the Moon’s surface. 🌙✨ The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has accomplished a significant feat by successfully adjusting the orbit of the Chandrayaan-3 Lander Module (LM). The eagerly awaited moment is set for Today evening at 6:04 PM IST, when the LM is anticipated to touch down on the lunar southern pole. This remarkable milestone not only propels India’s space endeavors but also promises valuable insights into the lunar landscape. 🌑🔍 Set the alarm and join to witness the Chandrayaan-3 as it embarks on its historic journey! #ISRO #Chandrayaan3 #nepal #kantipurplanetarium #India #LunarExploration #MoonMission #SpaceAchievements #moom #VikramLander
Embark on a journey of monumental achievement as we present the “Chandrayaan 3 Status Video.” This captivating video encapsulates the triumphant voyage of Chandrayaan 3, India’s ambitious lunar exploration mission that has etched its name in history. With unwavering determination, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) brings you a tale of innovation, dedication, and scientific brilliance. This video isn’t just a status update; it’s a chronicle of Chandrayaan 3’s remarkable accomplishments—a saga that echoes through India’s space exploration journey. Experience this historic success and its significance for the nation’s future endeavors on the cosmic canvas.
Introducing the Chandrayaan 3 Status Video: Mission Accomplishments – A Historic Success
Embark on a remarkable journey of triumph and achievement as we unveil the Chandrayaan 3 Status Video. This captivating video showcases the monumental accomplishments of Chandrayaan 3, India’s ambitious lunar exploration mission that has etched its name in history. Prepare to be inspired by the unwavering determination, innovation, and scientific brilliance of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This video is not just a mere status update; it is a chronicle of Chandrayaan 3’s remarkable achievements, a saga that reverberates through India’s space exploration journey. Join us on the weescape.vn website to witness this historic success and embrace the spirit of exploration, innovation, and the quest for the stars.
Chandrayaan-3: India’s Ambitious Lunar Exploration Mission
The Chandrayaan-3 mission represents a remarkable leap forward in India’s relentless pursuit of space exploration and scientific advancement. With each mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) propels the nation’s capabilities further into the cosmos, and Chandrayaan-3 stands as a testament to this unwavering commitment. Meticulously crafted by ISRO’s brilliant minds, this mission encompasses a comprehensive suite of scientific objectives aimed at unraveling the mysteries of the Moon. Building upon the successes and lessons learned from its predecessors, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 refines and elevates India’s lunar exploration endeavors. Beyond the technical intricacies and scientific goals, Chandrayaan-3 embodies a profound achievement that resonates with the hearts of 1.4 billion Indians. It represents the collective dreams of a nation, serving as a beacon of inspiration and unity. This endeavor goes beyond geographical boundaries and cultural diversities, unifying the nation under the shared vision of reaching for the stars.
Unveiling the Chandrayaan 3 Status Video
Prepare to be captivated as we unveil the Chandrayaan 3 Status Video, a visual masterpiece that encapsulates the awe-inspiring journey of India’s lunar exploration mission. This video is not just a mere collection of status updates; it is a testament to the indomitable spirit of human exploration and the remarkable achievements of Chandrayaan 3. Through stunning visuals and compelling storytelling, the video takes you on a virtual voyage, showcasing the meticulous planning, engineering brilliance, and scientific ingenuity that made this mission a historic success. Join us on the weescape.vn website to witness this extraordinary video and immerse yourself in the spirit of exploration, innovation, and the boundless possibilities of the cosmos.
The Achievement of Chandrayaan-3
The successful completion of Chandrayaan-3 marks a momentous milestone in India’s space exploration journey. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the nation’s unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery and technological innovation. Chandrayaan-3 represents the culmination of years of meticulous planning, dedication, and collaboration among the brilliant minds at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It stands as a shining example of India’s prowess in the field of space exploration and its ability to compete on a global scale.
India’s Relentless Pursuit of Space Exploration
India’s journey in space exploration has been characterized by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and a determination to explore the unknown. With each mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has pushed the boundaries of what is possible, propelling the nation’s capabilities further into the cosmos. Chandrayaan-3 is a testament to this unwavering commitment, representing a significant leap forward in India’s quest to unravel the mysteries of the Moon. It showcases the nation’s scientific brilliance, technological expertise, and the collective spirit of its people, who have come together to achieve something truly extraordinary.
Chandrayaan-3: Refining and Elevating India’s Lunar Exploration
Chandrayaan-3 builds upon the successes and lessons learned from its predecessors, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2, to refine and elevate India’s lunar exploration endeavors. This mission represents a significant step forward in India’s quest to deepen our understanding of the Moon and its secrets. With a comprehensive suite of scientific objectives, Chandrayaan-3 aims to unravel the mysteries of the lunar surface, study its geology, and gather valuable data that will contribute to our knowledge of the Moon’s origin and evolution. Through cutting-edge technology and meticulous planning, Chandrayaan-3 showcases India’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of scientific exploration and its determination to make significant contributions to the global space community.
The Significance of Chandrayaan-3’s Success
The successful completion of Chandrayaan-3 holds immense significance, not just for India but for the global space exploration community. This remarkable achievement showcases India’s growing capabilities in the field of space exploration and solidifies its position as a key player in the quest for scientific knowledge. Chandrayaan-3’s success represents a triumph of human ingenuity, determination, and collaboration, and it paves the way for future advancements in lunar exploration and beyond.
Chandrayaan-3: A Symbol of Inspiration and Unity
Chandrayaan-3 serves as a symbol of inspiration and unity, transcending geographical boundaries and cultural diversities. It ignites a sense of wonder and curiosity in people around the world, inspiring them to dream big and reach for the stars. The success of Chandrayaan-3 not only showcases India’s scientific and technological prowess but also highlights the power of collaboration and the potential that can be unlocked when nations come together to pursue common goals. It serves as a reminder that the exploration of space is a shared endeavor that unites humanity in its quest for knowledge and understanding.
Chandrayaan-3: A Collective Dream Turned Reality
Chandrayaan-3 represents the culmination of a collective dream nurtured by generations of scientists, engineers, and space enthusiasts. It is a testament to the power of determination, innovation, and unwavering commitment. The success of Chandrayaan-3 is a testament to the countless hours of hard work, research, and development put in by the brilliant minds at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is a realization of the aspirations and ambitions of a nation, showcasing India’s ability to transform dreams into reality. Chandrayaan-3’s success is a source of pride for the entire nation and a testament to what can be achieved when a collective vision is pursued with unwavering dedication and passion.
Embark on a journey of monumental achievement with the Chandrayaan 3 Status Video. This captivating video showcases the remarkable accomplishments of India’s lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan 3. It is a testament to the innovation, dedication, and scientific brilliance of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Beyond technical intricacies, Chandrayaan 3 represents the dreams and aspirations of a nation, uniting India under the shared vision of reaching for the stars. Join the cosmic adventure and witness the historic success of Chandrayaan 3 on the weescape.vn website. Thank you for your interest in the spirit of exploration and innovation!


“BIRD” is a Space Observatory pavilion. Bird is in the midst of a forest looking into the valley with clear skies to look up and be lost amidst the stars, looking out in the sky about to take its flight into the stars, metaphorizing and hinting at the abstraction of its form. It sits in the middle of the forest looking out in the sky about to take its flight into the stars, metaphorizing and leading towards abstraction of its form. The form is a derivative of intended directionality as a functional demand.
The pavilion explores timber construction with the technique of wood bending. With the help of digital fabrication and computational logic, the pavilion is a research project exploring timber construction and bending of glulam as a fabrication technique. This hierarchy is analysed based on the number of lamellas that go inside the glulam, its bending curvature and its orientation, showcasing its viability for construction.
Academic Fabrication Research


Who isn't transported to a magical place when looking up into the night sky. The daily changing shape of the moon, the countless shimmering stars, spottable constellations and bright planets, not to mention shooting stars, and those silent fleeting moments that make up dusk and dawn.
The eclectic nature of Sicilian culture has enabled it to become a cultural powerhouse of the arts - design, architecture and astronomical advancements - existing already but heightened by the Arab conquest. Middle eastern and western night sky traditions and mythologies integrated.
Ancient Persian astronomers passing down tales of mythological creatures in the sky, the gods and the beliefs of stellar constellations that match those told to western children passed down from the Greeks. The brightest stars and constellations bear letters from the Greek alphabet yet have correlating Arabic names.
The bright star, Aldebaran or alpha Tauri is also known as ad-dabaran meaning 'The Follower' as it literally follows the Hyades star cluster in the constellation of Taurus.
The constellation of Orion, the given Greek name is one of the most recognisable night sky images. With seven brightest stars and three that make up Orion's belt also known as The Three Kings'. The mythology of a hunter associated. The Arabic name al-jabbar, meaning 'Sword of the giant'.
The Sicilian night sky offers darkness and warm evenings - great for stargazing without a telescope. With the ever-changing sky - planets, comets shower timings and the moon constantly moving, here is a daily list of what can be seen on any given date.
If you would like to book an evening under the stars in Sicily there are the following options:
Book time with a Sicilian astrophotographer - Dario Giannobile is a Siracusan Nasa Magazine Published local engineer who offers limited availability exclusive bespoke experiences for people who desire more than the beach and sunshine in Sicily. Learn more about both Greek and Arabic mythology along with telescope and camera use. From baroque beauty to night landscapes, Dario has captured both the magic of the night sky along with the beauty of the Sicilian architecture, landscapes and statues. His website showcases some of this magnificent work.
For more information on these LIMITED AVAILABILITY BESPOKE experiences please contact:
Hotel Algila 4 Star Superior
93 Via Vittorio Veneto I-96100 Siracusa, Italy Phone (Italy) +39 0931 465186


Browse the Blog
3 Mobile Apps Every Outdoor Photographer Can’t Afford to Miss
May 30, 2015 || By Justin Katz
One of the hardest things about developing a substantial portfolio is the continual need for inspiration. Where to shoot, what to shoot, and how to do it in a unique and interesting way are constantly on the minds of photographers. The three apps featured below are some of my favorite tools for researching how to approach a new scene, when to go, and what I need to bring in order to make the trip as productive as possible.
Pashadelic has completely changed the way that I research locations to photograph. Pashadelic founder, Kenji Yamamura created the site because he identified a problem with the closed community culture of photographers.
| “Being at the Right Place, at the Right Time is an important concept to take beautiful landscape photos. Yet in many countries there are closer or secrecy about where and when to take landscape photos." |
Pashadelic seeks to break down this barrier by allowing users to post their photos, the location, and all the details about what it took to get there, and what was required to get the shot. There is also a social aspect, photographers comment on each other's photos, and gain inspiration from their shared work.
The Photographer's Ephemeris (TPE) app is an invaluable tool allowing you to plan outdoor photography shoots in natural light. It’s a map-centric sun and moon calculator: enabling you to see how the light will fall on the land, day or night, for any location on earth, at any time that you chose. This allows you to plan ahead adequately and ensure the best possible lighting conditions for your shoot.
Check out this video demonstrating it's incredible functionality:
3. Sky Safari
Sky Safari is my new favorite tool for helping me plan my night photography shots. Anytime you want to photograph star trails, the milky way, cosmic events, or a moonlit landscape, Sky Safari will be your new best friend.
This tool allows you to be able to understand what the night sky will look like at a designated time of day, anywhere on Earth. Honestly
, before I started using this app, I essentially would just show up and hope for the best. The basic version of Sky Safari 4:
| "shows you 119,000 stars, plus 220 of the best-known star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies in the sky. It displays the Solar System's major planets and moons using NASA spacecraft imagery, and includes the best-known 500 (or so) asteroids, comets, and satellites. It accurately shows you the sky from anywhere on Earth, at any time up to 100 years in the past or future, and lets you identify stars, planets, and constellations with your iDevice's GPS, compass and/or gyroscope." |
For the purposes of night and star trails photography, this is more than plenty. However if you wish to peer deeper into the cosmos and see more constellations and start clusters than you could have ever imagined, then check out the Sky Safari Plus, or the Sky Safari Pro.
The basic version is available for iPhone and iPad, as well as for Android.
Got any others that I missed? Let me know in the comments section below. And make sure to give us a like or share on social media.
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Squint/Opera was responsible for the production of 19 media exhibits which relate this unique and inspiring story. Highlights include a large-scale projection of the universe sky projected onto 12 original panels of the Lovell Telescope and a bespoke planetarium film narrated by acclaimed physicist Professor Brian Cox.
Jodrell Bank – First Light Pavilion takes the form of a grass-topped dome mirroring the shape and scale of the actual Lovell Telescope, and housing a custom-built planetarium and exhibition space. The exhibition designed by Casson Mann tells the fascinating story of Jodrell Bank through history, science, and culture. The brief was to combine and reflect two contrasting aspects of the story: the man-made experiments in fields and the wonders of the universe, or how steel, mud and determination would eventually be responsible for some of the greatest discoveries of modern astronomy.
In close collaboration with Jodrell Bank and Casson Mann, Squint/Opera facilitated a creative and dynamic storytelling experience through interactive and immersive digital media which utilised the custom-built planetarium space and the original fabric of the telescope itself.
As visitors enter the exhibition space, they are immersed in visually captivating projections of the universe sky, combining optical and radar images and showcasing key celestial objects and astronomical discoveries. Visitors are also invited to trigger bespoke content onto the main projection screens by discovering hidden ‘easter eggs’ within the digital interactives. The challenge was to coordinate such technological orchestration using 17 projectors and create a show with ever changing combination of content. Using the significant archives and the scientific data available, Squint/Opera also created a series of bespoke graphics, films, animations and digital interactives.
Visitors can control in real time a replica of the Lovell Telescope using physical handles linked to a digital 3D model. Another film called Pioneering Science features specially commissioned interviews with leading astronomers and physicists, exploring key astronomical theories and the vital role Jodrell Bank plays to this day. Early days of Jodrell Bank links a large scale projected animation of the original Jodrell Bank site with 5 interactive touch screen displays. These provide a detailed exploration into key locations and encourages each user to trigger additional layers of content onto the larger projected site map.
A bespoke soundtrack was created by Coda to Coda to immerse the visitors in this unique atemporal space but also add a sense of wonder to the overall experience. As visitors enter the exhibition space, they are immersed in visually captivating projections of the universe sky, combining optical and radial images which showcase key celestial objects and astronomical discoveries.
Immersion in the spectacular – Visitors are invited to trigger bespoke content onto the main projection screens by discovering hidden easter eggs within the digital interactives. This includes a meteor shower which travels the whole length of the gallery space, colourful images of the Andromeda galaxy, and other important objects pivotal to Lovell’s story such as deckchairs, blueprint designs and an animated Sputnik!
Visitors can even drive a replica of the Lovell Telescope using a physical rotating handle which links to a digital 3D model. Another film called Pioneering Science features specially commissioned interviews with leading astronomers and physicists, exploring key astronomical theories and the vital role Jodrell Bank plays to this day.
Jodrell Bank, Casson Mann, ISO


A Melbourne woman has managed to watch the eclipse without having to eat a meal.
Emily Hallett posted the video to her Instagram account as she walked past a coffee shop on Thursday afternoon.
“I am here to celebrate with friends and family at my work this morning, so I decided to have breakfast on the side to soak up the rays of the sun,” Ms Halleett said.
‘Not my job’ Ms Halett said the eclipse wasn’t her job, but it was something she could do while she was at work. “
The sun’s path through the sky is a little bit scary for people, so having breakfast in the sun was just an extra treat.”
‘Not my job’ Ms Halett said the eclipse wasn’t her job, but it was something she could do while she was at work.
“We were actually able to enjoy the eclipse while watching it, but I wanted to make sure everyone was having breakfast,” she said.
Ms Halytt said she enjoyed watching the spectacle but would not be doing it again.
“You don’t get to eat during the eclipse, but you do have to do it in your own way,” she told the ABC.
“So I’m not sure I’d do it again.”


International desk – Scientists have discovered yet another planet closest to our solar system that could support life, media reports said on Wednesday.
The newly discovered exoplanet is only 11 light-years away from the Earth, CNN reported. The new planet is named Ross 128 b.
On Wednesday, a team of European scientists announced the discovery of the Earth-size exoplanet orbiting a star just 11 light-years away.
In reporting their findings in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the scientists added yet another option to the blossoming list of “planets outside the solar system that could be potentially habitable to life,” with this latest world being touted as one of the best chances—possibly the best chance—for finding extraterrestrial life yet, reported slate.com website.
In part because the new planet, called Ross 128 b, orbits what seems to be an inactive red dwarf star. These specific circumstances give it better odds for sustaining a more stable environment amenable to life, said the website.
The hype surrounding Ross 128 b may also be due to its similarity to another exoplanet, Proxima b, which orbits red dwarf Proxima Centauri a mere 4 light-years away.
Proxima b’s discovery made an incredibly loud splash in the world of astronomy and astrobiology. Not only was it the closest exoplanet ever found, but it was sitting in the habitable zone of its host star—the region around a star where scientists believe the conditions are opportune for a rocky planet to sustain liquid water on its surface. And of course, where there’s water, there’s the potential for life.
CNN added that the astronomers don’t yet know whether Ross 128 b is in the habitable zone of its star, but it’s likely, given what they understand about red dwarfs and the planets that orbit them.
Ross 128 b is 20 times closer to its star than Earth is to the sun, but because the star is small, dim and cool, the planet would still be at a potentially comfortable temperature.
The nature of the star is also why the planet is subjected to only 1.38 times the radiation that Earth receives from the sun, even though the planet and star are close together.
But the reason astronomers are excited about Ross 128 b is because the star is “quiet.” Other red dwarfs, like Proxima Centauri — the star that Proxima b orbits — have a tendency to lash out at their planets with deadly flares of ultraviolet and X-ray radiation, says CNN.
But Ross 128 doesn’t seem to be doing this, so it’s considered “quieter,” which means the planet is a more comfortable place for life to form without being subjected to such violent episodes from time to time.
The astronomers believe that Ross 128 b is a good candidate for further study when the European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope can begin searching the atmospheres of exoplanets for biomarkers in 2025.
“I plan to continue searching for new worlds, specially around Ross 128 because it is likely that there are more planets,” Astudillo-Defru said, according to CNN.


Asteroid 4660 Nereus, approaching the Earth, is considered potentially dangerous, since it is capable of flying closer to the planet by 0.05 astronomical units, 360 reports.
Astronomer Denis Denisenko explained that it is 20 times closer than from the Earth to the Sun. According to him, the asteroid will approach the Earth up to about 4 million kilometers. At the same time & nbsp; collisions of the asteroid neither with the Earth nor with the Moon in the next hundred years will not occur.
The expert noted that the approach of 4660 Nereus with the Earth will not affect the inhabitants of the planet in any way.
Earlier it was reported that a rocket with a probe was launched in California to protect the Earth from asteroids. The spacecraft went to meet the small near-Earth asteroid Dimorf. & Nbsp;


- Chinese zodiac - Wikipedia
The Chinese zodiac is a classification scheme that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle The 12-year cycle is an
- Chinese astrology - Wikipedia
Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars The development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of astronomy, which came to flourish
- Chinese Zodiac - Simple English Wikipedia, the free . . .
The Chinese zodiac is a mathematical cycle of 12 animals Each animal represents one year People are associated with the zodiac animal for the year that they are born
- Chinese Zodiac - Wikipedia
Chinese Zodiac è un film del 2012 scritto, diretto, prodotto, scenografato, fotografato e interpretato da Jackie Chan È il sequel del film del 1991 Armour of God
- Chinese New Year - Simple English Wikipedia, the free . . .
Chinese New Year, known in China as the Spring Festival and in Singapore as the Lunar New Year, is a holiday on and around the new moon on the first day of the year


Nasa is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing this year, a moment in history that still remains one of the most jaw-dropping feats ever achieved by mankind.
The USA's victory in the Space Race, landing three astronauts, defied all expectations as it pushed the limits of human ingenuity to a whole new level.
But five decades on, the incredible events of 1969 still remain one of the most talked about, debated and scrutinised by conspiracy theorists and crackpots all over the world.
Discovery Channel's Truth Behind the Moon Landing finally hopes to close the book on even the most determined conspiracy theories.
Bringing together the skills and opposing views of former FBI agent Chad Jenkins conspiracy theorist and Ancient Aliens star Mike Bara and astronaut Leland Melvin, the show takes all the key arguments used against Nasa and examines the credibility, science and facts behind each theory.
The joy of the series is watching raging wild conspiracy theorists like DJ Clyde Lewis having his arguments pulled apart one-by-one and the hilarious squabbling from the presenters.
"How could you keep a lid on this?"
"Maybe they didn’t keep a lid on this."
"Oh bro, here he goes again."
Here are five conspiracy theories explored in the documentary series…
1. The Apollo 1 fire
In episode one, the team look into the science behind the Apollo 1 accident and the extreme theory that it could have been a cover-up job from Nasa.
Using reports on what happened and modern science techniques, they’re able to put Nasa’s claims about the accident to the test and recreate the circumstances of the fire.
2. 'Never A Straight Answer'
Passionate moon-landing denier Clyde Lewis, argues that there is now way the moon landing took place in the way that we saw it. He believes that astronauts were sent to space, but argues the moon landing footage was actors, because they wouldn’t risk the PR disaster if something went wrong.
Nasa stands for Never A Straight Answer, according to Lewis.
In the same episode, the argument that Nasa didn’t have the capability to land on the moon in 1969 is pulled apart strand-by-strand – most notably the theory that Thomas Baron, a whistle-blower on Nasa’s spacecraft safety, was murdered.
3. Neil Armstrong's training accident
An incredible incident occurred one year before Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, when he narrowly escaped death in a testing simulator vehicle that went out of control and crashed.
The accident and vehicle is actually credited with helping save the lives of the Apollo 11 astronauts one year later thanks to the research it provided.
However, the detractors are only too happy to use the accident as another potential layer in the deep and expanding conspiracy.
The show debunks the theory in episode 4.
4. The lost tapes
Episode five focusses on lost Nasa tapes from the recordings of Apollo 11. Missing archives are a rich source of discussion for conspiracy lovers, but are they really part of a cover-up or just a natural result of the passing of time and the fact Nasa probably had more pressing matters than
5. The Hollywood theory
The most famous conspiracy relating to the moon landing is that it was all faked in a Hollywood Studio. Could a hotshot director with cutting edge technology and funding from Nasa and the US government have set up the astronauts in a studio? And does that explain the ‘wind’ blowing the US flag and the light coming from different angles in the footage?
The documentary does find people who believe that someone like Stanley Kubrick could have been involved in filming the moon landing for Nasa. But once again, a scientific recreation only crushes the arguments about set-up footage. It’s another conspiracy theorists dream demolished.
Watch Truth Behind the Moon Landing on Discovery Channel - BT TV Channel 322 / 376 HD.
Discovery Channel is one of the 60+ premium entertainment channels available for BT TV customers.