The Multiverse and Cosmic Anomalies: Unsolved Puzzles
The universe is a vast and mysterious place, filled with countless galaxies, stars, and planets. But what lies beyond our observable universe? Could there be other universes, each with its own set of physical laws and constants? These questions have intrigued scientists and philosophers for centuries, leading to the concept of the multiverse. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the fascinating world of the multiverse and delve into the cosmic anomalies that continue to baffle researchers. From the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy to the enigma of cosmic inflation, we will unravel the unsolved puzzles of the universe.
The Multiverse: A Window into Infinite Possibilities
Our universe is vast, but it may be just one among many. The multiverse theory suggests that there could be an infinite number of universes, each with its own unique properties. These universes, often referred to as “parallel” or “alternate” universes, exist alongside our own, separated by vast distances or even different dimensions. While the concept of the multiverse may seem like science fiction, it is rooted in the principles of quantum mechanics and cosmology.
One of the most well-known theories supporting the existence of the multiverse is the inflationary theory of the universe. According to this theory, the universe underwent a rapid expansion in its early stages, known as cosmic inflation. This expansion created “bubbles” or “pocket universes” within the fabric of space-time, each with its own set of physical laws and constants. These pocket universes could be connected to our own universe through wormholes or other cosmic structures, allowing for the possibility of travel between different universes.
While the multiverse theory is intriguing, it is important to note that it remains speculative and has yet to be proven conclusively. However, it offers a fascinating framework for understanding the mysteries of our universe and the potential for other realms beyond our own.
The Mystery of Dark Matter: Unseen Forces at Work
When astronomers observe the motion of galaxies and the behavior of cosmic structures, they encounter a puzzling phenomenon. The visible matter in the universe, such as stars and galaxies, does not account for the gravitational forces that hold these structures together. Something else must be at play, and scientists have dubbed this mysterious substance “dark matter.”
Dark matter is believed to make up a significant portion of the total matter in the universe, yet it does not interact with light or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. This makes it extremely difficult to detect directly. Instead, scientists infer the presence of dark matter through its gravitational effects on visible matter.
Despite decades of research, the true nature of dark matter remains elusive. Various theories propose that dark matter could consist of exotic particles, such as weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) or axions. However, these particles have yet to be detected in experiments conducted on Earth or in space.
The mystery of dark matter extends beyond its existence. Its distribution within galaxies and clusters of galaxies is also puzzling. Observations suggest that dark matter forms a “halo” around galaxies, providing the gravitational glue that holds them together. However, the exact shape and density of these halos remain uncertain.
Understanding the nature of dark matter is crucial for unraveling the mysteries of the universe. It plays a significant role in the formation and evolution of galaxies, and its properties could hold the key to understanding the fundamental laws of physics.
The Enigma of Dark Energy: Driving the Accelerating Universe
While dark matter remains a mystery, another cosmic puzzle has emerged: dark energy. In the late 1990s, astronomers made a startling discovery. The expansion of the universe, which was expected to be slowing down due to the gravitational pull of matter, was actually accelerating.
This unexpected acceleration led scientists to propose the existence of a new form of energy: dark energy. Dark energy is thought to permeate all of space and is responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe. Unlike dark matter, which acts as a gravitational attractor, dark energy exerts a repulsive force, pushing galaxies and other cosmic structures apart.
The nature of dark energy is still largely unknown. One possibility is that it is a property of space itself, often referred to as “vacuum energy” or “cosmological constant.” Another possibility is that it arises from a yet-to-be-discovered field, similar to the Higgs field or the inflaton field responsible for cosmic inflation.
Understanding dark energy is crucial for determining the ultimate fate of the universe. If dark energy continues to drive the accelerated expansion, it could lead to a future where galaxies become increasingly isolated, and the universe becomes a cold and desolate place. However, if the properties of dark energy change over time, it could have profound implications for the evolution of the cosmos.
The Cosmic microwave background: Echoes of the Early Universe
The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a faint glow of radiation that permeates the entire universe. It is the remnants of the hot, dense state of the early universe, often referred to as the “Big Bang.” The discovery of the CMB in 1965 provided strong evidence for the Big Bang theory and has since become a cornerstone of modern cosmology.
While the CMB has been extensively studied and mapped, it still holds many secrets waiting to be unlocked. One of the most significant puzzles is the presence of small temperature fluctuations in the CMB. These fluctuations represent areas of slightly higher and lower density in the early universe, which eventually gave rise to the formation of galaxies and other cosmic structures.
Scientists have measured the statistical properties of these temperature fluctuations and found them to be consistent with the predictions of cosmic inflation. However, the exact mechanisms that generated these fluctuations remain uncertain. Understanding the origin of these fluctuations is crucial for validating the inflationary theory and gaining insights into the early moments of the universe.
Furthermore, the CMB provides a unique window into the composition of the universe. By studying the polarization of the CMB, scientists can probe the properties of dark matter, dark energy, and other fundamental particles. Ongoing and future experiments, such as the European Space Agency’s Planck satellite and the upcoming Simons Observatory, aim to further refine our understanding of the CMB and unlock its secrets.
The Arrow of Time: Unraveling the Mystery of Entropy
Time is a fundamental aspect of our existence, yet its nature remains elusive. One of the most intriguing puzzles related to time is the arrow of time, which refers to the asymmetry between the past and the future. In other words, why do we perceive time as flowing in one direction, from the past to the future?
The arrow of time is intimately connected to the concept of entropy, which is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. According to the second law of thermodynamics, the entropy of a closed system tends to increase over time. This leads to the irreversibility of certain processes, such as the mixing of hot and cold fluids or the shattering of a glass.
While the second law of thermodynamics provides a statistical explanation for the arrow of time, it does not fully explain why the universe started in a low-entropy state, known as the “Big Bang.” The low entropy of the early universe is a puzzle that has puzzled physicists for decades.
Some theories propose that the arrow of time is a consequence of the initial conditions of the universe, while others suggest that it arises from the fundamental laws of physics. Understanding the origin of the arrow of time is crucial for unraveling the mysteries of the universe and reconciling the microscopic world of quantum mechanics with the macroscopic world of classical physics.
The multiverse and cosmic anomalies continue to captivate the imagination of scientists and philosophers alike. From the concept of parallel universes to the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, these unsolved puzzles offer a glimpse into the vastness and complexity of the universe.
While the multiverse theory remains speculative, it provides a framework for understanding the infinite possibilities that may exist beyond our observable universe. Dark matter and dark energy, on the other hand, challenge our understanding of the fundamental forces and particles that make up the cosmos.
The cosmic microwave background offers a window into the early moments of the universe, while the arrow of time raises profound questions about the nature of time itself. These puzzles remind us that there is still much we don’t know about the universe and that the quest for knowledge and understanding is an ongoing journey.
As scientists continue to explore the mysteries of the multiverse and cosmic anomalies, new discoveries and insights are sure to emerge. Each piece of the puzzle brings us closer to unraveling the secrets of the universe and deepening our understanding of our place within it.


There are countless asteroids in the solar system – some of them could one day hit the earth, although the chances are slim.
Kassel – Again and again asteroids come close to the earth, small asteroids even hit them occasionally – and again and again there are reports about supposed “killer asteroids” that hit the earth and level it with the ground. Was it a known asteroid of the dangerous ones supposedly threatening the earth? Which asteroids are particularly dangerous and what is science doing to be prepared for a possible impact?
The danger of asteroids is evaluated by experts using two scales: The Turin scale combines the probability of an impact and the energy released in this case to a value that shows the danger of an asteroid. The scale is graded from 0 to 10, with 10 representing “a collision that is certain to occur and which, if struck, (…) threatens civilization as we know it.” Zero stands for “The collision probability is effectively zero or the object is so small that no damage is to be expected.”
Nasa and Esa keep risk lists with dangerous asteroids
Currently (as of January 27, 2023) this year’s asteroid has been found, which is not marked with “0” for “harmless” in the Turin scale: Asteroid 2023 AJ1, which was only discovered on January 14. According to the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) of the US space agency Nasa, it has a diameter of about 280 to 290 meters and the probability that it hits the earth on January 10, 2096 is based on calculations at 1:43,000.
Asteroids that are considered potentially dangerous are listed by the space organizations Nasa and Esa on special risk lists and are regularly observed. In the Fall of Asteroid 2023 AJ1, further observations could lead to the asteroid possibly being removed from the risk list soon – as is often the case in the case of newly discovered asteroids, given our few observational data at the beginning and later calculations can flow in.
Two scales indicate the danger of asteroids
The second scale that indicates the danger of asteroids is the Palermo scale. It is much more complex, but at the end it also outputs a value that indicates the danger of an asteroid. A value of +2 means the hazard is 100 times greater than a background event, a value between -2 and 0 indicates further observation is needed, while values below -2 indicate the asteroid has no consequences.
As of January 27, 2023, there are 27 objects on the risk list of the US space agency Nasa that are being observed. Only a small proportion of them have a rating of -2 or even -1 on the Palermo scale.
These are the most dangerous asteroids according to the Palermo scale
- 101955 Bennu (1999 RQ36): The asteroid named Bennu has the highest value on the Palermo scale: -1.41. The asteroid was discovered in September 1999 and has an average diameter of 492 meters. NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft has visited the asteroid Bennu and collected soil samples that are scheduled to arrive on Earth in 2023. The probability of Bennu hitting Earth by the year 2300 is currently 0.057 Prosent or 1 in 1750.
- 2023 AJ1: The only asteroid currently reading 1 on the Turin scale is just behind Bennu at -1.81 on the Palermo scale. It is possible that the asteroid’s level of danger will decrease if it is observed over a longer period of time (see above).
- 1950 DA: Launching at 7:50 p.m., its 1.3-kilometer-wide asteroid will launch on March 16 at 11:80 p.m. There is a possibility of a collision, but this is a maximum of 0.33 percent (about 1 in 300). Went at Palermo scale is -2.05.
- 2000 SG344: It is 37 meters wide and rated with a Palermo value of -2.79: Asteroid 2000 SG344 was struck on September 16, 2071 with a gain of 0.10 (1:1000). I am May 2028, the asteroid will come within about 3 million kilometers of Earth and will then be looked after by experts.
- 2010 RF12: This asteroid is very small, about seven meters in diameter. Despite this, he IS listed on the Palermo scale with a value of -2.98. According to Nasa, there is about a 10 prosent chance that the asteroid will hit Earth on September 5, 2095. However, since the asteroid is small, the danger is rather small – experts believe that it should become a great fireball in the sky, the rock is likely to shatter in Earth’s atmosphere.
Large asteroids are not a threat to Earth
The largest known asteroids are Pallas (545 kilometers in diameter), Vesta (525 kilometers in diameter) and Ceres (946 kilometers in diameter) – the latter, with a diameter of almost 1000 kilometers, is already considered a dwarf planet. However, the three reliable asteroids pose no threat to Earth.
I’ve heard that it comes with an infamous asteroid nearly small: (99942) Apepa comes very close to Earth on April 13, 2029, and a few more times in later years. Apophis was considered an asteroid with a high collision probability after its discovery in 2004 – it was 2.7 percent at the time and was assigned a value of 4 on the Turin scale (“A closer approach that requires astronomers’ attention”). But this danger is now known and Apophis has been removed from the risk lists.
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NASA tests asteroid defense for emergencies
While there are currently no known asteroids that may threaten Earth in the years to come, asteroids are not to be taken lightly. Researchers are therefore working on plans in the event that an asteroid unexpectedly threatens the earth. Last fall, for example, NASA crashed the “Dart” spacecraft into an asteroid to test whether it could be “pushed” out of its orbit.
The findings are now to be incorporated into planetary defenses – just like the latest findings on so-called “debris heaps” asteroids, which research is expected to be “like a giant space cushion” and theoretically indestructible. (Tab)


Friday, September 20, 2019
That son is the focused, confident, and intelligent astronaut Maj. Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) whose pulse rate never exceeds 80 beats per minute no matter under what stressful situations. His unattended father is Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), a devoted astronaut who leads an exploration mission named Lima Project near Neptune to search for other intelligent lives in the Universe. But the project went dark sixteen years ago when Roy was only 16 years old, and Roy believes his father is dead.
After a series of dangerous electrical surges that cause catastrophic damages on earth, Roy is summoned to go on a top-secret mission to go to Neptune. That's because the U.S. intelligence believes the source of the electrical bursts are coming from the Lima Project and Clifford is still alive and responsible for it. After a stop-over on the moon, Roy is deployed to a military base on Mars where he attempts to make contact with his dad Clifford. If he can establish communications with Clifford, he will travel to Neptune and destroy the Lima Project in order to save the earth and the solar system.
That's a tall order to fill, even for the gifted Roy. When he realizes that his father Clifford is actually alive and he has to persuade him to give up on the Lima Project to save the earth, his heart beat starts to quicken, his assertive voice begins to tremble, his psychological screening begins to flunk, and his emotions toward his dad begin to bubble up.
Even though the setting is not quite convincing (you can open a door when a spacecraft begins to launch, really?) and sometimes rather confusing (what planet are we looking at?), the human story always takes the center stage in the story and the director James Gray patiently let Roy's emotion build up, often in a solitary environment. He also paints a grim picture for the colonized Moon and Mars. Will humans mess with other planets after the Earth is torched up?
To watch Brad Pitt play Roy is pure pleasure. Even though he has two more decades' worth of wrinkles than a 32-year-old, his demeanor and expression perfectly convey taciturn Roy's mind—a strong and wounded soul that both admires and resents his absent father. His deep voice-over resonates as if he is reciting Sir Arthur C. Clark.
Apparently, daddy issue is a more urgent matter to resolve before we figure out if we are alone in the Universe.


The article “An analysis of magnetic reconnection events and their associated auroral enhancements” was recently accepted to the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Science. The article, for which Nathan was the lead author, describes how small scale processes in the earth’s magnetotail, called magnetic reconnection, is associated with enhancements of the aurora.
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An analysis of simultaneous reconnection events in the near-Earth magnetotail and enhancements in the aurora is undertaken. Exploiting magnetospheric data from the Geotail, Cluster, and Double Star missions, along with auroral images from the IMAGE and Polar missions, the relationship between a reconnection signature and its auroral counterpart is explored. In this study of 59 suitable reconnection events, we find that 43 demonstrate a clear coincidence of reconnection and auroral enhancement. The magnetic local time (MLT) locations of these 43 reconnection events are generally located within ±1 h MLT of the associated auroral enhancement. A positive correlation coefficient of 0.8 between the two MLT locations is found. The enhancements are localized and short-lived (τ≤10 min) and are as likely to occur during the substorm process as in isolation of a substorm. No significant dependence of the reconnection or auroral enhancement location on the dusk-dawn components of the solar wind velocity (Vy), IMF (By) or local By or Vy, as measured by the reconnection-detecting spacecraft, is found.
The article is open source and free to download from the publisher’s site.


jfid – For the first time in history, a four-legged robotic dog, known as a robodog, has been remotely controlled by a human outside Earth’s atmosphere. Previously, only wheeled robots could be operated from hundreds of kilometers away in outer space.
Astronaut from the European Space Agency (ESA), Marcus Wandt, tested the robodog on the International Space Station (ISS) in early January 2024. The “Surface Avatar” test showcased Wandt controlling various robotic systems located on Earth.
This testing is part of a project aiming to enable humans on Earth or the ISS to control robots sent to other planets like Mars, including the Moon. Wandt controlled a dog-like robot named Bert, created by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), during the experiment.
The robot, equipped with four legs designed to traverse diverse terrains inaccessible to wheeled robots, can explore small caves unreachable by humans¹. By controlling the robodog, Wandt could navigate a DLR-created laboratory resembling Mars and monitor different terrains using cameras mounted on the robot’s eyes.
He also attempted to control two other robots, namely DLR’s Rollin’ Justin, a humanoid serving robot, and ESA’s Interact Rover. These robots can collaborate to perform tasks, including installing short pipes.
“It’s a special challenge when different robots have to form a team and successfully complete tasks together,” explained DLR in a statement. With this technological breakthrough, the team hopes that one day astronauts can control multiple robots during a space mission.
This robotic dog, named Bert, is part of a broader effort to leverage robotic technology in space exploration. Bert’s four legs are designed for traversal across various terrains, including small caves inaccessible to humans. This marks a significant advancement compared to wheeled robots previously used in similar missions.
In addition to Bert, Wandt also controlled two other robots: Rollin’ Justin and Interact Rover. Rollin’ Justin is a humanoid serving robot created by DLR, while Interact Rover is a robot developed by ESA. Both robots are designed to collaborate in completing tasks, such as installing short pipes.
This testing is part of a larger project aiming to empower humans on Earth or the ISS to control robots sent to other planets, such as Mars or the Moon. With this capability, astronauts can explore hazardous or challenging terrains without physically being present.
In their statement, DLR explained that this is a “special challenge when different robots have to form a team and successfully complete tasks together”. They hope that with this technological progress, astronauts will eventually be able to control multiple robots during a space mission.


The sun and moon's opposition makes for a sacred balance with effects that can be felt here on Earth. Our moon, being the closest celestial body to Earth, has grandiose effects on all living things on our planet. The full moon is a time to nurture, support, and create.
During this time a shift of energy occurs as the moon brings light among the darkness. Eye-opening discoveries surface from within and emotions are heightened as our lunar feminine energy is sparked.
As the ocean's high tide washes over the sand it rinses the beach of debris. This same energy bathes the human soul of unneeded holds, blockages, and even emotional distress.
This is a gentle Yin class to open your energetic body under mother moon in her full illuminated state to awaken the soul and embrace the divine power within you.
All levels welcome


The video has been created using data and and digital elevation models captured by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, during a flyby in July 2015. It is breathtaking showing in great details the Mountainous landscape as we as icy plains.
“This dramatic Pluto flyover begins over the highlands to the southwest of the great expanse of nitrogen ice plain informally named Sputnik Planitia,” NASA explained.
“The viewer first passes over the western margin of Sputnik, where it borders the dark, cratered terrain of Cthulhu Macula, with the blocky mountain ranges located within the plains seen on the right.
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft sent home the first close-up pictures of Pluto in 2015
“The tour moves north past the rugged and fractured highlands of Voyager Terra and then turns southward over Pioneer Terra – which exhibits deep and wide pits – before concluding over the bladed terrain of Tartarus Dorsa in the far east of the encounter hemisphere.”
The video is from a vantage point even closer than the spacecraft itself, offering spectacular new perspectives of the many unusual features that were discovered.
The colours and topography of the planet have been enhanced to bring out detail
Pluto is thought to be made of mostly ice, with a small rocky core which might contain some metals
The amazing imagery inspired many to wonder what a flight over the distant worlds’ icy terrain might be like


H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Society – 2019 Business Case
Organisation: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Society
Location: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver, BC.
Closing Date: 25th August 2019
To educate, inspire, and evoke a sense of wonder about the Universe, our planet and space exploration.
Opened in 1968, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (HRMSC) has undergone several renovations in its history. The last major renovation was in 1997 when the exhibit areas on the main floor were added to the Centre. It is time to renew our exhibit areas and the planetarium theatre by creating a Business Case for the renovations.
Building on previous inspections and construction analysis, the object of this project is to build an UpToDate Business Case for funding acquisition that details quantitative (cost/pricing) and qualitative (timeline for renovations etc.) analysis for renovations to Space Centre and Exhibits.
- Experience in developing Business Cases
- Demonstrated successful experience as a project manager on facility renovation & construction projects
- Strong background in Project Estimating
- Experience in installation and removal of digital technology is desirable
Estimated Time Commitment
10 – 12 hrs/wk.
Start Date: September 1, 2019 End Date: December 15, 2019
Scope of Work
The Volunteer Project Manager will work with Director of Finance to produce and Business plan that will include but not limited to budget estimation and scheduling for the following areas:
- Star Theatre (projector/dome]
- Start deck
- Bathrooms (costs separately)
- AV: Auditorium, lounge, studios, star theater
- Cosmic Courtyard
- 720 Immersive Experience (including SIM removal)
- Main lobby
- Lower lobby refresh
- Business plan that includes latest estimates for budget and schedule for renovations.
The PM volunteer will have end-end accountability on project deliverables, reporting to the Sam Badiei, Director of Finance.
Sam Badiei will provide a letter of recommendation to the PM volunteer at the successful conclusion of the project, and serve as a reference if appropriate.
How to Apply
Please apply with a cover letter indicating why you are interested in supporting H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Society on this project and why you feel your skill set and experience would make you a good match for this project, along with a detailed resume to:
Director of Finance, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Society
Phone: (604) 738–7827 ext. 248
Please copy of your application package to Project Management Volunteers c/o:
David Nimmo PM-Volunteers Client Relationship Manager
Organization may proceed with interviewing and engaging applicants before the application deadline.
NOTE: As this is a project that requires a lot of time commitment, we may consider a team approach of a senior/junior project manager. We encourage junior project managers who are interested in acquiring experience to apply. Any such arrangement will be contingent on agreement by the client and the applicants.


Activity 1- I can understand what I read.
A new book for you all to read this week! This book is called 'Tin Forest'.
I've had a few issues with uploading the book for today but have found a video version for you to listen to that I have linked below.
Once you have listened to the video, have a go at using the template to write your own book review!
Activity 2- I can understand symmetry.
Log onto Education City. Under classwork, there will be a folder called 'Monday 15.6.2020'.
Here, you will find a few activities which will hopefully give you a bit of a recap on the topic of symmetry. Please try and complete all of these activities- you do not need to show me evidence as I can check this at the end of the day!
Activity 3- I can find out about the Solar System.
Use the fact cards linked below to answer the questions about the planets in our Solar System.


Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies
This course surveys current knowledge of the physical nature of stars and galaxies. Topics include the sun and other stars, the evolution of stars, interstellar matter, the end products of stellar evolution (including pulsars and black holes), the organization of stellar systems such as clusters and galaxies, and the large-scale structure of the universe itself. Evening laboratory sessions will include telescopic observation, laboratory investigations of light and spectra, and computer modeling and simulation exercises. No prerequisite.


Hummingbird News Desk
NEW DELHI, 28 FEB: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully launched the Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite Sunday. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C51 mission carried the earth observation satellite along with 18 co-passenger satellites, including a nanosatellite from Isro, three UnitySats by an academic consortium, and a demonstration satellite by another start-up, Pixxel (incorporated as Syzygy Space Technologies).
In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture has been engraved on the top panel of the spacecraft Satish Dhawan Sat (SD SAT), one of the co-passenger satellites from Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI). “This is to show solidarity and gratitude for his (PM’s) Aatmanirbhar initiative and space privatisation”, SKI had earlier said. The satellite also carries Bhagavad Gita in SD (secured digital) card.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated NSIL and ISRO on the success of the 1st dedicated commercial launch of PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 Mission.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, “Congratulations to NSIL and @isro on the success of the 1st dedicated commercial launch of PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 Mission. This ushers in a new era of Space reforms in the country. 18 co-passengers included four small satellites that showcase dynamism and innovation of our youth.”
The Prime Minister also congratulated the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro on the successful launch of Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite by PSLV-C51.
In another tweet, the Prime Minister said, “Congratulations President @jairbolsonaro on the successful launch of Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite by PSLV-C51. This is a historic moment in our space cooperation and my felicitations to the scientists of Brazil.”
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C51 (PSLV-C51) blasted off from the first launch pad at 10.24 a.m. laden with 19 satellites including Amazonia-1.
At 10.24 a.m. the 44.4 metre tall PSLV-C51 rocket blasted off from the first launch pad here laden with 19 satellites-foreign and Indian- and slowly rose-up towards the skies with thick orange flame at its tail.
The rocket slowly gained speed as it went up while emitting a rolling thunder sound.
Seventeen minutes into its flight the rocket slung its primary passenger the Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1 – the first of the 19 satellites- into its intended Sun Synchronous Orbit.
Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
This satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.
With this India has slung 329 foreign satellites till date. If all goes well, then India will end the mission orbiting a total of 342 foreign satellites, all for a fee.
India’s first space mission for 2021 is one of the longest for a PSLV rocket is expected to conclude 1 hour, 55 minutes and 7 seconds into its flight.
The rocketing is a fully commercial one of NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL).
The 18 co-passenger satellites include four from IN-SPACe (three UNITYsats from consortium of three Indian academic institutes (Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, Sriperumbudur, G.H.Raisoni College of Engineering, Nagpur and Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore), one Satish Dhawan Sat from Space Kidz India) with an engraved picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Bhagavad Gita in a flash.
The remaining 14 satellites are Sindhu Netra, an Indian technology demonstration satellite from Defence Research Development Organisation’s (DRDO) research centre Imarat, Hyderabad to identify suspicious ships and 13 satellites from the USA viz., SAI-1 NanoConnect-2, a technology demonstration satellite and 12 SpaceBees satellites for two-way satellite communications and data relay.
For the third time ISRO is using the PSLV rocket’s DL variant that will have two strap-on booster motors.
As per its flight plan, the rocket will put the 19 satellites into Sun Synchronous Orbit over duration of 1 hour, 55 minutes and 7 seconds.


Scooter has been particularly interested in all things space. We've been borrowing videos from our library on planets, the sun, the space shuttle, etc. On our walk to school, he will summarize the information he has learned, working through the planets in order. Did you know that both Mars and Pluto are "cold, barren worlds"? (Now imagine that said by a kid who has trouble with the 'r' sound.)
While not an explicit request for his birthday list, a telescope sits in our closet, waiting for the big day next month. It may be a little more advanced than where his interest currently is--he talks about building a spaceship so he can fly to Pluto--but Trillian and I both are excited about showing him the sky and giving him a sense that it is all really out there.
Then today I read about the Galileoscope. (And also the fact that it's the International Year of Astronomy--how perfect for when my son's interest is at its highest!) This is a fairly simple, but quite effective, small telescope kit. It's supposed to be easy to put together and has a few different configurations, depending on what magnification and image orientation you want. There's also an eyepiece that replicates Galileo's viewing experience.
And here's the most amazing part--the price. One kit is $15. Plus shipping and handling, which can add a bit more, depending on where you are. For institutions and groups that want to place bulk orders, they drop the price to $12.50 per telescope for 100+. Individuals can also donate telescopes to schools and the like at the $12.50 price point.
The rub for us is that they won't be shipping until April, after the all-important 6th birthday. Plus we already have the fancy telescope in our closet.
I ordered two anyway.
The telescope Scooter will get on his birthday requires set-up and, therefore, planning on when we want to use it. The Galileoscope will be perfect for spontaneous viewings, vacations, and the like.
The purchase of the second telescope ties in with the fact that we've been consulting a lot of Asperger's information. Just as the videos and books (not to mention, several members of his educational team) mention that Aspies frequently like to take items apart to figure out how they work, we see Scooter headed this direction. And we even want to encourage it to a certain degree, just not with our working electronics. So we'll be setting up a work area for him and supplying him with acceptable items to explore as he desires. This telescope will be the first item we hand to him with this purpose. We'll let him take it from there.


The subsequent full moon falls on 16 February, arriving at its top at 4.56 pm, as indicated by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.
Full Moon February 2022 Today
The subsequent full moon of 2022 has arrived, with Brits trusting the colder time of year weather conditions can stay clear to allow a reasonable locating of February’s circle.
Covered in fables and persona for centuries, the full moon has motivated everything from strict celebrations to blood and gore movies and shocking Judgment day paranoid ideas.
Lately, it has additionally prompted moon names penetrating mainstream society, with the current month’s full moon named the “snow moon” here’s the beginning and end you want to know.
When Is The Full Moon February 2022 Today?
February’s full moon falls on Wednesday 16 February, arriving at its top at 4.56 pm, as indicated by the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, so will be most noticeable in the afternoon.
In spite of the fact that we will generally consider there being a full moon every month, the lunar cycle really keeps going simply over 29.5 days, and that implies there is some of the time multiple (normally known as a “blue moon”).
This additionally implies that the full moon for the most part falls somewhat prior every month, with the full lunar schedule for 2022 as follows:
|Date||Name||U.S. Eastern Time||GMT|
|January 17||Wolf Moon||6:48 p.m.||23:48|
|February 16||Snow Moon||11:57 a.m.||16:57|
|March 18||Worm Moon||3:17 am.||07:17|
|April 16||Pink Moon||2:55 p.m.||18:55|
|May 16||Flower Moon||12:14 a.m.||04:14|
|June 14||Strawberry Moon||7:52 a.m.||11:52|
|July 13||Buck Moon||2:37 p.m.||18:37|
|August 11||Sturgeon Moon||9:36 p.m.||01:36 Aug. 12|
|September 10||Harvest Moon||5:59 a.m.||09:59|
|October 9||Hunter’s Moon||4:55 p.m.||20:55|
|November 8||Beaver Moon||6:02 a.m.||11:02|
|December 7||Cold Moon||11:08 p.m.||4:08 (Dec. 8)|
Full Moon February 2022 Today Is Like ‘Snow Moon’ Become A Thing?
February’s full moon has come to be known as the “Snow Moon” in certain quarters, according to the American Farmer’s Almanac, which has evidently been assigned the best quality level for such matters.
The distribution recognizes that, of the explanations for the moon’s different monikers, this “is a genuinely direct one”.
It clarifies: “It’s known as the Snow Moon because of the normally weighty snowfall that happens in February. By and large, February is the United States’ snowiest month, as indicated by information from the National Weather Service.”
A man called Captain Jonathan Carver evidently utilized the name while writing during the 1760s, because of the wealth of February’s snowfall.
These moon names, and their implied implications, have acquired expanded footing lately, with the marks commonly credited to Native American clans.
They seem to have become more famous after the 2014 lunar overshadowing – a peculiarity informally alluded to a “blood moon,” because of it making the moon have a rosy shade – lighted interest in such romanticized names.
There is no normalized Native American schedule, as indicated by Laura Redish, chief and fellow benefactor of Native Languages of the Americas, despite the fact that Nasa says the names get from the Algonquin clan, a piece of a bigger social semantic gathering called Algonquian.
A portion of the prominently utilized names, for example, the “strawberry moon” and “reap moon”, do appear to be Algonquin, as indicated by a rundown distributed by Algonquin Nation Tribal Council in 2005.
Others, for example, the “wolf moon,” aren’t – the clan clearly alluded to January as “long moon month”.
As per Ms. Redish, various clans utilized various schedules, and the scope of schedules appear to have been swiped for the prominently utilized names, while a portion of the famous monikers are basically manufacturers.


2017 eclipse across U.S. recalls WWI eclipse 99 years ago
By Chris Isleib
Director of Public Affairs, U.S. World War One Centennial Commission
“There will not be another total eclipse visible ever so large an area of the United States until 2017”
-- The Kansas City Times, Saturday, June 8,1918
100 years later, it’s here! Hidden in between #WW1 reports about U.S. regiments fighting overseas and war bond propaganda was a report about the Total Eclipse casting the moon’s shadow over the country.
In 1918, the path of the eclipse started south of Japan, went across the Pacific Ocean, and then across the United States.
The largest city to see totality was Denver although many could theoretically see it as the size of the shadow was between 70 and 44 miles across as it travelled across America.
The longest duration of totality was in the Pacific at a point south of Alaska. The path of the eclipse finished near Bermuda.
Just as it did on July 8, 1918, a total eclipse will once more sweep across the Midwest on Aug. 21, 2017.
Other newspapers across the nation carried stories of the great celestial event in 1918, some pondering the connection between the darkening sky and the great conflict underway across the world.


« Kentucky Space: Creating "Playground Events" |
| A crewed asteroid mission? »
Tyler Doering offered this substantial update on the status of the satellite at the KySpace Conference '08 held last Wednesday in Lexington, Kentucky. We're trying something new today with the audio, so if you find it useful please let us know.
Posted at 09:02 AM in CubeSat, Kentucky Space Conference '08, KySat-1, Tyler Doering | Permalink
Wayne, Tyler: Thanks for the update. (And I think the short audio clip format is a good idea.)
May 29, 2008 at 11:23 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.


The Grand Opening Ceremony for the “Hong Kong Satellite Manufacturing Centre” and “Hong Kong Satellite Operation Control and Application Centre” of ASPACE was held today at the Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC) of Hong Kong.
More than 100 guests from the United Nations, international organisations, space agencies from different countries, well-known space enterprises, and academia participated in this milestone, invitation-only event.
Mr Mohamed AlAseeri, CEO of National Space Science Agency (Bahrain), Mr Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director General of UAE Space Agency, Mr Mo'amar Haddadin, Director General of the Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre, Mr Ahmed Chouaib, Chargé d'affaires of the Arab League to China and representatives from the Arab region, including eight Arab countries, namely Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the Arab Information and Communication Technology Organization and the Arab Satellite Communication Organization, joined the event which included an on-site visit to the Company's Satellite Manufacturing Centre and the Satellite Operation Control and Application Centre, including the Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) facilities, Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) Centre, and the Satellite Data Application Centre.
The representatives also discussed potential collaboration and prospects to see how the satellite facilities, technologies and applications can benefit the space industry in the Arab States.
resently, the Arab States pay high attention to the development of the space industry. The grand opening of the ASPACE Hong Kong Satellite Manufacturing Centre and the TT&C Centre is of great significance for actively promoting the development of the space industry and promoting global high-tech development and industrial structure adjustment in the Arab States.
Tel +852 2161 8300


If you have searched anything on Google today, you must have come across an interesting Spacecraft animation, dancing on the Google Doodle. You must have noticed the tag line “Cassini Spacecraft Dives between Saturn and its Rings”
Today is indeed a special day in the History of Astronomy. As, the well acclaimed, Cassini Spacecraft has begun its Grand Finale, by diving in between Saturn’s Rings.
Saturn has always garnered attention due to its mysterious Rings and Moons. The interest was so piqued that a spacecraft was launched in October 1997, to exclusively study and observe the Planet.
The ambitious ten year sojourn of Cassini has been well documented. The mission grabbed eyeballs, anticipating life on the distant Planet.
And, Cassini did not disappoint. It did confirm signs of a life-supporting ocean on the Moon Enceladus of Saturn. Since then, the Spacecraft has been in news off and on. And, many beautiful pictures of Saturn, Earth and Saturn’s Moons have been released by NASA.
Today i.e. 26th April 2017 marks a special day in the long journey of Cassini, as it would be spiraling on its Grand Finale, by diving in between the Rings around Saturn.
The move is significant as it would bring the Spacecraft in close proximity to the planet. Allowing the scientists to determine the exact mass of Saturn minus rings, determine how rings are formed and also observe and photograph Saturn’s clouds for the very first time.
The Spacecraft has begun its final journey and would enter Saturn’s atmosphere and crash in September 2017. NASA says that a destructive end of the Explorer is essential, so that Space and Saturn can be saved from any earth borne contaminants and massive debris.
So, let’s pause for a moment, smile and admire at Cassini’s historic antic…


Most likely, it's Jupiter. The photo to the left is how Jupiter would look tonight as viewed through a fairly powerful telescope. This image is from the wonderful (and free) Stellarium planetarium program.
image you can see 8 Lib and 9 Lib as two separate objects, as well as Jupiter and several of its moons.
Don't have a telescope? That's Ok, as Stellarium allows you to zoom-in on the planets for as close a view as you wish. In this image, we can see Jupiter and three of its moons (Ganymede, Io and Callisto). A really neat feature of Stellarium allows you to select an object and track that object as you zoom forward or backward in time. With Jupiter, for example, you can watch both the planet's rotation and the motion of its moons. Here's a close-up image of Jupiter as it will appear in one month, with its moons Europa (to the left) and Callisto (to the right).
Here's an image of the night sky (looking south) in one month (on May 24th). Notice how Jupiter has moved around to the right of Zubenelgenubi. And finally, a special treat: Here's an image for May 12th, in which you'll see Jupiter, Zubenelgenubi and a full Moon.


Deep within the planetary system, 136 light years from our Sun
in the constellation of Aries, Lisanda the daughter of Mars was born.
Lisanda's self assertion, and ability to be free from outside control led her to become the warrior queen of her tribe and ruler of the quadruple sun system when her father, Mars, was sent to war.
Lisanda is symbolic of growth, positivity within, self respect, courage and strength of character.
Crafted using gold coloured copper wire and Hessonite Garnet the Lisanda necklace is another empowering addition to the Cosmic Medallion Collection.
About the gemstone:
Hessonite Garnet is associated with increasing physical and mental activities. It supports seeking out new challenges an known for opening up ones intuition.
Length of necklace: 25 inches
Diameter of Cosmic Medallion: 30mm


This simple, easy-to-build mount provides the perfect introduction to long-exposure astrophotography.
Round stars. That’s the difference between astrophotos captured with a camera that tracks the sky’s motion versus one that doesn’t. Traditionally you’d make a tracked photo by placing your camera piggyback on a telescope with a motorized equatorial mount. But that’s a lot of equipment to deal with if all you want are some nice-looking constellation portraits or a shot of a newly discovered comet — especially if you have to travel to reach your favorite dark-sky destination.
Continue reading “A Tracking Platform for Astrophotography”
For optimum performance, precisely aligned optics are a must. Luckily, achieving this goal doesn’t have to be difficult.
Most telescope users know that the only way to get every last drop of performance from a reflector telescope is to ensure that the optics are in good collimation. Here’s a method that’s simple and doesn’t require tools or even a centre-dotted primary mirror.
Continue reading “No-Tools Telescope Collimation”
The Newtonian reflector is one of the most versatile optical configurations ever created. Whether homebuilt or commercially manufactured, a good Newtonian can rival the performance of any optical design.
Knowledge is power. The more you know about your Newtonian reflector’s potential and its pitfalls, the better equipped you’ll be to ensure it’s delivering peak performance.
Continue reading “Five Reflector Performance Killers”
Me, the Outback Travelscope, and a bloody big rock.
(Photo courtesy George Brandie)
When I was preparing to travel to Australia for a total solar eclipse and some dark-sky observing sessions in the Outback, I decided it was finally time to rebuild my 8-inch travelscope so that it could go into my suitcase and arrive safely at my destination.
Continue reading “Building the Outback Travelscope”
Requiring only a few parts, this simple and effective setup provides stable images for detailed views of the night sky.
“This is the best binocular mount I’ve ever used!”
Those were the first words out of my mouth as I came indoors from testing my just-completed binocular rig. It’s rare that I build something that actually works better than expected, but finally I’d come up with a binocular mount that provides steady views, is easy to use, very portable, and simple to build. It was a good night.
Continue reading “Build This Simple Binocular Mount”
I’ve been building and using telescopes for more than three decades and I’ll share with you a secret: collimating a Newtonian reflector is easy. So why does it seem so difficult when you’re just starting out? Probably because you’ve done your homework by Googling the subject and have read and re-read everything you’ve found. And now, you’re lost in a forest of information — some of it contradictory, some of it densely technical. Truly, sometimes less is more.
Continue reading “A Beginner’s Guide to Collimation”
This image of the Scorpius Milky Way was captured from Costa Rica with a DSLR camera and the simple hinge tracker mount described here.
If you have a DSLR camera and are interested in astronomy, you’ve probably considered dipping a toe into the astrophotography waters. But a camera is only part of the equation — for exposures longer than a few seconds, a tracking mount is usually necessary. Unfortunately, most suitable mounts are relatively bulky, or expensive, or both. But not the hinge tracker. It costs less than $10 to build, takes less than an evening to assemble, and requires no batteries. And best of all, you can put one together even if you’ve never built anything more complicated than Ikea furniture.
Continue reading “Build a Hinge Tracker for Astrophotography”
Attention to detail is what separates a regular Newtonian reflector from one optimized for high-contrast performance. This 6-inch f/9 uses every trick in the ATM’s book to deliver superb planetary and deep-sky views.
This was the first telescope I made using my own optics. Like most telescope makers, I got started the easy way, by building Dobsonians with mirrors ground by others. But one day I got bit with the mirror-making bug. I blame my friend Lance Olkovick, our local club’s mirror-making ace. But why a long-focus 6-inch? At the time I was a hardcore Jupiter junkie and was convinced that a long-focus Newtonian would deliver excellent views of my favourite subject. I also wanted to prove a point.
Continue reading “The Big Red One: My Optimized 6-inch f/9 Reflector”
I built my 12.75-inch Dob for less than $700 — much less than a comparable commercially made scope would have cost. But is making your own scope always a money saving proposition? That’s what inquireing minds (canine or otherwise) want to know.
For diehard ATMs, building telescopes is a way of life. But for others, the decision about whether or not to make a scope often hinges on economics. Will I save money building my own? The question shows up regularly in on-line forums and in my e-mail box. Before the emergence of a large-scale commercial telescope industry, the answer was a definite “yes!” But with the current abundance of low-cost, imported Dobs, and the increasing expense (and scarcity) of telescope-making supplies, it’s reasonable to wonder if it’s still possible to save a few bucks by going the home-made route. The prevailing conventional wisdom says “no,” but my own experiences suggest the answer isn’t as cut and dried as that.
Continue reading “Telescope Economics: To Build or To Buy?”
Any new telescope-making book is a big deal, but one that is both new and important is a huge deal. I believe that’s what we have here with the arrival of Albert Highe’s Portable Newtonian Telescopes. It’s a very satisfying, and detailed volume that covers a great deal of territory not explored in any other telescope-making book. What makes it “important,” in my view, is that it not only advances the state of the art, but also provides a wealth of information that will stand the test of time. Albert, and his publisher Willmann-Bell, are to be congratulated on producing such a fine and valuable addition to the ATM’s bookshelf.
Continue reading “A New Telescope-Making Book”


I am so glad someone made this cuz I’ve always wondered how the movement of the solar system might look as a whole….
BUT LOOK HOW EPIC THE SOLAR SYSTEM IS GUYS
but where the fuck are we going?
…you’re standing on a planet that’s evolving
And revolving at nine hundred miles an hour,
That’s orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it’s reckoned,
A sun that is the source of all our power.
The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see
Are moving at a million miles a day
In an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour,
Of the galaxy we call the ‘Milky Way’…


There are two and a half ways
to save the earth. Two of them are on the moon.
Saving the Earth by Colonizing the Moon
Our future and the earth itself are in danger from pollution, global
warming, climate change and a looming energy crisis. The energy crisis
will lead to a political crisis and continual energy wars. In addition we
are discovering very real mega dangers from asteroid strikes and super
volcanoes. Space technologies in general and colonizing the moon in
particular, as a first step into space, have the potential to mitigate or
eliminate these dangers and guarantee a human future. The objective of
this work is to connect the populations of those concerned with the earth
with the space scientists and visionaries who may have the means to deal
with these threats; ...and to bring this issue before the general public.
Fossil fuel power is destroying the
environment and threatening our ability to survive in a number of ways;
both directly in terms of earth-altering events and, also, secondarily, in
the conflicts engendered by the fact that this precious commodity, vital
to the economies of the Developed World, is, to a great part present as
finite, non-renewable resources in the Undeveloped World. Our past and
present conflicts, to a great extent, are over energy resources which are
directly related to personal and national wealth, health and well-being.
There are two and a half technologies
capable of providing abundant, clean, renewable energy and they are all
based in space, they are: Space Solar Power, Lunar Solar Power and Nuclear
Fusion powered by helium3 harvested from Lunar regolith; i.e. moondust.
The nuclear waste from the 3He-3He reaction is H2O, water. Helium3 can be
boiled off and transported to earth to fuel stage three helium fusion
reactors, such as the prototype now in operation at the Fusion Lab at the
University of Wisconsin. Almost at once, nuclear fusion solves the
problems of power, of nuclear proliferation and nuclear waste. Is this
possible? We've been to the moon...forty years ago with technology
comparable to that in a Dodge Dart! We can go back, now.
Nanotechnology makes it all possible today.
Dr. Alan Binder ::: Principal Investigator - Lunar Prospector
Dr. Martin Hoffert ::: New York University
Daniel Lashof ::: Natural Resources Defense Council
Dr. David Lockbaum ::: Union of Concerned Scientists
Dr. Gerald Kulcinski ::: Fusion Lab, University of Wisconsin
Dr. David Criswell ::: Lunar and Planetary Institute
Dr. Bradley Edwards ::: Institute for Scientific Research
John C. Hemry ::: Author
Dr. David Schrunk ::: "The Moon, its Resources, Colonization”
Dr. Paul Spudis ::: The Presidential Commission on Space
Mark Solter ::: Astrominer
Peter Kokh ::: The Moon Society
Dr. John Lewis ::: "Mining the Sky" U. of Arizona
Dr. Patrick Collins ::: SpaceFuture.com
Pat Rawlings ::: SAIC
Paul Graziati ::: Analytical Graphics, Inc.
Wes Bradley, Ed Gee, Ed Mackay, Scott Cross ::: Satellite Tool Kit
Leonard Wilkberg III, Dr. David J. Roddy ::: Scientific Data, Inc.
John Frassanito ::: Frassanito and Associates
Roy Baker ::: Institute for Scientific Research
Cathy Czeiki ::: Nuclear Fusion Lab - University of Wisconsin-Madison
Manny Pimenta ::: Space Frontier Foundation
DVD $24.95 postpaid
2394 Astral Drive,
Los Angeles CA 90046
Writer, Director, Producer: Chip
Proser :: (323) 876 -1885
Also order online:
(Mention Environmental Library Fund for 10%
(To print this entire flyer on a single page, set browser to medium size


Earth, Mrs, astronauts, and astronomy - great subjects for budding space scientists. Here, SuperKids reviewed four for future John Glenns and Sally Rides.
Magic School Bus Discovers Flight Activity Center [for ages 6 to 10] from Scholastic and Microsoft. Ms. Frizzle and her class set out on the Magic School Bus to learn the mysteries of flight. In this exploration and discovery series, young users are encouraged to click and explore their way through the program.
Astronomy [for ages 16 to adult] from Comptonís Learning, includes everything you ever wanted to know about the subject. It is filled, not only with facts and figures, but with maps, tours, interactive tutorials and movies as well.
Space Academy GX-1 [for ages 8 to 12] from Edmark, offers students ample opportunities for experimentation, interpretation and deduction. Its "virtual manipulatives" provide hands-on learning and illustrate important concepts in the study of space, astronomy and the solar system.
Arty the Part-Time Astronaut [for ages 7 to 12] from 3 Pounds Press, is a combined book/CD-ROM that offers a nice introduction to the solar system along with associated fun and games.
Gliders by Design [for ages 12 to adult] from Seeds Software, is a concise, instructive program that covers basic scientific principles of flight design. Model airplane designers and builders will love this program. Motivated teenagers can use it without adult supervision.


Forestry Commission Learning Resource: Recumbent Stone Circles
The Forestry Commission Scotland recently commissioned me to illustrate two of their publications for schools.
The Recumbent stone circles learning resource included diagrams demonstrating the solar and lunar cycles in relation to recumbent stone circles in Aberdeenshire.
The study of Recumbent Stone Circles was also used to investigate other areas of the curriculum such as the solar system, and I produced explanatory diagrams explaining the axial tilt of the earth and how this results in our seasonal cycle.
In addition, I provided drawings of prehistoric carved stone balls, predominantly found in Aberdeenshire, foremost of which was the famous Towie stone.
Download a pdf of the publication here.


SOHO/EIT 304A pictures
Since it was launched in late 1995, The SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) floats in between the earth and the sun, continuously watching our star with several specialized imaging instruments. The pictures taken one and a half million kilometers from us, are then made available on SOHO's web site a few hours later making it the most distant webcam available on the internet thanks to the European Space Agency (ESA) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The Extreme utraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) onboard SOHO is of particular interest as it provides a direct and detailed view of the huge rotating fireball that is ou sun. EIT takes black and white pictures with a succession of four 'colored' filters. Each shot is taken at a different time as the instrument cycles through the four filters in about six hours, providing a daily sequence of four images for each 'color'.
One interesting use of this (almost) uninterupted flow of images is to make animated sequences over a period of several days. In those movies (also provided on SOHO's web site) the slow 27 days rotation of the sun becomes apparent as the gigantic boiling sphere revolves while constantly spitting out bold bridges of plasma, many spanning several earth diameter.
An other interesting approach detailed below is to use two consecutive images as a stereo pair.
A soccerball 3 1/2 feet away
The angular rotation of the sun over six hours is 3.33 degrees, similar to eyes 6.5 centimeters apart looking at a ball 1.12 meter away (3.67 feet). The sun rotates left to right thus the earlier image is the right eye view and the later the left eye view (see figure 1).
To view this stereo pair, one easy way is to combine the two images into an anaglyph to be viewed with red-blue or better red-cyan glasses. To do so, follow the steps below:
When viewed with appropriate glasses (red filter on left eye), the sun looks like a half sphere protruding in front of the screen. A more confortable anaglyph can be obtained by shifting the red channel to the left so that features in the middle of the sphere are aligned in all channels. The sun then seems to float beyond the frame of the picture.
However, both images of a proper stereo pair should be taken simultanously. In this case they are six hours apart. Depending on the sun's activity, many features in the two pictures may have changed which may lead to inappropriate results in some parts of the anaglyph. But many features do persist and move in synch with the sphere conveying an overall accurate perception of depth and volume.
SOHO sends back sixteen new images of the sun (almost) everyday, four per filter. Some pair may no fit, but some may also yield some valuable results and truly add another dimension to the already fascinating images.
A sequence of such anaglyphs can also be assembled to produce a stereoscopic movie of the rotating sun.
Similar treatment can be (and have been) applied to consecutive shots taken by orbiters circling other celestial bodies (Earth, Mars, asteroid Eros...).
Stereoscopy is a process by which each eye is provided with a slightly shifted view point on the same scene allowing us to perceive depth and volume. It generally offers a more vivid and detailed depiction of reality by providing the brain with more information then a conventional 'mono' picture.
SOHO's web site
The Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT)
Stereo pairs from Spirit and Opportunity rovers now on Mars, january 2004
History of photography: Stereoscopic photography, by Robert Leggat
Mars in 3D from 'Sagan Memorial', 1997
Rainbow Symphony, can provide red and cyan glasses
The apparent angular rotation of the sun over six hours should take into account the motion of earth and SOHO during that time which is a little less than a quater degree in the same direction. The angle would then be 3.087 degrees, pushing the ball at 1.21 meter (3.97 feet).
To produce an inverted version of an anaglyph invert (Ctl-I) both images before combining them or invert the final anaglyph and then rotate hue a full 180 degrees (Ctl-U).
Sun rotation is 24 days at the equator and 30 days at the poles - not a solid body.
Sun diameter is about 110 times earth's (1.390.000 km)
Sun distance is about 105 its own diameter (146.600.000 km)
SOHO stands at a little more than a sun diameter from earth, where gravity from our planet and the sun cancel out.


Star Map Hardcover - Dot Grid
Regular price $22.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Exclusively sold in store at the Hartwell Raleigh (not available for online purchase)
Record your celestial observations, track meteor showers, or draft your latest astronomical theories in this Star Map notebook. Emblazoned with a map of the night sky nestled among astronomical events, this book is sure to elevate your musings and inspire your analyses.
|Dimensions||7" x 9"|
|Page Count||192 pages (96 sheets)|
|Paper Type||5mm Dot Grid|
|Paper Weight||81 gsm|
|Paper Composition||100% recycled|


10 Oct “First Man” in theaters and IMAX October 12
“First Man” from Academy Award® winning director Damien Chazelle in theaters and IMAX October 12. Director Chazelle re-teamed with actor Ryan Gosling for this Universal Pictures release. “First Man” is the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight.
2 Pop Music’s Jason Ruder was Supervising Music Editor with Music Editor Lena Glikson contributing.
Find out more at https://www.firstman.com/.


Andromeda shows both wonder at the ‘starry heavens above’ (the title of a 1980 painting of Anselm Kiefer’s), and the moral depths which humanity is capable of plumbing. Two enormous lead sheets cover the upper and lower parts of the work. On the exposed canvas in between, ocean waves roll towards us.
Scientific taxonomy and mythological attempts to grapple with the immensity of the heavens jostle in this painting: NASA’s alphanumerical designators appear alongside a number of the heavenly bodies, while white lines of connection cross the sea to pick out the ancient constellations of Andromeda and Pegasus, their names faintly scrawled in chalk towards the top of the painting.
The mythological resonance of the winged Pegasus develops a recurring theme of wings and flight in Kiefer’s oeuvre, an image of the artist’s search for transcendence and for communion between heaven and earth. But Kiefer’s mythology does not only soar. In this work, the celestial and the earthy cannot be free of one another. The clouds and nebulae of the heavens are rendered in brown drips and chalky deposits. The corrosion of the lead sheets by wind and rain imbues the image with an integral earthiness. The breaking waves that interrupt the heavens insistently recall the darker sacrificial narrative of the mythical Andromeda, chained to a rock as an offering to the sea monster Cetus.
Even more troublingly, given the prominence of references to the Nazi past in Kiefer’s earlier work, the alphanumerical star numbers seem also to suggest the tattoos on the inmates of the Camps. If this is an image of the unfathomable mystery of creation, it is one drawing on Job as well as Isaiah, in which we find both light and darkness, weal and woe (Isaiah 45:7).
This painting suggests that neither the imaginative—but arbitrary—lines of ancient astrological myths, nor the astronomical mapping of stars long dead by the time their light has reached the earth, are able to fathom the meaning of the cosmos. The Lord who alone stretched out the heavens also makes fools of the diviners, and turns back the wise and makes their knowledge foolish (Isaiah 44:24–5; Job 9).


The Temperature Variation Emissions Boost factor, , is defined by:
is a factor that needs to be taken into account in a rigorous calculation of planetary temperature.
Value of TVEB for the Moon
For convenience, I’ll use some data for the Moon from Nikolov & Zeller (2017) (though in general I do NOT endorse their work). N&Z assert that for the Moon, the average absorbed shortwave radiation is 294.0 W/m2, Global Mean Annual Temperature is 197.35 K, and emissivity = 0.98.
From those number and my planetary temperature formula, I calculate that for the Moon, 2.49 and = 0.732. So, if these numbers are accurate, then is responsible for the Moon being 72 K colder than it would otherwise be.
The Moon experiences extreme temperature variations compared to Earth. For Earth, we expect to be much smaller. Indeed, it turns out to be much, much smaller.
Value of TVEB for Earth
Based on the CERES SYN edition 4.1 Terra-Aqua dataset, I compute the typical value of Earth’s for the period 2001-2021 to be = 0.0187. (Note, however, that calculations of based monthly data would yield a somewhat lower result, since diurnal variations and variation over the course of a month would not be accounted for in such a calculation.)
This corresponds to a Temperature Variation Temperature Reduction factor 0.99537.
Based on the same dataset, Earth’s average surface emissions for that period has been 398.87 W/m2. The corresponding mean “brightness temperature” for Earth’s surface (i.e, the temperature computed for an emissivity of 1) is = (398.87 W/m2 / ) = 289.6 K / 16.5℃.
If the the Earth’s surface had a uniform temperature, the would be 0. If everything else was held constant, that would lead to a brightness temperature of (289.6 K)/ = 290.95 K, which is 1.35℃ higher.
In conclusion, the factor (and ) is responsible for reducing Earth’s global mean surface brightness temperature by around 1.35℃.
The factor (or ) is in principle important in any rigorous calculation of equilibrium mean planetary surface temperature. However, these numbers indicate that, for Earth, the temperature-variation factor has a relatively small impact.
This effect isn’t small for all planetary bodies. The Moon’s average surface temperature is around 90℃ colder than Earth’s, despite the Moon absorbing more sunlight per unit area than Earth does. Much of this enormous temperature reduction relative to Earth is due to the Moon’s factor being quite large. (The Greenhouse effect is responsible for the remainder of the difference.)
Contributions to TVEB
There are various ways of decomposing into contributions from different types of temperature variation. Based on the CERES SYN data, here is one such decomposition (Decomposition A).1The values of variation over day and month were computed from CERES SYN 3-hour time resolution data for the year 2014, based on brightness temperature. The values for year, 20-year-period, longitude and latitude were computed from CERES SYN monthly average data, based on brightness temperature. The contribution due to emissivity distribution/variation was computed using CERES SYN 3-hour time resolution data for the year 2014, and comparing the results based on skin temperature to results based on brightness temperature.
|Temperature variations over…||Multiplicative Contribution (1+Vx)||Vx|
|Day||1.00081||8.1 × 10-4|
|Month||1.00041||4.1 × 10-4|
|Year||1.00263||2.63 × 10-3|
|20-Year period||1.00002||2 × 10-5|
|Overall Time Variations||1.00388||3.88 × 10-3|
|Longitude||1.00137||1.37 × 10-3|
|Latitude||1.01330||1.330 × 10-2|
|Overall Geographic Variations||1.01468||1.468 × 10-2|
|Emissivity||1.00013||1.3 × 10-4|
|Overall TVEB||1.01874||1.874 × 10-2|
Based on these results, the most important contributors to the overall value of are, in descending order of importance, variations over latitude, variations over the annual cycle, and variations over longitude.
Different ways of decomposing the total result yield different attributions. I found that the largest difference in attribution occurs when the geographic calculations are done first, before time averaging. Doing that results in much less significance being attributed to temporal variations relative to geographic variations; in particular, the time-averaging contribution is reduced by over a factor of 10. However, since real datasets often involve some time averaging being done before one can do geographic averaging, the decomposition I’ve reported on may be of practical relevance.
Based on year-to-year variations in the calculated value, the uncertainty in may be around ± 0.0003. (I have not estimated any systematic uncertainty associated with the particular dataset that was analyzed.)


Looking for something?
- The New Space Race: Who is going to start a Bitcoin Node to Mars first? November 11, 2019 /u/DisObeyTheGravity
- Survey: 13.5% of Americans Own or Plan to Buy Bitcoin, Equal to Entire Population of Argentina November 11, 2019 /u/NibiruHybrid
- Several Latam teams that work on the Dash ecosystem celebrated a conference this week to talk about the ongoing projects and the bright -and hyperactive- future ahead. November 11, 2019 /u/Tungi17


and another reason we put this here is that the resulting figure was: 0.0069628563211470787202408002049759057081565559603227...,if we test another harmonic value; exchange 648000000 for 162000000 (the previous divided by 2 twice) thus sqrt(tan(162000000)), we get 0.00013925712636838892. Both values seem like they could fit with the gravitational values listed in "The Harmonic Conquest of Space" but both are lower than any of the values listed in the book..but the 1/x of the first give a value close to K' (speed of light at earth's surface in vacuum) at 36" with a difference of 0.3721290458342992. Maybe the synergetics constants can help with fixing these values since we have seen that (1/(144*8))*(6**4)=1.125 which is one of the synergetics constants.
Ok, so we hope "Harmonic Equation 3" was input correct and that the output was in order. Next up is "Harmonic Equation 2":
Ok, that was "Harmonic Equation 2" next up is "Harmonic equation 1" which is the one we actually know something about (which is explain in the first Cathie article; the introduction), so it will be interesting to see how...stuff..:
the original equation c+sqrt(1/c)*c^2, was then spat out as this: c+1/(1/c)^(3/2). 3/2 is a fraction as mentioned elsewhere here. However the double 1/(1/c) should cancel out so..
It does show however that all the stuff here may be in vain as we did not test "HE3" and "HE2" with actual data to check the output.
UPDATE. Tried quickly to test the two versions of HE2; the Cathie one and the one from WA. The seem to have given different output if we have done everything correct.
(C)1998 Teletypwriters Recombinati0n INSB. association.


The team at Kidspot Australia have asked us to share the best three family-friendly things to do in our own corner of Australia. So without any further ado here are mine….
1. Winter Swimming:
Frosty mornings and chilly afternoons don’t often come with a visit to the pool but in the north west region of New South Wales the steaming warm flows of the Great Artesian Basin give ample opportunity for daily dippings. The Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre has three large thermal pools with plenty of space, but sometimes it pays to really skip the crowds and get out to the smaller towns such as Boomi where local hospitality wins hands down.
2. Star Gazing:
It gets dark out here, and when it does the solar system as we know it puts on a pretty awesome light display. There are nights when the Milky Way yawns across our great expanse of sky tantalising onlookers with its awesomeness.
Back down on earth you can also get your fix of star gazing during the day. Only 23km outside Narrabri the CSIRO Australia Telescope offers another impressive sight. As the largest and most powerful radio telescope in the southern hemisphere astronomy buffs gravitate here from all over the world. Visiting families are also welcome and will learn plenty from the self guiding displays.
The best thing you can do with your kids. Ever. Is Camping.
OK so I’m not sure why I love camping so much – maybe its the warm smouldering glow of the campfire on my face, maybe it’s snuggling into a swag and watching a billion stars glisten above me, maybe it’s scraping the dregs of butter from a tin plate with the last morsel of warm jacket potato between my fingers.
Either way its a sensational way to spend quality time with your family.
There are a myriad of camping sites and national parks in this region. One of my favourites is Lemon Tree Flat camping ground at Kwiambal National Park. It’s picturesque, allows for fishing, rock climbing, campfires and plenty of exploring (including a magnificent waterfall and spooky caves).
To get to this part of the world Qantas does flights from Sydney to Moree. Otherwise jump in the car with the kids and hit the open road – there are many splendid things to see and do along the way before you spend a wonderfully wintery week in north west New South Wales.
Words and images: Rachel Walker


Veteran metallers Tourniquet release “THE SLOW COSMIC VOYAGE TO WISDOM” - a 77 minute collection of crushing doom – featuring Chris Poland (OHM, ex-Megadeth), Eric Wagner (The Skull, ex-Trouble), Tim Ripper Owens (ex-Judas Priest), Bruce Franklin (Trouble), Doug Pinnick (King’s X).
In between writing for their next full length release – tentatively scheduled for late 2021 - Tourniquet drummer, songwriter, and mastermind Ted Kirkpatrick has assembled and released an epic collection of doom – featuring songs from the Tourniquet catalog, two Black Sabbath covers, and a 25 minute ultra-heavy drone track unlike anything the band has ever done before. “Mission to MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1” - is an ethereal journey through the cosmos to reach a star. The title comes from a blue supergiant star - named "MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1" - discovered in 2016 by astronomer Patrick Kelly through a gravitational lens on the Hubble Space Telescope. At 9.4 billion cosmic light years from earth, it's the most distant individual star to ever discovered, at least a hundred times more distant than the next-farthest non-supernova star. The entire release has been remastered for maximum effect, and features the dramatic psychedelic cover art by Derek Sheyer.


DOGE-1 will reportedly be the first cryptocurrency-funded mission to the moon. The launch of the moon mission is now scheduled for early next year.
CubeSat of 40 kilograms
The launch is the result of a collaboration between two blockchain companies and a manufacturer called ‘Geometric Energy Corporation’, or GEC for short.
The other blockchain companies, Unizen and ZenX, have announced that they are building and launching DOGE-1. This is reportedly going to be a CubeSat of about 40 kilograms, which will become a new use case for cryptocurrencies. The CubeSat will travel to stable lunar orbit to obtain “lunar spatial intelligence” from sensors and cameras that will be sent back to GEC for analysis. Cubesats are nanosatellites, with standardized dimensions, which can provide different use cases.
The CubeSat will be sent to space through a partnership with SpaceX FalconX and is currently planned for the first quarter of 2022. In total, more than 1,600 CubeSats have already been sent into space. However, DOGE-1 differs from this in that it will travel further from Earth. Where ‘regular’ CubeSats are between 100 and 1,200 miles from Earth, at DOGE-1 this rises to about 250,000 miles from Earth.
DOGE-1 may be the first CubeSat on the moon
Initially, NASA would be the company with the first CubeSat to be sent to the moon. However, this has already been delayed several times. As a result, NASA’s CAPSTONE launch is scheduled for late March 2022. This could mean DOGE-1 launches ahead of NASA’s CAPSTONE. However, no firm date has yet been set for DOGE-1’s launch, but it would still be a huge milestone.
Last May, it was announced that Dogecoin would fund the project, with a planned launch date in the first quarter of 2022. The project made huge progress as a result. SpaceX’s vice president said at the time that the “mission will demonstrate the application of cryptocurrency beyond Earth’s orbit and lay the groundwork for interplanetary commerce.” ElonMusk has also confirmed the launch of DOGE-1 via a tweet on Twitter.
SpaceX launching satellite Doge-1 to the moon next year
– Mission paid for in Doge
– 1st crypto in space
– 1st meme in space
To the mooooonn!!https://t.co/xXfjGZVeUW
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2021


a lovely phase of the moon witnessed by few, until now.
And since it's on b3ta, even fewer.( , Thu 8 Feb 2018, 3:37, archived)
Just you and that lurker
Bah! was hoping this GIF would go virile( , Thu 8 Feb 2018, 4:20, archived)
hahah-- looks like something the cat shat, ate, and then coughed up
but well done, mind you :D( , Thu 8 Feb 2018, 6:42, archived)


Scientists have identified what they believe will be the last form of life on Earth that will survive until the sun dies. Long after humans on the planet have been wiped out, “water bears”, a tiny, eight-legged animal officially called a tardigrade, will persist, the researchers decided. Despite a range of cataclysmic events that could put an end to our species – such as a large asteroid strike or a nearby exploding star – none would be serious enough to completely eradicate all life. And the tardigrade deemed to be Earth’s ultimate survivor.
Despite how much our species has evolved, humankind is still very fragile when compared to some of the other creatures we share our planet with. If a cataclysmic event were to occur, humans would not be the last species to call Earth home. Taking a number of potential “doomsday” scenarios into consideration, a group of scientists has identified what they believe will be the last form of life on our planet until the eventual demise of the sun. One microscopic animal has proved itself to be so incredibly resilient that researchers found it would ultimately be Earth’s sole survivor long after the human species have been eradicated.
From asteroid impacts to exploding stars, there are a number of cataclysmic events that would put an end to our species. However, none would be devastating enough to wipe out all life entirely.
Researchers determined that, until the sun dies, tardigrades would outlast all other species. These water-dwelling, eight-legged micro-animals have a resilience that is unparalleled to all other known life forms.
“To our surprise, we found that although nearby supernovae or large asteroid impacts would be catastrophic for people, tardigrades could be unaffected,” Dr. David Sloan of Oxford University stated.
What makes tardigrades the most indestructible species? These micro-animals are able to survive for up to 30 years without food or water and can endure extreme heat of up to 150 degrees Celsius (302℉) as well as the freezing temperatures of space.
The scientists took three potential cataclysmic events into consideration while conducting their research, which included a large asteroid impact, and exploding stars in the form of supernovae or gamma ray bursts.


Dating dinosaurs and other old things
In fact, I have sitting in front of me on my desk a two-volume work on is not light reading, but I think that every Earth or space scientist should have a copy in his or her library -- and make that the latest edition.
In the time since the previous geologic time scale was published in 2004, most of the boundaries between Earth's various geologic ages have shifted by a million years or so, and one of them (the Carnian-Norian boundary within the late Triassic epoch) has shifted by 12 million years.
Conveniently, the vast majority of rocks exposed on the surface of Earth are less than a few hundred million years old, which corresponds to the time when there was abundant multicellular life here.
Here's the next step in that journey: the Geologic Time Scales of Earth and the Moon.The Geologic Time Scale is up there with the Periodic Table of Elements as one of those iconic, almost talismanic scientific charts.Long before I understood what any of it meant, I'd daydream in science class, staring at this chart, sounding out the names, wondering what those black-and-white bars meant, wondering what the colors meant, wondering why the divisions were so uneven, knowing it represented some kind of deep, meaningful, systematic organization of scientific knowledge, and hoping I'd have it all figured out one day.Venus, Io, Europa, Titan, and Triton have a similar problem.On almost all the other solid-surfaced planets in the solar system, impact craters are everywhere. We use craters to establish relative age dates in two ways.
Just like a stack of sedimentary rocks, time is recorded in horizontal layers, with the oldest layer on the bottom, superposed by ever-younger layers, until you get to the most recent stuff on the tippy top.


The 54th annual conference will be held August 1-3 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. It will feature professional development opportunities along with recognition of Oklahoma CareerTech System employees. (Conference at-a-glance)
This year’s keynote speaker will be retired Navy Cmdr. John Herrington, who flew on the space shuttle Endeavour. In 2002, Commander Herrington flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-113, the 112th Shuttle mission, as the 143rd person to walk in space and the first Native American in history. Find out more about Commander John Herrington here.


CHEOPS – Characterising ExOPlanet Satellite is a small photometric observatory to be launched into low Earth orbit to measure transits of Exo-planets. CHEOPS is the first Small mission from ESA and was selected in October 2012 with a launch target for 2017. ESA is the Mission Architect and in charge of the spacecraft development and launcher procurement. The Member States contribution is led by University of Bern (UBE). The mission's main science goal is to search for transits by means of ultrahigh precision photometry on bright stars already known to host planets. By being able to point at nearly any location on the sky, it will provide the unique capability of determining accurate radii for a subset of those planets for which
the mass has already been estimated from ground-based
spectroscopic surveys. It will also provide precision radii for new
planets discovered by the next generation ground-based transits
surveys (Neptune-size and smaller). The
mission is flying a single medium-size
telescope (30 cm aperture, 1.2 m length
including baffle). All platform
requirements are aimed at supporting
the functionality of the telescope and its ultrahigh photometric precision. The
main implications for the platform are related to pointing capabilities and
thermal environment for the payload.
TECHNICAL OBJECTIVE is to develop two radiator assemblies for the scientific instrument of the CHEOPS satellite. Proper thermal control at instrument and spacecraft level is one of the key components to mission success. The Focal Plane Array (FPA)
requires 10mK and Front-end Electronics (FEE) 50 mK temperature
stability with -55 °C and -10 °C operational temperatures. FPA radiator and
the associated FEE radiator are responsible to keep these equipment at
optimum working temperature in all mission phases while the operational temperature range of spacecraft is between -70 and +40 °C.
ADMATIS is responsible for the Structural and Thermal Model (STM) and
Proto Flight Model (FPM) delivery. Design activity included thermal
and structural FE analysis to optimize mechanical and thermal properties. Raw material of radiators is aluminium alloy, baseline machining processes are NC milling and turning. Radiators will be chromate conversion coated to improve corrosion resistance and adhesion to paints and glues. Radiative areas will be coated with thermal control system (white paint or secondary surface mirror,
SSM) to ensure the proper heat rejecting. Vacuum bake-out will be
performed to remove organic contaminants and residues of solvents or other volatiles. Verification included the mechanical and thermal tests. Large number of MGSE tools has been developed for environmental tests which were also managed by ADMATIS.
STATUS: In december 2014 ADMATIS successfully deliverered the radiator Structural and Thermal Models (STM). At the time ADMATIS runs the project third qualification phase. Project webpage: cheops.unibe.ch
THE SCIENCE BEHIND CHEOPS: An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet that orbits a star other than the Sun, a stellar remnant, or a brown dwarf. CHEOPS satellite will be investigate exoplanets with Transit photometry method. This method can determine the radius of a planet. If a planet crosses (transits) in front of the disk of its parent star, then the observed visual brightness of the star drops a small amount (shown on the right picture). The amount the star dims depends on the relative sizes of the star and the planet. When combine this method with the radial-velocity method (wich determines the planet’s mass) one can determine the density of the planet and learns something about the planet’s physical structure. The transit method also makes it possible to study the atmosphere of a planet.


Relevant Degree Programs
Graduate Student Supervision
Doctoral Student Supervision (Jan 2008 - Nov 2019)
Modern astronomical instrumentation employs adaptive optics (AO) systems that correct for atmospheric distortion in real time in order to produce sharper images. The design and performance of these systems relies on the knowledge of the atmosphere both at low and high altitude. This thesis investigates the first kilometer of the atmosphere, the ground layer (GL), as well as the sodium layer at ~92 km. Newly-designed lunar scintillometers provide turbulence profiles of the GL, and high spatio-temporally resolved sodium profiles are obtained using a newly-designed lidar system for UBC's 6-m liquid-mirror.For ground layer adaptive optics systems, knowledge of the local height- and time-resolved GL turbulence is crucial to link local topography to optical turbulence and has been obtained with the help of three lunar scintillometers deployed in Chile, Hawaii and in the Canadian High Arctic. Results from measurements inside the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) dome indicate severe degradation of image quality due to a poorly vented dome and thus provide input for dome modifications. The outside median GL seeing was determined to be 0.48±0.01". Initial results from the Arctic show exceptional GL seeing conditions, better than have been found anywhere on Earth although data quantity is limited.Extremely large telescopes must correct not only for GL turbulence, but also higher atmospheric disturbances in the troposphere. The use of laser guide stars (LGS) increases sky coverage and the field of view, but relies on resonantly excited sodium atoms in the mesosphere. Upper atmospheric dynamics causes varying sodium density, which produces focus-induced wavefront errors in LGS AO systems. The UBC lidar system was built, and its high-resolution data reveal large spatial variability, strong nightly variations and meteor spikes in sodium density on sub-second time scales. The mean altitude power spectrum has been extended to scales approaching the dissipation limit, and its spectral index of -1.95±0.12 and normalization of 30±20 m²/Hz determines AO system wavefront errors of 4 nm for a 30 m, and 8 nm for a 42 m telescope per meter mean-altitude variation. Derived mean altitudes, separated by one arcmin, showed rms fluctuations of order 30 m and could cause AO performance degradation.
Astrophysical models that address stellar energy generation and nucleosynthesis require a considerable amount of input from nuclear physics and are very sensitive to the detailed structure of nuclei, both stable and unstable. Radioactive nuclei play a dominant role in several stellar environments such as supernovae, X-ray bursts, novae etc. and nuclear data are important in the interpretation of these phenomena. When carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotopes are present in substantial quantities in a star of sufficient mass, the fusion of four hydrogen nuclei to form a helium nucleus proceeds via the CNO cycles. Energy release in the CNO cycles is limited by the long lifetimes of 14O and 15O. In explosive stellar scenarios such as X-ray bursts, the energy output is very large, suggesting a breakout from the CNO cycles. 15O(α,γ)19Ne is the first reaction that breaks out of the CNO cycle. Nuclear structure information on high lying states in 19Ne is required to calculate the rate of the 15O(α,γ)19Ne reaction. This work focuses on the study of states in 19Ne above 3.53 MeV. The lifetimes of five states in 19Ne above 3.53 MeV were measured in this work. The states in 19Ne were populated via the 3He(20Ne,α)19Ne reaction at a beam energy of 34 MeV. The lifetimes were measured using the Doppler Shift Attenuation Method. The lifetimes of five states were measured and an upper limit was set on the lifetime of a sixth state. Three of the measurements are the most precise thus far. The lifetimes of the other three states agree with the values of the only other measurement of the lifetimes of these states. An upper limit on the rate of the 15O(α,γ)19Ne reaction was calculated at the 90% confidence level using the measured lifetimes. The contributions to the 15O(α,γ)19Ne reaction rate from several states in 19Ne at different stellar temperatures are discussed.
Master's Student Supervision (2010 - 2018)
For future extremely-large telescopes (ELT), operation at or near diffraction limited resolutions will be the norm, rather than the exception. Thus, adaptive optics systems and laser guide star facilities will be a critical component of the ELTs. The UBC Large Zenith Telescope (LZT) has conducted lidar observations to monitor the vertical distribution of sodium atoms with the goal of understanding both the abundance and evolution of sodium in the mesosphere to aid in both AO and laser guide star (LGS) return flux simulations. Access to the LZT's high resolution lidar experiment has lead to a joint collaboration between UBC, Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), and the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIPC), to conduct upgrades of at the LZT site for sodium laser characterization tests, specifically TIPC's prototype pulsed sodium laser. The additional facilities and instrumentation at the LZT site include: 1) a new building to be used as a laser room to house visiting groups' lasers, corresponding control equipment and power systems, 2) optical equipment (scanning Fabry-Pérot interferometer, fast photodiode sensor, and miscellaneous optical filters) to measure the characteristics of the laser spectral format and pulse-shapes of pulsed lasers, and finally, 3) the site is now capable of directly imaging both natural stars and the LGS sodium spot with a 30 cm Ritchey-Chrétien equipped with a SBIG CCD camera to help determine the e ciency of LGS lasers. This document describes the new ancillary equipment for sodium laser characterization tests as well as a successful campaign conducted in the summer of 2012 on the UBC lidar laser. The summer campaign measured the laser pulse profile and spectral profile as well as LGS sodium spot measurements. The combined measurements which subsequently lead to an estimated sodium column density ranging from 5.1 × 10¹³ atoms/m² to 1.1 × 10¹³ − 1.5 × 10¹³ atoms/m² depending on the number of laser spectral modes used in the model.


PDF A History of Astronomy Download
- Author: David Leverington
- Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
- ISBN: 1447121244
- Category : Science
- Languages : en
- Pages : 388
The history of astronomy is, like most history, a multidimensional story, and when writing about a specific period, the author has to decide how to handle all the developments of earlier times in order to set the scene. I have done this by starting most chapters of the book with a summary of astronomical knowledge at the beginning of our chosen period, together with a brief review of how such knowledge had been gained. This story is not only interesting in itself, but it will also assist those readers that would appreciate a brief reminder of some of the basic elements of astronomy. It is also necessary to decide when to start our history. Should it be the year 1900 or 1890, or should it be linked to some key development or investigation, e. g. the discovery of the electron by J. J. Thomson in 1897, or the discovery of spectroscopic binary stars by Pickering and Vogel (independently) in 1889, or maybe the year 1890 in which Thomas Edison tried unsuccessfully to detect radio waves from the Sun and Johannes Rydberg published his formula for atomic spectra? I have, in fact, decided to start this history at about 1890, as it was the year of publication of the Draper Memorial Catalogue of stellar spectra which, together with its updates, provided essential data for the understanding of stellar spectra until well into the twentieth century. This date also gives a clear hundred years up to the present.