A useful starting point for any space mission is a broad statement of the goals and rationale for carrying out the mission. Mission: SPACE WDW At Large. We have to set up the limited space we have at home so it works for us and our kids. WASHINGTON — The head of India’s space agency confirmed Jan. 1 that it will attempt a second lunar landing, making that mission one of the top priorities of India’s space program. planning mission operations; training astronauts and users; and rapidly deploying and configuring ground-based command and data systems, mission operations personnel, and mission design capabilities to ensure mission success. Teams must be supervised by a teacher or mentor, who will submit their programs. A time line of space firsts helps students learn about initial efforts to explore worlds beyond our own. The mission addresses high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key questions about the potential for life on Mars. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Learn more here . The program was originally intended to create a family of experimental aircraft not intended for production beyond the limited number of each design built solely for flight research. Sivan’s priorities this year are to implement space reforms and fast-track the Gaganyaan and the Chandrayaan-3 missions. Autonomous Mission Operations (AMO) is … Mission: Space was created as acentrifuge-based space simulator that spins riders around a centralaxis to simulate the g-forces of rocket liftoff and, eventually, amoment of weightlessness. SpaceX and NASA launch astronauts into space 03:55. Next, think about your space. If you get claustrophobic, do NOT ride this. The Apollo 11 Flight Plan is under the configuration control of the Crew Proce-dures Control Board (CPCB). Mission Space, in Epcot, is a ride that spins and creates centrifugal forces. The mission, part of NASA's Artemis plan, would mark the … Suffredini said the mission in … They can also find out about three spaceflights that changed the public's perception of our world and the world beyond: John Glenn's orbiting of Earth onboard Friendship 7 in 1963; the … Mission: SPACE is the third most valuable FASTPASS in Epcot, after Soarin’ and Test Track. Orbit Logic specializes in mission planning, scheduling, and space situational awareness software. The space … Menu: Not yet available — but we do know the location will offer internationally-inspired cuisine along with more than 1,000 bottles of the world’s finest wines and a wide selection of craft beer. Orbit Logic's operationally proven software products create better plans faster with fewer resources, more insight, and less risk. Whether you are living in an apartment or house, urban city center or rural community you have to look at your space and decide how you want to use it as a family. Mission: SPACE is quite popular and can develop long lines during the midday (11:00 a.m – 4:30 p.m). The mission is planning on entering Mars’ orbit in 2025 and return a sample from one of the moons to Earth in 2029. Since 1945, NACA (NASA's predecessor) and, since 1958, NASA have conducted the X-Plane Program. This is the homepage of the UN-endorsed 'Space Missions Planning Advisory Group' (SMPAG). China has mapped the moon from two orbiting spacecraft and has plans for an unmanned lander, a lunar rover, and a mission to return 2kg of moon rock to Earth by 2020. SpaceX's desire to put humans on Mars is nothing new; the company was founded with that goal in mind. It's something the firm has done many times before, taking cargo to the sky-high laboratory. NASA has released its $28 billion plan to land the first woman and the next man on the moon in 2024. Because of the high capacity of the attraction, Mission: SPACE does not run out of FASTPASS until early evening most days. The planned flight from Florida’s Kennedy … Featured Topic: The Space Mission Earth Program Webinar. Many times, they are faced with tasks that have never been tried before. Breakthrough Starshot. Scholastic's "Challenging the Space Frontier" Online Activity gives students an opportunity to learn about the historical impact of space exploration. This section focuses on U.S. missions with science goals to study planets, moons, asteroids and comets beyond Earth orbit. In response, Disney added a tamernonspinning version in 2006. But now, the company is testing early versions of the spacecraft it … It contains an overview of the group and information on previous and upcoming meetings. Mission Space Lab is open to teams of 2-6 young people aged 19 or younger from ESA Member States, or Slovenia, Canada, Latvia, or Malta. Disney’s lawyers probably clocked as mu… The first private crew, consisting of four astronauts, plans to fly to the International Space Station in January 2022 on a SpaceX mission arranged by Houston-based firm Axiom Space. Location: Near Mission Space in Epcot. SpaceX's aspirational goal has been to land the first humans on Mars by 2024, but in October 2020 Elon Musk named 2024 as goal for an uncrewed mission, with a crewed mission to follow later. Tables in Wonderland: Unknown. A key element of the program is planned to be the SpaceX Starship, a fully reusable super-heavy lift launch vehicle under development since 2018. A passenger on an Axiom mission in early 2023 will be the winner of a reality TV show in development by a production company named Space Hero. It was one of the most popular rides atDisney World until two guests died after riding it in 2005 and 2006. Houston-based Axiom Space, founded in 2016, w orks with both civil and private partners to provide “training, transportation, mission planning, hardware development, life … Check our eligibility criteria for more information. More than 250 robotic spacecraft—and 24 humans—have ventured into space since we first began exploring beyond Earth’s atmosphere in 1958. NASA mission planners, engineers, and scientists go through much the same process when designing and building space missions to Mars and other destinations. This isn’t a one-time plan either. The plan is to send two cargo ships, alongside two crew ships taking the first people to Mars. An example of such a Mission Statement is ... ¾overall schedule for planning, building, deployment, operations, replacement, and end-of-life. Whileneither death was linked directly to the attraction, the negative publicitycaused many guests to skip it entirely. Breakthrough Starshot Animation (Full) (YouTube/Breakthrough) Operator: … Charles has worked as a municipal, county, regional, and Environmental Transportation Agency planner. Disney World Facts The trajectory parameters used in this Flight Plan are for July 16, 1969 launch, with a 72° launch azimuth and were supplied by Mission Planning and Analysis Division as defined by the Apollo Mission G Spacecraft Operational Trajectory. The establishment of the SMPAG was recommended by the Working Group on near-Earth objects (NEOs) of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations … The Extremely Large Telescope’s (ELT) first light Space Mission Planning Advisory Group. Mission Possible: How Tom Cruise's plan to film in space fits NASA's trajectory. If SpaceX has sent the two cargo ships by this stage, the next step will be the manned mission. FASTPASS. The first X-Plane, the Bell X-1, was the first rocket-powered airplane to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. SpaceX is set to launch astronauts into space for the first time Wednesday in a historic mission for both NASA and Elon Musk’s rocket company. The San Francisco Planning Commission last week unanimously approved a nearly 5,000-square-foot cannabis dispensary and consumption lounge at 560 Valencia St., between 16th and 17th streets. The first mission, Exploration Mission-1, is slated for late 2018. (However, you can bail out up until the time you enter the "capsule," so if you're not sure, check it out.) Disney Dining Plan: Unknown. The California company SpaceX is launching a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). In a historic first for the U.S. space program, a spacecraft designed, built, owned and operated by a … Featured Speaker: Charles M. Beck, B.S., Community Planning and Development, University of California at Davis.


|Dimensions||255 x 280 x 65 mm|
ORBITING SOLAR SYSTEM KIT
● Build a model of our solar system that uses gears to store energy and rotates without motors or batteries.
● Using a unique four-layer turntable design, the rotations of the planets are close to the actual revolution speeds of planets in our solar system.
● Get to grips with an intricate and highly functional model.
● Discover the forces that act on planets, such as escapement and spin. See how the planets move in a regular and predictable way.
● Brightly colored cling stickers and a mechanically intriguing system!


Onsala Space Observatory is located some 45 km south of Gothenburg and about 20 km from Kungsbacka. Public bus services end at Mariedal, 4 km from the observatory, so the simplest way to reach the observatory is by car.
Onsala Space Observatory
Observatorievägen 90, Råö
- From Gothenburg: E6/E20 south (towards Malmö).
- From Landvetter Airport: Drive to Gothenburg and connect to E6/E20 (Malmö).
- Enter exit number 59 and go right towards Onsala.
- After about 10 km: Onsala church roundabout; go straight towards Mariedal/Råö.
- After about 2 km: a crossroad (Mariedal). Drive straight ahead and follow signs towards Råö.
- After about 4 km: a red and yellow gate. Press the button on the left of the gate and the gate will open (and then close automatically). You will see the white radome to the right; the scientists and the administration is located here.
There are two gates inside the observatory area, normally closed after working hours.
Latitude 57° 23.717894' +17 mm/year. Longitude 11° 55.530957' +14 mm/year.
(Coordinates of the observatory GPS station, 1 January 2000. Reference system: ITRF2005, differs from WGS84 by not more than a few decimeters.)
By bus and train:
Between Gothenburg and Kungsbacka there is a local train with frequent departures. There are buses from Kungsbacka to Mariedal (4 km from the observatory).
Public transportation in Western Sweden:


The Zodiac is a band in the celestial sphere that extends eight degrees north and south of the ecliptic. It is believed to represent the portion of the sky where the planets reside. The zodiac is divided into twelve equal segments, each named after a constellation. These segments are in calendrical order, with the constellation Aries as the starting point. You may be born under the sign of Aries, Taurus, or Gemini.
Characteristics of each sign
The 12 signs of the Zodiac are ruled by various planets, and each is associated with a particular type of person. Air signs are intellectual, while water signs are fluid and emotional. Air signs are intellectual and talkative, while water signs are more sensitive and emotional. Air Signs are more easily influenced, while cardinal signs are independent and hard-working. The other signs of the zodiac are mutable and changeable.
The ninth sign of the zodiac, Scorpio, is the most mystical, mysterious, and powerful of the signs. It is often associated with power, intense feelings, and sexuality. Scorpios enjoy exploring their depths and achieving their highest potential. Their symbols include the phoenix and eagle, which are symbolic of their highest expressions. Scorpios are in touch with their emotions, their subconscious, and the mystical side of life. They are ambitious and independent, but they can also be tactless and jealous.
The Aries zodiac sign is the first sign in the zodiac. People born under this sign are highly ambitious, practical, and organized. They have excellent time management skills and strict timetables. Though they are highly independent, they are hardworking and a good partner. They are also practical and honest, and are very good at managing their time. Aries personalities are great for leadership positions and supervisory roles.
The zodiac is a constellation that represents twelve signs. The zodiac’s name derives from Greek, which means “circle of animals.” It is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, and was later adopted by the Babylonians. During that time, astrologers were aware that the sun returned to its original position after twelve lunar cycles. They also identified 12 constellations that corresponded to the twelve seasons and gave these signs their names.
The zodiac is derived from the Greek word ‘zoos’, which means ‘circle of animals’. This circle of twelve constellations is centered on the path of the Moon. During the ancient period, the birth of the zodiac can be traced to Mesopotamia, where the inhabitants believed that gods controlled the earth. They believed that the stars were signs of gods, and planets with greater light intensity represented their strongest influences. These celestial bodies were able to identify deities and heroes, and later became the basis for astrology.
The Zodiac evolved as mankind developed, and it was passed on from generation to generation. From a planting calendar to a divination tool, the zodiac has evolved over the centuries to serve a number of purposes. It has been a tool for self-realization and navigation, and it remains alive today. And it’s still as relevant as ever. So what do you think? Why is it important to study the Origins of the Zodiac?
The characteristics of the twelve animals in the Zodiac are often interpreted as having a common quality. These are called the quadruplicities, and they describe the qualities and seasons of the various zodiac signs. For example, the Cardinal sign is a good initiator, while the Fixed and the Mutable are considered steady forces. While some of these characteristics may have some overlap, there is a fundamental difference between them.
The most widely accepted theory of the Zodiac’s crimes is that it is inspired by the short story “The Most Dangerous Game.” This story involves a wealthy count named Zaroff who systematically traps and kills people in a private island for sport. The phrase, “The Zodiac” is a reference to the story, which was also a favorite of prime suspect Arthur Leigh Allen.
People born under the sign of Leo are natural leaders. The Lion is the king of the zodiac, and is equally beautiful. Leos are highly confident and live life to the fullest. They are creative, theatrical and often have a strong sense of self. Many Leos have a successful career in the performing arts. Their rigidity can be problematic, however. Some people may perceive Leos as aloof or self-centered.


Nancy Grace Roman – Astronomer
Last but not least we have Nancy Grace Roman, the “Mother of Hubble” (in relation to the Hubble Space Telescope). She’s still around, and from her biography she’s a great example of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Though both Margaret Hamilton and Nancy Grace Roman are accompanied by black and white photos, only Nancy is depicted as the grandma of the group. Her necklace sports an array of metallic colours, which is a nice touch.
Nancy’s display unit is slightly different in that it has a connector sticking up from the base. The screen, appearing to be an abstract picture of an asteroid or something, is a printed 1x4x3 panel.
The connector is used to support this rather interesting satellite, constructed almost entirely out of Light Bluish/Medium Stone Grey parts. It’s not the most stable build, particularly when adding the solar panels, but it all comes together.
Nancy appears to be right at home, hosting a seminar on satellite imagery, once everything is put together. I was unsure of which way round the satellite was meant to be placed, until referring to the instructions. (I prefer the first one.)


Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium
Are you looking for an unforgettable experience near Tulsa, Oklahoma? Then, you’ve got to check out the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium. It’s the ideal destination for aviation enthusiasts, students, and families who love astronomy.
Uncover the story of our world and the universe through the spirit of exploration. The Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium weaves together history and science to create immersive learning experiences for the whole family. There’s so much to see and do here. So, let’s take a closer look at what’s on.
The museum houses an impressive collection of airplanes and spacecraft. You can walk through time and get up close and personal with stunning examples of aircraft that have shaped our journey in avionics. The vintage aircraft on display are a must-see attraction of the museum. Witness the evolution of flight from the Wright Brothers to the dogfighters of World War 2.
Take your experience further with interactive exhibits. You can pilot a virtual aircraft with the Flight Sim Zone exhibit. The Space and Defense Gallery takes you to outer space with hands-on exhibits showcasing the technological advancements that bring the stars within reach.
The state-of-the-art James E. Bertelsmeyer planetarium teleports visitors to our nearest celestial neighbors and the farthest reaches of our galaxy. You’ll be captivated by the stars in this immersive experience. Comfortable theater seats keep you comfortable with plush cushioning and cup holders for refreshments. Journey to Mars, the Sun, or learn all about Black Holes.
The Tulsa Air and Space Museum regularly conducts special events and community outreach programs year round. Check online to see what’s coming up on the schedule. There are guest lectures, workshops, science fairs, and more. Learn how to operate a professional telescope or simply engage with a community of likeminded individuals who love all things avionics.
Opening Times and Admissions
The Air and Space Museum and Planetarium is open Tuesday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The venue is closed on Sundays, Mondays, and major holidays. So, please plan your trip in advance.
Prices range from about $9.00 to $20.00. You can book tickets for just the planetarium or museum or combine them together to see it all. Kids four years old and under are always free and there are discounts available for seniors, military personnel and kids under 12.
Visit the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium
So, whether you’re an aviation enthusiast, a space aficionado, or simply someone looking for an educational and entertaining outing, the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium should be at the top of your list. With its rich collection, interactive exhibits, and engaging programs, this museum offers an experience that is out of this world. Plan your visit today and prepare to embark on a journey through the history and wonders of air and space exploration.


CNO-I cycle The helium nucleus is released at the top-left step. Hydrogen fusion nuclear fusion of four protons to form a helium-4 nucleus  is the dominant process that generates energy in the cores of main-sequence stars.
Most of the copper in pennies and pipes arose in supergiant stars like Rigel and Betelgeuse, say astronomers in Italy. The stars then exploded, casting the copper into space.
The new finding means that gold, silver, and copper all owe their existence to massive stars.
Scientists know the origins of most of the chemical elements from hydrogen to uranium. However, copper atomic number 29 is an exception.
Some theories say the element originated in big stars, while other theories point to stars smaller than the Earth: Their conclusion is noteworthy in part because Matteucci once held the opposite view, that copper arose instead in type Ia supernovae.
When stars die, they eject some of the elements they have created into space, where subsequent generations of stars inherit them. These younger stars thus preserve a record of the deceased stars' nucleosynthesis. Romano and Matteucci compared copper and iron abundances that observers have measured in stars of different ages.
Some of these stars were in the general Milky Way. Others were in Omega Centauri, the Milky Way's most luminous globular star cluster, which may be the nucleus of a small galaxy that smashed into the Milky Way.
Omega Centauri has an unusually low copper-to-iron ratio. As Romano and Matteucci report in a forthcoming issue of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, their models of galactic chemical evolution can explain the data in both locations only if nearly all copper on Earth arose in massive stars--those born with more than eight times the mass of the Sun.
The stars create copper after leaving the main sequence. While on the main sequence, a massive star generates energy by converting hydrogen into helium at its core. It does so through the CNO cycle, in which carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen catalyze the hydrogen-to-helium reaction.
The CNO cycle also changes carbon and oxygen into nitrogen After the star's core runs out of hydrogen, the star expands into a supergiant, and its core begins converting helium into carbon and oxygen.
Helium nuclei also hit the nitrogen, transforming some of it into neon When neon hits helium, it becomes magnesium and liberates a neutron. These neutrons then change some of the iron atomic number 26 that the star acquired at birth into copper.
The flux of neutrons is slow, so astronomers refer to this type of nucleosynthesis as the s-process.
At the end of its life, the star explodes as a type Ib, Ic, or II supernova.We present the first calculations to follow the evolution of all stable nuclei and their radioactive progenitors in stellar models computed from the onset of central hydrogen burning through explosion as Type II supernovae.
Calculations are performed for Pop I stars of 15, 19, 20, 21, and 25M. MASSIVE STARS: PRESUPERNOVA EVOLUTION, EXPLOSION AND NUCLEOSYNTHESIS - from H to Si and eventually explodes as a core collapse supernova. Mup' MPISN Massive stars Mup' MPISN Massive stars Mass Loss (determine which stars explode as RSG and which as BSG) | PowerPoint PPT presentation | free to view.
Evolution and Nucleosynthesis of Massive Stars Alexander Heger Stan Woosley Norbert Langer Tommy Rauscher (massive stars only) Overview • The life of massive stars • The final fates of stars • Nucleosynthesis in massive stars • Neutrino nucleosynthesis • Nuclear .
Stars by A.C. Phillips (Wiley, 2nd edition) is an excellent introduction to the PHYSICS of stars covering basic physics involved in their formation, evolution, and nucleosynthesis.
Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis by S.G. Ryan and A.J. Norton (The Open University and. Nov 18, · In massive stars, the nucleosynthesis by fusion of lighter elements into heavier ones occurs during sequential hydrostatic burning processes .
Stellar nucleosynthesis is the collective term for the nuclear reactions taking place in stars to build the nuclei of the heavier elements.
The processes involved began to be understood early in.


Includes bibliographical references and index.
|Statement||Dale A. Ostlie, Bradley W. Carroll.|
|Contributions||Carroll, Bradley W.|
|LC Classifications||QB801 .C25 1996|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||xvi, 752, 55, 15 p. :|
|Number of Pages||752|
|LC Control Number||95045143|
Description: An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics aspires to provide the reader with an intermediate knowledge on stars whilst focusing mostly on the explanation of the functioning of stars by using basic physical concepts and observational results. An introduction to modern astrophysics | Carroll B.W., Ostlie D.A. | download | B–OK. Download books for free. Find books. An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics is a comprehensive, well-organized and engaging text covering every major area of modern astrophysics, from the solar system and stellar astronomy to galactic and extragalactic astrophysics, and cosmology. An Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics This exciting text opens the entire field of modern astrophysics to the reader by using only the basic tools of physics. Designed for the junior- level astrophysics course, each topic is approached in the context of the major unresolved questions in astrophysics/5(4).
E-Book An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics. An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics aspires to provide the reader with an intermediate knowledge on stars whilst focusing mostly on the explanation of the functioning of stars by using basic physical concepts and observational book is divided into seven chapters, featuring both core and optional content:Basic conceptsStellar FormationRadiative Transfer in StarsStellar AtmospheresStellar InteriorsNucleosynthesis and Stellar . Koop Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, An: Pearson New International Edition van Carroll, Bradley W. met ISBN Gratis verzending, Slim studeren. This video is a lecture on astronomy and astrophysics, particularly, on the Classification of Stellar Spectra. Material from the book 'An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics.
Description: An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Second Edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect the dramatic changes and advancements in astrophysics that have occurred over the past decade. The Second Edition of this market-leading book has been updated to include the latest results from relevant fields of astrophysics and advances. Designed for the sophomore-level course in astrophysics for both astronomy and physics majors, Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics, Second Edition specifically addresses the needs of courses that focus on stellar structure and evolution. Derived from the market-leading An Introduction. Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics by Dale A. Ostile and Bradley W. Carroll (, Hardcover). Textbook: An Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics, Second Edition, Ostlie and Carroll, ISBN (Addison Wesley, ). Available at the bookstore as well as online at and other locations. This book is designed for a junior/senior level course beyond the initial introductory astronomy course.


On Wednesday, the 19th of May Buttercups Childcare and Early Learning Centre was excited to participate in National Simultaneous Story Time!
Every year a picture book , written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously around Australia as part of Australia’s Library and Information Week. This year’s story, ‘Give Me Some Space’ written and illustrated by Philip Bunting was also read by NASA astronauts from the International Space Station !
Our Kindergarten children listened to the story read by our Early Childhood Teacher and further explored their interest in space and even had a go at building their own rocket. This event aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children’s book that explores age-appropriate themes and key learning areas.


https://besttutors.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/logo-best-tutors-300x60.png 0 0 Paul https://besttutors.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/logo-best-tutors-300x60.png Paul2022-12-23 19:16:112022-12-23 19:16:11Miami Dade College The Universe Essay
- 1- What forms most of the observable Universe? Why?
- 2- What type of nuclear reaction takes place at the core of a star? Why?
- 3- Can we live close to the center of our galaxy? Explain.
- 4- How a star gets its size?
- 5- What is the main property of a star defining its size? Why?


Jupiter and more
The brightest 'star' in the southern sky at around 10pm is actually the planet Jupiter. Jupiter is surrounded by many moons; but 4, Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede can be seen with a small telescope or binoculars. If we have several successive clear nights you will be able to see that these moons change position as they orbit the planet.
Indeed such observations can be used to measure the orbital periods of the moons and thus predict their future positions and in particular their eclipses behind the planet. This is best done when Jupiter is opposite the Sun, and the Earth/Jupiter distance is not changing much. As the Earth orbits the Sun, away from this opposition point, the Earth/Jupiter distance will increase and the moons' eclipses will appear to arrive late due to the increased light travel time between Jupiter and the Earth. This can be as much as 16 minutes (twice the Earth Sun light distance) and was used by Roemur in 1676 to measure the velocity of light.
The Sun/Earth distance in, say, kilometres, can be measured by triangulation using 2 widely separated places on the Earth's surface. Hence the velocity of light can be measured.
The modern day value of the Earth/Sun distance is 150 million kilometres and the velocity of light is 300 thousand km/sec. Divide the former by the latter and you get 500 sec or 8 min 20 sec.
Strangely it may only take 8 min for light from the Sun to reach the Earth but it takes 100 million years for the energy generated at the centre of the Sun to reach the outer edge of the Sun. However, that's another story.
MONDAY 20th MARCH, A CONVENIENT DATE TO CHECK YOUR SUNDIAL.
The Earth moves round the Sun in an elliptical orbit at a slightly non uniform rate. This causes a sundial to disagree with GMT by up to +/- 15 minutes.GMT is defined by an artificial sun called the Mean Sun, hence Greenwich Mean Time. The Mean Sun and the real Sun coincide at the Equinox which falls on the 20th March this year. Thus on that date a sundial on the Greenwich Meridian will read perfect GMT. Newton Harcourt is about one degree west of Greenwich, so a sundial will be 4 minutes behind GMT. Thus your sundial should read exactly 12 noon at 12h 04m GMT, similarly for any other hour. If it is forecast to be cloudy on Monday, try Sunday or Tuesday - it will not make a big difference.
Sundials do not do BST.


At 8:53 p.m. on the West Coast, to be exact. (On calendars, it says the full moon is January 5th, but that's because the official date of the full moon is based on the time in Greenwich Mean Time, otherwise known as UTC - Coordinated Universal Time.) And when it is 8:53 p.m. on the West Coast, it is 4:53 a.m. the next day in London. Which explains why we often look up at the moon on the "calendar date" of the full moon and think, "I think it was fuller last night." Because, for us, the full moon was the night before.
In Tahoe, we often notice the full moon because:
1) Our nights have less light pollution, so the moon is brighter
2) We're at high altitude, so there is less atmosphere above us to dim the moon
3) The snow on the mountains is spectacular in the moonlight, begging us to notice
|This is from a cool website called MoonGiant.com|
If you notice full moons, you can't help wondering why the full moons of winter are way, way up high in the sky, making it so bright on the snow that you can easily read by moonlight. By comparison, summer full moons are low in the sky.
Ever notice how the full moon track is just like the sun's track, only the summer and winter tracks are reversed?
I wondered why that is, so I looked it up.
It turns out that it has to do with the fact that the Earth is tilted on its axis (which is what gives us our seasons among other cool stuff). And when the moon revolves around the Earth, it doesn't stay over the Earth's equator, it stays on the same plane as the Earth's orbit and the sun and most of the planets.
That plane is called the ecliptic, and all the stuff that stays on the ecliptic plane got that way because when the solar system first began to coalesce, the material that eventually became the planets contracted into a spinning disc. The spin and plane of that disc has stayed the same ever since.
Here's an easy way to visualize why the full moons are higher in winter than summer.
First, remember that when the Moon is full, it is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, so its entire surface that we see is illuminated.
Now think of a globe sitting on a really large table. The table represents the ecliptic, and most of the stuff in the solar system stays on that table. As you know, a globe accurately depicts the Earth at a tilt. The Earth, like the most of the solar system's inhabitants, also stays on the ecliptic plane as it orbits the sun. It just stays tilted as it moves around.
When the Earth's North Pole is pointing toward the sun, it makes for the long days of summer for those of us in the northern hemisphere. But when the Earth rotates so that we are in the dark of night and we look up to see the full moon, it is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun. So when the sun is high in the summer, that means that the moon is low.
In winter, the opposite is true. The Earth's North Pole points away from the sun, so the sun is low in the sky. The full moon, on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, is now high in the sky.
So enjoy the glorious full moon tonight. Along with the full moon we had in December, tonight's full moon will be higher in the sky than any other until next December. And with the snow on the mountains, Tahoe's full moon is a real treat!


Futures of the Past - Second Panel Discussion organized by OLA and the IRTG
Members of the IRTG "Temporalities of Future" will present their research as part of the second panel event "Futures of the Past", which is part of the programme "2084 Imagined Futures from the South" organized by the Observatory on Latin America of The New School in New York.
For more information, please visit the oficial announcement of the event on the webseite of the Observatory on Latin America: https://observatorylatinamerica.org/event/futures-of-the-past-·-second-panel-discussion/
Time & Location
Sep 08, 2021 | 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM


The summer solstice, the first day of summer, is the longest day of the year. There are a few facts about the day that some might not realize. The summer solstice doesn’t always have a specific date. However, it does fall between June 20 and June 22. Most years, it’s right in the middle on June 21. The date and time reflect the moment when the sun is at its highest peak in the year.
Solstice is a Latin term. “Sol” means sun, and “sistere” means to stand still. The sun appears to be standing at a point where it doesn’t move on this day, and doesn’t seem to move from its position in the following days.
One of the largest celebrations of the event was held in Scandinavian countries. They would light bonfires to celebrate the special day. The largest bonfire reached a little over 132 feet.
Some areas feel the heat of summer before the solstice arrives. However, there are areas that don’t see the hot temperatures until a few weeks after. This is because of the way water temperatures work with the air temperature. It often takes a few weeks for the water temperatures to rise, which releases warm air into the atmosphere causing the higher air temperatures. Summer heat waves often arrive in July and August instead of in June.
It is often thought that the Earth is closer to the sun in the summer, which causes warmer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. The warmer weather is actually caused by the axis being tilted closer to the sun. The Earth is farther away during the summer and closer to the sun in the winter.


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On August 4, Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin will go on a space trip with six passengers. The company is using ‘The New Shepherd’ vehicle for this trip.
The entire journey is only 10 minutes. This is Blue Origin’s third space flight this year.
The spacecraft will take off from Launchsite One at 7pm Bangladesh time on Thursday.
Passengers will get the experience of observing the earth from outside the earth and seeing the space from the 10 minutes of the journey.
Among the six passengers, one Egyptian and one Portuguese will be on the trip.
This is the first time that someone from the two countries is going to space travel.
But more fascinating is the space travel of British-American climbers Vanessa and Brian
According to Blue Origin, Vanessa is the first woman to experience the extremes of land, water and air.
He is going to enter the Guinness Book of Records by achieving the ‘Explorer’s Extreme Trifecta’.
Along with Vanessa, Dude Perfect co-founder Coby Cotton, Portuguese Mario Ferreira,
tech mogul Clint Kelly (III), Egyptian engineer Sara Sabri and telecom executive Steve Young are also on the trip.
3 and a half lakh feet or about 100 km with these six people. The New Shepherd will rise to the top.
At that height is the Kerman line, which is considered the boundary between Earth and space. However, the cost per person for this trip has not been reported.


After watching the discovery channel about space, stars and planets, and one star called Sirius stuck in my mind, probably because it’s the brightest star in our solar system.
I’ve always been fascinated with space but never have I really looked up and actually known what I’m looking at besides the obvious ones. I downloaded an iPhone app called Night Sky which works by helping you identify stars, satellites and planets.
So last night I went outdoors equipped with night sky app and aimed It into the sky, I knew it was a part of Orion so it wasn’t hard to spot. It was exciting to find Sirius, a star I’ve never noticed before but the one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen.
What makes it even more special is the colours it lets off, blue, red and white, it’s an incredible thing to see.
I’m now an official space nerd.


Thanks to a bit of preplanning by NASA’s team of food scientists, Hopkins and Mastracchio will be sharing a holiday feast with their crewmates.
Their Thanksgiving dinner will include many of the traditional fixings, from turkey and gravy to cornbread dressing and blueberry cobbler.
While the meal may sound traditional, the space-age preparation is anything but.
In an interview with CBSNews.com, Dr. Vickie Kloeris, head of the space station food system, explained that readying the meals for space is a year-round process that involves freeze-drying, canning, and thermostabilization to keep the food edible despite months without refrigeration.
Before the astronauts lift off, they can request nine bonus foods to be added to the usual menu. When astronaut Tom Marshburn journeyed to the station before Christmas last year, he brought along cranberry sauce for the rest of his crew.
“It’s all very tasty,” Marshburn told CBSNews.com. “We’d open it up, dig your spoon it, and it just, you can do it upside down, sideways, anyway you want.”
Holiday dinners in space present another challenge that sets the experience apart. The astronauts have to use duct tape and Velcro to keep the dishes on the table -- otherwise they'd float away in zero gravity.


The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was an electric vehicle designed to operate in the
low-gravity vacuum of the Moon and to be capable of traversing the lunar surface,
allowing the Apollo astronauts to extend the range of their surface extravehicular
activities. Three LRVs were driven on the Moon, one on Apollo 15 by astronauts
David Scott and Jim Irwin, one on Apollo 16 by John Young and Charles Duke, and
one on Apollo 17 by Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt. Each rover was used on three
traverses, one per day over the three day course of each mission. On Apollo 15
the LRV was driven a total of 27.8 km in 3 hours, 2 minutes of driving time. The
longest single traverse was 12.5 km and the maximum range from the LM was 5.0 km.
On Apollo 16 the vehicle traversed 26.7 km in 3 hours 26 minutes of driving. The
longest traverse was 11.6 km and the LRV reached a distance of 4.5 km from the LM.
On Apollo 17 the rover went 35.9 km in 4 hours 26 minutes total drive time. The
longest traverse was 20.1 km and the greatest range from the LM was 7.6 km.
The Lunar Roving Vehicle had a mass of 210 kg and was designed to hold a
payload of an additional 490 kg on the lunar surface. The frame was 3.1 meters
long with a wheelbase of 2.3 meters. The maximum height was 1.14 meters. The
frame was made of aluminum alloy 2219 tubing welded assemblies and consisted of
a 3 part chassis which was hinged in the center so it could be folded up and hung
in the Lunar Module quad 1 bay. It had two side-by-side foldable seats made of
tubular aluminum with nylon webbing and aluminum floor panels. An armrest was
mounted between the seats, and each seat had adjustable footrests and a velcro
seatbelt. A large mesh dish antenna was mounted on a mast on the front center of
the rover. The suspension consisted of a double horizontal wishbone with upper
and lower torsion bars and a damper unit between the chassis and upper wishbone.
Fully loaded the LRV had a ground clearance of 36 cm.
The wheels consisted of a spun aluminum hub and an 81.8 cm diameter, 23 cm wide tire made of zinc coated woven 0.083 cm diameter steel strands attached to the rim and discs of formed aluminum. Titanium chevrons covered 50% of the contact area to provide traction. Inside the tire was a 64.8 cm diameter bump stop frame to protect the hub. Dust guards were mounted above the wheels. Each wheel had its own electric drive, a DC series wound 0.25 hp motor capable of 10,000 rpm, attached to the wheel via an 80:1 harmonic drive, and a mechanical brake unit. Manuevering capability was provided through the use of front and rear steering motors. Each series wound DC steering motor


About the Author
Kathleen Souza grew up in CT but now lives in Dartmouth, MA with her husband, Randy. Her experiences as a teacher and mother, combined with years of being drawn to the night sky and the sea, inspired the creation of her two books, August Skies (2015) and June Moon (2017).
“I would definitely read this to my kids! …the topic is an important one, and we need more books like this to help kids puzzle through difficult transitions.” -
Laura Gardner, School Librarian
“August Skies is a sweet, sweet story. This is a book for everyone.” - Margaret Zammit, Teacher


The Sun (or Sol) is the star at the centre of our solar system that is responsible for the climate and weather on Earth. The Sun is an almost perfect sphere with a difference of only 10 kilometers in diameter between the poles and equator. Read on for more interesting facts about this special star!
1. A million Earths fit into the Sun.
If the Sun were hollow, it would fit about 960,000 round globes. If the globes were crushed inside the Sun without leaving any space, it would fit about 1,300,000 Earths. The surface of the sun is 11,990 times larger than that of the earth. The sun contains 99.86% of the total mass in our solar system.
2. The mass of the sun is about 330,000 times greater than that of the Earth.
Almost three-quarters of this mass consists of hydrogen and most of the remaining mass consists of helium.
3. The sun is an almost perfect sphere.
The difference between the polar and equatorial diameters of the Sun is only 10 kilometers. This means that the Sun is the closest thing to a perfect sphere that has ever been observed.
4. The sun will one day swallow up the Earth.
Once the sun has burned all its hydrogen, it will continue to burn helium for another 130 million years or so. During this period, the sun will expand and first swallow up Mercury and Venus and then the Earth. At this stage, the sun will become a red giant.
5. One day, the sun will be about the same size as the Earth.
After the sun has passed its red giant phase, it will collapse. The sun will retain its enormous mass, but with the volume of our planet. When this happens, the sun will have become a white dwarf.
6. The temperature in the sun can reach up to 15 million degrees Celsius.
Energy is generated in the sun’s core by nuclear fusion, namely by converting hydrogen into helium. Hot objects expand and the sun would explode without its enormous gravity. The temperature at the surface of the sun is around 5,600 degrees Celsius.
7. Sunlight takes eight minutes to reach Earth.
The distance from the Earth to the sun is about 150 million kilometres. Light travels at a speed of about 300,000 kilometres per second. By a simple calculation, you arrive at 500 seconds, or 8 minutes and 20 seconds. Although this energy reaches the Earth in a few minutes, it takes millions of years before the energy from the core reaches the surface of the sun.
8. The distance from the sun to Earth changes throughout the year.
This is because the Earth orbits the sun in an elliptical orbit. The distance between the two celestial bodies varies from 147 to 152 million kilometres.
9. The sun is of middle age.
With an age of about 4.6 billion years, the sun has already burned almost half of its hydrogen supply. Fortunately, there is still enough left to keep burning for the next 5 billion years. The sun is currently a star known as a yellow dwarf.
10. The sun has a very strong magnetic field.
The magnetic energy released by the sun during magnetic storms causes solar flares. We see these appear as sunspots. In the sunspots, the magnetic forces orbit just like a tornado on Earth.
11. The sun generates solar wind.
This wind consists of a stream of charged particles that travel through the solar system at about 450 kilometres per second. Solar wind occurs when the sun’s magnetic field extends into space.


By Jessie Taylor
When you look up at the stars, you may not realise that a complex network of satellites is gathering data that informs government policy and decision making.
Those satellites, and various other technologies, form part of South Africa’s space science and research programmes managed by the South African National Space Agency (SANSA). The man at the helm of this mission to learn more about the skies above us is Dr. Valanathan Munsami.
Looking to space
Dr. Munsami oversaw the establishment of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and today holds the position of its CEO in 2017.
He holds a PhD in Physics and a Masters of Business Leadership, and a Space Studies Program Diploma. He also possesses a Certificate in International Air, Space, and Telecommunications Law.
The Academy’s International Board of Trustees is a dedicated governing body of distinguished members from various fields. These include diplomacy, business, science, education, philanthropy and the arts. Trustees believe in the power of international understanding to promote peace across the world. The IASL is a unique platform responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
Dr. Munsami is no stranger to the complexities of international relations and space policy-making.
In 2007, Dr. Munsami joined the Department of Science and Technology as Director for Space Science and Technology. He was later promoted to Chief Director. In this position, he was involved in developing South Africa’s National Space Strategy and National Space Policy.
When South Africa won the bid for co-host intergovernmental radio telescope project the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in 2012, he became the Chief Specialist for Astronomy and African Space Science. He led the development of South Africa’s Multi-Wavelength Astronomy Strategy and the SKA Readiness Strategy.
Dr. Musami has held several positions that deal with space exploration and research, including a seat on the South African Council for Space Affairs (SACSA).
He has held the position of vice president of the International Astronautics Federation (IAF) for Developing Countries and Emerging Nations and served on the Advisory Boards of the Global Space Congress (GSC) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). SGAC is a global non-governmental, non-profit organisation and network which aims to represent university students and young space professionals to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia.
He has also chaired the African Union Space Working Group, which was tasked with developing the African Space Policy and the African Space Strategy that was approved by the African Union Heads of State in January 2016.
Guiding space research efforts
South Africa has been involved in space research and activities for many decades. The country assisted with early international space efforts in the second half of the 20th century and observed the Earth’s magnetic field at stations around Southern Africa.
But in 2010, The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) was created to promote the use of space and strengthen cooperation in space-related activities. The Agency also plays an important role in fostering research in space science, advancing scientific engineering, and supporting industrial development in space technologies.
Much of SANSA’s work involves monitoring the Earth and our surrounding environment. The data from these observations is used to ensure that navigation, communication technology and weather forecasting services function as intended.
SANSA operations fall into four programme areas:
The Earth Observation programme processes Earth observation data, collected primarily from satellites, to support policy-making, decision-making, economic growth and sustainable development in South Africa.
The Space Engineering programme develops, builds and tests systems and sub-systems for satellites.
Space Operations provides state-of-the-art and globally competitive ground station facilities and services for global launch activities. This includes satellite tracking, telemetry and command, launch support, in-orbit testing, mission control and space navigation.
The Space Science programme operates a wide range of infrastructure across southern Africa and Antarctica, all dedicated to studying the Earth’s magnetic field, the Sun, and the near-space environment. The Space Science programme also hosts the only Space Weather Warning Centre in Africa, providing early warnings and forecasts on space weather activity.
Dr. Munsami’s role is essential in guiding South Africa’s space research and exploration fields, ensuring that the country generates and processes data essential for policy-making at government level.


Saturday 30th July 2022 11:00am
This years SSDW is currently running. The final presentations of both teams are public.
Join us at the Institute of Space Systems (Stuttgart, Germany) or watch the livestream online on our YouTube channel.
Institute of Space Systems (IRS)
@ University of Stuttgart, Germany
If the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic allows it, we look forward to having a workshop on campus of the University of Stuttgart again.
We will keep you updated on the situation.
Students and young professionals from all disciplines and all nationalitites!
What you need:
English language skills
Interest in human space flight
Ability to work and communicate in an international multidisciplinary team
This year the teams were assigned to design a lunar economy mission
At the beginning of the week our participants got their assignment by the costumers CEO, Chris Welch. He told them about his vision of a futuristic lunar economy. Now it is up to the two teams, each consisting of 20 participants to make use of their creativity and expertise. Be sure to join the final presentations on Saturday 30th of July at 11:00 am at the Institute of Space Systems (Stuttgart, Germany) or online on our YouTube Channel.
Team Red is designing the lunar orbit station and Team Blue is designing the lunar surface base. We wish both teams the best of luck!
Team Red SSDW 2022
Team Blue SSDW 2022
Lunar surface base
Sometimes later becomes never. Do it now!
Comments from past participants
Cost & Risk Analysis – Team Blue 2019
The SSDW is surely an intense yet enriching learning experience and challenge to overcome. Working with an international multidisciplinary team has allowed me to make connections within the aerospace industry I never thought I would!
Team Blue 2021
Thermal Control System – Team Red 2019
With the SSDW, I had the opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary and internal team designing the structural concept of the A.M.O.R.E. lunar space station. The satisfying experience of developing the outer structure, selecting the materials, and planning the assembly process for the different modules has improved my engineering skills and broadened my horizons.
Team Blue 2021
Project Management – Team Red 2019
The SSDW is a great opportunity to get in touch with the development of a space project. The team-oriented challenge with students of all kind of backgrounds with passion for the space technologies is enhanced by the interaction with the experts and the short development time, forcing them to do their best to meet the challenge. If you could aply, do not hesitate to do so.
Mission Analysis – Team Red 2021
Want to measure the peak of your diligence? SSDW is the place. It requires you to put in your best effort, but only to come out of it wanting even more. It’s dynamic organisation and a very steep learning curve benefits the students a great deal. SSDW is also an ideal event to learn and build contacts within the industry. I would do it all over again, no questions asked! It has an inspirational work culture and in no time, your team is like a family – you live the experience together.
Robotics – Team Red 2021
Journalism – Team Blue 2019
The SSDW is a great opportunity to apply the knowledge gained at the university. I have heard many space related topics at the university, but only in theory. You can only learn the real engineering processes during workshops like the SSDW. You will learn so much during this course, both technical parts from the SSDW experts as well as personal things about yourself, like how you act under pressure and to push your limits. I would recommend any student interested in space to participate in the SSDW.
Propulsion & Transport – Team Red 2021
One mission. Your vision.


Kepler-90 is a G-type main-sequence star located 2,545 light years away from Earth in the constellation Draco. It is most notable for its planetary system of eight planets, equal to to the number of planets in the Solar System.
On December 14, 2017, NASA and Google announced the discovery of an eighth planet, Kepler-90i, in the Kepler-90 system: the discovery was made using a new machine learning method developed by Google.
Nomenclature and historyEdit
Prior to the Kepler observation, Kepler-90 had the 2MASS catalogue number "2MASS J18574403+4918185". It has the designation of KIC 11442793 in the Kepler Input Catalog, and given the Kepler object of interest number of KOI-351 when it was found to have a transiting planet candidate.
The star's planetary companion was discovered by NASA's Kepler Mission, a mission tasked with discovering planets in transit around their stars. The transit method that Kepler uses involves detecting dips in brightness in stars. These dips in brightness can be interpreted as planets whose orbits move in front of their stars from the perspective of Earth. The name Kepler-90 derives directly from the fact that the star is the catalogued 90th star discovered by Kepler to have confirmed planets.
The designation b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and i derives from the order of discovery. The designation of b is given to the first planet orbiting a given star, followed by the other lowercase letters of the alphabet. In the case of Kepler-90, there are eight planets discovered, so designations up to i are used.
Kepler-90 is a G-type star that is approximately 120% the mass and radius of the Sun. It has a surface temperature of 6080 K, and an estimated age of around 2 billion years. In comparison, the Sun is about 4.6 billion years old and has a surface temperature of 5778 K.
The star's apparent magnitude, or how bright it appears from Earth's perspective, is 14, which makes it is too dim to be seen with the naked eye.
Kepler-90 is notable for similarity of its planetary system, which is very similar to that of the Solar System. For example, rocky planets are near the star, while gas giants are farther away. The six inner planets are either super-Earths or mini-Neptunes due to their size. Two of the outer planets are gas giants. The penultimate known planet orbits its host star at about the same distance as Earth from the Sun. The outermost planet has yet to be fully researched.
Kepler-90 was used to test the "validation by multiplicity" confirmation method for Kepler planets. Six inner planets met all the requirements for confirmation. The penultimate planet showed transit-timing variations, indicating that it is a real planet as well.
The Kepler-90 system is the only eight-planet candidate system from Kepler, and the second to be discovered, after the Solar System. It was also the only seven-planet candidate system from Kepler before the eighth was discovered in 2017, and one of two total seven-planet systems, along with TRAPPIST-1. Additionally, the inner six planets range in size from that of Earth to smaller than Neptune, and the outer two planets are the size of gas giants. All of the eight known planet candidates orbit within 1 AU from Kepler-90. A Hill stability test and an orbital integration of the system show that it is stable.
|Planet||Mass||Semimajor axis||Orbital period (days)||Eccentricity||Inclination||Radius|
|b||N/A||0.074 AU||7.008151 days||N/A||89.4°||1.31 Earth radius|
|c||N/A||0.089 AU||8.719375 days||N/A||89.68°||1.18 Earth radius|
|d||N/A||0.32 AU||59.73667 days||N/A||89.71°||2.88 Earth radius|
|e||N/A||0.42 AU||91.93913 days||N/A||89.79°||2.67 Earth radius|
|f||N/A||0.48 AU||124.9144 days||0.01||89.77°||2.89 Earth radius|
|g||<0.8 Jupiter mass||0.71 AU||210.60697 days||N/A||89.8°||8.13 Earth radius|
|h||<1.2 Jupiter mass||1.01 AU||331.60059 days||N/A||89.6°||11.32 Earth radius|
|i||N/A||0.1234 AU||14.44912 days||N/A||89.2°||1.32 Earth radius|
Kepler-90's eight known planets all have periods that are close to being in integer ratio relationships with other planets' periods; that is, they are close to being in orbital resonance. The period ratios b:c, c:i and i:d are close to 4:5, 3:5 and 1:4, respectively (4:4.977, 3:4.97 and 1:4.13) and d, e, f, g and h are close to a 2:3:4:7:11 period ratio (2:3.078:4.182:7.051:11.102; also 7:11.021). f, g and h are also close to a 3:5:8 period ratio (3:5.058:7.964). Relevant to systems like this and that of Kepler-36, calculations suggest that the presence of an outer gas giant planet facilitates the formation of closely packed resonances among inner super-Earths


If you are a follower of space flight then you undoubtedly know about the increasing problem of space junk: the mass debris formed from fifty years of manned and unmanned space flight, satellite launches and everything else we’ve thrown up there without a proper recovery plan.
A new proposal suggests that we might deploy a tungsten dust cloud that would adhere to the junk, increasing its mass and causing it to fall back to Earth – burning up on re-entry.
The article linked to suggests a problem with this – that the tungsten could coalesce into balls adding more debris to the pile. But I see a more fundamental problem.
How do you stop the tungsten from sticking to the wrong thing?
If we launch tonnes of tungsten dust into orbit, isn’t it just going to stick to everything up there including sensitive functional satellites?
Putting more junk into the skies doesn’t strike me as a rational way of reducing junk in the skies.
As we enter the final days of the Space Shuttle program, new research has shown that the cost per flight was $1.5 billion per flight with a total cost of nearly $200 billion.
While many of the achievements of the space shuttle have been applauded, criticism of the performance and efficacy of the programme came early and proved to be scarily accurate. A year before the first launch, the Washington Monthly forecast many of the Shuttle’s subsequent problems: the overambitious launch schedule and subsequent higher costs per flight, the lack of a practical abort method, and the fragility of the Shuttle’s thermal protection system.
The Shuttle technology was largely derived from old technology and didn’t push the boundaries of what might be achieved and yet, despite this, still managed to be both highly unreliable and costly. NASA made a lot of promises for the Shuttle program and when they found it impossible to deliver on these
they changed the rules, played games and hid the truth; while cutting safety procedures and pushing for unrealistic and unsafe launch schedules. Taking part in the investigation into the Challenger investigation, Richard Feynman said NASA was trying to “repeal the laws of nature” through its risky and overly aggressive launch schedules.
Studies of other alternative launch technologies available at the time show that the Shuttle was no cheaper and significantly less reliable than the Saturn technology it replaced. But in throwing away the Saturn programme, NASA also lost the ability to reach the moon and in doing so threw away the possibility of any kind of Mars mission too.
The Shuttles looked the part, for sure. They looked like the kind of space plane that we see in science fiction and promised to deliver that level of access to space. But appearances can be, and were, deceptive. The writing was on the wall from a very early time in the programme’s life, but no-one dared talk about the ceramic-tile coated white elephant that was in the corner of the room.
Once the Shuttle is gone, NASA will rely on commercial companies for access to space. Without the spectre of the Shuttle unfairly competing with them, we can hope that these companies will be able to successfully develop.
Great news from the space development front. Independent Rocket company SpaceX have announced the development of the Falcon Heavy, their entry into the ‘heavy lifter’ category of launch vehicles.
The Falcon heavy will provide double the delivery capacity (a whopping 53 tonnes!) of all existing systems, dwarfing both the Delta IV and the Space Shuttle. This means that the cost of delivering payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) will drop significantly – in fact the company estimates that the launcher would save the US $1 billion in launch services per year.
The impact of this system when it comes on stream will be huge, providing access to space at a fraction of the current cost (something that the badly flawed shuttle was supposed to do and never achieved) and allowing the delivery of systems (Imagine a space telescope 5 times as big as the Hubble!) of previously unachievable size.
The engineering of the SpaceX fleet shows real imagination and a determination to push back the boundaries of what is possible in rocketry. We should all feel proud of the achievements that they have made and undoubtedly will achieve in the future.
No doubt they will have their share of issues in the future; as their rival Scaled Composites unfortunately showed, the path to Space is not an easy one. Nevertheless, let us hope that they (and Scaled Composites) continue the push to take us truly into space.


IN THE BEGINNING / END-STATES
Iran do Espírito Santo
May 15 - June 21, 2014
NEW YORK—Sgorbati Projects is pleased to present In The Beginning / End-States a group exhibition based loosely around physical processes associated with the birth and death of stars. The exhibition explores the psychological and emotional impact of artworks that, through concept or formal material qualities, hint at larger, elemental phenomena.
Fields such as astronomy, cosmology, and theoretical physics have advanced an understanding of the universe that is incongruous with everyday human observation—our terrestrial experiences limit our perception of the universe we inhabit. Artworks in the exhibition comment directly on our cognitive relationship with these forces or manipulate mass, density, color, light, and space to render for the viewer a transportive experience.
The exhibition includes compelling works in diverse media by Cory Arcangel, Alice Aycock, Ross Bleckner, Iran do Espírito Santo, Anthony McCall, Adam McEwen, Aleksandra Mir, Taryn Simon, and Keith Sonnier.
In The Beginning / End-States was curated in collaboration with Thomas Arnold.


Information Page: https://lib.sustech.edu.cn/2021/0707/c530a4849/page.htm
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment
Period of validity : Mar. 23- May. 22
Nature Astronomy publishes research, reviews and commentary at the cutting edge of astronomy, astrophysics and planetary science. Aiming to promote closer interaction between diverse astronomy-relevant disciplines, we consult widely with researchers at all stages of their careers, and more than one third of our commissioned authors are women.
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment is a new online-only reviews journal, publishing monthly from January 2020. We are interested in the latest advances in, and timely syntheses of, research spanning all aspects of Earth and environmental science, incorporating disciplines that fall within, and are related to, the following themes: weather and climate, surface processes, and solid Earth. The reciprocal relationship between the environment and society are also featured. Our broad scope and accessible format ensures that articles reache the widest possible audience.
Nature Synthesis is a new online journal, to be launched in January 2022. The journal is interested in all aspects of synthesis, from making discrete molecules to extended materials, as well as technological innovations leading to significant advances in synthetic methods and processes.


Discover exclusive deals and must-see events for the upcoming solar eclipse in Dublin, Ohio! From prime viewing locations to limited-time offers, this is the ultimate guide for experiencing this celestial phenomenon in style.
Solar Eclipse Events & Activities
Dublin in the Dark Community Viewing Events - Riverside Crossing Park & Coffman Park
- 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Enjoy free music and entertainment in Dublin parks.
Solar Eclipse Solar-Bration - Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
- 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: Join the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium to witness the wonder of the solar eclipse and explore the science behind wildlife research! Enjoy free eclipse glasses, character ambassador meet and greets, and partner activity stations.
Solar Eclipse Party - VASO Rooftop Lounge
- 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: Head to the rooftop at VASO for the perfect viewing position! Your tickets get you eclipse glasses, 2 drink tickets, food stations, and live entertainment from Dayna Sol. Purchase your ticket here.
Dublin Arts Council ArtBoxes Eclipse Craft
- Stop by one of several ArtBoxes throughout Dublin to pick up your free eclipse craft!
Solar Sounds Pre-Eclipse Party - North Market Bridge Park
- 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Come early and visit North Market Bridge Park where you'll find DJ IQ spinning tunes, food and drink specials, a collaborative live art painting from Terra Art Gallery, and more!
Solar Eclipse Exclusives & Deals
Half-price drinks at The Roosevelt Room from 3-6 p.m.
Urban Meyer's Pint House will open at 1 p.m. for a Sip-n-See with specialty cocktails - Lunar Elixir & Gravity
Eclipse children's book and stickers for sale at Dublin Toy Emporium
Dublin Village Tavern Galaxy Eclipse Cocktail
Shawnee Station Taproom Total Eclipse Stout
24% off all clinical services (HydraFacials and Glo2Facials) & add ons/customizations at Oasis Face Bar
Enjoy Happy Hour all day at The Pint Room with a $7 food menu, $2 off craft beer, $1 off wine and liquor, and $3 off signature cocktails
Get a free pair of eclipse with the purchase of a Blue Moon for $3.08 (eclipse start time) or a Blue Moon Light Sky for $3.11 (totality time) at Modern Male's Bar. Eclipse glasses are for sale for $2.99 while supplies last.
Claim a free half queso from Torchy's Tacos when you show your eclipse glasses.
For all the details on the 2024 Solar Eclipse in Dublin and to book your Eclipse hotel package, click here.


Latitude 51.5 North. For stargazing in Britain and Ireland, Northern Europe, Northern USA and Canada.
Bestseller as seen on TV.
A fun and practical starfinder for identifying the constellations and stars in the northern hemisphere at latitude 51.5°N (Britain, Ireland, Northern Europe, Northern USA, Canada).
Shows stars down to magnitude 5, as well as deep-sky objects for those using binoculars or telescopes.
Colour wallet provides illustrated instructions for use.
Includes a season-by-season guide to the night sky.


- The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary
- February 4, 2024
- Lift Up Your Eyes and See!
Sermon for 04 February 2024 (Epiphany 5 B)
Offered by Nathan Ferrell at The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary
Texts: Isaiah 40.21-31; Psalm 147.1-12,21c; Mark 1.29-39
Title: Lift Up Your Eyes and See
O God, there is no one like You. So please, take our eyes and see through them. Take our ears and hear through them. Take our mouths and speak through them. Take our hearts and light them on fire. Amen.
BEFORE YOU ARE SEATED…please turn to those standing closest to you and tell them, “Life is amazing!” Excellent. Thank you. Now you may be seated.
“Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? The One who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name” (Isaiah 40.26).
My friends, where do you go to find yourself overwhelmed with awe and wonder?
This is what the Prophet Isaiah is speaking about in that famous passage we heard earlier. The Prophet is inviting the people to gaze up at the stars in the night sky, and to be amazed! To stand in awe and wonder at the majesty of the stars.
How many times have you looked up and contemplated the night sky, and gazed in wonder at the stars in the heavens?
I really love the IDEA of doing that. And the idea of going out into an open field at night to watch a meteor shower, or to look for the aurora borealis. I love the idea, but I never do it. You see, I am a morning person, not a night owl. And when it is dark, my body is thinking only about sleep.
So I never do these things, besides a 30 second glance now and then when I am over in the hills of New Hampshire, where the sky is much darker.
But those who do this, those who contemplate the night sky, are placing themselves in a position where they can experience awe and wonder. And THAT is a very good thing.
Have you heard me speak about the night sky during my time spent in Bahrain? In that part of the world, a person cannot see a single star in the night sky. Maybe the planets, when they are shining brightly. But no stars at all. Not one! And why not? Well, there is a sad combination of horrendous pollution from oil refineries, bright orange gas flares from the oil fields, sand in the air from dust storms, plus an obnoxious number of neon signs and street lights along every road. The sky is perpetually orange at night.
Can you imagine growing up in such a place and never seeing stars in the night sky? Every day, this is becoming more normal as cities grow and as light pollution continues to ruin the night sky for everyone.
This is a sad state, because the stars have always spoken to humans about the majesty of life.
Both the Prophet Isaiah and the Psalmist make a claim about our Creator GOD numbering the stars and calling each one by name. This is a bold claim of faith. Certainly, those humans could not possibly have comprehended the sheer magnitude of the number of stars in the known universe.
How many are there? Do you know? According to NASA, the universe could contain up to one septillion stars, which is a one followed by 24 zeros. That is one trillion times one trillion!
Our Milky Way alone contains more than 100 billion stars, including our Sun, of course.
There is no way for me to prove this, but I have a hunch that perhaps this is the inspiration that Jesus was pursuing in his pre-dawn outing. The Gospel of Mark says that “In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1.35).
While it was still very dark, he went out into a wild place. Most likely, HE could see the stars shining brightly in that dry air. And perhaps he did this to listen to the music of the spheres, to hear the song of praise shared continually by the stars. And just maybe, that experience gave him renewed energy to carry on his work.
My friends, it is good to be amazed at the wonder of it all.
One time I made an effort to calculate the rate of motion by which we are traveling through space. When you add together the speeds of our planetary rotation, our orbit around the sun, and the movement of our solar system within the Milky Way, you find out that at every second we are moving somewhere around 1,408,000 miles per hour.
We are hurtling through space faster than any rocket you could ever imagine, and yet gravity prevents us from feeling that meteoric speed with which we are moving, even now.
Isn’t that crazy and bizarre?
What is more, cosmologists have recently noticed that our solar system “happens to be” in the middle of a large blank space in our galaxy, which appears to have been created by multiple supernovae that occurred around 14 billion years ago. Those massive explosions created this large and calm area in which we now find ourselves. And which, perhaps, explains why life developed on this planet.
You see, for biological life to develop, a relative state of calm over time is necessary. The earth’s gravity, and our delightfully quiet pocket of the galaxy, have combined to create exactly the ideal conditions for the development of life.
And so, here we are. Life has developed on this planet in absolutely miraculous ways. We can look up at the stars and be overcome by awe and wonder.
OR we can look down into a microscope and experience the very same thing.
When the Human Genome Project completed their enormous task of decoding the human DNA sequence, it was announced at a major press conference with the President in June of the year 2000.
Dr. Francis Collins stood in front of all the news cameras of the world as these words were spoken [by President Clinton]: “Today, we are learning the language in which GOD created life. We are gaining ever more awe for the complexity, the beauty, and the wonder of God’s most divine and sacred gift” (The Language of God by Francis Collins, Free Press, 2006: p.2).
How can we even begin to understand these things? Each cell of our bodies contains a DNA sequence of over 3 billion letters.
And this DNA in our cells is manipulated over 15 quintillion times a day. That’s a 15 with 19 zeros behind it! Our DNA is being constantly pulled apart, cut and used to make proteins within our cells. And nearly every single time, every single day, it all gets put back in the correct order.
Whether we look at the macro-level OR at the micro-level of the universe, everything around us is astonishingly awesome.
BUT, if your life is anything like mine, it is far too easy to feel suffocated by the details of our busy modern lives. Keeping track of every single PIN and password and login. Preparing your tax returns and making sure each transaction is accounted for in the proper way. Making sure your personal information and your financial data is secure and protected from hackers and scammers who are daily trying to steal from you.
All of this daily crap sometimes makes me want to crawl into bed and hide under the covers and never come out. It’s exhausting. And it sucks all of the joy and awe and wonder out of life!
But we must not allow that to happen! We have to fight that as hard as we can.
Some of you might remember that Beastie Boys song from the 80’s, “You have to fight for your right to party!” Well, I say, we have to fight for our right to be awestruck. To be amazed! To stand in wonder at the miracle of life!
So I wanna know, where do you go to find yourself overwhelmed with awe and wonder?
Wherever that is, my friends, do not neglect that time or that place.
Perhaps you DO go out and gaze at the stars. Perhaps you find this while watching the waves crash on the rocks of Two Lights State Park. Perhaps you feel this while taking in an amazing music performance, one that demonstrates the miracle of sound and rhythm. Perhaps you find this when swimming in the ocean, or maybe you experience it when holding a newborn baby in your arms.
Wherever it is, or whatever takes you there, return to it often, my friends.
In the words of our Collect today, we prayed, “Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins”. Sometimes this bondage may be nothing more than the loss of our joy and wonder at what God has created!
And likewise, when we pray for “the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ”, I think what we are REALLY asking for, is a life that is free enough to be shaped by awe and wonder, and a heart that can gaze at the stars and be astonished at the miracle of this entire thing we call life.
Thanks be to GOD for the miracle of life! And for this planet, this universe and everything in it – including you! Amen


Steve Puetz graduated in 1973 from Purdue University with a degree in mathematics, statistics, and computer science. He worked as a computer programmer, data processing manager, commodity market trader, commodity market analyst, private financial market analyst and writer. He is the author of Total Collapse: The Financial Crash of the Millennium, published in 1997.
The Unified Cycle Theory
How Cycles Dominate the Structure of the Universe and Influence Life on Earth
by Stephen J. Puetz
The Unified Cycle Theory
How Cycles Dominate the Structure of the Universe and Influence Life on Earth
by Stephen J. Puetz
Published Feb 11, 2009
Genre: SCIENCE / General
There is a vital connection between what occurs at the far reaches of our universe and what happens here on Earth.
We are an integral part of this giant universe. As energies are released in space, they create measurable impacts on galaxies and solar systems as well as on our small planet. Cycles upon cycles of energy impact our lives, and although we may not be able to see them, they do affect us. They cause us to react in ways that, for millennia, influenced the course of our history, economics, and even our psychology.
When author Steve Puetz worked as a market analyst, he became interested in cyclic analysis and began a search for a plausible explanation of cyclic behavior in the markets. As the database grew and his research progressed, he began to see that all cycles-whether financial, sociological, gravitational, geomagnetic, or geophysical-had a correlation, and from this realization evolved the Unified Cycle Theory.
The Unified Cycle Theory not only organizes, unifies, explains, and clarifies the many cycles already discovered by a variety of scientists, researchers, and analysts, but is one that also predicts important turning points in mankind's social and economic future. Most surprisingly of all, it has uncovered a set of cycles that come from a mysterious source.
It's important to emphasize that most EUWS frequencies below 40 million years represent cycles found by others. Within the last century, various scholars already discovered all of the main components of the EUWS cycles related to human activities. The monumental breakthrough with the Unified Cycle Theory isn't that these cycles exist. Rather, the breakthrough lies with the fact that these cycles act together as a cohesive group. And because of this, they share a common origin. Knowing that these cycles share a common origin immediately invalidates every existing theory regarding their source. Whatever the source, any theory explaining the origin of the EUWS cycles must account for every frequency from 28.7 days all the way to 22.2 billion years. None of the existing theories come close to doing that. A number of researchers have proposed that cycles in the million to billion year range originate from galactic cosmic rays coming from our Milky Way galaxy. At one time, I leaned toward that same idea. However, the sheer size of the largest, verifiable EUWS cycle completely eliminates our galaxy as a possible source. The most recent trough of the 22.2-gyr cycle points back to the Big Bang. Hence, it's possible that the Big Bang itself touched off this series of cycles. However, for that to be true, the trough of the 22.2-gyr cycle must coincide exactly with the Big Bang. In this particular case, close doesn’t count. The latest estimate of the age of the universe rests at 13.73 ±0.12 Ga.[Hinshaw et al., 2008] The estimated 22.2-gyr trough comes at 13.82 Ga. The difference equals a 91.3-myr sub-cycle defined by the TPD Principle. It's possible that estimates of the age of the universe and the 22.2-gyr frequency will be revised so their troughs match. However, even if that happens, it still seems unlikely that a Big Bang could modulate itself. If the Big Bang failed to set off this sequence of cycles, then only one other possible explanation exists. And that possibility lies outside of our known universe! Hence, the EUWS cycles serve as the first credible evidence that something lies beyond our observable universe. Looking at the totality of the EUWS cycles, the Unified Cycle Theory predicts the possibility of cycles longer than 22.2 billion years that modulate repeated big bangs. If the EUWS cycles set off the Big Bang, then these cycles certainly control big bangs in other universes as well. This idea isn't new. A few physicists have already become uncomfortable with the singularity of the Big Bang. University of California Davis physicist Andreas Albrecht, one of the early developers of Alan Guth's cosmic inflation theory, now has second thoughts about inflation. Albrecht, along with another leading theoretical physicist, Joao Magueijo, co-authored an abstract entitled A Time Varying Speed of Light as a Solution to Cosmological Puzzles. In their paper, they outline a theory that the speed of light varies over time. “Cosmologists have long been dissatisfied with the 'Standard Big Bang' (SBB) model of the Universe. This is not due to any conflict between the big bang theory and observations, but because of the limited scope offered by the SBB to explain certain striking features of the Universe. From the SBB perspective the homogeneity, isotropy, and 'flatness' of the Universe, and the primordial seeds of galaxies and other structure are all features which are 'built in' from the beginning as initial conditions. Cosmologists would like to explain these features as being the result of calculable physical processes. A great attraction of the Inflationary Cosmologies is that they address these issues by showing on the basis of concrete calculations that a wide variety of initial conditions evolve, during a period of cosmic inflation, to reflect the homogeneity, isotropy, flatness and perturbation spectrum that we observe today.”[Albrecht and Magueijo, 1999] While admitting that their theory hasn't been worked out to the same detail as cosmic inflation, Albrecht and Magueijo did show how their theory addresses the flatness issue, the cosmological constant, and the entropy problems. Next, the pair took their theory a step further. In a transcript entitled Einstein's Biggest Blunder, Albrecht and Magueijo propose that a variable speed of light paves the way for multiple big bangs. Specifically, Magueijo stated: “And you might think this is the end of the Universe, but of course in the picture of this theory it's just creating the conditions for another Big Bang to happen again — a sudden drop in the speed of light, another sudden discharge of all this energy into another Big Bang. So it is possible that actually our Big Bang is just one of many, one of many yet to come, and one of many which there were in the past already — maybe the Universe is just this sequence of Big Bangs all the time.”[Cal Davis Cosmology, 2008] But the cosmic inflation revolt doesn't end with Albrecht and Magueijo. Princeton University physicist, Paul Steinhardt, another early developer of Guth's inflation model, now openly questions its validity. Christian Science Monitor writer P.N. Spotts interviewed Steinhardt in an article entitled The Big Bang (One More Time): “He and Cambridge University physicist Neil Turok have unveiled a model in which the universe has no beginning or end, but replenishes itself in a cycle of expansion and contraction. Each expansion is triggered by its own big bang.... They hold that much of their model works well in a four-dimensional universe of height, depth, width, and space-time. They add that it finds its true home in the 9 to 10 dimensions of string theory, which tries to explain how the four forces of nature emerged from one unified force early on. One variation, known as M theory, holds that the universe consists of two parallel sheets, or membranes. The two membranes are separated by a 'fifth' dimension a tiny fraction of a centimeter wide. Steinhardt and Turok's calculations describe the membranes meeting in a slap, triggering the big bang. On the membrane humans inhabit, the bang yields the particles, energy, and forces familiar to scientists. The other contains 'we know not what,' Steinhardt says. The duo posits the second one may be home to 'dark matter.' Over trillions of years, the membranes expand, growing darker, colder, and less dense, until the logic of Steinhardt's equations brings them back together in another cosmic slap. The membranes resume expanding, even as they drift apart, only to repeat the cycle. Steinhardt says this model yields all the features of the inflationary model, without inflation.”[Spotts, 2002] While Steinhardt presents interesting ideas, multiple big bangs don't necessarily have to be so complex that they involve membranes. The basis for a simpler big bang cycle centers on ideas discussed by University of Maryland geoscientist, Charles Breiterman. Breiterman raises a relevant question about whether the Earth is an open or closed system. In his abstract, entitled Considering the Earth as an Open System, Breiterman wrote: “This review article synthesizes research from several disciplines by conceiving of the Earth as an open system significantly influenced by inputs of matter from outer space. It carefully and critically surveys the topics of mass extinctions, interplanetary dust/micrometeorites, delivery of complex pre-biotic organic molecules from space, ice-ages, small comets and panspermia. The evidence, if verified by continuing investigations, shows that the Earth was an open system just after planet formation. Since then, the Earth has been significantly influenced by inputs of extraterrestrial matter, but the inputs are not critical to the sustained functioning of the system.”[Breiterman, 2004] Opinions vary on this subject. My own view sits close to Breiterman's, but not exactly the same. Reality probably lies closer to Earth acting as a hybrid system with some elements open and others closed. Furthermore, these ratios vary with time. In other words, the openness of Earth's ecosystem oscillates – just like everything else in our universe. Taking this one step further, the huge 22.2-gyr length of the largest observed EUWS frequency suggests that a multiverse exists as an open system. Our own observable universe functions as a small part of the multiverse. It does so in conjunction with a large set of other universes. Each of these individual universes, similar in operation to our own but varying in size, could be considered hybrid systems. Each universe essentially sustains itself; however, sometimes universes exchange elements. And the openness of each universe varies with time. While each individual universe behaves as a self-contained unit, nothing in the structure of the multiverse prevents individual universes from interacting with each other. This universal interaction would mimic the behavior of galaxies in our universe. Galaxies generally stay separated, but every once in a while, they crash and form a new, larger galaxy. Additionally, the magnetic field surrounding galaxies tends to contain matter and energy inside its field, however, some leakage occurs. In an identical manner, universes could merge and share matter with each other. In fact, under this model, a universe could simply be viewed as a super-large galaxy. Albeit, during a contraction phase, the black hole at the center of a universe attains such a large mass that new properties appear. These new properties then permit a universe to completely implode – resulting in endless cycles of big crunches followed by big bangs. This simple universal model basically operates on size. Each collection of matter in the multiverse displays different properties depending on size. For example, a small collection of galactic gas collapses to form a planet. A larger mass compresses to form a star similar to our Sun. A collection of matter greater than 10 solar masses forms a supernova, which eventually collapses, then explodes. More than 50 solar masses may result in supernova that collapse into black holes without subsequent explosions. In each case, a combination of mass and elemental composition determines the properties of the mass-collection. Something similar could happen when collections of mass reach a threshold well beyond the size of a galaxy. With attainment of that threshold, a galaxy suddenly changes into a universe. In an open multiverse, things never balance within each individual universe. For example, the amount of matter never equals anti-matter and the number of electrons fail to equal positrons. Inside an open multiverse, any combination of matter and energy is possible for each constituent universe. Of course, this is all conjecture. However, the conjecture fits the evidence supplied in this book. If a series of waves originates from outside our universe, it implies the existence of other universes inside a multiverse. And no logical reason emerges requiring these individual universes to remain separated from each other.


Beyond the Known: The Night Uranus Entered Our World
In the vast expanse of our solar system, the discovery of Uranus on March 13, 1781, stands as a testament to human curiosity and the desire to understand the universe. This momentous event, credited to the German-born British astronomer William Herschel, expanded our knowledge of the solar system and marked the first discovery of a planet using a telescope. Uranus’s identification challenged astronomical theories and paved the way for further exploration and discovery.
Before the discovery of Uranus, the known solar system was thought to end with Saturn. Observations of the heavens were limited to the naked eye, and the idea of planets beyond Saturn was speculative at best. However, the advancement of telescope technology in the 17th and 18th centuries allowed astronomers to gaze deeper into the cosmos than ever before.
William Herschel, an accomplished musician turned astronomer, was conducting a survey of the night sky from his garden in Bath, England, when he observed an object that appeared markedly different from the stars. Initially mistaking it for a comet, Herschel noted its unusual disk-like appearance and slow movement across the sky. After further observation and calculations by Herschel and other astronomers of the time, including Nevil Maskelyne, the Astronomer Royal, it became clear that the object was not a comet but a new planet orbiting beyond Saturn.
The discovery of Uranus was revolutionary for several reasons. It was the first planet found with a telescope, highlighting the importance of technological innovation in advancing scientific knowledge. Moreover, Uranus’s orbit significantly expanded the known boundaries of the solar system, challenging astronomers to reconsider their models of the cosmos.
Herschel’s discovery also profoundly impacted the naming conventions for planets. While Herschel initially proposed naming the new planet “Georgium Sidus” (George’s Star) in honour of his patron, King George III of Britain, this suggestion was not widely accepted outside Britain. Ultimately, the name Uranus, proposed by German astronomer Johann Bode and derived from ancient Greek mythology, was adopted internationally. This choice set a precedent for naming planets after mythological figures, a convention that continues today.
The discovery of Uranus led to further astronomical milestones, including the identification of its moons and the eventual discovery of Neptune, prompted by irregularities in Uranus’s orbit. These achievements underscored the dynamic nature of the solar system and the ongoing quest to understand our place in the universe.
Today, the discovery of Uranus is celebrated as a pivotal moment in the history of astronomy, a reminder of the endless possibilities that await us in exploring the cosmos. It signifies a breakthrough in our understanding of the solar system and the unyielding spirit of inquiry that drives scientific discovery.
As we commemorate the day William Herschel expanded our celestial horizons, we are reminded of the boundless curiosity that propels humanity to explore the unknown, seeking answers to the mysteries of the universe.


Posted on 03/10/2013.
A chapter of the International Dark Sky Association has been established which will be of great benefit to the residents of Apple Valley, and the SouthWest Science Center, particularly the SWSC Astronomical Observatory.
This new chapter's name is IDA Utah
As the leading organization combating light pollution worldwide, IDA celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2008. Over the past twenty years, IDA has grown from two members and volunteers, to a membership of over 11,000 and full time staff. In leading the fight against light pollution, IDA has published a number of articles and helpful guides and a quarterly newsletter highlighting the leading topics in dark sky preservation. This is in addition to award winning and highly popular meetings and events plus a number of programs and features, such as the Fixture Seal of Approval Program (FSA) and the International Dark Sky Communities (IDSC), Parks(IDSP), and Reserves(IDSR) Programs.
The mission of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.
The IDA, through it policies and efforts, seeks to:
Improve the nighttime environment by reducing light pollution through better lighting practices that provide:
- Energy savings resulting in economic benefits
- Superb nighttime ambience and quality of life
- Conservation of nocturnal wildlife and ecosystems
- SafeGuarding of scientific and educational opportunities, such as astronomy
- Preservation of cultural heritage and inspiration for the arts
- increased visibility, safety, and security at night by reducing glare
- Protection of human health
The ultimate goal for the Town of Apple Valley is to recieve the honored designation as an "International Dark Sky Community". There are currently only four communities with this designation in the world today! The process of obtaining that designation has begun and the first step to accomplish this is to form a chapter of IDS.
An invitation: Members of the chapter can be of any age, and can join the chapter at no cost. For those who want to also become a member of IDA, there is a yearly $35 donation to IDA. But being an IDA member is not required for membership of the IDA Utah Chapter.
To learn more about the international organization, go to the International Dark-Sky Association.
To become a member of IDA Utah, please contact us by email at email@example.com or contact Brent at 229-1633 or Kristine at 467-5676.


Here’s The Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Gap, In Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox sport, which kind of means that anything is possible within it. You can even create different games like Crossy Highway, or make something massive and pretty like this contest-winning Star Wars building. It’s even doable to explore the mysteries of area - such because the star-smashing black gap at the centre of our personal galaxy.
A participant known as SrMustard on Reddit constructed an interpretation of Sagittarius A* in the game. If you don’t know what that's, Sagittarius A* is a supermassive black gap, particularly the one that the Event Horizon Telescope revealed in an image Could 12. It sits at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Approach, and has a mass equivalent to 4,310,000 suns. It’s a black gap though, which implies it’s denser than a Minecraft Villager, and it sucks in gentle and whatnot. MINECRAFT SERVERS We’re not going to do justice to the majesty of this celestial physique right here, however you get the gist.
Anyway, SrMustard not only constructed a model of it, but in addition put it up on PlanetMinecraft to be able to download it and have a look round. It’s not only a slapdash orange circle round a black orb to ponder; numerous thought went into the build. It is because SrMustard needed it to be as lifelike as doable, and included “the accretion disk, the Schwarzchild radius, the event horizon, the gap between the event horizon and the accretion disk, simulating the true, empty regions around the black gap.”
That’s because, as you probably know, a black hole attracts in every thing around it, even gentle, so nothing can exist too near it or it’ll be drawn in and crushed. What occurs then? In all probability a very painful demise, but we’re not likely positive. MINECRAFT SERVERS This little bit of the unknown is accountable for a lot of different sci-fi films like Interstellar and the basic Event Horizon, which lots of people watched way too younger and now stay in fear of.
In much less terrifying information, you can make it in order that Minecraft mobs seem like adorable little Lego figurines using a mod, if you want to. All of them are cute except for the pig, which we’re pretty positive was truly in Event Horizon.