ESA Top News
Coolest spacecraft ever in orbit around L2
3 Jul 2009, 13:11 UTC Last night, the detectors of Planck's High Frequency Instrument reached their amazingly low operational temperature of -273°C, making them the coldest known objects in space. The spacecraft has also just entered its final orbit around the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system, L2.
National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)
VLBA Locates Origin of Superenergetic Bursts Near Giant Black Hole
2 Jul 2009, 18:00 UTC Using a worldwide combination of diverse telescopes, astronomers have discovered that a giant galaxy's bursts of very high energy gamma rays are coming from a region very close to the supermassive black hole at its core. The discovery provides important new information about the mysterious workings of the powerful "engines" in the centers of innumerable galaxies throughout the Universe.
Science and Technology Facilities Council News and Press Releases
Intense heat killed the Universe's would-be galaxies, researchers say
1 Jul 2009, 16:17 UTC Millions of would-be galaxies failed to develop after being exposed to intense heat from the first stars and black holes formed in the early Universe, according to new research funded by Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science.
ESA Top News
Record number of participants attend Portuguese Space Forum
30 Jun 2009, 15:32 UTC An estimated 150 people attended the third Portuguese Space Forum that took place today at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento - Ciência Viva in Lisbon; a sign of the growing importance of the space industry in Portugal. This one-day event was opened by Mariano Gago, Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education and Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA Director General. In his opening remarks, Jean-Jacques Dordain said, “There are no small countries for ESA. All Member States are important. Today, nine years after Portugal joined ESA, Portugal is present in almost all ESA programmes. Therefore, we at ESA cannot do without Portugal anymore”. Image: Jean-Jacques Dordain (Director General of ESA) with José Mariano Gago (Portuguese Minister of Science Technology and Higher Education)
Planck satellite outreach news
Another two boxes to check: 4K and 1.6K
30 Jun 2009, 14:40 UTC Two more of Planck's temperature stages have reached their target temperatures. The 4K and 1.6K temperature stages have done this in line with ground tests. Now these stages are colder, the cooling of the HFI detectors to 0.1K will progress even faster. read moreMost Recent News
- 3 Jul 2009
- 15:35 UTC HFI reaches 0.1K
- 13:11 UTC Coolest spacecraft ever in orbit around L2
- 08:47 UTC Earth from Space: ‘Great Red Island’
- 2 Jul 2009
- 18:00 UTC VLBA Locates Origin of Superenergetic Bursts Near Giant Black Hole
- 15:21 UTC RAS PN 09/46: Space and astronomy digest: July 2009
- 09:58 UTC New class of black holes discovered
- 04:00 UTC NASA Updates Shuttle Prelaunch Events and Countdown Details
- 04:00 UTC NASA's Fermi Telescope Probes Dozens of Pulsars
- 04:00 UTC NASA Astronaut Starts Agency's First Bilingual Twitter
- 04:00 UTC NASA's LRO Spacecraft Sends First Lunar Images to Earth
- 1 Jul 2009
- 22:00 UTC Ariane 5 – Largest-ever telecommunications satellite launched
- 18:00 UTC XMM-Newton discovers a new class of black holes
- 16:17 UTC Intense heat killed the Universe's would-be galaxies, researchers s...
- 15:33 UTC LHC computing grid ready for restart of the Large Hadron Collider
- 15:05 UTC Andasol 1: The largest solar power station in the world goes live o...
- 11:00 UTC Astronomer's new guide to the galaxy: largest map of cold dust reve...
- 08:00 UTC International Year of Astronomy 2009 raises millions of eyes to the...
- 08:00 UTC iau0914: International Year of Astronomy 2009 raises millions of ey...
- 07:00 UTC Algebra Academy Students to Showcase Projects
- 07:00 UTC ADVANCE Program Hits A Three Years
Blogs
Astrocast.TV Blog
Neutrino Astronomy in the Northern Hemisphere
3 Jul 2009, 18:54 UTC In an excellent review paper, Dr. Antoine Kouchnera reviews the state of the Northern Hemisphere neutrino detectors and all that has been discovered by them to date. The reasons for the interest in neutrino astronomy and the detection techniques utilized are presented briefly but thoroughly in the paper available online now here. The author notes that “the Antares collaboration has completed the construction of a 12 line array comprising ~ 900 photomultipliers” while astronomers await the latest neutrino detector work in the Mediterranean.
Bad Astronomy
NASA’s Plan B
3 Jul 2009, 16:15 UTC According to Discovery News, NASA has a "Plan B" program in case something happens with the Constellation program. It’s an alternative way to get back to the Moon, and they made a video for it. There are some obvious advantages with taking Shuttle parts and using them in a new program. For one, the technology already exists and has been tested in well over 100 launches. For another, the machinery and manpower already exist as well, which would save billions of dollars in new development and training. But I’m a little nervous seeing things like the same external tank being used that sheds foam on launch (in the video, the hardware mounted on the ET is protected by a fairing, but still, that doesn’t thrill me), and is prone to hydrogen vent leaks, like the leak that has delayed Endeavour’s launch for weeks. Second, the solid rocket boosters as they exist now are not the best tech; they are expensive and cost a lot to refurbish. Now, it’s easy for me to poopoo this; it’s always easier to cast stones after the fact. Maybe this is a better idea than Constellation, and maybe not. I’ve never liked the Shuttle Orbiters; ...
Alien Life
Life beginning in space and Astrobiology Education Poster
3 Jul 2009, 15:00 UTC Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:g Abodes - Recent probes inside comets show it is overwhelmingly likely that life began in space, according to a new paper by Cardiff University scientists. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.g Life - Physicists have discovered life-like structures that form from inorganic substances in space. The findings hint at the possibility that life beyond Earth may not necessarily use carbon-based molecules as its building blocks. See article. Note: This article is from 2007.g Learning - NASA’s free Astrobiology Education Poster illustrates in words and pictures the fundamental questions addressed by astrobiology: What is life? Where is it? How do you find it? Three activities have been developed to explore these themes. It’s great for teachers — or parents looking to spend some quality time with their children. See article.Get your SF book manuscript edited
The Night Sky Guy
Amazing New Moon Pics from NASA Probe
3 Jul 2009, 14:30 UTC NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has transmitted its first images since reaching lunar orbit June 23. The spacecraft has two cameras — a low resolution Wide Angle Camera and a high resolution Narrow Angle Camera. Collectively known as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, or LROC, they were activated June 30. The cameras are working well [...]
Astroblog
The Sky This Week - Thursday July 2 to Thursday July 9
3 Jul 2009, 12:58 UTC Current Phase of the Moon:your browser does not support IFRAMEs The Eastern Horizon as seen from Australia at 6:00 am local time, click to embiggen.The Full Moon is Tuesday July 7. On Saturday July 4 the Moon is very close to the bright red star Antares.Saturn is visible in the early evening and can be easily seen as the second brightest object above the north-eastern horizon. It is about a quarter of the way between the bright stars Regulus and Spica.Jupiter can be seen just above the eastern horizon before 10 pm local time but it is still best seen in the morning with the other bright planets, Venus and Mars.Mars and Venus are close together, and in a very beautiful region of the Morning sky, Near the Pleaides, Hyades and the Constellation Orion (see Chart). Mars and Venus continue to draw apart during the week. Mercury is now lost to view, and will reappear in the evening later this month.If you are an early morning riser with a small telescope, Jupiter's Moons are readily visible (also in binoculars) and Venus is in 'waxing Moon" Phase.Most Recent Blogs
- 4 Jul 2009
- 00:24 UTC Space (and Me) at Boston Children's Museum
- 00:20 UTC Carnival of Space #109
- 3 Jul 2009
- 23:13 UTC Lunar Network Delays: An Apology
- 22:45 UTC APOD: Earth’s changing distance to the Sun
- 22:14 UTC Dust Accelerates Snow Melt in San Juan Mountains
- 21:51 UTC Find the Answer to This Week's WITU Challenge
- 20:45 UTC If I Was A TV-Loving Alien, I’d Live In 40 Eridani
- 20:34 UTC Jackolonimbus
- 19:40 UTC June in Review: New Art and a Vacation
- 18:54 UTC Neutrino Astronomy in the Northern Hemisphere
- 18:49 UTC Happy 4th of July…Try This at Home
- 18:49 UTC Weekend SkyWatcher's Forecast: July 3-5, 2009
- 18:42 UTC Atacama Cosmology Telescope Yields First Results
- 18:21 UTC First Images from LRO
- 18:00 UTC Moon Meets with Mars’ Rival Tonight
- 17:57 UTC UFO's In China
- 17:43 UTC What’s Up This Month – July 2009
- 17:32 UTC Notes & Queries 7/3/09
- 16:15 UTC NASA’s Plan B
- 16:00 UTC Informal Astronomy Outreach
