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Starry Critters
1 Dec 2010, 16:59 UTC
A wave of stars washes up on a faraway shore in this image of NGC 4402 from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: ESA & NASA A wave of stars washes up on a faraway shore in this image of NGC 4402 from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Explore the curl of stars, gas and dust. What stories or shapes do you see in this image of the edge-on spiral galaxy? Leave us a comment. The curl of gas and dust in NGC 4402 shows what astronomers call ram pressure stripping. A very hot X-ray emitting gas fills the space near this galaxy. And as the galaxy quickly moves through it, superheated gas pushes the dust outward like a wave. The light of millions of stars backlights the swirling dust. Look closer at the wave front and you may notice the bright, blue glow of new stars. New stars form where gas and dust get smashed together. When enough of the material collects in one place, gravity pulls it together even tighter. Eventually, a new star may form. Also notice the hundreds of background galaxies as you roam around the image. NGC 4402 is part of the huge Virgo cluster of galaxies ...
A Faraway Shore
1 Dec 2010, 16:59 UTC
A wave of stars washes up on a faraway shore in this image of NGC 4402 from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: ESA & NASA A wave of stars washes up on a faraway shore in this image of NGC 4402 from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Explore the curl of stars, gas and dust. What stories or shapes do you see in this image of the edge-on spiral galaxy? Leave us a comment. The curl of gas and dust in NGC 4402 shows what astronomers call ram pressure stripping. A very hot X-ray emitting gas fills the space near this galaxy. And as the galaxy quickly moves through it, superheated gas pushes the dust outward like a wave. The light of millions of stars backlights the swirling dust. Look closer at the wave front and you may notice the bright, blue glow of new stars. New stars form where gas and dust get smashed together. When enough of the material collects in one place, gravity pulls it together even tighter. Eventually, a new star may form. Also notice the hundreds of background galaxies as you roam around the image. NGC 4402 is part of the huge Virgo cluster of galaxies ...
Cosmic Log
1 Dec 2010, 16:12 UTC
NASA is offering 7,000 space shuttle tiles for the sweet price of $23.40. There are a couple of catches, though: You have to be a school or a university to buy one. NASAA technician installs a heat shield tile on a space shuttle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Such tiles are now being made available to schools and universities for a shipping and handling fee. NASA is offering 7,000 space shuttle tiles for the sweet price of $23.40. There are a couple of catches, though: You have to be a school or a university to buy one. Also, it's first come, first served, starting today -- so this deal may not last long. Here's the news release from NASA: "WASHINGTON -- As the Space Shuttle Program nears retirement, NASA is looking for ways to preserve the program's history and inspire the next generation of space explorers, scientists and engineers. Beginning Wednesday, NASA is offering 7,000 shuttle heat shield tiles to schools and universities that want to share technology and a piece of space history with their students. "The lightweight tiles protect the shuttles from extreme temperatures when the orbiters re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. Schools can request a tile ...
Space shuttle tiles for sale
1 Dec 2010, 16:12 UTC
NASA is offering 7,000 space shuttle tiles for the sweet price of $23.40. There are a couple of catches, though: You have to be a school or a university to buy one. NASAA technician installs a heat shield tile on a space shuttle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Such tiles are now being made available to schools and universities for a shipping and handling fee. NASA is offering 7,000 space shuttle tiles for the sweet price of $23.40. There are a couple of catches, though: You have to be a school or a university to buy one. Also, it's first come, first served, starting today -- so this deal may not last long. Here's the news release from NASA: "WASHINGTON -- As the Space Shuttle Program nears retirement, NASA is looking for ways to preserve the program's history and inspire the next generation of space explorers, scientists and engineers. Beginning Wednesday, NASA is offering 7,000 shuttle heat shield tiles to schools and universities that want to share technology and a piece of space history with their students. "The lightweight tiles protect the shuttles from extreme temperatures when the orbiters re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. Schools can request a tile ...
IYA2009 Updates
1 Dec 2010, 15:58 UTC
BBC's highly engaging project School Report which gives 11-14 year-old students in the UK the chance to make their own news reports for a real audience was a popular overall winner of this year's MEDEA Awards. Using lesson plans and materials from the BBC News School Report website, and with ...
BBC School Report the overall winner in the MEDEA Awards 2010
1 Dec 2010, 15:58 UTC
BBC's highly engaging project School Report which gives 11-14 year-old students in the UK the chance to make their own news reports for a real audience was a popular overall winner of this year's MEDEA Awards. Using lesson plans and materials from the BBC News School Report website, and with ...
EAAE News
1 Dec 2010, 14:26 UTC
Source: NASA/Cassini New images and data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft give scientists a unique Saturn-lit view of active fissures through the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus. They reveal a more complicated web of warm fractures than previously thought. Small water ice particles fly from fissures in the south polar region of Saturn's moon [...]
Cassini Finds Warm Cracks on Enceladus
1 Dec 2010, 14:26 UTC
Source: NASA/Cassini New images and data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft give scientists a unique Saturn-lit view of active fissures through the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus. They reveal a more complicated web of warm fractures than previously thought. Small water ice particles fly from fissures in the south polar region of Saturn's moon [...]
Space Fellowship
1 Dec 2010, 10:30 UTC
A mysterious high-altitude layer of sulphur dioxide discovered by ESA’s Venus Express has been explained. As well as telling us more about Venus, it could be a warning against injecting our atmosphere with sulphur droplets to mitigate climate change. Venus is blanketed in sulphuric acid clouds that block our view of the surface. The clouds form at altitudes of 50–70 km when sulphur dioxide from volcanoes combines with water vapour to make sulphuric acid droplets. Any remaining sulphur d [...]
Venus Holds Warning for Earth
1 Dec 2010, 10:30 UTC
A mysterious high-altitude layer of sulphur dioxide discovered by ESA’s Venus Express has been explained. As well as telling us more about Venus, it could be a warning against injecting our atmosphere with sulphur droplets to mitigate climate change. Venus is blanketed in sulphuric acid clouds that block our view of the surface. The clouds form at altitudes of 50–70 km when sulphur dioxide from volcanoes combines with water vapour to make sulphuric acid droplets. Any remaining sulphur d [...]
Space Fellowship
1 Dec 2010, 09:25 UTC
Search for ultra high energy neutrinos from space turns the moon into part of the 'detector' Seeking to detect mysterious, ultra-high-energy neutrinos from distant regions of space, a team of astronomers used the Moon as part of an innovative telescope system for the search. Their work gave new insight on the possible origin of the elusive subatomic particles and points the way to opening a new view of the Universe in the future. The team used special-purpose electronic equipment brought t [...]
Astronomers use moon in effort to corral elusive cosmic particles
1 Dec 2010, 09:25 UTC
Search for ultra high energy neutrinos from space turns the moon into part of the 'detector' Seeking to detect mysterious, ultra-high-energy neutrinos from distant regions of space, a team of astronomers used the Moon as part of an innovative telescope system for the search. Their work gave new insight on the possible origin of the elusive subatomic particles and points the way to opening a new view of the Universe in the future. The team used special-purpose electronic equipment brought t [...]
Space Fellowship
1 Dec 2010, 09:16 UTC
The first instrument from Spain for a mission to Mars will provide daily weather reports from the Red Planet. Expect extremes. Major goals for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory include assessing the modern environment in its landing area, as well as clues to environments billions of years ago. The environment station from Spain will fill a central role in studying modern conditions by measuring daily and seasonal changes. The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station, or REMS, is one of 10 in [...]
Spain Supplies Weather Station for Next Mars Rover
1 Dec 2010, 09:16 UTC
The first instrument from Spain for a mission to Mars will provide daily weather reports from the Red Planet. Expect extremes. Major goals for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory include assessing the modern environment in its landing area, as well as clues to environments billions of years ago. The environment station from Spain will fill a central role in studying modern conditions by measuring daily and seasonal changes. The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station, or REMS, is one of 10 in [...]
Spaceports
1 Dec 2010, 05:12 UTC
After more than seven months circling the planet, the United States Air Force’s unmanned miniature space shuttle, known as the X 37B, is poised to land at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California possibly as soon as Friday.The military has released the typical notices to pilots and mariners, or NOTAMs, warning of an upcoming operation at the base. The notice advises of a military operation between 10 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday.The small unmanned vehicle — boasting a wingspan of nearly 15 feet, a height of more than 9 feet and a length of 29 feet — launched aboard an Atlas 5 rocket that blasted off in late April from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. More from The Los Angeles Times, Discovery News, Aviation Week, and Spaceflight Now.
X-37 B Military Mini-Shuttle to Land Friday Dec. 3rd at Vandenberg Air Force Base
1 Dec 2010, 05:12 UTC
After more than seven months circling the planet, the United States Air Force’s unmanned miniature space shuttle, known as the X 37B, is poised to land at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California possibly as soon as Friday.The military has released the typical notices to pilots and mariners, or NOTAMs, warning of an upcoming operation at the base. The notice advises of a military operation between 10 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday.The small unmanned vehicle — boasting a wingspan of nearly 15 feet, a height of more than 9 feet and a length of 29 feet — launched aboard an Atlas 5 rocket that blasted off in late April from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. More from The Los Angeles Times, Discovery News, Aviation Week, and Spaceflight Now.
Universe Today
30 Nov 2010, 23:06 UTC
From an NRAO press release: Seeking to detect mysterious, ultra-high-energy neutrinos from distant regions of space, a team of astronomers used the Moon as part of an innovative telescope system for the search. Their work gave new insight on the possible origin of the elusive subatomic particles and points the way to opening a new [...] Radio astronomers get an assist from the Moon. Credit: Ted Jaeger, University of Iowa, NRAO/AUI/NSFFrom an NRAO press release: Seeking to detect mysterious, ultra-high-energy neutrinos from distant regions of space, a team of astronomers used the Moon as part of an innovative telescope system for the search. Their work gave new insight on the possible origin of the elusive subatomic particles and points the way to opening a new view of the Universe in the future. (...)Read the rest of The Moon Helps Radio Astronomers Search for Neutrinos (455 words)© nancy for Universe Today, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Moon, Physics Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh
