All posts by TopSpacer

Astronomy, Space participation

Team of amateur and professional astronomers creates beautiful galaxy portrait

A collaboration between an amateur and a professional astronomer creates a grand image of a spiral galaxy using a mosaic of Hubble images:

February 5, 2013: Working with astronomical image processors at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., renowned astrophotographer Robert Gendler has taken science data from the Hubble Space Telescope archive and combined it with his own ground-based observations to assemble a photo illustration of the magnificent spiral galaxy M106.

Gendler retrieved archival Hubble images of M106 to assemble a mosaic of the center of the galaxy. He then used his own and fellow astrophotographer Jay GaBany’s observations of M106 to combine with the Hubble data in areas where there was less coverage, and finally, to fill in the holes and gaps where no Hubble data existed.

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Space Science

Video: OSIRIS-REx asteroid mission

Here’s a video about the NASA OSIRIS-REx Mission  to an asteroid:

In an effort to better understand Near-Earth Objects, NASA is sending the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to asteroid 1999 RQ36, a remnant of the early solar system. OSIRIS-REx will study the asteroid’s composition and the evolution of its orbit, and it will return a pristine sample of the asteroid to Earth for further study. Includes interview with Dr. Joseph Nuth, NASA Deputy Project Scientist, OSIRIS-REx Mission.

Science and Technology

“Fund me, maybe?”

Finding money for research is not easy for your average scientist: Fund me, maybe? – The Cosmic Ray Show

Astronomy

Earth-like exoplanets all around us

Earth-sized exoplanets in the habitable zones of their stars may not only be common but relatively close by: Earth-like Planets Are Right Next Door – Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics 

Cambridge, MA – Using publicly available data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope, astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) have found that six percent of red dwarf stars have habitable, Earth-sized planets. Since red dwarfs are the most common stars in our galaxy, the closest Earth-like planet could be just 13 light-years away.

“We thought we would have to search vast distances to find an Earth-like planet. Now we realize another Earth is probably in our own backyard, waiting to be spotted,” said Harvard astronomer and lead author Courtney Dressing (CfA).

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This artist’s conception shows a hypothetical habitable planet with two moons orbiting a red dwarf star. Astronomers have found that 6 percent of all red dwarf stars have an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone, which is warm enough for liquid water on the planet’s surface. Since red dwarf stars are so common, then statistically the closest Earth-like planet should be only 13 light-years away.
Credit: David A. Aguilar (CfA)

DIY space, Rockets

Copenhagen Suborbitals: Giant DIY rocket update

Kristian von Bengtson of Copenhagen Suborbitals reports on designing the launch escape system (LES) for Tycho Deep Space II and the “monster DIY rocket” on which it will launch: First Look at the Giant Copenhagen Suborbitals Rocket – Wired Science/Wired.com.