Observations by members of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) have helped to solve a mystery regarding the SS Cygni variable star and correct a measurement made of it with the Hubble telescope:
Category Archives: Space participation
Maker Faire picts
Here are some pictures from the recent Maker Faire event in San Mateo, California:
- Greetings from Maker Faire 2013! – Parabolic Arc
- Some More Photos From Maker Faire 2013 – Parabolic Arc
Update: More picts: The 2013 Bay Area Maker Faire in Pictures – Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
Update 2: Here is an article about the space related activities and exhibits at the event: NASA and private groups bring space exploration to Maker Faire – Oakland NASA/Examiner.com
Planet Hunter citizen scientists confirmed exoplanet in star’s habitable zone
Earlier this year participants in the Planet Hunters citizen science project
confirmed with 99.9 percent confidence the discovery of a Jupiter-sized planet called PH2b orbiting within the “habitable zone” of its star, the range where earth-like planets could have liquid water and possibly sustain life. The researchers also announced 42 new planet candidates, including 20 located in the habitable zone of their respective stars.
– Planet Hunters Project Confirms a New Planet in the “Habitable Zone” – Yale Scientific Magazine.
Participants in the project examine data from the Kepler space observatory, which monitors the light from over 100,000 stars simultaneously to look for dimming when a planet passes in front of the star as seen from earth.
Planets transiting across the face of a star will dim its light output.
While the Kepler group have software to find such dimming from the planet transits across the face of stars, there are significant advantages of humans examining the light data directly
Citizen scientists working on Planet Hunters, on the other hand, can consider transits on a case-by-case basis, and can visually detect planets which produce fewer dips in the light-curve; these are the planets with a wider orbit and a longer orbital period that Kepler algorithms often overlook. Nine of the recent planet candidates have orbital periods over 400 days, and most have periods longer than 100 days.
“I didn’t expect that volunteers would be able to find a significant number of planets that the Kepler computers couldn’t. Everything found by volunteers causes Kepler to improve their algorithms,” Professor Fischer added.
Examples of a Kepler data for a planetary transit:
A space program in Amish country?
An update from Joe Latrell of Photos To Space, a HobbySpace sponsor:
A Space Program In Amish Country?
Strasburg firm brings Space access to the public
[Strasburg, PA – May 10th, 2013] Surrounded by tranquil fields, the idyllic town of Strasburg, PA seems an unlikely place for a Space company. Tucked into a tiny corner just off the downtown square sits the headquarters for a company that wants to make Space ‘available’ to anyone.
“Currently our primary products are digital photo packages,” says Joe Latrell, the company’s CEO. “We send images, videos and an assortment of small items both to near-space and on suborbital flights. We want 2013 to be the year of personal space.”
“This is a great way to get students and teachers involved in space travel,” continues Latrell. “What better way to start a child exploring real world math and science than to participate in a real space mission? What a great introduction to STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) courses.”
Photos To Space partners with existing launch firms for the actual flights. While the company does launch small vehicles for testing flight hardware at a nearby local farm, they don’t launch space-bound rockets from Pennsylvania. Says Latrell, “We work with several companies to handle the actual launch duties. They get to do the really cool part of the mission while we handle the customer support end of things.”
Two different launches are rapidly approaching. The first is a near-space launch to 20 miles occurring at the end of May. The second is a sub-orbital flight launching out of Spaceport America in NM in late June or early July. Additional flights are planned throughout the remaining year.
“It’s an inexpensive and fun way to get involved in Space. Where else can you get directly involved in Space for less?” he asks. Prices for the company’s offerings start at $1.49 for a near-space flight.
For more information about Photos To Space’s various opportunities visit their website at http://www.photostospace.com.
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About Photos To Space
Based in Lancaster County, PA, Photos To Space was created with the goal of getting people involved and interested in space and to provide opportunities for the general public to take part in space travel. Through its website, www.photostospace.com., customers can participate directly in incredible Space adventures.
Video: JP Aerospace mission highlights
This video shows highlights of the six April 2013 JP Aerospace high altitude flights, which carried a total of 2400 PongSats for students: Mission Highlights Video – JP Aerospace Blog