Category Archives: Events

Sun stirs up geomagnetic storm and brilliant aurora on earth

September 14, 2014 TopSpacer

The earth has been hit with a couple of large coronal mass ejections (i.e. solar flares) from the sun in the past couple of days and this is creating some spectacular auroral displays.

From Spaceweather.com:

As predicted, a pair of CMEs hit Earth’s magnetic field in quick succession on Sept. 11th and 12th. The result was a G3-class geomagnetic storm, the most intense of the year so far. At the peak of the storm on Sept 12-13, bright auroras ringed the Arctic Circle and spilled down over several northern-tier US states.

Here’s a great shot by Harald Albrigtsen:

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And here is a photo from ” John Stetson [taken] on September 12, 2014 @ Quaker Ridge, Casco, Maine facing north towards the Presidential Range in [New Hampshire]”:

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Asteroids & Comets, Events

Small asteroid to pass near Earth on Sunday

September 4, 2014 TopSpacer

A message from NASA:

Small Asteroid to Safely Pass Close to Earth Sunday

A small asteroid, designated 2014 RC, will safely pass very close to Earth on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014. At the time of closest approach, based on current calculations to be about 2:18 p.m. EDT (11:18 a.m. PDT / 18:18 UTC), the asteroid will be roughly over New Zealand. From its reflected brightness, astronomers estimate that the asteroid is about 60 feet (20 meters) in size.

This graphic depicts the passage of asteroid 2014 RC past Earth on September 7, 2014.
At time of closest approach, the space rock will be about one-tenth the distance
from Earth to the moon. Times indicated on the graphic are Universal Time.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Asteroid 2014 RC was initially discovered on the night of August 31 by the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, and independently detected the next night by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope, located on the summit of Haleakalā on Maui, Hawaii. Both reported their observations to the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Additional follow-up observations by the Catalina Sky Survey and the University of Hawaii 88-inch (2.2-meter) telescope on Mauna Kea confirmed the orbit of 2014 RC.

At the time of closest approach, 2014 RC will be approximately one-tenth the distance from the center of Earth to the moon, or about 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers). The asteroid’s apparent magnitude at that time will be about 11.5, rendering it unobservable to the unaided eye. However, amateur astronomers with small telescopes might glimpse the fast-moving appearance of this near-Earth asteroid.

The asteroid will pass below Earth and the geosynchronous ring of communications and weather satellites orbiting about 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above our planet’s surface. While this celestial object does not appear to pose any threat to Earth or satellites, its close approach creates a unique opportunity for researchers to observe and learn more about asteroids.

2014_rc[1]

This graphic depicts the orbit of asteroid 2014 RC around the sun. A house-sized
asteroid will safely fly past Earth Sunday afternoon, September 7, at a distance
equivalent to about one-tenth of the distance between Earth and the moon.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

While 2014 RC will not impact Earth, its orbit will bring it back to our planet’s neighborhood in the future. The asteroid’s future motion will be closely monitored, but no future threatening Earth encounters have been identified.

For a heliocentric view of the orbit of asteroid 2014 RC with respect to Earth and other planets, visit: ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2014+RC&orb=1

Activism, Events, Space Systems

2014 Space Elevator Conference – Aug.22-24, Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA

August 19, 2014 TopSpacer

An announcement from the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) about the upcoming Space Elevator Conference:

The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) is proud
to announce the 2014 Space Elevator Conference!
This annual event will be held at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington
from Friday, August 22nd through Sunday, August 24th.

Seattle, WA, August 18th, 2014 – Come experience learning, brainstorming, and international collaboration in an atmosphere of history, invention, and discovery! In addition to the 3-day conference, a Family Science Fest will be held on Saturday, August 23rd.

3-Day Technical Conference

ISEC is very pleased to announce that long-time science journalist Leonard David will give the Keynote address at this year’s conference. We are very excited to have Mr. David with us this year and we’re sure that his insights will be fascinating.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Space Elevator Architectures and Roadmaps.” Papers will be presented on this topic and other space-elevator related topics. There will be mini-workshops on Research Activities and Global Cooperation, Marine Node Design Concepts, and Space Elevator Architectures and Roadmaps as well as the ever popular Shotgun Science Session where all conference attendees can present their ideas in five minutes or less.

Family Science Fest

The Family Science Fest on Saturday, August 23rd will also be held at the Museum of Flight. This event is open to the public (no registration required) and is included in the museum admission price. The Family Science Fest includes Space Elevator 101 and 201 presentations, a youth robotics competition, exhibits from science organizations and clubs, and much more.

More details of the conference program and the Family Science Fest events are posted at spaceelevatorconference.org, including information on registration for the technical conference and lodging. Registration for the technical conference closes August 15th.

The Space Elevator is one of the most magnificent Engineering projects ever conceived. It promises abundant access to space and a multitude of benefits for humanity. Come to the conference and hear presentations and join discussions with people who are working to make space elevators a reality!

About The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC): The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) is composed of individuals and organizations from around the world who share a vision of humanity in space. Our Vision is a world with inexpensive, safe, routine, and efficient access to space for the benefit of all mankind. Our Mission is to promote the development, construction and operation of a Space Elevator (SE) Infrastructure as a revolutionary and efficient way to space for all humanity.

To learn more about ISEC, please visit our website at www.isec.org.

DIY space, Events, Space participation

ISEE-3 lunar fly-by livecast today

August 10, 2014 TopSpacer

Don’t forget that the ISEE-3 Reboot Project will be hosting a livecast today of the lunar fly-by starting at 10:30 am PDT (1:30 am EDT) . The event will be webcast from McMoon’s at NASA’s Ames Research Center. (See earlier posting.)

In the meantime, check out the interactive SpacecraftForAll.com site created by Google to illustrate the of the ISEE-3 spacecraft’s history and its route through the Earth-Moon system.