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Tag: NASA

  • William Shatner Honored by NASA for Service

    William Shatner Honored by NASA for Service

    NASA honored iconic actor William Shatner with its highest award bestowed upon civilians Saturday, the Distinguished Public Service medal. Shatner received the citation while attending his own Hollywood Charity Horse Show in Los Angeles, which raises money for children’s causes.

    The medal cited Shatner for “outstanding generosity and dedication to inspiring new generations of explorers around the world, and for unwavering support for NASA and its missions of discovery.”

    Best known for his role as Captain James Tiberius Kirk on Star Trek: The Original Series, Shatner has been somewhat of an informal spokesman for NASA over the past few years, issuing a Star Trek-themed wake-up call to the astronauts of the Discovery mission STS-133 in 2011. In 2012, the actor recorded a message for the occupants of the International Space Station, and also narrated a video regarding NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover:

    David Weaver, NASA’s associate administrator for the Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said in a statement, “William Shatner has been so generous with his time and energy in encouraging students to study science and math, and for inspiring generations of explorers, including many of the astronauts and engineers who are a part of NASA today.” Weaver added, “He’s most deserving of this prestigious award.”

    Shatner, 83, was born on March 22, 1931, in the Côte Saint-Luc neighborhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and has shown support for his home country’s space exploration efforts. Last year he traded tweets with astronaut Chris Hadfield, Canada’s first space station commander.

    Shatner’s latest artistic endeavor is a reality show called The Shatner Project, which is set to premiere some time this year, and will be a five-episode series in which the actor and wife Liz will gut their 1970′s-era California home, and remodel it. Commenting on the new series, Shatner states, “I am embracing change. Our home will be unfamiliar territory for a while but I am excited by all of it.”

    Image via NASA

  • Iceberg Twice the Size of Atlanta Enters Ocean

    Iceberg Twice the Size of Atlanta Enters Ocean

    An iceberg with an area almost twice the size of Atlanta has broken away from the Antarctic continent and is drifting into the ocean, which could threaten shipping lanes in the Southern Ocean during the Antarctic winter. The floating, frozen island has been named iceberg B31. Scientists have reported from NASA’s Earth Observatory that B31 spans 255 square miles and is estimated to be roughly a third of a mile thick.

    Iceberg B31 calved off Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier last November, and the crack that began the separation was first spotted by NASA in 2011. So far, B31 has drifted out of Pine Island Bay and into the Amundsen Sea, off the western side of Antarctica. In a statement from NASA, Grant Bigg from the University of Sheffield in England said, “The iceberg is now well out of Pine Island Bay and will soon join the more general flow in the Southern Ocean, which could be east or west in this region.”

    NASA’s Earth Observatory posted a clip delineating the path of B31’s movement, utilizing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-equipped Terra and Aqua satellites:

    Icebergs are free-floating, massive pieces of freshwater ice that have broken off a glacier or an ice shelf. Due to the conflicted densities between pure ice and seawater, typically only one-tenth of the volume of an iceberg is above water. This had fostered the expression “tip of the iceberg,” and contributed to the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.

    Robert Marsh, a scientist at the University of Southampton in England, said an iceberg of B31’s magnitude can take a year to melt. The largest iceberg ever recorded was iceberg B15, which was the size of the state of Connecticut, at 4,250 square miles. B15 calved off Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf in March, 2000. Fragments of B15 still float around the Antarctic today.

    Image via NASA

  • SpaceX Launch Delayed, Will Launch Friday At Earliest

    SpaceX Launch Delayed, Will Launch Friday At Earliest

    A SpaceX launch was delayed earlier this week thanks to an apparent helium leak on board the vessel. While there has been no update, officials say we could see a launch by Friday.

    CBS News reports that SpaceX was preparing to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon cargo capsule on Monday until the aforementioned helium leak was detected. Not wanting to take any chances, the launch was grounded until they could sort out the problem.

    “As folks heard on the anomaly net, we have encountered an issue that will result in our scrubbing today’s 4/14 launch attempt,” SpaceX launch director Ricky Lim said. “The team here will start to safe the vehicle, offload propellants and then working on the details of the next few days forward. So for now, launch is scrubbed. Propellants offload will be commencing here shortly.”

    The next possible time for launch will be Friday at 3:25 p.m. NASA has already approved the time and date for the launch, but cautions that the weather may be bad. In the event that weather prevents a launch, NASA says a backup launch date of Saturday has already been approved.

    While a SpaceX launch is always exciting, NASA wants to get the rocket into space for more than just eye candy reasons. The rocket is carrying a lot of supplies and equipment that astronauts on board the International Space Station need. For instance, the rocket will be carrying food, an extra space suit, spare parts for suits and stuff needed to grow salad-type crops in space.

    In other news, SpaceX has just signed a 20 year lease to take over NASA’s historic Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The launch pad was used as a takeoff point during NASA’s historic Apollo moon missions, and will be used by SpaceX as early as 2017. The private space company obtained the rights to use the launch pad after winning a bidding war against Jeff Bezos’ Blue Point. While Bezos’ private space venture would have used the launch pad for more than just launches, NASA gave it to SpaceX because the company was already equipped to start using the launch pad.

    For all things SpaceX, including updates on rocket launches, be sure to check out the company’s live updates here.

    Image via NASA/Twitter

  • Lunar Eclipse Photos of Blood Moon Dazzle the World

    Lunar Eclipse Photos of Blood Moon Dazzle the World

    Unfortunately for some, dreams of gazing upon Monday night’s Blood Moon were shattered because of the weather.

    However, there was some compensation with the plethora of incredible shots that hit the internet during the event — and in the hours following.

    The moon began to change color at about 1:58 a.m. ET Tuesday as it started to sink into the Earth’s shadow. It didn’t reveal its deep red color until around 3:07 ET, and the celestial show lasted until 4:24 a.m. ET.

    During a so-called Blood Moon, the moon takes on its color – which is dependent on what is in the Earth’s atmosphere — as it passes through the Earth’s shadow, reflecting the planet’s sunrises and sunsets.

    There are generally two lunar eclipses per year, NASA says, although some of them go unnoticed.

    The United States is particularly lucky in 2014-2015. Tuesday’s blood moon was the first in a series of four that will be seen in the coming year. This phenomenon is known by NASA as a tetrad.

    “The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the USA,” said NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak.

    Post by Gregg Braden.

    And if you look at centuries past, The U.S. really is extremely lucky.

    There was a 300-year period before the 20th Century when there were no total lunar eclipses, so the likes of Sir Isaac Newton, Mozart, Queen Anne, George Washington, Napoleon and Abraham Lincoln never saw one.

    Here are some celebrity Instagram shots of the Blood Moon:




    For those of you who missed last night’s show — chin up. There will still be a few more opportunities in the next 15 months to see one. Here are the dates of future Blood Moon Lunar Eclipses: October 8, 2014; April 4, 2015, and September 28, 2015.

    Check this out. A guy in Dallas actually proposed during Tuesday’s Blood Moon.

    Image via YouTube

  • Lunar Eclipse Explained by NASA Astronomer

    Lunar Eclipse Explained by NASA Astronomer

    Tonight’s the night. Millions of people in the Earth’s western hemisphere will be treated to a spectacular event tonight when the moon falls beneath the shadow of the Earth.

    The event, called a full lunar eclipse, will cast the moon in an eerie orange light and produce an event colloquially known as a “blood moon.” The eclipse will begin at around 2 am and will continue for three hours as the moon becomes dark and eventually passes through the Earth’s shadow.

    Though not as rare as a solar eclipse, a full lunar eclipse is rare enough that it sparks curiosity among those not familiar with such an event. Like many other celestial happenings, it also brings its share of pseudo-scientific and metaphysical prophecies from astrologers and others. Luckily, real scientists are very familiar with lunar eclipses, their cause, and what people can learn from the events.

    Today NASA ‘s Goddard Space Flight Center released a new video detailing everything most anyone might want to know about the upcoming eclipse. As NASA astronomer Michelle Thaller explains in the video, the sunlight that normally produces the bright reflection seen coming from the moon will be blocked tonight by the Earth itself. Thaller even reveals that the blood moon effect and color is produced because the light reaching the moon passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, the same atmosphere that generally reflects more blue light, leaving the red-tinged edge of the visible spectrum to pass through.

    As Thaller mentions in the video, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will be reliant on battery power during the eclipse (it normally runs on solar power). Though this particular eclipse will mean the LRO will have to make two full passes withing the Earth’s shadow during the event, NASA’s LRO project scientists will be shutting off many of the probe’s instruments and are confident that the LRO will survive this eclipse, as it has many others.

    Image via NASA

  • Full Lunar Eclipse Coming April 15

    Full Lunar Eclipse Coming April 15

    A full lunar eclipse is not nearly as rare as a solar eclipse, but the event still draws eyes to the heavens. This month people in the Earth’s western hemisphere will get to see the moon at its most impressive.

    Early on the morning of April 15 the moon, Earth, and the sun will be perfectly in alignment. From Earth’s perspective this will cast the Earth’s shadow across the moon’s surface – a total lunar eclipse. The moon will appear to be cast in an orange light, creating the state known as a “blood moon.”

    The event will be particularly scenic in North America, where this will be the last full lunar eclipse until the year 2019. The eclipse is scheduled to start at around 2 am EDT and will last for three hours.

    “Sometimes they’ll happen and you’ll have to be somewhere else on Earth to see them,” said Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for NASA‘s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. “Most [residents] of the continental United States will be able to see the whole thing.”

    Though the event will be a sight to see from Earth, Petro and his colleagues will be keeping careful watch on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Since the LRO relies on solar power to charge its batteries, the eclipse will mean the probe will be running without sunlight for an extended period.

    The LRO has, of course, made it through lunar eclipses in the past. This time, however, the probe will have to make two complete passes through the Earth’s shadow before the event is over. Even so, Petro predicts that the LRO will make it through unscathed.

    “For quite a while, people in LRO have been analyzing what’s going to happen during this eclipse,” said Petro. “The spacecraft will be going straight from the moon’s shadow to the Earth’s shadow while it orbits during the eclipse.

    “We’re taking precautions to make sure everything is fine. We’re turning off the instruments and will monitor the spacecraft every few hours when it’s visible from Earth.”

    Image via NASA

  • Light On Mars The Latest Alien Conspiracy Theory

    Light On Mars The Latest Alien Conspiracy Theory

    A new photo taken by the NASA rover Curiosity ..has sent shock waves through the alien conspiracy theory corners of the internet.

    It appears that the rover captured an unexplained beam of light on the surface of Mars.

    The unknown white speck stands out against a backdrop of grey and black. It is so distinct, and yet utterly unidentifiable.

    The immediate reaction from some theorists is that it’s definite proof that there is life on the Red Planet. Either it is a tiny alien craft shining in the distance or, even better, a glimpse of a bizarre form of life on Mars.

    Critics and skeptics slammed such conclusions immediately, stating that there is a logical explanation for the photo. An explanation that has nothing to do with alien lifeforms.

    NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory offered up one such explanation in the form of light reflecting off a rock. Of course, this doesn’t explain why the reflected light seems to rise above the ground some distance.

    Another explanation put forward by experts is that it was merely a vent hole light leak.

    As there is no one is at present able to go to Mars and confirm or deny what the strange blur is, it’s likely that the photograph will be seen as a smoking gun for some conspiracy theorists and a lot of excitement over nothing by skeptics.

    In other words, the beat goes on.

    Personally, I say the greatest takeaway from this controversy is that such a debate is even possible. A mere hundred years ago, few would have ever dreamed that we would be seeing actual photos from the surface of Mars.

    Though persons of that time period were far more likely to believe in bizarre life on Mars, today many scientists do not think the planet currently can support life.

    Of course, images like this give hope to those who will continue to seek proof that argues otherwise.

    Image via YouTube

  • Blood Moons and the End of Days Prophecy

    Blood Moons and the End of Days Prophecy

    The upcoming astronomical events known by some as a “blood moon” — not a scientific term — is interesting enough in its own right. It is a lunar eclipse phenomenon that only occasionally occurs. We talked about the mechanisms of this earlier (hint: light refraction through the Earth’s atmosphere gives the event a reddish hue).

    But in terms of significance, it holds no real value in and of itself. It’s simply a chance alignment of shadows and orbits that is only observable from where we happen to be in this solar system. If you were on any other planet, it would be a non-event.

    But that doesn’t stop the Faithful from finding something to chant about in these “blood moons”. As mentioned before, evangelical author and doomsday-sayer John Hagee is making Armageddon hay over these blood moons. His angle on it, not surprisingly, is about the coincidence of the tetrad (that means four occurrences) of upcoming blood moons with certain Jewish holidays and anniversaries of significant events in the history of Israel.

    Hagee quotes from the Old Testament book of Joel as the basis for his prognostications:

    “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.” Joel 2:31

    As with all other things prophetic, how much of this you take literally and how much is figurative all depends on what point you are trying to prove.

    Hagee points out that it is rare for these “blood moons” to land on so many Jewish holidays in a row. He states several times that “NASA” is forecasting these events, to lend his argument some air of scientific authority.

    “None of these dates are mine, half of them belong to God and the other half to NASA. And they are both to reasonable intelligent sources of reference.”

    But full moons and lunar eclipses are not NASA-grade predictions. Any decent almanac will give you a good rundown on what’s coming in that regard. What he does not mention is that the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar. Most Jewish holidays are based around full moons.

    And, because of the overlap distance between the Jewish calendar and a standard western calendar, there is a lot of room for fudging on dates.

    But Hagee asks that faith-pinging and wallet-swelling question: “Is this the end of the age?”

    “They will be a world shaking event… The heavens are God’s billboard, and when something big is about to happen He gives planet earth a signal that something significant is about to happen. Pay attention! NASA said these four blood moons are coming. God has said through Joel and St. Peter, Listen!”

    Even some more mainstream church organizations are dismissing Hagee’s argument as book-selling hype.

    “The coming four blood moons will be the eighth time this has happened since 1 AD. They mean nothing as far as the Bible is concerned… When these four blood moons come and go, Hagee will change his view and keep right on preaching to his faithful undiscerning crowd.”

    Look to the skies. You’ll get to see a cool-looking red moon. If you also see someone Raptured up, that’s a bonus. But mostly you’ll see John Hagee counting his money.

    Image via YouTube

  • Moon Craters Mapped by Amateurs as Well as the Pros

    Moon Craters Mapped by Amateurs as Well as the Pros

    CosmoQuest, a collective of amateur astronomers that identify and map craters on various space objects, including the moon, has gotten so adept in their studies that their data has been used in scientific research and at times published.

    Stuart Robbins, a research scientist at the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics who led a comparative study between amateur and professional astronomy research stated, “What we can say is that a very large group of volunteers was able to chart these features on the moon just as well as professional researchers. More importantly, we now have evidence that we can use the power of crowdsourcing to gather more reliable data from the moon than we ever thought was possible before.”

    CosmoQuest’s mission is to “create a community of people bent on together advancing our understanding of the universe; a community of people who are participating in doing science, who can explain why what they do matters, and what questions they are helping to answer. We want to create a community, and here is where we invite all of you to be a part of what we’re doing.”

    The collective also offers online classes via its CosmoAcademy portal, and has submitted various stargazing tutorials via social media:

    Robbins and his team gauged the findings of thousands of CosmoQuest members against that of eight scientists, using pictures taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. While amateur volunteers and scientists saw vastly different numbers of craters in the study area, averages for the two groups were statistically aligned. Robbins’ team called the results “reassuring” for CosmoQuest, which has crater-mapping projects for the moon, Mercury and the protoplanet Vesta.

    Pamela Gay, who runs CosmoQuest out of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville said, “Put simply, the sky is large, and astronomers need all the help the public can offer.”

    The study was published on March 4th in the online science journal Icarus.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Mars Rover Curiosity to Examine Rocks in the Kimberley

    Mars Rover Curiosity to Examine Rocks in the Kimberley

    NASA today revealed that Mars rover Curiosity will soon make a short stop to examine some more Martian rocks. The rover will examine an area of interest to researchers due to its different intersecting rock textures.

    “The orbital images didn’t tell us what those rocks are, but now that Curiosity is getting closer, we’re seeing a preview,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), “The contrasting textures and durabilities of sandstones in this area are fascinating. While superficially similar, the rocks likely formed and evolved quite differently from each other.”

    Curiosity is now just 86 meters from the area, which has been named “the Kimberley” after a region of the same name in Australia. The sandstone rocks in the region are different from the mudstone that the rover has so far examined in its journey. The rover’s drill may even be used to collect rock power samples in the area.

    Curiosity is currently on a months-long journey to the base of a Martian mountain named Mount Sharp. There the rover research team hopes to gather data on the different layers of martian rock and soil exposed a the base of the mountain.

    Along the way Curiosity has been stopping at planned waypoints on its route to perform extra scientific observations. The stop in the Kimberly is one of these planned diversions, as was a stop back in September 2013 at a location named “Darwin,” where the rover examined sandstone pebbles that may have been formed by flowing water.

    More recently the Curiosity team has been with a few technical hurdles encountered during the rover’s research. Shortly before the holiday season the rover experienced an unexpected electrical failure. Just last month the rover surmounted a small hill to reach an area that researchers hoped would save the rover’s wheels from accelerating wear and tear that has been observed in recent weeks.

    “The wheel damage rate appears to have leveled off, thanks to a combination of route selection and careful driving,” said Richard Rainen, Curiosity mechanical engineering team leader at JPL. “We’re optimistic that we’re doing OK now, though we know there will be challenging terrain to cross in the future.”

    Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

  • Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Functional Following Computer Swap

    Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Functional Following Computer Swap

    NASA today confirmed that the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is still functional following a reboot into safe mode on March 9. According to the agency the orbiter rebooted itself after an unscheduled swap of its main computer to a backup. In addition, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter also swapped to a backup radio transponder during the event, which researchers are now using to communicate with the satellite.

    The orbiter team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is currently restoring the spacecraft to full operational status, but have not yet determined the cause of the computer swap. This marks the fifth time the orbiter has booted into safe mode following an unplanned computer swap. The cause of the previous swaps has also not been determined.

    “The spacecraft is healthy, in communication and fully powered,” said Dan Johnston, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project Manager at JPL. “We have stepped up the communication data rate, and we plan to have the spacecraft back to full operations within a few days.”

    The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been gathering data from its orbit around Mars for almost exactly eight years, including observations of snow and dust storms on the Martian surface. In addition to its science operations the satellite is used to relay data from NASA’s two functioning Mars rovers, Opportunity and Curiosity. The orbiter’s operations have been temporarily suspended following the computer swap and the rovers are currently using NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter to communicate with Earth.

    Image via NASA/JPL

  • ‘Cosmos’ Reboot Features Unlikely Tandem Of Neil DeGrasse Tyson And Seth MacFarlane

    ‘Cosmos’ Reboot Features Unlikely Tandem Of Neil DeGrasse Tyson And Seth MacFarlane

    Cosmos: A Personal Voyage was a 13-part TV series that first appeared on television in 1980. The series tackled a wide range of scientific topics including Carl Sagan’s perspective of our existence in the universe and the origin of life.

    On March 9, a reboot of Cosmos entitled Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey premiered with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The series is produced by Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy. MacFarlane decided to enter the project after a meeting with Tyson. McFarlane was interested to know if Tyson was doing a scientific project that he could be part of. Tyson then encouraged MacFarlane to back a project by Ann Druyan, Sagan’s widow, on a remake of Cosmos. MacFarlane got on board and produced the series together with Druyan, and Brannon Braga, the producer of Star Trek.

    In an interview with National Geographic, Tyson said that now is a good time to recreate Sagan’s Cosmos, as there have been a lot of changes in the last 34 years. Since the program’s last airing, thousands of new planets have been discovered.

    Tyson also said that the reboot features a new way of storytelling through cinematic that may provide emotional fulfillment for viewers. He also said that the purpose of the show is not to educate viewers about the latest scientific discoveries, but to tell the stories that will allow viewers to understand how science is the center of our lives.

    The reboot follows the structure of the original show, but there are some notable differences that make Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey blunter. The premiere ended with Tyson explaining his personal connection to Sagan, and how he was dazzled by the late astronomer’s compassion and intelligence.

    According to Tyson, he wants viewers to walk away from watching the show realizing “how far we have come and how wonderful is this world of ours.”

    The 13-part series airs on Fox and the National Geographic Channel.

    Neil Degrasse Tyson Talks About ‘Cosmos’

    Image via YouTube

  • No “Planet X” Found in WISE Data

    No “Planet X” Found in WISE Data

    For decades before Pluto, Eris, and other distant objects in our solar system were discovered, astronomers had posited that there must be another planet beyond Neptune that would make observed orbital calculations for Neptune and Uranus add up. This planet was dubbed “Planet X” and was searched for extensively during the late 19th century. The search was largely abandoned when better measurements were obtained and the icy dwarf planets beyond Neptune were discovered.

    NASA today confirmed that astronomers have seen no evidence of a hidden Planet X in new data from its Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) sky survey. The survey extensively observed the sky above Earth in infrared light but found no evidence of such an object. More specifically, new research published in the Astrophysical Journal confirms that no objects larger than Saturn exists within 10,000au of Earth and no objects larger than Jupiter have been found within 26,000au of Earth.

    This doesn’t mean that the entire survey was a waste of time, though. Researchers have been using the WISE data to uncover thousands of new nearby celestial objects that had, until now, been overlooked. So far 3,525 new stars and brown dwarfs have been pinpointed using recent WISE data, all of them within 500 light years of our sun. A binary system of two brown dwarfs has been discovered to be just 6.5 light-years from our solar system. Also, a star only 20 light-years away was located in the constellation Norma.

    “Neighboring star systems that have been hiding in plain sight just jump out in the WISE data,” said Ned Wright, principal investigator for the WISE survey and an astronomer at UCLA.

    Astronomers were able to discover the new nearby objects by comparing the new WISE data to a previous WISE survey. The shift in position that objects show between the data can reveal just how close they are to the Earth.

    Image via DSS/NASA/JPL-Caltech

  • NASA to Conduct Twin Astronaut Studies

    NASA to Conduct Twin Astronaut Studies

    The physics behind spaceflight are well understood, but what exactly being in orbit does to the human body is still being uncovered. To help out with this research NASA today announced that it now has plans to study the physiological effects of microgravity using twins.

    The agency’s Human Research Program and the National Space Biomedical Research has selected 10 “short-term” studies for the unique program. The studies will look at the molecular, genetic, and other effects of space travel. The studies come out of 10 different research institutions in seven states which will receive a portion of $1.5 million allotted for the twin astronaut research program.

    The study will observe the changes seen in Mark and Scott Kelly, identical twin brothers that also happen to be astronauts. Though Mark is retired as an astronaut, Scott is scheduled to board the International Space Station (ISS) in March 2015 and stay on board for one year.

    Before and during the mission and after Scott returns to Earth both he and Mark will provide blood samples to be used in the study. The brothers will also submit themselves to physicals and psychological tests during these times.

    As odd as it sounds, the opportunity to use these identical twins for research was a popular one for researchers. According to NASA, 40 different research proposals were submitted and reviewed before NASA narrowed them down to the best 10. Researchers are hoping for the study will provide insight into the human effects of spaceflight, possibly reducing the health risks that astronauts currently face. According to NASA such studies often end up providing data that helps Earthbound human healthcare as well.

    Image via NASA

  • Radars Might Be Used to Predict Sinkholes

    Radars Might Be Used to Predict Sinkholes

    One month ago a 40 foot-wide hole in the ground opened up underneath a showroom floor at National Corvette Museum and swallowed eight cars including a black 1962 Corvette and a 1993 ZR-1 Spyder (which was recently recovered, mostly intact). The event was a tragedy for Corvette lovers, but it was also a reminder that sinkholes really can strike anywhere, at any time.

    Geologists this week brought a little hope to the situation, though, revealing some promising research that could help predict where sinkholes might form. In a research paper published this month in the journal Geology radar data collected by a NASA in 2012 was shown to predict a massive sinkhole that later opened near Bayou Corne, Louisiana.

    The ground in the area was shown to have been deformed one month before the sinkhole collapsed. The land around the sinkhole in a 500 square meter area was measured to have slid horizontally over 10 inches toward the eventual sinkhole in the weeks leading up to the event.

    “While horizontal surface deformations had not previously been considered a signature of sinkholes, the new study shows they can precede sinkhole formation well in advance,” said Cathleen Jones, co-author of the paper and a researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “This kind of movement may be more common than previously thought, particularly in areas with loose soil near the surface.”

    The data used in the research was collected using NASA’s Uninhabited Airborne Vehicle Synthetic Aperature Radar (UAVSAR). The program collects interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data that can reveal hard-to-see deformations of the ground.

    Though this technique may not be able to detect every type of sinkhole, the paper’s authors believe it could be used as to monitor and predict some sinkholes, which could be particularly useful for the mining and oil industries.

  • NASA, Kerbal Space Program Want You To Stop Virtual Asteroids

    NASA, Kerbal Space Program Want You To Stop Virtual Asteroids

    Kerbal Space Program is one of the most fascinating PC games of the last few years. It’s a hardcore space exploration simulator that has players building rockets to send little green men into space. It’s incredibly challenging, and it takes most players dozens of hours before they build anything that can even escape the atmosphere.

    With a game like that, it wouldn’t be long before NASA came knocking.

    The Kerbal Space Program development team announced today that it has entered into a partnership with NASA to produce a series of mission’s based upon the agency’s very real asteroid redirect mission. For the past few years, the agency has been looking into ways to deflect or redirect life threatening asteroids and now Kerbal Space Program players can do the same.

    “Kerbal Space Program is about giving gamers the chance to dream big, even if they’re not astrophysicists. This relationship with NASA, the very beacon of big dreams and imagination, is going to give players a real opportunity to learn about the universe we’re living in,” Kerbal Space Program lead developer Felipe Falanghe said. “The Asteroid Redirect Mission is going to be one of the rewarding and challenging accomplishments in all of gaming. We can’t wait to see our current and future players take on this mission and perhaps, teach NASA a few tricks along the way.”

    Here’s what players will tackle in the new update:

  • Identify: Detect, target, distinguish and select the asteroids that you want to move
  • Redirect: Build a rocket ship and set course to intercept the moving asteroid, then position your ship to redirect the asteroid’s trajectory
  • Research: Send your Kerbals on EVA (extravehicular activity) around the asteroids to conduct experiments on the object and gather valuable scientific data as it (and you) hurtle through deep space

    • While this new mission will provide new items and challenges to players, NASA also hopes it inspires the next generation of astrophysicists and astronauts:

    “The collaboration with Kerbal Space Program can help drive interest by future explorers in next-generation technology development and deep space exploration, said Bob Jacobs, deputy associate administrator for Communications at NASA. “Having an element of the experience based in the reality of NASA’s exploration initiatives empower players to manage their own space program while getting valuable insight into the reality of studying asteroids as a next step in getting to Mars.”

    The add-on mission will launch for Kerbal Space Program later this year. You’ll get a chance to see it in action before then this weekend at SXSW Gaming.

    Image via Kerbal Space Program

  • Jupiter’s Moon Europa Newest Destination for NASA?

    Jupiter’s Moon Europa Newest Destination for NASA?

    If you thought that Mars was the beginning and end of NASA’s exploration aspirations, you were wrong. It appears the “Red Planet” may have just been a warm-up.

    Now, NASA is moving towards an ambitious mission to the Jupiter moon Europa.

    Europa would be a significant destination for a few reasons.

    First, despite how cold it is on the moon, it is unique in that it is considered the best location in our solar system for supporting life.

    This is of course the theory. Going to Europa could help answer questions about how and why life forms on certain planets. We may even learn whether or not the moon did in fact have life at some point. Who knows? This may be the first step towards a manned mission to Europa akin to what is being attempted with Mars.

    NASA announced on March 4th that it hopes to launch a mission to Europa by 2025.

    NASA chief financial officer Beth Robinson explained to reporters on Tuesday that Europa ” is a very challenging mission operating in a really high radiation environment.” Because of the environment and the moon’s distance from Earth, Robinson emphasized that “there’s lots to do to prepare” for the formidable mission.

    The White House’s 2015 budget, which was released the same day as the NASA announcement, has allocated $15 million in funds towards making the mission to Europa a reality.

    The money will pay for the early planning phase of the trip. It’s not yet known what the total cost requirement will be should serious preparations get underway.

    Said Robinson, “People have asked about the total size [of the possible mission], and we’re frankly just not sure at this point.” She says they intend to reach out to members of the scientific community in order to more accurately plan the scope of the mission.

    One idea involved sending a probe called the “Europa Clipper” to the Jupiter moon. It would orbit Jupiter and also fly by Europa multiple times, sending back information about the water that erupts from the satellite’s surface.

    In order to make the Europa Clipper happen, it would take roughly $2 billion dollars. The cost of getting into space has always made for a great deal of skepticism, especially coming out of a recession.

    However, it’s possible that there are less expensive alternatives that will get NASA to Europa at some point. For now, it’s a step through a door that could lead to infinite possibilities.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • 715 New Exoplanets Discovered by NASA’s Kepler

    715 New Exoplanets Discovered by NASA’s Kepler

    The last decade has seen a huge increase in the number of known exoplanets (those outside of our own solar system). NASA’s Kepler mission has been responsible for a great deal of these planet discoveries in the last few years and today NASA revealed yet another wave of new planets discovered by the Kepler space observatory.

    According to a paper set for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, Kepler data has been used to uncover the location of 715 new exoplanets. Astronomers used statistical techniques to seek out new planets in systems where more than one potential planet has already been detected by Kepler during its earliest observations.

    “Four years ago, Kepler began a string of announcements of first hundreds, then thousands, of planet candidates – but they were only candidate worlds,” said Jack Lissauer, co-leader of the Kepler research team and a planetary scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center. “We’ve now developed a process to verify multiple planet candidates in bulk to deliver planets wholesale, and have used it to unveil a veritable bonanza of new worlds.”

    More exciting than just the number is just how many of those planets could be orbiting in systems quite like our own. The 715 newly discovered planets were found in just 305 star systems. In addition, over 670 of them are smaller than Neptune, putting in them closer in size to Earth than to gas giants like Jupiter or Saturn.

    Four of the newly discovered planets are smaller than 2.5 times the size of Earth and orbit within their system’s habitable zone, meaning that they could have liquid water on their surfaces. One planet in particular, Kepler-296f, is only twice the size of Earth and orbits a star half the size of the Sun, though astronomers do not yet know whether it is a rocky planet like Earth.

    “From this study we learn planets in these multi-systems are small and their orbits are flat and circular – resembling pancakes – not your classical view of an atom,” said Jason Rowe, a co-leader of the Kepler research team and an astronomer at the SETI Institute. “The more we explore the more we find familiar traces of ourselves amongst the stars that remind us of home.”

    Image via NASA

  • North Korea Looks Like a Dark, Desolate Hellhole from Space

    North Korea Looks Like a Dark, Desolate Hellhole from Space

    It’s not as if it’s all that surprising, but North Korea, when viewed at night from the International Space Station, looks devoid of life. I mean, wow.

    Here’s what NASA had to say about a recent image snapped as the ISS was flying of East Asia:

    “North Korea is almost completely dark compared to neighboring South Korea and China. The darkened land appears as if it were a patch of water joining the Yellow Sea to the Sea of Japan. Its capital city, Pyongyang, appears like a small island, despite a population of 3.26 million (as of 2008). The light emission from Pyongyang is equivalent to the smaller towns in South Korea..”

    Indeed, it’s truly difficult to discern North Korea from the blackness of the seas surrounding it. According to NASA, North Korea’s coastline is so hard to see because of a severe lack of power consumption per capita (less than 10% of South Korea’s). You can make out Pyongyang, the country’s largest city–but it’s nowhere near as discernible as neighboring Seoul.

    Check out the flyover:

    Image via NASA Earth Observatory

  • Huge Weather Explosions Observed on Venus

    Huge Weather Explosions Observed on Venus

    Researchers this week announced that they have uncovered a striking phenomenon on the planet Venus.

    Using the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Venus Express spacecraft, scientists have observed giant weather explosions coming from the top of Venus’ atmosphere. The explosions are called hot flow anomalies and the ones seen coming off Venus are frequent and often larger than the planet itself.

    “Not only are they gigantic,” said Glyn Collinson, lead author of a paper on the discovery published in the Journal of Geophysical Research and a space scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “But as Venus doesn’t have a magnetic field to protect itself, the hot flow anomalies happen right on top of the planet. They could swallow the planet whole.”

    Hot flow anomalies observed on Venus are so large that they were seen pulling up the outer layer of the planet’s atmosphere, called the ionosphere. The anomalies can cause events at a huge scale on Venus, sometimes even causing the ionosphere to pull away from the planet’s surface.

    Hot flow anomalies are also observed lifting out of the Earth’s atmosphere, but at a much smaller scale. According to NASA, Earth is largely protected from solar winds by its magnetosphere. Venus has no comparable atmospheric layer, meaning that pressure differences between the planet’s atmosphere and solar winds can easily be disrupted by hot flow anomalies, producing the spectacular weather events described in the new research.

    Image via NASA

  • New Research Reveals Supernova Secrets

    New Research Reveals Supernova Secrets

    Supernovae seem easy enough to understand. Stars age, using up all of their fusion fuel and burst in a fiery display that helps to create the wide variety of elements seen throughout the universe. The trouble is, astronomers don’t yet actually understand the fine details that well.

    Today astronomers got a bit closer to unravelling the mysteries of these stellar events, courtesy NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). The X-ray observatory has been used to create the first-ever map of radioactivity in a supernova remnant.

    Astronomers used NuSTAR to observe Cassiopeia A, an object formed from the remains of a huge star that went supernova. The event is still fairly young, with the light from the event having reached earth within just the past few hundred years.

    Using the observatory researchers were able to map the location of the radioactive element titanium-44 throughout the supernova remnant. What they found was that the titanium is primarily located in “clumps” near the objects center.

    “Stars are spherical balls of gas, and so you might think that when they end their lives and explode, that explosion would look like a uniform ball expanding out with great power,” said Fiona Harrison, co-author of a paper on the observations set to be published in Nature and a principal investigator for NuSTAR at the California Institute of Technology. “Our new results show how the explosion’s heart, or engine, is distorted, possibly because the inner regions literally slosh around before detonating.”

    This observation calls into question several proposed models of how supernovae occur and could help astronomers determine exactly how the star that caused Cassiopeia A went supernova. The research may also help fine-tune computer models of supernovae that have failed to recreate the supernova remnants observed in reality.

    “This is why we built NuSTAR,” said Paul Hertz, director of astrophysics at NASA. “To discover things we never knew – and did not expect – about the high-energy universe.”

    Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/CXC/SAO