astronomy & space stuff

[linuxgeek]

NEW FROM TITAN: Since the ESA Huygens probe landed on Titan last Friday, researchers have been working furiously to understand the data it transmitted to Earth. They'll discuss their findings at a press conference on Friday, Jan. 21st.

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.spaceweather.com/images2005/20jan05/coronalhole_soho.gif

This image is speckled by solar protons accelerated to light-speed by the Jan. 17th X3-class solar flare. A solar wind gust from the indicated coronal hole might hit Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 23rd. Image credit: SOHO Extreme UV Telescope.

 

[linuxgeek]

BANG! The strongest solar flare of the year, an X7-class explosion, erupted this morning at 0700 GMT (2 a.m. EST).

 

[Saint Boner]

NEW FROM TITAN: Since the ESA Huygens probe landed on Titan last Friday, researchers have been working furiously to understand the data it transmitted to Earth. They'll discuss their findings at a press conference on Friday, Jan. 21st.

I was told the batteries on the probe were only supposed to last fifteen minutes. Now I am tickled to death by what we got, but I would have thought with all that effort we could have put a better battery in something the size of a VW.

 

[breakwall]

BANG! The strongest solar flare of the year, an X7-class explosion, erupted this morning at 0700 GMT (2 a.m. EST).

In November, after the last big flare, the Northern Lights here were awesome.
It's supposed to be clear tonight, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for another light show.

 

[linuxgeek]

Giant sunspot 720 erupted again today (Jan. 20th at 0700 GMT), unleashing a powerful X7-class solar flare. The blast hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space and sparked the strongest radiation storm since October 1989.

http://www.spaceweather.com/images2005/20jan05/cme_c3_med.gif

In this SOHO coronagraph image of today's event, the many speckles are caused by solar protons peppering the spacecraft's digital camera. These protons were accelerated to near-light speed by the X7-explosion. This is what we mean by "radiation storm."

Note: ISS astronauts are in no danger from the storm because they orbit Earth inside our planet's protective magnetic field. Plus, the station itself is well shielded.

 

[linuxgeek]

Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 18:30:16 GMT
From: Space Environment Center <sec@sec.noaa.gov>
To: advisory-list-send@dawn.sec.noaa.gov
Subject: Space-Weather-Bulletin

Official Space Weather Advisory issued by NOAA Space Environment Center
Boulder, Colorado, USA

SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY BULLETIN #05- 3
2005 January 20 at 11:20 a.m. MST (2005 January 20 1820 UTC)

**** STRONG SOLAR FLARE AND RADIATION STORM ****

Active solar Region 720 produced a powerful X7 flare (R3 radio blackout) today at 0701 UTC (00:01 A.M. MST). This is the largest of seven major flares observed in this large and complex sunspot cluster since it emerged as a major flare producer on 15 January.

A strong (S3) radiation storm began soon after this flare. Radiation storms on the NOAA scale are based on proton measurements at >10 MeV. However, this radiation storm is particularly interesting because of the influx of high energy protons (>100 MeV). In fact, this radiation storm, based on the >100 MeV protons, is the strongest since October 1989. A rare, strong ground-level event (GLE) was also observed. GLEs are increases in the ground-level neutrons detected by neutron monitors and are generally associated with very high energy protons (>500 MeV). Elevated neutrons at ground level means there are high fluxes of energetic protons near Earth. High energy radiation storms can be particularly hazardous to spacecraft, and to communication, navigation, and aviation operations at high latitudes.

Active Region 720 is now located near the northwest limb of the Sun; consequently, most of the ejecta from today's coronal mass ejection will not impact the geomagnetic field. However G1 conditions are still possible on 22 and 23 January.

Further major flare activity is possible from Region 720 before it rotates to the far side of the Sun on 22 - 23 January.

Data used to provide space weather services are contributed by NOAA, USAF, NASA, NSF, USGS, the International Space Environment Services and other observatories, universities, and institutions. For more information, including email services, see SEC's Space Weather Advisories Web site http://sec.noaa.gov/advisories

 

[linuxgeek]

src

Full Moon Names for 2005

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. Those tribes of a few hundred years ago kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon.

Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. To be sure, there were some variations in the Moon names, but in general the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England on west to Lake Superior. European settlers followed their own customs and created some of their own names.

Since the lunar ("synodic") month is roughly 29.5 days in length on average, the dates of the Full Moon shift from year to year. Below are all the Full Moon names for 2005, as well as the dates and times (for the Eastern time zone).

January 25, 5:32 a.m. EST -- The Full Wolf Moon. Amid the zero cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. It was also known as the Old Moon or the Moon After Yule. In some tribes this was the Full Snow Moon; most applied that name to the next moon.

February 23, 11:54 p.m. EST -- The Full Snow Moon. Usually the heaviest snows fall in this month. Hunting becomes very difficult, and hence to some tribes this was the Full Hunger Moon.

March 25, 3:58 p.m. EST -- The Full Worm Moon. In this month the ground softens and the earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter, or the Full Crust Moon because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. This is also the Paschal Full Moon; the first full Moon of the spring season. The first Sunday following the Paschal Moon is Easter Sunday, which indeed will be observed two days later on Sunday, March 27.

April 24, 6:06 a.m. EDT -- The Full Pink Moon. The grass pink or wild ground phlox is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names were the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and -- among coastal tribes -- the Full Fish Moon, when the shad came upstream to spawn.

May 23, 4:18 p.m. EDT -- The Full Flower Moon. Flowers are abundant everywhere. It was also known as the Full Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon.

June 22, 12:14 a.m. EDT -- The Full Strawberry Moon. Known to every Algonquin tribe. Europeans called it the Rose Moon.

July 21, 7:00 a.m. EDT -- The Full Buck Moon, when the new antlers of buck deer push out from their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, thunderstorms being now most frequent. Sometimes also called the Full Hay Moon. The Moon will also be at perigee later this day, at 4:00 p.m., at a distance of 221,928 mi./357,158 km miles from Earth. Very high ocean tides can be expected from the coincidence of perigee with full Moon.

August 19, 1:53 p.m. EDT -- The Full Sturgeon Moon, when this large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water like Lake Champlain is most readily caught. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because the moon rises looking reddish through sultry haze, or the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

September 17, 10:01 p.m. EDT -- The Full Harvest Moon. Traditionally, this designation goes to the Full Moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal (Fall) Equinox. In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but every third year it occurs in October. At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work into the night by the light of this moon. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice -- the chief Indian staples -- are now ready for gathering.

October 17, 8:14 a.m. EDT -- The Full Hunter’s Moon. With the leaves falling and the deer fattened, it is time to hunt. Since the fields have been reaped, hunters can ride over the stubble, and can more easily see the fox, also other animals, which have come out to glean and can be caught for a thanksgiving banquet after the harvest. A very minor (6.8% coverage) partial eclipse of the Moon will take place between 7:34 and 8:32 a.m. EDT and will be visible from western and central sections of North America.

November 15, 7:58 p.m. EST -- The Full Beaver Moon. Time to set beaver traps before the swamps freeze to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Beaver Full Moon come from the fact that the beavers are now active in their preparation for winter. Also called the Frosty Moon.

December 15, 11:15 a.m. EST -- The Full Cold Moon; among some tribes, the Full Long Nights Moon. In this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and the nights are at their longest and darkest. Also sometimes called the Moon before Yule (Yule is Christmas, and this time the Moon is only just before it). The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long and the Moon is above the horizon a long time. The midwinter full Moon takes a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite to the low Sun.

 

[linuxgeek]

EURORAS: Bright auroras spread across northern Europe on January 21st soon after a coronal mass ejection (CME) crashed into Earth's magnetic field. The impact sparked a severe geomagnetic storm and, by many accounts, the best aurora-display in years. Jim Henderson took this picture from the countryside near Aberdeen, Scotland:

http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/images2005/21jan05/Henderson1.jpg

http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/images2005/21jan05/Henderson2.jpg

http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/images2005/21jan05/Henderson3.jpg

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/images2005/21jan05/dmsp.jpg

 

[linuxgeek]

2005 Wolf Moon

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2005/25jan05/Malley1.jpg

 

[linuxgeek]

SATELLITE ZAPPED: The solar explosion that sparked auroras over Europe also zapped NASA's Gravity Probe B satellite, temporarily causing it to lose track of its guide star, IM Pegasi. Gravity Probe B is no ordinary satellite--it's one of the most exquisite physics experiments ever attempted. Physicists are monitoring gyroscopes inside the spacecraft for wobbles that would indicate a subtle space-time vortex around Earth predicted by Einstein's theory of relativity. Good news: Solar activity has ebbed and Gravity Probe B is back to normal.

 

[linuxgeek]

src

Asteroid named after ‘Hitchhiker’ humorist
Late British sci-fi author honored after cosmic campaign

The week he died, science-fiction humorist Douglas Adams was honored with an asteroid named after one of the characters from his classic "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Now, almost four years later, Adams has his own name in the heavens as well — thanks to a campaign in which MSNBC.com played a part.

Asteroid Douglasadams was among the 71 newly named celestial objects announced Tuesday by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass. Other honorees range from Ball Aerospace and the city of Las Vegas to the sometimes-overlooked co-discoverer of the DNA double helix, Rosalind Franklin.

But Adams' asteroid should hold special appeal for fans of science fiction and pop culture: His "Hitchhiker" saga, which traces the adventures of a motley interplanetary crew after Earth is destroyed to make way for a hyperspace bypass, started out as a BBC radio comedy. Eventually, the tale inspired a five-novel "trilogy" as well as a TV series, and a long-simmering movie version is due for release in May.

Asteroid tributes
When Adams died of a heart attack in 2001, at the age of 49, tributes came in from around the world — but one of the biggest tributes was actually announced just days before his death: the naming of an asteroid after Arthur Dent, the Earthling at the center of the "Hitchhiker" story.

Through the years, about 12,000 asteroids have been given proper names by the IAU's Committee on Small Body Nomenclature — including fictional characters as well as mythological names (Ceres and Quaoar) and real-life personages (Lincoln and Elvis). The names are traditionally proposed by a particular asteroid's discoverer. For example, the "Arthurdent" asteroid was so named at the suggestion of the man who actually found it, German astronomer Felix Hormuth.

But there's a backlog of not-yet-named asteroids, and so the discoverers occasionally take requests. That's where MSNBC.com enters into the story of Asteroid Douglasadams.

What's in a name?
In August 2003, we reported on the naming of seven asteroids after Columbia's fallen astronauts, and solicited readers' suggestions for future asteroid names. One reader, Sean Ferris, put Adams' name forward — and we took it a step further by seeing if there was an asteroid particularly fitting for the honor.

One prospect stood out: an asteroid given the provisional designation 2001 DA42, discovered by the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research project, or LINEAR. It's a relatively unremarkable space rock, orbiting 224 million miles (358 million kilometers) from the sun in the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter. But its name held triple significance.

Not only did it memorialize the year of Adams' death (2001) and his initials (DA), but it also referenced the number 42 — which is absurdly meaningful in the "Hitchhiker" saga as the "answer to the Ultimate Question." (The problem was, no one ever knew precisely what the Ultimate Question was.)

We proposed the name to Brian Marsden, the Minor Planet Center's director and the secretary for the naming committee — and Marsden was tickled by the idea. "This was sort of made for him, wasn't it?" he recalled Tuesday.

Long process
It took almost a year and a half for the proposal to make its way through the relevant committees at LINEAR and the IAU — but Marsden finally issued the citations for Douglasadams and the 70 other named asteroids on Tuesday in Minor Planet Circular 53469.

Looking back, Marsden said the asteroid-naming process isn't always as fun as you might think. "It ought to be," he said. "But at times it can be very frustrating."

Some names had to be rejected this time around because they took the form of unpronounceable acronyms, running afoul of the IAU's rules. Another rule is that asteroids shouldn't be named after controversial historical figures such as Stalin or Hitler. That sparked a debate over a proposal to name an asteroid (1998 OU7) after the Prussian military strategist Carl von Clausewitz, Marsden said.

In the end, Asteroid Clausewitz was victorious. "It was decided he wasn't in the same class as Hitler," Marsden said.

Among the other notables on Tuesday's list:
Rosfranklin (1997 PE6): Chemist Rosalind Franklin's work was instrumental in identifying the molecular structure of DNA, but she died without receiving due credit for her contribution.
Ballaero (1925 BA): Recognizes Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., which has contributed to the development of the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, the Deep Impact probe and other spacecraft.
NEAT (2001 SS272): Named after the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking program. Other asteroids honor the Rome Planetarium in Italy and Kharkiv National University in Kiev.
Wollstonecraft (2004 DA): Honors 18th-century feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. Other asteroids recognize theologians Roger Bacon and Thomas Woolston, and the recently appointed U.S. poet laureate, Ted Kooser.
Las Vegas (2001 LV6): A celestial tribute to the Nevada city in honor of its centennial this year. Among other places newly honored by asteroid names are Sewanee in Tennessee, Bora-Bora and the Lithuanian city of Kaunas.

 

[Guest]

Those are beautiful photos of auroras. Very nice!!!
I also liked your piece on the names of full moons. We (iroquois) still pay particular attention to the strawberry moon, the green corn moon, and the harvest moon. We have thirteen "months"

 

[linuxgeek]

One of these days I hope to get far enough north to actually see some aurora. Maybe even try to bounce some radio signals off them.

Basing the month off the moon phases makes sense. Something I've been curious about but never bothered researching is why the Gregorian calander doesn't follow the moon. Especially when some of the Christian religious holidays are calculated by the moon.

 

[Guest]

One of these days I hope to get far enough north to actually see some aurora. Maybe even try to bounce some radio signals off them.

Basing the month off the moon phases makes sense. Something I've been curious about but never bothered researching is why the Gregorian calander doesn't follow the moon. Especially when some of the Christian religious holidays are calculated by the moon.

Hm... you're asking teh wrong person Maybe it was simply an attempt to figure out a way to have calendar years that wouldn't get too far off of actual seasonal changes. Or maybe not.

I have never seen an aurora, and one of my desires is to see one before I drop dead.

 

[linuxgeek]

Depending on conditions, we get another good sized X flare, and you may get your wish. The X21 we had a bit back actually cause aurora over Florida. I just didn't think to go out and look for them.

 

[Guest]

Depending on conditions, we get another good sized X flare, and you may get your wish. The X21 we had a bit back actually cause aurora over Florida. I just didn't think to go out and look for them.

If there is one that reaches that far then I definitely could have seen it if I had just driven farther away from NYC. I don't live in NYC or even that close to it, but the light pollution from it is horrendous--stretches for miles.

 

[linuxgeek]

I can imagine. Must have been down right freaky to everyone in the black out area 8/14/03. Probably the most stars people in that area had seen in decades.

 

[linuxgeek]

src

Professorship for astronauts will honor alumnus Ronald McNair, who died in the 1986 Challenger explosion

/noticias.info/ To honor the memory of MIT alumnus Ronald E. McNair (Ph.D. 1976), an astronaut who was killed in the tragic explosion of the Challenger space shuttle on Jan. 28, 1986, NASA and MIT have established a teaching and research position in his name. The Ronald E. McNair-NASA Visiting Professorship in Astronautics at MIT builds on a long tradition of cooperation between NASA and MIT.

"MIT has always been key to NASA's success. Our people, technology development and scientific investigations have been intertwined since the earliest days of the space program," said William Readdy, NASA associate administrator for space operations. "This professorship is a new opportunity for NASA and MIT to work together to educate a generation of students who will help us achieve the Vision for Space Exploration."

MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics has two former astronauts on its faculty--professors Laurence Young and Jeffrey Hoffman--and works closely with NASA on many research projects. The Institute has 33 alumni from many different departments who have become astronauts--more than any other non-military institution in the U.S. Those alumni have flown in more than one-third of the nation's space flights.

The professorship will be a rotating position for a NASA scientist or engineer to teach and conduct research for at least a year in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Funding for the professorship will come both from NASA and MIT, and the institutions will work together to select candidates for the position.

"Reggie, Joy and I are elated to hear about the creation of the Dr. Ronald E. McNair-NASA Visiting Professorship by two great institutions he was devoted to," said McNair's widow, Cheryl McNair, on behalf of the couple's two children. "We look forward to working together on future opportunities to honor Ron's legacy and commitment to youth."

MIT's Building 33, which houses the aeronautics and astronautics department, was renamed the McNair Building following the Challenger's explosion. The space shuttle had just launched when it exploded in air, killing McNair and his six crewmates: Francis R. Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Judith A. Resnik, Ellison S. Onizuka, Gregory B. Jarvis and S. Christa McAuliffe.

McNair earned his doctorate in physics from MIT in 1976, doing early developmental work on high-pressure lasers. He first flew on the Challenger in 1984. He was the first person to operate the shuttle's robotic arm, using it to position a fellow crewmember during a spacewalk. His next mission aboard Challenger ended tragically.

"Dr. McNair was a champion for education and his life epitomized educational excellence. This cooperative agreement means not only inspiring the next generation of leaders and explorers but also provides students with learning experiences that support educational excellence in science, mathematics, engineering and technology while improving scientific literacy," said Adena Williams Loston, chief education officer for NASA. The Vision for Space Exploration calls for an affordable "stepping stone" strategy of human and robotic missions to achieve new exploration goals of returning humans to the Moon and journeying to Mars and beyond.

 

[linuxgeek]

src

Space Heroes Honored With Moment Of Silence
Day Of Remembrance For 17 Killed In U.S. Spacecraft Tragedies

POSTED: 6:24 pm EST January 27, 2005
UPDATED: 6:35 pm EST January 27, 2005
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA observed a moment of silence across the country and in orbit on Thursday. The tribute was in memory of the 17 astronauts killed in America's three spacecraft tragedies.

A year ago, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe declared that the last Thursday of every January would be a Day of Remembrance. It recalls the Apollo 1 fire during a countdown test at the launch pad on Jan. 27, 1967; the Challenger explosion on Jan. 28, 1986; and the Columbia re-entry disaster on Feb. 1, 2003.

Three astronauts died inside the Apollo 1 spacecraft, seven aboard Challenger and seven more aboard Columbia.

Aboard the international space station, Cmdr. Leroy Chiao asked colleagues in Mission Control to pause with him to "honor our fallen."

Memorials also took place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and in Washington.

 

[gypsywitch]

That was an awful day when that thing blew...

So hey, this is this best Tsunami before and after site I've seen yet.

http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/2.html

 

[linuxgeek]

The video that Romial linked here morphs between a number of before & after picts. Looks like it may be the same exact ones this site has.

 

[linuxgeek]

That was an awful day when that thing blew...

Every generation seems to get an event where basically anyone from it can tell you where they were and what they were doing when it happened or they found out about it. ... it kinda sucks being up to 3 so far.

 

[linuxgeek]

COMET MACHHOLZ: With the full Moon waning, now is a good time to see Comet Machholz again. Step outside after sunset and face north. You'll find the comet near the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia. It looks like a faint fuzzball, barely visible to the unaided eye but an easy target for binoculars. [sky map]

On Jan. 27th, Mike Holloway of Arkansas took this picture of the Comet Machholz. Click on the image to view more of the comet's spectacular tail:

http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2005/30jan05/holloway1_strip.jpg