Artists concept of the Juno spacecraft at Jupiter. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Concerns about the health of the Juno spacecrafts main engine have compelled NASA managers to keep the research probe in its current arcing, high-altitude orbit around Jupiter, a decision that will delay the full science return from the $1.1 billion mission but should still allow it to meet all predetermined objectives.

Juno fired its main engine to brake into orbit around Jupiter on July 4, 2016, maneuvering into an egg-shaped 53-day orbit that takes the spacecraft several million miles from the giant planet on each circuit.

At the low end of the orbit, the spacecraft passes within 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometres) from Jupiters cloud tops, permitting Junos instruments to peer deep into the atmosphere, measure the planets extreme magnetic field and radiation belts, observe its auroras, and take the first detailed images of its poles.

But engineers called off another engine burn planned for Oct. 19 to put Juno in a tighter 14-day orbit, the science perch envisioned by mission managers since the projects inception.Most of Junos scientific observations occur when the probe is closer to the planet, and the 14-day orbit was designed to give researchers rapid-fire data returns during close approaches every two weeks.

Ground controllers noticed two helium check valves inside the spacecrafts main propulsion system did not behave as expected during pressurization of Junos propellant tanks about a week before the planned Oct. 19 engine firing. The valves opened in several seconds before previous engine burns, but took several minutes to open in October.

Rick Nybakken, Junos project manager at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told Spaceflight Now that engineers recommended canceling the maneuver and keeping the craft in its current 53-day orbit after a multi-month investigation.

The project recommended not doing the burn, Nybakken said in a Feb. 17 interview. Were in a great science orbit, the spacecraft is healthy, the instruments are healthy. Were getting incredible science, and its teaching us more about Jupiter, and there are a lot of very interesting surprises about Jupiter, so we recommended not to take any additional risk that might jeopardize that not to do this burn and ultimately NASA Headquarters agreed with that recommendation.

According to Nybakken, experts considered an option in which Junos Leros 1b main engine, designed and built by Moog-ISP in the United Kingdom, could have fired in a backup blow-down mode using residual tank pressure, bypassing the suspect check valves. In a normal burn, the check valves would actuate to regulate pressure in the propellant system feeding the thruster.

Officials decided the risk of doing a blow-down burn was too great, Nybakken said. Any problem during such an engine firing could have stranded Juno midway between the 53-day and 14-day orbits in a less optimal perch for science observations.

In the 53-day orbit, Juno will avoid flying through Jupiters shadow, keeping the crafts power-generating solar panels in sunlight. If Juno ended up in an unplanned lower orbit because of a sub-optimal engine burn, the probe would have flown through a series of eclipses in 2019, starving it of sunlight and likely ending the mission.

The choice not to execute the orbit-lowering burn preserves the option to use Junos smaller maneuvering thrusters to steer clear of Jupiters shadow and keep the mission going beyond 2019.

It wasnt so much that the risk was unacceptable, its just that if anything off-nominal were to happen, you bring in these mission-ending eclipses in 2019, Nybakken said. In our current orbit, the size of the orbit is large enough, and the time of the orbit helps give us the operational latitude to avoid those eclipses.

Nybakken said the inquiry into Junos propulsion woes did not determine a root cause for the sticky valves. Officials quickly decided against using the valves for a regulated burn, and instead studied the backup blow-down option before eventually concluding Junos orbit should not be lowered at all.

At a high level, one of the leading theories is that we can have a very low level of interaction at the vapor level between fuel and oxidizer, and it can create products that can interfere with proper valve operation, Nybakken said. Beyond that, it is kind of to be determined. We didnt require root cause to realize the valves are not working as intended.

Engineers ruled out any link between Junos propulsion problem and engine failures on two geostationary communications satellites last year, Nybakken said.

The commercial Intelsat 33e and the U.S. Navys MUOS 5 communications satellites were to use on-board engines to raise their orbits to geostationary altitude 22,300 miles (35,800 kilometres) above Earths equator after launching in June and August 2016. Both satellites had to use backup thrusters to finish the job.

Nybakken said those engine failures were unrelated to the issue aboard Juno, and engineers with JPL and Lockheed Martin Junos prime contractor cleared the Leros 1b engine on the Jupiter orbiter in October, before encountering the sticky check valves.

There were a couple of failures last fall that we looked into, and we were able to determine that those failures did not represent any sort of increased risk to Juno, Nybakken said. And after we completed that investigation, we were, in fact, planning to go ahead with this maneuver.

One benefit of Junos predicament is the higher 53-day orbit will keep the spacecraft away from the worst of Jupiters intense radiation belts, which harbour hazards that mission designers believed would limit the missions duration to some time in 2018.

It turns out in the 53-day orbits, we cross the equator, where the radiation belts are, much farther out, so we have much less radiation dose, Nybakken said. Of course, with the orbits being larger, the dose as a function of time is much slower as well.

Junos next close pass by Jupiter is set for March 27, completing its fifth orbit of the planet since last years arrival.

Juno is healthy, its science instruments are fully operational, and the data and images weve received are nothing short of amazing, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASAs science mission directorate in Washington, in a statement. The decision to forego the burn is the right thing to do preserving a valuable asset so that Juno can continue its exciting journey of discovery.

The Juno mission is funded through July 2018, for a total of 12 science orbits, down from the 32 science orbits originally planned, NASA said in a statement.

Junos science team can then propose to continue the mission for another two years as part of NASAs senior review process, in which a panel of independent researchers recommend to the agency which of its planetary science missions should continue to receive federal funding.

Juno is providing spectacular results, and we are rewriting our ideas of how giant planets work, said Scott Bolton, the missions principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. The science will be just as spectacular as with our original plan.

Were very excited about what weve seen so far, and every time we fly by the planet its like Christmas time, Nybakken said. The data is stunning.

Email the author.

Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.

See the article here:

NASA's Juno spacecraft to remain in current orbit around Jupiter - Astronomy Now Online

Gravitational waves were still a theory floating in space until last year, when LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) discovered two black holes had gone into a death spiral and collided 1.3 billion light-years away, sending tremors through space. It seemed like the be-all and end-all of astrophysics until scientists realized it had just opened the portal to a new frontier.

While the Virgo interferometer has been around since 2007, the newly upgraded experiment will soon be joining forces with LIGO to take the detection of gravitational waves and the mind-blowing cosmic events that cause them (think neutron stars smashing into black holes) to an unprecedented level. Virgo technology and the power of some of the most advanced telescopes in existence will give the two LIGO detectors a boost when it comes to picking up on these space shivers and the far-out phenomena they issue from.

Gravitational waves are ironically small for such a momentous discovery. These ripples in space-time, which have been sci-fi fodder ever since Einstein predicted them in his Theory of General Relativity over a hundred years ago, originate in the enormous energy bursts released by black hole collisions. By the time they reach Earth, they end up even tinier than quarks. That's about one ten-thousandth the size of an atomic nucleus. Though smaller than subatomic particles, gravitational waves are still able to bend and stretch the fabric of space-time even if the effect is infinitesimal.

Detecting a tremor is notoriously tricky. LIGO's dual super-powered lasers let scientists know when a gravitational wave passes through our planet and alters space-time ('slightly' is an understatement) by a tell-tale wobble that results from its lasers moving in and out of phase with each other. Scientists are able to measure the size of the black holes involved in the collision, as well as how far away it happened, from the wobble's shape. This all sounds pretty straightforward until you realize that anything can affect these highly sensitive lasers. Everything on Earth that vibrates can trigger a false positive.

Enter Virgo. Multiple detectors are needed because just one could be set off by any random vibration. Adding Virgo to the LIGO experiment will trace gravitational waves to a much smaller piece of sky than before, determining where in the universe a massive crash occurred with greater accuracy. It will also buy more time to detect them when maintenance means another machine has to be temporarily shut down. Even something as monumental as a supernova would be difficult to confirm with just one active detector. Joining LIGO with Virgo and more upcoming detectors may not make time travel possible, but it could allow scientists to see things they may have never imagined.

"It's incredible that we might be able to see a merger of two neutron stars," said Julie McEnery, project scientist for NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope of just one phenomenon scientists could possibly witness in the future. "The range of physics we're going to be able to probe by having all of this information is extraordinary."

(via Gizmodo)

View original post here:

Astronomy blasts into the future with gravitational wave detector Virgo - Blastr

What could two of the most fascinating sciences, astronomy and art, have in common? At first sight they seem different: on one hand there are logic and mathematics, on the other hand creativity and irrationality. Two worlds which seem distant, of course, while at the same time the duty of artists is to reflect their era, and this is the era of the space exploration. So its time to review this way of thinking.

Through April 17 Venice will host Our Place in Space, a new exhibition organized by NASA and ESA (the European Space Agency). The show recounts the mysteries of the Universe. How? Its a journey in the Cosmos through the images of Hubble telescope accompanied from works created ad hoc by ten contemporary Italian artists.

Since the start of civilization people have tried to understand the Universe and their place in it both as a species and as individuals. This quest has led to several shifts in our perception of our place in space, shifts often generated by new astronomical discoveries.

Astronomers have placed the Earth at the centre of the Universe, and then proven that it is not. They have theorized that the Milky Way is all there is, and then discovered that we live in just one galaxy among billions. And they have demonstrated the ever changing nature of our environment, a Universe as inconstant as our attempts to define it.

As our ability to observe the Universe improves and we gain another perception on our environment, both near and far, we edge closer to our very human desire to understand our place in space.

In 2015 the international scientific community celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the launch of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, one of the most ambitious space astronomy missions ever flown.

The data, science and images from Hubble have helped scientists to see further and have shifted their perspective. They have inspired astronomers, artists and public alike to ask, and endeavour to answer, the deep existential questions that humans all share: Where do we come from? Where are we going? Are we alone?

The exposition reminds us not only has Hubble transformed our knowledge of the Universe but for more than two decades it has greatly impacted culture, society and art.

Hubble has broadened the reach of astronomical research, a science that for years was reserved for a privileged few, and made it a resource available to all. It has brought the Universe into homes and it continues to inspire generations of artists.

(Our Place in Space, Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti, Venice, through April 17)

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Astronomy meets art in Venice: 10 artists inspired by Hubble Space Telescope images - ItalyEurope24 (subscription)

Fifty-five years ago this month, John Glenn became the first astronaut to circle the globe in his Mercury capsule Friendship 7.

Before Glenn passed away in December at the age of 95, he agreed to lend his name to the John Glenn Observatory and Astronomy Park.

"That took me almost a year to get in touch with him. He thought it was a terrific idea. The educational value he thought was terrific," Clyde Gosnell, a member of the Friends of Hocking Hills, said.

Construction of the $1.4 million park is scheduled to open by this fall. It will be built on a patch of land west of the Old Man's Cave along State Route 664.

Lucia Hoehneof M+A architects designed the park.

"This was an idea that started 12 years ago," she said.

It's plaza, which is 80 feet in diameter, will contain a sundial, and floating celestial fountain.

Large stone towers will frame the views of the sun, highlighting its orientation at different times of the year.

"The diameter of the plaza is the diameter of the sun so it's a teaching tool," she said.

This building will house two telescopes. It's not a dome like some observatories. The entire roof slides open along two metal rails.

"This is another way to do it you have a roof over these beams and the entire area is open to the sky," she said.

Organizers chose the site near Old Man's Cave because it's 1,500 feet high, and the location happens to have the darkest sky in the state.

The Columbus Astronomical Society is also helping fund the project. Both Ohio State University and Ohio University plan to conduct research there.

Excerpt from:

John Glenn Observatory and Astronomy Park to open later this year - 10TV

HICKORY From robots in space to the solar eclipse in August, anyone interested in astronomy and space exploration were left with plenty to talk about after the 25th annual BoBfest held Saturday at the Catawba Science Center (CSC).

This was the first time the CSC hosted the regional gathering of amateur astronomers, presented by the Catawba Valley Astronomy Club along with the Cleveland County Astronomical Society the Hickory Public Library and the science center.

Sam and Barbara Erwin made the trip to BoBfest from Morganton their first. The couple only recently became interested in astronomy.

We went to a program at Lake James State Park this past summer and they had telescopes where you could see the planets and it was really fun, Barbara Erwin said. That kind of started our interest in astronomy. It was just fascinating.

They saw BoBfest as a good way to learn a little more about astronomy and took the time to grab an application to join the Catawba Valley Astronomy Club.

The key note speakers at this years event were Jim Craig, Planetarium Director at the James H. Lynn Planetarium of the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, speaking on Robots in Space, according to a CSC press release. Thomas A. Lesser, Ed.D., spoke on the August 2017 Solar Eclipse. He is a volunteer at the science center and formerly a senior lecturer at the American Museum-Hayden Planetarium.

The Regional Meeting of Amateur Astronomers, eventually named BoBfest after Bob Eskridge, was originally started by the Cleveland County Astronomical Society.

Eskridge became president in 1992 and the club staged the first installment of its annual amateur astronomers meeting, known as "BoBFest" the following year, according to ccastro.org.

Eskridge has loved astronomy since he was a kid. He cant imagine his life without the chance to catch a glimpse of some far flung galaxy, the rings around Saturn or the smallest detail of a moon crater. He thinks its the camaraderie and friendships, built up through years of sharing these kinds of moments, that draws people to both astronomy and events like BoBfest.

I enjoy all of it pretty much. I like to look at a lot of Nebulas the type from supernovas and the ones that are like stellar nurseries, where stars are being born, Eskridge said. The thing is if youre around other people who like sharing this hobby, thats part of it, that joy. The first time somebody sees Saturn, you dont forget it.

Besides the keynote speakers, there were also sessions throughout the day covering topics like using NASA Night Sky Network programs, beginning astro-imaging, sketching at the eyepiece and safe solar eclipse viewing with a home-built viewer.

Were always trying to get more people involved in science and interested in science. We have the same goal as the science center, Catawba Valley Astronomy Club president John Loveless said. If we can get kids interested at an early age in science and astronomy, its good for the economy going forward.

He noted the interest in fellow astronomers making it to BoBfest from South Carolina, Tennessee and throughout North Carolina.

We all have that one thing in common a raw interest in science and astronomy, Loveless said.

Hannah Grimes, a freshman at Challenger Early College High School was certainly interested in expanding her knowledge of science at BoBfest.

I want to be an astrophysicist. Its been an interest of mine forever, and I love it, Grimes said. I have a bunch of astronomy books. Im in Science Olympiad at my school. I really want to go to college and become an astronomer.

BoBfest also provided visitors the opportunity to observe the sun with Randy and Pamela Shivak from Arizona. Randy is a long time solar astronomer, imager and telescope maker, according the CSC release. Pamela is the co-owner of the SOLARACTIVITY Facebook group, the Solar Sidewalk Astronomers Coordinator, social media gal for Daystar Filters and a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.

Vendors and exhibitors, including Camera Concepts, Barnes & Noble, and Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute were present.

The Catawba Valley Astronomy Club meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. For more information visit their website at catawbasky.org and also visit catawbascience.org.

John Bailey is the education reporter at the Hickory Daily Record.

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Amateur astronomers celebrate BoBfest at Catawba Science Center - Hickory Daily Record

Stargazers were given a crash course in the night sky and understanding the cosmos above it at a Cambridge hotel on Monday evening (February 20).

Paul Fellows, Chairman of the Cambridge Astronomical Association (CAA) and Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, hosted the master class at The Varsity Hotel & Spa in the city centre, the first of two events taking place this year.

The event has proved popular with a previous class selling out in just four hours.

Mr Fellows gave guests a unique guided tour of the sky and used a high powered laser pointer to pick out and explain the most beautiful and interesting celestial objects.

While it was too cloudy for the session to be on the rooftop terrace, the class was brought inside for an indoor presentation of the night sky, with a live question and answer session.

After exploring the heavens, the stargazers enjoyed a two course meal in the hotels panoramic bar and brasserie, SIX.

A second astronomy evening is taking place on March 6.

Tickets are 49. To book, call 01223 30 60 30 or visit thevarsityhotel.co.uk.

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Popular astronomy class returns to Varsity Hotel in Cambridge - Cambridge News

CBS Local

Lower Keys Clear Night Skies Attract Astronomers To Winter Star Party CBS Local SCOUT KEY (CBSMiami/FKNB) Amateur and professional astronomers are experiencing clear viewing of southern constellations, comets and stars in the Florida Keys during the 33rd Annual Winter Star Party through Sunday. The deep-sky spectacle is ...

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Lower Keys Clear Night Skies Attract Astronomers To Winter Star Party - CBS Local

This image shows the first measurements of the so-called Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZE) from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.

Astronomers combined data from ALMAs 7- and 12-m antennas to produce the sharpest possible image of RX J1347.51145, the center of which shows up here in the dark hole in the ALMA observations. The energy distribution of the CMB photons shifts and appears as a temperature decrease at the wavelength observed by ALMA, hence a dark patch is observed in this image at the location of the cluster. The optical image of RX J1347.51145 was taken with Hubble. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / T. Kitayama, Toho University / ALMA.

The events surrounding the Big Bang were so cataclysmic that they left an indelible imprint on the fabric of the cosmos.

Astronomers can detect these scars today by observing the oldest light in the Universe.

As it was created nearly 14 billion years ago, this light which exists now as weak microwave radiation and is thus named the cosmic microwave background (CMB) has now expanded to permeate the entire cosmos, filling it with detectable photons.

The CMB can be used to probe the cosmos via the SZE, which was first observed in 1983.

Scientists detect the CMB here on Earth when its constituent microwave photons travel to our planet through space.

On their journey to Earth, they can pass through galaxy clusters that contain high-energy electrons. These electrons give the photons a tiny boost of energy.

Detecting these boosted photons through our telescopes is challenging but important they can help astronomers to understand some of the fundamental properties of the Universe, such as the location and distribution of dense galaxy clusters.

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observed RX J1347.51145, a giant cluster of galaxies approximately 5 billion light-years from Earth, as part of the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble.

This observation helped the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to study the CMB using the thermal SZE (blue-purple hues).

_____

This article is based on a press-release from NASA.

Read more here:

Astronomers Use ALMA to Hunt for Universe's Oldest Light - Sci-News.com

Yesterday morning, Sunday, February 19, 2017, SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 rocket into orbit. The primary mission: Loft a Dragon capsule containing 2500 kilograms of cargo to the International Space Station. Spoiler alert: They did it.

Well, they did most of it; the launch was a success (after a one-day delay due to a slightly odd behavior of the second stage engine steering mechanism), and the Dragon is now on its way to ISS; berthing is scheduled for 06:00 Eastern time Wednesday, February 22. This is the tenth ISS resupply mission for SpaceX.

Of course, all eyes were on the secondary mission, which was to land the first stage booster back on Earth. Spoiler alert again: They did this, too! Somehow, even though this is the eighth such successful landing, the shine hasnt worn off. Its still amazing to watch.

In fact, you can watch it again: SpaceX posted video of the landing taken from a drone, and its incredible:

Oh, yeah. This was the third successful landing of the booster at Landing Zone 1, located at the Cape Canaveral launch complex in Florida, and the first during the day. Speaking of which, this launch was also somewhat historic because it was the first for SpaceX from the fabled Launch Complex Pad 39A, which was the site of the crewed Apollo Saturn V launches (except Apollo 10), as well as the final launch of a Space Shuttle, Atlantis, in 2011. SpaceX leases that pad from NASA.

SpaceX has put up the entire launch sequence on video as well:

Some highlights: Launch is at the 14:35 mark. At 21:15, the booster performs a re-entry burn to slow itself. You can see the grid fins moving back and forth to guide the booster, as well. At 22:18 or so, the landing burn begins just as the booster plunges down through the low cloud layer.Then, at 22:52, it touches down. Going back to the primary mission, the Dragon capsule solar power arrays deploy at 27:28; those power the on-board batteries for the two days it takes to approach ISS.

If you want details on the mission, including how the booster gets back to Earth, check out NASA Spaceflight.

Ill note the point of bringing the boosters back down is to save money: It costs about $60 million to build one, but only a million or two to fix it up, refuel it, and launch it again. SpaceX has yet to actually do this, but theyre planning on their first reused booster launch sometime this year. They also announced that theyll be reusing a Dragon capsule for the 11th ISS resupply mission, scheduled for early April.

That will be the real test. If they can do it, theyll have found a way to save a lot of money on launch costs, which was one of the main goals of SpaceX when the company was founded. All we have right now is speculation on the actual costs and needed engineering to make this happen; once they launch a reused booster well be able to see just what the economics are.

But for now, this mission has gone very well. After a pair of lost rockets, including one in 2015 to resupply the ISS, I always breathe a sigh of relief once the Dragon is in orbit. Congratulations to SpaceX, and may the rest of this mission go as well.

Excerpt from:

SpaceX nails the landing after an historic launch - Blastr

The asteroids of the inner Solar System and Jupiter: The donut-shaped asteroid belt is located between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars (Source: Wikipedia); Inset: Thai astronomer Singto, a founder of the Bangkok Planetarium & author of the book Star Tales in the Thai language on astronomy. Although the new minor planet does not have a name, some minor planets have been named such as the asteroid pictured here named 951 Gaspra, the first asteroid imaged by a spacecraft, as viewed during Galileo's 1991 flyby.

Founder of Bangkok Planetarium Thai astronomer Singto Pukahuta who died in 2007 gets small planet named after him to immortalize his name.

ASTRONOMY

19/02/2017 Apinya Wipatayotin

A new minor planet will be named after the famous Thai astronomer Singto Pukahuta.

The minor planet 1989 CN was discovered on Feb 4, 1989, by two Japanese astronomers.

The new minor planet Singto measures 3.96 kilometres in diameter and orbits between Mars and Jupiter (for more info see here, here & here).

Minor planets are defined as large objects in outer space that orbit around the Sun, including asteroids but excluding planets, dwarf planets and comets, "as of 2016, the orbits of 709,706 minor planets were archived at the Minor Planet Center, 469,275 of which had received permanent numbers" (see here).

FAMOUS THAI ASTRONOMER

Singto, who was born in 1915, was a prominent astronomer, educator and author as well as a founder and director of the Bangkok Planetarium and president of the Thai Astronomical Society (TAS).

He wrote Star Tales, which is regarded as one of 100 good books that Thai children should read.

Singto was also former president of the Thai Astronomical Society (TAS).

The astronomer passed away in 2007 at the age of 92.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION BESTOWS NAME ON MINOR PLANET

Wimut Wasalai, a committee member of the TAS, said the International Astronomical Union (IAU) on Feb 12 officially bestowed the name of Singto on minor planet 1989 CN (6125) following the society's request.

Mr Wimut said the IAU gave the TAS the opportunity to name this new minor planet due to it winning the majority of votes for a newly discovered star in late 2015 with the name 47 Ursae Majoris.

100,000 MINOR PLANETS AWAITING NAMES

"It's the first time the society has had the honour of naming a minor planet and the name of Singto came up as he greatly contributed to Thai astronomy," he said.

"Our society is very proud to have his name on the minor planet."

"It will be an inspiration for young Thais to study space and science so that one day new planets may be named after them," he said.

He added that there are about 100,000 minor planets waiting for names.

There are various ways of naming planets including naming contests for the most creative name (see here).

HOW ARE MINOR PLANETS NAMED?

There is a planet named Mongkut in honour of King Rama IV, also known as King Mongkut, who was the father of science.

In total, there are more than 10 minor planets named after Thai people.

However, most of the names are those of ex-students who won science and technology projects.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1200861/tas-bestows-thai-name-on-minor-planet

http://www.tnnthailand.com/news_detail.php?id=129247&t=news

These Poor Planets Are Why The Internet Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Name Things

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=6125

http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=6125

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_belt

as well as : also -

asteroid : any one of the many small planets that go around the sun - 1-480

astronomer : a scientist who studies astronomy, the scientific study of the sun, moon, stars, planets, etc. -

astronomical (adj): connected with astronomy (the scientific study of the sun, moon, stars, planets, etc.) -

astronomy : the scientific study of the stars, planets, and other objects in the universe -

author (noun): a person who writes a book or article - ,

bestowed : (of something valuable or important) given -

comet : a mass of ice and dust that moves around the sun and looks like a bright star with a tail -

contribute : to be a part of a group or an activity and help it to be successful -

contribute to : to help to cause an event or situation -

diameter : the length of a straight line that reaches from one point on the edge of a round shape or object, through its center, to a point on the opposite edge -

director : one of a group of senior managers who run a company -

discover : to be the first person to become aware that a particular place or thing exists -

due to : because of -

educator : teacher -

excluding : not including something - ,

float : to cause to move slowly in the air or on water -

former : of or in an earlier time; before the present time or in the past - ,

founder (noun): a person who establishes an institution, business, or organisation -

honour : an award, official title, etc. given to somebody as a reward for something that they have done - ,

inspiration : someone or something that gives you new ideas or enthusiasm to do something -

majority (noun): more than half of something - ,

measure (verb): to find the size, quantity, etc. of something in standard units - (, , )

minor : not important; small; having little influence or effect -

object : a thing that can be seen or touched, but is not alive - ,

opportunity : a chance to do something, or a situation in which it is easy for you to do something -

orbit : a curved path followed by a planet or an object as it moves around another planet, star, moon, etc - ,

orbit (verb): (of a planet, satellite, etc.) to follow a curved path as it moves around another planet, star, moon, etc -

outer space : the area outside the earth's atmosphere where all the other planets and stars are -

passed away (verb): died - (),,

planet : a large round object in space that moves around a star (such as the sun) and receives light from it -

project : a planned piece of work that is designed to find information about something, to produce something new, or to improve something -

prominent : important and well known - , ,

proud : feeling pleased and satisfied about something that you own or have done, or are connected with -

regarded as : considered to be -

request : an act of asking for something in a formal or polite way -

society (noun): a group of people who join together for a particular purpose -

The rest is here:

Minor planet named after famous Thai astronomer - Bangkok Post

The Event Horizon Telescope Array is almost certainly one of the most geographically widespread array telescopes ever built: spanning four continents, including Antarctica, the array taps into the potential of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array along with around a dozen other telescopes.

The goal? To image a black hole for the first time.

Scientists have discovered plenty of black holes, but the evidence has always been indirect. For instance, Cygnus X-1, the first discovered stellar mass black hole, gives away its presence by cannibalizing a nearby star and firing back hot jets of gas visible in X-ray, and many supermassive black holes are inferred either through gravitational influence or unlikely stars getting sucked into tidal disruption events. Its sort of like watching a small ship sink without being able to see the whirlpool in the ocean taking it down.

But by enlisting an array of telescopes, the Event Horizon Telescope will utilize very long baseline array interferometry to measure perturbations in gas around Sagittarius A (Sag A), the black hole at the center of our galaxy. In very long baseline array interferometry, the arrival of photons from Sag A will come at different times, with each telescope measuring the same event. By reconstructing what each telescope sees, a picture can emerge of whatever is happening at the center of our galaxy.

And then, for the first time, well see inside a black hole instead of witnessing its effects, which will help astronomers answer questions about behaviors of these voracious beasts. While the campaign begins in April, the first finalized image may not come out until April.

Read more:

Scientists are months away from peering into black holes for the first time - Astronomy Magazine

NBA champion Kyrie Irving shocked a lot of people when he revealed that he believes the Earth is flaton theRoad Trippin podcastthat released on Friday morning.Then, on Friday night at NBA All-Star weekend, Irving doubled down on his comments.

For The Winwas able to get in touch with Mark Kruse, who is a physics professor at Duke University, which is Irvings alma mater (he only played 11 games for the Blue Devils, but it counts). We asked him what he thinks about the Cavs point guards beliefs in a phone call on Saturday morning.

Kruse is the perfect person to talk to about this.He has taught at Duke since 2001 and is currently teaching an introduction to astronomy undergraduate course. Additionally, hes doing research in elementary particle physicsat The Large Hadron Collider (a facility in Switzerland), where he spends a great deal of time. He said that hes thinking about the fundamental nature of the universe all the time.

Kruses responses have been shortened for length.

Irving said the following to ESPNabout his the Earth is flat comments:

I think people should do their own research, man. Then, hopefully, theyll either back my belief or throw it in the water, but I think its interesting for people to find out on their own. Ive seen a lot of things that my educational system said was real and turned out to be completely fake. I dont mind going against the grain in terms of my thoughts and what I believe.

To that, Kruse said that he actually thinks its good that Irving is questioning things, but that questioning if the Earth is flat isnt exactly productive.

Theres a lot of misinformation out there. In some things, its good that hes questioning established theories but this is one that is somewhat undeniable, so he probably shouldnt go there Things like the nature of time, the nature of space, the nature of fundamental particles, and theres a lot of information more recently that even questions the possible relation of these things to our consciousness, so I think there are deeper things he could question rather than the shape of the Earth

If its really just a metaphor for questioning established models, then thats great. People should question established models. Of course, if you come up with an alternative theory, its got to be able to explain a lot of the observations that weve made that have established the theories we have.

On the Road Trippin podcast, Irving said this:

For what Ive known for as many years and what Ive been taught is that the Earth is round, but I mean, if you really think about it from a landscape of the way we travel, the way we move and the fact that can you really think of us rotating around the sun and all planets aligned, rotating in specific dates being perpendicular with whats going on with these planets and stuff like this It doesnt come back. There is no concrete information except for the information that theyre giving us.

I read that quote to Kruse word-for-word, and after a slight pause and a chuckle, he replied:

Yeah, theres a lot in that. It is true that we send space projects to space and they dont come back, but theyre sending signals back. They send signals back and information about what theyre observing while they are in space. But also our theory of gravity very beautifully explains how planetary systems are formed, how they orbit stars, for example, our own solar system, how our own planets in our solar system orbit our sun, and that theory is well established. There are no observations that contradict that, so maybe he needs to learn a little bit more about basic physics.

But hes saying if you just observe the landscape, well, if you go back a couple thousand years ago, people did think the Earth was flat because they looked at their landscape and they saw it was flat. But, of course, since then theres a lot of evidence now, as scientific knowledge improves over several hundred years, you cant just dismiss all that other evidence You cant dismiss all the experiments that have happened and all the knowledge that has been accrued over the last several hundred years that all point to the fact that the Earth is spherical.

Here Id like to note that toward the beginning of the interview, Kruse said that hed like to give Irving the benefit of the doubt, saying, Perhaps he was using it (the Earth is flat) as a metaphor for just generally questioning established models of the universe, which in a sense is great.

So when Kruse said that hed like to welcome Irving to his class, he wasnt saying it in a way to mock the point guard. He wasgenuine. The professor would actually love to welcomethe NBA star to sit in on one of his classes.Kruse said of Irving:

He should go and really try to understand the theories behind what we really do understand about gravity and the orbits of the planets, and the things like that. Hes obviously asking questions and is curious about these things, and so he should do his own research and come up with his own conclusions.

If you come up with an alternative model, of course its got to be able to explain all the things that we do observe, and a flat Earth theory is not going to be able to do that, so he has to think about it. He should read some astronomy books or take an astronomy course, even online, or come back to Duke, sit in on my class.

Another option is to have Kruse phone in as a guest on the Road Trippin podcast, and he and the NBA champ could simply have a conversation, which I think would be fascinating.

As for us here at FTW, I guess well go call up a Michigan State professor next.

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We asked a Duke astronomy professor about Duke alum Kyrie Irving saying the Earth is flat - For The Win

Mackenzie Thaden, WZZM 7:57 AM. EST February 18, 2017

Credit: Getty Images/ Vikrant Agarwal / EyeEm (Photo: Vikrant Agarwal / EyeEm, Vikrant)

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. - The Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association are teaming up to give people in West Michigan an opportunity to learn more about astronomy.

They are offering free introductory classes to teach people how to best use a telescope and what to look for in the sky.

The classes are held at Schuler Books and Music at 2660 28th Street, Grand Rapids.

On February 18 participants will learn about recommended telescopes, guide books, star charts, and online resources that will help guide them as they learn more about the night sky.

On March 18th participants will learn where to go and what to do during a total eclipse of the sun taking place this summer.

Following both classes there will also be a telescope tune-up clinic for amateur astronomers to adjust personal telescopes.

The classes begin at 10 a.m. both days. They are free to the public and family friendly.

On March 1, Meteorologist George Lessons will join GRAAA president Dave DeBruynfor a presentation about August's solar eclipse.

That will take place at the Grand Rapids Public Museum at 7:30 p.m.

Mackenzie Thaden is a Producer at WZZM 13. Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com or go on our Facebook page or Twitter.

Makeit easy to keep up to date with more stories like this.Download theWZZM13 app now.

( 2017WZZM)

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Classes offered for astronomy enthusiasts - WZZM13.com

LAKE STEVENS Visitors from the Pacific Science Center surprised students at Highland Elementary School with a trip to space Thursday.

The centers Science on Wheels program brings high-energy activities to schools. Thursdays event at Highland included an assembly, in-class lessons and interactive exhibits set up all over the campus.

For kindergarten through second grade, the morning kicked off with an assembly. A couple hundred students sat on the floor for an introduction to astronomy. They struggled to keep quiet as Janice Crew, Kate Wellens and Mike Sweeney from the Pacific Science Center launched into their Space Odyssey.

Crew told the kids she wants to go to space and thought she was all prepared, with a green backpack of supplies and an orange bicycle helmet. That made Liliahna Hall-Rogers, 7, laugh because she already knew a bicycle helmet wouldnt be much help in space.

Wellens explained the vacuum of space and demonstrated by putting a pink balloon with a smiley face representative of Crews head if she didnt wear a proper space suit in a clear container and using a machine to suck out the air. The balloon swelled, then popped. In the audience, kids eyes went wide and some jaws dropped, though Liliahna had suspected it would end badly for the pink balloon.

The Pacific Science Center team also talked about the distance from Earth to the moon, and the sun and the next nearest star. They explained how far a light year is and how fast light moves by asking first-grade student Ava Aguero to run as fast as she could in one second. They found that one Ava second measures about 10 feet. At that speed, Ava could circle the Earth twice in one year. In comparison, the speed of light is fast enough to circle the Earth more than seven times in one second.

After the assembly, students headed to classrooms, the gym and the library. In the gym, activities included connecting star maps into constellations, piecing together a puzzle of the galaxy and standing on scales that told them how much they would weigh on different planets due to the varying gravity.

Ayden Guarino-Rice, in fourth grade, liked the scales. He found out he would weigh 155 pounds on Jupiter, he said. Thats a lot more than the 10-year-old weighs on Earth.

Fourth-grade teacher Lela Hoover wanted students to understand how important science is, and that their teachers care about them and want them to have fun while they learn.

I hope they feel empowered to research on their own if theyre interested, she said.

The science day was planned by teachers, who work in teams on projects for the school. Bailey Abdo, a second-grade teacher, helped coordinate. After students left school Wednesday, staff set up areas for exhibits and decorated for the surprise space lessons. Teachers and other employees wore costumes Thursday, with Principal Ryan Henderson wearing a white space suit and helmet and folks in the front office answering the telephones as mission control.

I hope that the students are inspired to learn more about science and space, Abdo said. I hope that theyre engaged in all their learning today because some of it is very high rigor for their grade level. And I just hope they really enjoy school today.

Justice Michaud, 7, is in Abdos class with Liliahna. Their class made space helmets out of paper bags.

Justice thinks it would be fun to go to space. Hed like to find aliens.

Liliahna isnt interested in leaving Earth.

Theres dangerous things there, she said. Im staying at home.

The Science on Wheels team is set to visit Jackson, Forest View and Hawthorne elementaries in Everett next week, according to the science center. Topics vary. At Jackson and Hawthorne, they plan to talk about engineering.

The Science on Wheels program started during the energy crisis in the 1970s, when schools and families couldnt afford to transport kids to the science center in Seattle. Staff from the center started loading exhibits and lesson supplies into station wagons so they could bring science to kids. Over the past 10 years, the science center estimates the program has reached more than 1.5 million children and adults.

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.

Highland Elementary School first-graders (from left) Cheyenne Hampton, Addison Vaule and Alden Jordan enjoy viewing photographic transparencies taken from space at one of many displays brought into the school Thursday by Pacific Science Centers Science on Wheels program. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

Dressed for a big day of space exploration, Highland Elementary principal Ryan Henderson enlists (from left) third-grader Harmony Piffath, second-grader Camrie Ingram and third-grader Makayla Goshorn to help lead the pledge. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

First-grader Sawyer Jensen demonstrates how a gyroscope works for his classmates Thursday during Pacific Science Centers Science on Wheels event at Highland Elementary School in Lake Stevens. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

Entertaining educators from Pacific Science Center, Janice Crew (left) Kate Wellens and Mike Sweeney get a lot of small hands at the end of their presentation to all the second-graders at Highland Elementary in Lake Stevens on Thursday. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

Containers of props, which could just as easily be marked curiosity encouraged, sit near the staging area where the Science on Wheels program is setting up a space show at Highland Elementary School in Lake Stevens on Thursday. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

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Science center brings astronomy to Lake Stevens school - The Daily Herald

Written by Bryce Ethridge, Staff Writer

College: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Blazer. Its a four-year mission for astronomy majors: explore Odum library, seek out new ways to stay up all night, and boldly go where plenty of students have gone before.

Astronomy isnt just a field in the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences students can major in.

Not only does the department provide courses for students who decide to major in these sciences, it also holds events that allow students and the community to learn about the stars, like planetarium shows.

Last Friday the department held three showings in the planetarium, giving families and students a view of the penumbral eclipse and black holes. Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Dr. Martha Leake, held the reins of the show as she took the audience on a journey through the stars.

In addition to the penumbral eclipse, Mars and Venus were also visible, as well as quite a few constellations such as Cassiopeia, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Dr. Leake also gave the audience a tip about the North Star.

The easiest way to find the North Star is to find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major), Dr. Leake said. If you look for the brightest star, you might end up following Rigel or Venus.

As the presentation continued, Dr. Leake told the audience what the title of the show, Whispers from the Cosmos, came from.

The chirp that black holes make when merging is the whisper from the cosmos, Dr. Leake said.

Dr. Leake ended the show by telling the audience her plan to consume them with a black hole: a simulated one which she then showed on the projector.

The astronomy department also has an astronomy club called the Valdosta State Astronomical Society, and the department gives back to the community.

We give planetarium shows free of charge to school groups and civic organizations during the daytime, Dr. Kenneth Rumstay, professor of physics and astronomy, said. We also give free tutoring services for students in introductory courses (for astronomy).

As another service to the community, all science departments including astronomy have Science Saturday, where professors from VSU set up experiments and activities for children around the community.

Part of what makes VSUs astronomy department so strong is their part in the creation of the Southeastern Association for Research of Astronomy. The organization currently has three telescopes around the world. One is in Arizona, one is in Chile and one is on the island of La Palma.

To be honest, the southern skies in Georgia are not very good for astronomy, but these three telescopes are under superior skies, Dr. Rumstay said. We dont have to go there to use them; we operate them from our offices or homes over the internet.

Dr. Rumstay said even though the sky isnt clear in Valdosta, VSU still has the ability to send astronomy students around the world to do research.

Planetarium shows premiere once a month, and the next show, The Soot Between the Stars, is set for March 10.

Shows are free to VSU students, and go on sale at 6 p.m. on Friday, though lines form much earlier.

Tickets are distributed as place-holders on a first come, first serve basis.

Parties no bigger than seven may reserve their tickets together at one time.

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Astronomy shoots for the stars - V Spectator

Inspiring the next generation of scientists is one of the key factors drawing Professor Dr. Andrew Howard into the field of astronomy.

Today, the South Pasadena resident is among the faculty at California Institute of Technology, better known as Caltech, where he has an opportunity to develop the most brilliant minds at a university primarily devoted to the instruction of technical arts and applied sciences.

With an opportunity to teach, hanging onto his every word last week was a younger generation, as Howard joined a dozen guest speakers sharing the knowledge of their professions at Marengo Elementary Schools Science Night, an annual event designed to spark an interest in science with hands-on, kid-friendly experiments.

While others talked about cells, robotics and a myriad of other discoveries, including clouds and rainbows, Howards field of expertise for the many students and parents who visited classroom 6, focused on planets as he took them on a simulated tour of the solar system.

Thousands of stars are visible to the naked eye, some millions of light years away, was all it took for the South Pasadena resident to be astounded by the natural showcase to become interested in the field of astronomy as a child. Howard was one of those kids who grew up enjoying science in the classroom. He studied physics in college and grad school, and became an astronomer about a decade ago.

Ive been interested in planets in our solar system and in other solar systems for a long time, he explained, noting in his daily work, We try to discover and analyze them, figure out what they are made of to see if they are similar to the earth.

Thats what brought him to Caltech, where he is a professor doing research this year on planets. Coming to Southern California from the University of Hawaii, Howard and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Calla, 5, who will enter kindergarten in the fall and Ian, 8, a third grader at Marengo Elementary School. While in Hawaii, he taught an intro astronomy class, the solar system for grad students and a class on a particular kind of planet called super-Earths. Prior to working in Hawaii, Howard worked in the Astronomy Department at U.C. Berkeley.

While it might be difficult for some to give up the good life of living in Hawaii, Howard and his family like the small town feel of living in South Pasadena just fine, noting that the schools are great and the proximity to the Caltech campus made the town an ideal choice.

For Howard, to think beyond Earth, to look beyond the planet he calls home and study the universe as a career holds a certain mystique. Working in Southern California among some of the most gifted scientists at Caltech was difficult to pass up.

During Marengos Science Night program, the fascination grew among the young, curious students captivated by his line of work while many inquisitive minds peppered him with questions. Interactive, Howard asked what their favorite planets were, what they are made of and touched on a myriad areas of the astronomy field, amazed by their knowledge of outer space.

When asked how many planets are in the universe, he responded, We think that almost every star has its own planets. There are 100 billion stars in the galaxy, so at least that many.

The fascination of astronomy for many is that planets are places and you can imagine going there, he explained. You can get transported there. Not all the other sciences are personal in that way.

During his series of talks at Marengo School, Howard told the kids, Believe it or not my job is to find planets. Its a pretty fun job, before showing them all the planets that orbit the sun Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Venus is the hottest planet because its closest to the sun. Mercury is closer to the sun, but Venus is slightly hotter because it has a thick atmosphere that acts like a blanket (global warming), he explained. Planets are also made rocks and gases, which the bright, young students pointed out, prompting Howard to ask, Are you guys going to astronomy school?

Asking his final question, the Caltech researcher wanted to know which planets can support life in the solar system. Earth, certainly, noting the obvious before one youngster insisted living on any planet might be possible if youre wearing all that gear and stuff, meaning what an astronaut would don for a mission into outer space.

Yeah, maybe, if you went to REI, said a laughing Howard, giving the benefit of the doubt.

The possibility exists that life could be supported on Mars and the moons that orbit around Jupiter and Saturn. In his daily discoveries, Howard examines if there are other Earths, how did our solar system form and are there other planetary systems out there?

When it comes to planets, Earth is Howards favorite because I live here, he told the students. Sparking some amusement, one child said, Earth is my favorite because its where all the good restaurants are located, when Howard asked: What is your favorite planet?

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Love of Astronomy Brings Caltech Professor to SoPas - South Pasadena Review

The Brewers Table Pop-Up at Austin Beerworks. The upcoming restaurant-brewery from Jake Maddux has thrown pop-ups in the past, but this one will be a chance to try The Brewers Tables flagship brew, the Common Lager, as well as bar bites. 1 to 4 p.m. 3009 Industrial Terrace. facebook.com/events/1360012917404654/.

Finding Refuge in Austin at the Austin History Center. This timely historical exhibit explores the experiences of displacement, forced migration, and resettlement among various communities in Austin from 1848 to 1980 using documents, photographs and objects from the centers archival collections. Opening reception 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 12 to 6 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 17. 810 Guadalupe St. 512-974-7480,library.austintexas.gov/ahc/about-us.

Astronomy on Tap. This months cosmic talk will explore white dwarfs, distant worlds and space reconnaissance technology. One featured speaker, Greg Zeimann, will even explain how beer and far-flung galaxies have a lot in common. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The North Door, 502 Brushy St. ndvenue.com.

Harry Ransom Center lecture: Mary Hutchinson Observed: From Bloomsbury to Beckett. This illustrated lecture from Brenda Bynum, a former resident artist at Emory University, documents Hutchinsons impact on 20th century arts and letters. 7 to 8 p.m. 300 W. 21st St. hrc.utexas.edu/events/.

Go Fever at Waterloo Records. Australian musician Acey Monaro has assembled a group comprised of members of her favorite Austin bands, including Benjamin Burdick of Star Parks, to perform surf pop songs with rock-and-roll influences. The band will release a debut LP on Feb. 24. 5 p.m. 600A N. Lamar Blvd. 512-474-2500, waterloorecords.com.

Under the Skin at ICOSA Collective. The collection of new sculptural works by Anna Pedersen and Terra Goolsby features disembodied elements of a more traditional whole, connecting grotesque images with ones of feminine strength and sexuality. Opening reception 7 to 10 p.m. 12 to 5 p.m. Saturdays or by appointment through March 25. 702 Shady Lane, Suite 190. 512-920-2062, icosacollective.com/home.

Johnny Cashs 85th Birthday Bash at Mean Eyed Cat. Live music from Band in Black will serenade this celebration of Mean Eyed Cats favorite musician. There will also be beer drink specials, $5 Mean Nachos and Stubbs concert ticket giveaways. 7 to 11 p.m. 1621 W. Fifth St. themeaneyedcat.com/events/.

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Free events this week range from Astronomy on Tap to Go Fever show - Austin American-Statesman

Last year, the pair of LIGO experiments announced a discovery a hundred years in the making: gravitational waves, tiny ripples in space time from a pair of colliding black holes a billion light years away. You might wonder what scientists will do with two giant gravitational wave detectors now that theyve fulfilled their primary goal. Well, those ripples werent the end of the storythey were the start of a whole new saga in astronomy.

In the next few weeks, an upgraded version of an experiment very similar to the two LIGO experimentscalled Virgo near Pisa, Italywill go back online. The addition of Virgo will give scientists the ability to pinpoint where in the sky the gravitational waves are located. That detector (and hopefully more detectors to come), combined with observing power of some of the most advanced telescopes, could help astronomers learn about the wildest events that happen in our universe, like black holes colliding with neutron stars.

I think its going to be transformational, Julie McEnery, project scientist for NASAs Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, told Gizmodo. Theres no question.

But first, what are gravitational waves and gravitational wave detectors, and how do they work? Over a hundred years go, Albert Einstein penned his theory of general relativity, which included the tenet that gravity can warp the shape of spacetime itself. Observations of Mercurys orbit, and the way starlight bends around the sun during solar eclipses, proved general relativity early on. But one of the theorys predictions was that certain gravitational events could send light-speed waves through space, like ripples in a pond. That prediction was impossible to prove at the time, since the size of the spacetime ripples would be a tiny fraction of the diameter of a proton.

Eventually, scientists figured out a way to measure the ripples, and built a pair of detectors in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana called LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatories. Both detectors became operational in 2002. Each experiment consists of a laser beam split in two, sent down four kilometer (2.5 mile) long perpendicular pipes that bounce off mirrors and meet again. A detector compares the beams. If a gravitational wave passes through our planet, one of the lasers moves in and out of phase with the other, creating a telltale wobble.

After over a decade without turning up any gravitational waves, the scientists upgraded the sensitivity of both LIGO detectors. Theyfinally measured that wobble for the first time almost immediately after the upgrade was completed, in September of 2015, and announced it last February. The shape of the wobble told LIGO researchers that over a billion light years away, two black holes 29 and 36 times the mass of our sun had spiraled into each other and collided.

Making discoveries requires multiple detectors. One detector measuring a wiggle could imply anythingmaybe a truck drove down the road a mile away. But if the two instruments measure the same exact signal almost two thousand miles apart, with a time delay equaling the exact speed of a gravitational wave, then we can say we actually found something.

Scientists ultimate goal is to see what makes these dang waves, and to study it. The wave information in the two detectors, combined with the time delay, gives scientists an enormous, hundreds of square degrees-ring in the sky to look, but not a precise location. The addition of the Virgo detector will associate gravitational waves with just a pair of points covering only tens of square degrees in the sky, Salvatore Vitale, assistant professor of physics and LIGO research scientist from MIT, told Gizmodo. Think about how you perceive sound with your eyes closedyour two ears can give you a general sense of where a sound came from based on the differing information each ear receives, but you cant really pinpoint the location until you open your eyes. Physicists have only heard gravitational waves with two detectors. Adding another will allow them to see, too.

Virgo isnt newits been taking data since 2007, but was receiving an upgrade when both LIGO experiments made their first gravitational wave detection. The Advanced Virgos inauguration will take place February 20, and it will begin doing science in the next few weeks, according to a Nature report. Its similar, but not the same as the LIGO detectors; its arms are only three kilometers (almost two miles) long, for example.

There are plenty of other benefits to an additional detector. Virgos arms are angled differently than each LIGOs experiments. The original pair of detectors intended to measure waves as soon as possible, explained Vitale, and had parallel arms to maximize the chance of a detection. They didnt think about extracting information out of the signal, he said. The additional offset detector will allow researchers to measure the polarizationsimply, the path the waves vibrations trace out as it travelswhich helps determine how far away the source was, along with other information.

Having multiple detectors also increases the amount of time during which detections can actually be made. Scientists inevitably need to temporarily shut down giant machines for maintenance. If you only have two detectors running, you cant confirm any discoveries when one is turned off. If you have three or more running, then you can shut one down and still make confident detections. Theres a smaller detector in Germany, and when two other detectors go online, one planned for India and the other under construction in Japan, scientists will almost always have their ears and eyes open for gravitational waves. A supernova happens once per hundred years in the galaxy, said Vitale. You want to make sure thats not the day that only one interferometer is taking data. Virgo will increase the time we have all three.

With an additional detector, the dozens of observatories who have signed so-called Memoranda of Understanding with the LIGO Scientific Collaboration will be able to actually do something with the data. In 2012, the collaboration approved a process for sharing data with these astronomy partners. When a signal triggers the detectors, scientists around the world receive an automated notification, then meet immediately and do basic sanity checks to ensure there werent any glitches. As soon as possible, they send a bulletin to all of the associated observatories, including information like the probability that the event was real, a timestamp and location in the sky, and what kind of event it might have beenfor instance, two black holes colliding, or a neutron star colliding with a black hole. It takes around a half hour from detection to release the bulletin, said Vitale, with most of the delay from human activity. The participating telescopes even have access to a platform allowing them to tell each other whether they plan on hunting for the source of the gravitational waves and where they plan to look.

Thats when the fun begins, said McEnery. We jump for joy... Every time we get a trigger people are really excited. You can smell the prospect of finding something really new. Some telescopes need to realign to look for the source, and must think carefully about whether its worth deviating from their schedule to turn toward some strange electromagnetic event in the sky, like a gamma ray burst. The Fermi telescope doesnt need to worry, since its scope already looks at around 65 percent of the sky simultaneouslythe other 35 percent is behind the Earth. But we do coordinate to check if we saw any gamma rays, have any new sources appeared, is anything unusual happening. We pay special attention to the region of the LIGO location uncertainty area, the area in the bulletin.

These telescopes cover a wide range of electromagnetic wavelengths, from radio wave to gamma rays, allowing scientists to glean all sorts of information about whatever the strange event might be. The electromagnetic signature can provide extra data on the nature of a black hole collision or black hole-neutron star collisionfor instance, gamma rays measured around the same time as last Februarys discovery suggests that the merging black holes started their lives inside a single, massive star.

And its not just electromagnetic waves you can combine with gravitational wave data. Other kinds of detectors, like those that measure the tiny, nearly massless neutrino particles, could offer lots of information about the source, explained Stefan Countryman, a Columbia physics graduate student. Theres all sorts of stuff we can do. And working with a less popular particle has its perks. Every time I run a joint analysis of neutrinos and gravitational waves, I might be the first person to see something, they said.

So, more gravitational wave detectors will hopefully revolutionize astronomy and allow us to see things stranger than weve ever spotted before. Its incredible that we might be able to see a merger of two neutron stars, for example, said McEnery. Combining the common electromagnetic observations with the gravitational wave observations will provide a huge amount of new insight and information The range of physics were going to be able to probe by having all of this information is extraordinary.

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Another Gravitational Wave Detector Will Help Revolutionize Astronomy - Gizmodo

The stars shining in the night sky might seem steady and reliable, but in truth, they are constantly changing and evolving. Out of the 100 billion or so stars that inhabit the Milky Way, a little more than 400,900 are classified as variable, meaning they change in brightness over time.

Of those hundreds of thousands of variables catalogued in our galaxy, however, only seven belong to a class called Triple Mode high amplitude delta Scuti, or HADS(B), stars and that seventh was just recently discovered by a high school student during a summer astronomy program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

The star, roughly the size of our Sun or possibly larger, is about 7,000 light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. It currently has only a catalog name: ROTSE1 J232056.45+345150.9. The name comes in part from the telescope used to discover it, the ROTSE-I telescope at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

While examining data from the telescope taken in September of 2000, Plano Senior High School student Derek Hornungnoticed the stars strange light curve, which shows the stars brightness over time. A non-variable stars light curve is simply a straight line, unchanging as the hours, days, and months go by. But a variable star exhibits periodic changes in brightness over the course of hours or days, creating a recognizable repeating pattern. Variable stars are classified by the patterns their light curves make, and named after the first star of each type discovered. Delta Scuti variables are thus named after the star delta Scuti.

But theres more to this story, still. The star is not only a delta Scuti variable, of which there are thousands known, but it is also a rare type within the delta Scuti class, a HADS(B) star. HADS(B) stars show asymmetric light curves that change brightness quickly over time. These stars are pulsating in two modes, which means the star is expanding in two directions at once. There are only 114 HADS(B) stars currently known. Rarer still are Triple Mode HADS(B) stars, of which there were only six previously identified in the Milky way. Triple Mode HADS(B) stars pulsate in not two, but three directions at once. For ROTSE1 J232056.45+345150.9, this process repeats itself every 2.5 hours.

Eric Guzman, a physics graduate student from the University of Texas at Dallas entering SMUs graduate program, helped to piece the puzzle together. In a press release announcing the findings, he said, After successfully finding the second mode, I noticed a third signal. After checking the results, I discovered the third signal coincided with what is predicted of a third pulsation mode.

Such intrinsically variable stars, which change in brightness due to physical changes in the star itself, contribute significantly to the understanding of stellar evolution, helping astronomers probe the mechanisms that power stars as they live and die. Variability due to pulsation, such as the process occurring in delta Scuti stars, is a short-lived phase of stellar evolution that occurs as the star begins to run out of available hydrogen to fuse in its core. Once the hydrogen is depleted, the star begins burning helium and stops pulsating.

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High school students identify an ultra-rare star - Astronomy Magazine

A recent report highlights the amazing possibilities for a Europa lander in the quest for life on other worlds.

There are currently plans in process for a Europa flyby mission to launch in 2020, but a flyby cant directly test for life. By being on the surface, the lander could determine if the chemistry for life past, present, or future is on the moon

With proper equipment, such as imagers and specialized microscopes, a lander on Europa could search for organic molecules, possible cellular life, and study the general composition of the surface.

Another point of interest is the potential ocean hypothesized thanks to Voyager I and the Galileo spacecraft during its mission in the 1990s. More specifically, the team is interested in learning if the ocean has hydrothermal vents, a fissure typically found near volcanically active places. The cold seawater and the hot geothermal liquids combining together cause reactions that create fine-grained particles that, in turn, form columns. In the past, scientists found ecosystems, some that were deemed vital to lifes origins, near the vents.

As of right now, a landing mission on Europa is just a concept and the paper was just a way to bring the idea to NASAs attention. Should the mission be approved, it would still take about five years, with gravity assists from Earth and Jupiter, for a lander to make it to Europa.

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Scientists write a hypothetical Europa landing mission report - Astronomy Magazine