Texas A&M's astronomy observatory recently was ranked third in the nation among college facilities, beating out scores of more established and older teaching programs.

Earlier this month, Michigan-based CollegeRank.net released a survey of the 25 Best College Astronomy Observatories, naming the U.S. Naval Academy's Observatory in Maryland as No. 1 followed by Hawaii-based Keck Observatory, jointly operated by Cal Tech and the University of California. College Rank describes itself as cutting through the "noise" of online college-related information by showcasing what different universities offer in hopes of giving prospective students a better understanding of options.

The 11-year-old observatory off Fishtank Road on the west side of Easterwood Airport has become a premier teaching institute under the leadership of Don Carona, who designed and monitored the construction of the upgraded facility.

"As I understand the premise, the observatories were selected based first on their devotion to astronomy teaching, outreach and/or research and second on their architectural uniqueness compared to other facilities," said Carona, who blends his IT expertise with his current job. The 37-acre tract has a 60-seat classroom, one 16-inch telescope housed under an 18-foot hydraulically operated dome, a robotic observatory with a 20-inch telescope that can be controlled remotely over the Internet, and a student observation deck that can support 16 telescope piers for 8-inch telescopes.

Carona, who has served as the only manager of the Physics and Astronomy Teaching Observatory, is credited by the head of A&M's astronomy department, Nicholas B. Suntzeff, as being responsible for other programs across the United States copying what's been built in College Station, including his efforts to host "star" parties for the community.

"In an effort to both attract and educate the world's best physicists, astronomers and others, a number of universities across the country have devoted significant time and effort to creating stunning observatories," CollegeRank.net states in its article. "Designed to combine the classic observatory with decidedly 21st-century design and cutting-edge technology, these facilities are helping to create an entirely new generation of leading astronomers looking to the heavens for new theories, confirmation of older theories, and experiences that will define human interaction with space for decades to come."

The article describes Aggieland's only observatory as being "rather small," but in the spotlight for being a connected, high-tech center of astronomical research, featuring full, gigabyte Internet connectivity and relying on powerful computers that can conduct complex processing of recorded imagines and radio sounds, making it more able to easily detect new stars or planetary bodies.

A&M's astronomy researchers also use telescopes from the Carnegie Institution for Science, European Southern Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope and others.

To see all 25 observatories ranked, go to http://www.collegerank.net/amazing-college-observatories

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Texas A&M astronomy observatory ranked 3rd in nation

A malfunction of the Philae comet landers two anchoring harpoons designed to help secure the 100 kg lander to the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko may have inadvertently saved the European Space Agencys (ESA) Rosetta mission probe from being tossed back into space, Rosetta Project Scientist Matt Taylor told Forbes.

Taylor reckons that because the comet now appears to have a harder-than-expected icy subsurface, if the harpoons had deployed they may never have been able to penetrate deep enough to anchor.

He also notes that a small top-mounted gas thruster designed to exert a downward force during the last crucial moments before touchdown also seems to have failed. Thus, the combination of an impenetrable subsurface and a malfunctioning lander thruster might not have been enough to stymie the recoiling force from the two harpoons. Even so, Taylor emphasizes that the Rosetta team wont know for certain if this would have been the case until all the lander data are fully analyzed. At present, the lander seems to be sitting in only partial sunlight next to a wall of ice, atop perhaps as much as half a foot of dusty hydrocarbon soot.

This montage comprises four individual NAVCAM images taken from 30.1 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 26 November 2014. Credit: ESA

There appears to be a porous dust layer on the surface, with a cigarette ash-type feel to it, said Taylor. When you put these images out in grayscale, you lose the fact that this comet is in fact a very dark object.

After being hamstrung by a final landing spot that appears to suffer from limited sunlight, Philae was able to take more than sixty hours of science data from the surface before its batteries ran down and the probe put itself into hibernation on November 15th. If the lander had landed in a well-illuminated spot, its nominal mission of sniffing, sampling, hammering and drilling might have lasted until March of 2015.

We have data from magnetic fields, gas spectrometers which have sniffed the comet at different locations, as well as measurements of temperatures and surface quantities, said Taylor.

Despite Philaes premature hibernation, ESAs successful landing on a comet some 510 million km from Earth is a signal achievement for the ages.

Comets are a crucial part of the primordial detritus left over from the earliest formation of our solar system. And because what looks like comet reservoirs have also been spotted circling alien solar systems, planetary scientists think that comets are likely to also be ubiquitous throughout our Milky Way galaxy.

How well we understand them is vital in understanding not only how our own solar system has evolved over its 4.56 billion-year history, but how solar systems throughout the galaxy might have also evolved and delivered so-called volatiles, such as water to Earthlike planets both here and elsewhere.

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Harpoon Malfunction May Have Saved ESA's Philae Comet Lander

Astronomy - Ch. 17: The Nature of Stars (17 of 35) Wien #39;s Law, Star #39;s Color and Temperature
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain the relationship between the surface temperature of a star a...

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Astronomy - Ch. 17: The Nature of Stars (17 of 35) Wien's Law, Star's Color and Temperature - Video

NASA Black hole Friday - Black Friday Special - Astronomy /deep space
3 short documentaries from Nasa looking at black holes. #blackfriday.

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NASA Black hole Friday - Black Friday Special - Astronomy /deep space - Video

Astronomy C13 - 2014-11-25: Worlds Beyond our Solar System
Astronomy C13, 001 - Fall 2014 Origins: from the Big Bang to the Emergence of Humans - Charles Marshall, Eliot Quataert All Rights Reserved.

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Astronomy C13 - 2014-11-25: Worlds Beyond our Solar System - Video

The 2014 path (lower right) of the Sun across the constellation Ophiuchus. Credit: Stellarium.

It happens to all lovers of astronomy sooner or later.

I once had a friend who was excited about an upcoming conjunction of Saturn and Venus. They were passing closer than the apparent diameter of the Full Moon in the dawn sky, and you could fit em both in the same telescopic field of view. I invited said friend to stop by at 5 AM the next morning to check this out. I was excited to see this conjunction as well, but not for the same reasons.

Said friend was into astrology, and Im sure that the conjunction held a deep significance in their world view. Sure, I could have easily told them that astrology is bunk, and the skies care not for our terrestrial woes or I could carefully help guide this at risk friend towards the true wonders of the cosmos if they were willing to listen.

We bring this up because this weekend, the Sun enters the constellation Ophiuchus, one of 13 modern constellations that it can appear in from our Earthly vantage point.

If youre born from November 30th to December 18th, you could consider yourself an Ophiuchian, or being born under the sign of Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. But Ill leave it up to you to decide what they might be like.

Seen at the Albany Park Zoo: Herpetology, or a modern day serpent bearer? Photo by author.

You might remember how the controversy of the 13th sign made its news rounds a few years back. Hey, it was cool to at least see an obscure and hard to pronounce constellation trending on Twitter. Of course, this wasnt news to space enthusiasts, and to modern astronomers, a house is merely where you live, and a sign is what you follow to get there.

The modern 88 constellations we use were formalized by the International Astronomical Union in 1922. Like political boundaries, theyre imaginary constructs we use to organize reality. Star patterns slowly change with time due to our solar systems motion and that of neighboring stars about the galactic center.

Astrologers will, of course, counter that their craft follows a tropical scheme versus a sidereal cosmology. In the tropical system, ecliptic longitude 0 starts from the equinoctial point marking the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, and the zodiac is demarcated by 12 houses 30 degrees on a side.

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Heres Your Sign: Are You an Ophiuchian?

Todd Symposium - Astronomy (Robert Jenkins)
Second of 8 videos of speakers at the Sir Charles Todd Symposium, held during National Science Week, August 2012. Here, Robert Jenkins of the Astronomical Society of South Australia speaks...

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Todd Symposium - Astronomy (Robert Jenkins) - Video

I think of the Orion Astronomy 20x80 binoculars as the perfect "gateway gear" to heavyweight stereoscopic skywatching. They offer a whole lot of binocular for the buck, with big aperture and big-league specs. Plus, they have the quickness of a center focus knob. However, you'll have to make some sacrifices to save money; this set costs about $120.

These 20x80s are a less-costly, lighter-weight and only slightly less-powerful alternative to our Editors' Choice Celestron 25x100. One way to think of it: The Orions give you at least 85 percent of the experience, at half the price of the Celestrons. And, in some ways, the Orions are nicer to handle.

Below: Hands On Video Tour of Orion's Astronomy 20x80s (Click to Play):

The Orion 20x80s and the Celestron 25x100s are very similar in shape and are almost identical in packaging. It's hard to believe they don't come from the same factory in China (as, in fact, do several other brands' binoculars).

Almost exactly like the slightly larger Celestrons, the big Orions come swaddled in a four-sided articulating wrap of nylon-clad thin fiberboard. This rig has an elastic bellyband and a nonstretchy strap with a hook and loop ("Velcro") closure. Thus sheathed, this rig slips into a plastic leatherette shoulder bag. It's not perfect but acceptable at this price point. [Related: See our Buyer's Guide: How to Choose Binoculars for Stargazing]

The Orions' lenses (and, therefore, aperture) are not quite as big the Celestrons,' nor are the prisms quite as safely shock-mounted. But the 20x80s are nicely multicoated. They seem to stretch contrast (bright to dark ratio) a bit, making it fun to soak your brain in the faint starlight of diffuse open clusters or groups of galaxies. Most planetary nebulas are too far away to really see much detail at 20x magnification. But you can get a whimsical sense of what the neighboring suns might think of them.

Fold-down rubber eye guards let us eyeglass wearers get tack-sharp stars at infinity focus. With 17 millimeters (0.7 inches) of eye relief, you may not find the fold-down necessary. The rubber felt very stiff to me, causing me to question whether it might rip in cold conditions. But I haven't found any reports of this.

Best Astronomy Binoculars 2014 (Editors' Choice)

Like others in this class, the Orion Astronomy 20x80s are really a pair of short-tube refracting telescopes, aligned for one set of human eyes to enjoy. But unlike most other large binoculars, these have a center focus wheel. That's both a curse and a blessing. Center focus is faster and easier. But if your main interest is astronomy, your focus won't change much. (The planets, stars and even the moon are all at "infinity," as far as Earth-bound binoculars are concerned.) The focus achieved with individual independent eyepieces (as on the Celestrons) can be more precise and less likely to slip. The Orions I tested had a mushy, dead spot at their end counterclockwise ("left") rotation of the focus knob, but it didn't adversely affect the focus.

Most of the goodness of two-tube astronomy comes from what happens when your brain is painted with two channels of visual information. Just as listening to music in stereo gives you more than just a spatial impression of the audio, binocular astronomy makes you feel immersed in the celestial object and the sky around it. This psycho-perceptive effect stems from what your mind does with two slightly varying data sets. It can infer information about mass, and even allude to an object's likely motion. Your "mental image" of, say, a comet may not be entirely correct. (You may think you see depth or volume of the object that isn't really there.) But it is certainly a more emotionally satisfying experience than peering at the universe with one eye.

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Orion 20x80 Astronomy Binoculars Review: 2014 Edition

The Center for Computational Astrophysics (CfCA) of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan upgraded the supercomputer Cray XC30 system ATERUI. By introducing state-of-the-art CPUs, the theoretical peak performance increased from 502 Tflops to 1.058 Pflops, which means that ATERUI made the leap to become a petaflops computer. The new ATERUI will expand the horizons for simulations to understand the Universe and astrophysical phenomena.

Background:

Data obtained by observations are snapshots of astronomical phenomena. To understand these data, we need to construct theories based on physics, and conduct experiments based on those theories. However, virtually no astronomical phenomena can be reconstructed in a laboratory due to the spatial and time scales involved. On the other hand, theoretical astronomy tries to understand astronomical phenomena by solving equations. In some cases, it is not easy to solve the equations by hand, so powerful computers assist astronomers. Simulation astronomers construct specific astronomical objects, or even the Universe itself, in computers and perform simulations to compare with the observed Universe. With the rapid progress of computer technology, numerical simulations in astronomy are regarded as the third approach to astronomical research, alongside observational and theoretical astronomy.

CfCA operates supercomputers for astronomical simulations. Cray XC30 system ATERUI installed in the NAOJ Mizusawa campus in April 2013 is NAOJs 4th generation supercomputer for numerical simulation. This system is a scalar type massively parallel supercomputer. With the theoretical peak performance of 502 Tflops, ATERUI was the worlds fastest supercomputer dedicated to astronomical simulation. ATERUI accelerated our understanding in various fields of astrophysics, but astronomers requirements for computer performance have become higher and higher.

Upgrade of ATERUI:

Responding to the increasing demand, ATERUI had a surgery to introduce a new brain during September 11th-30th, 2014. In this operation, the old CPUs were exchanged with new CPUs. The number of cabinets decreased from 8 to 6, and the interconnects between CPUs were reconnected. Although the number of cabinets decreased, the theoretical peak performance approximately doubled from 502 Tflops to 1058 Tflops(=1.058 Pflops). This means that ATERUI can perform one thousand trillion calculations per second. This marks the best performance in the world for an astronomical simulation supercomputer. ATERUI became the first petaflops supercomputer operated by NAOJ.

The renewed ATERUI has started operation from Oct 1st, 2014 and 127 researchers have been using this new system. The users include researchers and graduate students not only in NAOJ, but also in universities and other institutes in Japan, and Japanese researchers abroad. ATERUI runs various simulations: the formation of planets, the birth and death of stars, the activity of the Sun, the evolution of black holes, the formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies and the large scale structure of the Universe. For example, in simulations of supernovae and mergers of binary neutron stars, the complicated high-energy physics has to be considered. These simulations need huge computing power, and the new ATERUI will conduct more realistic simulations for these complicated phenomena. In addition, smaller time steps for calculations provide more accurate behaviors for phenomena. The new ATERUI will be able to follow more accurately the motions of particles like stars and fluids like interstellar gas or plasma gas. Moreover, higher spatial resolution provides fine structure for celestial objects and the structure of the Universe. For example, one simulation with new ATERUI can provide various views of the Universe ranging from the large-scale structure down to the scale of individual galaxies.

Professor Eiichiro Kokubo, the CfCA project director says,Supercomputers for astronomical researches can be called telescopes for theoretical astronomy because they illustrate astrophysical phenomena that telescopes cannot see. New visions of the Universe which have never been seen before will be revealed by more realistic simulations using the new ATERUI.

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Supercomputer for Astronomy "ATERUI" Upgraded to Double its Speed

"We are morning and evening sky watchers. We live right on the sea front and see the most superb skies with all the constellations. We have wonderful views of the moon over the sea and every sunrise," says Penny Hunstead.

Penny and Dick Hunstead met on Newport Beach. They still live there and have been watching its changing skies together for over 47 years. That's when Dick, also known as Professor Richard Hunstead of the University of Sydney, is not sky-watching professionally.

For nearly 50 years, just slightly longer than his marriage, Professor Hunstead has been researching astronomy and teaching physics to students at the university.

"I was lucky to join the university just at the time radio astronomy was an up-and-coming science, which offered a different way of viewing the cosmos. It was a thrill during my PhD to work with the Mills Cross radio telescope, then one of the newest instruments to change the face of the discipline."

Professor Hunstead went on to make several important discoveries and has published over 200 articles, with quasars, black holes, galaxy formation and evolution just some of his areas of interest.

For his contribution and dedication, especially to his students, Penny Hunstead decided that any money they gave to the university should be in Dick's name.

The $1.4 million Dick Hunstead Fund for Astrophysics will support the Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA). The Institute, based in the School of Physics, is one of the most diverse astrophysics groupings within Australia, spanning optical, radio, infrared, X-ray, theoretical and computational astrophysics.

"We'd previously given small amounts of $500 or $1000 to the university, but this was a chance to give this crucial institute the support it deserves. The money will help current students and encourage more to take up study in this area," said Professor Hunstead.

There has been a substantial growth in astrophysics internationally, driven largely by the developments of new observational facilities.

SIfA's most valuable instrument is the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope, a forerunner of the international Square Kilometre Array project.

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$1.4 million gift celebrates an astronomer's life at the University

Astronomy - Ch. 17: The Nature of Stars (14 of 35) Apparent Magnitude: Another Look
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain what is apparent magnitude.

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Astronomy - Ch. 17: The Nature of Stars (14 of 35) Apparent Magnitude: Another Look - Video

(ASMR) Ep. 1: In Awe of Astronomy (Softly Reading and Learning)
Still just musing about astronomy here. More stellar books with some nice space, nebula, galactic and generally cosmos-related pictures and passages. Like always, feedback is requested! ...ie....

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(ASMR) Ep. 1: In Awe of Astronomy (Softly Reading and Learning) - Video

(ASMR) Ep. 2: In Awe of Astronomy (Softly Reading and Learning)
Again all about astronomy. Same stellar books with some nice space, nebula, galactic and generally cosmos-related pictures and passages. Like always, feedback is requested! ...ie. speaking...

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(ASMR) Ep. 2: In Awe of Astronomy (Softly Reading and Learning) - Video

Today the Board of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) announced the selection of Dr. Matt Mountain as President, beginning March 1, 2015. Dr. Mountain will succeed Dr. William Smith who served as President since 2000.In announcing the selection, the Chair of the AURA Board of Directors, Dr. Richard Green, said, AURA is heading into an exciting period, and Matt has enormous experience in large program and large facility management in ground and space based organizations. This will be a great asset for AURA as we complete construction on the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, and the James Webb Space Telescope.Dr. Mountain is currently the Director of the six hundred person Space Telescope Science Institute, which runs the science operation of the Hubble Space Telescope for NASA and is preparing for the science operations of JWST. Before that, Dr. Mountain served as Gemini Director from 1999 to 2005, and during the construction phase he focused on delivering the Gemini Telescope within a tightly constrained budget.Dr. Smith commented, The future of AURA is in good hands with Matt. AURA is fortunate to have a person of Matts experience with major ground-based and space-based facilities to lead AURA in the exciting years ahead.The AURA Board began the search in November 2013 with the establishment of a special search committee. The Committee sought input from a wide variety of sources and invited applications and nominations. From a field of over 20 highly qualified candidates, the AURA Board selected Dr. Mountain.In accepting this appointment, Dr. Mountain said, I am looking forward to working with the Board and our impressive Centers on the many challenging, yet exciting opportunities for astronomy, our community, and AURA in the coming years. I believe AURA has a great future, and I feel especially privileged to be chosen to help craft that future in partnership with the AURA Board.Dr. Mountain is also the Telescope Scientist for JWST, appointed by NASA in 2002, and a member of the JWST Science Working Group. Dr. Mountain is a Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Department of Physics and Astronomy, fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the American Astronomical Society and the International Society for Optical Engineering.Contact:William S. Smith, Jr.+1 (202) 483-2101wsmith@aura-astronomy.org

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Matt Mountain Selected as New AURA President

NASA SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) Kathleen Fredette
: #39; (Kathleen Fredette) - SOFIA. #39; ...

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NASA SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) Kathleen Fredette - Video

Astronomy Cast Ep. 359: Modern Women: Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Join +Fraser Cain and +Pamela Gay for a live episode of Astronomy Cast. We #39;ll record our 30-minute show, and then stick around to answer your questions about space and astronomy. Ep. 359:...

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Astronomy Cast Ep. 359: Modern Women: Jocelyn Bell Burnell - Video

Astronomy C13 - 2014-11-20: Extreme Environments on Earth and in the Solar
Astronomy C13, 001 - Fall 2014 Origins: from the Big Bang to the Emergence of Humans - Charles Marshall, Eliot Quataert All Rights Reserved.

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Astronomy C13 - 2014-11-20: Extreme Environments on Earth and in the Solar - Video

THIS TIME NEXT YEAR 🙂
4k astronomy soon a new kind of astronomy will be coming soon to share with all my friends it will be 4 K astronomy just imagine the galaxy #39;s and all the planets in 4K film what will you see...

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THIS TIME NEXT YEAR 🙂 - Video

Astronomy Universal Gravitation Test Review

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Astronomy Universal Gravitation Test Review - Video

Astronomy C12 - 2014-11-13:Exoplanets: Using Doppler Shift; Determining pl
Astronomy C12, 001 - Fall 2014 The Planets - Geoffrey W. Marcy All Rights Reserved.

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Astronomy C12 - 2014-11-13:Exoplanets: Using Doppler Shift; Determining pl - Video