Daily Archives: September 7, 2022

Science can be a cold, uncaring partner. Oh, your relationship may start out warm and fuzzy, but while your passion for discovery and truth may endure, science may turn its back on you and say, "find your own path ... I'm busy."

The team members from MIT's Haystack Observatory that I've been sharing the Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) camp with for the past three weeks might need some science couples therapy when they get back to Boston: John Barrett, a scientist and software developer at Haystack; Rigel Cappallo, a postdoctoral research associate there; and Jason Soo Hoo, Haystack's IT manager and the nominal field Principal Investigator for this deployment. All are working together on the EDGES experiment.

When asked, each of them insists they are merely assisting on Alan E.E. Rogers' important cosmology project EDGES, a collaboration between Haystack and Arizona State University, but each of them has organically assumed areas of responsibility fully commensurate with their skill sets. EDGES is the Experiment to Detect the Global Epoch of re-ionization Signature (opens in new tab), and, as noted earlier in this series, seeks to validate earlier efforts to measure the re-ionization of hydrogen in the early universe by using passive radio astronomy to listen to some of the earliest radio frequency signals ever. These originated from primordial hydrogen about 150 million years after the Big Bang, the period when the first stars began to form.

Related: A month on 'Mars': Trekking through Ingenuity Valley

Rod Pyle is a space historian and author who has created and offered executive leadership and innovation training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Rod has received endorsements and recognition from the outgoingDeputy Director of NASA, Johnson Space Center's Chief Knowledge Officer for his work.

Shortly after arriving at HMP and identifying a nicely flat area not far from the base yet far enough to not be affected by any radio frequency interference from the base John, Rigel, and Jason spent a couple of days stretching 5.5 miles (9 kilometers) of wire into a grid pattern running the wires back-and-forth over a north-oriented rectangle just a few inches apart. Even siting the grid was a challenge magnetic compasses don't work properly this close to the pole, so they had to collate multiple GPS readings and eventually built a rudimentary sundial to ascertain true geographic north. This grid, or ground plane, serves to ensure the antenna's response is smooth in frequency and direction and not affected by any unknown rock structures below the surface.

To accomplish this task, the experiment needed to be placed in an area as close to radio silent as possible, and that's why they have traveled here, about 15 degrees away from the geographic north pole, where terrestrial radio noise is minimal and where they will be looking away from the radio-noisy center of our Milky Way galaxy. But even here, errant emissions can be found in the FM band, and the team has been working tirelessly to perfect their observations as well as they can.

They arise early to traverse the mile (1.6 kilometers) across rugged terrain to their antenna installation. It doesn't sound very far, but in biting cold temperatures, with windblown grit in your eyes and mouth, bouncing over uneven, choppy terrain on aging ATVs, it's anything but fun. And, of course, while one or two of them are working with the EDGES antenna rig, the other must stand guard, scanning in a 360-degree pattern, alert for polar bears that may be prowling an MIT scientist makes as good a meal as a seal any day. This routine has been repeated every eight hours for weeks, and they have maintained continually sunny spirits throughout these cloudy days.

Early on, John worked tirelessly on the software that drives the antenna and its heating unit, with endless patience. Rigel, who has a mind like a razor and a wit to match, is the other half of the experiment on-site. Jason, who has spent years in the IT world and has traveled to Antarctica in a similar role, supports these efforts.

GET CAUGHT UP WITH A MONTH ON 'MARS':

From day one of their work, they have been struggling to identify any radio frequency interference, no matter how small it might be. Ruling out FM radio transmissions from distant stations was the easy part after those were excluded, the trio walked the HMP base and surrounding areas with a handheld RF meter. There appeared to be a single spike of interference coming from something, but since it never varied from location to location, it was ultimately suggested that this might be a fault in the detector itself.

The first week was spent trying to get the EDGES system to work properly. While earlier versions had been deployed twice before, including in the Australian outback, it had never been tested in these extreme conditions of cold. Because the antenna system is located far from camp, it's powered by batteries, and at these temperatures, those take the first hit they are depleted within 8-10 hours. There was also an issue with getting the system's internal heater to switch on properly the default settings in the system's software were not configured properly for the local environment, and tweaks had to be made to the programming.

With software issues ironed out, there was still errant radio noise being detected, and the team has spent the last ten days trying to isolate a possible source. It's possible that it's internal to the system some kind of interference from the circuitry or power source or that activity from the sun, or its interaction with the Earth's magnetosphere or ionosphere, may be the issue; we are not far from where the magnetic fields that surround our planet intersect the Earth at its northern magnetic pole. It's slow going, but they are gathering data 24/7, and Rigel will spend the first few weeks after his return to Boston working to parse the results. With luck they will not only find the culprit with regard to the interference they have detected, but perhaps some usable data from deep space as well.

We won't know the specific results from this deployment of EDGES for some time, but we do know that a valuable engineering study has been accomplished, that Devon Island appears to be one of the best radio-quiet places in the northern hemisphere, and that this team from Haystack works together under adverse circumstances brilliantly and that, in the end, may be the most valuable accomplishment of all.

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A month on 'Mars': Living on the EDGES - Space.com

According to NASA, a trip to Mars would take you about seven months and about 300 million miles, and your spacecraft would be traveling at about 24,600mph. Thats a lot of travel time and an amazing speed travel. Traveling to Mars may not be in the cards for you or your family, but weve got a far more affordable option that will impress your family and friends and put Mars front-and-center in your home.

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This article includes sponsored material. Read our transparency policy for more information.

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Bring The Beauty Of Mars Into Your Home For Only $49.99 - IFLScience

This story is part of Welcome to Mars, our series exploring the red planet.

Rolling around a Martian crater all by yourself may seem like a lonely existence, but NASA's Curiosity rover has picked up a little friend. An image from Aug. 31 shows a rock wedged onto one of the rover's wheels.

Image processor Kevin Gill brought my attention to the hitchhiker in a Twitter post over the weekend. "The Curiosity rover has picked up its own wheel rock buddy wedged in there between two of the grousers," Gill wrote. Grousers are the raised zig-zag parts of the wheels that act as treads.

The image is the equivalent of what happens when you get a pebble stuck in the tread of your shoe and you stop to inspect the underside. The rover traversed a tricky, rocky pass in August.

Curiosity isn't the only rover into accidental rock collecting. The Perseverance rover over in Jezero Crater managed to pick up an interloper inside one of its wheels. That rock has logged months of travel with Percy, but doesn't pose any risk to the vehicle's operation.

Curiosity has been traipsing around the rugged and rocky Gale Crater since landing in 2012. It regularly images its wheels so the rover's team can track wear and tear. The aluminum wheels look pretty gnarly with cracks, holes and broken treads visible. The rover's team has taken steps to extend the life of the wheels and NASA expects them to hold up for the remainder of the mission. The space agency gave Curiosity a three-year mission extension back in April.

I've reached out to NASA to see if the rock is cause for concern considering the condition of Curiosity's wheels. It's located near a hole, but seems to be located on a solid part of the wheel. Future wheel monitoring images should be able to see if it's still there or if it jumped ship along the way.

If the pet rock sticks around, maybe it will earn a name? I like "Rocky."

Read more:

NASA Mars Rover Snags Pet Rock on Its Wheel - CNET

In a joint effort between NASAs MAVEN spacecraft and the United Arab Emirates Emirates Mars mission (EMM), scientists have observed an uncommonly chaotic interaction between the solar wind and Mars upper atmosphere, creating a unique ultraviolet aurora. The phenomenon represents an unusual occurrence in Martian space weather, and scientists are excited to take advantage of future collaborations between spacecraft to keep an eye out for repeat events.

The odd, patchy aurora created by the solar wind was observed twice, on august 11 and august 30 this year. Similar aurora have been observed regularly since 2018, but usually, it occurs in a smooth, even band that covers the planet. Last months aurora was patchy, variable, and locally occurring by contrast.

Its a specific type of aurora called a proton aurora, and occurs on the day-side of the planet when hydrogen atoms from the Sun, stripped of their electron, blast towards the red planet and penetrate the bow shock, a magnetic barrier that naturally shields Mars atmosphere. Some of the protons are able to bypass the bow shock by stealing electrons back from the busy region of space around Mars, becoming neutral and breaking through to hit the upper atmosphere. The result is an ultraviolet aurora that, until now, always seemed to occur as a coherent whole across the face of Mars, but has now been seen in distinct patches.

Proton auroras occur on Earth too, but they cant be seen by human eyes, and are rarer due to Earths stronger magnetic field.

It took observations from both Maven and EMM to understand what was going on. EMMs Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrograph (EMUS) instrument is constantly scanning the upper astmosphere of the planet, watching for evidence of atmospheric escape into space and changes in composition. Its detector is perfect for catching the ultraviolet light caused by the proton aurora.

MAVEN, meanwhile, captures in-situ data, feeling the plasma of the solar wind as it passes by with a magnetometer and ion analyzers.

When EMMs data was compared with MAVENs, it was clear that the patchy proton aurora was a result of a highly disturbed plasma environment at the time of the events.

Mike Chaffin of the University of Colorado Boulder explained that EMMs observations suggested that the aurora was so widespread and disorganized that the plasma environment around Mars must have been truly disturbed, to the point that the solar wind was directly impacting the upper atmosphere wherever we observed auroral emissionBy combining EMM auroral observations with MAVEN measurements of the auroral plasma environment, we can confirm this hypothesis and determine that what we were seeing was essentially a map of where the solar wind was raining down onto the planet.

Essentially, it was a temporary breakdown of Mars natural defences against solar radiation, when particles were able to take advantage of the chaotic space weather to find a way down to the planets atmosphere.

MAVEN arrived at Mars in 2014 and was joined by EMM in 2021. There are more than half a dozen probes in Martian orbit, each with different specialties and capabilities. Working together, they can help us understand Mars in a way that they cannot do on their own, including studying its unique auroras.

Learn more:

Evan Gough, Mars has auroras too, we just cant see them. Universe Today.

Willow Reed, MAVEN and EMM Make First Observations of Patchy Proton Aurora at Mars. NASA.

Bill Steigerwald / Nancy Jones, NASAs MAVEN Spacecraft Finds That Stolen Electrons Enable Unusual Aurora on Mars. NASA.

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A New Map Shows how Solar Winds Rain Down Everywhere on Mars - Universe Today

This post was written by Carolyn Wang, a first-year undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Though she is studying Public Affairs and Statistics, she has always been fascinated by astronomy and the possibility of extraterrestrial life! In Carolyns free time, she enjoys reading, going on hikes, and taking dance and yoga classes.

Title: Vortices and Dust Devils as Observed by the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer Instruments on Board the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

Author: Brian Jackson

Authors Institution: Department of Physics, Boise State University

Status: open access on the Planetary Science Journal

Mars, dubbed the Red Planet with its fiery glow, has always fascinated us. Being one of our closest companions and having a relatively high possibility of housing life, Mars is among the most explored extraterrestrial landscapes in our solar system. Along with its beautiful red colors, another key Martian characteristic is its dust storms which, at their worst, can envelop the whole planet (yes, all of it!) in darkness.

Though no humans have stepped foot on the Red Planet, we have sent rovers to explore the planets surface from a safe distance. Among these rovers is Perseverance, which landed in Jezero Crater in 2021. Perseverance had the Mars Environmental Dynamic Analyzer (MEDA) on board, an exploratory instrument providing insight about Mars signature dust devils.

Dust devils, also known as dusty vortices, are key to understanding Mars climate since they loft dust into the atmosphere, shaping the Martian environment. Dust devils are exactly what they sound likea wild swirl of dust particles amidst rapid wind speeds. Some even reach 30 kilometers high! Because of their important role in influencing the Martian atmosphere and climate, many scientists are studying dust devil encounters.

MEDA, a technology developed by NASA on board the Perseverance rover, measures factors like air pressure, temperature, and wind speed. The findings from MEDA gave scientists a window into the behavior of dust devils near Jezero Crater. The author of this paper combined data from past studies and new information from MEDA to calculate the number of dust devil encounters. They found that encounters peaked midday with an average of 5 encounters every Martian day, or sol, with variation from sol to sol.

This study also used MEDA data to evaluate whether a wind vortex was dusty or dustless, allowing the author to figure out how many of the encounters were true dust devils. This was new insight, since dust and dustless vortices operate on the same principles of physics, making it really tricky to distinguish between the two. However, new information from MEDA that measured solar insolation and dust optical density allowed us to identify passing vortices as dusty or dustless. From analyzing this data, only about 25% had dust at a detectable level. So, many of what appeared as dust devils at first glance were really dustless devils in disguise.

So, how does the data from MEDA stack up when set side by side with data from other sites of Mars?

Well, vortex encounters for Perseverance exceeded the amount of vortices at Curiosity, a rover exploring Gale Crater on Mars, by a factor of 5-10. The results were less conclusive when comparing Perseverance to InSight, a Martian lander taking daily weather measurements. This was because Insight has discrepancies in the analysis of its data on vortex encounters when looking between studies. However, it seems like Perseverances vortex incidents were also higher than InSight in general. The data strongly suggests that vortex activity at Jezero Crater, the site of Perseverance, is more active than at other landing sites, demonstrating differences in dust vortex activity across the Red Planet.

This work is significant because dust devils mold Marss climate, shaping the atmospheric temperature, the atmospheres ability to hold water vapor, and more. Understanding how dust vortices will form and how frequently they occur in turn allows us to make predictions about Mars environment. Dust vortices give us a glimpse into Martian climate, which can tell us more about the possibilities of life on the Red Planet.

Examining dust storm behavior also provides valuable information for us as we continue our exploration missions and work towards sending a manned expedition to Mars. Because dust devils so greatly influence the conditions of Mars, we must truly understand them in order to safely explore the Red Planet and unlock the secrets hidden under the dust.

Astrobite edited by Ali CrispFeatured image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Another one bites the dust: What dust devils tell us about Mars - Astrobites

While there are no nighttime blockbusters on tap for us in September, there are enough cool things going on this month to keep us looking up at the night sky

September overnights got off to a gorgeous start with some unexpectedly intense Northern Lights shows that thrilled people across the Upper Peninsula and the northern half of the Lower Peninsula as well. The lights came out to play in the early mornings of Sept. 4 and 5. Fingers crossed that well get some more fall shows, or even a visit from STEVE.

RELATED: Sky phenomenon named STEVE showing up more

Weve pulled a few fun things from Whats Up: September 2022 Skywatching Tips from NASA to help guide you. The scientists there also do a monthly skywatching video. See the this months installment on YouTube here. Some of the highlights shared from NASA:

Illustration showing how Earth's tilt leads to the Northern and Southern Hemispheres receiving changing amounts of sunlight over the course of the year. At the equinoxes, neither hemisphere is more tilted toward the Sun, so both hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight. Image provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech

Dont Miss the Fall Equinox. September 22 is the fall equinox, which is the start of autumn in our hemisphere. Day and nighttime hours are of about equal length on equinoxes. Its one of two first days of fall that we mark in September. See MLive Meteorologist Mark Torregrossas explanation for that. The equinox also gives you a chance to check your visual compass against landmarks in your area. From NASA:

If you take note of exactly where the Sun appears to rise and set on the equinoxes, those points mark the locations of due east and due west, respectively. And thats something useful to know for skywatchers, whatever hemisphere you happen to live in. So take note of any buildings, tall trees, lampposts, and the like at those places on the horizon, and you can use them to find your bearings when looking skyward all year long.

Mars is on the Move. While Mars started this month high in the southern sky before sunrise, itll head east as September progresses. NASA explains it this way: Early in the month, its near orange-colored Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus the bull. And over the course of the month, Mars works its way eastward from Aldebaran toward reddish Betelgeuse, creating a sort of red triangle in the morning sky. Then the Red Planet will appear to hit the brakes and halt its eastward motion, to hang out in that triangle for the next month or so.

On the night of Sept. 9, see the nearly full Moon escorted across the sky by Jupiter and Saturn. Photo provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech

Saturn and Jupiter Get Cozy. These two gas giants are buddying up in our evening skies this month. NASA is calling them planetary companions. The details: On the night of the 9th, Jupiter and Saturn escort the Moon across the sky. Youll find the trio rising in the southeast in the first couple of hours after dark, and gliding westward together over the course of the night. By the end of the month, youll find the pair of planets rising even earlier, appearing in the east soon after it gets dark, with bright Jupiter hanging low in the sky.

Want to learn more? Check out NASAs Night Sky Network here.

MORE MICHIGAN WEATHER

Fall forecast just updated; The temperature map is dark orange

First ever Earth-saving asteroid experiment from NASA happening this month

Garden Talk: How to plant garlic this fall for an amazing harvest next year

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September skywatching: Mars is on the move, fall equinox, Jupiter and Saturn get cozy - MLive.com

The Chinese robotic spacecraft Tianwen-1 has completed photographing the entirety of Mars and the shots are a combination of medium-definition and high-definition photos in what is being called a major success.

The Tianwen-1 launched in July 2020 and consisted of an orbiter, a rover, a lander, two deployable cameras, and a remote camera. The spacecraft reached Mars in February 2021 and beamed back its first image of the Red Planet to China.

After that initial snapshot, the spacecraft made 1,344 orbits around Mars and scanned and photographed the planet for over a year.

Here is a high-resolution photo of Valles Marineris, a huge canyon system that spreads for 2,500 miles across the surface of Mars and that is 4 miles deep in some parts.

Experts believe that these canyons started to form billions of years ago as the planet cooled.

And here is an image of the south pole on Mars, a part of the planet that researchers are particularly interested in because there is a large subglacial lake there with salty water where there could potentially be evidence of life.

I wonder how long its going to take for humans to set foot on Mars?

Time will tell

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China Has Photographed All of Mars and the Images Are Incredible - Twisted Sifter