Jun 11

Earth and Venus Could Smash Together–In 3.5 Billion Years

Posted in: science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

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According to a study released Wednesday in Nature, a force known as orbital chaos could “cause our Solar System to go haywire,” leading Earth to smash into Venus or possibly Mars, the AFP reports. Most likely, the sun and solar system will continue on for another five billion years. At that point, the sun will become a red giant and engulf the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars).

But it turns out that we can’t predict the course of celestial mechanics–the motion of our planets–more than a few tens of millions of years into the future, said Jacques Laskar, a researcher at the Observatoire de Paris and lead author of the study, in the report. That led to some fancy computer modeling using Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which hadn’t been done before.
Laskar’s group ran over 2,700 computer simulations. They found that over 200 of them caused the four inner planets and the sun to be in a five-way accident, with Earth “being smashed to pieces” in several dozen of them a few billion years from now. The likely culprit? Mercury, which has a lopsided orbit and the smallest mass–meaning that it could (eventually) be easily destabilized, causing a chain reaction.
A BBC video showing the collision is after the jump. (Image credit: IMCCE-CNRS)
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Jun 11

Could Astronomers Have Found the First Exoplanet in Another Galaxy?

Posted in: science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

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To date, scientists have discovered over 300 exoplanets, which are planets orbiting stars other than our own sun. Recently, a group of astronomers may have detected another one, as Universe Today reports. In and of itself, that’s not news–except that this one may be in another galaxy.

It turns out that one specific star in the Andromeda Galaxy–which is over two million light-years away–has some kind of object orbiting it that’s about six times the mass of Jupiter. At that size and distance, it could be either a planet or a brown dwarf star, but astronomers are leaning toward the former.
To find the exoplanet, the report said that the astronomers used a technique called pixel-lensing, which is essentially gravitational microlensing: looking for bent light rays when they pass close to a massive object, as per Einstein’s general theory of relativity. (Image credit: NASA/Tony Hallas)
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Jun 09

Stuck Mars Rover Images Itself

Posted in: NASA, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

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When in doubt, take a picture? NASA’s Spirit rover has taken photographs of its underside in order to help engineers figure out the best way to free the stuck rover, according to Space.com. The rover is currently buried up to its hubcaps, with the problem being that if someone gives it the wrong command–such as flooring it, which admittedly did work once before–the rover could end up even more stuck.

To get a better look, Spirit took images of its belly on June 2nd (Sol 1925). Scientists utilized the rover’s microscopic imager instrument, which is mounted on the end of her robotic arm, according to the report. Project scientists tested out the operation using the other rover, Opportunity, which is currently exploring the opposite side of the red planet. (If it looks a little blurry, that’s because the camera was designed to focus on targets only a few centimeters away.)
The next step is for scientists to figure out whether a small mound, showing in some of the photos, is in fact touching the rover–and whether it is a rock or more of the same soft soil, according to Steve Squyres, lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Rover Project. The report said that a rock would mean more risk for any emergency maneuvers. (Image credit: NASA/JPL/USGS)
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Jun 04

Report: Earths Atmosphere Disappearing Faster than Mars

Posted in: NASA, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

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We’re not saying Earth will soon go all Total Recall on us and require humans to walk around in radiation-shielded space suits. But a new Discovery report indicates that researchers were recently “stunned” to find out that our planet is losing its atmosphere faster than both Mars and Venus are–neither of which have significant magnetic fields. That could have major implications for what we thought was true about Earth’s atmosphere. And it’s likely due to the sun.

“We often tell ourselves that we are very fortunate living on this planet because we have this strong magnetic shield that protects us from all sorts of things that the cosmos throws at us — cosmic rays, solar flares and the pesky solar wind,” said Christopher Russell, a professor of geophysics and space physics at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in the article. “It certainly does help in some of those areas but … in the case of the atmosphere, this may not be true.”
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Jun 03

International Space Station Now at Full Capacity

Posted in: NASA, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

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For the first time in its 10-year history, the International Space Station is finally at its full capacity of six astronauts, after a Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three new residents arrived at the ISS on Friday, according to Discovery News. In addition, each of the major space station partners is represented on board for the first time: two Russians and one American, Japanese, Canadian and Belgian. The ISS crew had never gone above three astronauts at time, and dipped to two for a while following the Columbia disaster in 2003.

“There is so much potential in this beginning, in this historic milestone,” Steve MacLean, president of the Canadian Space Agency and a former astronaut, said at the Russian control center outside Moscow, according to the article. “[It represents] what we will be able to achieve with future programs … and what we as a combined series of countries can do for the future exploration of space.” In a few weeks, the space shuttle Endeavor will arrive with another seven astronauts, for a total of 13, although that will only be temporary, the report said. (Image credit: European Space Agency)

Be sure to check out our tips for viewing the space station from Earth, as well as Microsoft’s Virtual Earth-powered space station online explorer.
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Jun 01

Worlds Strongest Laser Debuts in California Lab

Posted in: science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

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Looks like things are going smashingly well: the world’s most powerful laser, dubbed the National Ignition Facility, was unveiled Friday at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California near San Francisco, according to the Associated Press.

As we reported in April, the NIF consists of 192 separate beams, each one capable of traveling 1,000 feet per thousandth of a second and converging on a single target “the size of a pencil eraser.”

The report said that federal officials plan to use the super laser to maintain aging nuclear weapons without having to test them underground. Other applications will include astrophysics (including simulations of new planet and solar system formations), green energy development, and–here’s the one I always find fun–creating “controlled fusion reactions similar to those found in the sun.”

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May 29

Opportunity Rings Up 10 Miles on Mars

Posted in: NASA, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

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The Opportunity Mars rover has now passed the 10-mile mark on the red planet’s surface, according to Softpedia. The milestone comes more than five years after the rover landed on Mars along with its twin, Spirit, on opposite sides of the planet. Opportunity’s achievement also comes as Spirit remains stuck in some loose terrain.

For the most part, Opportunity is in excellent condition, although it is slowed somewhat by a little wear on several of its mechanical parts. Spirit, though, has had a jammed wheel for the past three years and has been driving backwards ever since–and is now stuck to boot.
“For a vehicle that was designed to travel 1 km over its lifetime, going 16+ km is a pretty substantial accomplishment!” said Steve Squyres, the project’s lead scientist and based at Cornell University, in an interview with Space. Opportunity is currently on its way to Endeavor crater.
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May 29

Balloon Observatory to Study Suns Surface

Posted in: NASA, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

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A telescope capable of studying the surface of the sun is now tied to a giant balloon and scheduled to launch as early as this Monday from Sweden, according to Space.com. The telescope, dubbed Sunrise, will float from the Esrange Space Center in Sweden over the arctic to a safe touchdown in Canada in six days, the report said. NASA is treating the project as an experiment and will use the telescope to snap high-resolution photos of the sun’s surface during the flight.

The telescope and its accompanying scientific instruments are a 2-ton payload. The giant balloon, meanwhile, is larger than a stadium and filled with almost 34 million cubic feet of helium. It will fly at an altitude of almost 23 miles, and rotate horizontally using a tracking system in order to stay lined up with the sun. The goal of the project is to help scientists figure out some of the mysterious phenomena caused by magnetic fields on the surface of the sun, according to the report. (Image credit: Sweden Space Corp.)
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May 28

NASA Names New Mars Rover: Curiosity

Posted in: NASA, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

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NASA has selected a sixth-grade student’s entry and named its new Mars Rover Curiosity. 12-year-old Clara Ma has won a trip to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., where she will be able to sign the rover as it is being built. The new flagship rover, originally called the Mars Science Laboratory, will launch in 2011.

The agency said in a statement that they selected the name following a nationwide student contest that attracted more than 9,000 proposals, both over the Internet and via snail mail. The panel considered the quality of the essays, as well as name suggestions from the project leaders and a non-binding public poll.
NASA describes the mission as a long duration rover equipped to “assess the biological potential of at least one target area, characterize the local geology and geochemistry, investigate planetary processes relevant to habitability, including the role of water, and to characterize the broad spectrum of surface radiation.” JPL, which is heading up the mission, is planning for it to last at least one martian year, or 687 days.
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May 27

Obama Picks Former Astronaut to Head NASA

Posted in: NASA, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili

NASA_Charles_Bolden.jpgPresident Obama has announced the nomination of General Charles F. Bolden Jr, a 34-year Marine Corps veteran, four-time NASA space shuttle astronaut, and current CEO of aerospace consulting firm JackandPanther, for the position of NASA administrator.

Bolden will have a full plate in front of him. The top question will be whether or not Bolden sticks with the Bush plan for NASA–which is to return humankind to the moon and eventually send manned missions to Mars–or decides to de-emphasize manned missions in favor of much cheaper and arguably more useful robotic missions. Current indications, though, are that Obama chose Bolden in part because he is a strong proponent of manned spaceflight–and will therefore keep the dream alive.
The appointment also comes as NASA retires its remaining three space shuttles by the end of 2010, moves away from maintaining Hubble after its recent successful repair trip, and develops next-generation rockets that won’t be ready to carry astronauts until at least 2015.
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