Category: Behind The Black
“He takes more vacations than any human being I’ve ever seen.”
Using a solar sail to deflect an earth-destroying asteroid
In a paper published today on the Los Alamos astro-ph preprint website, two Chinese scientists have proposed using a solar sail for deflecting any asteroid that happens to be aimed at the earth. The diagram to the right is their simulated mission to impact the asteroid Apophis, which will pass close to the earth in 2029 and — depending on whether that flyby puts it through a very small 600 meter-wide mathematical “keyhole” — could then return in 2036 on a collision course.
The idea is to use the sail to slow the spacecraft down enough so that it starts to fall towards the sun. The sail is then used to maneuver it into a retrograde orbit. When it impacts the asteroid the impact will therefore be similar to a head-on collision, thereby imputing the most energy in the least amount of time with the least amount of rocket fuel. In their Apophis simulation, a mission, weighing only 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds), launched around 2025, and hitting the asteroid in this manner in 2026, would deflect its flyby in 2029 enough to guarantee it will not fly through the “keyhole” and therefore eliminate any chance of it hitting the earth in 2036.
Obviously many questions must be answered before such a mission should fly.
» Read more
Two stories about a possible tourist flight around the moon
Fly me to the moon! Two stories today (here and here) from Russia about a possible tourist flight around the moon by 2016-2017.
Fly me to the moon! Two stories today (here and here) from Russia about a possible tourist flight around the moon by 2016-2017.
Ohio Business Owner Shot For Being Non-Union, Police Investigating
Union civility: An Ohio business owner, harassed for years for running a non-union business, was shot last week when he surprised a vandal scrawling “scab” on his car.
Union civility: An Ohio business owner, harassed for years for running a non-union business, was shot last week when he surprised a vandal scrawling “scab” on his car.
What caused a giant arrow-shaped cloud on Saturn’s moon Titan?
What caused a giant arrow-shaped cloud on Saturn’s moon Titan?
What caused a giant arrow-shaped cloud on Saturn’s moon Titan?
American manned space: dependent on the Russians in more ways than you think
American manned space: dependent on the Russians in more ways than you think.
As commentators from around the country gnash their teeth at U.S. dependence upon Russia to move cargo and astronauts to the mostly U.S. built/funded International Space Station (ISS), they’ve missed the bigger boat: With one exception, all the commercial spaceflight offerings currently in the works have Soviet or Russian engines as a key part of the rockets involved.
American manned space: dependent on the Russians in more ways than you think.
As commentators from around the country gnash their teeth at U.S. dependence upon Russia to move cargo and astronauts to the mostly U.S. built/funded International Space Station (ISS), they’ve missed the bigger boat: With one exception, all the commercial spaceflight offerings currently in the works have Soviet or Russian engines as a key part of the rockets involved.
The search for alien life saved by private donations
The Allen Telescope Array and the Search for Extraterrestial Intelligence (SETI) saved by private donations.
The Allen Telescope Array and the Search for Extraterrestial Intelligence (SETI) saved by private donations.
Quadriga Consort – Pulling the sea-dulse
Strange craters on Vesta
The images from Dawn keep rolling in. The picture on the right, released two days ago, shows the asteroid’s terminator. What makes it intriguing is the weird looking crater near the bottom of the image. It appears to have formed at impact on the wall of a cliff, something that at first glance seems impossible.
This is what I think happened: The impactor sliced down the wall of the cliff, but because of Vesta’s low gravitational field the impact scar never collapsed downward, filling in.
I once wrote an article about asteroids for Astronomy where I described these objects as having the consistency of mashed potatoes and ice cream sundaes. This image illustrates this nicely. The asteroid’s weak gravitational field limits the density of its material, so that puffy strange formations such as this crater can form.
Obama’s clash with a Tea party activist during bus tour
About Obama’s clash with a Tea party activist during his bus tour this week: How long do you think it will take for the press to go after that activist to try to destroy him for daring to challenge this Democratic President?
I give it one week.
About Obama’s clash with a Tea party activist during his bus tour this week: How long do you think it will take for the press to go after that activist to try to destroy him for daring to challenge this Democratic President?
I give it one week.
“You may first beat them repeatedly with a tire iron.”
Union civility: “You may first beat them repeatedly with a tire iron.”
Union civility: “You may first beat them repeatedly with a tire iron.”
Guns permitted, crimes drop
All systems go on Juno
Things are so good on Juno ten days after launch that mission controllers have canceled a rocket burn to adjust the spacecraft’s course.
Things are so good on Juno ten days after launch that mission controllers have canceled a rocket burn to adjust the spacecraft’s course.
Russians to display new rocket and manned spacecraft at international air show today
Russians to display a new rocket and manned spacecraft design at an international air show in Russia today.
Russians to display a new rocket and manned spacecraft design at an international air show in Russia today.
Linda Ronstadt – Long long time
A map of the core region of the Milky Way
According to Russian space officials, the next Soyuz tourist flight will be in 2014
According to Russian space officials today, the next Soyuz tourist flight to ISS will be in 2014.
The article above contradicts yesterday’s story where the head of the Russian space agency suggested that Russia is going to shift its focus from manned space. I suspect both stories reflect an underlying political battle going on within the Russian government.
According to Russian space officials today, the next Soyuz tourist flight to ISS will be in 2014.
The article above contradicts yesterday’s story where the head of the Russian space agency suggested that Russia is going to shift its focus from manned space. I suspect both stories reflect an underlying political battle going on within the Russian government.
Questions raised about an endangered species listing by EPA
Serious questions raised about the EPA process that designates a species as endangered.
Serious questions raised about the EPA process that designates a species as endangered.
Saving a failed orbiting satellite with engineering
Saving a failed orbiting satellite with engineering.
Saving a failed orbiting satellite with engineering.
Russian space chief suggests a shift away from manned space for Russia
Remarks by the head of the Russian space agency on Thursday suggested Russia is going to shift its space effort away from manned space.
Remarks by the head of the Russian space agency on Thursday suggested Russia is going to shift its space effort away from manned space.
St. Olaf Chapel Choir – John Rutter’s What Sweeter Music
A blank sun during solar maximum
Though it is not yet official, it appears the sun is blank of sunspots today, for the first time since January 16.
Solar scientists have concluded that the solar minimum of the past four years has ended and that the sun is now moving towards solar maximum. The recent activity in August has seemed to confirm this. However, once the minimum has ended, the sun should not have any further blank days until the maximum is over and the sun is ramping back down to solar minimum. That the sun should appear blank again during its ramp up to solar maximum is quite unusual, probably unprecedented, and is further evidence that the sun is heading towards a period of little or no solar activity.
Though it is not yet official, it appears the sun is blank of sunspots today, for the first time since January 16.
Solar scientists have concluded that the solar minimum of the past four years has ended and that the sun is now moving towards solar maximum. The recent activity in August has seemed to confirm this. However, once the minimum has ended, the sun should not have any further blank days until the maximum is over and the sun is ramping back down to solar minimum. That the sun should appear blank again during its ramp up to solar maximum is quite unusual, probably unprecedented, and is further evidence that the sun is heading towards a period of little or no solar activity.
America’s first jet
A living room electon microscope
Thirty years ago IBM introduced its first pc
Another anniversary: Thirty years ago today IBM introduced its first PC.
Another anniversary: Thirty years ago today IBM introduced its first PC.
Fifty years ago tomorrow the Berlin Wall went up
Fifty years ago tomorrow the Berlin Wall went up. Two stories:
- The tunnel digger, about a man who helped dig tunnels to get East Germans to freedom.
- An archive reprinting of a Der Spiegel article published shortly after the wall was build, describing the tepid response of the Western powers to this act of oppression.
Fifty years ago tomorrow the Berlin Wall went up. Two stories:
- The tunnel digger, about a man who helped dig tunnels to get East Germans to freedom.
- An archive reprinting of a Der Spiegel article published shortly after the wall was build, describing the tepid response of the Western powers to this act of oppression.
Appeals court rules against Obama healthcare law
The appeals court for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta today ruled that Obamacare is unconstitutional.
The appeals court for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta today ruled that Obamacare is unconstitutional.
The mystery of Vesta’s south pole depression
The mystery of Vesta’s south pole depression.
The mystery of Vesta’s south pole depression.
Who’s the real reporter?
Video: Who’s the real reporter?
Video: Who’s the real reporter?
How Iron Age people decorated their homes
Archeologists have discovered a 2,600-year-old wall mural used as a wall decoration during the Iron Age.
Archeologists have discovered a 2,600-year-old wall mural used as a wall decoration during the Iron Age.