Why the sun’s atmosphere is hotter than its surface
Why the sun’s atmosphere is hotter than its surface.
Why the sun’s atmosphere is hotter than its surface.
Tag: astronomy
Why the sun’s atmosphere is hotter than its surface
Amateur astronomer takes photo of solar eclipse with ISS
Amateur astronomer Thierry Legault traveled to Oman to not only photograph the Moon as it eclipsed the Sun on January 4, but also capture the International Space Station at the same moment. The image he took of both as they crossed in front of the Sun is amazing.
Amateur astronomer Thierry Legault traveled to Oman to not only photograph the Moon as it eclipsed the Sun on January 4, but also capture the International Space Station at the same moment. The image he took of both as they crossed in front of the Sun is amazing.
amateur-astronomer-discovers-four-new-planets-from-his-office-at-home-and-he-doesnt-even-own-a-telescope
An amateur astronomer, using his computers at home, has discovered four new exoplanets.
An amateur astronomer, using his computers at home, has discovered four new exoplanets.
Andromeda’s once and future stars
Andromeda’s once and future stars. Great images of the galaxy too!
Andromeda’s once and future stars. Great images of the galaxy too!
Ten year old Canadian girl youngest person to discover a supernova
Start ’em young! A ten year old Canadian girl has become the youngest person to discover a supernova.
Start ’em young! A ten year old Canadian girl has become the youngest person to discover a supernova.
Brazil joins the European Southern Observatory
Brazil has become the first non-European partner in the European Southern Observatory.
Brazil has become the first non-European partner in the European Southern Observatory.
Flying on empty to a comet
Flying on empty to a comet.
Flying on empty to a comet.
Opportunity takes a rest stop at a crater
In its 14 mile multi-year trek to Endeavour Crater — now about half completed — the Mars rover Opportunity has stopped to take a short rest stop at a small crater.
The crater, dubbed “Santa Maria Crater” by the scientists who operater Opportunity, is about the size of a football field. What makes it especially interesting are the sharp rocks piled up on its rim, as they are probably debris ejected from the crater at impact. Since this material probably came from deep below the Martian surface, it is also likely to hold information about the Martian geological past, thereby making it a prime research site.
An asteroid discovered more than 100 years ago is actually an extinct comet coming back to life
An asteroid discovered more than 100 years ago is actually an extinct comet. And it is coming back to life!
An asteroid discovered more than 100 years ago is actually an extinct comet. And it is coming back to life!
The sun found to vary in unexpected ways
Recent monitoring of the Sun’s brightness as it went from maximum to minimum in its solar cycle has found that, surprisingly, the changes in brightness across different wavelengths do not necessarily vary in lockstep. Key quote:
SIM suggests that ultraviolet irradiance fell far more than expected between 2004 and 2007 — by ten times as much as the total irradiance did — while irradiance in certain visible and infrared wavelengths surprisingly increased, even as solar activity wound down overall. The steep decrease in the ultraviolet, coupled with the increase in the visible and infrared, does even out to about the same total irradiance change as measured by the TIM during that period, according to the SIM measurements.
The stratosphere absorbs most of the shorter wavelengths of ultraviolet light, but some of the longest ultraviolet rays (UV-A), as well as much of the visible and infrared portions of the spectrum, directly heat Earth’s lower atmosphere and can have a significant impact on the climate. [emphasis mine]
Recent monitoring of the Sun’s brightness as it went from maximum to minimum in its solar cycle has found that, surprisingly, the changes in brightness across different wavelengths do not necessarily vary in lockstep. Key quote:
SIM suggests that ultraviolet irradiance fell far more than expected between 2004 and 2007 — by ten times as much as the total irradiance did — while irradiance in certain visible and infrared wavelengths surprisingly increased, even as solar activity wound down overall. The steep decrease in the ultraviolet, coupled with the increase in the visible and infrared, does even out to about the same total irradiance change as measured by the TIM during that period, according to the SIM measurements.
The stratosphere absorbs most of the shorter wavelengths of ultraviolet light, but some of the longest ultraviolet rays (UV-A), as well as much of the visible and infrared portions of the spectrum, directly heat Earth’s lower atmosphere and can have a significant impact on the climate. [emphasis mine]
Did the Martian methane signal come from Earth?
The uncertainty of science: Did the Martian methane signal come from Earth?
The uncertainty of science: Did the Martian methane signal come from Earth?
A Martian eclipse
The hubbub about this week’s lunar solstice eclipse was, from my perspective, mostly manufactured press blather. For those who had never seen a lunar eclipse, it was a spectacular experience, but there really was nothing scientifically or technically unique about the fact that it happened to occur on the solstice.
However, below is an eclipse that is definitely unique both technically and scientifically. Scientists using the Mars rover Opportunity have filmed an eclipse on Mars, showing the Martian moon Phobos crossing in front of the Sun. Consider the engineering accomplishment: not only did they need to be able to calculate exactly when this would happen at a very particular spot on the Martian surface, they had to have a camera there able to take the movie. And they had to operate it from Earth!
Scientists complete IceCube observatory in Antarctica
Scientists have completed the IceCube neutrino observatory in Antarctica, a cubic kilometer in size and situated a mile deep in the ice.
Scientists have completed the IceCube neutrino observatory in Antarctica, a cubic kilometer in size and situated a mile deep in the ice.
Solar Sail Flotilla Could Divert Possibly Dangerous Asteroid
Another scheme to stop a dangerous asteroid: Use a flotilla of solar sails to divert Apophis.
Another scheme to stop a dangerous asteroid: Use a flotilla of solar sails to divert Apophis.
How Close to the Sun could we get?
How close to the Sun could we get?
How close to the Sun could we get?
New Scientist story: Expect Earth’s twin planet
According to a statistical analysis, scientists predict the discovery of Earth’s twin in 2011.
Note that I reported this story three months ago, on September 13!
According to a statistical analysis, scientists predict the discovery of Earth’s twin in 2011.
Note that I reported this story three months ago, on September 13!
Ten Years On the way to Pluto
Alan Stern, project scientist of NASA’s mission to Pluto, New Horizons, gives his perspective ten years after the start of the project.
Alan Stern, project scientist of NASA’s mission to Pluto, New Horizons, gives his perspective ten years after the start of the project.
Kepler data now available for anyone to study
Want to discover an exoplanet? A portion of the data being gathered by Kepler is now available online for anyone to peruse.
Want to discover an exoplanet? A portion of the data being gathered by Kepler is now available online for anyone to peruse.
Scientist makes the first measurements of the magnetic field at the Earth’s core
A scientist has made the first measurements of the strength at the Earth’s core of its magnetic field. What’s most fascinating is that he used the Moon and distant quasars to do it! First he used radio observations of the quasars to get very precise measurements of the Earth’s rotation axis and how the Moon was tugging at that axis and thus affecting its magnetic field. Then,
By calculating the effect of the moon on the spinning inner core, Buffett discovered that the precession makes the slightly out-of-round inner core generate shear waves in the liquid outer core. These waves of molten iron and nickel move within a tight cone only 30 to 40 meters thick, interacting with the magnetic field to produce an electric current that heats the liquid. This serves to damp the precession of the rotation axis. The damping causes the precession to lag behind the moon as it orbits the earth. A measurement of the lag allowed Buffett to calculate the magnitude of the damping and thus of the magnetic field inside the outer core.
A scientist has made the first measurements of the strength at the Earth’s core of its magnetic field. What’s most fascinating is that he used the Moon and distant quasars to do it! First he used radio observations of the quasars to get very precise measurements of the Earth’s rotation axis and how the Moon was tugging at that axis and thus affecting its magnetic field. Then,
By calculating the effect of the moon on the spinning inner core, Buffett discovered that the precession makes the slightly out-of-round inner core generate shear waves in the liquid outer core. These waves of molten iron and nickel move within a tight cone only 30 to 40 meters thick, interacting with the magnetic field to produce an electric current that heats the liquid. This serves to damp the precession of the rotation axis. The damping causes the precession to lag behind the moon as it orbits the earth. A measurement of the lag allowed Buffett to calculate the magnitude of the damping and thus of the magnetic field inside the outer core.
Amino acids found on meteorite that crashed in the Sudan
Dead alien life arrives on Earth! Not really but still exciting anyway: Scientists have found the remains of space-born amino acids — essential to life — in the meteorite that crashed in the Sudan in 2008. Key quote:
“This meteorite formed when two asteroids collided,” said Daniel Glavin of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “The shock of the collision heated it to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit [1,093 degrees Celsius], hot enough that all complex organic molecules like amino acids should have been destroyed, but we found them anyway.”
The discovery is further evidence that the basic elements of life can form in even the most hostile of environments.
Dead alien life arrives on Earth! Not really but still exciting anyway: Scientists have found the remains of space-born amino acids — essential to life — in the meteorite that crashed in the Sudan in 2008. Key quote:
“This meteorite formed when two asteroids collided,” said Daniel Glavin of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “The shock of the collision heated it to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit [1,093 degrees Celsius], hot enough that all complex organic molecules like amino acids should have been destroyed, but we found them anyway.”
The discovery is further evidence that the basic elements of life can form in even the most hostile of environments.
Kepler glitch stops science observations for 13 hours
A software glitch prevented Kepler from making science observations for 13 hours this week.
A software glitch prevented Kepler from making science observations for 13 hours this week.
Cyclone lasting more than 5 years is detected on Saturn
A cyclone on Saturn has now lasted more than five years, since scientists started tracking it closely in 2004 with the arrival of Cassini in orbit around Saturn.
A cyclone on Saturn has now lasted more than five years, since scientists started tracking it closely in 2004 with the arrival of Cassini in orbit around Saturn.
Cassini Spots Potential Ice Volcano on Saturn Moon
Scientists have used data from Cassini to identify what they think are ice volcanoes on Titan. The two volcanoes, each about 3000 feet high, are located near the equator and appear to resemble the volcanoes on Earth, with a central crater on top of cone-like peak and finger-like flows coming down the sides from the crater. The lava here, however, is not molten rock, but water.
Scientists have used data from Cassini to identify what they think are ice volcanoes on Titan. The two volcanoes, each about 3000 feet high, are located near the equator and appear to resemble the volcanoes on Earth, with a central crater on top of cone-like peak and finger-like flows coming down the sides from the crater. The lava here, however, is not molten rock, but water.
The last remant of a supernova
Time for some astronomical sightseeing! This image, produced from data taken by both the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, shows what astronomers call a supernova remnant. The bubble, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud 160 thousand light years away, is thought to be 23 light years across and expanding about 11 million miles per hour. It is thought that the supernova itself took place around 1600. That we have no record of it is probably because it was only visible in the southern hemisphere, where few records of such events were being kept at that time. More here, including the image using only Hubble data as well as a video animation that is quite stunning.
Voyager 1 sees evidence it is about to enter interstellar space
After a 33 year journey, Voyager 1 has detected evidence that it is about to enter interstellar space.
After a 33 year journey, Voyager 1 has detected evidence that it is about to enter interstellar space.
An astronomer is suing the University of Kentucky, claiming he was denied a job running its observatory because of his Christian faith
Freedom of religion alert! An astronomer has sued the University of Kentucky, claiming he was denied a job running its observatory because of his Christian faith. More here.
Freedom of religion alert! An astronomer has sued the University of Kentucky, claiming he was denied a job running its observatory because of his Christian faith. More here.
the violent origin of Saturn’s rings
Scientists have created a computer simulation describing the violent origin of Saturn’s rings, with moons being stripped of their ice as they death spiral into Saturn.
Note that this is only a theory, illustrated by a computer model. Though it is fascinating however!
Scientists have created a computer simulation describing the violent origin of Saturn’s rings, with moons being stripped of their ice as they death spiral into Saturn.
Note that this is only a theory, illustrated by a computer model. Though it is fascinating however!
Venus Has a Moon?
Venus has a Moon?
Venus has a Moon?
First carbon-rich exoplanet discovered
The first carbon-rich exoplanet discovered.
The first carbon-rich exoplanet discovered.