Astronomy Online

Posts Tagged ‘current astronomy news’

Astronomy is a science that goes back thousands of years. In the beginning it was very connected to astrology, but as time went by astronomy became more and more scientific, relying on observation, measurement and the scientific theory to develop a knowledge of the universe outside our own planet and solar system. Astronomy is something too many people ignore, but those who keep their eyes on current happenings in astronomy find a wealth of interesting information.

In early November of 2008 NASA nearly bombed Australia with a 1400LB Ammonia tank jettisoned from the International Space Station. This coolant tank was thrown over board because it became too volatile to keep on board. It broke up on reentry to chunks no larger than 15 pounds, and it was expected that most of those chunks would land in water. Australians were told that ammonia vapor could make their windows cleaner, but advised them to remove the residue with newspapers and some elbow grease. Paul Hogan, the famous actor who played Crocodile Dundee, was unharmed. Unfortunately, according to the Daily Mail in the UK, Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, remained deceased after this incident.

In September of 2008 China sent up its third successful manned space mission that included the first space walk by Chinese astronauts in history. Unfortunately for China it was revealed that “live video” of the successful launch and flight into orbit had actually been released before the craft left the ground. The flight did take place. It was just a case of overzealous PR people.

Also astronomy happenings from China, a huge telescope has been commissioned for construction near Beijing, site of the 2008 summer Olympics. This new telescope is unique because instead of the whole telescope moving to find and follow objects in the sky, only two mirrors move.  This gives the telescope a unique look.  This one is shaped like a leaning arch.  The Chinese have a knack for making the simple complex.

Here are some other current happenings in astronomy. In Kazakhstan of all places a new satellite was launched in early November of 2008. Satellite Astra-1M will be used for telecommunications. It was launched on a carrier called Proton-M. The satellite was designed and built in Europe.

For computer users who enjoy astronomy, Worldwide Telescope is a must have program. It was designed by Microsoft. It’s a windows application that interfaces servers all over the world to deliver stunning images of the universe. It’s like an observatory on a desktop. The only downfall is that no new discoveries can be made, because it’s all pre-compiled astrological data and images.

Now you know some of the current happenings in astronomy.

Astronomy is a subject as large as the universe. That’s because it has the entire universe to explore. Astronomy news is interesting, to say the least, and can be found in astronomy news articles, media reports as well as on web sites such as those maintained by astronomy magazines and agencies like NASA. Let’s look at some of the more interesting tidbits.

Astronomy magazine is a great source of current astronomy news. One of the stories it covered was NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft. Just as weathermen examine fronts and the interaction of hot air with cold air and dry air with wet air, IBEX is interested in such fronts and their interaction in outer space. Specifically it’s the interaction of the solar winds with the relatively cold space beyond the solar system. IBEX is also set to map the boundaries of our solar system.

Astronomy news has also covered the discovery of a unique aurora on Saturn.  An aurora is formed when charged particles stream along planetary magnetic field.  Earth’s aurorae come from charged particles from the solar wind.  Jupiter’s auroras are the result of a closed system of charged particles in Jupiter’s own magnetic fields.  But Saturn’s new aurora, seen in the infrared spectrum, is something completely new which could teach scientists a lot about the solar wind and magnetic fields.

Universe today is another source of recent astronomy news. Contact was reestablished with a roving probe on Mars.  The culprit was a big dust storm.  But the Rover named Spirit recovered from a near catastrophic low power period.  With the dust blocking sunlight from its solar panels, the fear was that it would shut down completely and never recover.  However, the rover woke up so it’s business as usual.

Another piece of astronomy news on Universe today is the stunning expectation that the new Allen Telescope Array, part of the SETI project, will find intelligent life in about two dozen years. The array currently is made up of 42 antennas, but will expand over time to include 350 small radio antennas that search the sky for signals that mean intelligence. When it finally includes 350 antennas, by 2025, scientists involved with the project say it will reach far enough into space to finally pull in signals from intelligent extraterrestrials.

There could be no bigger astronomy news than actual contact with intelligence.