Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
BobbyDalePost1
During our Tuesday night May 1 discussion with Dr. Jocelyn Bell Burnell about her discovery of pulsars (rotating neutron stars) in 1967 while she was a graduate student at the University of Cambridge in UK, Dr. Bell talked about the Nobel Prize awarded her thesis supervisor Dr. Antony Hewish being the first Nobel Prize awarded an Astronomer. She also mentioned that Russell Hulse and Taylor soon followed.
This is the same Russell Hulse that was hired by UTD in 2007, as a co-recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics,” to devote his energies to a major challenge of tomorrow- “furthering the science and math education among our youth, from kindergarten through college, augmented by $1 million from the UT System Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention Program.” From the Dallas Morning News, August 19, 2007.
The project must have discover a “Large Black Hole” because I live within four miles of UTD and I have heard no further information since 2007, and I have searched for information at UTD?????????? As Teachers we hear many such dreams but we see
very few results. Maybe “Large Black Holes” are much more common than Physicist believe.
Our Physics 523 and Physics 526 Course Text, Modern Physics by Paul A. Tipler and Ralph A. Llewellyn, page 116, does have evidence of Hulse and Taylor as quoted below.
“The best experimental evidence that exists thus far in support of the gravitational wave prediction is indirect. In 1974 Hulse and Taylor discovered the first binary pulsar, ie, a pair of neutron stars orbiting each other, one of which was emitting periodic flashes of electromagnetic radiation (pulses). In an exquisitely precise experiment they showed that the gradual decrease in the orbital period of the pair was in good agreement with the general relativistic prediction for the rate of loss of gravitational energy via the emission of gravitational waves” from our Atomic Physic 526 and Advanced Atomic Physics 523 text Modern Physics by Paul A. Tipler and Ralph A. Llewellyn, page 116.
This is the same Russell Hulse that was hired by UTD in 2007, as a co-recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics,” to devote his energies to a major challenge of tomorrow- “furthering the science and math education among our youth, from kindergarten through college, augmented by $1 million from the UT System Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention Program.” From the Dallas Morning News, August 19, 2007.
The project must have discover a “Large Black Hole” because I live within four miles of UTD and I have heard no further information since 2007, and I have searched for information at UTD?????????? As Teachers we hear many such dreams but we see
very few results. Maybe “Large Black Holes” are much more common than Physicist believe.
Our Physics 523 and Physics 526 Course Text, Modern Physics by Paul A. Tipler and Ralph A. Llewellyn, page 116, does have evidence of Hulse and Taylor as quoted below.
“The best experimental evidence that exists thus far in support of the gravitational wave prediction is indirect. In 1974 Hulse and Taylor discovered the first binary pulsar, ie, a pair of neutron stars orbiting each other, one of which was emitting periodic flashes of electromagnetic radiation (pulses). In an exquisitely precise experiment they showed that the gradual decrease in the orbital period of the pair was in good agreement with the general relativistic prediction for the rate of loss of gravitational energy via the emission of gravitational waves” from our Atomic Physic 526 and Advanced Atomic Physics 523 text Modern Physics by Paul A. Tipler and Ralph A. Llewellyn, page 116.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
ultradense core of an exploded star contains a bizarre form of superconducting matter
Here's a news item I found yesterday on Space.com on the detection of a strange form of superconducting matter called a superfluid in Cassiopea A (Cas A) . Cas A is a neutron star and the youngest known supernova remnant in the Milky Way and a distance of about 11, 000 light-yrs. The drop in temperatures is consistent with theory that predicts that a neutron star should undergo a sharp "cool-down" as it transforms to the superfluid state.Neutron stars are dense objects, and models have been developed to predict how matter behaves at these high densities, including the possibility that super-fluids will form. In this report, NASA researchers found a huge temperature drop in Cas A. The drop in temperatures is consistent with theory that predicts that a neutron star should undergo a sharp "cool-down" as it transforms to the superfluid state. NASA suggests that Cas A can serve as a test case for studying the way ultra-dense matter behaves at the atomic level. The research provides the first direct evidence for superfluid neutrons and protons in the core of a neutron star.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Universe is shopping at the Big and Tall store
The Universe has tripled in size…… or at least our measurement of it.
The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) is proving to scientists that the actual size of the universe is much greater than previously calculated and with much greater precision. The VLBA consist of 10, 25 meter diameter radio antennas that stretch from Hawaii to the Virgin Islands. The array acts together as a single large dish instead of ten separate units. This basically allows the system to observe in a stereo manner, instead of only seeing the image from one angle it has the ability to look at it from ten different angles that are spread out over 8,600 kilometers. The array can fine tune images several hundred times more detailed than the Hubble Space Telescope. It is able to distinguish minute movements and wobbles of galaxies and stars. The array has recently gone through an upgrade which has allowed it to increase its performance by 5,000 times.
The radio telescope array has detected a galaxy, NGC 6264, at a distance of 450 million light years, with an error of nine percent. This is three times farther than the previous record holder at 160 million light years. Greater measurements with greater precision will allow scientists to study universal expansion rate and the press forward the hunt for dark energy, which is estimated to be 70% of the universes. The array has also been working on the Milky Way, and has shown that our galaxy has four spiral arms instead of the previously supposed two. While being used to do so it has detected many new star birthing areas, doubling what was previously thought. The Milky Way is now considered to be much larger, containing many more stars and the environs. So large in fact that it is considered to be on par with the Andromeda galaxy which it will be targeting next.
Climate Changing Satellite
A new satellite is being launched Feb. 23 at 2 AM local time (tonight!) with the intent of gathering information about the sun's radiation and its effects on our climate.
There has been a lull of solar activity for the last two years, and it has scientists wondering if the effects felt on earth are due to the sun cycles or environmental factors in our atmosphere. Dust particles and burning fossil fuels can absorb solar radiation and cause a drop in temperature. The satellite will measure incoming radiation from the sun and airborne particles absorbing the radiation. This will tell scientists whether the sun's low solar activity is even a factor on earth, and how much it will need to increase if the airborne particles are indeed absorbing too much radiation.
There has been a lull of solar activity for the last two years, and it has scientists wondering if the effects felt on earth are due to the sun cycles or environmental factors in our atmosphere. Dust particles and burning fossil fuels can absorb solar radiation and cause a drop in temperature. The satellite will measure incoming radiation from the sun and airborne particles absorbing the radiation. This will tell scientists whether the sun's low solar activity is even a factor on earth, and how much it will need to increase if the airborne particles are indeed absorbing too much radiation.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
A long wait for target practice results.....
I didn't know this... but NASA uses comets for sniper practice!
Actually, that's not a completely true statement. NASA has used only one comet for target practice, Tempel 1, in the hopes of blasting the comet's secrets from it's core.
In 2005, Tempel 1 was visited by NASA's Deep Impact probe which slammed an 800 pound copper slug into the comet's surface. See pictures here. The slug was very carefully "aimed" to maximize the visibility of the resulting crater for future study and analysis. The whole point of this very long distance sniper shooting was to hopefully see the comet's internal make-up and thereby glean information about the solar system from it's infancy. Comets are commonly thought to hold the secrets of the universe at their cores. The problem, to date, has been how to extract that information.
The Deep Impact probe was completely successful... making a solid impact and creating a crater over 2 football fields long and 30 m deep (I believe.... seems I read those dimensions somewhere, but now cannot find the link). The impact probe was equipped with a spectrometer that was able to quickly relay a bit of initial information, but the resulting dust cloud from the impact completely blocked the view of the crater and photos of the event went unusable. This means that NASA and astronomers across the world have had to wait 5 long years to check their mark!
But the wait is over! On Valentine's Day 2011, NASA's Stardust spacecraft revisited the comet and took over 6 dozen high definition photos of the comet. You can read all about the early results on NASA's website here. There are photos, analysis, movies and even interactive features available for review and awe.
Once again, I'm in awe of astronomers and the folks as NASA. The patience these scientists exhibit in their everyday work is astonishing to me. I mean, having to wait FIVE YEARS to see the results of their efforts! Gracious! If I go to the range for a bit of target practice, you better believe I'm pulling the paper as soon as I empty the clip!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Galaxy 'X' - A Dark Matter Satellite Lurking in our own Backyard
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110114-galaxy-x-space-dark-matter-dwarf-satellite-science-chakrabarti/
This article was talking about the possible presence of a dwarf galaxy present in the Milky Way. It is a possible presence because said galaxy has not been observed but merely expected. This is based on the gravitational interactions with dust clouds around it that suggests it should exist. The theory from this particular professor is that this is a galaxy that is primarily dark matter. Chances are that the galaxy is not entirely dark matter but does contain some light emitting elements. I find it interesting that he claims the location of the galaxy and now waits for someone else to confirm his findings. Barring summary, what really got me thinking was the difference between a location in the Milky Way that contains dark matter vs one that contains a black hole. Further research leads me to the conclusion that because the black hole is massive enough that light cannot escape its field whereas the dark matter does not interact/emit light. This means that if there was a light source behind this area the light would pass through the dark matter galaxy but would be trapped by a black hole. The problem with this is that the galaxy is across the disc of the Milky Way from us. This means that there is a bunch of rubbage between here and there making it difficult to make such simple observations.
As a side note, I also linked my way to this article where they claim to find preliminary evidence for dark matter.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/12/091218-dark-matter-detected-mine-minnesota.html
It seems that they may not have their evidence but at the very least they may have the groundwork for building more sensitive equipment that they can use to make more decisive observations. Basically, the dark matter particles are massive but rarely interact with our typical matter. Rarely means they sometimes do. They did this deep in a mine to try to narrow down any background noise and chilled the liquid as far as they could. When a dark matter particle interacted with matter, some heat residue was left. These heat signatures were actually what they were looking for. The picture to the left is the device mentioned.
-David Downing
This article was talking about the possible presence of a dwarf galaxy present in the Milky Way. It is a possible presence because said galaxy has not been observed but merely expected. This is based on the gravitational interactions with dust clouds around it that suggests it should exist. The theory from this particular professor is that this is a galaxy that is primarily dark matter. Chances are that the galaxy is not entirely dark matter but does contain some light emitting elements. I find it interesting that he claims the location of the galaxy and now waits for someone else to confirm his findings. Barring summary, what really got me thinking was the difference between a location in the Milky Way that contains dark matter vs one that contains a black hole. Further research leads me to the conclusion that because the black hole is massive enough that light cannot escape its field whereas the dark matter does not interact/emit light. This means that if there was a light source behind this area the light would pass through the dark matter galaxy but would be trapped by a black hole. The problem with this is that the galaxy is across the disc of the Milky Way from us. This means that there is a bunch of rubbage between here and there making it difficult to make such simple observations.
As a side note, I also linked my way to this article where they claim to find preliminary evidence for dark matter.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/12/091218-dark-matter-detected-mine-minnesota.html
It seems that they may not have their evidence but at the very least they may have the groundwork for building more sensitive equipment that they can use to make more decisive observations. Basically, the dark matter particles are massive but rarely interact with our typical matter. Rarely means they sometimes do. They did this deep in a mine to try to narrow down any background noise and chilled the liquid as far as they could. When a dark matter particle interacted with matter, some heat residue was left. These heat signatures were actually what they were looking for. The picture to the left is the device mentioned.-David Downing
Nice little program
If you have looked at the AstroBlog site I believe, there are many posts of what the night time sky will look like, what you can see. This is from a pretty nifty open source program that has been around for a while called Stellarium. Pretty much you put in your location and it shows you where everything is in the sky. It has options to put the constellations there or even have it show the picture form of it. You can also skip through time to see what it will be like tomorrow or sometime in the future. A really nice thing though (even though it has many features) is that you can zoom into the sky to explore even further than with the naked eye. For an example, you can zoom into Orion's belt and see a picture of the Flame Nebula. You can do this with many objects in the sky, zooming in to the point where they have a picture of what the object really looks like, not just where it is. Like I said, this program has many features and works pretty well and above all else is free, and if you know Physics people, you know we love free stuff. This program even came in handy in the past locating objects that we took multiple picture of in a preview class years ago.
Understanding the formation of the Andromeda system
"A team of astronomers from the UK, the US and Europe have identified a thick stellar disc in the nearby Andromeda galaxy for the first time. The discovery and properties of the thick disc will constrain the dominant physical processes involved in the formation and evolution of large spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way..."
Full story can be found at: http://www.universetoday.com/83315/thick-stellar-disk-isolated-in-andromeda/#more-83315
Trina posted about this very topic right before I managed to but it does not seem to include any links to the original article for those who wish to read further. I found it interesting and relevant to the Galaxy Zoo projects as it deals with spiral galaxies and may contribute to our understanding of their formation.
“Future more detailed observations should enable us to unravel the formation of the disc system in Andromeda, with the potential to apply this understanding to the formation of spiral galaxies throughout the Universe.”
Full story can be found at: http://www.universetoday.com/83315/thick-stellar-disk-isolated-in-andromeda/#more-83315
Trina posted about this very topic right before I managed to but it does not seem to include any links to the original article for those who wish to read further. I found it interesting and relevant to the Galaxy Zoo projects as it deals with spiral galaxies and may contribute to our understanding of their formation.
“Future more detailed observations should enable us to unravel the formation of the disc system in Andromeda, with the potential to apply this understanding to the formation of spiral galaxies throughout the Universe.”
When you get started.....
Ok, so I have not stopped looking.....here goes!
I found this in today's news. Those of us on Galaxy Zoo might be interested in the disc formation in the galaxies. So check this out..... Andromedia has a disc of old and new stars..... I just think some folks have all the fun finding this stuff.
See you in class.
Trina
This will amaze you!
Every day we can be overwhelmed by little things that just get the best of us. Well, take my advice and peer at those things that will tkae your breath away. These photos really help you understand how small those little things are.
Check out this website http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
The photos are color enhanced obviously and they make great wallpaper for your classroom computer.
The photo will have a brief narrative that describes the object or area of the universe. So sit back and marvel at the beauty and wonder of the universe.....and just repeat that line from Contact .....if we are alone...."what a terrible waste of space".
Trina
Check out this website http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
The photos are color enhanced obviously and they make great wallpaper for your classroom computer.
The photo will have a brief narrative that describes the object or area of the universe. So sit back and marvel at the beauty and wonder of the universe.....and just repeat that line from Contact .....if we are alone...."what a terrible waste of space".
Trina
Monday, February 14, 2011
A Valentine Star?
Being that today was Valentine's Day... and I spent most of it chasing around my three kids at their various school activities... and I hardly saw my hubby at all... and I DO have this blog assignment... I got to thinking, "What does Astronomy and Valentine's Day have in common, if anything?"
Okay.... I know it's corny.. but I was just curious....
As usual, the internet does not disappoint. You can find anything out there in cyberspace, if you just have the right keywords!
A Google search for "valentine and star" resulted in a website (www.souledout.org/nightsky/valentinestar/valentinestar.html) about Betelguese, the large star marking the shoulder in Orion.
The site mingles a bit of science with a bit of fancy.
There are links and references to help you navigate thru the night sky using Orion and Betelguese as a reference for finding other constellations. I also found a link for the word history of the star which shows how easily a simple character translation mistake shaped it's early Arabic name from "the hand of ...." to the Latin form of "armpit" before finally ending up as Betelguese in English by way of French.
Knowing so very little about the night sky, I was intrigued to discover that the star actually "beats" once every six years, cycling from dimmest to brightest in that time. At it's largest, the star is reported at being over 900 times the width of our Sun.. a number I find staggering! (At the smallest, the star is merely 500 times the width of the Sun. Gracious!)
But, the site also plays on the more "romantic" side of the holiday with references to stimulating the heart center and aiding the spiritually attuned. LOL! It even calls Betelguese a "Cosmic Valentine" (Hmm... guess I'm just a skeptic.)
I did like the photo of what reminds me of the galaxy mergers from the GalazyZoo project. It shows a heart shaped body of gas/star(s)/dust with two extended arms. The site calls the photo "Cosmic Embrace" and references it from an observatory in Antilhue, Chile. But who's to say the photo hasn't been "enhanced" with photoshop or some other software? I would have to research the photo elsewhere before I believed anything and I'm not sure how to go about doing that.
Anyway... I found the site interesting... and worth a chuckle.
Happy Valentine's, everyone!
P.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Two views on the universe
Following on from our trip out into the universe, moving from the smallest scales to the largest scales, here are two maps of the universe using logarithmic distance scales. The first was announced in this paper; you can see the map and download it at the Princeton astrophysics site here.
The second is a somwhat more whimsical version of the Princeton map, courtesy of the science and math inspired xkcd comic strip (caution: occasional strong language), shown below. This map is mostly very accurate (although in reality there are less cats in space); I especially like the way the world's tallest buildings look on a logarithmic scale.
The second is a somwhat more whimsical version of the Princeton map, courtesy of the science and math inspired xkcd comic strip (caution: occasional strong language), shown below. This map is mostly very accurate (although in reality there are less cats in space); I especially like the way the world's tallest buildings look on a logarithmic scale.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Does Dust Lead to Dirt?
The question as to whether we are alone in the universe depends on whether we can find planets that are similar to Earth. One such planet was discovered recently as the fifth planet around the star Fomalhaut. The planet designated as Fomalhaut-b finds itself in a solar system similar to our own. It lies alone the green zone that has been used as a region where such planets might be able to sustain life.
This system was found while searching a dust line in this region of the galaxy. (http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/2008/39/full/)
Apparently, the best place to look for exoplanets is to follow the dust rings that line many of the galaxies. Fomalhaut-b is one such planet discovered along a dust line similar to the Kuiper Belt around our solar system. For exoplanet hunters, the best way to find something is to "follow the dust", according to Mark Clampton of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Star Fomalhaut seems to distort some to the dust along the dust line. The question I would ask, is if some of the material used to form these systems comes from this dust?
In the case of Fomalhaut, the dust was being gravitationally modified by a planet lying between the dust ring and the star, according to Hubble astronomer Paul Kalas of the University of California at Berkley (2005). Therefore, the hunt for exoplanets along dust rings may prove fruitful along with the use of new Dobbler gathering instrumentation. With slight back and forth changes in a star's wavelength due to the Dobbler shifts that might signify an orbit of a planet, and the location of this star near a dust line, the chances for the discovery of new planets are greatly increased.
This system was found while searching a dust line in this region of the galaxy. (http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/2008/39/full/)
Apparently, the best place to look for exoplanets is to follow the dust rings that line many of the galaxies. Fomalhaut-b is one such planet discovered along a dust line similar to the Kuiper Belt around our solar system. For exoplanet hunters, the best way to find something is to "follow the dust", according to Mark Clampton of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Star Fomalhaut seems to distort some to the dust along the dust line. The question I would ask, is if some of the material used to form these systems comes from this dust?
In the case of Fomalhaut, the dust was being gravitationally modified by a planet lying between the dust ring and the star, according to Hubble astronomer Paul Kalas of the University of California at Berkley (2005). Therefore, the hunt for exoplanets along dust rings may prove fruitful along with the use of new Dobbler gathering instrumentation. With slight back and forth changes in a star's wavelength due to the Dobbler shifts that might signify an orbit of a planet, and the location of this star near a dust line, the chances for the discovery of new planets are greatly increased.
Friday, February 11, 2011
10,000,000 People have 4.36E-06 Chance of Dying
In as sensationalist story, the asteroid Apophis has been making headlines even as no information has come out regarding its trajectory or its potential path.
News reports state that Russian astronomer, Professor Leonid Sokolov of St. Petersburg State University, predicted that Apophis would pass through the gravitational keyhole on its pass in 2029. He did state the possibility of this occurring but later stated the odds are small. If the asteroid passes through the gravitational keyhole it would deflect the asteroid just enough cause an impact in 2036, when Apophis returns.
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-asteroid-deflection.html
NASA Current Projection of Apophis in 2029
http://www.universetoday.com/42246/apophis-odds-of-earth-impact-downgraded/
Apophis
DJ Tholen http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/tholen/
R. A. Tucker, D. J. Tholen and F. Bernardi at Kitt Peak discovered Apophis June 24, 2004. The physical parameters of Apophis include a diameter of 0.270 km, mass of 2.7e+10 kg, and an impact velocity of 12.59 km/s (http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/a99942.html). The sheer mass and velocity of Apophis makes it an object of note because it has the capacity to create catastrophic damage and up to 10,000,000 deaths depending on the impact location. http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpps/news/offbeat/russian-scientists-claim-asteroid-may-hit-earth-in-2036-dpgonc-20110210-fc_11818569
The controversy and difference in Russian and American projections regard the gravitational keyhole. The gravitational keyhole is a section of space in which an object moving through will have its course altered resulting in a collision on the next pass. The keyhole is generally very small and for Apophis is approximately half a mile, 18,893 miles from the Earth. The gravitational keyhole is within the range of uncertainty for Apophis during its 2029 flyby. (http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/deep/4201569?page=2)
Currently NASA projects the likelihood of an impact in 2036 as 4.3E-06 while Russian scientists project the odds to be much higher. Currently the Russian government is looking into plans to deflect the asteroid. You can see a projection of Apophis orbit for any day including April 13, 2036 (Easter Sunday) the possible collision time. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=99942%20Apophis;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb
Finding NEO (near Earth objects) relies on citizen scientist but in a very different way then the Zooniverse Project. The Zooniverse projects rely on the public for interpretation not collection of data while discovering asteroids is still requires active collection of data from amateur astronomers. The danger in having large amounts of data accessible to the general public with regards to NEO’s is the sensationalist journalism that results. Apophis makes headlines because there is a 4.3E-06 chance that it may strike the Earth and kill ten million people whereas about 42,000 people die per year in the US alone in car crashes. The story should instead read “There is a statistically insignificant chance that an Asteroid will hit Earth and kill 10,000,000 people meanwhile 1,000,000 people are sure to die in car crashes in the same time frame.
Hopefully if we ever do discover an asteroid on a collision course with Earth we won't have to rely on these guys to save us all.
News reports state that Russian astronomer, Professor Leonid Sokolov of St. Petersburg State University, predicted that Apophis would pass through the gravitational keyhole on its pass in 2029. He did state the possibility of this occurring but later stated the odds are small. If the asteroid passes through the gravitational keyhole it would deflect the asteroid just enough cause an impact in 2036, when Apophis returns.
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-asteroid-deflection.html
NASA Current Projection of Apophis in 2029
http://www.universetoday.com/42246/apophis-odds-of-earth-impact-downgraded/
Apophis
DJ Tholen http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/tholen/
R. A. Tucker, D. J. Tholen and F. Bernardi at Kitt Peak discovered Apophis June 24, 2004. The physical parameters of Apophis include a diameter of 0.270 km, mass of 2.7e+10 kg, and an impact velocity of 12.59 km/s (http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/a99942.html). The sheer mass and velocity of Apophis makes it an object of note because it has the capacity to create catastrophic damage and up to 10,000,000 deaths depending on the impact location. http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpps/news/offbeat/russian-scientists-claim-asteroid-may-hit-earth-in-2036-dpgonc-20110210-fc_11818569
The controversy and difference in Russian and American projections regard the gravitational keyhole. The gravitational keyhole is a section of space in which an object moving through will have its course altered resulting in a collision on the next pass. The keyhole is generally very small and for Apophis is approximately half a mile, 18,893 miles from the Earth. The gravitational keyhole is within the range of uncertainty for Apophis during its 2029 flyby. (http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/deep/4201569?page=2)
Currently NASA projects the likelihood of an impact in 2036 as 4.3E-06 while Russian scientists project the odds to be much higher. Currently the Russian government is looking into plans to deflect the asteroid. You can see a projection of Apophis orbit for any day including April 13, 2036 (Easter Sunday) the possible collision time. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=99942%20Apophis;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb
Finding NEO (near Earth objects) relies on citizen scientist but in a very different way then the Zooniverse Project. The Zooniverse projects rely on the public for interpretation not collection of data while discovering asteroids is still requires active collection of data from amateur astronomers. The danger in having large amounts of data accessible to the general public with regards to NEO’s is the sensationalist journalism that results. Apophis makes headlines because there is a 4.3E-06 chance that it may strike the Earth and kill ten million people whereas about 42,000 people die per year in the US alone in car crashes. The story should instead read “There is a statistically insignificant chance that an Asteroid will hit Earth and kill 10,000,000 people meanwhile 1,000,000 people are sure to die in car crashes in the same time frame.
Hopefully if we ever do discover an asteroid on a collision course with Earth we won't have to rely on these guys to save us all.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Astronomy Resources
Here is a (necessarily incomplete) list of useful astronomy news and educational websites, and amateur and professional blogs. Feel free to add any more sites and blogs you come across in the comments to this post.
BLOGS
Astronomy Blog -- Astronomy news blog
Tom's Astronomy Blog -- Astronomy news blog
A Postdoc Perspective -- Account of an astronomy researcher in galaxy formation
Astroblog -- Astronomy news blog
Sky this week -- Amateur astronomy
cmarchesin -- Amateur astronomy
Astropixie -- Life as an astronomer
Megan's blog -- Life as an astronomer
Professor Astronomy -- General astronomy news, reports from meeting and educational posts
Star Stryder -- Astronomy news and fun
Bad Astronomy -- Blog confronting astronomy misconceptions
Slacker Astronomy -- Astronomy news
Spacewriter's Blog -- Blog from a science writer and editor
The e-Astronomer -- News and life as an astronomy professor
One Small Step -- News and thoughts about aspects of astronomy and science
Universe Today -- Astronomy news
A Postdoc Perspective -- Account of an astronomy researcher in galaxy formation
Astroblog -- Astronomy news blog
Sky this week -- Amateur astronomy
cmarchesin -- Amateur astronomy
Astropixie -- Life as an astronomer
Megan's blog -- Life as an astronomer
Professor Astronomy -- General astronomy news, reports from meeting and educational posts
Star Stryder -- Astronomy news and fun
Bad Astronomy -- Blog confronting astronomy misconceptions
Slacker Astronomy -- Astronomy news
Spacewriter's Blog -- Blog from a science writer and editor
The e-Astronomer -- News and life as an astronomy professor
One Small Step -- News and thoughts about aspects of astronomy and science
Universe Today -- Astronomy news
WEBSITES (News/Educational resources)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Astronomy experience this week
This is a copy of the e-mail I received last week from Fred Olness, Physics Dept Chair at SMU. I am sending out the portion containing the infromation regarding the program this Saturday.
I think I am going.....after the struggle with the atomic physics problem......
Trina
**********
I am organizing a teaching exchange that will happen in the Dallas area (Plano) on February 12th. I have attached a flyer that has more information. There will be a morning workshop on interactive engagement techniques (similar to the Astro 101 workshops at the AAS meetings run by Ed Prather and Gina Brissenden). In the afternoon there will be a panel discussion on astro 101 teaching tricks, and time for participants to give short talks. There is no registration fee for the event.
If you know of anyone that might be interested in attending, please pass the information on. The event is being held at Collin College in Plano. I would love to see a nice mixture of university, small college, community college, high school teachers, post-docs, and graduate students. Or any combination!
Best wishes for a great semester!
Cheers!
Lee
************************
Dr. W. Lee Powell Jr.
Assistant Professor of Physics
Texas Lutheran University
Office: 830-372-6039
E-mail: LPowell@TLU.edu
I think I am going.....after the struggle with the atomic physics problem......
Trina
**********
I am organizing a teaching exchange that will happen in the Dallas area (Plano) on February 12th. I have attached a flyer that has more information. There will be a morning workshop on interactive engagement techniques (similar to the Astro 101 workshops at the AAS meetings run by Ed Prather and Gina Brissenden). In the afternoon there will be a panel discussion on astro 101 teaching tricks, and time for participants to give short talks. There is no registration fee for the event.
If you know of anyone that might be interested in attending, please pass the information on. The event is being held at Collin College in Plano. I would love to see a nice mixture of university, small college, community college, high school teachers, post-docs, and graduate students. Or any combination!
Best wishes for a great semester!
Cheers!
Lee
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Dr. W. Lee Powell Jr.
Assistant Professor of Physics
Texas Lutheran University
Office: 830-372-6039
E-mail: LPowell@TLU.edu
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Last week's astronomy discoveries...
Two major discoveries were announced this week, both very relevant to zooniverse projects.
Discovery 1: Firstly, a new record has been set for the most distant object every observed in the universe: a galaxy 13.2 billion light years away (about 4.1 billion parsecs). The age of the universe is around 13.7 billion light years away, so this is providing a glimpse back into the universe's early childhood (to make an analogy, if the universe was a 40 year old human, we're seeing that human at an age of about 1.5 years). The image was a Hubble deep-field exposure of exactly the type you see on Galaxy Zoo.
You can read more here:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/farthest-galaxy.html
Discovery 2: The Kepler team (Kepler is the satellite whose data is used in the Planet-Hunters project on Zooniverse) announced the detection of over 1,200 candidates for planets around other stars. 54 lie in the so-called habitable zone around their star (also known as Goldilock's zone - not too hot, not too cold), and 68 of them are roughly Earth-sized. Here is a useful plot of the mass of the planet versus its orbital period (its year):
See: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/news/kepler_data_release.html
Among these candidates are several multiple-planet systems, most notably the system named Kepler-11 which consists of 6 candidate planets: the most of any system outside our own solar system (see the Scientific American article posted below by Chandler and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/news/new_planetary_system.html).
This is a remarkable announcement: the number of new candidates announced is more than all the previously discovered extra-solar planets put together by a long way. One final comment: note the use of the word 'candidates': these will have to be confirmed as planets by follow-up observations, and until then there is always a possibilty that some will turn out to be false identifications (in fact, among such a large haul, it is probable that a few will be); this is a point not often made when such discoveries are reported in the mainstream media. Having said that, the vast majority should turn out to be real planet detections, and the Kepler-11 system I think is fairly certain: they would make doubly sure before making such a high-profile announcement to the world's media!
Discovery 1: Firstly, a new record has been set for the most distant object every observed in the universe: a galaxy 13.2 billion light years away (about 4.1 billion parsecs). The age of the universe is around 13.7 billion light years away, so this is providing a glimpse back into the universe's early childhood (to make an analogy, if the universe was a 40 year old human, we're seeing that human at an age of about 1.5 years). The image was a Hubble deep-field exposure of exactly the type you see on Galaxy Zoo.
You can read more here:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/farthest-galaxy.html
Discovery 2: The Kepler team (Kepler is the satellite whose data is used in the Planet-Hunters project on Zooniverse) announced the detection of over 1,200 candidates for planets around other stars. 54 lie in the so-called habitable zone around their star (also known as Goldilock's zone - not too hot, not too cold), and 68 of them are roughly Earth-sized. Here is a useful plot of the mass of the planet versus its orbital period (its year):
See: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/news/kepler_data_release.html
Among these candidates are several multiple-planet systems, most notably the system named Kepler-11 which consists of 6 candidate planets: the most of any system outside our own solar system (see the Scientific American article posted below by Chandler and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/news/new_planetary_system.html).
This is a remarkable announcement: the number of new candidates announced is more than all the previously discovered extra-solar planets put together by a long way. One final comment: note the use of the word 'candidates': these will have to be confirmed as planets by follow-up observations, and until then there is always a possibilty that some will turn out to be false identifications (in fact, among such a large haul, it is probable that a few will be); this is a point not often made when such discoveries are reported in the mainstream media. Having said that, the vast majority should turn out to be real planet detections, and the Kepler-11 system I think is fairly certain: they would make doubly sure before making such a high-profile announcement to the world's media!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Article
This is an article I found regarding exoplanets which is one of the the things that Galaxy Zoo has a project for.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=kepler-11-thousands-extrasolar-planets
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=kepler-11-thousands-extrasolar-planets
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