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2013-05-17 15:44:04 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Space Fan News Status

Lots of comments on yesterday's hangout about SFN.  I had hoped to start making them again last week but the truth is, by Dad has only recently started making a recovery and I haven't had the time to devote to it.

SFN is made on Friday evenings on my own time, but it is usually preceded by a week's worth of monitoring the latest news that I want to include, so  lot of time goes into making those.

I had hoped to be able to use some of my time at work to make these, but given the budget and policy issues surrounding NASA and OPO, all of that is unclear.  So much so, that I have all but stopped charging any of my time to OPO activities at the Institute.

The hangouts are the one exception.  I do those during work hours and the prep time for them is minimal.  The audience for these is NOT the same as SFN, they are gearedmore... more »

2013-05-17 15:43:18 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Space Fan News Status

Lots of comments on yesterday's hangout about SFN.  I had hoped to start making them again last week but the truth is, by Dad has only recently started making a recovery and I haven't had the time to devote to it.

SFN is made on Friday evenings on my own time, but it is usually preceded by a week's worth of monitoring the latest news that I want to include, so  lot of time goes into making those.

I had hoped to be able to use some of my time at work to make these, but given the budget and policy issues surrounding NASA and OPO, all of that is unclear.  So much so, that I have all but stopped charging any of my time to OPO activities at the Institute.

The hangouts are the one exception.  I do those during work hours and the prep time for them is minimal.  The audience for these is NOT the same as SFN, they are gearedmore... more »

2013-05-15 17:33:32 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

IC 1101 Video Now Available for Download

After many requests for the video file, I've added "IC 1101: The Largest Galaxy in the Universe" to the Deep Astronomy Show on HubbleSite.  The video is available to download in a variety of formats and you have permission to use the video however you'd like (released via CC License).

Enjoy and let me know what you think, I'll be adding more videos soon.

2013-05-15 13:49:36 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

You've heard us talk about finding exoplanets through the radial velocity method and the transit method. There is a relatively new third method using microlensing that is helping us find more planets around other stars than ever.

Please join +Tony Darnell and +Alberto Conti as they discuss some exciting research with Dr. Scott Gaudi, an associate professor in the Astronomy Department at The Ohio State University.  His research focuses on topics related to the search for extrasolar planets, and the study of the Kuiper Belt, as well as various topics in gravitational lensing.

He is also a member of the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Team and will answer our questions about this exciting mission.

So bring your comments and questions, should be an awesome hangout!

2013-05-10 15:11:37 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 10 +1s)

Feeling Nostalgic Today

Every once in a while I get an email from someone telling me that this video changed their lives.  The melodrama notwithstanding, I still appreciate that they felt something when they watch the video.  I felt it too.

That's why I made it.

Anyway, this video was the first one I ever made.  It has a bunch of smacking and licking sounds in it because I used a cheezy headset to record the narration.  Early comments went like this:

"It sounds like this guy is licking in my ear! Get a mic!"

Also, people didn't get my joke with the Numa Numa Guy.  Everyone thought the vid was rick rolled.

So, in case you've never seen it, here's the first video I ever made, warts and all.

And even now, seven years later, the Hubble Deep Field is STILL the most important image ever taken.

2013-05-01 17:43:09 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 1 +1s)

It's time for our monthly Exoplanet Hangout with Dr. +Sara Seager from MIT who will discuss recent research in this exciting field we call Exoplanets.

The thousands of known exoplanets and planet candidates are very diverse, including many planets that have no solar system counterparts.  Even with the requirement that a planet have a temperature to allow liquid water, the diversity is still more than you'd think.

We'll discuss an emerging view that planets very different from Earth have the conditions for life - a major extension of the habitable zone.

Please join +Tony Darnell and +Alberto Conti as we talk all things Exo (planet, biology, you name it) with Professor Seager in what is becoming the most popular Space Fan Hangout series we've ever done.

2013-04-30 20:47:59 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Quick Update

Hi guys, I know I've been out of commission for a while, especially with making videos, I'm terribly behind.

I wanted to let you know that I've been preoccupied with taking care of a very sick family member and haven't had much time to post.  I think things are calming down a bit and I can turn my attention to getting things posted.

Thanks for your patience.  I'm on track to resuming Space Fan News on May 10th and I have a new astronomy video in the pipeline.

2013-04-19 16:56:12 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Exoplanet Hangout With Sara Seager is up

Yesterday, I talked with Sara Seager about the exciting announcement from Kepler about the planets around Kepler 62.

Let me know what you think, Alberto will be back as soon as he recovers from his knee surgery.

2013-04-18 20:05:56 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 6 +1s)

Space Fan Hangout with Sara Seager

Is up and ready to view.  I've posted links to some of the things we talked about in the description box on YouTube.

Thanks for watching!

2013-04-16 17:45:28 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

Why are we so concerned about finding planets with liquid water on them? It seems exoplanet researchers are fixated on them. After all, isn't life possible in a variety of conditions in the universe?

They are highly sought after because if Earth is any guide (and right now, it's our ONLY guide) to how life arises, then a planets' ability to maintain liquid water is a requirement for life as we know it. We also know that exoplanets have a vast range of masses, sizes, and orbits, that astronomers are now thinking that even planets very different from Earth could maintain surface liquid water and be habitable.

Planets that are in orbits around stars where liquid water is possible are said to be in Habitable Zones.

Please join us as Dr. +Sara Seager, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at MIT, discusses this topic with +Tony Darnell and +Alberto Conti along... more »

2013-04-15 18:01:12 (2 comments, 5 reshares, 12 +1s)

Researchers only 99.8% sure they found Dark Matter Particle

 I don't want to call them WIMPs, but they're asking for it - what's up with all the uncertainty?

Seriously though, this is big news.  To have found a particle associated with what 25% of the universe is made of, seriously?

That's not WIMPy.

2013-04-15 15:42:19 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Hello Hubble Huggers!  It's time for another Hangout and this time, we're celebrating 23 years of awesome Hubble images with a brand new release from Hubble Heritage.

Every year about this time, we get really excited because the Hubble Space Telescope was launched on April 24th, 1990 and we're getting ready to mark the 23rd anniversary of the launch.

Hubble is a window into our universe like no other, and this week we have another breathtaking view to offer you of the iconic Horsehead Nebula, taken in the realm of the infrared.

We also have a eye-popping 3D simulation of the Horsehead based on the image you won't want to miss!

Please join +Zolt Levay and +Frank Summers as they talk with +Tony Darnell about the  process of selecting this target, the observations, and the making of the new color image and simulation.

We'll also bet... more »

2013-04-11 19:00:15 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 19 +1s)

Mars Isn't Getting Hit by This CME, We Are!

Even though it looks like Mars is getting swallowed up by this coronal mass ejection, it isn't - it just looks like it (a projection effect).

This CME is heading for us and is apparently associated with the flare recorded earlier.

Think about it, if you see a flare on the disk followed by a CME, then it makes sense that the CME will be heading right for us.  While you can't see it very well, solar astronomers also call these 'Halo' CME's because they form a ring, or partial ring in the corona that expands outward. 

Can't see the halo very well here, but it was heading towards us.  NASA reports a weak solar energetic particle event (sep) near Earth as a result of the flare and the CME is projected to hit tomorrow or Saturday.

But this CME is connected to the M6.5 flareea... more »

2013-04-10 20:07:45 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 7 +1s)

NASA Wants to Find, Capture and Redirect an Asteroid in 2014

Using resources and technologies developed for the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System Rocket, NASA will make it so.

So they say, but how will you know if there's no E/PO efforts to tell you?

2013-04-09 20:08:31 (1 comments, 5 reshares, 16 +1s)

The Observable Universe has a 46.5 Billion Light Year Radius

Years after creating my first video: "The Hubble Deep Field, the Most Important Image Ever Taken", I still get screaming comments that the universe can't be that big!

If, they argue, the universe is ~13 billion years old, and nothing can travel faster than light, then the universe can be no bigger than 13 billion light years.

But they never seem to remember that the universe is expanding.  Has been for all of those 13 billion years.

And there is no speed limit on how fast spacetime can expand.

None.  Nada.

Here's a good article that outlines some of the details.

2013-04-09 18:34:11 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Comet Panstarrs Gallery

Here is the first of what I'm sure will be many more galleries of the comet.  Just getting nicely positioned for northern hemisphere dwellers.

2013-04-08 20:09:25 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

Kepler on Steroids Approved

Looks like we're gonna survey the entire sky for exoplanets, not just one patch, like Kepler does.

2013-04-03 18:17:40 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

NASA Movie Trailer Effort Gaining Steam

The crowdfunding campaign to create a movie trailer from the NASA's 'We Are The Explorers' video (you know, the one narrated by Optimus Prime) is gaining steam.  So far $44,000 of the $94,000 needed has been raised, according to NASA Watch.

The idea is to show people who go to see this summer's Star Trek Into Darkness Movie that human spaceflight is alive and well in the U.S.

Please show your support if you're so inclined.

Other links:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-02/nasa-to-run-marketing-video-before-new-star-trek-film

The original video:
We Are the Explorers

2013-04-03 15:44:56 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

The NASA Experience Tent and full scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas was the largest and most successful outreach attempt for the #JWST mission so far.

Tens of thousands of people visited the model and attended the talks and other free events and activities in the NASA Experience Tent, providing the public with a unique opportunity to learn about what the Webb Space Telescope will do and how it will enhance our understanding if the universe.

Please join +Tony Darnell and +Alberto Conti as they discuss the success and impact of the event with the core team that put it all together: +Amber Straughn (NASA Goddard), Christine Thompson (Northrop/Grumman), Blake Bullock (Northrop/Grumman) and +Jason Kalirai (STScI)

Come prepared with any questions or comments about the Webb Space Telescope and we'll also talk about those,... more »

2013-04-02 19:28:40 (2 comments, 6 reshares, 23 +1s)

We aren't solving big problems

This is why I follow +Alberto Conti on twitter.  He posted this picture (which piqued my curiosity) and then I started following the story.  Thanks Alberto!

This was published last year, but it's more relevant than ever.

"Why we can't solve big problems"
http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/429690/why-we-cant-solve-big-problems/

"the Imperitive to Explore" by Buzz Aldrin:
http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/429711/the-imperative-to-explore/

"The Deferred Dream of Mars"
http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/429620/the-deferred-dreams-of-mars/

2013-04-02 15:00:13 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 7 +1s)

No NASA Outreach is a Big Deal

I'll post this here with no comment. 

I'll also remind you that this petition is still going on, please participate if you are so inclined:

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/repeal-sequesters-cuts-nasas-spending-public-outreach-and-its-stem-programs/kY7Tw85q

Reminder: all opinions I express on social networks are my own.

2013-04-02 13:19:16 (0 comments, 9 reshares, 18 +1s)

Global Astronomy Month is here

It's that time of year, I'm getting out my astro-poet hat and gonna try my hand.

http://astronomerswithoutborders.org/global-astronomy-month-2013.html

2013-04-01 15:34:48 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

Do you click on all these science posts on Google+?

Apparently not.

I've suspected this for a while, but there is now data to support that what people actually click on, isn't necessarily what you're sharing.

Science tops the list as the most shared topic.

And among the least clicked on.

2013-04-01 15:33:55 (17 comments, 3 reshares, 8 +1s)

Do you click on all these science posts on Google+?

Apparently not.

I've suspected this for a while, but there is now data to support that what people actually click on, isn't necessarily what you're sharing.

Science tops the list as the most shared topic.

And among the least clicked on.

2013-04-01 14:39:09 (4 comments, 3 reshares, 8 +1s)

What happens when galaxies collide and their black holes DON'T merge?

They haunt us, that's what. 

Apparently there may be as many as 2,000 intermediate-sized black holes hovering around the Milky Way.

Here's the astro-ph paper:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.3929

2013-03-30 17:31:00 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 4 +1s)

Hi Everyone,

Another month gone and only a few weeks left to our COSMOS 2013 star party!!! Here is the link to the April 2013 edition of the REALTA magazine. If you've not seen this before, this is a magazine produced by the Midlands Astronomy Club and printed for our members. Each month the magazine presents its readers with:
* The latest Astronomy and Space news
* Kids Astronomy
* Quizes and games
* Monthly Sky Guide
* Internet Resources

Whether your a member of the club or just interested reader, any comments, suggestions of feedback that you may have is always welcome... as well as new articles

Back issues - http://issuu.com/MidlandsAstronomyClub

2013-03-30 17:29:34 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

CNN Lightyear Blog post by +Jason Kalirai

Please check out Jason's post on #JWST at #SXSW .  We had amazing feedback from the crowds that attended.

2013-03-30 17:12:54 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

When People Learn about #JWST, they want it - without question

Just a sample of things we heard at #SXSW :
"What is that thing?"
"What's it for?  Really? Duuuuuuuude"
" #JWST can do what? No way!  Aw man, 2018? I want it NOW!"

It went like that all weekend.

+Jason Kalirai just wrote a great piece on the Lightyears blog on CNN.  Even with what I already know about the mission, I still get excited just thinking about the stuff we're going to learn.

Forget the next generation, #JWST is inspiring this one!  And it's not even built yet.

Anyway, Jason gives a great summary of the events at #SXSW and the #NASA Experience tent.

2013-03-29 14:00:00 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Nicole Goes to ALMA (without oxygen)

+Nicole Gugliucci  shows us the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array - apparently without the need for oxygen.  She does real well at 16,000 feet!

You even get to see JOYSTICK GUY! Come on!

2013-03-28 16:09:16 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Early Universe Hangout

This looks really interesting, I'm planning on going, but want to share it with the community as well.

Looks like a great chance to learn more about ALMA and the South Pole Telescope.

2013-03-28 14:50:18 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 19 +1s)

Gravitational Lensing Demo

Here's an awesome demo from our friends at SLAC (don't call 'em slackers though, they hate that) on gravity lenses.

2013-03-28 14:33:42 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Hubble Hangout is Live

Yesterday's Hubble Hangout on white dwarfs and Exoplanets with John Debes is ready for prime time.

Oh, and in case you missed it (which you did because only about a hundred saw it live), this episode has the birth of 'Hubble Huggers', a term I'm using instead of #SpaceFan for the audience of these babies.

I really enjoy doing these and I hope you like watching them.  Feel free to shout out ideas for more if you have any.  The next one will be around April 18th and feature a new Hubble Heritage image with +Zolt Levay 

2013-03-27 15:14:26 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

#JWST Assembly Has Begun

Below is a timelapse of FGS/NIRISS installation into the ISIM structure in the NASA Goddard clean room.

Some acronym help (because they can be a pain in the ass):

FGS: Fine Guidance Sensor
NIRISS: Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph
ISIM: Integrated Science Instrument Module

2013-03-27 15:12:52 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

#JWST Assembly Has Begun

Below is a timelapse of FGS/NIRISS installation into the ISIM structure in the NASA Goddard clean room.

Some acronym help (because they can be a pain in the ass):

FGS: Fine Guidance Sensor
NIRISS: Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph
ISIM: Integrated Science Instrument Module

2013-03-27 14:36:57 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

Latest Planck Data on Worldwide Telescope

The second most important image ever taken has been added to WWT.  Now you can browse the universe when it was only 380,000 years old.

http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/planck.html

2013-03-26 18:28:00 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

Sky and Telescope Post on Close Brown Dwarf

For those who don't want to read the astro-ph paper.

2013-03-26 18:17:16 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Gallery: Dragon Splashes Down Successfully

Splashdown! The SpaceX Dragon has returned home safely, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at 16:36 UTC (12:36 p.m. EDT) on Tuesday, March 26, 2013. “Recovery ship has secured Dragon,” Tweeted SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. “Powering down all secondary systems. Cargo looks A-OK.”

Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/101006/gallery-dragon-splashes-down-successfully/

2013-03-26 15:59:59 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

The discovery of a binary brown dwarf only 2 pc away from the Sun by Kevin Luhman will be one of the most important astronomical findings of the year, hell, the decade.

Here the paper:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.2401

Here Eric Mamajek's comments:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.5345

This object (hopefully soon called 'Luhman 16') is the third closest system to the Sun, only slightly more distant than Barnard's star. And it could have easily been discovered tens of years ago. It is faint, all right, but clearly detected on the photographic plates of the Palomar sky survey. It's the closest neighbour to the Sun found for nearly a century.

The obvious reason why it hasn't been discovered earlier is that it's only 5 degrees from the Galactic Plane, a zone which is often avoided in survey work. But it is no coincidence that Luhman was the... more »

2013-03-26 15:58:49 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 15 +1s)

The discovery of a binary brown dwarf only 2 pc away from the Sun by Kevin Luhman will be one of the most important astronomical findings of the year, hell, the decade.

Here the paper:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.2401

Here Eric Mamajek's comments:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.5345

This object (hopefully soon called 'Luhman 16') is the third closest system to the Sun, only slightly more distant than Barnard's star. And it could have easily been discovered tens of years ago. It is faint, all right, but clearly detected on the photographic plates of the Palomar sky survey. It's the closest neighbour to the Sun found for nearly a century.

The obvious reason why it hasn't been discovered earlier is that it's only 5 degrees from the Galactic Plane, a zone which is often avoided in survey work. But it is no coincidence that Luhman was the... more »

2013-03-26 13:47:46 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

It time for another Hubble Hangout.  This month, please join +Tony Darnell and +Alberto Conti as they discuss white dwarf stars and exoplanets around white dwarfs with Dr. John Debes, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Dr. Debes studies the link between planetary systems, Dusty White Dwarfs, Metal-polluted White Dwarfs and takes a look at exoplanet candidates around dusty stars.

We hope you'll join us as we talk about everything about white dwarf stars and the exoplanets that orbit them.

As always, we'll be responding to your questions and comments on g+, twitter and YouTube.

2013-03-26 13:11:48 (22 comments, 27 reshares, 135 +1s)

What NASA Does

For some strange reason, this week I feel compelled to remind everyone what we get for our half-penny.

NASA doesn't always make good decisions, and it has bungled many of the good decisions it has made.

But it has also gotten a lot of things right.  Here's a reminder:

2013-03-25 20:37:11 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

remnants of SXSW 

2013-03-25 19:19:31 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 7 +1s)

NASA and the Sequester

I can't believe I have to ask people to do this, but please, if you disagree with this idiotic decision, consider signing this petition.

Next I'll be selling cookies on the sidewalk.

Do people still sell pencils?  I guess that went out with the internet.

2013-03-25 18:54:58 (47 comments, 21 reshares, 103 +1s)

NASA and the Sequester

I can't believe I have to ask people to do this, but please, if you disagree with this idiotic decision, consider signing this petition.

Next I'll be selling cookies on the sidewalk.

Do people still sell pencils?  I guess that went out with the internet.

2013-03-25 18:55:28 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

Yep, it's a boson - a Higgs one

I don't think this will surprise anyone, still it's good to know that the more they look, the more it looks like a Higgs Boson would look if this boson were a Higgs.