Category Archives: space

‘First Light’ Taken by NASA’s Newest CERES Instrument, includes stunning “blue marble” image

Posted on February 3, 2012 by

Western Hemisphere + web view | + hi-res image Eastern Hemisphere + web view | + hi-res image A ‘Blue Marble’ image of the Earth taken from the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA’s most recently launched Earth-observing satellite – Suomi NPP. … Continue reading →

Posted in earth, Science, space, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 96 Comments

Phobos-Grunt demise shows BBC’s (and Daily Mail’s) bad science tendency

Posted on January 15, 2012 by

OK, The “Grunt heard round the world” is no more, apparently burning up over the Pacific. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the probe and what fragments made it through the atmosphere fell about 775 miles west of Wellington Island. In looking … Continue reading →

Posted in media, ridiculae, space, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 103 Comments

Grunt work

Posted on January 14, 2012 by

UPDATE: 1/15/2012 11:30AM PST The probe is down, but see how the BBC fouled up the reporting of it here -Anthony Look up in the air, it’s a bird, its a plane, no it’s Phobos-Grunt! Video follows. From Sky News: … Continue reading →

Posted in space, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 82 Comments

Spaceballs – the debris

Posted on December 23, 2011 by

Curious story in AFP yesterday: Full story here – Click the image above for a large view of the object. Me thinks it is from either of these spacecraft:

Posted in Curious things, space | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 93 Comments

Another satellite re-entry and burnup expected, this one may have been brought down by hackers

Posted on October 16, 2011 by

This is interesting. The ROSAT X-ray observatory is expected to burn up in about a week and it has quite a checkered and colorful history. According to Wikipedia, ROSAT was originally planned to be launched on the Space shuttle but … Continue reading →

Posted in space, Technology | Tagged , , , , | 38 Comments

Mars had temperatures as high as 64°F in the past

Posted on October 12, 2011 by

Wet and Mild: Caltech Researchers Take the Temperature of Mars’s Past The meteorite called ALH84001 is sliced to show its interior. Found in the Allan Hills ice field in Antarctica in 1984, the four-billion-year-old rock is one of the oldest … Continue reading →

Posted in space | Tagged , , | 58 Comments

Ozone layer discovered on Venus

Posted on October 7, 2011 by

From the European Space Agency: ESA finds that Venus has an ozone layer too ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft has discovered an ozone layer high in the atmosphere of Venus. Comparing its properties with those of the equivalent layers on Earth … Continue reading →

Posted in ozone, space | Tagged , , | 40 Comments

Comet water discovered to be nearly identical in composition to Earth’s oceans

Posted on October 6, 2011 by

 Suggests comet bombardment contributed to forming oceans From the European Space Agency: Did Earth’s oceans come from comets? ESA’s Herschel infrared space observatory has found water in a comet with almost exactly the same composition as Earth’s oceans. The discovery … Continue reading →

Posted in earth, oceans, space | Tagged , , | 118 Comments

In space, there are no Jiffy Lubes

Posted on October 4, 2011 by

Dr. Roy Spencer reports that AMSR-E shut down today, too much torque on the rotating element, and all it needs to keep going is a lube job. AMSR-E Ends 9+ Years of Global Observations by Roy W. Spencer, Ph. D. … Continue reading →

Posted in space, Technology | Tagged , , , , | 61 Comments

UARS is down, but NASA doesn’t know where

Posted on September 24, 2011 by

UPDATE: a later statement from NASA below says N. Pacific off the U.S. West coast, teleconference scheduled. See below. NASA confirms that the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) has entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned/broken up. Some Twitter reports say debris … Continue reading →

Posted in space | Tagged , | 90 Comments

It’s all UARS

Posted on September 23, 2011 by

UPDATE from NASA 11:PM Fri: NASA says it continues to wait for final confirmation of re-entry. “If debris fell on land (and that’s still a BIG if), Canada is most likely area,” the space agency just said. Update #12 Fri, … Continue reading →

Posted in space | Tagged , , , | 60 Comments

Impressive timelapse movie from the ISS shows active thunderstorms & city nightlights

Posted on September 19, 2011 by

This was featured on Slashdot, and I thought I’d share it here since it is so impressive. From the description on YouTube: A time-lapse taken from the front of the International Space Station as it orbits our planet at night. … Continue reading →

Posted in space | Tagged | 33 Comments

NASA unveils powerful new rocket system

Posted on September 14, 2011 by

Since we are all bored to tears with the “Climate Reality Project” I figure If I don’t want WUWT’s ship to go down with Gore’s I had better provide something interesting to read. This fits the bill nicely as it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in space, Technology | Tagged , , | 58 Comments

Astronomers find extreme weather on an alien world

Posted on September 12, 2011 by

Alternate title: How long before Bill McKibben says: this brown dwarf has a middle name, and it’s global warming. Cosmic oddball may harbor a gigantic storm TORONTO, ON – A University of Toronto-led team of astronomers has observed extreme brightness … Continue reading →

Posted in Curious things, space | Tagged , , | 31 Comments

Precautionary Principle Memo – ready for transmission

Posted on August 30, 2011 by

Guest post by Reed Coray Two members of the Penn State University faculty (Seth D. Baum and Jacob D. Haqq-Misra) and one employee of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Shawn D. Domagal-Goldman) have taken valuable time to address the … Continue reading →

Posted in satire, space | 103 Comments

Space Storm Tracked from Sun to Earth for First Time

Posted on August 19, 2011 by

by Dr. Tony Phillips NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center For the first time, a spacecraft far from Earth has turned and watched a solar storm engulf our planet. The movie, released today during a NASA press conference, has galvanized solar … Continue reading →

Posted in solar, space | 22 Comments

Bizarre, craptastic theory from the Guardian, Penn State, and NASA: “ET will kill us because global warming will tip them off that we are a bad species”

Posted on August 18, 2011 by

UPDATE: co-author admits it is a “horrible mistake”, see below – Anthony From the you’ve got to be effing kidding me department. First, I apologize to my readers for the headline. Read on and I think you’ll see it is … Continue reading →

Posted in GLOC, space | 357 Comments

NASA squelches comet Elenin fears

Posted on August 17, 2011 by

NASA got tired of answering doomsday questions, so issued a statement and FAQs to deal with the nonsense. Comet Elenin Poses No Threat to Earth Often, comets are portrayed as harbingers of gloom and doom in movies and on television, … Continue reading →

Posted in space | 43 Comments

Seeds of life on Earth may have originated in space

Posted on August 10, 2011 by

NASA finds proof that amino acid components in meteorites originate in space. This is exciting news. NASA-funded researchers have evidence that some building blocks of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life, found in meteorites were likely … Continue reading →

Posted in earth, Science, space | 375 Comments

Latest Solar Cycle Numbers: the doldrums continue

Posted on August 9, 2011 by

Even with the recent triple CME and X class solar flare, overall the sun is still in a funk for cycle 24. Below I have the latest solar cycle progression the NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. Sunspots look to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Science, solar, space | 119 Comments

Antimatter belt discovered around Earth

Posted on August 8, 2011 by

This has been covered widely today, here is a sampling of stories and reference: From the BBC: Antimatter belt around Earth discovered by Pamela craft A thin band of antimatter particles called antiprotons enveloping the Earth has been spotted for … Continue reading →

Posted in cosmic rays, space | 50 Comments

NASA may have found water on Mars

Posted on August 4, 2011 by

Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA Spacecraft Data Suggest Water Flowing On Mars PASADENA, Calif. — Observations from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed possible flowing water during the warmest months on Mars. “NASA’s Mars Exploration Program keeps bringing us closer … Continue reading →

Posted in space | Tagged , , , , | 51 Comments

Roll to observe Elenin – STEREO BEHIND looks at a hot topic

Posted on July 31, 2011 by

Story submitted by Robert Bateman In just a few hours from now, NASA rolls the STEREO BEHIND solar satellite to have a look at Comet Elenin (P/2010 X1), and if you haven’t been paying attention, it is one red hot … Continue reading →

Posted in space | Tagged , , | 62 Comments

Volcano found on the Moon’s farside

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

Non-mare silicic volcanism on the lunar farside at Compton–Belkovich Bradley L. Jolliff,Sandra A. Wiseman,Samuel J. Lawrence,Thanh N. Tran,Mark S. Robinson,Hiroyuki Sato,B. Ray Hawke,Frank Scholten,Jürgen Oberst,Harald Hiesinger, Carolyn H. van der Bogert,Benjamin T. Greenhagen,Timothy D. Glotch& David A. Paige Nature Geoscience … Continue reading →

Posted in space, vulcanism | Tagged , , | 51 Comments

Curiosity – coming to Mars – maybe

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

When I was in Washington a couple of weeks ago for ICCC6, I took the family to the National Air and Space Museum on the mall. While everyone was gazing at rockets and other bus-sized hardware of glory days past, … Continue reading →

Posted in space, Technology | Tagged , , , , | 108 Comments