Observing the Sun to Learn About the Planets
- By Alexe Helmke
- July 2, 2012
- 1 Comment
We have had three rare celestial events in succession – an annular solar eclipse on May 20 (May 21 in the Eastern Hemisphere), a partial lunar eclipse on June 4, and a Transit of Venus on June 5/6. Credit: Shannon Hall Credit: Craig Markwardt The first image here is a … Continue Reading →
7 Degrees of NuSTAR…
- By Christina Richey
- June 22, 2012
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The NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) launched last week, with a mission goal of studying black holes and their jets of energy, as well as other high-energy objects in our universe (supernovae, compact stars after their explosive deaths, and clusters of galaxies). This is done through using a very unique … Continue Reading →
A Midsummer Day’s Rant
- By Koji Mukai
- June 20, 2012
- 1 Comment
This year, the summer solstice happens on Wednesday, June 20th, in mainland US, at 7:09 pm Eastern Daylight Time. This is often reported in the news as the beginning of the “official” or “astronomical” summer. Who decided that seasons begin at equinoxes and solstices, though? Words like “equinox” and “solstices” … Continue Reading →
Awesomeness Round-Up – 6/11/2012
- By Alexe Helmke
- June 11, 2012
- 5 Comments
On Tuesday, June 5, Venus passed in front of the Sun – an event that was visible on seven continents for those that were fortunate enough to have clear weather. These “transits” of Venus are very rare, coming in pairs separated by more than a hundred years. This June’s transit, … Continue Reading →
Podcast: Astrophysicist to the Stars
- By Maggie Masetti
- May 21, 2012
- 1 Comment
When I first met Dr. David Saltzberg, he was rushing by with a big box of multicolored dry-erase pens. As the science advisor for the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory, he provides the technical content for each episode’s whiteboards as well as the scripts and other aspects of production. … Continue Reading →
Awesomeness Round-Up – 5/8/2012
- By Maggie Masetti
- May 8, 2012
- 1 Comment
We posted once about NuSTAR, a new X-ray telescope. It was due to be launched in March, but that launch date is now scheduled for June. Below is a great new image of NuSTAR in the nose cone of the Pegasus rocket it will be launched on. Credit: NASA Using … Continue Reading →
Celebrating Science and Engineering in Washington, DC
- By Christina Richey
- May 2, 2012
- 2 Comments
Please welcome our new guest blogger, Dr. Christina Richey! Over 3,000 booths, 100 stage shows, a book fair, a career fair, and an estimated 100,000 people each day gathered in one building. At times you’d smell something burning, or you’d hear an explosion followed by squeals of pure excitement. Throngs … Continue Reading →
An “X-ray Astronomer” Among Radio Telescopes
- By Koji Mukai
- April 30, 2012
- 2 Comments
To me, an observational astronomer, there is no such thing as X-ray astronomy. What I do is astronomical research on objects that happen to emit X-rays, as well as ultraviolet, visible, and infrared, etc. light. My research interest is not X-rays, but astronomical objects called cataclysmic variables and symbiotic stars … Continue Reading →
Awesomeness Round-Up – 4/20/2012
- By Sara Mitchell
- April 20, 2012
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Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Lennon and E. Sabbi (ESA/STScI), J. Anderson, S. E. de Mink, R. van der Marel, T. Sohn, and N. Walborn (STScI), N. Bastian (Excellence Cluster, Munich), L. Bedin (INAF, Padua), E. Bressert (ESO), P. Crowther (University of Sheffield), A. de Koter (University of Amsterdam), C. Evans … Continue Reading →
The Last Flight of Discovery
- By Maggie Masetti
- April 18, 2012
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Today we said a bittersweet farewell to the space shuttle orbiter Discovery, as it headed off to retirement at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center atop a special 747. On its way to Dulles Airport (where it landed just outside DC) from Kennedy Space Center (where … Continue Reading →
