(including
reports
©
NASA and
©
Spaceweather.com
and information from the Royal Astronomical Society)
Updated: 4 July 2008
Note: some links on this page will have expired, as the news is no longer topical. Some remain active for only a couple of days. Expired links from Spaceweather.com can be accessed through their Archives on the right side of their home page. Simply enter the month, day and year as shown in the Dateline of the required item .
New
magazine for Australian astronomers, both beginning and advanced:
The publishers of the well-known American magazine 'Sky & Telescope' have decided to produce a similar magazine for the benefit of Australian amateur astronomers and star-gazers. Called 'Australian Sky & Telescope', the first issue (January 2005) is now on sale. Running to 98 full-colour pages, its sections are entitled 'News & features', 'Observing & exploring', 'Products & reviews', and 'Activities & people'. There is also a main cover story, which in the first issue investigates how planetary systems form and evolve. The magazine's format is very similar to that of the American version, although it contains a little more humour sprinkled through its pages. This is probably because it is staffed and substantially written by Aussies, and printed here under licence from its American counterpart. Definite bonuses in the Australian version are the coverage of local events (such as the reopening of Mount Stromlo Observatory and a report on Queensland's Astrofest held last August), illustrated reports on the work of local people, the sky descriptions and charts are correct for us, and the advertisers are mostly Australian firms. Click here to access the website of 'Australian Sky & Telescope'.
New magazine for all beginning astronomers:
The Sky Publishing Corporation, publisher of the long-established magazine 'Sky & Telescope' has seen the need for a magazine aimed at people who are just starting out in the hobby of amateur astronomy. Accordingly, they have brought out a new magazine called 'Night Sky', subtitled 'backyard astronomy for everyone'. The first issues have brought an enthusiastic response from amateur astronomers, for they offer some of the best features of the older magazine with less scientific jargon. The magazine's friendly and helpful style will be very suitable for people who want to enjoy their telescope and the night sky without becoming bogged down in technicalities. It contains tips on getting the best out of your telescope, reviews of equipment, monthly stargazing guides and a help desk.
The only difficulty is that the all-sky star maps and some charts of planetary alignments are drawn for observers in the Northern Hemisphere, and need to be used with that in mind. There are other magazines that have charts for southern observers, and this website provides a monthly guide to the stars, constellations, Moon and planets currently observable. Click here to access the website of 'Night Sky'.
'Sky & Telescope' will continue to cater for those amateur astronomers who require more depth in topics featured. The Australian magazine 'Sky and Space' and the American 'Astronomy' are also highly recommended.
Interesting research news (latest news first):
Giant telescopes damaged by earthquake in Hawaii: Two powerful earthquakes of magnitudes 6.7 and 6.0 struck the island of Hawaii seven minutes apart on the morning of Sunday, October 15 last. These caused significant damage to the large observatories located on the summit of Mauna Kea. Observatory buildings received superficial damage, and electrical power fluctuations and outages caused problems for sensitive equipment. Because of their location at the top of a dormant volcano, most telescopes are fitted with earthquake restraints to protect them from seismic events. These performed as planned, but some damage did occur:: This is home to Keck I and Keck II, the two largest telescopes in the world with mirrors 10 metres across. Keck I was moved horizontally 25 mm, the largest displacement of any of the telescopes, but was unharmed otherwise. Keck II has had two seriously damaged radial pad supports and seismic restraint brackets replaced. Keck II requires additional engineering tests before it can begin on-sky tests.: The 3.6 metre optical/infrared telescope collided with its earthquake restraints, which were bent as they were designed to. The horseshoe mount was deformed slightly, and the right ascension decoder smashed. During repairs, it was found that, although the gearing and hydraulic systems were operating normally, the replacement decoder had to be placed in a slightly different position. Subsequent testing revealed a problem with tracking at certain hour angles. This was traced to a dent in the horseshoe mounting that will need to be repaired before the telescope can achieve its previous pointing accuracy. The observatory dome also was displaced during the earthquake.: The observatory was moved, the telescope engaged its earthquake restraints, and some debris fell on the 8 metre primary mirror, fortunately without harming it. The worst damage was a broken ceramic rod in the secondary mirror system at the top end of the telescope. The rod, about 24 cm long and 25mm in diameter, broke cleanly so engineers were able to successfully glue it back together with epoxy. The rod is one of three used in the secondary mirror assembly. In addition, a new precision position sensor was installed in the system to replace a sensor damaged by the earthquake.: The 8.2 metre telescope suffered no major damage, but its pointing accuracy and tracking were found to be not as good as they were before the earthquake. Three weeks of testing revealed that an encoder unit that measures the rotation of the telescope had shifted. Realignment of the encoder and the telescope have restored the pre-earthquake precision.
What do
Australian astronomers need in the next ten years in order to stay at the
forefront of astronomical research?
Where to next?
Our astronomers have prepared a wish list for the next ten years called the
'Decadal Plan for 2006-2015'. [Read
it here]
.
ESA's Smart-1 spacecraft
The Chandra X-ray Observatory
The Rosetta space
vehicle
The
newly-discovered planetoid Sedna
The
ESA solar spacecraft Ulysses
The
Chandra X-ray Observatory
NASA's
Genesis spacecraft
NASA's
twin Martian Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity
The
Hubble Space Telescope
Latest
Astronomical Headlines from the IAU (International Astronomical Union):
Click
here.
Dateline -
3 July 2008: New discoveries about Mercury
Mercury's magnetic field is "alive." Volcanic vents ring the planet's giant
Caloris basin while the planet itself is surrounded by a plasma nebula of
surprising complexity. These are just a few of the new discoveries made by
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft and reported in a special July 4th issue of
Science magazine.
Full story
Dateline -
30 June 2008: The Tunguska blast in Siberia was exactly 100 years
ago
A century after the Tunguska event in Siberia, scientists review what
they've learned about the mysterious blast from the heavens.
Full story
Dateline -
26 June 2008: Working solar sail to be placed in Earth orbit
This summer, NASA engineers will try to realize a dream older than the Space Age
itself: the deployment of a working solar sail in Earth orbit. The name of the
sail is NanoSail-D and it is scheduled for launch onboard a SpaceX
Falcon 1 rocket as early as July 29, 2008.
Full story
Dateline -
20 June 2008: The retrieved Surveyor 3 robotic scoop reveals
lunar secrets
In 1967, Surveyor 3 landed on the Moon. Two years later, Apollo
astronauts visited the little unmanned spacecraft and brought pieces of it home
to Earth. Now, a portion of Surveyor's robotic arm, the scoop it used to sample
moondust, is teaching researchers some long-lost secrets.
Full story
Dateline -
16 June 2008: See the 'large Moon' illusion on June 18
Sometimes you just can't believe your eyes. This week is one of those times.
Check out the full Moon on June 18 and prepare to be deceived!
Full story
Dateline -
11 June 2008: New orbiting space telescope launched
NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST for
short) left Earth today onboard a Delta II rocket. "The entire GLAST Team
is elated," reports program manager Kevin Grady of NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Centre. "The observatory is now on-orbit and all systems continue to operate as
planned." Read today's Science@NASA story to learn about some of the
exciting new science GLAST is expected to accomplish.
Full story
Dateline -
10 June 2008: Space probe to visit the Sun
Dateline - 27 May 2008: Massive CME explosion on the Sun
Imagine a billion-ton cloud of gas launching itself off the surface of the sun and then ... doing a cartwheel. That's exactly what happened on April 9, 2008, when a coronal mass ejection or 'CME' pirouetted over the sun's limb in full view of an international fleet of spacecraft. The cartwheel set off a chain of events that amazed even veteran solar physicists. Full story, including video
Dateline - 25 May 2008: Robot digger Phoenix Mars has landed safely on Mars
NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed on Mars Sunday, May 25th, to begin three months of examining an arctic site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the lander's robotic arm. Check today's story for details of the landing and first pictures beamed back from the landing site. Full story
Dateline - 23 May 2008: Robot digger Phoenix Mars set to land on the red planet in three days
NASA scientists hope to unlock some of the secrets regarding water on Mars this weekend, when they try to land a robot spacecraft in the planet's unexplored arctic region. The three-legged Phoenix Mars, with its miniature backhoe, will attempt to dig up to a metre below the Martian topsoil in a search for underground ice. Full story
Dateline - 21 May 2008: NASA records 100th meteor hitting the Moon
NASA astronomers have been watching the Moon to see how often meteoroids crash into the lunar surface and they've just video-recorded their 100th explosion. This surprisingly bountiful data-set allows researchers to start drawing conclusions about when, where, and how often the Moon gets hit. Full story
Dateline - 14 May 2008: Where are the Milky Way's missing supernovae ?
For many years, astronomers have been puzzled by something missing in the Milky Way galaxy: exploding stars. Supernovae are supposed to appear two or three times every century, but none has been seen since the year 1680. Where are they? At long last, one of the 'missing supernovae' has been found. Full story
Dateline - 8 May 2008: A new search for planets outside the Solar System
A NASA-supported sky survey set to begin in 2008 could dramatically increase the number of known planets outside our solar system. Full story
Dateline - 25 April 2008: Behaviour of whipped cream in space ?
An experiment in space has shed new light on the puzzling physics of some everyday substances such as blood, ketchup, motor oil and whipped cream. Full story
Dateline - 10 April 2008: New pictures of Martian moon Phobos
3D MOON OF MARS: NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft has photographed Martian moon Phobos in color and 3D, revealing landslides, crater chains, long grooves and a strange splash of blue. See pictures (check the archive for April 10 after that date)
Dateline - 27 March 2008: Looking for water on the Moon
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, due to launch this year, will play some crafty tricks to find water on the moon. These include using starlight to see into deep, dark craters and checking the temperature with a device known as 'Diviner'. Full story
Dateline - 21 March 2008: Major cosmic explosion
Two nights ago, astronomers observed a cosmic explosion so intense it was visible to the naked eye from a distance of 7.5 billion light years. Full story
Dateline - 19 March 2008: Gravity waves cause tornadoes ?
New research by NASA-supported scientists shows how atmospheric gravity waves, the kind we often see rippling in clouds overhead, can hit a thunderstorm and turn it into a deadly tornado. Full story
Dateline - 18 March 2008: Saturn's ring is disappearing
Amateur astronomers around the world are watching something happening to Saturn. The planet's rings are rapidly narrowing and before too long they will be reduced to a wafer-thin line invisible to backyard telescopes. What's going on? Full story
Dateline -
7 March 2008: Dark haloes discovered around craters on MercuryScientists studying the harvest of photographs from NASA's Messenger's fly-by of Mercury on January 14 have found several craters with strange dark haloes and other unusual features. Full story
Dateline - 3
March 2008: An avalanche in progress is observed on Mars
A
NASA spacecraft in orbit around Mars has photographed an avalanche in action
near the Red Planet's north pole.
Full story
Dateline -
30 January 2008: New data from Mercury
NASA's Messenger spacecraft has beamed back some surprising new data from
the planet Mercury. Highlights include a weird crater nicknamed 'the Spider,' a
planetary tail of hydrogen atoms, and measurements that show that the giant
Caloris basin is even bigger than researchers imagined.
Full story
Dateline -
24 January 2008: New space telescope due for launch next May
NASA is preparing to launch a new space telescope named GLAST to study
the most violent explosions in the history of our Universe.
Full story
NASA
Headlines Archive: Click