Space Archives - Page 2 of 3

ExoMars

ExoMars is a “Programme to investigate the Martian environment and to demonstrate new technologies paving the way for future Mars sample return missions.”[1] The European Space Agency successfully launched their two craft on March 14 on a Russian Proton M rocket and has received signals indicating that the launch was successful. The two craft will…

Gravitational Waves, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

“A long time ago in a galaxy far far away” two black holes merged into one. To be more precise, this event happened approximately 1.3 billion years ago in a galaxy in the direction of the Magellanic clouds. We know this because scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravity-Wave Observatories (LIGO) in Hanford, Washington and Livingston,…

A Great Disturbance in the Force

There may actually be a ninth planet in our solar system after all. Astronomers at Caltech recently presented evidence for a large, gas-giant, planet in a 20,000 year orbit around our sun. They have been quoted as saying, “We have felt a great disturbance in the force.” This only adds to the crazy nature of…

“Yesterday I missed my exit, on my way to Sears” – Joe Diffie

Have you ever had one of those days where you missed your freeway exit and had to take an alternative route? The process can be quite time consuming and often adds several minutes to the anticipated travel time. It is hard not to get frustrated. Of course, such emotions only complicate things and make the…

Venus, Mars, Regulus, and Jupiter Are Alright Tonight

Starship 21ZNA9 A good friend of mine Studies the stars Venus and Mars Are alright tonight “Venus and Mars” lyrics by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney; published by MPL Communications, Inc. This morning, as I went for my before-sunrise-run, I was greeted by three planets and a bright star, in the eastern sky. The four…

We’re Just Here To . . .

Previously I have recommended the Christopher Nolan film Interstellar (here and here) and I will continue to sing its praises even while encouraging us to see it for all it is and look discerningly at its message. As the main character, Cooper, says his good-byes to his family and prepares to leave the galaxy, he…

Exploring Life

New Horizons, Rosetta, Mars Curiosity, The International Space Station, Cassini, Hubble, and Mars Express, many of these missions, spacecraft, and satellites have become well-known to us over the last few years. NASA, ESA, and the international space community have accomplished magnificent feats of exploration and the news media has shown us the significance of these…

Black Holes, White Holes, and Big Bangs

Physicists have suggested that our entire universe may be the other side of a black hole. Theories of this sort are highly speculative and subject to replacement by another theory in a short while; but the idea is that every black hole has a white hole and a whole universe on the other side. Let…

Farewell Philae

The European Space Agency has had no new news on the Philae Lander since July 20th. It seems safe to say that we should bid Philae a fond farewell. The Rosetta mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has accomplished many of its aims; but, the lander achieved only a small portion of its goals due to a…

Making Scientific Discovery Interesting

The Making of Ambition Lukasz Sobisz, is the Technical Director of Simulation for Platige Image’s film, Ambition. The film is directed by Tomek Baginski and stars Aidan Gillen and Aisling Franciosi. In an interview about the European Space Agency’s Rosetta Mission and the accompanying film, Ambition, Sobisz expressed his surprise that the European Space Agency…