Actually, It Is Rocket Science

Get up at 5:15, drive for 2 hours, why? To go see a rocket test, of course! Today I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life: I got to see the first test of the solid rocket booster (SRB) for NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS). The test was at Orbital ATK in Promontory, Utah and my, oh, my was it incredible! 

The test was the first test of the new booster, the most powerful ever built and successfully fired. There will be one more certifying test for the booster before two of them will be attached to the core stage and used to lift the Orion Crew Vehicle into space. The initial life capability of two of these boosters working in tandem will be 70-130 metric tons. The booster burned 5 tons of propellant per second and in total produced 3.6 million pounds of thrust in the two minutes it was fired. 

Comparison of SLS to other rockets
Courtesy of nasa.gov

Because the SLS is going to be launching heavier payloads than any rocket system before it, there needs to be more thrust. To accomplish this there was another section added to the booster making it a five section, 177 foot (17 story) tall contraption. The SLS booster generates 20% greater average thrust than the SRBs on the Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle) and has 24% greater total impulse. 

This test was a particularly awesome moment to be present for because it represents the start of a new era in space exploration. To stand and see the fireball shoot out the end and then feel the ground shake as the sound and shock waves hit, was a breathtaking experience.

In that video you can hear/see the difference in time between when the booster was ignited (FUN FACT: Once SRB's are ignited there is no off switch. They burn till the very end). Keep in mind that it was that bright and that loud from 2 miles away! (We did the calculations to determine that in the car ride home because we're cool like that) 

Today was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. It was so incredible to be a witness to the new era of space exploration. As my friend so eloquently put it, "May this be not a once in a lifetime, but a first in a lifetime."

New Horizons Reaches a New Horizon

My planner (the best one for any space nerd)

Today I was looking at my planner in preparation for the next week and I found something that made me think. First of all, you need to know that my planner is not just a normal planner; it is a planner that is published by Year in Space in cooperation with the Planetary Society (Buy yours here). What makes it special is that it has space themed pictures for each week and every day lists the special events that have happened in the history of space exploration on that day.

On the planner for Monday January 19, 2006 is a reminder of the fact that that is the date of the launch of the New Horizons Spacecraft that is destined to the be conveyor of our first real data about Pluto. After 9 years of travel through the solar system the spacecraft has begun its long awaited encounter with Pluto that will culminate in a fly-by on July 14 of the dwarf planet that lies 4.67 billion miles away from Earth.

List of space dates for Monday January 19

Now personally, I think that studying Pluto would be a slightly non-fulfilling job because it takes so long for spacecraft to get there. Think about it, when New Horizons launched, Pluto was still a full blown planet and had yet to be reclassified. If you really want to have things put in perspective, the iPhone wasn’t even a thing yet. We were still in the age of iPods with the clicking wheels (solitaire took forever!).

Artist's rendering of fly-by
Courtesy of nasa.gov

But those nine years of waiting are all going to be worth it starting January 25th, when the probe will commence a long range photo shoot of the dwarf planet. After 9 years of hibernation, the fastest spacecraft ever made has finally awoken in preparation for this historic moment. This photo shoot will mark the start of the first real collection of data about Pluto and its nearby moons. This data will, hopefully, provide valuable new insight into the makeup of Pluto and perhaps into the history of dwarf planets. It will also provide useful data in the effort to pinpoint the exact location of Pluto. Stay tuned for more on the data collected and the implications of it!

2014: The Space Year in Review

As 2014 comes to a close I invite you to join me in looking back over the most important things that happened in space exploration this year. Between the launch of Orion, the discovery of exoplanets,
and the landing of  a probe on a comet, it has been a busy year for space exploration!

Orion:

Orion Launch
Courtesy of  abcnews.com

On December 5, 2014 the Orion Space Capsule launched aboard a Delta IV Heavy Rocket from Cape Canaveral. It is a historic moment because it marks the start of the return of US based human space exploration. Orion is the capsule designed to send humans farther into space than ever before. It is planned to go to an asteroid and eventually to Mars. Missions like Orion will serve to reinvigorate the spirit for space exploration in the US and in the world.




Kepler:

Courtesy of wikipedia.com

This year the Kepler space telescope (read my post about it here) discovered 715 exoplanets. This is more planets than have ever been discovered. The discoveries serve to provide a goal for future space exploration: that someday we might visit on one of them. It also reminds everyone how incredible it is that we have life here and earth and sparks curiosity about whether life may exist on any of the countless exoplanets, both discovered and unknown.



Cosmos:

Courtesy of nerdist.com

This spring a revival of Carl Sagan's Cosmos: A Personal Voyage aired with a new title, new episodes and a new host. Even though this was not an event in space it is worthy of this list because it shared the wonders of space with over 400 million people in 60 different countries. It was hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson and it was amazing! If you did not get a chance to watch it on tv I highly recommend you take the time to watch it on Netflix, iTunes or Amazon; it will be time well spent.


Rosetta:

Rosetta's Selfie
Courtesy of esa.int

On November 12, 2014 the European Space Agency successfully landed a probe on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (Don't worry, I can't pronounce that either). This in itself was a huge success that came after 10 years of travel by the spacecraft. It sent back lots of information about the comet along with pictures that are, to scientists, gold because they, for the first time ever, show what the surface of a comet actually looks like.

Unfortunately, the probe bounced and landed upside down in a crevice. While that is a problem as it cannot get power when it is in the dark, the mission was still a success. Landing on the comet was a huge leap for human space exploration and marks the start of a new era of exploration of comets and asteroids.



So, as you can see, a lot happened in space exploration this year. We learned a lot and had many successes. Let us hope that we can learn and explore even more in 2015!

All About That.......SPACE!

I'm sure most of you have heard the song All About that Bass by Meghan Trainor. It has a catchy beat and has recently topped the charts. However, today I invite you to listen and watch what I would call a much improved version of the song:

Much better than the original, right? (No offense Meghan, but your's didn't talk about space exploration so it pales in comparison to this masterpiece).

This version was made by interns at NASA and is very similar to their parody of Gangnam Style. 
Videos like this are super because they connect popular culture and space exploration. Not to mention that the pictures are gorgeous and the video is just fun to watch. Can you imagine how much fun the interns must have had making that video? Best job ever! But really, wouldn't interning at NASA be AMAZING?!? I would love to have that opportunity some day. Because you know I'm all about that space, 'bout that space, space travel.

Why Didn't The Dog Star Laugh At The Joke?

Click here to see the answer!
It was too Sirius! (Sirius is the dog constellation) Sadly this post isn't more space jokes but it does have other funny stuff to look at!

We have all watched the hit video Gangnam Style. We also all know how many awful parodies were made of it. However, there was one absolutely stellar parody that was made by NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Here it is:

Wasn’t that fabulous? I love science parodies and NASA paraphernalia. They are so cool! Another cool thing about the NASA Gangnam Style is the shirts. I don’t know if you  noticed but inside the video the dancers are wearing shirts that say keep calm and NASA on. The best part? You can buy one! 

Photo of shirts in video

Some of my other favorite science gear are funny shirts with jokes that only someone who like science would understand. Our local planetarium has some really funny ones. My favorite one that I have ever seen looked like this:

For those who can't read the little writing it says, "The element of surprise"
Courtesy of  amazon.com

Isn’t that fabulous? Right now in school we are taking test after test after test as we finish up the year. This means that I, along with all my classmates, am very tired and starting to snap at each other. Whenever I start to get frustrated with myself or my peers or my teachers I always look up science jokes on the internet and then start to feel better immediately. You see, science is not just good for learning about the truths and mysteries of the universe. It is also great for a good laugh or a nice inside joke. Overall science can be great fun! Sure, it can be a lot of work sometimes but the results are always either funny or amazing!  I leave you with one more funny joke so that if you get distressed during the coming tests you can come here and laugh. 

Courtesy of Micaela Berglund

Asteroids, Astronomers, and........Birthdays?

Yup! Those three things constituted my Thursday. 

The first part of my day was the birthdays. While at school I got to celebrate my friend Micaela’s birthday. (She has a really awesome blog which is definitely worth checking out!) I then went to the Clark Planetarium’s Tenth Anniversary Gala to celebrate their tenth birthday.

The Clark Planetarium is one of my favorite places to go. They have a really fun gift shop, cool movies, and amazing interactives. While there I had the privilege of eating really good food, although, I had to harken back to the days when I played princess in order to remember how to go about using ten different pieces of silverware correctly. 

I then got to do something SUPER-DUPER cool! That is where the astronomers come in. I had the amazing privilege of meeting Dr. Philip Plait! That name may not mean a lot to you but in the world of astronomy he is well-known. Dr. Plait used to work for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on the Hubble Telescope. He is most well-known for his blog titled Bad Astronomy. It is a highly entertaining blog that debunks bogus astronomy. 

After meeting Dr. Plait we then got to listen to a lecture by him. He discussed one of the topics that is mentioned in his book, Death From The Skies. That is when the asteroid part of my evening took place. Death From The Skies is all about the ways that the universe can kill us. The first chapter of his book details the possibility of Earth being hit by asteroids and comets. Dr. Plait talked about the recent meteor explosion that occurred over Russia in 2012 on the same day that asteroid DA-14 passed us. He also showed some movie clips of astronomical objects colliding with Earth that came from Hollywood. He then showed us just how wrong they were scientifically. It was quite entertaining. 

Phil Plait introducing his lecture

To wrap up the evening there was a book signing where I got my (brand spanking new) copy of Death From The Skies signed. (See below) 

How cool is that?!?!?!

Overall, it was one of the coolest evenings of my life! I love being around people who share the same passion that I do for space. It will be hard to top that experience but I have something coming up next week that might just do it. Keep checking back to find out more....Bye!

Star Trek vs. Science

Star Trek Enterprise
Photo Courtesy of news.yahoo.com

Announcing the battle of the eon! It’s the devices and physics in Star Trek versus the hard, facts of science. Who will win? Well, the science battle of a lifetime is coming up next. I am about to pit the devices and concepts of Star Trek 

against the realities of science. Up first....

The Tricoder

Spock with tricorder
Photo Courtesy of guardian.co.uk

In Star Trek the doctor and other members of the landing parties would often carry a device called a tricorder. A tricorder is a device that when scanned over a person’s body can tell you all about their vital signs and chemical composition. It can also tell various features about the surrounding landscape.

                                                                 Versus 

Science

The tricorder has a lot of potential. There are lots people who think that a device similar to a tricorder is the the future of healthcare. Because of the popularity of the concept there are lots of people who are aiming to create one. The X-Prize Foundation is offering prizes totaling 12.5 million for a functioning tricorder. Also there is the Tricorder Project. The Tricorder Project was started by a man named Peter Jansen. He designed a device similar to the tricorder and then gave the instructions out to the public so that all could make one. Overall, the tricorder holds lots of promise for the medical world and is a pretty realistic concept.

Warp Drive

In Star Trek whenever they need to travel far distances across space the captain will command that the warp drive be engaged. They then speed across the universe faster than the speed of light.

                                                                  Versus 

Science

Many of you are probably thinking that there is no way warp drive could ever be possible. You may just be wrong. There are many physicists who are working on a way to bend the fabric of space-time and move faster than the speed of light. They propose using a device that the astronauts would sit inside that would create a bubble in space-time. 

Proposed space "bubble"
Photo Courtesy of space.com

The astronauts inside the bubble would not feel anything different. The space in front of the ship would be expanding and the part in back contracting which would move the ship forward. So even though warp drive is currently theoretical it could become an actuality.

And the winner is.....well, really neither science nor Star Trek can win this battle. What can be said is that the future of space travel holds wonderful possibilities and the devices from Star Trek may be very helpful along the way. We can also say that when Gene Rodenberry created Star Trek he was very creative but also surprisingly realistic. I bid you farewell today with the classic Star Trek goodbye.

Live long and prosper

What Do Invisible Braces, Cordless Tools, Water Filters, and Memory Foam Have in Common?

The answer to that question: They are all a direct result of NASA.

Invisible Braces:

I’ve had braces and believe me, it is not fun. Many people dread braces because they do not want to have their mouths be full of metal for 1.5-2 years. For some teens the solution to that problem is convincing their parents to let them get invisible braces. If it were not for NASA, they would not be able to do that. The material used to make invisible braces is called translucent polycrystalline alumina (TPA) and was designed by NASA Advanced Ceramics Research. TPA was originally designed for protection of the infrared antennae of heat-seeking missile trackers and now it is in your mouth.

Cordless Tools:

Have you ever used a drill to hang something up? Chances are that the drill probably was cordless. You can thank NASA for that. Cordless tools were first designed in preparation for the Apollo missions. 

Cordless Drill
Courtesy of amazon.com

The idea was that people on the moon could drill for samples but no have to go through the hassle of plugging in a cord while on the moon. The drill had to be powerful yet lightweight. Black & Decker worked with NASA to design such a tool and now you can find cordless tools all over.

Water Filters:

Do you drink water? I hope so because if the answer is no then you are dead or soon will be. Now you can drink water and that’s fine and dandy but for it to be really helpful the water has to be clean. The most common way to make sure that your water is clean is to filter it. 

Charcoal Filter
Photo Courtesy of www.bedbathandbeyond.com

The design for the filter came from, you guessed it, NASA! When the preparation for the Apollo missions was occurring NASA needed to design a way to make sure that the water astronauts in space were drinking was safe. They did so by designing the charcoal filter. If you go look at the filter for your water, it is most likely that same kind. Thank you NASA!

Memory Foam:

It’s nighttime, you crawl into your nice memory foam bed. Oh, it’s comfy! Who can you thank for it? NASA, of course. The polyurethane-silicon plastic used to make memory foam beds was originally designed to lessen impact during landings of spacecraft. The ability of the foam to distribute weight and pressure provides large amounts of shock absorbency.

These are just a few of many devices and innovations that NASA has contributed to our everyday lives. So if you ever think that science is not in your everyday life, think again. Science, particularly that of NASA, is everywhere!

Houston We Have......Life?

Picture this: It’s Wednesday morning. I glance at the paper that’s sitting on the table, see the usual boring headlines and turn away. As I begin to walk away I do a double-take and come rushing back to the newspaper. Something about life and Mars? 

Yes, that is what many people saw this week when they looked at or watched the news. 


On March 12, 2013 NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory received data from a sample analysis done by SAM on the Curiosity Rover. (For more about the tools on Curiosity and how they work check out my post on Curiosity) The analysis was performed on a piece of Martian rock. It contained sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and phosphorus. All of those are key ingredients for there to be life. 

Curiosity Rover Self Portrait
Photo Courtesy of space.com

One of the key reasons why there is still so much research being done on Mars is because scientists and the public alike want to know if Mars ever supported life forms. This report suggests that the answer to that question is yes. The sample analysis also showed possible pairings of chemicals that could suggest a chemical energy source for micro-organisms to thrive on. NASA is planning to have the Curiosity Rover test another sample to verify the results.

This is such a huge deal for so many reasons. Many people all around the world have speculated as to whether life ever could have existed elsewhere, but especially on Mars. The red planet has always been a prime candidate for the possibility of the previous existence of life but this new data suggests that it almost positively did. 

Imagine what this could mean! If the second test comes back from Curiosity with the same results then we could be very sure that there was life elsewhere than Earth. Many people have speculated that we are not alone. After all the probability that we are the only life in a universe that is constantly expanding and goes on infinitely, is very small. These results could spur a larger, more expansive search for life elsewhere in the universe. Which, of course, is very exciting.

Also, I think that we do have to take into consideration why there no longer is life on Mars. (If there ever was) I suggest that we look at the data from Curiosity with a thoughtful eye and make sure that our own very precious Earth does not someday end up as a big burned up planet with an atmosphere of carbon dioxide similar to that of Mars.

Looking at this incredible new information from Curiosity is an amazing opportunity that I think opens up a new part of space exploration. I also think that it raises lots of questions. I hope that as you close out of this blog and lay down this evening that you think about the fact that you live in a universe that is full of undiscovered things and that you ask yourself what you the possibility of other life means to you.

3.....2.....1.....Blast Off!!!!

“We have liftoff!” are the words that NASA and SpaceX officials hope to hear on March 1, 2013 when the Dragon Space Capsules is once again launched into space. The mission will be the same as the previous missions of the capsule: to resupply the International Space Station. The capsule will launch from the SpaceX launch complex at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. This flight will be another in a string of missions by SpaceX and their Dragon Capsule. 

SpaceX was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk who is the co-founder of PayPal and the owner and founder of Tesla Motors. The company has had many historic firsts. SpaceX was able to put the first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket in orbit around Earth. They are also the first company that has been able to successfully put a vehicle in space and retrieve it intact. On May 25, 2012 SpaceX reached a big milestone. The company became the first to have one of their commercial vehicles go to space, attach to the International Space Station, deliver cargo, and return to Earth. These accomplishments are impressive because they symbolize the start of private space travel. They show a future where government agencies and private companies will work together to advance spaceflight exponentially. SpaceX currently holds a contract with NASA where they are set with designing a spacecraft to carry humans into space. For more information about SpaceX click here.

Dragon Space Capsule after return to Earth
Photo Courtesy of spacex.com

The Dragon Space Capsule is the star jewel of SpaceX. This vehicle has been able to go on successful, record-breaking missions which have proved the companies worth. One really cool, very helpful and extremely cost-effective feature of this spacecraft is it’s ability to be reused. It was designed so that it could be landed in the ocean and then recovered. After recovery it is rebuffed and can be used again. The spacecraft is launched into space on a Falcon 9 rocket which is also designed by SpaceX. 

Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon Capsule
Photo Courtesy of spacex.com

This Friday another launch of the Dragon Capsule is set to occur. As previously mentioned it will take off in Florida. It will then meet with the International Space Station and deliver cargo. The capsule is set to return to Earth on March, 25 with a big SPLASH into the Pacific Ocean near Baja, California. It will be carrying back experiments and supplies that the ISS no longer needs. Keep your eye on the news to see if the capsule arrives safely and if you are on a boat in the Pacific watch out! No one needs to get bonked on the head by a runaway capsule.

If You Are 90,816,000 Feet Tall Then You Had Better Duck

On February 15, 2013 asteroid DA14 will pass within 90,816,000 feet of Earth. Also known as 17,200 miles. Now that may sound like a very, very, VERY, long way away but really it is not. In fact, there are GPS satellites that fly further out from Earth than that. 

So, if you are here on Earth you need not worry, there is absolutely no chance that the asteroid will hit the Earth. NASA’s Neat Earth Object Observation Program (NEOO) has been tracking this satellite and all of it’s possible trajectories. They have determined that it definitely will not hit the Earth or the International Space Station and most likely will not even hit a satellite. 

The asteroid DA14 is about half a football field in diameter. The flyby of this asteroid is special because it is the closest ever predicted Earth approach for an object this size. The asteroid will be traveling at 17,450 miles per hour or 4.8 miles per second. That is really fast!

Those in Africa, Asia, and Australia who have a good pair of binoculars will be able to see the asteroid as it passes by the Earth. The asteroid will come up from the South Pole and then pass Australia, Asia, and Africa. To learn more about the trajectory you can view the video below or look at the image. In the picture below the geosynchronous ring is the ring on which GPS satellites rotate. It is 22,236 miles out from Earth’s equator. The positioning of satellites on this ring means that if someone on Earth observes the satellite it will appear in the same place in the sky because it rotates with the Earth.

Photo Courtesy of nasa.gov

So, my parting message to you is this: When you think about the asteroids in the sky tomorrow remember that Earth is not the only thing in this universe. Try to clear your mind and keep focused on what really matters. 

Oh! I almost forgot! Happy Valentines to all!! 

Chimps in Space!

Today is Friday so that means another blog post is in order. It’s snowing outside and I’m curled up getting ready to watch one of my all-time favorite movies, Race to Space. The movie is a fictionalized version of the story of Ham the Astro-chimp, the first chimpanzee in space from the US. I thought that perhaps you might enjoy hearing about the story of Ham and a short summary of the movie, so that if some cold winter night you are in need of a good movie you will have a great one.

Ham

Ham getting ready for his flight
Courtesy ofcr.nps.gov

Ham was born in 1956. He was part of a group of sixty chimps that were part of a testing group to find one to send to space. He trained for his flight to space at the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center in New Mexico. That is where he got his name (Holloman Aerospace Medical). Ham was a part of Project Mercury which was a part of the proceedings of the Cold War in which the US was determined to get a human in orbit before the Soviet Union.

Mercury-Redstone rocket like what Ham flew on
Courtesy of nasa.gov

Ham flew on a Redstone rocket, which was designed just for Project Mercury. His successful mission was a reason as to why Alan Shepard was then able to become the first United States citizen in space. To learn more about Ham click here.

Race to Space

My beloved copy of the movie
Photo by me

Race To Space is an adaptation of the story of Ham’s journey to space and back. Instead of Ham, the chimpanzee is named Mac. Mac lives in at the NASA base in Cape Canaveral, Florida. He is being trained by Dr. Donni McGuiness (Annabeth Gish). Billy Von Huber (Alex Linz) is living in Florida with his dad, Wilhelm Von Huber, (James Woods) who is a German rocket scientist working on Project Mercury. Billy develops a close relationship with Mac after he begins to help with his training. Soon though, Billy uncovers a sinister plot set to ruin the project. I don’t want to ruin the ending for you, so I am just going to say that it is very, very good. It’s also very, very funny and very, very, VERY, much worth renting or, dare I say it, buying.

Also, to you music lovers out there, the soundtrack for the movie is absolutely amazing! After hearing it while I watch the movie I always feel like I could go out and do ANYTHING!

Here is a link to the trailer of the movie: 

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/race_to_space/trailers/10896313/

So, if you are ever in need of a good family movie to watch and you want to learn more about Ham and the first trips to space, just watch Race to Space. It will work for science geeks, music lovers, people who love to laugh, and those who just want a nice heartfelt movie.

I Became A Citizen of Mars Today

I know, I know, you’re saying, “What? She can’t become a citizen on Mars. What is going on here? This is craziness!”

I promise you, I am not crazy. I did in fact become a Martian today. I did so via an online program called Be A Martian which is run by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It is a game of sorts where you make a profile as a Martian citizen and then get to travel all over Mars. The purpose of the game is to have the Martian “citizens” look at pictures taken by the rovers Spirit and Opportunity as well as by the Mars Odyssey Orbiter and the Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter.  The participants help to count the craters, align the photos, and tag the images based on what is seen.

The pictures provided by the orbiters and rovers sum up to a jumble of images from all over the surface of Mars with no easy way to organize them. That is why this program is so cool. It provides a fun way to look at Mars and but is also productive. Believe me, it is hard to find a computer game that can be deemed productive but this one is. 

Courtesy of http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov/

This profile is the first thing I created as I became a citizen of Mars. I got to pick what kind of citizen I was going to be. As you can see I picked “Life-long Learner” because I think that knowledge is power and I enjoy learning.

The next thing I did after becoming a Martian was to attempt to map Mars.

Courtesy of http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov/

To do so I looked at the grayscale picture and the color picture presented to me. Each was taken by one of NASA’s exploring devices. My job was to align the images so that things like craters and rocks line up. That way NASA then compiles the images processed by thousands of people to create a comprehensive map of Mars.

Following my mapping expedition I tried counting craters.

Courtesy of http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov/

It turned out that counting craters is a very simple job. All I had to do was click on each crater in the image and size the circle to match the size of the crater. This way NASA can know how many craters are where and use that information to learn about Mars.

My final project of the day was to tag images.

Courtesy of http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov/

An image would be given to me on the screen and I would look over it. Next, I would select the categories on the side and pick the tags representing what I saw in the picture. (Look at the image above if this isn’t making sense).

Whew! What an exhausting first day on Mars. It was, however, a very productive day. Look at all the badges I earned! 

If you would like to become a Mars Citizen visit: http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov/welcome

I hope you have lots of fun experimenting with the perks of being a Martian. Have a great day!

All About Kepler

Have you ever heard of William Borucki? I hadn’t until I read the latest issue of Discover magazine. They had a whole article dedicated to him and his project. William is the man behind Kepler. Kepler is the planet-finding telescope that is looking for Earth-like worlds within the Milky Way galaxy. As you probably know already from my other posts, I like the idea of finding other Earth-like planets because they have the potential for life. That is why this article was really interesting to me. 

The story talks about how since the launch in 2009 Kepler has found over 3,000 potential planets and counting. This is super amazing because if Kepler learns of many Earth-like planets then the possibility for life in the galaxy will increase exponentially. Kepler is special because since it is out in space it can gather more information than telescopes here on Earth. That is because it doesn’t have to contend with the atmosphere and other interferences.

After reading the article I decided to learn more about Kepler so I went to NASA’s page for it and learned that recently an extension of the mission got approved. This is great news because it means that more planets can be found! 

Kepler Telescope
Photo Courtesy of www. nasa.gov

I also learned how the telescope works. It uses an ultra sensitive ultraviolet sensor to pick up on the potential planets. It measures the brightness of more than 100,000 stars without stopping. The brightness of a star can predict the presence of planet because when a planet in orbit crosses in front of a star it changes the amount of light. If Kepler picks of changes in the amount of light on a regular basis then that is reason to believe that a planet is orbiting that star. If you want to know more about how the Kepler telescope works by looking at some interactives click here.

Projects like this one are so amazing because they help to discover what is out there and around us. Kepler in particular is cool because it is finding Earth-like planets that are in our galaxy. I hope that no matter what happens here on Earth we NEVER lose our curiosity for what is out there to be discovered! Curiosity is what drives science forward and I hope that will never end.

Curious About Curiosity

I'm sure you have all heard about the Mars Science Laboratory better known as the Curiosity Rover. Perhaps you even remember Spirit and Opportunity and the time when they headed to Mars and changed the history of space exploration. I remember how when I was a little girl my dad and I would play a game on the NASA website with the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.  In the game we would put the materials needed for the mission onto the rovers and then launch them to Mars. The game was really fun for me because I was able to think about going to another planet and exploring it. Who wouldn't think that was cool?!


That's why I was so excited to hear about the Curiosity rover earlier this year. After all these years of innovation and creativity the Curiosity rover can do things that would never have been dreamed of back when space exploration first began. Now we can delve deeper into the past life of Mars and maybe find evidence of life.

Curiosity made a big mark on the history of space exploration just by landing. The landing of the Curiosity rover was so unique because it was a technique that had never been tried before. The previous ways of landing that had been used on Spirit and Opportunity wouldn't work for Curiosity because the weight of the rovers was so different.

Scientists had to brainstorm a new way to land. They came up with a thing called a sky crane. The sky crane is essentially a parachute and thrusters. The trick to it was that there was no way to test this landing process for real before the actual thing. In order for it to work the parachute had to deploy perfectly to position the rover EXACTLY perpendicular to Mars' surface. Then the thrusters had to come on and land the rover gently.

MSL Landing
Photo Courtesy of NASA.gov

The most recent accomplishment was when Curiosity completed the first ever deep analysis of a soil sample on Mars. The way the rover is designed a "hand" can pick up a soil sample and insert it into the belly of the rover. There the sample undergoes various tests including analysis of the chemistry of the sample and looking at the mass spectrometry of the sample.

 Five spots where Curiosity has scooped soil from
Photo Courtesy of NASA.gov

Curiosity is quite literally a high tech science lab on wheels that can do so much in the search for evidence of past life on Mars. What the rover may find about the composition of Mars will dramatically effect what the Earth's future looks like. If something resembling life was found....it would be game changing. I don't want to act like I know how something that amazing would change our future but the change would be BIG! I am confident that Curiosity will find lots of information that will change the way we view the universe and I'm so excited for the future it holds.

We Are Not Going to Die (At Least Not on December 21)

The world is not going to end. Repeat, the world is not going to end. 

Last night I had the privilege to attend a presentation at the Clark Planetarium about the proposed end date for the world; December 21. The presentation was led by Dr. Peggy Cain. She discussed the myths and meanings of the origin of the doomsday legend.

I learned that the Mayan culture is the origin of the legend about the end of the world. During the presentation Dr. Cain discussed how the Mayans have three calendars. The truly amazing thing about these calendars is that they are all based on astronomical phenomenons. This may not seem impressive in this day and age but the Mayan civilization began in 2000 B.C. so for them to have been able to calculate down to the day when things like the solstice would occur is truly incredible. 

The calendar that the ends on December 21 is the only linear calendar of the three. The other two are cyclical and constantly restart. 

This picture shows the concept of the two cyclical and one linear calendars of the Maya.
Photo courtesy of kalarhythms.org

The Mayan legend predicts that on this day the Great Rift, which is the band of the dust and plasma that can be seen in the sky at night, and the horizon will line up. It also says that the sun will be directly between us and the center of the galaxy. Some Mayans and others believe that on this day when this happens the door to the underworld will open up causing the apocalypse. 

Dr. Cain told us how the sun can never actually be between us and the center of the galaxy and that the Great Rift lines up with the horizon all the time.

Dr. Cain went on to discuss how all the scientific experts are debunking the myth. Places like NASA and National Geographic all agree that this legend is just myth.
Another thing that Dr. Cain went on to discuss is that the calendar that ends on December 21 will actually restart December 22, the same way our calendars do on January 1. 

I find that this whole idea of the world ending is very interesting and to be quite frank: slightly funny. The way the world has turned the concept of 2012 into a celebrity seems like a waste of time spent worrying. The cartoon below seems to sum it up to me. It’s all just a legend that can have significance for some people but does not mean the world will end.

A funny cartoon that sums up 2012 to me.
Photo courtesy of simplycreativewriting.com

We are all going to continue living on December 22. I do however think that perhaps we can look at this “doomsday” as a way to give thanks for life. Being able to live here on planet Earth every day is a gift and sometimes I think we forget how lucky we are. So when you wake up on December 22 take a moment to remember how cool it is to be alive! We live in a world full of possibilities and are fortunate to be here.

The Big Bang: The Beginning of Everything

Welcome to The Universe and U! My name is Emma, and I am so happy to get to begin blogging about all the cool things that are happening in and about space and how they connect to our everyday lives. 

I am fascinated and really like how blogs can be about anything! No matter what the topic is someone can write a blog about it. Blogs are unique and so much fun to look at because of their originality and creativity.

To start my blogging journey I looked around a few blogs. The first I looked at was Bill Nye’s blog. He blogs about happenings in space. Another blog I read is produced by the Hayden Planetarium. It talks about all sorts of cool aspects about space. The third and final blog I looked at is produced by NASA’a Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was about the projects that the JPL laboratory is in charge of; like the Curiosity Rover.

The blogs I looked at gave me inspiration for my personal blog because they reinforced my excitement in space. With a blog about space there are limitless possibilities. So many cool things are being discovered everyday and they all effect everyone.

During my examination of these blogs as well as other blogs I saw in class I learned about how blogs tend to be written in a much more personal fashion than lots of other writing. Their tone is friendly and personable. Sometimes blogs are informational and sometimes they are advice giving among other topics. 

Also in my reading of these blogs I learned about how blogs can have a variety of special features. These may include different feeds, columns by many authors, and contests for their readers. All the special features in blogs add to the reasons why they are so unique.

There are so many amazing realizations about space happening everyday and I can't wait to share more about them!