NASA proposes a reward of 35 k$ for an asteroid hunter software

Dear followers and readers,

the danger for the Earth planet induced by hazardous asteroids is a field which interests strongly all the space agency. NASA is used to detect, track and characterizes space comets and hazardous asteroids. A dedicated program called Near-Earth Object Observation, also named Spaceguard has been created by the space agency in order to present dramatic event. For this reason +NASA decided to propose a reward of 35 k€ for an asteroid hunter software.

During the three months of 2014, couple hazardous asteroids passed close to Earth such as the asteroid called 2014 DX110 last week. This asteroid was quite small, around 30 meters of diameter. However, in February 2014, an other wider asteroid was observed close to Earth, 2000 EM26: this one was really wide, around 270 meters of diameter, the equivalent of 3 football field.

With the number of asteroids growing, the US space agency would mine the talent from the general public. NASA hopes to spot dangerous space rocks such as the one that saw off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. In order to increase the interest of people, NASA is offering up to $35,000 over the next six months to anyone who is able develop computer code that can identify life-threatening asteroids.

The challenge started by NASA consists in developing significantly improved algorithms to identify asteroids in images captured by ground-based telescopes.
"The winning solution must increase the detection sensitivity, minimize the number of false positives, ignore imperfections in the data, and run effectively on all computer systems" defined NASA.

Stay tuned and try your chance to save Earth !

Video of sunset and night at the National Astronomical Observatory in Bulgaria

Credit: Nikola Petrov and Emil Ivanov

The video was performed in 2010 at NAO Rozhen, Bulgaria, with images taken with Canon 40D camera and 18mm f/1,8 lenses.

Explore the land of Mars with Curiosity for its 531 martian days on the red planet

Dear readers and followers,

After, 531 Martian days the NASA's rover, Curiosity is still working and performing its exploration of the red planet even if the space rover had some power glitch which perturb its functioning. This new interactive 360° panorama has been built with 130 images for a total resolution of 30,000 pixels widths !!! Dingo Gap is visible on the left where the rover traversed a small dune ripple to get into more better terrain for its wheels.

Credit : +Andrew Bodrov 

Credit image: +NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

The asteroid 2014 DX110 tracked by astronomers

Dear readers and followers,

yesterday night we reported you that an asteroid of 30 meters of diameter will be close to Earth. This asteroid called 2014 DX110 has been tracked and taken in picture by astronomers. You will find also a video, enjoy

Credit image : L. Elenin

 Credit image: Slooh

Stay tuned

Tonight check out the asteroid 2014 DX110 closer than the Moon

Dear readers and followers,

Tonight, at 10 pm CET (1 p.m. PST) Wednesday March 5th, an asteroid will very close to Earth. Actually closer than the distance from Earth to the Moon. 

This time, the asteroid called 2014 DX110 is estimated to be around 30 meter of diameter and its closest approach to our planet will be around 350,000 km. NASA is used to detect, track and characterizes space comets and hazardous asteroids. A dedicated program called Near-Earth Object Observation, also named Spaceguard has been created by the space agency in order to present dramatic event. This kind of event is quite usual, actually around 20 times a year said +NASA . 

Credit: +NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

Last month, a hazardous asteroid with a diameter estimated to 3 times the size of a football field and called 2000 EM26 passed close to Earth. This time due to weather conditions, none observation gears could take some great picture of the asteroid.

Credit image: Daily Galaxy

This time we hope that official observation places and amateur astro-photographers could take some impressive picture of the asteroid 2014 DX110.

Live video by +Slooh of the asteroid tracking :

Stay tuned for pictures from all around the world

Source

Great picture capturing Milky Way and Venus in South Australia

Credit image: Dave Gen

The picture has been taken with a Nikon D3100 uding a Sigma 18-250mm lens and PP Lightroom 5 from South Australia over over Sellicks Hill.

Amazing panoramic picture of the milky way taken in the Mountains of New Hampshire

Credit image: Christopher Georgia

The picture has been built with 15-shot panoramic image north of Franconia Notch State Park, N.H. on July 2013. The photographer used a Nikon D3s camera, Nikon 14-24mm lens at 15mm, exposure 22 seconds x 15, f/2.8 and ISO 2500, to capture the photo.

Amazing video of Bulgaria night sky

Credit image: Nikola Petrov and Emil Ivanov

A whole night at Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgaria in September 2010. 

The frames are taken each 25 seconds. The video combines 764 individual images with a Canon 40 D camera with 20mm Sigma lenses at F/1.8. 

Source

First picture of the Moon taken by the NASA's probe LADEE

Dear readers,

while NASA is exploring Mars since August 2012 with Curiosity, The US space agency has some ambitions for our satellite, the Moon. The mission LADEE is a part of that.

LADEE was launched on September 7th 2013, from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia by a Minotaur V space rocket.

Few days ago, the NASA lunar spacecraft, sent its first picture of the Moon taken by on-board camera systems, known as star trackers. The main craters on the lunar surface can be identified. it's really impressive. 

Credit: NASA 

Stay tuned

Follow and participate to the live Hangout with the director of Rosetta mission from CNES

Source: CNES 

Participate and ask your questions on twitter with #CNEStalks ! 

Saturn planet just behind the Moon

Credit image: Colin Legg

Be careful: Powerful X4.9-class solar flare recorded by SDO

Dear readers,

This night, a powerful X4.9-class solar flare has been recorded by NASA . This solar flare is the most intense flare of 2014 so far, and one of the most intense of the current solar cycle. Solar flare are really critical, specially for the spacecrafts orbiting Earth. Few weeks ago, the Orb-1 mission of the Antares rocket delayed due to high space radiation environment induced by a high class solar flare. Fortunately, the solar flare was not Earth directed.

The NASA's +SDO | Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash. After a solar flare during the next 3 days, all space partners are used to be very mindful in order to monitor the behavior of their spacecraft and anticipate some possible failures. Moreover, the ISS is used to be reoriented with the aim to protect its critical modules and the crew.

Credit: SDO | Solar Dynamics Observatory 

Stay tuned

Andromeda galaxy M31 taken in November 2013

Credit image: +Chris Sinclair 

[Update] Successful space launch of GPS Satellite with Delta 4 rocket from Cape Canaveral

Dear readers,

yesterday night, the United launch Alliance performed with success its space launch of GPS satellite (GPS IIF-5) for the US AirForce. The payload has been orbited by the Delta 4 rocket developed by the private company. The launch took place from the Space Launch Complex-37 in Cape Canaveral, Florida at 8:59 pm EST on Thursday February 20th. 

Credit : United Space Alliance

GPS IIF-5 is the fifth in a series of the next-generation of GPS satellites and will join the navigation system utilizing 24 spacecrafts in 6 different planes in orbit around 17700 km of altitude. This ultimate generation of satellite provides an improved accuracy and enhanced performed for GPS users, for civil and military applications.

The liftoff has been also taken in picture by Sam Wolfe photographer

Credit : Sam Wolfe

Source

[Update] : Enjoy the video provided by SpaceVids.tv

Kate Upton in weightlessness with the Zero-G aircraft

Dear readers,

the model Kate Upton is very well known, and we don't have to present her. But this week, the model and the science have been united to experiment the zero gravity. The experiment took place on-board a +Boeing+ plane, the B727. In Europe the +CNES (French Space Agency) work with a similar gear, but in a +Airbus Group plane, A300-Zero-G. The A300 Zero-g looks very much like a conventional aircraft, with a few special modifications dedicated for this experiment.

Theweightlessness is attained through a series of aerobatic maneuvers known as parabolas, where the pilot pulls the plane up at 45 degrees to an altitude around 8500 meters, and then pushes the aircraft into a descent to create zero gravity for 20-30 seconds.

Since 2003, the A300 Zero-g is used by +European Space Agency, ESA and the +CNES for their research programs to keep track of main cryogenic propulsion stages falling backing to Earth during Ariane 5 launches. 

But this time, the model Kate Upton defied gravity for the Sports Illustrated’s 2014 Swimsuit Issue. And it was insanely awesome. Enjoy the picture and the video:

Credit image : +Sports Illustrated 

Source

Publication IJETAE: Space Debris Removal System

Moby Dick asteroid 2000 EM26 is missing - Help astronomers find It

Dear readers,

last Monday, February 18th, the asteroid called 2000 EM26 or Moby Duck with its 270 meters of diameter passed close to Earth. the Slooh's robotic telescope on Mount Teide in the Canaries Island should monitored the asteroid called 2000EM26. However, because of frozen conditions, the telescop didn't work normally as illustrated on the picture below.

Credit: +Slooh 

Yesterday night Slooh published a file about the only picture provided during the night of February 17th by Slooh and the Dubai Astronomy Group: "Somewhere in this image, amongst the trailing star field, there should be a static round point of light – the light reflecting from an asteroid some 394­886ft in diameter (­270m). Based on the orbital data held by +NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this is where Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 2000 EM26 should have been. So if it’s not here, where was this chunk of primordial space rock as it made its closest approach to Earth on Feb. 17th 2014?"

Credit image: +Slooh 

Yesterday night Slooh announced officially that they are still looking for the asteroid. If you find it please contact Slooh as soon possible.

Stay Tuned

First picture of the asteroid 2000 EM26 from Dubai

Dear readers,

yesterday we told you about an hazardous asteroid of 270 meters of diameter. The asteroid called 2000 EM26 should be followed by the Slooh telescop in the Canary islands. Unfortunately, the Slooh's robotic telescope on Mount Teide which monitored the asteroid didn't work because of frozen conditions. 

Pictures from Dubai had been proposed by the Dubai Astronomy group. Look it is there :

Credit image : Dubai Astronomy group

Stay tuned for incoming pictures

[Update there]

Milky way taken by amateur photographer from Loch More, Caithness Scotland

Credit image : +Chris Sinclair 

A potentially hazardous asteroid of 270 meters of diameter close to Earth today

Dear readers,

in less then 10 hours now, the asteroid called 2000 EM26 will pass very close to Earth. The potentially hazardous asteroid has been estimated to have a diameter around 270 meters. Its trajectory should be very close to Earth around 8.8 of the distance Earth-Moon, and could be seen from Earth.

Enjoy this live steam of the hazardous asteroid with the video below :

Credit video: +Slooh 

Stay tuned

Update : Yesterday, the Slooh's robotic telescope on Mount Teide should monitored the asteroid 2000EM26 didn't work because of frozen conditions, but a first pictures had been proposed by the Dubai Astronomy group. 

The OAS Sky Notes Feb 2014

Yutu, the Chinese lunar rover is still alive after its abnormality

Dear readers,

Last night, China announced that the Yutu rover is still alive after its abnormality. “Yutu has come back to life!” said Pei Zhaoyu, the spokesperson for China’s lunar probe program, according to a breaking news report by the state owned Xinhua news agency.

 Credit : CNSA/CCTV

The rover landed on the Moon on December 14th, however, the January 25th an abnormality emerged before the rover entered its second dormancy at dawn on Saturday as the lunar night fell, according to SASTIND. The equipment failure may block the solar panel. If the panels cannot be closed, the rover will almost certainly freeze during the two week span. As said, the moon environment is really critical. 

Actually, one night on the Moon is about 14 days on Earth, during which the temperature falls below minus 180 Celsius. During the lunar night, there is no sunlight to provide power to Yutu's solar panel.

Today all the China people are so glad to heard that the first spacecraft Yutu sent on the Moon ground is still continuing its exploration of the lunar surface. Yutu can be translate as "Jade Rabbit" which corresponds to the rabbit in Chinese mythology that lives on the Moon as a pet of the Moon goddess Chang’e.

For the moment the space engineer of the China lunar program are still working on the identification of the abnormality. "Yutu failed to power-up Monday, February 11th, and data about its current condition and repair progress is still being collected and analyzed,” Xinhua reported.

Stay tuned

Amateur photography of the Flame and Horsehead Nebulae

Credit image: +Chris Sinclair 

The picture has been done with Celestron CG5 GoTo mount, Skywatcher ED80 Refractor and Canon 1100D. This was 50 images at ISO 6400 and 50 seconds, then another 15 images at ISO1600 and 50 seconds. All stacked with Deepskystacker

Progress M-22M docks with ISS 6 hours after its launch

Dear followers,

last Wednesday, February 5, the Progress M-22M spacecraft was launched by a Soyuz-U rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 4:23pm UTC. The Russian Progress M-22M, has successfully docked to ISS just 6 hours after launching from Baikonur. 

The space launch happened Less than 24 hours since its Progress M-20M cargo craft undocked from the International Space Station (ISS), following six months in residence.

Credit: +Roscosmos press service

The craft is full of cargo and supplies for the 6 membered Expedition 38 crew. Docking occurred at 22:22 UTC. With around 750 flights, the Soyuz-U is the most-flown orbital launch system ever developed.

Live the docking to the International Space Station in video :

Successful launch and orbiting of 2 satellites by Ariane 5

Dear followers,

yesterday, the European space rocket, Ariane 5, performed its first 2014 launch from Kourou, French Guiana. Ariane 5 orbited 2 telecommunications satellites, Athena-Fidus and ABS-2 at  21:30 UTC (February 6th).

Credit: +CNES 

Athena-Fidus (Access on THeatres for European Nations Allied forces - French Italian Dual Use Satellite) is a telecommunications satellite developped by the large collaboration between France and Italia. Developed for CNES, the Italian space agency ASI, the French Defense agency (DGA) and the Italian Ministry of Defence, it will deliver telecommunications services to French and Italian military and civil protection forces, complementing capacity already provided by the Syracuse and SICRAL satellites.

In an other hand, ABS-2 is a telecommunications satellite that will enable the operator Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) to deliver telecommunications, television, multimedia and data transmission services to Asia, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Enjoy the European Ariane 5 rocket blasted off from Kourou in French Guiana

Credit: +Arianespace 

Dingo Gap, the dune of sand taken in 360° by Curiosity on Mars

Dear followers,

after 526 days on Mars, the curiosity rover from +NASA continue to explore the surface for the red planet until a dune of sand called Dingo Gap.

Credit image: +NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

A new 360° panorama has been proposed +Andrew Bodrov. The panorama shows the Dingo Gap taken during the 530th Martian day. The dune is about 1 m high.

Mars Panorama - Curiosity rover: Martian solar day 530 in The World


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Stay tuned

Impressive shot of the Orion Nebula and Running Man Nebula

Credit image: +Chris Sinclair 

North pole of Saturn from Cassini

Credit: +NASA 

NGC 6357 near NGC 6334 in the constellation Scorpius taken by the Hubble Space Telescope

Credit image: +Hubble Space Telescope 

Chinese moon rover Yutu has a mechanical control anomaly

Dear followers,

few days ago, we propose you an amazing work performed thanks to pictures taken by the Chinese moon rover, called Yutu or Change's 3. However, last weekend, an "abnormality occurred due to complicated lunar surface environment," announced the the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) from China. 

The abnormality emerged before the rover entered its second dormancy at dawn on Saturday as the lunar night fell, according to SASTIND. The equipment failure may block the solar panel. If the panels cannot be closed, the rover will almost certainly freeze during the two week span. As said, the moon environment is really critical. Actually, one night on the Moon is about 14 days on Earth, during which the temperature falls below minus 180 Celsius. During the lunar night, there is no sunlight to provide power to Yutu's solar panel.

 Credit: CNSA/CCTV

The Chang'e-3 lunar probe soft-landed on the Moon on December 14th after couple days in lunar orbit. The rover separated from the lander hours later.

The success of the Chang'e-3 mission makes China the third country to soft-land a spacecraft on lunar soil after the United States and the former Soviet Union. During this mission, China collaborates with ESA, the +European Space Agency, ESA for the communication part.

Milky Way taken from the North Coast of Scotland

Credit image : +Chris Sinclair 

Atlas 5 lift-off carrying TDRS-L Satellite from Cape Canaveral

Credit: +NASA 

Successful lift-off from Cape Canaveral of Atlas 5 carrying TDRS-L satellite

Dear followers,

Last night, the rocket ATLAS V 401 with its payload TDRS-L performed its lift-off from the launch pad Station Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida at 9:33pm EDT (2:33 GMT 24th).

Enjoy the video of the space launch :

Credit: +NASA 

The payload of the rocket is the TDRS-L (Tracking and Data Relay Satellites) satellite of the third generation. The TDRS satellites are operated by +NASA , and are used for communication between NASA facilities and spacecraft including the Space Shuttle, Hubble Space Telescope, and International Space Station.

TDRS-L mission launched today

Dear followers,

Today, the rocket ATLAS V 401 with its payload TDRS-L will lift-off from the launch pad Station Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The space launcher will be launched on an easterly trajectory and the spacecraft will be released into a highly elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit. The mission from launch to vehicle separation is scheduled to take just over 1 hour 45 minutes.

Credit image : America space

The payload of the rocket is the TDRS-L (Tracking and Data Relay Satellites) satellite of the third generation. The TDRS satellites are operated by +NASA , and are used for communication between NASA facilities and spacecraft including the Space Shuttle, Hubble Space Telescope, and International Space Station.

The launch window is planned today between 9:05pm - 9:45pm EDT (2:05 - 2:45 GMT 24th)

HTTP://COUNTINGDOWNTO.COM

Stay tuned for its launch

Milky Way taken in picture from Iceland

Credit image: Ivrie Belegurscki from iceland-photo tour

360° panorama from the Chinese Moon rover: Change's 3

Dear followers,

after its landing on our Moon, Chang'e3, the Chinese space rover, is exploring the Moon land.  

Lunar panorama: Chang’e 3 lander in The World

Working hard on ISS

Credit: +NASA 

New potential hazardous asteroid discovered by NASA

Dear followers,

for this beginning of 2014, +NASA revealed the discovery of a news potential hazardous asteroid, called 2013 YP139. The asteroid was at a distance of 0.235 astronomical units from Earth by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer from NASA. Its size is estimated around 650 meters.  It orbits the Sun in an elliptical orbit along the invariable plane and is currently 42 million kilometers away and is expected to come within 490,000 kilometers of our dear Earth planet, slightly beyond the orbit of the Moon. However, because of some potential uncertainties and this close proximity, the 2013 YP139 asteroid has classified as a potential threat.

Credit: +NASA / +NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

Stay tuned 

TDRS-L spacecraft encapsulated in its payload at NASA facility in Florida

Credit image : +NASA / Kim Shiflett

Virgin Galactic's third rocket-powered SpaceShipTwo flight at 21 km of altitude !

Dear followers,

+Virgin Galactic successfully completed its third rocket-powered supersonic flight of its passenger carrying reusable space vehicle, SpaceShipTwo (SS2) on Jan. 10, 2014 from the spaceport in the Mojave Desert, soaring to a record 21 km of altitude!

Credit: +Virgin Galactic 

All details of the test flight there : http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/virgin-galactic-reaches-new-heights-in-third-supersonic-test-flight/

Orbital Sciences' Cygnus cargo was berthed and installed with success to ISS

Dear followers,

after its successful lift-off from Earth 3 days ago, the Antares rocket developed by Orbital Sciences released its payload and the Cygnus was berthed and installed with success to the International Science Station. 

Credit image : Orbital Sciences

The module will remain for around one month while the crew of the space station transfers the 1.5 tons of provisions and experiments delivered by the private capsule, Cygnus. Enjoy the video:

Credit : +NASA 

Successful lift-off of the Antares rocket carrying equipments for ISS

Dear followers,

After a decrease of the radiation level which delayed the liftoff this week, the space launch  of the Antares rocket was performed. If you missed the Orb1 rocket launch to the ISS yesterday, enjoy this video 

Credit: +NASA 

Great 2014 picture of Orion nebula taken by amateur photographer

Credit image: Guillaume Doyen

Orb-1 mission of the Antares rocket delayed due to high space radiation environment

Dear followers,

yesterday, we announced that the Antares is already on the launch Pad-0A at +NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. This morning, the Antares launch team decided to delay the space launch due to an unusually high level of space radiation that exceeded by a considerable margin the constraints imposed on the mission to ensure the rocket's electronic systems are not impacted by a harsh radiation environment.

Image source : Orbital Science

The space rocket is in advance of a planned launch on January 8th at 1:32 p.m. EST on the Wallops Island, VA. The Orbital-1 mission is Orbital Sciences' first contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA. Among the cargo aboard Cygnus set to launch to the international space station are science experiments, crew provisions, and other hardware. 

Stay tuned 

[Update] : if the level of radiations moves down, Orbital Sciences announces that the launch could be performed on Thursday, the launch targeted launch time would be 1:10 p.m. (EST), with Cygnus arriving at the ISS Sunday morning, January 12.

The Online Astronomy Society Ezine – Dec 13 / Jan 14

Credits: The Online Astronomy Society