SpaceWatchtower: May 2014

Thursday, May 29, 2014

NASA 'ForceShoe' to Aid Astronaut Health

- See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/new-double-martian-crater/#sthash.DXbenlUt.dpuf

A new crater appeared sometime between when the MARCI camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took these two snapshots. The dark impact site is about 5 miles (8 km) across.
NASA / JPL / MSSS - See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/new-double-martian-crater/#sthash.DXbenlUt.dpuf

by Andrea Dunn and Charles W. Lloyd for NASA News Washington DC (SPX)

Maintaining astronaut bone and muscle health in microgravity is an ongoing concern for NASA, and now the agency is "forcing" the issue with a new investigation.

On May 29, 2014, NASA will fly the ForceShoe, designed by XSENS, to the International Space Station (ISS) and, although these shoes don't measure the same force of Star Wars lore, they will help NASA collect data for studying the loads, or force, placed on crew member bodies during exercise on the space station's Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED).

To reduce the loss of bone and skeletal muscle strength experienced by astronauts during long duration spaceflight, NASA developed the ARED. The device provides crew members with the ability to perform weight-bearing exercises in space by supplying resistance through the power of vacuum cylinders.

"ARED is a sophisticated exercise device," said Andrea Hanson, Ph.D. and ISS Exercise Hardware Specialist. "Although it has helped NASA provide better health outcomes for crew members, there is still progress to be made in understanding the effects of exercise on bone and muscle health, and the ForceShoe will help us do that."

A small asteroid slammed into the Martian surface sometime between March 27 and 28, 2012, creating a crater swarm in the ground. The largest pit is 159 feet across.
Mars is turning out to be a useful laboratory for impact specialists. Aside from the occasional meteorite spotted by NASA's rovers, cameras on orbiting spacecraft can readily spot new craters in the Martian surface. Sometimes they're seen as splashes of bright, fresh ice against an otherwise drab landscape, and sometimes they create dramatic ray patterns.

These aren't the sorts of serendipitous discoveries that result from some automated image-comparing algorithm. Instead, finding fresh craters still relies on sets of human eyeballs scanning the wealth of spacecraft imagery coming back from the Red Planet.
Such was the case with a fresh impact spotted about two months ago. The telltale evidence wasn't found in the super-high-resolution snapshots of the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Instead, it showed up in the daily "global weather" views returned by MRO's wide-angle Mars Color Imager (MARCI).
- See more at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/new-double-martian-crater/#sthash.DXbenlUt.dpuf

More - Link >>> http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/May_the_Force_Shoes_Be_With_You_999.html

Sources: NASA News, SpaceDaily.com .

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

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Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/ >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
About the SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: < http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/ >
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Also see: South Hills Backyard Astronomers Blog: < http://shbastronomers.blogspot.com/ >
Barnestormin: Writing, Essays, Pgh. News, & More: < http://www.barnestormin.blogspot.com/ >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
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Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
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Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Citizen Scientists To Take Over Old NASA Satellite

International Sun/Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3) / International
Cometary Explorer (ICE) satellite, retired by NASA, may be
reused by interested citizen scientists. (Image Source: NASA)

Thirty-six years ago, NASA launched a disco-era satellite to study solar weather.

The spacecraft went on to discover how solar flares can disrupt communications on earth and also became the first satellite to chase down a comet, flying by Halley's comet in 1986 and confirming it's essentially a giant ball of ice.

But as newer, more sophisticated satellites went into orbit, NASA eventually put the aging bird out to planetary pasture.

Keith Cowing, a Reston, Va. space enthusiast, and a team of 20 convinced NASA to turn the weakened satellite over to their group of space enthusiasts.

"We've sort of taken command of an abandoned spacecraft and we're giving it back to the people who paid for it," Cowing explained.

More - Link >>> http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/reston/2014/05/26/local-space-enthusiasts-race-reach-abandoned-nasa-satellite/9612873/

Source: WUSA-TV 9 Washington DC.

More on the International Sun/Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3) / International
Cometary Explorer (ICE) satellite: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISEE-3

More on the ISEE-3 Reboot Project: Link >>> http://spacecollege.org/isee3/

More on the ISEE-3 Reboot Project from Keith Cowing's NASA Watch Blog ---
NASA Signs Space Act Agreement With ISEE-3 Reboot Project:
Link >>> http://nasawatch.com/archives/2014/05/nasa-signs-spac.html
ISEE-3 Reboot Project Raises $159,502:
Link >>> http://nasawatch.com/archives/2014/05/isee-3-reboot-p-9.html
ISEE-3 Is Not Exactly Where NASA Thought It Was:
Link >>> http://nasawatch.com/archives/2014/05/isee-3-is-not-e.html
ISEE-3 Reboot Team Is Ready To Make First Contact:
Link >>> http://nasawatch.com/archives/2014/05/isee-3-reboot-t.html

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Friday, May 23, 2014

NEW METEOR SHOWER TONIGHT ! w/ Web-Casts

This photograph shows a Perseid meteor striking the sky just to the left of the Milky Way Galaxy. The annual Perseid Meteor Shower in August is normally considered the greatest meteor shower of the year. However, scientists predict that a new meteor shower, with debris related to Comet 209P/LINEAR, could be the strongest meteor shower / storm visible in North America in 2014, expected May 23-24 !

By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Tonight (May 23 to 24) scientists predict the appearance of a new meteor shower, which could be the largest of the year for the Western Hemisphere--or it could be a dud. This is the problem with scientific predictions, particularly for something brand new.

The new meteor shower is predicted to reach its peak Friday night / Saturday morning between 1:00 and 4:00 a.m. EDT (May 24, 5:00 to 8:00 Coordinated Universal Time), when, if the meteor shower is as good as predicted, it could prove to actually be a meteor storm with as many as 200 meteors visible per hour ! However, that would be the maximum visible, and it is more likely that most people would see somewhat less than that, again, if reality meets the current predictions.

And, so long as the weather cooperates. Most meteors are visible from the high atmosphere, so any cloud cover could make most meteors invisible to surface viewers.

Also, for people with a good view of the Moon, after it rises about a half-hour before the end of the predicted peak time period (Moon rise in Pittsburgh May 24: 3:25 a.m. EDT / 7:25 UTC), look for possible meteor impacts on the Moon. Yes, meteor showers affect the Moon at the same time they affect the Earth.

Although it is always very difficult to view a meteor hitting the lighted side of the Moon (unless it is a huge meteor or an asteroid), it may be possible to see meteors hitting a darkened portion of the Moon. The Moon is now a waning crescent phase, which means that more than half of the Moon visible from the Earth is not sunlit. So, it may be possible to see some larger meteors hit this portion of the Moon. So, keep watching the Moon, as you look for meteors.

If the weather does not cooperate where you are viewing, this meteor shower will be web-cast:

Slooh Community Observatory: Link >>> http://live.slooh.com/

Virtual Telescope Project 2.0: Link >>> http://www.virtualtelescope.eu/

The stream of debris that is predicted to cause this meteor shower / storm comes from the faint Comet 209P / LINEAR. This meteor shower will radiate from the far northern Constellation Camelopardalis. So meteors will seem to radiate from the northern part of the sky. However, be aware that during any meteor shower, meteors can appear in any part of the sky at any time!

Although tonight, during the 1:00 to 4:00 hours is predicted to be the peak of this meteor shower, remember that this is just a prediciction. The peak may come earlier or later, depending on variables that may not be currently known. Also, although tonight is predicted to be the peak, some meteors may be visible over the next few days from this shower, but do not expect as many as predicted for tonight.

And, whichever day you choose to watch for meteors during a meteor shower, it is always best to watch between local Midnight and daybreak. This is the time when the Earth rotates into a meteor shower.

More on this meteor shower:
Link >>> http://earthsky.org/tonight/best-times-to-watch-friday-nights-meteor-shower

Source: Glenn A. Walsh, Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Jupiter's Great Red Spot Shrinking !

Jupiter's trademark Great Red Spot -- a swirling anti-cyclonic storm larger than Earth -- has shrunk to its smallest size ever measured.

According to Amy Simon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, recent NASA Hubble Space Telescope observations confirm the Great Red Spot now is approximately 10,250 miles across, less than half the size of some historical measurements. Astronomers have followed this downsizing since the 1930s.

Images of Jupiter's Great Red Spot taken by the Hubble Space Telescope over a span of 20 years show that the Great Red Spot is shrinking.

Beginning in 2012, amateur observations revealed a noticeable increase in the rate at which the spot is shrinking -- by 580 miles per year -- changing its shape from an oval to a circle.

More - Link >>> http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/15may_grs/

Source: NASA Science News.

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Celebration Sat.: West End Carnegie Library Renovations Completed

Historic West End Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
(Image Source: Friends of the Zeiss; Photographer: Lynne S. Walsh)

By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Renovations have been completed on the 115-year-old West End Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. A community celebration for the reopening of the historic Library branch will occur this Saturday, 2014 May 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT (the ceremonial ribbon-cutting is slated for 10:15 a.m.). The West End Branch Library is located at 47 Wabash Street, in the heart of the business district of Pittsburgh's West End Valley.

The West End Branch Library closed seven months ago to undergo a $1.7 million renovation. Handicapped accessibility is one of the major improvements to the building with the completion of a new elevator. Other improvements include a new slate roof and refurbished windows.

And, for the first time, the West End Branch Library will be air-conditioned. Until now, the West End Branch Library has been one of the few, original Andrew Carnegie-built library branches that has had to close on extremely hot days during the Summer months. Now, the West End Branch will be open six days a week, throughout the year, except on holidays.

The renovations were paid for from capital campaign funds raised by The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

The Saturday community celebration includes a ribbon-cutting scheduled for 10:15 a.m., tours of the renovated library guided by members of Friends of the Library and the West End History Club, and a performance by the Pittsburgh Musical Theatre, which is based in the West End. There will also be a 3-D Printing Demonstration, as well as crafts activities, and activities for teenagers. Cake and light refreshments will be provided.

The West End Branch Library, opening to the public on 1899 January 31, was the second neighborhood branch library constructed of the original eight branch libraries built by Andrew Carnegie in Pittsburgh. In his letter to the Mayor and City Councils on 1890 February 6, Andrew Carnegie offered these library buildings to the City and said, “All of these should be thoroughly fireproof, monumental in character and creditable to the city.” Andrew Carnegie provided these wonderful buildings to be monuments of literacy and learning for each of the neighborhoods where they were built, each to be recognized by the people as a special place where a person can improve their lot in life.

The West End Branch Library is the second library to house a specifically-designed and constructed library Children’s Room, the first being the Lawrenceville Branch (the first Carnegie Library city branch and prototype for city branch libraries constructed by Andrew Carnegie) on 1898 May 10. Not far from the West End in the Borough of Carnegie, the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall opened the first specifically-designed and constructed library Children’s Room in a suburban library on 1901 May 1.

Story hours for children had their beginning at the West End Branch Library. Charlotte Keith tried storytelling as an experiment. She got the idea from kindergartens which were just opening throughout the country. Youngsters at the branch liked the stories, and soon the Carnegie Library Main Branch and other libraries all over the United States copied her plan.

In the Lower Level meeting room, a Library custodian painted pictures of children’s literature fictional characters on the doors to several cabinets, in the 1950s.

The West End Branch, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, was designated a City-Designated Historic Structure (nominated by the late Walter Kidney of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation) by the City of Pittsburgh, by a unanimous vote of Pittsburgh City Council on 2004 July 14. Last year, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation granted a historic plaque to be placed on the Library building; the Friends of the Library is now raising funds to purchase the plaque. And, the Friends of the Library is planning to seek recognition for the historic Library on the National Register of Historic Places.

More on the Library's Community Celebration:
Link >>> http://www.carnegielibrary.org/events/details.cfm?event_id=104267

Official Library Web Site: Link >>> http://www.clpgh.org/locations/westend/

Source: Glenn A. Walsh, Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss. The author is a member of the Friends of the Library for the West End Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The author also served as a Life Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in the nearby Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie Borough, from 1995 to 2000.

Related Blog Posts ---

Historic Plaque Sought: West End Branch, Carnegie Library (2012 Oct. 25):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/historic-plaque-sought-west-end-branch.html

Buhl Planetarium Chick Curator Revisits Chickens at Carnegie Library (2012 April 11):
Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/04/buhl-planetarium-chick-curator-revisits.html

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Russia to Shut-Down International Space Station in 2020?

The International Space Station.
(Image Source: NASA)

By Clara Moskowitz

Russia-U.S. political tensions have officially reached space, the one area where the two countries have historically enjoyed a strong and productive working relationship.

In response to U.S. sanctions over Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced Tuesday that his country would not allow the International Space Station to operate beyond 2020, according to reports. Russia will also stop providing engines to power Atlas V rockets used to launch U.S. military satellites, Rogozin said.

The space station is the crowning achievement of Russian-U.S. cooperation in space—a football field-sized, $100-billion behemoth that America had hoped would operate until 2024. The station is a patchwork of U.S. modules attached to Russian modules, with the odd Japanese and European rooms added in, and it is unclear whether any country could operate the facility without the cooperation of all the partners. The U.S., Rogozin pointed out, is particularly at a disadvantage because it relies on Russian rockets to ferry NASA astronauts to and from the orbiting lab. We currently lack a means of transporting humans to low-Earth orbit on our own.

The effect of this pronouncement on current joint space activities remains to be seen. “Part of me thinks it is posturing,” says Roger Launius, associate director for collections and curatorial affairs at the National Air and Space Museum. “They’re talking about beyond 2020. There’s a world of time between now and then.”

For now, NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency are cooperating as usual.

More - Link >>> http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/russia-to-close-space-station-in-2020/?&WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20140514

Source: Scientific American Magazine.

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Web-Cast: Moon Occults Saturn Wed. Morning

Simulation of the moon closing in on Saturn just prior to occultation. Credit: Gianluca Masi using SkyX software

Simulation of Saturn about to be occulted, when the Moon completely obscures the view of the
ringed-planet Wednesday morning, viewable in Australia and New Zealand or on the Internet.
(Image Source: UniverseToday.com )

By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Wednesday morning there will be the occultation of the ringed-planet Saturn by a nearly Full Moon. This event will be visible in Australia and New Zealand, but also can be seen on the Internet at this link:

The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0: Link >>> http://www.virtualtelescope.eu/webtv/

The Internet web-cast will begin on Wednesday morning (2014 May 14) at 6:15 a.m. EDT / 10:15 Coordinated Universal Time.

An occultation occurs when a closer object completely covers or obscures a more distant object. The Moon, being so close and so large in our sky, often occults stars and occasionally planets. However, occasionally a planet can also occult a star.

When a star is occulted, the star disappears in an instant, and then reappears in an instant, as the star appears as a pin-point of light due to its great distance from the Earth. However, when a much closer planet such as Saturn, with its wider ring system, is occulted, it takes a little more time for the Moon to completely obscure the planet and rings. This is what will make this occultation more interesting for viewers.

More information from UniverseToday.com :
Link >>> http://www.universetoday.com/111836/saturn-disappears-behind-the-full-flower-moon-may-14-watch-it-live/

Source: Glenn A. Walsh, Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Saturday, May 10, 2014

New USAF 'Space Fence' to Track Space Junk by 2019

A computer image generated by NASA shows objects orbiting Earth, including those in geosynchronous orbit at a high altitude. The objects are not to scale. (NASA)

A computer image generated by NASA shows objects, or “space junk,” orbiting Earth. A new “Space Fence” — a radar system that projects a wall of energy into space to track space debris — could potentially help protect astronauts from catastrophic events like those portrayed in the 2013 film “Gravity.” (NASA)

By Kevin Sullivan

In the blockbuster film “Gravity,” astronauts became stranded, floating in orbit after “space junk” hit their mission at a heart-racing speed. While the film is more science fiction than fact, there are huge concerns about all the debris in the Earth’s orbit, and how that could affect satellite systems.

Sixty years of activity in space have resulted in about 500,000 pieces of space debris. The detritus ranges from left-over pieces of rockets to a glove that an astronaut dropped in 1965. All of that material has the potential to collide with the 1,100 satellites over the Earth.

The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a hearing Friday on how to monitor and reduce the space junk. The Air Force is expected to award a contract in the next few weeks for a “Space Fence.” The fence isn’t really a fence. It’s a radar system that projects a wall of energy into space to track all the bits of junk floating around.

The Air Force shut down its old space fence last year, citing budget concerns. The new fence, expected to come online in 2019, would be even more powerful, with the ability to track objects 5 centimeters in size and larger.

More - Link >>> http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/05/09/new-space-fence

Source: "Here and Now" WBUR-FM Boston / National Public Radio.

Related Blog Posts ---

Space Junk Tracking to be Hindered by Shutdown of USAF 'Space Fence' (2013 Aug. 15):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/08/space-junk-tracking-to-be-hindered-by.html

Sequestration: Cuts to USAF 'Space Fence' Tracking Space Junk ? (2013 April 16):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/04/sequestration-cuts-to-usaf-space-fence.html

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Former Buhl Planetarium Staffer Creates Fringe Festival

(Image Source: http://www.pghfringe.org/ )

By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Dan Stiker, a former employee of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), has founded the first Pittsburgh Fringe Festival, which starts its second and last weekend May 8.

Like Fringe Festivals in other cities, the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival is an unjuried performing arts festival, with performances throughout the coming weekend in multiple venues in Shadyside and Oakland, generally along the Ellsworth Avenue corridor. According to their web site, "Fringe shows are on the fringe (pun intended) of mainstream theatre."

Twenty-two performances, from artists throughout the nation although many are local, are slated for the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival, supported in part by the Sprout Fund, which began May 2 and continues through Mothers' Day. Fringe works, which usually last less than an hour, consist of edgy, self-contained shows including one-person shows, storytelling, and puppetry, as well as traditional plays such as one inspired by Shakespeare.

Other American cities with Fringe Festivals include San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Washington, DC. The first Fringe Festival occurred in 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In addition to being Founder of the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival, Mr. Stiker serves as the Executive Artistic Director of the event. After graduating from North Hills High School and studying theater at Point Park University, Mr. Stiker worked as a performer, stage manager, and director with the popular The Beggars Group theater company, which played mainly "off-off Broadway houses" in New York City.

After returning to Pittsburgh, he co-founded Blankspace Arts, as well as working as an actor, director, and light designer for the Stage 62 theatrical troupe, which performs in the Music Hall of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall located at the corner of Broadway and Beechwood Avenue in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mr. Stiker served as a Floor Aide at Buhl Science Center, where he presented science demonstrations to the public, as well as assisting in Buhl's Astronomical Observatory.

More on the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival ---

Official Web Site: Link >>> http://www.pghfringe.org/

Pittsburgh City Paper article:
Link >>> http://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/dan-stiker-gives-pittsburgh-its-first-fringe-festival/Content?oid=1748005

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article:
Link >>> http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/theater-dance/2014/04/30/Fringe-festival-adds-to-local-theater-options/stories/201404300040

WESA-FM 90.5 "Essential Pittsburgh" Radio Interview with Dan Stiker on 2014 May 7:
Link >>> http://wesa.fm/post/why-pittsburghs-theater-scene-ideal-fringe-festival

Source: Glenn A. Walsh, Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Monday, May 5, 2014

The Real May Day: Mid-Spring

Image of our Sun from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite. The word Beltane, which is the Gaelic May Day festival, literally means "brilliant fire" in reference to the Sun. (Image Source: NASA)

By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

May 5, which marks the Mexican "Cinco de Mayo" celebration, as well as the beginning of International Astronomy Week, is also the true "May Day." The true mid-point in the Spring season comes on May 5 at 9:54 p.m. EDT / May 6, 1:54 Coordinated Universal Time.

The Celts originally celebrated Beltane as their mid-Spring festival on April 30 or May 1. Today, we continue this tradition with May Day celebrated on May 1. In modern times, May Day is often celebrated as International Labor Day, although America celebrates their Labor Day on the first Monday in September.

However, due to several changes in our calendar over the centuries, the true mid-point in Spring comes on May 5, in the mid-evening in 2014.

May Day is the second cross-quarter day of the year, the mid-point of a calendar season. Other traditional cross-quarter days are February 2 (best known as Groundhog Day), August 1, and October 30 / November 1, 2 (best known as Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, respectively). As with May Day, the true cross-quarter days of the other three seasons also come a few days after the traditional cross-quarter days.

More on --

May Day: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_day
Beltane: Link 1 >>> http://www.clarkfoundation.org/astro-utah/vondel/crossquartermay.html
Link 2 >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane
Cross-Quarter Day : Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-quarter_day
Astronomy Week & Day: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy_Day
Cinco de Mayo Celebration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_mayo

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friend of the Zeiss.

Special Thanks: Eric G. Canali, former Floor Manager of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science and Founder of the South Hills Backyard Astronomers amateur astronomy club.

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Very Strong Solar Storm Narrowly Misses Earth

Last month (April 8-11), scientists, government officials, emergency planners and others converged on Boulder, Colorado, for NOAA's Space Weather Workshop—an annual gathering to discuss the perils and probabilities of solar storms.

The current solar cycle is weaker than usual, so you might expect a correspondingly low-key meeting. On the contrary, the halls and meeting rooms were abuzz with excitement about an intense solar storm that narrowly missed Earth.

"If it had hit, we would still be picking up the pieces," says Daniel Baker of the University of Colorado, who presented a talk entitled The Major Solar Eruptive Event in July 2012: Defining Extreme Space Weather Scenarios.

A new ScienceCast video recounts the near-miss of a solar superstorm in July 2012. Play it

The close shave happened almost two years ago. On July 23, 2012, a plasma cloud or "CME" rocketed away from the sun as fast as 3000 km/s, more than four times faster than a typical eruption. The storm tore through Earth orbit, but fortunately Earth wasn't there. Instead it hit the STEREO-A spacecraft. Researchers have been analyzing the data ever since, and they have concluded that the storm was one of the strongest in recorded history. "It might have been stronger than the Carrington Event itself," says Baker.

The Carrington Event of Sept. 1859 was a series of powerful CMEs that hit Earth head-on, sparking Northern Lights as far south as Tahiti. Intense geomagnetic storms caused global telegraph lines to spark, setting fire to some telegraph offices and disabling the 'Victorian Internet." A similar storm today could have a catastrophic effect on modern power grids and telecommunication networks. According to a study by the National Academy of Sciences, the total economic impact could exceed $2 trillion or 20 times greater than the costs of a Hurricane Katrina. Multi-ton transformers fried by such a storm could take years to repair and impact national security.

More - Link >>> http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/02may_superstorm/

Source: NASA Science News.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Friday, May 23, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Historic Plaque Sought: West End Branch, Carnegie Library (2012 Oct. 25):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/historic-plaque-sought-west-end-branch.html

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Space Junk Tracking to be Hindered by Shutdown of USAF 'Space Fence' (2013 Aug. 15):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/08/space-junk-tracking-to-be-hindered-by.html

Sequestration: Cuts to USAF 'Space Fence' Tracking Space Junk ? (2013 April 16):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/04/sequestration-cuts-to-usaf-space-fence.html

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Thursday, May 8, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Monday, May 5, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Saturday, May 3, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Thursday, May 1, 2014

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium