Monday, August 23, 2021

Citizen Science: Help NASA Identify Clouds & Sky Color

   2nd_last_pic.png

This graphic demonstrates how clouds affect the heating and cooling of the Earth. In general, high clouds hold-in heat from the Sun and warm the planet, while Earth is cooled when low clouds reflect sunlight back into Outer Space. (Graphic Sources: NASA, Zooniverse.org)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

A new Citizen Science project will help NASA scientists identify cloud types, cloud cover, and how blue the sky is at a given time. From the review of sky photographs on-line, Citizen Scientists will help NASA determine how clouds affect the Earth's climate.

The NASA Globe Cloud Gaze (i.e. Community science project Leveraging Online and User Data through GLOBE And Zooniverse Engagement) community science project utilizes photographs taken by GLOBE Citizen Scientists (through the Zooniverse Citizen Science Portal), and then compares Citizen Scientists' descriptions of these photographs with satellite data collected by NASA. NASA scientists expect this will help them map energy flows across the planet and show how clouds influence this flow of energy.

The height of clouds, and the amount of moisture they contain, determine whether the particular cloud helps to warm Earth or cool the planet. In general, high clouds tend to have a warming effect on the planet, as they block infra-red radiation from escaping back into Outer Space after being received from the Sun. While, in general, low clouds tend to have a cooling effect on the planet, as they reflect more sunlight back into Outer Space. (See graphic at the beginning of this blog-post.)

For sky color, scientists are studying the effects of other sky phenomena such as contrails, dust, haze, smoke, and smog. They hope to determine how much this additional sky phenomena affects the heating and cooling of the planet.

You can help NASA with this project by participating in one or more of the three lines of study:

  1. Cloud Cover - Focuses on how much each photograph is covered by clouds.

  2. What Do You See? - Focuses on which cloud types or other sky events (e.g. dust storm or smoke plumes) you observe in the photographs.

  3. Sky Color – Focuses on what is the deepest blue you see in each photograph.

To get started, just go to the NASA Globe Cloud Gaze Internet Web-Site:

Link >>> https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/nasaglobe/nasa-globe-cloud-gaze

 Internet Links to Additional Information ---

Citizen Science Projects: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/FAQ/citizenscience.html

Zooniverse Citizen Science Portal: Link >>> https://www.zooniverse.org/ 

NASA: Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/ 

Science Friday Public Radio Program: Link >>> https://www.sciencefriday.com

 Related Blog-Post ---

"Science Experiments Children & Teens Can Do At Home !" Tue., 2018 June 5.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2018/06/science-experiments-children-teens-can.html

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

                 Monday, 2021 August 23.

                             Like This Post?  Please Share!

           More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
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gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

* Other Walsh Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

 

Monday, August 9, 2021

Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Wed., Thur.

                                 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Perseid_Meteors_and_Comet_Swift-Tuttle.png

This graphic shows the radiant of the Perseid Meteor Shower and the orbit of the parent comet, Comet Swift-Tuttle, compared to the Earth.

(Image Sources: Wikipedia.org, By Aanderson@amherst.edu - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41821851)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

This year's Perseid Meteor Shower, which peaks late this week, is considered the best meteor shower of the year by NASA and most astronomers.

Astronomically, the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower this year occurs Thursday Afternoon, 2021 August 12 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT) / 19:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). However, the best time to watch most meteor showers, including this year's Perseids, is always between local midnight and dawn, when the Earth is rotating into the meteor shower.

So, the best time to view this year's Perseid Meteor Shower is late Wednesday night / early Thursday morning and late Thursday night / early Friday morning.

At the peak time, sometimes up-to 50-to-100 meteors could possibly be seen per-hour, if observing conditions are ideal. Depending on your location, weather conditions, and the condition of your eye-sight, seeing 40-to-60 meteors per-hour would be more likely.

As most meteors are often dim, it is best to view a meteor shower away from city lights, which cause a brightening of the sky at night, and hence, the dimmest meteors are often missed. And, you want to go out ahead of time, before you start actual viewing of meteors, to get your eyes accustomed to the dark sky. Dark-adapting your eyes for meteor watching could take up-to one half-hour.

Also, after your eyes are dark-adapted, do not look at your cellular telephone while looking for meteors. The light you see from your telephone could disrupt your dark-adapted night-vision.

For the Perseid Meteor Shower this year, the Moon will be in a Waxing Crescent Phase, having passed the primary lunar phase of New Moon four days earlier (Sunday, 2021 August 8 at 9:50 a.m. EDT / 13:50 UTC: Lunation #1220); the primary Moon phase of First Quarter will occur on Sunday, 2021 August 15 at 11:19 a.m. EDT / 15:19 UTC. Although a thin lunar crescent will be visible in the early evening, the Moon will set before local midnight. Even during the early evening, there should not be quite as much reflected sunlight from the Moon to obscure the dimmer meteors. Try not to look directly at the Moon, so it does not hinder your dark-adapted eye-sight.

Actually, some meteors from the Perseid Meteor Shower can be seen as early as mid-July and as late as late August (~July 17 to August 24); but they are few and far-between. Most Perseid meteors can be seen three-to-five days before and three-to-five days after the peak time, which is considered, approximately, between August 9 and 14 each year.

Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere are fortunate that the Perseid Meteor Shower arrives during the Summer month of August, when temperatures are comfortable for night-time viewing. However, some locations (such as in the mountains) could be cooler in the early-morning hours. So, be sure to check your local weather forecast (with NOAA Weather Radio, local forecasts on radio, television or local newspapers, or the Internet) and bring a sweater or jacket with you if your location has a cooler forecast.

Be aware that sometimes August can be very humid with poor seeing conditions. And, the closer to the horizon, the worse the seeing conditions could be.

Binoculars and telescopes are not very useful for finding meteors. Meteors streak across the sky in a very brief period of time, too short to aim binoculars or a telescope. So, the best way to view a meteor shower is to lie on the ground (perhaps on a blanket, sheet, or beach-towel—or possibly in a reclining beach or lawn-chair), in an area with a good view of the entire sky (with few obstructions such as buildings, trees or hills, perhaps at a higher elevation), and keep scanning the entire sky with your naked-eyes (one-power).

Meteor showers appear to emanate from a radiant point in the sky. For the Perseid Meteor Shower, the radiant appears to be within the Constellation Perseus, named for the hero of Greek mythology (hence, the name Perseid Meteor Shower). However, you should not, necessarily, be looking only at Perseus, when looking for meteors in this shower.

Meteors can appear in any part of the sky at any time. In fact, looking towards Perseus may not result in finding the best meteors, as meteors coming from the apparent radiant may be seen for a shorter time in the sky, with much shorter sky streaks.

A meteor shower normally consists of dust particles related to a comet. Each time a comet approaches the Sun, the comet loses dust particles following the melting of ice on the comet. These dust particles, called meteoroids, continue to follow the same orbit as the comet and form a meteoroid stream. Each year, as the Earth orbits the Sun, the Earth passes through several of these meteoroid streams, becoming Earth's meteor showers.

The Earth's gravity then attracts many of these meteoroids to fall to Earth, and they are viewed by people as meteors, as they burn-up, often high in the atmosphere. Most are extremely small and burn-up completely. From time-to-time, larger particles enter the atmosphere and create brilliant displays known as fire-balls or bolides. If these particles are large enough, they may not completely burn-up and land on Earth as a meteorite.

Many museums and science centers display meteorites to the general public. From 1939 to 1991, the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center - Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991) displayed the fifth largest fragment of the meteorite that formed Barringer Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona. This large meteorite is now displayed on the second floor of Pittsburgh's Carnegie Science Center, outside the entrance to the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium. Meteorites are also on display in the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Meteors can be seen any night of the year, although they are not predictable and are rare outside of one of the annual meteor showers. The vast majority of meteors that can be seen during the Perseid Meteor Shower originate from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has an orbital period of 133 years, leaving behind a trail of dust and grit. Comet Swift-Tuttle was discovered in 1862 and last returned for Earth viewing in 1992.

Comet Swift-Tuttle measures about 16 miles / 25 kilometers across, much larger than the object that is thought to have fallen to Earth which resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs (about 6 miles / 10 kilometers across) approximately 66 million years ago (after the dinosaurs had lived on Earth for about 165 million years!).

Comet Swift-Tuttle will make a very close approach to the Earth in the year A.D. 4479. Scientists are now studying whether some day Comet Swift-Tuttle could impact the Earth. Comet Swift–Tuttle has been described as "the single most dangerous object known to humanity".

There are two additional meteor showers, which both peaked at the end of July, with some meteors still visible now.

The Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaked at 1:00 a.m. EDT / 5:00 UTC on July 29; these meteors are visible each year between July 12 and August 23. It is not certain which comet originated the Southern Delta Aquariids. This is considered a strong meteor shower, with 15-to-20 meteors visible per-hour, around the peak of shower; fewer would now be visible per-hour.

The evening of July 29 / early-morning of July 30 saw the peak of the Alpha Capracornid meteor shower. The official peak occurred on July 30 at 2:00 a.m. EDT / 6:00 UTC. At the peak time, five meteors per-hour are expected, making the Alpha Capracornids a minor meteor shower; of course, now there would be fewer Alpha Capracornids visible per-hour. The Alpha Capracornids, which originated as remnants of Comet 169P / NEAT, are visible each year from July 3 to August 15.

Another minor meteor shower may be visible to some between August 28 and September 5; the peak is expected August 31 / September 1. The Aurigid Meteor Shower is believed to have originated as remnants of Comet Kless (C / 1911 N1). Astronomers do not know the composition of this meteoric debris. So, it is uncertain how the meteors from this shower may interact with the Earth's atmosphere, and hence, scientists are unsure how visible this shower may be each year.

So in mid-August, the time for viewing is right, and the less moonlight is great. And, of course, with the warm weather most of us experience in the Northern Hemisphere, this time of year, what could be better for viewing meteors?

Of course, meteor showers, like all celestial observations, are weather-permitting. Even a few clouds could obscure quite a few meteors.

If the weather in your area does not permit direct viewing of this meteor shower outdoors, it is possible (but not guaranteed) you may be able to use Google, Yahoo, Bing, Lycos, or your favorite Internet search engine to find special, live-stream web-casts of the meteor shower at one or more sites on the Internet.

A cautionary note for those who find it necessary to watch the meteor shower on the Internet. The video camera, used for each live-stream web-cast, can only aim at one part of the sky at a time. Hence, do not expect to see as many meteors as you might see with your own eyes outside. Outdoors, you can easily scan the entire sky for meteors, while a camera aimed at one area of the sky will only be able to see the meteors that enter that particular field-of-view.

 Internet Links  to Additional Information ----

Perseid Meteor Shower: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseids

Comet Swift-Tuttle: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Swift%E2%80%93Tuttle

Constellation Perseus: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_%28constellation%29

South Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower: Link >>>  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Delta_Aquariids 

Alpha Capracornid Meteor Shower: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Capricornids 

Aurigid Meteor Shower:

Link 1 >>> https://astronomyforbeginners.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/aurigid-meteor-shower-astronomy-for-beginners/ 

Link 2 >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurigids

Meteor Shower: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_shower

Meteor: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid#Meteor

Meteoroid: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid

Meteorite: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid#Meteorites

Fifth largest fragment of the meteorite which struck Barringer Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona, which was displayed (1939 to 1991) at the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991. Today, this meteorite is displayed on the second floor of Pittsburgh's Carnegie Science Center, next to the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/Buhlexhibits.htm#meteorite

Related Blog-Posts ---

Annual Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Tue. Night / Early Wed. Morning." Mon., 2020 Aug. 10.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2020/08/annual-perseid-meteor-shower-peaks-tue.html 


"Tonight's 'Meteor Outburst' w/Web-Casts: 150 Years After Comet-Meteor Shower Link Found." Thur., 2016 Aug. 11.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/08/tonights-meteor-outburst-wweb-casts-150.html

 

"Great Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Wed. Night w/ Web-Casts." Wed., 2015 Aug. 12.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/08/great-perseid-meteor-shower-peaks-wed.html

 

"Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks in Sky & Web-Casts." Tue., 2014 Aug. 12.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2014/08/perseid-meteor-shower-peaks-in-sky-web.html

 

"Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Sun., Mon. Nights." Sat., 2013 Aug. 10.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/08/perseid-meteor-shower-peaks-sun-mon.html

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

                 Monday, 2021 August 9.

                             Like This Post?  Please Share!

           More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
            Link >>> https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower

        Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

                Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
                Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

Sunday, August 1, 2021

Astro-Calendar 2021 Aug. / Update: Boeing Starliner Launch Delayed Indefinitely

 CST-100 Starliner integration with Atlas V for Orbital Flight Test (KSC-20191121-PH-CSH02 0080) (cropped).jpg

Update (2021 Aug. 4): The Boeing Starliner launch has been delayed, indefinitely, until NASA and Boeing can determine the "cause of the unexpected valve position indications on the CST-100 Starliner propulsion system."

More information: Link >>> https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2021/08/03/nasa-boeing-standing-down-on-aug-4-starliner-launch-attempt/

Update (2021 Aug. 3): August 3 Launch of the Boeing Starliner was scrubbed "due to unexpected valve position indications in the Starliner propulsion system" according to NASA. NASA goes on to say "Pending resolution of the forward work, our next available launch opportunity would be 12:57 p.m. EDT / 16:57 UTC on Wednesday, Aug. 4."

More information on the technical problem: Link >>> https://starlinerupdates.com/nasa-boeing-to-delay-starliner-launch/

Boeing CST-100 Starliner space capsule, which is expected to have another, non-crewed test launch on August 3 (back-up launch date August 4). A previous test launch in December of 2019 failed to dock with the International Space Station (ISS). It was originally scheduled to launch on July 30, but that launch was scrubbed at the last minute, due to the ISS being thrown out-of-control by jet thrusters, which inadvertently activated following the addition of a new Russian space station module. The Boeing Starliner is another commercial spacecraft expected to transport NASA astronauts to the ISS, in addition to the SpaceX Crew Dragon. In this photograph, the Starliner is being placed atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V Rocket at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

(Image Sources: NASA, Wikipedia.org, By NASA/Cory Huston - https://www.nasa.gov/feature/boeing-cst-100-starliner-takes-next-step-for-orbital-flight-test (image link), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87867676) 

More info on the Boeing Starliner: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Starliner 

More on the July 30 launch delay: Link >>> https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/space-station-mishap-prompts-nasa-postpone-launch-boeing-starliner-2021-07-29/

Update (2021 Aug. 4): Launch date and time delayed indefinitely.

Update (2021 Aug. 3): Launch date and time ---

NASA Live-Stream coverage of Starliner launch, now scheduled for  NO EARLIER THAN Wednesday, 2021 August 4, 12:57 p.m. EDT / 16:57 UTC (Live-Stream coverage begins 12:00 Noon EDT / 16:00 UTC): Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

Original Launch Date and Time: NASA Live-Stream coverage of Starliner launch, now scheduled for Tuesday, 2021 August 3, 1:20 p.m. EDT / 17:20 UTC (Live-Stream coverage begins 12:30 p.m. EDT / 16:30 UTC): Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive   

Astronomical Calendar for 2021 August ---
Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/astrocalendar/2021.html#aug

 Related Blog Post ---

"Astro-Calendar: 2021 July / Good View of Mercury July 9." Thur., 2021 July 1.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2021/07/astro-calendar-2021-july.html


Source: Friends of the Zeiss.
            Sunday, 2021 August 1.

                             Like This Post?  Please Share!

            More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
            Link >>> https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower

        Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

                Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
                Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc