New Mullaney Book: "Celebrating the Universe!"

By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

A new book, Celebrating the Universe!, introduces the reader to the wonders of the celestial heavens, with a focus on the "soul" of the night sky. The author, James Mullaney, is a lifelong astronomer who has served as Curator of Exhibits and Astronomy at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science and Staff Astronomer at the Allegheny Observatory. He was also Director of the DuPont Planetarium on the campus of the University of South Carolina, Aiken.

James Mullaney has authored several books and publications including the classic, The Finest Deep-Sky Objects (with Wally McCall, reprint from the Sky and Telescope Magazine,1978), The Cambridge Atlas of Herschel Objects (with Wil Tirion, 2009), and Star Checking Your Edmund Telescope (1977).

Celebrating the Universe! goes beyond science to explain the personal benefits of communing with the night sky. Perhaps the first book of its kind, this book also goes into little known aspects of stargazing including therapeutic relaxation, celestial meditation, and looking at astronomy from a spiritual perspective.

This travel guide to the stars, available in both paperback and e-book formats, gives the beginning stargazer tips on how to observe the wonders of the night sky. It also explains more about the popular visual objects in the sky including the Sun, Moon, planets, comets, meteors, asteroids, artificial satellites, the many different types of stars, galaxies, and celestial clouds known as nebulae.

More & How to Order Book -
Paperback Book: Link >>> http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=8292
E-Book Format: Link >>> http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=8291

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

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gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
About the Editor/Author: < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#GAW >
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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 >

NASA: Strong Solar Flare Earth Impacts Manageable

Impacts of Strong Solar Flares

May 14, 2013 — Given a legitimate need to protect Earth from the most intense forms of space weather -- great bursts of electromagnetic energy and particles that can sometimes stream from the sun -- some people worry that a gigantic "killer solar flare" could hurl enough energy to destroy Earth, but this is not actually possible.

---

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft captured this image of a solar flare as it erupted from the sun early on Nov 4, 2003. This was the most powerful flare measured with modern methods, classified as an X28. (Credit: ESA and NASA/SOHO)

Solar activity is indeed currently ramping up toward what is known as solar maximum, something that occurs approximately every 11 years. However, this same solar cycle has occurred over millennia so anyone over the age of 11 has already lived through such a solar maximum with no harm.

This is not to say that space weather can't affect our planet. The explosive heat of a solar flare can't make it all the way to our globe, but electromagnetic radiation and energetic particles certainly can.

More - Link >>> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130514083539.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Space+%26+Time+News%29

Sources: NASA, ScienceDaily.com .

Related Blog Post ---

Video: Biggest Solar Flares of Year (2013 May 14):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/05/video-biggest-solar-flares-of-year.html 

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
About the Editor/Author: < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#GAW >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
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 >

Kepler Exoplanet Hunter Spacecraft at Risk

By William Harwood /

CBS News/ May 15, 2013, 5:42 PM

Stalled reaction wheel sidelines Kepler spacecraft

An artist's impression showing the Kepler spacecraft studying a distant sun and an exoplanet crossing in front of the star. Kepler finds planets by monitoring how a star's light dims slightly when a planet passes in front as viewed from Earth. / NASA

Updated 5:42 PM ET

NASA's $600 million Kepler Space Telescope, a leading player in the hunt for Earth-like planets orbiting sun-like stars, has been sidelined by problems with stabilizing gyroscopic reaction wheels needed to hold the spacecraft and its 95-megapixel camera precisely on target, NASA managers said Wednesday.

One of Kepler's four reaction wheels was shut down last July and problems with a second wheel -- No. 4 -- were discovered Tuesday when engineers found the spacecraft had put itself into a protective "safe mode" after running into a problem of some sort. Subsequent commands to spin up the No. 4 wheel were not successful.

While the space telescope is equipped with rocket thrusters for major maneuvers, at least three reaction wheels are needed to precisely orient the spacecraft and keep it accurately aimed at its target starfield.

More - Link >>> http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57584701/stalled-reaction-wheel-sidelines-kepler-spacecraft/

Source: CBS News.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
About the Editor/Author: < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#GAW >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
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 >

Video: Laser Shoots Down Missile

May 11, 2013 09:25 AM ET // by Jesse Emspak 

 

Current missile defenses consist of missiles fired at other missiles. If Lockheed Martin has its way, that may change in a few years, with missiles being shot down by laser beams.

Lockheed’s system is called Area Defense Anti-Munitions, or ADAM. It’s a 10-kilowatt laser that can be fired at a target up to 1.2 miles away, and ADAM can track missiles at up to 3 miles away.

Lockheed tested the system on live missiles last month, and the video (link below) is pretty impressive — a laser destroys a rocket in less than a second at a range of just under a mile.

More - Link >>> http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/laser-shoots-down-missile-130511.htm

Video of laser destroying missile:
Link >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kgUnDeED9MM 

Sources: Lockheed Martin, Discovery Channel News.

Related Blog Post ---

Video: Ship Laser Weapon to be Deployed by U.S. Navy (2013 April 9):

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/04/video-ship-laser-weapon-to-be-deployed.html

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
About the Editor/Author: < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#GAW >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
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 >

Video: Biggest Solar Flares of Year

On May 13, 2013, an X2.8-class flare erupted from the sun -- the strongest flare of 2013 to date. This NASA image shows a close-up of the flare as seen by the Solar Dynamics Observatory in the 131 angstrom wavelength.
CREDIT: NASA/SDO

by Tariq Malik, SPACE.com Managing Editor

Date: 13 May 2013 Time: 12:29 PM ET

A hyperactive sunspot on the surface of the sun has fired off two of the most powerful solar flares of the year in just 24 hours, and promises to unleash more solar storms over the next several days, space weather experts say.

The active sunspot went into overdrive on Mother's Day when it erupted late Sunday night (May 12) with an X-class solar flare, the strongest type of solar storm possible, NASA scientists said in an update. That first eruption registered as an X1.7-class event on the space weather scale, and was followed midday Monday by an even more powerful X2.8 solar flare, which is the third-strongest solar storm in recent years.

Video & More - 
Link >>> http://www.space.com/21118-biggest-solar-flares-sun-eruptions.html

STEM Student Activity: NASA's Space Weather Action Center:
Link >>> http://www.howtosmile.org/record/4277  

Sources: NASA, Space.com .

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss
< http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
About the Editor/Author: < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#GAW >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter:
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Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog:
< http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
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 >

Planetary Triple Conjunction in Sky Coming

Planets Aligning in the Sunset Sky

May 10, 2013:  Sunset is a special time of day.  Low-hanging clouds glow vivid red and orange as the background sky turns cobalt blue. The first stars pop out in the heavenly dome overhead, eliciting wishes from backyard sky watchers.

The sunset of May 26th will be extra special. On that date, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury will gather in the fading twilight to form a bright triangle only three degrees wide.

You don't have to wait until May 26th to enjoy the show, however. The planets start gathering weeks earlier.

A new ScienceCast video previews coming attractions in the sunset sky. Play it

More - Link >>> http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/10may_sunsettriangle/

Source: NASA Science News.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
About the Editor/Author: < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#GAW >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
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 >

Citizen Science: 'Space Warp' Galaxies Search

by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer

Date: 08 May 2013 Time: 07:00 AM ET

Online volunteers at spacewarps.org will learn to spot the telltale signs of a space warp galaxy, which bends light around it like a lens. CREDIT: Space Warps Collaboration

Astronomers are calling for volunteers to help them search for "space warps," rare and distant galaxies that bend light around them like enormous lenses.

Citizen scientists participating in the Space Warps project, which launched May 8, could help shed light on the mysterious dark matter pervading the universe and aid research into a number of other cosmic phenomena, organizers said.

"Not only do space warps act like lenses, magnifying the distant galaxies behind them, but we can also use the light they distort to weigh them, helping us to figure out how much dark matter they contain and how it’s distributed," Phil Marshall, a physicist at Oxford University in England and one of Space Warps' leaders, said in a statement.

More - Link >>> http://www.space.com/21015-space-warp-galaxies-citizen-science.html

Source: Space.com .

Space Warps Project: Link >>> http://www.spacewarps.org

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

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gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
About the Editor/Author: < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#GAW >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
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 >