SpaceWatchtower

Monday, June 2, 2014

Astronomical Calendar: 2014 June

Photo
of Buhl Planetarium in Allegheny
Square, Pittsburgh

This photograph shows the Southwestern Pennsylvania World War II Memorial, located a few blocks southwest of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, which was dedicated last December 6, the day before Pearl Harbor Day. June 6 will mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied Forces invaded Normandy in France and began the liberation of Europe during World War II. (Image Source: Friends of the Zeiss)

Astronomical Calendar for 2014 June:

Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/astrocalendar/2014.html#jun

The current month's Astronomical Calendar can also be found on the cover page of the History of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh web site at this link:

Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#astrocal

Source: Friends of the Zeiss.

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

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gaw

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/ >
SpaceWatchtower Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
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:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
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 >

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

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

File:Perseid meteor and Milky Way in 2009.jpg

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.

SpaceWatchtower

Monday, June 2, 2014

Astronomical Calendar: 2014 June

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Thursday, May 29, 2014

NASA 'ForceShoe' to Aid Astronaut Health

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Citizen Scientists To Take Over Old NASA Satellite

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Friday, May 23, 2014

NEW METEOR SHOWER TONIGHT ! w/ Web-Casts

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Jupiter's Great Red Spot Shrinking !

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Celebration Sat.: West End Carnegie Library Renovations Completed

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

Russia to Shut-Down International Space Station in 2020?

2014: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium

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