Fraser Cain, Author at Universe Today

June 25, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Imagining Plants on another Planet

If and when astronomers finally start discovering life on other worlds, they’ll be wondering what kinds of lifeforms are there. They probably won’t have plants as we know them, but there’ll be some kind of life that converts light from the Sun into energy. What would this life look like?

It turns out, the look of the plant life on another planet will depend on the light from the Sun. This is according to new research from Robert Blankenship at Washington University in St. Louis. Plants here on Earth are green because of chlorophyll, which converts solar power into sugars for metabolism. But this isn’t the best molecule. Ideally, you want something black, which absorbs all of the light.

Blankenship is part of a NASA working group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They’re studying the light that comes from stars and extrasolar planets, looking for clues that would hint at extrasolar life. Specifically, they’re looking for elements which are out of balance from what a world should be if it was completely lifeless. For example, here on Earth, the free oxygen in our atmosphere wouldn’t be around if there wasn’t a natural process replenishing it. There’s also a very specific wavelength of light, 700 nanometres out, where there are signs of very intense chlorophyll absorption.

Original Source: Washington University in St. Louis News Release

June 25, 2007January 24, 2021 by Fraser Cain

Astrosphere for June 25, 2007

I hope everyone out there had a great weekend. Here’s what’s happening out in the astrosphere.

Today’s astrophoto is from forum member Perran. It’s a widefield view of nebula IC 1318. Nicely done.

Centauri Dreams has an interesting article about plans to build a giant radio telescope on the far side of the Moon.

Daily Galaxy takes us on a journey to the bottom of the Arctic Ocean to search for mysterious forms of life.

Phil Plait spotlights a new scientific explanation for a mystery that creationists use to discredit the Big Bang.

June 25, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Podcast: Magnetism Everywhere

You probably don’t realize it, but magnetic fields are everywhere. We’re not talking about the magnets in your speakers, your electronic equipment or on the fridge door. We’re talking about the gigantic magnetic fields that surround planets, stars, galaxies and some of the most exotic objects in the Universe.

Click here to download the episode

Magnetism Everywhere – Show notes and transcript

Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.

June 22, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Atlantis Home from STS-117

The space shuttle Atlantis touched down Friday afternoon after a successful mission servicing the International Space Station. Because of bad weather in Florida, the shuttle was delayed a day, and finally re-routed to Edwards Air Force Base in California. It touched down at 3:49 pm EDT.

Over the course of their 14-day mission in space, the astronaut crew installed the new S3/S4 truss to the station, and deployed the new solar wings. They also retracted an older solar array, and performed some other minor fixes.

One of the big concerns was a thermal blanket that dislodged during Atlantis‘ launch. The astronauts tucked the blanket back in during one the mission’s 4 spacewalks. Whether or not the repair was necessary, Atlantis returned through the Earth’s atmosphere without a problem.

The next mission, STS-118, is scheduled for August and will deliver the S5 truss segment to the station.

Original Source : NASA

June 21, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Plans for a Liquid Lunar Telescope

NASA-funded researchers are working on a clever technology that could deploy a gigantic telescope made from rotating liquid… on the Moon! It sounds like science fiction, but they’ve gotten smaller prototypes to work, and the technology should work even better on the lower lunar gravity.

Here’s how it works. Astronauts would deliver the observatory (all folded up) to the Moon during one of their upcoming “return to the Moon” missions. It would unfold into the shape of a telescope mirror made of mesh. The astronauts then pour a reflective liquid onto the mesh. The mesh rotates coating the entire surface in the liquid. Don’t worry about the liquid dripping through the mesh, it actually gets held in place by surface tension.

As telescopes go, this would be a whopper. The current plans call for a 20-metre mirror, but it could theoretically get as big as 100-metres across. This would provide 1000 times the observing power as the James Webb Space Telescope, which still won’t launch for a few more years. That gives it the power to look right back to the very edge of the observable Universe, and see the first generations of stars forming.

Now there’s a reason to send humans back to the Moon.

Original Source: NASA News Release

June 21, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Shuttle Landing Delayed Until Friday

The space shuttle Atlantis was supposed to land Thursday afternoon, but this was called off because of bad weather. The region surrounding the Kennedy Space Center was all thunderstorms.

The next landing opportunity will be 2:18 pm on Friday. If that’s not going to happen, they can try again one orbit later, landing at 3:55 pm. If that doesn’t work, there are three opportunities for Atlantis to land at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast doesn’t look so good: thunderstorms at Kennedy, and high winds at Edwards. Perhaps New Mexico then?

Good luck Atlantis.

Original Source: NASA Update

June 21, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Come on Eta Carinae… Explode Already!

The death watch is on for Eta Carinae, a relatively nearby massive star that’s set to explode as a supernova. The Chandra X-Ray Observatory delivered this beautiful photograph of the star and its surrounding nebula; layers of material that it’s already shed in its death throes.

When it does explode, Eta Carinae is going to be spectacular. It’s thought to have between 100 and 150 times the mass of our own Sun. Not only that, it’s a mere 7,500 light years away. Its brilliant display of fireworks will rival the light of the full Moon, and should be easy to see in the middle of the day; you could read a book by it at night.

So when’s it going to blow? Well, astronomers disagree on this point. The majority think that Eta Carinae has one final stage to go through, called a Wolf-Rayet star. Others think it’s already passed this stage, and it’s ready to go. It could explode tomorrow, or it could be 100,000 years away. Still, that’s a blink of the eye cosmically speaking.

Original Source: Chandra News Release

June 21, 2007January 24, 2021 by Fraser Cain

Carnival of Space #8

The carnival is back in town. Once again, the carnival of space makes its home here at Universe Today. Enjoy the ride…

Let’s start with a some great detective work by Emily Lakdawalla from the Planetary Society Blog. Remember those “puddles on Mars? Perhaps someone should have looked at the evidence better. Emily did.

Advanced Nanotechnology has a good question for you. Why colonize space instead of the Gobi desert? It’s like asking, why not move out of the house when you could just live in your parents’ basement.

When’s the next asteroid strike going to happen? astropixie Amanda Bauer talks about the risks and the damage. Oh, there’s a terrifying Japanese video of the damage that would happen from a really big asteroid strike.

From Tales of the Heliosphere, we have a story about just how connected all life is to the 24-hour cycle. It’s going to make traveling in space very difficult.

The Space Cynics have an idea. Why not use the Fed to lower launch costs?

Does the Moon make you crazy? Can you get… moon madness?

Some astronomy can be done in the day. Thanks to Astroblog, here’s a cool picture of Venus in the daytime, with tips and tricks to find it on your own.

A Babe in the Universe shows how the International Space Station is really taking shape.

Colony Worlds has a great breakdown of all the major players in the private space industry. One of these people may help mankind become a truly space-faring race.

Henry Cate (who started this beloved carnival), has an article about how asteroids could be the next great gold rush, literally.

Think we’ve seen it all? Cumbrian Sky reminds us, we ain’t seen nothing yet.

I’m at the centre of the Universe, and so is Pamela Gay at Starstryder. And so is Gusplex over on Alpha Ecx. How can everybody be at the centre of the Universe.

Bad Astronomer Phil Plait is on an Eta Carinae death watch. Tick tock tick tock…

Alan Boyle from MSNBC’s Cosmic Log is over at Cern right now, learning about the Large Hadron Collider. Oh, I’m jealous.

Centauri Dreams looks at new research working to model extrasolar planetary atmospheres.

And last, but not least, I bring you an interesting theory. Don’t look down, but there might be a microscopic black hole gobbling up the Earth from beneath your feet.

June 20, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Hazy Days on Titan

Here’s a photograph of Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. The image was captured on May 13, 2007 at a distance of approximately 104,000 kilometers (65,000 miles) from Titan, when the spacecraft was on a flyby. The bright clouds on the lower part of the moon show how Titan’s methane atmosphere cycles around.

Original Source: NASA/JPL/SSI News Release

June 20, 2007December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Hubble Delivers Photos of Ceres and Vesta

On July 7, 2007 NASA will launch its next explorer into the Solar System. This spacecraft’s destinations are the asteroids Ceres and Vesta, where it will help answer many unknowns about the formation and structure of these minor planets. As part of the mission, the Hubble Space Telescope captured high resolution images of the two objects, and the photos were released today.

Dawn will go into orbit around Vesta in 2011, spend a few years examining it, and then move on to Ceres. It will arrive at its second destination in 2015. This will make it the first spacecraft to ever orbit two different objects in the Solar System.

So there you go Dawn, take these pictures along, so you’ll recognize the asteroids when you see them.

Original Source: Hubble News Release