Posted on by Ken Kremer

Ed Weiler – NASA Science Leader and Hubble Chief Scientist Retires

Dr. Ed Weiler retired on Sept 30, 2011 as the NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA HQ, Washington, DC after 33 distinguished years at NASA, including 10 years as Chief of all NASA Space Science and nearly 20 years as Chief Scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope. In this photo, Weiler ‘Hugs Hubble' after launch of STS-125 on the final shuttle mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope in May 2009. A happy and relieved Weiler chats post-launch inside the KSC Press Center about Hubble and NASA Space Science. Credit: Ken Kremer

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Ed Weiler, NASA’s Science leader in charge of the robotic missions that continually produce scientific breakthroughs that amaze all humanity and longtime Chief Scientist on the Hubble Space Telescope that has completely revolutionized our understanding of humanities place in the Universe, retired today (Sept. 30) from NASA after a distinguished career spanning almost 33 years.

Weiler is departing NASA during what has been dubbed the “Year of Space Science”- the best year ever for NASA Space Science research. The two most recent successes are the launch of JUNO to Jupiter and the twin GRAIL probes to the Moon. Blastoff of the Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory rover is slated for late November 2011.

Weiler’s official title is associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at agency Headquarters in Washington, DC. In that capacity he was responsible for overseeing NASA’s science and research programs in Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science and astrophysics.

Weiler was appointed to lead SMD in 2008. He holds this position now for the second time after serving in between as Director of NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland from 2004 to 2008. His earlier stint as associate administrator lasted from 1998 to 2004 for what was then called the Space Science Enterprise.

Dr. Ed Weiler, NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Probably the job he loved best was as Chief Scientist of the Hubble Space Telescope from 1979 to 1998, until he was promoted to the top rung of NASA management.

I was very lucky to meet and chat with Ed Weiler while I was covering the final space shuttle flight – STS-125 – to repair and upgrade Hubble. STS 125 blasted off in May 2009 and accomplished every single objective to catapult Hubble to the apex of its capabilities.

At the recent launch of the twin GRAIL lunar mapping probes, I spoke with Weiler about a wide range of NASA missions. Watch for my upcoming interview with Ed.

Weiler is very hopeful that Hubble will continue to operate for several more years at least.

NASA issued this statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, “Ed leaves an enduring legacy of pride and success that forever will remain a part of NASA’s science history. His leadership helped inspire the public with each new scientific discovery, and enabled NASA to move forward with new capabilities to continue to explore our solar system and beyond.”

The successes under Weiler’s leadership include NASA’s great observatory missions, unprecedented advances in Earth science and extensive exploration of Mars and other planets in our solar system. These advances have rewritten science textbooks and earned enormous support for NASA’s science programs from the general public.

The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity are just one example of the science missions approved and funded during Weiler’s tenure.

Weiler’s leadership has been instrumental in securing continued support and funding for NASA Space Science from Congress and the White House. He has received numerous prestigious awards including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and several Presidential Rank Awards for Meritorious Executive and Distinguished Executive.

Ed Weiler remembers Spirit at JPL symposium. Credit: AP
Posted on by Jason Rhian

Book Review: A Dictionary of the Space Age

A Dictionary of the Space Age covers most aspects of space flight but is somewhat lacking in detail. Image Credit: John Hopkins University & Alan Walters/awaltersphoto.com

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Writing a dictionary is not the same as writing a novel. While it might seem difficult to mess up a dictionary, even one with terminology that is as complicated as that used within the space industry – getting it right can be challenging. For those that follow space flight having such a dictionary can be invaluable. While A Dictionary of the Space Age does meet the basic requirements easily it fails somewhat in terms of its comprehensiveness.

When normal folks, even space enthusiasts watch launches and other space-related events (EVAs, dockings, landings and such) there are so many acronyms and jargon thrown about – that it is extremely hard to follow. With A Dictionary of the Space Age on hand, one can simply thumb through and find out exactly what is being said, making it both easier to follow along and making the endeavor being witnessed far more inclusive. That is as long if you are only looking for the most general of terms. The book is far from complete – but given the complex nature of the topic – this might not have been possible.

Crewed, unmanned, military space efforts and satellites – all have key terms addressed within the pages of this book.

The book is published by The Johns Hopkins University Press and was compiled and written by aerospace expert Paul Dickson. One can purchase the book on the secondary market (Amazon.com) for around $12 (new for around $25). The dictionary also has a Kindle edition which is available for $37.76. Dickson’s previous works on space flight is Sputnik: The Shock of the Century.

Weighing in at 288 pages, the book briefly covers the primary terms used within the space community. In short, if you are interested in learning more about space flight – or wish to do so – this is a good book for you.

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: Laser Lightning!

Lightning strikes during a test of a new laser guide star at the Allgäu Public Observatory in Ottobeuren, Germany. Credit: Martin Kornmesser, ESO

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Yikes! This science-fiction-like scene was captured by Martin Kornmesser, a visual artist for the European Southern Observatory. Just as the ESO was testing a new laser guide star unit at the Allgäu Public Observatory in Ottobeuren, Germany, a thunderstorm erupted, throwing down bolts of lightning. The folks at ESO say this is a “very visual demonstration of why ESO’s telescopes are in Chile, and not in Germany.” Although the storm was still far from the observatory, the lightning appears to clash with the laser beam in the sky.

Laser guide stars are one type of adaptive optics astronomers use to correct for the blurring effect of the atmosphere in astronomical observations. The laser creates an artificial guide star 90 kilometers up in the Earth’s atmosphere. The laser in this photograph is a powerful one, with a 20-watt beam, but the power in a bolt of lightning peaks at a trillion watts — although it lasts for just a fraction of a second. Shortly after this picture was taken the storm reached the observatory, forcing operations to close for the night.

See more info at the ESO website.

Posted on by Jason Rhian

James Webb Space Telescope Nearing Completion

The James Webb Space Telescope. Image Credit: NASA/JPL

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The James Webb Space Telescope or JWST has long been touted as the replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope is considered to be the one of the most ambitious space science projects ever undertaken – this complexity may be its downfall. Cost overruns now threaten the project with cancellation. Despite these challenges, the telescope is getting closer to completion. As it stands now, the telescope has served as a technical classroom on the intricacies involved with such a complex project. It has also served to develop new technologies that are used by average citizens in their daily lives.

Although compared to Hubble, the two telescopes are dissimilar in a number of ways. The JWST is three times as powerful as Hubble in its infrared capabilities. JWST’s primary mirror is 21.3 feet across (this provides about seven times the amount of collecting power that Hubble currently employs).

The JWST’s mirrors were polished using computer modeling guides that allowed engineers to predict that they will enter into the proper alignment when in space. Each of the mirrors on the JWST has been smoothed down to within 1/1000th the thickness of a human hair. The JWST traveled to points across the country to assemble and test the JWST’s various components.

Eventually the mirrors were then sent to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Once there they measured how the mirrors reacted at extremely cold temperatures. With these tests complete, the mirrors were given a thin layer of gold. Gold is very efficient when it comes to reflecting light in the infrared spectrum toward the JWST’s sensors.

A comparison of the primary mirror used by Hubble and the primary mirror array used by the James Webb Space Telescope. Photo Credit: NASA

The telescope’s array of mirrors is comprised of beryllium, which produces a lightweight and more stable form of glass. The JWST requires lightweight yet strong mirrors so that they can retain their shape in the extreme environment of space. These mirrors have to be able to function perfectly in temperatures reaching minus 370 degrees Fahrenheit.

After all of this is done, still more tests await the telescope. It will be placed into the same vacuum chamber that tested the Apollo spacecraft before they were sent on their historic mission’s to the moon. This will ensure that the telescopes optics will function properly in a vacuum.

A life-sized model of the JWST was placed on display in Seattle, Washington - it was several stories tall and weighed several tons. Photo Credit: Rob Gutro/ NASA

With all of the effort placed into the JWST – a lot of spinoff technology was developed that saw its way into the lives of the general populace. Several of these – had to be invented prior to the start of the JWST program.

“Ten technologies that are required for JWST to function did not exist when the project was first planned, and all have been successfully achieved. These include both near and mid-infrared detectors with unprecedented sensitivity, the sunshield material, the primary mirror segment assembly, the NIRSpec microshutter array, the MIRI cryo-cooler, and several more,” said the James Webb Space Telescope’s Deputy Project Scientist Jason Kalirai. Kalirai holds a PhD in astrophysics and carries out research for the Space Telescope Science Institute. “The new technologies in JWST have led to many spinoffs, including the production of new electric motors that outperform common gear boxes, design for high precision optical elements for cameras and cell phones, and more accurate measurements of human vision for people about to undergo Laser Refractive Surgery.”

The James Webb Space Telescope encapsulated atop the Ariane V rocket tapped launch it, next to an early image of the telescope. Image Credit: NASA

If all goes according to plan, the James Webb Space Telescope will be launched from French Guiana atop the European Space Agency’s Arianne V Rocket. The rationale behind the Ariane V’s selection was based on capabilities – and economics.

“The Ariane V was chosen as the launch vehicle for JWST at the time because there was no U.S. rocket with the required lift capacity,” Kalirai said. “Even today, the Ariane V is a better tested vehicle. Moreover, the Ariane is provided at no cost by the Europeans while we would have had to pay for a U.S. rocket.”

It still remains to be seen as to whether or not the JWST will even fly. As of July 6 of this year the project is slated to be cancelled by the United States Congress. The James Webb Space Telescope was initially estimated at costing $1.6 billion. As of this writing an estimated $3 billion has been spent on the project and it is has been estimated that the telescope is about three-quarters complete.

Posted on by Tammy Plotner

Free LIVE Broadcast of Comet Garradd On Universe Today – August 22, 2011

Example Of LIVE Image From Bareket Observatory - Viewer Located Inside This Article

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Are you ready for some excitement? How would you like to watch a LIVE broadcast of Comet C2009 P1 Garradd right here on Universe Today?! Thanks to our good friends at Bareket Observatory and clear skies in Israel, we can do just that! Step inside to our virtual observatory…

Before you get upset and think there’s something wrong, there are a few things you must remember about watching a live telescope broadcast. If there are clouds – you will see no image. If the camera isn’t turned on and broadcasting – you will only see the blue “frame” below where the image is meant to be. Because the data load is so huge from the incoming images, it limits itself to refreshing about every 30 to 60 seconds. This means the image will appear static, then reset itself. If you watch for a period of perhaps 10 minutes or so, you will notice appreciable movement against the background stars. The tracking is set on the nucleus of the comet, so the comet won’t appear to move – the background stars will each time it refreshes. There can also be unforeseen glitches, (such as viewer overload) so please be patient! Last… There will be no image until the broadcast time. You don’t have to click anywhere else – when the broadcast is happening it will be right here where you see the frame below.

The live broadcast of Comet Garradd will take place on Monday, August 22 – 2100-0300 local Israel time (UTC+3). To give you some help figuring times, here’s a very brief listing that’s in absolutely no particular order:

  • Shanghai – Tue 2:00 AM – Tue 8:00 AM
  • Sydney – Tue 4:00 AM – Tue 10:00 AM
  • Zurich – Mon 8:00 PM – Tue 2:00 AM
  • Moscow – Mon 10:00 PM – Tue 4:00 AM
  • Rome – Mon 8:00 PM – Tue 2:00 AM
  • London – Mon 7:00 PM – Tue 1:00 AM
  • New York – Mon 2:00 PM – Mon 8:00 PM
  • Mexico City – Mon 1:00 PM – Mon 7:00 PM
  • Vancouver – Mon 11:00 AM – Mon 5:00 PM
  • Honolulu – Mon 8:00 AM – Mon 2:00 PM
  • New Delhi – Mon 11:30 PM – Tue 5:30 AM
  • Johannesburg – Mon 8:00 PM – Tue 2:00 AM
  • Tokyo – Tue 3:00 AM – Tue 9:00 AM
  • Denver – Mon 12:00 Noon – Mon 6:00 PM
  • San Francisco – Mon 11:00 AM – Mon 5:00 PM
  • San Juan – Mon 2:00 PM – Mon 8:00 PM
  • Anchorage – Mon 10:00 AM – Mon 4:00 PM

That having been said, the frame right below these words will be your virtual eyepiece!



Feel free to “take” any images you want and stitch together a video – or post ’em to your favorites sites. If you enjoyed the broadcast, won’t you take a few minutes and thank the hardworking, generous crew at Bareket Observatory? I am very sure they would appreciate it!

Other broadcast footage you might enjoy watching again are: Solar eclipse 2011 Solar Eclipse 2011, Lunar Eclipse 2011 Including Hands-on Activities, and NASA Deep Space Webcast.

Posted on by Jon Voisey

Japanese Astronomy Pushes on After Hard Year

Artists concept of Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft at Venus. Credit: JAXA

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From faulty spacecraft to two damaged facilities, the past year has been a tough year for Japan’s astronomical programs. Yes despite the setbacks, Japan has already begun working to fix every problem they’ve faced in this difficult year.

The troubles started late last year as Japan’s Venus exploring spacecraft, Akatsuki failed to properly enter orbit around Venus. Ultimately, the failure was blamed on a faulty valve that didn’t allow the thruster to fire for the full length of the burn necessary to transfer into the correct orbit. Instead, the craft is now in a wide orbit around the Sun. The organization in charge of the probe, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced earlier this month that they will “attempt to reignite the damaged thruster nozzle” and, if the test goes well, can try again for an orbital insertion in November 2015.

The next setback came with the devastating March 11th earthquake which the facilities being used to study the samples returned from the sample and return mission Hayabusa were damaged. While the particles were safe, the sensitive accelerators that are used to study them suffered some damage. Restoration work is already underway and the teams in charge expect some operations to resume as early as this fall. Other instruments may take until early next year to resume operation. Despite the damage, the preliminary data (done before the Earthquake) has confirmed the particles are from the visited asteroid. They contain minerals such as olivine and iron sulfide contained in a rocky-type asteroid. No organic materials have been detected.

More recently, Japan’s flagship observatory, Subaru atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii, was damaged when coolant leaked onto several instruments as well as the primary mirror, halting operations early last month. According to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) which maintains the telescope, the mirror was washed with water which was successful in restoring its functionality. The primary camera, the Subaru Prime Focus Camera (Suprime-Cam) and its auxiliary equipment were also affected and are currently being inspected. However, the telescope has a second focus, known as a Nasmyth focus. Several instruments which make use of this focus, including the High Dispersion Spectograph, the 188-element Adaptive Optics system, the Infrared Camera and Spectrograph, and the High Contrast Instrument for the Subaru Next Generation Adaptive Optics, were all unaffected. With the cleaning of the mirror and the use of these instruments, the telescope was able to resume operations on the night of July 22.

With any luck, fortunes will continue to improve for Japan and their hard work and dedication can help them to overcome these issues. Ganbatte!

Posted on by Jason Rhian

One On One With Space Shuttle Program’s First Pilot, Robert Crippen

Robert Crippen, the pilot on the very first space shuttle mission, STS-1, stopped and talked with Universe Today during the very last launch of a space shuttle on mission STS-135. Photo Credit: Jim Siegel. Image Courtesy of NASA

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CAPE CANAVERAL Fla. – The shuttle program has drawn to a close. Present at the final flight was one of the two men who rode fire on the very first shuttle mission – Robert Crippen. He sat down and shared his thoughts and perspectives with Universe Today regarding this turning point in aerospace history.

Crippen’s space flight career began alongside moonwalker John Young, who served as commander of STS-1. The orbiter for that flight was Columbia and the mission lasted about two days. Despite the mission’s brief time on-orbit it has come to be known as one of the most audacious test flights in aviation history.

Crippen would go on to fly three more missions on board the shuttle on missions STS-7, STS-41C and STS-41G. He would eventually become the Kennedy Space Center Director from 1992 until 1995 before working in the private sector.

Crippen spoke about one of his current efforts, working with the Coalition for Space Exploration to inspire students to follow careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Photo Credit: Jim Siegel - STS-1 image courtesy of NASA.

Universe Today: Thanks for talking with us today.

Crippen: Thanks for having me.

Universe Today: How do you think people will view the legacy of the shuttle program?

Crippen: “You never really know what history is going to say, but when I look back I’m really proud of the shuttle, its done revolutionary things, not just satellites, and the Hubble Space Telescope, but also the International Space Station, just accomplishment after accomplishment – but we had our share of tragedies as well. When I think of what people will think I always go back to a ‘Brooks and Dunn’ song – ‘You’re going to miss me when I am gone.”

Crippen would go on to command three more shuttle missions, including STS-7, the first flight of a U.S. female astronaut - Sally Ride. Image Credit: NASA

Universe Today: The shuttle that is launching today, is it all that different from what you flew on STS-1?

Crippen: “Airline pilots used to come up and tell us that their planes were better than the shuttle,” Crippen said. “You have to understand why they were saying that, when the shuttle first flew the gauges had little metal arms in them and the shuttle was still using cathode ray tubes – so yes, it is very different from I first flew on in 1981.”

Universe Today: What was it like on that first mission? Did you think with all the new technology and this completely new way of launching to orbit that you were going to go when you did?

Crippen: “I honestly didn’t think we were even going to launch when we did. But when those solids lit I had no doubt in my mind that we were going someplace! The best part was that John’s blood pressure stayed really low, like at around 90 and mine was really high, it was up around 130. All John had to say was that he was too old and his blood pressure wouldn’t go any faster.”

Crippen was not sure that his first flight in 1981 would even take place when it did, when the solid rocket boosters ignited however - all doubt was erased from his mind. Photo Credit: Mike Deep for Universe Today - Inset: Marcus Kilman

Universe Today: Bob you work with the Coalition for Space Exploration (CSE) this organization has put out a couple of well-produced Public Service Announcements lately, what are they about and why are they being released now?

Crippen: “Well, these PSAs try to focus on what I call the ‘spin-offs’ of the space shuttle program. The program has helped to produce or improve everything from heart pumps, how to rescue people out of vehicles after accidents and those types of things which, while important, one of the really important things that the space program does – is inspire.”

Universe Today: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us today, we know that you have a pretty tight schedule.

Crippen: No problem, it was my pleasure.

Crippen was kept very busy on launch day and soon he was off to another interview. As he headed out he turned and stated that he was proud that part of STS-1 (one of the Solid Rocket Booster segments) was flying on this final shuttle mission, he also made a prophetic comment concerning the weather. “You never know how the Florida weather is going to work, but I have a good feeling about today.” Less than an hour later, the final space shuttle mission thundered off of the launch pad – and into history.

Crippen hinted that Florida weather could surprise you. He was correct, despite some last minute drama, the final shuttle mission soared off into the sky. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian
Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

XCOR Lynx Slated to Fly New Suborbital Telescope

Artist rendering of the XCOR Lynx outfitted with the Atsa Suborbital Observatory. Credit: XCOR

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Commercial space company XCOR Aerospace has signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the Planetary Science Institute, laying the groundwork for flying a human-operated telescope on board XCOR’s Lynx spacecraft. The Atsa Suborbital Observatory is a specially designed telescope for use in suborbital space vehicles, and when used with commercial suborbital vehicles, PSI says it will provide low-cost space-based observations above the contaminating atmosphere of Earth, while avoiding some operational constraints of satellite telescope systems.

“The XCOR vehicle design and capabilities work well for hosting the kind of observing facility we are developing,” said PSI Senior Scientist Faith Vilas, the Atsa Project Scientist.

“NASA has been flying suborbital observatories for decades, on unmanned, disposable rockets. The new manned, reusable commercial platforms will allow us to make repeated observations with a single instrument, but without the need to refurbish it between flights,” said Luke Sollitt, and affiliate scientist with PSI and a co-inventor with Vilas of the Atsa Observatory. “In addition, the short turn-around means we can do many observations or targets.”

Atsa means “eagle” in the Navajo language. The facility is optimized for observing solar system objects near the sun that are difficult to study from orbital observatories such as Hubble and ground-based telescopes.

The Lynx flight profile. Credit: XCOR

The Lynx is a two-seat, piloted space transport vehicle, capable of taking humans and payloads on a half-hour suborbital flight to 100 km (330,000 feet) and then return safely to a landing at the takeoff runway, providing 4-6 minutes of weightless flight.

Like an aircraft, Lynx is a horizontal takeoff and horizontal landing vehicle, but instead of a jet or piston engine, Lynx uses its own fully reusable rocket propulsion system to depart a runway and return safely.

The Atsa Observatory will be mounted on the top of the Lynx in an experiment pod. XCOR or PSI did not release the cost per flight, but XCOR’s price for one passenger is $95,000 USD. In contrast, the price for using sounding rockets vary, depending on how high the rocket goes, but some cost as little as $10,000 USD.

“These are natural targets for instruments on suborbital rockets to observe, but a human-tended facility using the kind of reusable launch vehicle offered by XCOR offers significant cost savings,” said Mark Sykes, CEO and Director of PSI, who is also a long-time planetary astronomer and is training to be an Atsa operator.

The Lynx spacecraft will fly to space on a customized flight trajectory and will be capable of precision pointing, allowing the Atsa system with its operator to acquire the desired target and make the planned observations. “We are being approached by many potential customers who are interested in supporting observations of the inner solar system,” Vilas said. “We will also be able to support target of opportunity observations for newly discovered objects and other phenomena.”

“We’re looking forward to flying PSI’s Atsa system on Lynx, it will be a groundbreaking experience. The rapid and flexible operations of the Lynx will enable scientists to pick specific targets of interest and the same day fly multiple tailor made observation missions quickly and inexpensively when they want them to be flown,” said Khaki Rodway McKee, XCOR’s Program Manager.

“We are entering into a new era in the human exploration of space, where private companies like XCOR and PSI will begin to play leading roles in certain areas, beginning with suborbital flight – harkening back to the days of NASA’s Mercury program,” Sykes said.

Andrew Nelson, XCOR’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “Much like the early days of the Internet, mobile communications and social networking revolutions saw new and innovative applications drive commercial multi-billion dollar marketplaces, so we are seeing privately funded efforts like PSI’s Atsa as a key early adopter signaling a robust future for suborbital reusable launch vehicles.”

Source: PSI

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Subaru 8-meter Telescope Damaged by Leaking Coolant

Orange-colored coolant covers the mirror surface of the Subaru Telescope. Credit: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

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A “serious hardware incident” has shut down the Subaru Telescope indefinitely. A leak allowed orange-colored coolant to spill over the primary mirror and into the main camera, as well as into other instruments and the structure of the telescope. The damage is still being assessed. During the clean-up and recovery of equipment, nighttime observations have been suspended, as well as daytime summit tours of the telescope.

An announcement posted on the Subaru telescope website said that operators detected an error signal while shutting down the observation system at the end of the night shift during the early morning of Saturday, July 2, 2011.

When engineers arrived to assess the situation, they found extensive leakage of coolant (ethylene glycol) over most of the entire telescope. The leak originated from the “top unit” of the telescope, which is located at the center of the top ring and includes the Subaru Prime Focus Camera (Suprime-Cam) and auxiliary optics.

Although they promptly shut off the supply of coolant, a significant amount of leakage had already occurred, from the top unit itself down to the tertiary mirror, the primary mirror and some of its actuators, the Faint Object Camera and Spectrograph (FOCAS, a Cassegrain instrument) and its auxiliary optics, and the telescope floor.

The engineers attempted to clean up and remove as much coolant as possible. However, such areas as optics, control circuits, and the inside of Suprime-Cam and FOCAS were inaccessible during the initial clean-up.
The coolant consists of a mixture of water and ethylene glycol, a liquid commonly used in a vehicle’s radiator for cooling. The coolant is not corrosive and does not damage the primary mirror, which has a foundation of glass.

The Subaru Telescope is located on the Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, with offices in the town of Hilo. The Subaru website said they will post updates on the status of the telescope and its recovery.

Source: Subaru Telescope website

Posted on by Tammy Plotner

New Clues To Solving Physics Riddle

Credit: Univeristy of Tokyo

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There are diminutive visitors to Earth. We’ve known about them and measured their presence since the 1960s. When the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) turned on in May, 1999 the world became acutely aware of tiny particles known as solar neutrinos. The facility gathered data for seven years before shutting down and we’ve heard little in the media about neutrinos since. As we know, mass cannot be either created nor destroyed – only converted – so where did it originate? Exciting results produced by the international T2K neutrino experiment in Japan may be key to resolving this riddle.

To understand neutrinos is to understand their flavors: the electron neutrino teamed by particle interactions with electrons, and two additional marriages with the muon and tau leptons. Through research, science has proved these different types of neutrinos can spontaneously change into each other, a phenomenon called ‘neutrino oscillation’. From this action, two types of oscillations have been documented during the T2K experiment, but a new format has come to light… the introduction of electron neutrinos in a muon neutrino beam. This means neutrinos can fluctuate in every way science can possibly dream of. These new findings point to the fact that oscillations of neutrinos and their anti-particles (called anti-neutrinos) could be different. If they are, this could be an example of what physicists call CP violation. This would be a tidy explanation of why our Universe breaks the laws of physics by having more matter than anti-matter.

Unfortunately, the T2K neutrino experiment was disrupted by this year’s devastating Japan earthquake. But the team was prepared and both they – and the equipment – weathered the catastrophe. Before shutting down, six pristine electron neutrino events were recorded where there should have only been 1.5. With odds of this happening only one in one hundred times, the team felt these findings weren’t conclusive to confirm a new physics discovery and so they listed their results as an “indication”.

Prof Dave Wark of STFC and Imperial College London, who served for four years as the International Co-Spokesperson of the experiment and is head of the UK group, explains, “People sometimes think that scientific discoveries are like light switches that click from ‘off’ to ‘on’, but in reality it goes from ‘maybe’ to ‘probably’ to ‘almost certainly’ as you get more data. Right now we are somewhere between ‘probably’ and ‘almost certainly’.”

Prof Christos Touramanis from Liverpool University is the Project Manager for the UK contributions to T2K: “We have examined the near detectors and turned some of them back on, and everything that we have tried works pretty well. So far it looks like our earthquake engineering was good enough, but we never wanted to see it tested so thoroughly.”

Prof Takashi Kobayashi of the KEK Laboratory in Japan and spokesperson for the T2K experiment, said “It shows the power of our experimental design that with only 2% of our design data we are already the most sensitive experiment in the world for looking for this new type of oscillation.”

And we’re looking forward to their findings!

Original Story Source: Science and Technology.