GRAIL-A spacecraft achieved Lunar Orbit Insertion on New Year’s Eve.
Artists concept shows twin GRAIL spacecraft orbiting the Moon. The twin GRAIL spacecraft will fly in tandem to map the moon's gravity field with unprecedented precision to unlock hidden secrets about the moons interior composition, determine if it possesses an inner core, and yield a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed. Credit: NASA
See exclusive JPL Mission Control photos below

Jan 1 GRAIL-B Update – from Jim Green at JPL Mission Control at 5:44 PM EDT:
“Now we have them both in orbit. What a great feeling!!!!” Cheers at JPL

Cheers erupted after the first of NASA’s twin $496 Million Moon Mapping probes entered orbit on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) upon completion of the 40 minute main engine burn essential for insertion into lunar orbit. The small GRAIL spacecraft will map the lunar interior with unprecedented precision to deduce the Moon’s hidden interior composition.

“Engines stopped. It’s in a great initial orbit!!!! ”

- NASA’s Jim Green told Universe Today, just moments after verification of a successful engine burn and injection of the GRAIL-A spacecraft into an initial eliptical orbit. Green is the Director of Planetary Science at NASA HQ and was stationed inside Mission Control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Ca (see photos below).

“Pop the bubbly & toast the moon! NASA’s GRAIL-A spacecraft is in lunar orbit,” NASA tweeted (...)
Read the rest of First GRAIL Twin Enters Lunar Orbit – NASA’s New Year’s Gift to Science (971 words)

© Ken Kremer for Universe Today, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: GRAIL, GRAIL Lunar mission, gravity mapping, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Moon, Moon core, NASA

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2011 - NASA's Year of the Solar System - The Story of How We Came to Be!
Asteroid Vesta from Dawn - Unveiling a Former Fuzzy Blob with Exquisite Clarity
NASA's Dawn spacecraft achieved orbit at the giant asteroid Vesta in July 2011. The depiction of Vesta is based on images obtained by Dawn's framing cameras. Dawn is an international collaboration of the US, Germany and Italy. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A year ago, 2011 was proclaimed as the “Year of the Solar System” by NASA’s Planetary Science division. And what a year of excitement it was indeed for the planetary science community, amateur astronomers and the general public alike !

NASA successfully delivered astounding results on all fronts – On the Story of How We Came to Be.

“2011 was definitely the best year ever for NASA Planetary Science!” said Jim Green in an exclusive interview with Universe Today. Green is the Director of Planetary Science for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA HQ. “The Search for Life is a significant priority for NASA.”(...)
Read the rest of 2011: Top Stories from the Best Year Ever for NASA Planetary Science! (2,408 words)

© Ken Kremer for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 1 Ceres, 4 vesta, Cassini Saturn, Comet Tempel 1, Comet Wild 2, Curiosity Rover, Dawn Asteroid Orbiter, deep impact mission, Earth, GRAIL Lunar mission, Juno mission, Jupiter, Main Asteroid Belt, Mars, Mars Rovers, Mars Science Laboratory, Mercury, Mercury MESSENGER, Moon, NASA, Opportunity Rover, Search for Life, stardust mission, STARDUST-NExT

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Today's Journal Club is about a new addition to the Standard Model of fundamental particles.

According to Wikipedia, a Journal Club is a group of individuals who meet regularly to critically evaluate recent articles in the scientific literature. Since this is Universe Today if we occasionally stray into critically evaluating each other’s critical evaluations, that’s OK too.

And of course, the first rule of Journal Club is… don’t talk about Journal Club. So, without further ado – today’s journal article is about a new addition to the Standard Model of fundamental particles.(...)
Read the rest of Journal Club – This new Chi b (3P) thingy (374 words)

© Steve Nerlich for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: large hadron collider

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Artist's conception of a terraformed Mars. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

As we continue to explore farther out into our solar system and beyond, the question of habitation or colonization inevitably comes up. Manned bases on the Moon or Mars for example, have long been a dream of many. There is a natural desire to explore as far as we can go, and also to extend humanity’s presence on a permanent or at least semi-permanent basis. In order to do this, however, it is necessary to adapt to different extreme environments. On the Moon for example, a colony must be self-sustaining and protect its inhabitants from the airless, harsh environment outside.

Mars, though, is different. While future bases could adapt to the Martian environment as well, there is also the possibility of modifying the surrounding environment instead of just co-existing with it. This is the process of terraforming – essentially trying to tinker with Mars’ atmosphere and environment to make it more Earth-like. Although still a long ways off technologically, terraforming the Red Planet is seen as a future possibility. Perhaps the bigger question is, should we?

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Read the rest of Should We Terraform Mars? (645 words)

© Paul Scott Anderson for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 156 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Mars, Terraforming

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The first annotated neutrino event. Image credit: Argonne National Laboratory

Earlier this year, an international team of scientists announced they had found neutrinos — tiny particles with an equally tiny but non-zero mass — traveling faster than the speed of light. Unable to find a flaw themselves, the team put out a call for physicists worldwide to check their experiment. One physicist who answered the call was Dr. Ramanath Cowsik. He found a potentially fatal flaw in the experiment that challenged the existence of faster than light neutrinos. (...)
Read the rest of Slower than Light Neutrinos (578 words)

© Amy Shira Teitel for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Physics

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January Sky Northern Hemisphere Credit: Adrian West

January brings us striking views of the night skies! You’ll be able to see well known constellations during the long hours of darkness in the Northern hemisphere, with crisp cold skies. This is an ideal time to get out and look at the wonders of the night sky as there is so much to see for the beginner and seasoned astronomer alike.

You will only need your eyes to see most of the things in this simple guide, but some objects are best seen through binoculars or a small telescope.

So what sights are there in the January night sky and when and where can we see them?(...)
Read the rest of Night Sky Guide: January 2012 (1,067 words)

© Adrian West for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: January, Observing

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When and where will Russia’s Phobos-Grunt satellite crash back to Earth? It’s too early to tell, but the engineers from Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) have put together an animation which recaps what has happened with the spacecraft so far, and what is expected to occur during the uncontrolled re-entry.
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Read the rest of Video: Phobos-Grunt Re-Entry Animation (248 words)

© nancy for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI), Phobos-Grunt

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Screenshot of the Distant Suns version 3.

With the plethora of mobile apps now available for astronomy applications, it’s hard to keep track of them all. Thanks to astronomer Andy Fraknoi and the American Astronomical Society there’s now a catalog for that. “This catalog is a first attempt to make a list of those of particular interest to astronomy educators,” wrote Fraknoi.

The catalog, published by the Astronomy Education Review, includes a short description and reviews of some — but not all — the apps to help people distinguish which app will best cover their needs. However, “the number of apps is fast outpacing the ability of reviewers to keep up,” Fraknoi said, adding that suggestions and additions for this catalog are most welcome.

Click here to access the app catalog.

© nancy for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: AAS, Astronomy Apps

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The stellar stream in the halo of the nearby dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 4449 is resolved into its individual starry constituents in this exquisite image taken with the 8.2-meter Subaru Telescope and Suprime-Cam. Image credit: R. Jay GaBany and Aaron J. Romanowsky (UCSC) in collaboration with David Martinez-Delgado (MPIA) and NAOJ. Image processed by R. Jay GaBany

Dark matter… It came into existence at the moment of the Big Bang. Within its confines, galaxies formed and evolved. If you add up all the parts contained within any given galaxy you derive its mass, yet its gravitational effects can only be explained by the presence of this mysterious subatomic particle. It would be easy to believe that the larger the galaxy, the larger the amount of dark matter should be present, but new research shows that isn’t so. Dwarf galaxies have even higher proportions of dark matter than their larger counterparts. Although the dwarfs are the most common of all, we know very little about them – even when they consume each other. Enter the star stream… (...)
Read the rest of Little Galaxies Are Big on Dark Matter (574 words)

© tammy for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dark Matter Mergers, Dwarf Galaxy Mergers, Dwarf Starburst Galaxy, Suburu Telescope

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Comet Lovejoy (C/2011 W3) Esperance WA (27-12-2012) from Colin Legg on Vimeo.

Colin Legg from Esperance, Australia has been documenting Comet Lovejoy’s holiday gift to the southern hemisphere, and this is his latest — and possibly last — timelapse, as the comet has started to fade. This one covers almost 5 hours of Legg’s Comet Lovejoy views as seen during the early morning hours of December 27, 2011. “I used a tracking device to track in azimuth only to maximize coverage,” Legg said. “If you look closely at the head in the 2nd half you can see it moving against the stars.”

© nancy for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Astrophotos, Comet Lovejoy, Comets, Timelapse, Videos

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NASA’s Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover blasts off on Nov. 26. NASA's 1 ton Curiosity Mars rover soars skyward lift bound for Mars atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 10:02 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. Credit: Alan Walters/awaltersphoto.com

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Science Lab (MSL) rover is speeding away from Earth on a 352-million-mile (567-million-kilometer) journey to Mars following a gorgeous liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 10:02 a.m. EST on Nov. 26.

Enjoy the gallery of Curiosity launch images collected here from the Universe Today team and local photographers as well as NASA and United Launch Alliance. (...)
Read the rest of Curiosity Mars Rover Launch Gallery – Photos and Videos (624 words)

© Ken Kremer for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Atlas V, cape canaveral, Curiosity, Curiosity Rover, Gale crater, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), kennedy space center, Mars, Mars Rovers, Search for Life, United Launch Alliance

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Maspalomas station hosts a 15-metre antenna with reception in S- and X-Band and transmission in S-band. It is located on the campus of the Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial (INTA), in the southern part of the Canary Islands' Gran Canaria, at Montaña Blanca.Credit: ESA

Editor’s note: Dr. David Warmflash, principal science lead for the US team from the LIFE experiment on board the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, provides an update on the mission for Universe Today.

As part of an effort to improve communication with the Russian Space Agency’s Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, modifications are being made to a 15-meter dish antenna at Maspalomas station. Located in the Canary Islands off the Atlantic coast of North Africa, the station provides tracking, telemetry, and other functions in support of the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Last week, ESA succeeded in communicating with Phobos-Grunt on two successive days after a feedhorn antenna was added to an antenna near Perth, Australia similar to the facility in Maspalomas. Although this enabled the downloading of spacecraft telemetry, attempts later in the week to make renewed contact failed. After no attempts were made over the weekend, commands aimed at getting the spacecraft to boost its orbit were sent yesterday, also from Perth, but tracking this morning revealed that the commands had not been executed.
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Read the rest of Canary Islands Antenna Being Modified to Boost Signal to Struggling Russian Mars Probe (303 words)

© David Warmflash for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: David Warmflash, Mars, Missions, Phobos-Grunt

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The landing site of Viking 1 on Mars in 1977, with trenches dug in the soil for the biology experiments. Credit: NASA/JPL

One of the most controversial and long-debated aspects of Mars exploration has been the results of the Viking landers’ life-detection experiments back in the 1970s. While the preliminary findings were consistent with the presence of bacteria (or something similar) in the soil samples, the lack of organics found by other instruments forced most scientists to conclude that the life-like responses were most likely the result of unknown chemical reactions, not life. Gilbert V. Levin, however, one of the primary scientists involved with the Viking experiments, has continued to maintain that the Viking landers did indeed find life in the Martian soil. He also now thinks that the just-launched Curiosity rover might be able to confirm this when it lands on Mars next summer.

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Read the rest of Could Curiosity Determine if Viking Found Life on Mars? (437 words)

© Paul Scott Anderson for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Astrobiology, Curiosity, Mars, Viking

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I’m going to put on a different hat here and post something about the “other” website that’s been keeping me busy for the past three years, the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast. Our team is proud to announce that the podcast is continuing for another year in 2012. So, if you’ve been considering contributing a podcast to the 365 Days of Astronomy but just haven’t gotten around to it yet, here’s your chance.

I’ve said this before, but as far as we can tell, 365 Days of Astronomy is the most popular and successful user-generated podcast ever, as each podcast is heard thousands of times. If you’re looking to share your experiences, thoughts, feelings, discoveries, or anything about space and astronomy, this is an opportunity to find your voice and an audience to listen.
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Read the rest of 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast to Continue for its 4th Year in 2012 (613 words)

© nancy for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 365 Days of Astronomy podcast, Podcasts

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A green laser was used to guide the invisible infrared beam from La Palma to Tenerife as part of an experiment to test a new satellite concept for measuring atmospheric greenhouse gases and turbulence. Credits: ESA

It may have looked like a futuristic scene from Star Wars, but ESA’s latest technique for aiding space exploration might shed some “green light” on greenhouse gases. A recent experiment involving the Spanish Canary Islands was conducted by shooting laser beams from a peak on La Palma to Tenerife. The two-week endeavor not only increased the viability of using laser pulses to track satellites, but increased our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere. (...)
Read the rest of “Star Wars” Laser Methods Tracks Greenhouse Gases (494 words)

© tammy for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Earth Atmosphere. Green Laser. Infrared Spectroscopy, greenhouse gases

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Cygnus X hosts many young stellar groupings, including the OB2 and OB9 associations and the cluster NGC 6910. The combined outflows and ultraviolet radiation from the region's numerous massive stars have heated and pushed gas away from the clusters, producing cavities of hot, lower-density gas. In this 8-micron infrared image, ridges of denser gas mark the boundaries of the cavities. Bright spots within these ridges show where stars are forming today. Credit: NASA/IPAC/MSX

Situated about 4,500 light-years away in the constellation of Cygnus is a veritable star factory called Cygnus X… one estimated to have enough “raw materials” to create as many as two million suns. Caught in the womb are stellar clusters and OB associations. Of particular interest is one labeled Cygnus OB2 which is home to 65 of the hottest, largest and meanest O-type stars known – and close to 500 B members. The O boys blast out holes in the dust clouds in intense outflows, disrupting cosmic rays. Now, a study using data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is showing us this disturbance can be traced back to its source. (...)
Read the rest of Cygnus X – A Cosmic-ray Cocoon (512 words)

© tammy for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cosmic rays, Cygnus X, Fermi, Gamma rays, OB Associations

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The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly called GLAST). Credit: NASA

A couple of years ago, the Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics, PAMELA, sent us back some curious information… an overload of anti-matter in the Milky Way. Why does this member of the cosmic ray spectrum have interesting implications to the scientific community? It could mean the proof needed to confirm the existence of dark matter. (...)
Read the rest of Positron Signaling For Dark Matter Inconclusive (689 words)

© tammy for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: anti-matter, Cosmic Ray Spectrum, Dark Matter Particles, earth's magnetic field, Fermi, Gamma rays, PAMELA, Positrons

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An empty nuclear battery, circa 1973. © 2011 Theodore Gray (www.periodictable.com)

Mars Science Laboratory, launched three days ago on the morning of Saturday, November 26, is currently on its way to the Red Planet – a journey that will take nearly nine months. When it arrives the first week of August 2012, MSL will begin investigating the soil and atmosphere within Gale Crater, searching for the faintest hints of past life.  And unlike the previous rovers which ran on solar energy, MSL will be nuclear-powered, generating its energy through the decay of nearly 8 pounds of plutonium-238. This will potentially keep the next-generation rover running for years… but what will fuel future exploration missions now that NASA may no longer be able to fund the production of plutonium?

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Read the rest of No Nukes? NASA’s Plutonium Production Predicament (1,534 words)

© Jason Major for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: fuel, MSL, NASA, nuclear, plutonium

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A Russian Proton-M Rocket. Credit: RIA Novosti

It hasn’t been a great year for Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency. In the last twelve months, it has lost four major missions on top of the aerospace industry’s failure to produce its planned number of spacecraft.

For the most part, lost missions conjure up feelings of despair for the spacecraft from a scientific or exploration perspective – what does the silent satellite or failed launch mean for the agency’s immediate and overall goals? But there’s another side to lost missions that are less common. What does a lost mission or failed launch mean for the people responsible? (...)
Read the rest of The Human Cost of Russia’s Lost Spacecraft (560 words)

© Amy Shira Teitel for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Missions, Russian space Agency

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Moon and Venus Conjunction. Image Credit: Tavi Greiner

On the night of November 26, 2011, the Moon was seen next to each other in the sky with planet Venus. This event is called conjunction.

The photo above shows the conjunction of the Moon and Venus as seen from North Carolina, US. This was captured by Tavi Greiner on the sunset of November 26, 2011 when the Moon is a 4% waxing crescent. Check out Tavi’s Flickr page for more astrophotos.

More photos below!(...)
Read the rest of Astrophotos: Moon-Venus Conjunction Photos (257 words)

© dcast for Universe Today, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Astrophotos, conjunction, Moon, Venus

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