New
#651
The Space Stuff thread
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New #655
NASA's Voyager 2 finds new mysteries at the edge of the solar system
Voyager 2, four decades into its mission, continues to make scientific discoveries as it crosses into interstellar space.NASA's Voyager 2 finds new mysteries at the edge of the solar system - CNETIf you've ever felt like you're having an incredibly long day at work, spare a thought for NASA's Voyager probes. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have been traveling through space, revealing the secrets of the solar system, for the last 42 years. In all that time, they've beamed back tons of data about our place in the universe. Their journey has taken both probes beyond the reach of the farthest (dwarf) planet and into interstellar space: Voyager 1 departed in 2012, and in November last year, Voyager 2 followed.
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New #659
Monday, Nov. 11: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory will be posting live images of Mercury's transit across the Sun beginning between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST. The transit will last approximately 5.5 hours.
Upcoming Live Events (All Times Eastern)
Tues., Nov. 12, 2 p.m.: Alpha Magentic Spectrometer (AMS) repair spacewalk program and science briefing. NASA will provide a program and science overview for a series of upcoming spacewalks from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Tues., Nov. 12, 3 p.m.: Alpha Magentic Spectrometer (AMS) repair spacewalk briefing on tools, techniques and objectives from Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Fri., Nov. 15, 6:30 a.m.: NASA TV coverage of Alpha Magentic Spectrometer (AMS) repair spacewalk. Over the course of five planned spacewalks, Expedition 61 Commander Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA Flight Engineer Drew Morgan will replace a cooling system and fix a coolant leak on AMS, which was delivered to the station in May 2011. The upgraded cooling system will support AMS through the lifetime of the space station.
Sunday, Dec. 1, 6 a.m.: NASA TV coverage of Russian Progress cargo spacecraft launch to International Space Station. Launch is scheduled at 6:30 a.m. EST for the Progress 74 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Tuesday, Dec. 3, 8 a.m.: NASA TV coverage of Russian Progress cargo spacecraft docking to International Space Station. Launch is scheduled at 8:40 a.m. EST.
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 11:15 p.m.: Launch of Solar Orbiter. Solar Orbiter, a joint NASA/ESA (European Space Agency) mission, will address central questions concerning our star, the Sun. The spacecraft will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral. NASA’s Launch Services Program is managing the launch.
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New #660
If you're viewing; A PSA concerning the Mercury Transit of the Sun....
Monday, Nov. 11: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory will be posting live images of Mercury's transit across the Sun beginning between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST. The transit will last approximately 5.5 hours.
! ! ! Make sure you have eye, camera, and telescope protection ! ! !
It's possible that in lieu of a commercial product, welders goggles with at least a shade level of 14 would be sufficient.
I will not assume any responsibility for your viewing!
The source link in the following quote has added methods to protect your cameras and telescopes with special filters.
Please read the quote and the source page to refresh your memories about Solar viewing.IMBY the prospects don't look good: Area Forecast Discussion Issued by NWS State College, PA I'll probably be using this: Watch Mercury Glide Across the Sun in Near Real Time for my viewing.Safe Methods of Viewing:
(METHOD 3) Welder's Glass
Welding glass is used to protect welders from eye damage. The potential damage does not come from hot sparks hitting the eye (although that is a possibility). Rather, the glass prevents the light from the very hot arc from burning an image of itself permanently onto the back of the eye.
Be careful that you use the right kind of glass! Welder's glass is numbered from 1 to 14 with 14 being the darkest. It is only number 14 glass that is dark enough for solar viewing! And NO STACKING! A pair of number 7's or a 10 and a 4 together DO NOT have the same protection as a single piece of number 14 (see unsafe methods for more details).
Unsafe Methods of Viewing:
Keep in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive list. People have historically been very clever in coming up with stupid ways to observe the Sun. In general, when you're considering whether or not a particular method is SAFE, ask yourself these questions:
"Is this method I'm using SPECIFICALLY designed for solar viewing?"
"Do I know EXACTLY what I'm doing?"
If the answer to either of these questions is "no," then for your vision's sake, don't try it!
(METHOD 1) Sunglasses
(METHOD 2) Multiple Sunglasses
(METHOD 3) Mylar Balloons
(METHOD 4) Mylar Food Wrappers (Pop Tart Bags, etc.)
(METHOD 5) Smoked Glass
(METHOD 6) X-Ray Film
(METHOD 7) Film Negatives
(METHOD 8) CD's or CD-ROM's
(METHOD 9) Stacked Welder's Glass
(METHOD 10) Liquid Filters
Coffee, Sun tea.
(METHOD 11) Eyepiece Solar Filters
(METHOD 12) Eclipse Glasses and Telescopes Together
Source: Perkins Observatory SOLAR VIEWING SAFETY
Related:
Make a Projector to Safely See a Solar Eclipse and see an animation of the transit - TimeanDate
Wealth of information on the transit, timings, maps, diagrams - EclipseWise
And any search of Transit of Mercury... with your favorite search engine
Clear Skies and do not forget your protections!!
Steve
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