The Moon and the International Space Station

I spy something with my little eye that is...the International Space Station (ISS). One of the most remarkable images I"ve seen was taken at NASA"s Johnson Space Center in 2012. The image, which was taken by photographer Lauren Hartnett, captured the old (Luna) and the new (the ISS) side-by-side in one stunning image.

Get further information and see more amazing images at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-moon-and-the-international-space-station/

Image:
NASA

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 11/19/13 - The ISS Transiting the Moon

In a truly one-of-a-kind photograph, astrophotographer Thierry Legault captured this detailed image of the International Space Station transiting the moon from our vantage point. This is such an incredibly difficult shot to capture since the ISS is constantly traveling at 7.5k meters per second, or about 28,0000 km/h (17,500 mph). Therefore, it only takes about half a second for the ISS to dance across the face of the moon. As you can (hopefully) see, the ISS was snapped here about an inch above the famous Tycho crater (not literally, of course. It just appears as such because of the photo"s size.)

Legault took this image from Avranches in Normandy, France a few hours before the eclipse, on December 20th of 2010. He used a Meade 10″ ACF on Takahashi EM400, with a Canon 5D mark II.

Additional Reading : http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/the-iss-transiting-the-moon/

Image Credit: Thierry Legault

P.S. You can sign up for alerts from NASA, who will contact you to let you know when the ISS is expected to pass over your location.

Learn more here: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/?p=9814

An Epic Journey with Chris Hadfield:

Science gives us the tools that we need in order to observe the heavens and understand the motion of the stars. It allows us to capture images of distant galaxies, witness the intricate dance of massive celestial bodies, and explore the inner depths of nebulae—the birthplace of stars and of solar systems like our own. And it does so much more...

Smallpox is one of the deadliest known diseases; it plagued humanity for thousands of years. Although the overall death toll is unknown, it killed over 300 million people in the 20th century alone. And it was completely eradicated by vaccinations. The last natural occurring case was in 1977. Science did this. Quite literally, science is life. So why do so many perceive it as something that is cold and dead? If science is able to accomplish such amazing feats, why is it so difficult to get people interested in research? Why do teachers have such a hard time engaging students in scientific study?

Ultimately, it seems a large part of the problem is that, to many people, science does not reveal the inner workings of the cosmos or provide new windows through which they can glimpse the Earth. Instead, students encounter lackluster and overcrowded classrooms, overtaxed and overworked teachers, underfunded schools, and deplorable grading systems that focus on regurgitation instead of exploration and critical inquiry. The main question then? What can we do to reverse this troubling trend?

This seems like a mighty question. But the answer is really rather simple, and we’ve to look no farther than Chris Hadfield. He is an educator in the truest sense of the word. During his time on the International Space Station Hadfield went out of the way to engage the public. He showed us what happens when you cry in space, how difficult it is to ring out a washcloth (and get it wet to begin with), how awkward it is to get sick in space, and the various difficulties that arise what you are forced to use the bathroom without gravity. More than that, he showed us our world anew.

To learn all about Chris Hadfield and find links to all his videos and images, see:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/an-epic-journey-with-chris-hadfield/

Image source:
Graham Hughes: http://www.thejournal.ie/chris-hadfield-astronaut-iss-832805-Mar2013/

How to Sign-up For ISS Alerts

see: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/how-to-sign-up-for-iss-alerts/

Image Credit: NASA

"Seeing" Cosmic Rays

You"ve probably heard of "cosmic rays" before - it"s a term that is thrown about regularly in modern astrophysics and cosmology - but do you know what they really are?

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles with intrinsic mass. They can come from outside the solar system or from extreme solar events (like solar flares). Cosmic rays range from atomic nuclei that have had all of their surrounding electrons stripped away to more exotic particles that make up the standard model. Photons used to be considered cosmic rays; however, they are quanta of electromagnetic radiation that have no intrinsic mass; photons are known by their common names, such as "gamma rays" or "X-rays."

The origin of cosmic rays is unknown, but they are suspected to be born from supernovae, possibly from outside our galaxy. The highest energies produced by cosmic rays have been found to be 40 million times that of those produced in the Large Hadron Collider, but most don"t reach this extreme. Fortunately, our atmosphere protects us from the main front of this strange phenomenon, but out in space where there is no protection, cosmic rays damage equipment--such as microelectronics. However, contrary to popular sci-fi movies, they don"t cause the development of superhuman abilities (The Fantastic Four, anyone?). Studies have tried to detect these particles in a number of experiments, but it has proven difficult for ground-based equipment. They are most easily detected as primary rays in space or the upper atmosphere, and our most effective way of picking up these elusive particles hasn"t been with fancy equipment, but actually through our own eyes!

To learn more about cosmic rays, see:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/seeing-cosmic-rays/

Image source:
http://www.aspera-eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=290&Itemid=196

Waste in Space

You’ve heard of The Circle of Life, but how much do you know about The Circle of Waste? On the International Space Station, nearly all of the wastewater produced by the crew (sweat, urine, bathwater, etc.) is filtered through a recycling system and converted back into clean water. Naturally, this includes the wastewater that is produced by the rats. In fact, on the Space Station, a complement of 72 rats equals about one human in terms of water reclamation.

That’s right; astronauts drink rat pee…maybe I should back up a bit. On the Earth, every ecosystem has a built-in recycling plant; if these systems are not affected by humans or other cataclysmic events, they take waste and recycle it into usable material—very little is wasted in the Earth’s natural life-support system.

Since the International Space Station (ISS) does not have a natural waste management system we’ve had to engineer our own way of dealing with urine and other forms of wastewater. One of the most basic ways that astronauts’ cope with wastewater is conservation. For example, instead of consuming the usual 13 gallons (50 liters) of water in the shower, astronauts on the ISS use less than 1 gallon (4 liters) of water to bathe. But no matter how much water you conserve—unless you recycle—sooner or later you’ll run out.

Find out how astronauts manage on the ISS at: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/waste-in-space-2/

Image source: NASA