Space

A look at the happenings in outer space.

Show Only ...
Maps - Photos - Videos

Landstat 1 and CORONA Satellite

|

Been digging through some of that Landstat 1 satellite photos from the early 1970s and also some of the declassified CORONA satellite images from the early 1960s on Earth Explorer.

While the images are pretty low resolution – they’re satellite from 50 years ago – they’re still fascinating to get a glimpse of the earth from outer space a half century ago. I want to download more the next time I’m at the library, maybe tomorrow.

Aqua (satellite) – Wikipedia

|

Aqua (satellite) – Wikipedia

Aqua (EOS PM-1) is a NASA scientific research satellite in orbit around the Earth, studying the precipitation, evaporation, and cycling of water. It is the second major component of the Earth Observing System (EOS) preceded by Terra (launched 1999) and followed by Aura (launched 2004).

Solar Cycle 25 Is Here. NASA, NOAA Scientists Explain What That Means | NASA

|

Solar Cycle 25 Is Here. NASA, NOAA Scientists Explain What That Means | NASA

With solar minimum behind us, scientists expect the Sun’s activity to ramp up toward the next predicted maximum in July 2025. Doug Biesecker, panel co-chair and solar physicist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado, said Solar Cycle 25 is anticipated to be as strong as the last solar cycle, which was a below-average cycle, but not without risk.

“Just because it’s a below-average solar cycle, doesn’t mean there is no risk of extreme space weather,” Biesecker said. “The Sun’s impact on our daily lives is real and is there. SWPC is staffed 24/7, 365 days a year because the Sun is always capable of giving us something to forecast.” 

NPR

|

Perseid Meteor Shower To Peak Overnight : NPR

If you're tired of binge-watching TV during the pandemic, Mother Nature has an alternative. All you have to do is go outside between about 2 a.m. Wednesday and dawn local time, lie on your back and look up at the sky. The meteors and fireballs of the Perseid meteor shower should be streaking.

NASA says it's "one of the best" meteor shows of the year. That's because of the sheer number of meteors — 50 to 100 meteors to catch per hour as well as their fireballs — larger, brighter explosions of light and color that last longer than an average meteor streak.

 

Scientists Say the Moon Is Way Younger than We Thought

|

Scientists Say the Moon Is Way Younger than We Thought

According to a sophisticated new model, the Moon is far younger than scientists previously thought — to the tune of some 85 million years.

It’s not such a drastic shift when you consider how long the Moon’s been around. The research, published Friday in the journal Science Advances, adjusts the age of the Moon from 4.51 billion years old to 4.425 billion, with 25-million-year-long error bars on either side. But it does clarify some of the mysteries surrounding how it formed in the first place.