Extra-Terrestrial Black Market

I saw this article the other day in the New York Times and thought it was really interesting. It's about the disappearance of moon rocks from various institutions and what happens to them (e.g. sale on the black market, etc.). I just though it was kind of cool.

More Astrophysics: Planets in the Distance

A few weeks ago, I posted about the Yale astrophysics class to which I was listening. I haven't had time recently because I have been studying for exams, but I did read a New York Times article this afternoon in which I realized I actually vaguely understood the science behind the discovery.

I am going to make an attempt at explaining this from memory, although science people please correct me if I explain this wrong. So in general, astronomers do not detect planets by seeing them. Instead, they measure electromagnetic waves and use Doppler shifts in order to determine the size, speed, and distance of stars an the planets that orbit them. In certain cases, the planets are oriented so that they pass directly between the telescope monitoring them and the star they orbit. In these cases, there are significant dips in the electromagnetic radiation whenever the planet crosses in front of the star and it allows scientists to determine that the planet is there and stuff about it with a great degree of accuracy. It's pretty cool. This is especially fabulous because the planet is actually circling two stars, hence the planet has been named Tatooine. Unfortunately, this planet's alignment is changing due to it's orbit and it will not pass directly in front of the star any longer.

Modern Astrophysics for Non-Scientists

iTunes U triumphs again. As I mentioned previously, I have been working (rather slowly) through the Ancient Greek history class given by Yale's Donald Kagan. He is quite enjoyable and it's forcing me to read through Pomoroy et al's Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. While I was thinking about these lectures, I thought I might look at some of Yale's other courses. I downloaded the first lecture of "Astrophysics Frontiers and Controversies" (Yale Website) taught by Charles Bailyn and I am totally addicted. Although my attention has been divided (he has a very soothing voice so I have been listening to him while I do things like clean my room or work on my Greek study guide), I still understand the concepts he discusses. The class is supposed to introduce non-science majors to modern topics in astrophysics with little math. It's fabulously enjoyable and fun for someone like me who loves astronomy but couldn't get through physics because I only like classical mechanics as they apply to space.

It makes me wonder whether I should have gone into astrophysics as I had originally planned. However, I don't know if I could have spent my entire life crunching data hoping desperately for interesting mathematical irregularities.

More Math...

I have a math exam and I have realized that even though I took calculus before, I actually need to study for exams. Anyway, in a scientific vein, enjoy this article about orphaned giant planets as food for thought until I post again tomorrow...

Project M

Apparently, the moon just isn't cool enough anymore. This surprised me, especially since the unexciting-to-non-scientists "moon plume" has made astronomers giddy about the idea of water on the moon once again (mentioned in a previous blogpost). However, since "we've already been there" (in the words of President Obama), NASA cannot gain the funding to send another person to the moon. So instead, they will send a robot.

According to the New York Times article I read, that the humanoid robot should inspire more interest than sending a man or woman in its place: "Project M’s planners say that a robot walking on the Moon would capture the imagination of students, just as the Apollo Moon landings inspired a generation of scientists and engineers 40 years ago" (article). Even more surprising is the creative funding;  Stephen J. Altemus, the chief engineer at Johnson explained that "we’re doing impossible things with really very little, if any, money whatsoever" (article) According to the article, some of the more expensive pieces have been obtained through barter and small-scale but vital experiments are engineered with cheap materials from Home Depot.

The View from Above

Over the past week I have found a couple of fascinating articles about spacetravel.

First, there are some pretty incredible pictures of the space station from the U.K.'s Daily Mail.

Second, I heard about a possible manned mission to Mars on MSNBC's Countdown. Apparently, a pair of scientists proposed a one-way ticket to Mars and create a permanent colony there. However, at the moment, they only want to send men over the age of sixty to go there because of radiation.

Third, while I was trying to find the information about the manned mission to Mars, I stumbled upon an article on a 1967 plan for a manned mission to Venus. That is way crazier than a manned mission to Mars. You can read about it on Galaxiki.

Giddy Astronomers: A Collection of Awesome Science

Continuing the theme of my Virgin Galactic post from yesterday, I thought I would mention some of the achievements in astronomy about which scientists are so excited. The weather is cool, beautiful, and moist here so I think it's time to bake some bread soon...bread recipes forthcoming.

Water on the Moon

The first is about usable water on the moon. So remember when Lcross slammed into the moon last year, lacking the visible plume which was supposed to be so exciting? Well, although it was a disappointment for the public, scientists discovered a number of different elements-- including water-- were thrown up by the invisible plume, confirming suspicions of ice in the crater. According to a New York Times article, the water on the moon is usable for both drinking water and fuel-- if scientists separate the hydrogen and oxygen. However, the crater is also a "cold trap," and has an average temperature of -370 degrees Fahrenheit, so I would be concerned with the feasibility of accessing such water. However, I am not an astronomer, so maybe they will find a way.

Oldest Galaxy

The second science article that I found talks about the oldest galaxy yet. The galaxy is from 13.1 billion years ago. Looking at it, astronomers are essentially able to look back in time becaus ethe light takes so long to get to earth at the incredible difference. Check out the New York Times article.