| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
Carnival of Space #345
Welcome to the latest episode of The Carnival of Space! Here’s some highlights of space and astronomy news from the past week. We’ve got great stories on citizen science, gravity waves, SpaceX, and more!
Leading off this week’s Carnival of Space are my friends at Cosmoquest with a trio of articles. First up, Crater Counters Rejoice! Big news from the citizen science site CosmoQuest, where amateur crater mappers are shown to do just as well as the experts. Learn more at: http://cosmoquest.org/x/blog/2014/03/crater-counters-rejoice/
Next up from Cosmoquest, Is it Earth or is it Not? CosmoQuest’s educational game exploring planetary surface features makes it to iOS. Check out Cosmoquest’s newest educational app at: http://cosmoquest.org/x/blog/2014/03/earth-or-not-earth-for-ios-is-here/
Learn how a great resource for educational materials from NASA gets some new upgrades at: http://cosmoquest.org/x/educatorszone/2014/03/14/access-nasa-education/
Buddhist deity w/ night sky
Credit: Astronomy club Toutatis/S. Lamoureux
Next up, follow Links Through space on their Astronomy trip through Cambodia – A series of 6 posts on Astronomy in Cambodia. Start the virtual journey at: http://linksthroughspace.blogspot.fi/2014/02/follow-our-astronomy-trip-through.html
The Chandra Blog asks: “What Makes An Astronomical Image Beautiful?” learn more at: http://chandra.si.edu/blog/node/491
Europa or bust: A possible mission to the icy moon of Jupiter in fy 2015 budget proposal. The Meridiani Journal has coverage at: http://themeridianijournal.com/2014/03/europa-bust-possible-mission-icy-moon-fy-2015-budget-proposal/
Astronomers have announced Nobel Prize-worthy evidence of primordial gravitational waves — ripples in the fabric of spacetime — providing the first direct evidence the universe underwent a brief but stupendously accelerated expansion immediately following the big bang.
Universe Today has an in-depth article with all you need to know on this discovery, and the implications for cosmology at: http://www.universetoday.com/110360/landmark-discovery-new-results-provide-direct-evidence-for-cosmic-inflation/
The Venus Transit shares information on Sunspots and how to photograph them. Check it out at: http://www.thevenustransit.com/2014/03/sunspots.html
Next Big Future has a slew of great space articles this week. In about three weeks, after sending cargo towards the International Space Station, the first stage of the Spacex Falcon 9 rocket used for the flight will return nearly immediately after liftoff and return and fire its engines for the second time.
The burn will allow the rocket to reenter the atmosphere in controlled flight, without breaking up an d disintegrating on the way down as most booster rockets do. There was an analysis of a reusable launch system where the cost of developing the reusable launch system was $36 billion. If Spacex is successful they will have developed reusability for about $100 million. Check out the in-depth analysis at: http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/03/in-three-days-spacex-could-demonstrate.html
Tom Mueller, head of Spacex rocket engine development, has his main focus being the development of the reusable Raptor engine. It will use liquid methane and oxygen to achieve 1 million pounds of thrust. Nine of them will be combined on one rocket. It will put over 100 tons of cargo to Mars. Learn more at: http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/03/spacex-developing-raptor-engine-and-use.html
NASA scientists have blueprinted a low-cost Mars sample-return mission that would use a souped-up Dragon capsule from SpaceX and the firm’s planned Falcon Heavy rocket to get to the Red Planet by the early 2020s.
The new study demonstrates the viability of the entry, descent and landing of the unmanned Dragon space capsule at Mars. Moreover, the spacecraft’s descent technique would help set the stage for future human missions to the Red Planet, researchers said. Read more at: http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/03/nasa-plans-mars-sample-return-mission.html
Last but not least, John Cramer a physicist from the University of Washington, well-known to SF fans via his “Alternate View” columns in the “Analog” science fiction magazine, discussed how a network of rapid-transit wormholes could be set-up throughout the Galaxy to allow exploration efforts to travel faster than the speed of light. Check out the thought-provoking article at: http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/03/john-cramer-exotic-paths-to-stars-visa.html
That’s it for this week’s Carnival of Space! Stay tuned for the next weekly showcase of articles written on the topic of space. If you have a science/space blog, joining the carnival is a good way to meet members of the space/science blogging community and help your site reach a wider audience.
If you’d like to be a host for the carnival, please send email to [email protected]
Source: http://www.dearastronomer.com/2014/03/carnival-of-space-345/
