Author Archive for Nancy Atkinson
XMM-Newton Discovers Part of Missing Matter in the Universe
We're getting the numbers down pretty well now about how much we don't know about the universe: Only about 5% of our universe consists of normal matter, made of atoms. The rest of our universe is composed of elusive matter that we don't understand: dark matter (23%) and dark energy (72%). And [...]
Another (Better) Opportunity to Send Your Name to Space
It's a great idea, so all the missions might as well join in. Earlier today, Ian reported on how the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission is offering the chance for the public to 'ride along' to the moon by sending their names to be added to a computer chip which will be embedded on the [...]
Satellite View of Deadly Cyclone in Myanmar
The cyclone that ravaged the southeast Asian country of Myanmar over the weekend was an incredibly deadly and destructive storm. News reports say at least 10,000 people were killed, and thousands more were missing as of May 5. Cyclone Nargis made landfall with sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts of 150-160 [...]
Titan’s Hydrocarbon ‘Sand’ Dunes
Even before the Cassini spacecraft entered the Saturn system, scientists were predicting that Saturn’s moon Titan would be quite Earth-like. And every image that’s returned of Titan’s clouds, lakes, rivers, and other landforms is proving them right. In 2005 Cassini’s imaging radar discovered a massive area of sand dunes around Titan’s equatorial region. [...]
Mission to the Sun
A mission to the sun is difficult stuff. For 30 years scientists and engineers have struggled with developing a spacecraft that could survive the harsh environment close to the sun, but always ended up running into insurmountable technology limitations or blowing the top off the budget. But now the Applied Physics Lab believes [...]
Happy Space Day!
It’s the first Friday in May; therefore it must be Space Day! Since 1997 people around the world have used this day to celebrate humankind’s accomplishments in our exploration of space, as well as recognizing the benefits and opportunities that space exploration provides. While anyone can celebrate this occasion, the main goal of [...]
