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Category Archives: robotic astronomy
Astronomy Fall Final Exam Info
The fall 2010 astronomy final has 45 multiple-choice questions and it’s open notes. I reserve the right to refuse non-hand-written notes or anything else I don’t like during the exam. There is a review question-set but it is NOT a … Continue reading
CAST Days 2 and 3
Friday I started out the day at “Space Weather” presented by 2 UT Dallas scientists – Dr. Mary Urquhart and Dr. Mark Hairston. Their work is based on the CINDI instruments on board a orbiting satellite C/NOFS. One VERY cool … Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, exoplanets, moon, NASA, observing, physics, robotic astronomy, solar astronomy, solar system, space, star names, stellar astronomy, Student Astronomy, sun, urban skies
Tagged C/NOFS, CAST, CAST2010, CINDI, ImageJ, Mark Hairston, Mary Kay Hemenway, Mary Urquhart, McDonald Observatory, MONET, UT Dallas
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InOMN @ Bellaire HS Rain or Shine!
The clouds won’t keep us from celebrating International Observe the Moon Night tonight from 7pm – 9pm at Bellaire High School. We have a large space reserved for some virtual moon observing inside the school. I have booked the multipurpose … Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, constellations, Houston, Lunar Exploration, Lunar Planetary Institute, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, Social Networking, solar system, space, Student Astronomy, urban skies
Tagged #InOMN10, InOMN
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Lunar Research Project
Bellaire will be participating in the Lunar and Planetary Institute lunar research program which gets students involved in actual lunar science research work and a chance to publish the results. This program is designed to get high school students involved … Continue reading
Free Astronomy Tools
My latest Houston public library sidewalk astronomy event was moved indoors to the “program place” on the 4th floor so I thought I would throw together some free and easy astronomy tips to share. When the weather won’t cooperate there … Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, asterisms, astronomical history, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, constellations, Houston, Lunar Exploration, Mars, meteor shower, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, sidewalk astronomy, solar astronomy, solar system, space, star names, stellar astronomy, Student Astronomy, sun, urban skies
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Unknown Moon Day 4
The lights in the LPI Great Room are placed such that they look like Taurus and the single red light represents the red giant star Aldebaran. Note the V shape in the image from LPI and in this image from … Continue reading
Posted in astronomical history, astronomy eduction, Education, Houston, Lunar Exploration, Lunar Planetary Institute, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, solar system
Tagged Comparative Planetology, ice signature, lunar permanently shadowed craters, Mini RF, Paul Spudis, president's vision for space exploration
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Unknown Moon Day 3 – LRO has evidence for water on moon?
Another excellent talk about The Lunar Poles from Ben Bussey Jonhs Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. Hot off the presses Mini-RF data from LRO. Sweeeeeet. It looks like LRO has confirmation of what looks like water in some of the … Continue reading
Rosetta Flyby of Lutetia Today
The ESA spacecraft Rosetta is set by flyby the asteroid Lutetia today providing a close-up on the primordial stuff of our solar system. This isn’t the final destination for the spacecraft but we all get to enjoy this close encounter. … Continue reading
Posted in asteroids, astro blogs, Astronomy, ESA, observing, Planetary Society, robotic astronomy, solar system, space
Tagged asteroid flyby, ESA, Lutetia, Rosetta
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SDO provides best images of sun ever
SDO gives daily high-res images of the sun that you cannot miss. Check them out NOW. Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, Earth, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, solar astronomy, solar system, space, stellar astronomy, sun, Universe Today
Tagged iPhone apps, SDO, SOHO, solar astronomy, solar cycle, Solar Dynamics Observatory, solar storms, STEREO, sunspots
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Chandra and VLT find Microquasar
ESA and NASA find most powerful microquasar to date and the results are surprising for scientists. Continue reading
Solar Dynamics Observatory Online!
The Solar Dynamics Observatory is open for business and man are the first light images amazing!! Be sure to see the videos which are better-than-HD quality. share
Posted in Astronomy, astronomy eduction, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, space, stellar astronomy, Student Astronomy, sun
Tagged first light, SDO, Solar Dynamics Observatory
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Awesome Mars Express view of Phobos and Deimos together – The Planetary Society Blog | The Planetary Society
Awesome Mars Express view of Phobos and Deimos together – The Planetary Society Blog | The Planetary Society. share
Posted in astro blogs, Astronomy, astronomy eduction, IYA, Mars, NASA, observing, Planetary Society, robotic astronomy, space, Student Astronomy
Tagged Deimos, Phobos, Planetary Society
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Cassini Equinox Mission: The Rite of Spring
The Cassini Equinox Mission has produced some INCREDIBLE images of Saturn during the planet’s equinox. This one is completely awe inspiring. You can follow the mission too and see many many more images. Check it out. share
Posted in Astronomy, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, Saturn, space
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More New Looks at Mercury from MESSENGER | Universe Today
There is a post over at Universe Today all about the MESSENGER mission to Mercury and the latest and greatest photos of the under-explored planet. Universe Today: More New Looks at Mercury from MESSENGER Check out the paw print made … Continue reading
Posted in amateur astronomy, astro blogs, Astronomy, Mercury, MESSENGER, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, space
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LRO Sees Bouncing, Rolling Boulders on the Moon | Universe Today
I saw a really cool post over on Universe Today about the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and yet another close-up of the moon. This time there is evidence that really big boulders rolled down the slopes of the Tsiolkovskiy Crater You … Continue reading
Posted in astro blogs, Astronomy, Lunar Exploration, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, space, Student Astronomy
Tagged LRO, Tsiolkovskiy Crater
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LRO Images of Apollo Landing Sites
Amateur astronomers are often asked if one can see the Apollo landing sites with their telescope and the answer is no. Even with Hubble we can’t get the needed resolution for such small scale structures. But the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance … Continue reading
Posted in astronomical history, IYA, Lunar Exploration, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, space, Student Astronomy
Tagged Apollo Landings, LCROSS, LRO
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Gibbous July Moon
The moon goes through a 28-day cycle with each phase lasting 7 days. Recently I set out to catch the moon during the waxing gibbous phase just a few days before full moon. Gibbous means that more than half the … Continue reading
Posted in Lunar Exploration, moon, NASA, observing, robotic astronomy, space, Student Astronomy, urban skies
Tagged LCROSS, LRO, lunar phases, NASA
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Sunspots are back!
Yesterday while enjoying the July 4th holiday with some grilling outside I setup a borrowed Coronado PST to take a look at the sun and there was an active sunspot group! Later I setup my 8″ Dobsonian with a solar … Continue reading
Posted in IYA, observing, robotic astronomy, space, stellar astronomy, sun, urban skies
Tagged Coronado PST, SOHO
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Mercury and MESSENGER – The Big Picture
Mercury and MESSENGER – The Big Picture – Boston.com. Awesome photo blog “The Big Picture” often shows fantastic astronomy photography and the entry all about the MESSENGER mission to the planet Mercury is no exception. Check out these incredible Mercury … Continue reading
Posted in Mercury, MESSENGER, observing, robotic astronomy, space, The Big Picture
Tagged Mercury, MESSENGER, The Big Picture
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Portal to the Universe – All the astro news in one place
Part of the IYA2009 mission was to create a single website where you can find all the astronomy news and information that is around the web. There are blogs and podcasts and news and videos and mission photos and a … Continue reading
Posted in astro blogs, IYA, podcasts, robotic astronomy, software, space
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