America's 'big glass' dominance hangs on the fate of two powerful new telescopes
Monday, 29 April 2024 15:40
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More than 100 years ago, astronomer George Ellery Hale brought two Pasadena institutions together to build what was then the largest optical telescope in the world. The Mount Wilson Observatory changed the conception of humankind's place in the universe and revealed the mysteries of the heavens to generations of citizens and scientists alike. Ever since then, the United States has been at the forefront of "big glass."
In fact, the institutions, Carnegie Science and Caltech, still help run some of the largest telescopes for visible-light astronomy ever built.
But that legacy is being threatened as the National Science Foundation, the federal agency that supports basic research in the U.S., considers whether to fund two giant telescope projects. What's at stake is falling behind in astronomy and cosmology, potentially for half a century, and surrendering the scientific and technological agenda to Europe and China.
In 2021, the National Academy of Sciences released Astro2020. This report, a road map of national priorities, recommended funding the $2.5 billion Giant Magellan Telescope at the peak of Cerro Las Campanas in Chile and the $3.9 billion Thirty Meter Telescope at Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
SpaceX lines up pair of Space Coast launches for the weekend
Monday, 29 April 2024 15:30 Write a comment
SpaceX has launches set for Saturday and Sunday from the Space Coast.
First up from is a Falcon 9 on the Galileo L12 mission carrying global navigation satellites for the European Commission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A targeting 8:34 p.m. Saturday with a backup Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
The first-stage booster is flying for a record-tying 20th time, but will be expended getting the payload to medium-Earth orbit.
Space Launch Delta 45's weather squadron forecasts a 75% chance for good conditions Saturday, which improves to 80% on Sunday.
The second launch this weekend is planned for Sunday when a Falcon 9 carrying 23 Starlink satellites aims to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 targeting the opening of a four-hour window from 5:50-9:50 p.m. with a backup Monday during a four-hour window that opens at 5:25 p.m.
The first-stage booster is flying for the 13th time and will attempt a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic.
These mark the 31st and 32nd launches of 2024 from the Space Coast, all but two of which have been by SpaceX.
SpaceX ties record with 20th Falcon 9 booster re-use in Galileo L12 launch
Monday, 29 April 2024 11:52 Write a comment
SpaceX has tied its own record with the 20th use of a Falcon 9 booster with its latest and final mission, the launch of a European Union Galileo L12 navigation and positioning satellite.
The booster powered a successful lift-off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as scheduled at 8:34 p.m. EDT on Saturday, sending the satellite into medium-Earth orbit.
It was the 20th mis Bridging the gap: USUS computer scientists develop new model
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In the heart of a bustling metropolis, a small, unassuming cafe sits tucked away on a quiet street, a hidden gem among the urban sprawl. Inside, the warm glow of hanging Edison bulbs illuminates the room, casting a soft light on the eclectic mix of antique furniture and modern art that adorns the walls.
The air is filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of low, mu Superradiant atoms enhance time measurement precision
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Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a method that could enhance the precision of measuring time by leveraging the properties of superradiant atoms. This approach aims to address some of the existing limitations of modern atomic clocks, which are crucial in technologies ranging from GPS systems to space travel.
The second, as a unit of measurement, is defined with gre Discover What Website Can Help Me With My Physics Homework
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Physics is one of the most fascinating disciplines that possesses the keys to the Universe. On the other hand, it is one of the most complex sciences. Students describe physics as a fantastic and contemporary terrible subject. Physics problems with homework are known to be challenging due to some mathematical concepts included in physics.
Besides the theoretical part, this discipline provi Study traces bioluminescence back 540 million years in octocorals
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Bioluminescence, the ability of organisms to emit light, originated in marine invertebrates known as octocorals at least 540 million years ago, a study by Smithsonian scientists indicates. This discovery extends the known timeline of bioluminescence's development in animals by about 300 million years.
Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B on April 23, the study provides new i NASA seeks input on space technology shortfalls
Monday, 29 April 2024 10:35
China ready to launch lunar far side sample return mission
Monday, 29 April 2024 09:36
Two new satellites join the Galileo constellation
Monday, 29 April 2024 09:00 Write a comment
The European Galileo navigation system has two more satellites in orbit following their launch in the early morning of Sunday, 28 April, at 01:34 BST/02:34 CEST. With 30 satellites now in orbit, Galileo is expanding its constellation, increasing the reliability, robustness and, ultimately, the precision, benefiting billions of users worldwide.
Webb captures iconic Horsehead Nebula in unprecedented detail
Monday, 29 April 2024 08:00 Write a comment
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The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has captured the sharpest infrared images to date of one of the most distinctive objects in our skies, the Horsehead Nebula. The observations show a part of the iconic nebula in a whole new light, capturing its complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution.
The nebula formed from a collapsing interstellar cloud of material, and glows because it is illuminated by a nearby hot star. The gas clouds surrounding the Horsehead have already dissipated, but the jutting pillar is made of thick clumps of material that is harder to erode. Astronomers estimate that the Horsehead has
Oldest evidence of Earth's magnetic field discovered by researchers
Sunday, 28 April 2024 16:35 Write a comment
Researchers at the University of Oxford and MIT have identified a 3.7-billion-year-old geological record of Earth's magnetic field, which closely resembles the current geomagnetic field in its characteristics. This discovery, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, offers the earliest confirmed measurement of the magnetic field's strength, recorded at 15 microtesla, nearly half of toda Satellite Monitoring Highlights Soil Sealing Challenges in the Mediterranean
Sunday, 28 April 2024 16:35 Write a comment
Soil sealing is an increasing concern, particularly in urban settings, leading to significant environmental impacts such as flooding, erosion, and biodiversity loss.
An ESA-funded initiative, the Ulysses project, is now providing critical insights into soil sealing, aiming to mitigate soil degradation across the Mediterranean. The project employs the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite system Earth's magnetic field intermittently shielded us during cosmic ray influx 41,000 years ago
Sunday, 28 April 2024 16:35 Write a comment
Earth's geomagnetic field, while generally shielding the planet from cosmic and solar radiation, experiences periods of significant fluctuation. Not only does the magnetic north shift from its geographically defined true north, but it also undergoes complete reversals. During such reversals, previously defined poles swap positions, causing a noticeable decrease in the magnetic field's strength. Crew of first Boeing Starliner mission arrives at Kennedy Space Center
Sunday, 28 April 2024 16:35 Write a comment
The crew of the first Boeing Starliner space mission on Thursday arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the spacecraft's debut manned mission on May 6.
Veteran NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams will be commander and pilot of the Crew Flight Test mission to the International Space Station.
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner is set to li