Thursday 23 July 2009

Bydrae deur Amateur Sterrekundiges...

Goeiedag Vriende
Sterrekunde is een van die min displines in die wetenskap waar amateurs nog belangrike bydraes kan maak - gaan kyk gerus op APOD by http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html na die belangrike ontdekking onlangs gemaak deur 'n amateur sterrekundige in Australië: 'n nuwe impak-letsel op Jupiter.

As jy nie by die link kan uitkom nie, hier is die foto wat geneem is van Jupiter, met die impak-letsel 'n swart merk net onderkant die boonste pool van die planeet.



Moenie die amateurs afskryf nie - word eerder een!!!!

Groete en "clear skies"!!

Thinus.

Wednesday 22 July 2009

How do you sneeze in a spacesuit? 'Aim well,' astronaut tells YouTube questioner


By Mike Schneider, The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - When it comes to sneezing in a spacesuit while in the void of space, it is best to aim well.

That's the advice lead spacewalker David Wolf offered Tuesday while answering one of the questions posted on YouTube for the crew of the space shuttle Endeavor.

"I've done it quite a few times, most recently yesterday," said Wolf, who led the mission's second spacewalk Monday and was set to go on a third spacewalk Wednesday. "You learn in training, and I don't know how to say this, aim well. It can mess up your view and there is no way to clear it."

Complete article...

Tuesday 21 July 2009

Land on the Moon in Google Earth

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, Google has launched a new feature: the Moon in Google Earth. You can now use Google Earth to explore, fly around and search the Moon. Google was able to get several astronauts to participate in this new feature, and you can get tours of landing sites, narrated by Apollo astronauts, view 3D models of landed spacecraft, zoom into 360-degree photos to see astronauts' footprints and watch rare TV footage of the Apollo missions. The hi-resolution views of the Moon were developed in collaboration with NASA Ames Research and JAXA. It's loads of fun and provides an historic perspective as well as a look to the future of lunar exploration. If you already have Google Earth 5.0 on your computer, just click on the tab on the top toolbar that has a picture of Saturn, and click on Moon. If you click on the Apollo 11 flag, you can zoom in on that location and take a tour of the first landing site on the Moon! What a great way celebrate the 40th anniversary. Enjoy!

Click here to go the the Moon in Google Earth.

Saturday 18 July 2009

Selfdoen: `n Sterwiel vir die fynproewer en die beginner..

Hier is `n selfdoenprojek vir sterkykers. Dit is `n sterwiel (Planisphere) vir die suidelike halfrond wat Auke Slotegraaf ontwerp het. Wat dit so `n uitsonderlike sterwiel maak is dat jy dit kan verander vir minder sterrre (ligbesoedelde gebiede) of meer sterre vir die fynproewer, of net die konstellasies, of die bekende inheemse sterre en sterpatrone eie aan die Suide.

Besoek Auke se blog: www.psychohistorian.org
en laai die Pdf-lêer (1.7M) af. Maak vir jou uitdrukke: A3-grootte en op effens dikker pappier. Dit werk ook op A4-grootte. Lamineer die uitdrukke vir beskerming. Die instruksies is ingesluit.

  • Auke Slotegraaf is die huidige Direkteur van die ASSA* Dieplug waarnemingsafdeling.
    Besoek die amptelike Dieplugwebtuiste
Thanx Auke! Dis `n wenner!

*
Astronomical Society of Southern Africa

Thursday 16 July 2009

Endeavour vertrek eindelik!

NASA managers downplay ascent debris strikes
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: July 15, 2009;
Updated after news conference


Bookmark and Share

Running a month late because of hydrogen leaks and stormy weather, the shuttle Endeavour finally roared to life and blasted off Wednesday on its sixth try, rocketing away through a hazy sky toward a Friday rendezvous with the International Space Station.

Multiple pieces of foam insulation fell from the ship's external tank during the early moments of flight, but it was not immediately clear whether the shuttle's fragile heat shield suffered any significant damage.
Read more...


Saturday 11 July 2009

Space shuttle Endeavour's launch postponed to Sunday


Lightning checks delay shuttle's launch to Sunday

Already a month behind schedule, launch of the shuttle Endeavour on a 16-day space station assembly mission was delayed at least 24 hours, from Saturday to Sunday, to give engineers time to evaluate the effects of multiple lightning strikes at the launch pad during a severe thunderstorm Friday. Read more...

Komeet C/2008 Q3 (Garradd) is op die soeklys!


As ek so na die weerfoto op Kobus Botha se webtuiste kyk (15:30 - Saterdag) gaan die wolke vanaand weer die wenner wees. (Loer gerus hier na die infrarooifoto). En vanaand is die maan so vanaf 21:30 op sy pos. Dit kan net beter word met die maan wat aan die taan is.

Maar ek is seker die lekker oop donker aande is op pad. So saam met die Volksblad-kunstefees.

Die ouens wat lanklaas `n komeet gesien kan gerus hulle verkykers en klein teleskope uithaal en na C/2008 Q3 (Garradd) gaan soek. Die komeet is op my Nr 1 "Wanted"-lys om die winter se waarnemings mee te begin. Laat weet as julle hom sien.


Hier is `n klompie inligting om dié komeet op te spoor:
(Almal Pdf-formaat - Lees met Acrobat-leser.)

Friday 10 July 2009

Totsiens Sonvlek 1024!

GOOD-BYE SUNSPOT 1024: The biggest, most active sunspot in two years is about to disappear. Sunspot 1024 is approaching the sun's western limb and, later today, it will go around the bend. Pavol Rapavy sends this photo from Rimavska Sobota, Slovakia.

Readers with solar telescopes should train their optics on the edge of the sun. Even minor eruptions from sunspot 1024 could hurl photogenic blobs of hot plasma high over the limb where they would shine in beautiful relief against the black of space beyond. The parting shots could be the best of all.


Thursday 9 July 2009

Gratis sagteware

Final release of RegiStax 5

Vir die ouens wat Registax gebruik om prentjies op mekaar te maak is daar goeie nuus.

Die nuwe verbeterde Registax 5 se finale weergawe is vroeër beikend gestel. Dit is gratis sagteware en jy kan die hier aflaai:
DeepSkyStacker 3.3.0
Ander gratis sagteware
  • Laai hier af.
    Sommiges is gratis, ander is 30 dae en daar is ook wat te koop is. Kliek bo aan die blad op "Software" en volg die skakels volgens jou behoefte.

Kokerboom-sterrewag op Springbok

Al die astrogeeks wat iewers in Namakwaland gaan blomme kyk, kan gerus by Kokerboom-sterrewag op Springbok `n draai gaan maak.

  • Blog: Klik hier
  • Artikel in Kontrei (Volksblad): Klik hier
  • Laai dokument met meer inligting af (398kb): Klik hier
    (Wees geduldig)

  • Francois de Jager De Jager se kontakinligting:
    Sel: 072-199-7615 of
    epos: francois.dejager@telkomsa.net