Wednesday, 15 September 2010

Gallery: The Top 10 Telescopes of All Time


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SOFIA Observatory Completes Open-Door Flight Tests




NASA's SOFIA observatory with a NASA F/A-18 trailing in chase soars over California City in the desert north of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on its last envelope-expansion test flight Aug. 4. The SOFIA's 2.5-meter infrared telescope and its associated telescope cavity doors are rotated open to their maximum 58-degree position in this view. (NASA photo / Carla Thomas)

Source: NASA


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Tuesday, 14 September 2010

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010


Congratulations to Tom Lowe who wins the title Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010 with this spectacular image of ancient trees silhouetted against the bright star clouds of the Milky Way. Competition judge Marek Kukula says: ‘I think this beautiful picture perfectly captures the spirit of Astronomy Photographer of the Year, linking the awe-inspiring vista of the night sky with life here on Earth. The bristlecone pines in the foreground can live as long as five thousand years. But they are babies compared to the starlight shining behind them, some of which began its journey towards us almost 30,000 years ago. 

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Saturday is Moon day (night)


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Ope-aand Boyden-sterrewag, Saterdag, 18 September 2010


Plek: Boyden-sterrewag (Langs Maselspoort)
Datum: Saterdag, 18 September 2010
Tyd: 18:30

BESPREKING IS NOODSAAKLIK!
  • Willie Koorts van die SAAO lewer praatjie oor Die Ingenieurswese agter Sterrekunde. Die lesing sal tweetalig wees met die skyfies in Engels.
  • Hennie Maas van RSG se Sterre en Planete kom maak twee opnames vir die radioprogram "Sterre en Planete" by die sterrewag. Prof Matie Hoffman en Willie Koorts  is die twee gaste wat om die beurte met die program help. Hierdie sessie is in Afrikaans
  • Waarnemings deur teleskope indien die weer dit toelaat o.a. van Jupiter, Venus en die maan.
Bel 051 401 9751 tydens kantoorure om te bespreek of stuur 'n epos aan FickY@ufs.ac.za

Toegang: R 30 per motor

Verversings en ligte etes te koop - Nuwe spyseniers!

Aangebied deur: Vriende van Boyden-sterrewag en die Amateur Sterrekunde Vereniging
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Monday, 13 September 2010

More Photos: Venus and Moon Occultation 11 September 2010


 Click to enlarge image
Moon and Venus Occultation as seen from Boyden Observatory
Photo: Hannes Pieterse
Equipment: Canon 30D attached to Celestron 11 GPS (Prime focus) Tracking in Lunar mode.
ISO 400 and 1/2000 sec. Processed in Photoshop CS5

According to my computer clock and Camera exif info the moon started to move in front of Venus at 14:28:55. The exit time was give or take 15:36:39.
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Foto's: Maan en Venus Okkultasie - 11 September 2010


Herman Bonnet van ASSA Bloemfontein se foto's
Canon 400D ISO 100, Skywatcher equinox 120,Eq 6
Klik op foto om te vergroot

Wesssel du Preez ASSA Bloemfontein stuur uit Senekal die
foto's wat hy met `n selfoon deur die oogstuk van `n Orion 8"dobsonion  geneem het.
Klik op foto om te vergroot

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Friday, 10 September 2010

Shuttle se moer gestrip! Moer nou weg! NASA soek moer!



Discovery attachment to tank delayed by nut problem
Workers rotated Discovery upright last night for mating to the fuel
tank and boosters. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
 Engineers attaching the shuttle Discovery to its external fuel tank ran into problems Friday when an internal nut used to attach a separation bolt to the belly of the orbiter slipped out of position. Re-positioning the mis-aligned nut will require access to the shuttle's aft engine compartment, sources said, but it was not immediately clear what might be required to provide that access with Discovery not yet firmly attached to its external tank.
 (Ok! 'n  Bolt is `n bout! Maar moer klink beter! Dit is toe `n "nut" en nie `n "bolt" nie!) 
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    How Microbes Could Help Colonize Mars




    Cyanobacteria fossil about 850 million years old from Bitter
    Springs in Central Australia. Credit: J. William Schopf
    by Jeremy Hsu
    for Astrobiology Magazine

    Moffett Field CA (SPX) Sep 10, 2010

    Tiny rock-eating microbes could mine precious extraterrestrial resources from Mars
    and pave the way for the first human colonists. Just don't expect them to transform
    the red planet's surface into a new Earth on a short deadline, researchers say.
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    Space station cargo vessel blasts off


    A robotic Russian resupply ship to service the International Space Station successfully launched atop a Soyuz rocket rocket today at 6:22 a.m. EDT (1022 GMT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The freighter is carrying two-and-a-half tons of cargo, food and water for the high-flying laboratory.
    Photo credit: Energia
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