Month: May 2024

1st astronaut launch of Boeing’s Starliner capsule now targeted for June 1

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Boeing is now targeting June 1 for the first crewed launch of its Starliner capsule, though that date is far from set in stone. The flight date for the mission, called Crew Flight Test (CFT), has been in considerable flux recently. It had been scheduled to lift off on May 6 atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but that try was called off about two hours before launch due to a misbehaving valve in the rocket’s upper stage.  ULA…

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See May’s Full Flower Moon blossom in the night sky tonight

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The full moon of May 2024 rides the Scorpion’s back across the night sky tonight. The Full Flower Moon will be in the Scorpius constellation tonight (May 23), rising in the southeast just after sunset. Because full moons occur when the sun and the moon are completely opposite one another in the sky, the moon will rise at sunset and set with the sunrise the following morning. Because of its location in the sky tonight, the Full Flower Moon makes for an excellent guide to help you learn the stars…

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Telescope deal: Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ now under $200

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If you’re new to astronomy, getting the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ telescope for under $200 could be ideal for you. It’s well-suited for beginners and this price point is cheaper than a lot of the best telescopes. Save $40 and get the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ for under $200 on Amazon.  Celestron is an industry leader when it comes to optics and this is apparent with this scope as it features a 114mm aperture with reflective coatings on the primary mirror. The telescope works in tandem with the…

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Sols 4193-4194: Stay Overnight? No, Touch-and-Go!

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4 min read Sols 4193-4194: Stay Overnight? No, Touch-and-Go! This image was taken by Left Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4192 (2024-05-22 06:36:49 UTC). NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 One of the biggest challenges that comes with operating a rover on another planet is that we don’t always know exactly what we’re going to have in front of us when we park after driving. The science teams and our rover planners (who actually plan out the drives) do their best of what we…

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The Marshall Star for May 22, 2024

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14 Min Read The Marshall Star for May 22, 2024 NASA astronaut Josh Cassada and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Joseph Pelfrey lead students from area schools across the Louisiana State Capitol grounds to attend a series of panel discussions as part of Louisiana Space Day 2024. Making Connections: Marshall Hosts Annual Jamboree, Poster Expo By Celine Smith Engineers, researchers, and scientists at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center had the opportunity to showcase their vast range of projects and learn about others at Marshall’s annual Science, Technology, and Engineering…

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NASA’s Compact Infrared Cameras Enable New Science

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A new, higher-resolution infrared camera outfitted with a variety of lightweight filters could probe sunlight reflected off Earth’s upper atmosphere and surface, improve forest fire warnings, and reveal the molecular composition of other planets. The cameras use sensitive, high-resolution strained-layer superlattice sensors, initially developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, using IRAD, Internal Research and Development funding. Their compact construction, low mass, and adaptability enable engineers like Tilak Hewagama to adapt them to the needs of a variety of sciences. Goddard engineer Murzy Jhabvala holds the heart…

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Amateur astronomer finds 5 fascinating new galaxies — and they’re now named after him

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An amateur astronomer from Italy has discovered five new dwarf galaxies around a distant spiral galaxy — a spiral that’s one of the largest galaxies in the sky over Earth. His name is Giuseppe Donatiello, and those five dwarf galaxies are now named Donatiello V, Donatiello VI, Donatiello VII, Donatiello VIII, and Donatiello IX (Do V, Do VI, Do VII, Do VIII, and Do IX). “Out of eleven discoveries, nine galaxies bear my name. To my knowledge, I am the first and only amateur astronomer to have galaxies named after them,”…

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Solar eclipse 2024: Live updates

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Refresh 2024-05-22T10:41:06.780Z It’s not too early to plan your trip for the ‘eclipse of the century’ in 2027 Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt is just one of the iconic locations the total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027 will be visible from.  (Image credit: TONNAJA via Getty Images) An eclipse of epic proportions will occur on Aug. 2, 2027 across North Africa it will be the longest totality on land since 1991 and until 2114. Visible across southern Spain, northern Morocco, northern Algeria, northern Tunisia, northeast Libya, central Egypt, the northeastern…

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Euclid ‘dark universe’ telescope team will unveil new full-color images on May 23: How to watch live

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The European Space Agency (ESA) will release five new images from the Euclid space telescope on Thursday (May 23). And, well, if the previous set of pictures is anything to go by — space fans should be in for an absolute treat. “Five new portraits of our cosmos were captured during Euclid’s early observations phase, each revealing amazing new science,” ESA officials said in a statement. “Euclid’s ability to unravel the secrets of the cosmos is something you will not want to miss.” The new images will be revealed at…

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2024 Dream with Us Design Challenge Winners

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3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Congratulations! Our 2024 Dream with Us challenge has concluded, and we are pleased to share the winning projects: Middle School 1st Place: The Unstoppable Changemakers Team (Anika J. and Aidan R.) Fire Drones is a system of drones that battle wildfires. They use solar power for sustainability, machine learning technology for early detection of potential wildfires, and use biodegradable spheres called Fire Bombs to help extinguish wildfires. This system of firefighting drones actively communicates with emergency personnel to work…

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