Live HD video of earth from the International Space Station

The view is astonishing!
Here, follow the link, I can assure you that it is going to be wonderful
 http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/HDEV/
I wish I had a projector, and could project these view while working!!!

Did you say that you want a background music for this view?
Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyJwbwWg8uc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyJwbwWg8uc&list=RDlyJwbwWg8uc


The view would be absolutely amazing if we could catch it when it flies over Aurora.

Head over to spaceweather.com and try to track down one of 'em. Please let me know if there is going to be an Aurora watch!
There are other Alerting sites too, for example:
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast
https://twitter.com/Aurora_Alerts

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India launching first #Mars mission #Mangalyaan

After the successful mission to Moon (Chandrayaan-I), India is heading to Mars!

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is launching  Mangalyaan using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The planned launch date is Nov 5th, 2013.   The Mangalyaan will carry five scientific payloads which include: 

1. Methane Sensor For Mars (MSM), 
2. Mars Color Camera (MCC), 
3. Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer (MENCA), 
4. TIR Spectrometer (TIS), and 
5. Lyman-Alpha Photometer (LAP). 

It will also use Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN), as well as NASA deep space network for navigation and tracking during its mission. The spacecraft is expected to take nearly 300 days to reach the Martian orbit.

It is quite impressive that ISRO has pulled it up in such a short time. The next fuel-saving Hohmann transfer orbit opens  in 2016. If successful, ISRO would become the fourth space agency to reach Mars, after Roscosmos, NASA, and ESA.

ISRO in Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ISROs-Mars-Orbiter-Mission/1384015488503058?directed_target_id=0

Read more...

• http://www.nbcnews.com/science/india-plans-launch-first-mars-mission-test-large-rocket-year-6C10714150
• http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2013/04011229-isros-mars-mission-now.html
• http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2013/03/20130322144724.html#axzz2PF1pO4Vc

#NASA's @AstroRobonaut Challenge

Here is the challenge:
Improve the vision algorithms of  @AstroRobonaut, and win some money. http://t.co/ccwbDOTUNi

A Robonaut is a dexterous humanoid robot built and designed at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. You can join him on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/NASArobonaut
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Wild Fire in Langtang National Park detected from Space

DHUNCHE: A massive wild fire spread across Rasuwa’s northern Timure and the surrounding forest of Langtang area this morning. The inferno in Langtang National Park area was reported after a huge cloud of smoke was seen from the headquarters at around 10:00 am. According to locals, they first suspected a volcano eruption but they did not hear any explosive sound. As the incident site is far from human settlement, people are safe, said District Police Office. The incident site is a three-day walk from the district headquarters. A Nepali Army chopper, which had reached the site at 1:00 pm, is learned to have returned without learning about the cause of the fire.

That was the news. Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Fire+engulfs+Langtang+National+Park+area&NewsID=358587

The NASA remote sensing observation satellites called Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer  (MODIS) detected fire activities in the area. Attached is the screenshot.

NASA MODIS detection of recent wildfires in Nepal. This is an example of how useful the remote sensing observation can be for mountainous country like Nepal. The helicopter observation could not tell whether it was fire or volcano. Twitter was filled with the news of volcano/not volcano discussions.  I believe one of the ministry (of environment) should be enrolled to NASA fire updates so that they can get alerts for such incidents.

More about the tools:
The Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) integrates remote sensing and GIS technologies to deliver global MODIS fire locations and burned area information. The active fire locations are processed by LANCE using the standard MODIS MOD14/MYD14 Fire and Thermal Anomalies product. Each active fire location represents the center of a 1km pixel that is flagged by the algorithm as containing one or more fires within the pixel.
http://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/firemap/

If someone is concerned about the fire in any particular location, they also provide email subscription alerts. I think someone in environment ministry should be interested. Just wanted to point out the tools that may help the decision makers.

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Curiosity @ Mars #msl

Curiosity will be landing on Mars this week.
You can follow it @MarsCuriosity
We wish the curiosity rover a nice journey and (√) a smooth landing.


The mission will take about 8 months to reach Mars.
Lets start with a minute video.



Here is the animation of landing to the red planet.


The process on the ground


For updates follow http://twitter.com/#!/MarsCuriosity
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html

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शुक्रलाई ताकेर सूर्यलाई हेर्ने :)

म चाहि यो कुरोको पर्दाफास गर्ने प्रयत्नमा छु ।


नपत्याए यो भिडियो हेर्नुस त! करीब सात घंटा लामो शुक्रगमन को मौक़ा छोपेर खिचिएको यो भिडियोमा  एउटा थोप्लो वारि बाट पारी जान्छ, र त्येसै समयभित्र सूर्यमा कति चलखेल हुन्छ !
बहाना न हो, कुन मौक़ा पाऊ र कनिका बुकाऊ भन्ने दाऊ खोजी रहेका बिश्वभरीका बैज्ञानिकहरुले सुक्र्गमनको मौक़ा छोपेर सूर्यको बारेमा समेत सिक्षा दिए ।  यसैलाई "शुक्रलाई ताकेर सूर्यलाई हेर्ने" भन्ने रणनीति भन्नुपर्ला !
एक-जुगमा एक-दिन भन्थे, अब यो मौक़ा हाम्रो जुनीमा  फेरी फेरी आउदैन ।  


>

=== On June 5-6 2012, SDO is collecting images of one of the rarest predictable solar events: the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. This event happens in pairs eight years apart that are separated from each other by 105 or 121 years. The last transit was in 2004 and the next will not happen until 2117. Credit: NASA/SDO, AIA To read more about the 2012 Venus Transit go to: sunearthday.nasa.gov/transitofvenus

Write your Name with Galaxies: Galaxify

Reach for the stars, write your name with Galaxies!

http://mygalaxies.co.uk/g92oqg/

Note the website above, created by astronomer Steven Bamford, which uses images of galaxies to recreate your message as an image.  The galaxy images are acquired through the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Galaxy Zoo projects.

Well, nabinkm.com appears as:

Did you ask: Which galaxies are used in this image?

Letter

SDSS ID (click for more information)

I

587741821065101540

K

588017627238367250

N

588017948290449585

a

587729782813491982

b

588017719576625235

c

587738574072971384

m

587731681191068026

m

587725471208112391

n

587738617558663207

o

587741708883329169

.

587727942951765078

For the Geeky love birds out there:

Find out which ones were used!
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Dragon Captured in Space

"Houston, looks like we got Dragon by the tail", Don Petit, astronaut in ISS controlling the Canadaarm2, announced.
SpaceX's Space dragon capsule has been roaming around the ISS for about three days. It carries cargo to ISS. After sophisticated tests and affirmation that Dragon will not be harmful to ISS, it has now been captured by a robotic arm. The process known as Berthing.

Credit: NASA TV screenshot.

... and now bolted to ISS...
https://plus.google.com/u/0/102371865054310418159/posts/aRSmBE2ZeYZ
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On May 22nd, @SpaceX  uccessfully launched the #Dragon capsule into orbit! 
This is the new venture to commute to the international space station (ISS) through private efforts and is the first commercial resupply vehicle to ISS. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18154937)

Here is a tweet linked to the beautiful arc when SpaceX lifted Dragon to space.

RT @SpaceX: Incredible shot of Falcon 9 launch (photo credit: James Fink) twitter.com/SpaceX/status/…
— BloggerDai(@nabinkm) May 23, 2012

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End of mission for Envisat declared by ESA

Environmental Satellite or Envisat, launched in 2002, is one of the most successful earth observing (remote sensing) missions. With 10 optical and radar instruments onboard, it celebrated 10 great years in orbit. However, on 8th April 2012, it lost communication to its command center.

The last image from the satellite. Credits: ESA

The team had been trying hard to re-establish the communication; no success. Therefore, ESA has declared end of the mission for Envisat. In the press release, they said that they will keep trying for next two months. We would like to wish them a success!

More at ...
ESA Portal - ESA declares end of mission for Envisat:
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Final touchdown for the shuttle Discovery

Discovery has made its final touchdown. This time on the back of another aircraft, Boeing 747, specially made for transporting the shuttle.
Discovery was regarded as a leader of the shuttles, making the most flights: 39 missions throughout its life. The era of shuttle came to an end  in 2011.

It will be in display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
I have taken few screenshots from the NASA broadcast. Enjoy! ...

Detecting life by reflected, polarized light

Is There Life on Earth?: "...the light reflected by a planet is polarized, while the light from the host star is not. So polarimetric techniques help us to pick out the faint reflected light of an exoplanet from the dazzling starlight."

More:
ESO website: http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1210/
Research paper: Nature paper

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Planets, Sun and Moon Align

Feb 25th, as I came out of my office I looked into the sky.
Previously, I had read about the alignment of the brightest objects in the night sky in the wired (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/live-feed-planets).

I could see the moon and the Jupiter, bright and clear. Mercury was already below the horizon. So, I pulled out my Google-sky in the cell. And there was the surprise!!!

 Not only three, there were seven members of the solar system:  Jupiter, Venus, Moon,  Uranus, Mercury, Sun and Neptune; aligned nearly on a straight line.  I took the screenshot.
Yes, when you do not have a telescope, this is probably how you do your share of astronomical observation. It was  fun, nonetheless.
See the picture below:

GoogleSky screeshot in android cm7 showing
Jupiter, Venus, (Moon),  Uranus, Mercury, Sun and Neptune are aligned nearly on a straight line.
Please click on the image for bigger picture.

Moreover, Saturn was on the same line... somewhere in the direction below my feet...

I think you may be able to watch the same thing on Feb 26th, just after the sun sets.Try!
 

Fobos-Grunt Lifts off from Baikonur Cosmodrome

Fobos-Grunt mission to scoop Phobos, one of the moons of Mars...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LfsNzNEHhM#!&t=3495
(note how the tail disappears @ about 1hour mark)

The spacecraft is expected to reach Mars' orbit in September 2012, with landing on Phobos scheduled for February 2013.

Update: it seems it is stuck in the earth's space because of some technical troubles... they say if it does not fire in two days, it might be lost!
Ref: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15684192

On the other news:
Mars Science Laboratory, a suv sized rover, is going to be launched by the end of this month.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-347

Snapshot credit: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/

Follow MSL @marscuriosity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos-Grunt

AstroRobonaut@Space

Humans in International Space Station has a new companion: A Robonaut (R2B). R2 is the first humanoid robot in space. It will go thru extensive tests after which it will serve side by side with human missions in ISS and beyond.
From: http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/default.asp

There are currently four Robonauts, with others currently in development. This allows us to study various types of mobility, control methods, and task applications. The value of a humanoid over other designs is the ability to use the same workspace and tools - not only does this improve efficiency in the types of tools, but also removes the need for specialized robotic connectors. Robonauts are essential to NASA's future as we go beyond low earth orbit and continue to explore the vast wonder that is space. 

See the preparation on time lapse:


Twitter Follow:
http://twitter.com/AstroRobonaut
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/NASArobonaut

Just imagine a humanoid-robotic hand picking the martian dust!

Hubble in IMAX 3D

AVATAR was my first and second(!) IMAX 3D movie.
IMAX is bringing another fantastic movie... it is about the hubble space telescope

Some Screenshots:

More...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=hubble-3d-imax-movie-2010-01-29
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO4ZWJlROwE
http://www.imax.com/hubble/

Journey: From and Back to Home

I was completely absorbed by the following video... Journey from Home to eternity and back to home.
After you go out of the solar system, you are in void. tranquility prevails and you are alone in there... navigating away from your home. The journey is not so easy as it was fantasized.



http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/index.php

Stargazing @ SUNY Albany -- II

As a part of our Stargazing Events, We invite you to next event on Monday, Feb 1, 2010.


We will see three planets and our moon in the next stargazing session on Monday morning, Feb. 1, starting at 5:30 AM, which is around dawn.

Overcast skies blocked our session on Sunday. It is impossible to predict the weather with certainty; to learn why, take Fluid Mechanics (physics 472/572) or Bayesian Analysis (physics 551).

This early morning session will be a real treat. We can see Saturn, still plenty high toward the southwest. Six of its famous satellites may be in view about the planet's equator, while Iapetus appears to the lower right.

Our Moon is the most dazzling object to view at night through the telescope. On Monday morning it is a waning gibbous, nearing the western horizon.

Mars will be setting as we arrive, in view to the unaided eye but probably out of the telescope's sight. Someday we'll have to catch it up close; but this morning belongs to Mercury.

The sun's closest planet will give its best view for a while on Monday morning around 7. Not to get our hopes too high: up just before sunrise, Mercury may not reach the telescope's sight line before solar glare washes it away.

Please dress warmly as the observatory is outdoors! While waiting for a turn to view you may wish to wait in the warmer hallway.

If the weather isn't clear then we will cancel. Twitter AlbanyStarGaze for updates.

Bye Bye Mars Rover... Spirit [An attempt at fiction]

The quest had been "After so much time trying to come out of this slippery place... are they going to let it go?"  "The wheels are already not working, how long can they keep it dragging?" Public opinions are sometimes very sharp.


"I hate to be in this decision making eco-system..." remarks Dr. Z.
"After being involved in this project for some fraction of my life, I feel like.." [his voice breaks]...

"... It is like a family member after you spent so much time with it. ..." [he gathers it]

"... we had so many nice time together..."
"Had it been killed immediately after its time was up, it would have been less painful... As a project manager I have seen so many projects come and go."

"We expected it to last for what ... 90 days? give or take ... it has been running for six years in row ... day and night... We even changed our life style for it's efficient use."

Finally, the call has come into order.

"I am sorry to leave you there in cold... and alone. 
Bye Bye Spirit... you will be remembered."


http://marsrover.nasa.gov/home/index.html

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20100126a.html
Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004. They have been exploring for six years, far surpassing their original 90-day mission. Opportunity currently is driving toward a large crater called Endeavor and continues to make scientific discoveries. It has driven approximately 12 miles and returned more than 133,000 images.

[This is just a fiction]
Incidently, tonight marks one significant date

On Jan. 27, Mars will be closer to Earth than any other time between 2008 and 2014.

Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/mars-earth-close-encounter/