KySat

Video: from soup to stars

Late last year, New Scientist nominated top ten list of space-related videos. The video above is subtle but profound, simulating the formation of large scale structures in the universe.

Wayne

Voyager: heliosphere is lopsided

Voyager 2, on its way out of our solar system toward interstellar space, has relayed new information about the boundary region where the sun's solar wind, which dominates that heliosphere, ebbs, and the heliosheath begins.

The heliosphere appears to be lopsided.

If all goes well, the two Voyager craft should still have enough energy to transmit their findings as they make their way across the heliosheath and toward the heliopause, which marks the beginning of intersteller space, and area where our sun loses all influence.

NASA engineers believe that they have enough power onboard to return data until 2025, perhaps long enough to provide information after the two craft have left the solar system for good.

Wayne

High energy observatory, GLAST, is launched

GLAST, which will scan the heavens for high energy bursts, and perhaps help solve the mystery of dark matter, has successfully launched according to Wired. A nice graphic illustrating the electromagnetic spectrum accompanies the article.

From NASA:

After a 75-minute flight, the GLAST spacecraft was deployed into low Earth orbit. It will begin to transmit initial instrument data after about three weeks. The telescope will explore the most extreme environments in the universe, searching for signs of new laws of physics and investigating what composes mysterious dark matter. It will seek explanations for how black holes accelerate immense jets of material to nearly light speed, and look for clues to crack the mysteries behind powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts.

Wayne

GLAST's "new physics" search begins next week

GLAST has a launch date of next Tuesday, June 2. The telescope is now on the launch pad atop a Delta II rocket. The space-borne observatory

"will open a wide window on the universe through the study of Gamma rays, the highest-energy form of light. GLAST data will enable scientists to answer persistent questions across a broad range of topics, including supermassive black-hole systems, pulsars, the origin of cosmic rays, and searches for signals of new physics."

GLAST could help scientists get closer to answering what Dark Matter is made of. A more complete list of the science that this instrument will undertake is here.

Above right, workers add the payload fairing around the observatory in preparation for launch.

Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Wayne

Wikipedia: Gamma Rays, Dark Matter

Light from the Big Bang

Herschel, a space-borne telescope that will use the far infrared wavelength to observe some of the deepest objects in the universe, has finished assembly.

Cooled to near absolute zero, its mission will be to detect the most distant and faintest heat from the origins of the universe. The craft will be launched along with Planck sometime later this year. The two  observation platforms, posted and operating independently at L2, will combine to provide the most comprehensive look ever at the microwave background radiation, to observe galaxy formation and to determine what theories about the origins of the universe are correct.

Other than that, the mission pretty low key.

Wayne

Credits: ESA (Image by AOES Medialab)