KELT North - The Little Telescope That Could

KELT North - The Little Telescope That Could

Think it takes James Webb Space Telescope money-pit type funding to do (or someday do) astronomy these days? Not so, some astronomers get it done with a lens equivalent to a digital camera. As the…
NASA Does It Better

NASA Does It Better

The winner picture of the Venus transit must be the one below, whose original version can be found here. Thanks Bente Lilya Bye for posting the link on her Facebook page! The picture was taken by…
Basic Orbit Mechanics & Space Debris

Basic Orbit Mechanics & Space Debris

Today's primer: orbital mechanics, or how we have to manuever to catch debris.  There's a lot of debris in low earth orbit, ranging from paint chips and spare bolts to a heavy toolbox up through…
The End For Envisat

The End For Envisat

Shortly after celebrating the tenth anniversary of its time in service, engineers have declared the Envisat satellite lost, following numerous attempts to re-establish contact since April 8th.  …
Orbital Debris And Space Weather?

Orbital Debris And Space Weather?

I've some background in space weather-- the influence of solar activity on Earth and near-Earth orbits.  My new job as a professor at Capitol College has brought me into contact with several…
TWINS Watch A 2 Million MPH Solar Storm

TWINS Watch A 2 Million MPH Solar Storm

On April 5, 2010, the sun spewed a two million-mile-per-hour stream of charged particles toward the magnetosphere, the invisible magnetic fields surrounding Earth. As the particles interacted…