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Blog Archive
How CRISM picks the pixels that guide Opportunity's travels
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2014/06/05 03:29 CDT | 4 comments
How scientists are working with CRISM, an aging but still exceptional spectrometer on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, to find the rocks where Opportunity's work will tell the story of ancient water on Mars.
The construction of OSIRIS-REx has begun!
Posted by Dante Lauretta on 2014/06/05 09:54 CDT
The construction of OSIRIS-REx has begun! Seeing the core structure being assembled demonstrated that OSIRIS-REx is no longer just a set of drawings and PowerPoint charts, it is starting to become a real spacecraft.
Complete 2014 Astronomy Course Online
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/05/19 11:05 CDT | 5 comments
Bruce Betts has completed the lectures for his online 2014 Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy Course at CSUDH: all are online and you can earn a Certificate of Achievement for watching them.
A new Earthrise over the Moon from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's pushframe camera
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2014/05/13 11:53 CDT
Earth's brilliant colors shine above the drab lunar horizon in this new "Earthrise" photo from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. An animation that accompanied the image release helped me to write an explainer on how pushframe cameras like Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's Wide-Angle Camera works.
Intro Astronomy 2014. Class 13: Galaxies, the Universe, Life
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/05/08 01:17 CDT
Discover the Universe including the Big Bang, dark matter, dark energy, galaxies, life and more in this video of class 13 of Bruce Betts' Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy class.
Asteroid Workshop Streamed Public Lectures This Week
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/05/05 09:25 CDT | 1 comment
There is an asteroid threat and space debris workshop in Scotland this week that Planetary Society support helped lead to, and that will include two public lectures you can tune into live.
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/05/01 07:21 CDT
There are swirly indications from a study of how to optimize the lander pad portion of the Planetary Society/Honeybee Robotics PlanetVac planetary surface sampling system.
Intro Astronomy 2014. Class 12: The Sun and Stars
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/05/01 05:31 CDT
Explore the physical characteristics and inner workings of the Sun and then learn all about Stars and Stellar Evolution in this video of class 12 of Bruce Betts' Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy class.
Intro Astronomy 2014. Class 10: Trans Neptunian Objects including Pluto, KBOs, Comets
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/04/18 06:42 CDT
Explore the worlds beyond Neptune including Pluto, Kuiper Belt Objects and comets in this video of class 10 of Bruce Betts' Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy class.
Intro Astronomy Class 9: Titan, Uranus and Neptune Systems
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/04/11 02:31 CDT
Examine Saturn's moon Titan and explore the Uranian and Neptunian systems in this video of class 9 of Bruce Betts' Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy class.
Intro Astronomy 2014. Class 8: Icy Galilean Satellites, Saturn System
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/04/11 02:28 CDT
Explore the icy moons of the Jupiter System and tour the Saturnian system in this video of class 8 of Bruce Betts' Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy class.
Comet Siding Spring Mars encounter: Ya gotta have a little ‘tude
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/03/24 03:44 CDT
In the latest update on how the Mars Express flight control team is planning to deal with Comet Siding Spring is all about attitude -- and hiding behind the biggest guy in the fight.
PlanetVac at the IEEE Aerospace Conference
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/03/07 04:35 CST | 1 comment
PlanetVac project leader Kris Zacny of Honeybee Robotics reports on presenting results of the Planetary Society project PlanetVac that created a prototype planetary dirt sampling system and tested it under Martian pressures.
Intro Astronomy Class 5: Venus (continued) and Mars
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/03/06 10:49 CST
Continue exploring Venus and begin looking at Mars in this video of class 5 of Bruce Betts' Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy class.
Hypervelocity Cratering and Riding Out the Risk
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/03/06 07:34 CST
Today's update from the Mars Express team contains the realisation that, for some of the risks associated with October's Siding Spring flyby, there may not be much the team can do.
Space is really, really big – except sometimes it isn’t
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/03/04 11:19 CST
Here's the next installment in the continuing story of how the Mars Express team is preparing for Comet Siding Spring flyby, 19 October 2014. This week: introducing the spacecraft's subsystems and structure – and wondering how we can absorb impacts.
Intro Astronomy Class 4: Eclipses, Mercury, Venus-Earth-Mars Atmospheres, Venus
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/02/28 01:30 CST
This video of class 4 of Bruce Betts' Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy class discusses eclipses, Mercury, Venus, and a comparison of the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Comet Siding Spring Mars encounter: Why orienting Mars Express is the heart of the challenge
Posted by ESA Mars Express Team on 2014/02/28 12:25 CST
Today's post continues where we started last week with an update from the Mars Express Flight Control Team at ESOC on their preparations for the 19 October Comet Siding Springs flyby. Today: defining the challenge!
Intro Astronomy Class 3: Telescopes, the Moon
Posted by Bruce Betts on 2014/02/21 04:35 CST
Explore optical, radio, and space telescopes and the Moon in the video of class 3 of Bruce Betts' Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy class.
Curiosity update: imaging the nonfunctioning REMS boom, closer to Dingo Gap
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2014/01/29 04:22 CST | 2 comments
At long last, on sol 526, Curiosity imaged the part of the weather instrument that was damaged during landing, but no obvious damage is visible, to me anyway. On sol 527 they drove even closer to Dingo Gap, with plans to drive onto the dune in the sol 528 drive.
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