03 March 2009
NASA recently published a wonderful image of Mimas, Saturn’s small icy moon. The image was acquired by the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft. The image shows an amazing space geometry: there are two terminators, regions of transition from the dark to light, on Mimas. One terminator, visible across the north, is due to sunlight, while the other terminator stretching across the east, is due to Saturn-shine, sunlight reflected off the giant ringed planet.
28 February 2009
Using data from a radar instrument aboard the Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft, scientists have produced a map of the global wind pattern on Saturn's moon Titan. The data have been gathered for four years.
25 February 2009
On 24 February 2009, NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) satellite failed to reach orbit, due to a rocket malfunction. This was the first mission dedicated to provide global space-based measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), to help pinpoint the locations where CO2 is released and absorbed.
17 February 2009
NASA recently published a spectacular image of a powerful dust storm that covered much of the Arabian Peninsula, on 12 February 2009. The storm thinned, and spread eastward over the following two days. The image was acquired by a sophisticated device aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, on 14 February 2009.
15 February 2009
On 10 February 2009, a US commercial communication satellite, called Iridium 33, collided with a defunct Russian Cosmos 2251 satellite. The collision occurred about 800 km, over northern Siberia. This is an unprecedented event and one of the most serious space accidents. The impact produced a large cloud of debris that may only pose a low threat to other spacecraft in Earth orbit, including the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits Earth at an altitude of about 340 km.
11 February 2009
NASA recently published an exquisite satellite image of a giant Alaskan volcano, known as Redoubt Volcano. This volcano last erupted in 1989, and it has been rumbling since late January 2009. The volcano would probably erupt within days.
03 February 2009
On 2 February 2009, Iran launched its first home-made artificial satellite, known as Omid “Hope”. The launch occurred aboard the Iranian Safir 2 rocket, and it coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. Iranian state Media described the successful launch as “another achievement for Iranian scientists under sanctions”. The telecommunications and research satellite was placed into a low Earth orbit.
29 January 2009
After a dormancy period of over 9,000 years, Chile’s Chaitén Volcano erupted in May 2008. During the months that followed, the volcano remained active, releasing plumes of steam and volcanic ash, damaging local vegetation, clogging waterways, and inundating the nearby town of Chaitén.
25 January 2009
NASA recently published an exquisite image of a rare spectacular nebula. The picture was acquired with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The object, technically designated as NGC 2818, is the remains of a dead Sun-like star, located inside a distant cluster of stars whose distance is about 10,000 light years away.
20 January 2009
NASA recently published a stunning image of a splendid archeological area in Egypt, the monuments of Dashur. The image was acquired by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The most remarkable features shown in the image are the two magnificent pyramids of Dashur: the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. These pyramids were the first true pyramids in history. They were built by King Snefru (2613-2589 BC), the founder of the 4th Dynasty (The chronology of ancient Egypt is not precise, and its dates are regarded as approximate.)