Author: Alan Kerlin
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Interview: Keri Bean—Mars meteorologist, Curiosity Rover team member
Keri Bean is a meteorologist specialising in the atmospherics of other planets. She is on the team operating the Curiosity Rover for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission. Prior to MSL, Keri has had roles in the missions for other Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, a prototype Moon rover, the Phoenix Mars Lander, and the Hubble…
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The nearest solar system to ours has an Earth-sized planet…
Already there’s an artist’s impression of the newly discovered ‘Alpha Centauri B a’ Yes—you read right. Alpha Centauri has a planet, and it is roughly the size of Earth. And at just 4.37 light years distance, it is theoretically reachable (with a whole lot of space travel development!) despite the frustrating limitations put on us…
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2013 looks like being the year of the comet
Comet Lovejoy, taken by astronaut Dan Burbankfrom the ISS The astronomy world has been buzzing since it was announced on 24 September – C/2012 S1 is a new comet that could be lighting up our skies like none in living history by November 2013. It’s been named Comet ISON after the telescope research network…
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A flawless launch for the world’s first commercial space mission
Photo: Ben Cooper http://www.launchphotography.com/SpX-1.html Elon Musk’s commercial space travel venture SpaceX has ticked off another global first – the first commercial space flight. Watch a replay of the launch first stage: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket roared off the launch pad at 11:35am Canberra time, boosting the robotic Dragon capsule into a three-day chase of…
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What do polls and climate change have in common? It’s not what you think! Brian Schmidt at TEDx Canberra
Here’s the talk by our own Nobel Prize winner Brian Schmidt at the recent TEDx Canberra. He talks about the certainty in uncertainty, showing how credible statistical analysis can reveal unexpected results. You may be surprised…
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My mega grab-bag of astronomy resources for teachers, students, telescope beginners and space fans
Whether you are a parent, teacher, student or simply an interested enthusiast, here are a number of interesting sites, podcasts, and social media people for you to draw on as you get going in amateur astronomy. Podcasts provide an amazing resource – all free. Most are available via iTunes, the original publishers’ websites, or a raft…
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Neil Armstrong’s speech in Sydney 24 August 2011
UPDATE: Regrettably, the CPA engaged lawyers to threaten me with everything they could think of if I didn’t pull the recording (below). So pull it I have. Please feel free to pass on any feelings about this to them. At least for the time it was available, about 500 people got to hear the great man’s words. All…
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The whole Earth-side of the Moon should be protected forever
Earlier this year, the New York Times had an interesting piece about museums seeking to protect small areas of the Moon around the Apollo landing sites. And a good thing too: “…the next generation of people visiting the moon might carelessly obliterate the site of one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments.” More recently, NASA has released draft guidelines around protecting…
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Interview with lead Mars Curiosity rover driver Matt Heverly
When the Mars Science Laboratory – Curiosity – touches down on Mars today, one of the people there ready to take control of it will be Matt Heverly. Matt is an engineer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California and has been working on the design and build of Curiosity, as well as being…
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Where to land Mars Curiosity for the best science? Interview with Marion Anderson, who helped choose the landing site.
You’ve sunk more than $2 billion into a car-sized rover and you’re ready to send it to explore Mars. But where exactly on Mars do you send it? Of course you want it and its controllers back here to be able to do the best possible science. So apparently that is exactly what NASA did…