Tag: space
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A Secret Code to the Cosmos is Hidden in the Light
Are you watching the new Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey – the scientific documentary television series? I am, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it! The series is a follow-up to the 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which was presented by Carl Sagan. The all new Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey science documentary consists of thirteen episodes…
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The Highlights of 2013
This year our writers churned out a host of fantastic articles, including a series of posts dedicated to women in space, written by Sharon Harnett. One of the most notable of the series was all about Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman astronaut. This year was the 50th anniversary of her historic spaceflight. We also had…
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Weekly Science Picks
It is with a heavy heart that I must say, this is my final set of Weekly Science Picks here on Australian Science. In fact, it’s to be the final set of Weekly Science Picks. Unfortunately, running a site like this one is a costly affair, and it’s been an honour to be a writer…
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Weekly Science Picks
Well, it’s my turn to pick my favourite science news this week on Australian Science. And I must apologise for being slightly late with this. The reason is that I’ve only just got home to Tokyo after spending all week in Taipei for a conference on interstellar dust! As with any good conference, it’s been…
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Weekly Science Picks
Hello everyone. I hope you’ve all had a good week! It’s a balmy Autumn evening here in the UK where I sit as I write this – and I must say, this week’s science picks include something quite historic… Anyone with half an eye on the science news recently should know by now that it’s…
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Weekly Science Picks
After the Perseid meteor shower last weekend, it seems that lots of exciting things have been discussed this week. Here are a few of the things which caught my eye. The first of my picks is homegrown here on Australian Science, if you’ll pardon the pun. A sustainable food source for space travellers and…
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ArduSat: Kickstarting a new era in space education
I was awake at stupid o’clock last Sunday morning to watch NASA’s livestream of the launch of the HTV-4 resupply vehicle. At precisely 05:48:46AM AEST, JAXA H-IIB F4 launch vehicle lifted off smoothly en route to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). The 5.4 tonne payload comprised all the usual suspects: water, replacement and upgraded…
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The Value of Astronaut Photography of Earth
Earthlings were spoiled when Chris Hadfield turned his camera to Earth. The astronaut, just returned in May from a five-month mission to the International Space Station, uploaded dozens of pictures of Australia to his Twitter feed and other social networks. His observations ranged from the whimsical — “Jackson Pollock would have been even further…
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What do Mars and Australia have in common?
If you’re expecting a punchline to that title, then guess again. It’s no joke. Surprisingly, Australia shares some remarkably similar geology to our neighbouring planet. Specifically the Red Centre, the arid heart of Australia, is the most Mars-like place on Earth! It’s possible that people may have mused on the similarities already. After all, with…
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An Animated Visualization of Every Meteorite Since 861 AD
Carlo Zapponi is data visualization designer at Nokia, who has created an amazing animation of the meteorites that have struck the earth. Only 3% of all recorded meteorites were seen falling since 861 AD. 34,513 have been recorded, only 1,042 have been seen falling. Now you can click any of the fallen meteorites at the image below, also…
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Life of an astronaut – Jerry Carr
In one of the TED-Ed’s lessons worth sharing – astronaut Jerry Carr share his experience on space. As commander of Skylab, he spent over 2000 hours in space, orbiting the Earth over 1000 times. Recounting his life story, Carr remembers the enchanting years he spent at NASA.
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Weekly Science Picks
At the top of my list this week would have to be the ISS Commander Chris Hadfield from Canadian Space Agency wringing out a wet towel in zero gravity. If you haven’t watched it yet. Do it now. The explanation behind what happens is more in depth than “magic”. Cmdr Hadfield is right when he…
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Australia from orbit
From December 19th last year, Chris Hadfield has been living aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in orbit roughly 400 km above planet Earth. Seeing 15 sunrises every day as the station tracks its way above our planet, the ISS, to quote Hadfield himself, “weighs 500 tonnes and is the size of 5 NHL hockey…
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Weekly Science Picks
It’s been rather a turbulent week, all told. There’s been a lot going on in the news, both good and bad. Hopefully, this little handful of science news items will help you finish the last week and begin this next one on a lighthearted note! NASA’s Kepler mission has found a star system which…