This is an amazing video done by the American Museum of Natural History. The description on the video states:
The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010.
You feel like a light particle as you fly through space and time to see what is known and see the what is not known about our surrounding universe. The video will give you a time line of how long it took to get to where you are, so that you have a grasp of how far you are away from earth. The scale is perfect, and it's awesomely done.
This video is a little unsettling to say the least. It's a prediction video of an Astroid that will come dangerously close to Earth. According to Wired it's name is "Apophis, a nine-hundred foot asteroid". Doing a little research with Nasa, revealed some more information. [Source]
Upon its discovery in 2004, Apophis was briefly estimated to have a 2.7% chance of impacting the Earth in 2029. Additional measurements later showed there was no impact risk at that time from the 210-330 meter (690-1080 foot) diameter object, identified spectroscopically as an Sq type similar to LL chondritic meteorites. However, there will be a historically close approach to the Earth, estimated to be a 1 in 800 year event (on average, for an object of that size).
The Arecibo planetary radar telescope subsequently detected the asteroid at distances of 27-40 million km (17-25 million miles; 0.192-0.268 AU) in 2005 and 2006. Polarization ratios indicate Apophis appears to be smoother than most NEAs at 13-cm scales. Including the high precision radar measurements in a new orbit solution reduced the uncertainty in Apophis' predicted location in 2029 by 98%.
While trajectory knowledge was substantially corrected by the Arecibo data, a small estimated chance of impact (less than 1 in 45,000 using standard dynamical models) remained for April 13, 2036. With Apophis probably too close to the Sun to be measured by optical telescopes until 2011, and too distant for useful radar measurement until 2013, the underlying physics of Apophis' motion were considered to better understand the hazard.
It continues to go on to say:
The future for Apophis on Friday, April 13 of 2029 includes an approach to Earth no closer than 29,470 km (18,300 miles, or 5.6 Earth radii from the center, or 4.6 Earth-radii from the surface) over the mid-Atlantic, appearing to the naked eye as a moderately bright point of light moving rapidly across the sky. Depending on its mechanical nature, it could experience shape or spin-state alteration due to tidal forces caused by Earth's gravity field.
This is within the distance of Earth's geosynchronous satellites. However, because Apophis will pass interior to the positions of these satellites at closest approach, in a plane inclined at 40 degrees to the Earth's equator and passing outside the equatorial geosynchronous zone when crossing the equatorial plane, it does not threaten the satellites in that heavily populated region.
Using criteria developed in this research, new measurements possible in 2013 (if not 2011) will likely confirm that in 2036 Apophis will quietly pass more than 49 million km (30.5 million miles; 0.32 AU) from Earth on Easter Sunday of that year (April 13).
NASA goes on to say it will pass just 18,300 miles above the planet’s surface.
An article over at MSNBC makes me jump for joy that all those conversations I've had with people where I've said: "You have to be ignorant to think that on all those planets ... Life doesn't exist". The article goes on to say:
New analysis of a 13,000-year-old Mars meteorite, retrieved from Antarctica, has rekindled the debate about whether the ancient rock holds signs of past microbial Martian life.
The study is reminiscent of initial research, published in 1996, suggesting that very, very tiny — nanometer-sized — iron sulfide and iron oxide grains in the meteorite had biological origins, and that tiny, worm-shaped objects in the rock, known as ALH84001, could be the fossilized remains of Martian microbes.
....
Now a team of experts at the NASA Johnson Space Center, including the lead astrobiologist in the 1996 study, David McKay, have looked at the rock again using a new analysis technique, called ion beam milling.
They conclude that there is enough evidence to rule out at least one geological process as the one that formed the nanocrystal iron grains. That leaves something that was once living — biology — as a possible cause.
The scientists also point out the similarity between magnetites found in the Martian meteorite and a type of Earth bacteria on land known as magnetotactic bacteria.
...
That's not enough to satisfy Michael Fuller, who researches magnetism at the University of Hawaii's Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. "The grain-sized distribution is pretty small," Fuller told Discovery News, adding that once iron particles get smaller than about 20 nanometers, the magnetism breaks down.
....
"It seems to me that they haven't really solved the whole thing," Fuller said. "I remain a skeptic."
But Bazylinski argues the research puts a nail in the coffin of one geological theory — that the magnetites were formed by the melting of tiny carbonate disks found in the meteorite.
"This is no smoking gun," Bazylinski said. "It'd be great if this was bacteria. I'd be the first one to carry the flag. But this one meteorite is not going to answer the question of whether there was life on ancient Mars or not."
My next question is .... When are you guys putting my house on Mars? Please get on that, thanks :)
Shuttle Atlantis takes off on station delivery mission according to CNET. Check out the stories, it's a really great read.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.--The space shuttle Atlantis roared to life and raced into orbit Monday on a critical mission to deliver 15 tons of equipment and spare parts to the International Space Station, gear needed to protect against failures after the shuttle fleet is retired next year.
As commander Charles Hobaugh and pilot Barry "Butch" Wilmore monitored the computer-controlled ascent, Atlantis wheeled about its vertical axis and arced away to the northeast, into the plane of the space station's orbit in the first step of a complex two-day rendezvous.
The shuttle's boosters operated normally, separating from Atlantis' external fuel tank as planned two minutes and four seconds after liftoff, and the spaceplane continued toward its planned preliminary orbit on the power of its three main engines.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The shuttle Atlantis vaulted into orbit Monday and set off after the International Space Station, carrying 15 tons of spare parts and equipment as a hedge against failures after the shuttle fleet is retired next year.
“We’re looking for the long-term outfitting of station,” said the shuttle commander, Col. Charles O. Hobaugh of the Marines.
With Colonel Hobaugh and Capt. Barry E. Wilmore, a Navy pilot, at the controls, Atlantis’s twin solid-fuel boosters ignited with a blast of fire at 2:28 p.m., Eastern time, instantly pushing the winged spacecraft away from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.
Wheeling about to line up on a northeasterly trajectory, Atlantis accelerated through a partly cloudy sky, on course for a docking with the space station around noon Wednesday.
The Ares I-X rocket has been delayed till tomorrow according to NASA.
Liftoff of the Ares I-X flight test vehicle now is targeted for Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 8 a.m., the beginning of a four-hour launch window. Join us right here for NASA's Launch Blog starting at 5 a.m. for the latest information from the countdown. Weather for Wednesday is better, but not great, with a 40 percent chance of weather violating launch commit criteria. Today's chance of violation was listed at 60 percent.
Earlier today it was an issue of a ship being in the way of falling debris.
Supposedly you will be able to watch NASA TV for the Ares Rocket Launch Live:
If you haven't kept up with the Ares I-X rocket. Check out the information on the new rocket below:
NASA's first flight test for the agency's next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicle system, called Ares I-X, will bring NASA one step closer to its exploration goals. The flight test will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.
Separate RSSs: