Thursday, March 19, 2009
Oldest isolated pulsar ever found by X-rays
The oldest isolated pulsar ever detected in X-rays has been found with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This very old and exotic object is surprisingly active.The pulsar is about 200 million years old.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
3 galaxies involved in a game of tug- of -war
NASA Hubble Space Telescope image shows three galaxies playing a game of gravitational tug -of- war that may result in the eventual demise of one of them.The galaxies are located 100 million light years away.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Why Taurus XL failed
On 24th, February, a Taurus XL carrying NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory(OCO) failed to reach orbit. Managers want to confirm there will not be similar issues with Kepler's Delta II.
Preliminary information indicated that the fairing on the Taurus XL did not separate from the rocket as planned about 10 minutes into the flight.
The fairing is a clamshell structure that encapsulates the satellite as it travels.
Preliminary information indicated that the fairing on the Taurus XL did not separate from the rocket as planned about 10 minutes into the flight.
The fairing is a clamshell structure that encapsulates the satellite as it travels.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
China's lunar probe lands on Moon
Chang'e- 1, China's first lunar probe, impacted the Moon at 4.13 p.m . Beijing Time (0813 GMT) on March 1, 2009 said sources with the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.
The satellite ended its 16- month mission on March 1, 2009 when it hit the lunar surface at 1.50 degrees south latitude and 52.36 degrees east longitude.
This is the first phase of China's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a landing and launch of a rover vehicle around 2012.
"Chang'e" is name after legendary Chinese Moon goddess.
The satellite ended its 16- month mission on March 1, 2009 when it hit the lunar surface at 1.50 degrees south latitude and 52.36 degrees east longitude.
This is the first phase of China's three-stage moon mission, which will lead to a landing and launch of a rover vehicle around 2012.
"Chang'e" is name after legendary Chinese Moon goddess.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Chandrayaan likely to join U.S spacecraft for water probe
India's Chandrayaan-I probe will be joining two U.S spacecraft to be launched this year in looking for water on the Moon.
NASA plans to launch the Lunar Reconnaissance (LRO)as well as the Lunar Crater Observation an Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) on an Atlas V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
One of the instruments on Chandrayaan-I, which is currently circling the Moon, is a compact imaging radar known as Mini-SAR developed by the U.S scientists to look for signs of water-ice at the bottom of lunar craters that are permanently in shadow. A similar sort of radar, called Mini-RF, is flying on LRO as well.
NASA plans to launch the Lunar Reconnaissance (LRO)as well as the Lunar Crater Observation an Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) on an Atlas V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
One of the instruments on Chandrayaan-I, which is currently circling the Moon, is a compact imaging radar known as Mini-SAR developed by the U.S scientists to look for signs of water-ice at the bottom of lunar craters that are permanently in shadow. A similar sort of radar, called Mini-RF, is flying on LRO as well.