Category Archives: Astronomy

Feb 22 2011

Spectacular Hi-Res Full Moon from LRO

Presented above is a mosaic of about 1300 separate images taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s Wide-Angle Camera, producing a resolution of about 145 meters/pixel. The images were taken over the course of two weeks in December 2010.

Useful links:

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Feb 17 2011

Huge solar flare – Alert for possible mid-latitude auroras in the next days

On 15 Feb 2011, active region 1158 let loose the largest flare since Dec. 2006 and the biggest flare so far in Solar Cycle 24.  Since the active region was facing Earth, there is a good chance that Earth will receive some effects from these events, with some possibility of mid-latitude aurora Feb. 16 – 18.

credit: SDO / NASA

Feb 2 2011

February 2011 night sky highlights

Credits: JPL news (NASA)

Don’t miss:

Observing/photo op – Solar sail spacecraft NanoSail (image credit: NASA) is passing over our skies.  Skygazers are urged to participate in an ongoing contest to capture images of NanoSail-D. The images will help NASA monitor the satellite before it reenters the atmosphere in April or May. Visible passes are avaible on Heavens-above website.

Related Links (in Italian):

Jan 11 2011

Kepler discovers its first rocky planet

NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has discovered Kepler-10b, its first confirmed rocky planet and the smallest transiting exoplanet discovered to date. Kepler-10b is only 1.4 times the size of Earth and has an average density of 8.8 grams per cubic centimeter, similar to that of an iron dumbbell.

The planet orbits its star in only 0.84 days and is not in the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist.

(credits: NASA)

Jan 6 2011

Solar and Lunar eclispes of the decade

–Video: the Solar Physics Satellite “HINODE”, which flies at an altitude of 680 km above the Earth, observed an annular solar eclipse on January 4, 2011. Credits: NAOJ/JAXA–

With still in the eyes the incredible show put on by the Sun and the Moon during the 4 Jan partial eclipse, I wanted to summarise (in chronological order) next eclipses (Solar and Lunar) that will be visible during this decade in Europe. 

And if you don’t want to miss totalities, mark these days on your agenda:  Continue reading →

Jan 4 2011

Partial solar eclipse – the “Crescent Sun”!

This morning Marco and I moved to a site close to Turin where the meteo forecast were not so bad (as in our city) to try to observe and photograph the partial solar eclipse. Unfortunately, when we arrived it was cloudy and foggy and so decided to go back home. Suddenly, as I was sadly driving on the motorway, close to the city of Alessandria, noticed a little break on the clouds from my rearview mirror: I stopped the car and, after a quick set up, we managed to capture the crescent Sun!

Technical details: Canon Eos 1000d, F/22; 150-500mm lens @ 500mm; ISO. 1/1600 sec

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Related Links – Other “Crescent Suns” from around the world:

Dec 30 2010

January 2011 night sky highlights

Credits: Hubblesite

Don’t miss:

  • Moon and Jupiter (after sunset – 10 January)
  • Moon and Pleaides (after sunset – 15 January)
  • Moon and Saturn (24-25 January night)
  • Crescent Moon and Venus (before dawn - 30 January) 

Related Links (in Italian):

Dec 24 2010

2010 Astronomy Year wrap-up

As 2010 is coming to an end I wanted to prepare a personal list of “Top 10 facts” (in chronological order) that happened in astronomy this year, with links to images and videos . Comments and suggestion are very welcomed!

  1. Partial solar eclipse (15 January)
  2. Mars at opposition  (29 January)
  3. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) launch (11 February)
  4. Eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano (20 March)
  5. Hubble 20th Anniversary in Space
  6. Total Solar eclipse (11 July)
  7. Close approach with Jupiter (20-21 September)
  8. NASA’s robotic EPOXI spacecraft visits Comet 103P/Hartley (4 November)
  9. Youngest ever nearby black hole discovered (14 November)
  10. Total Lunar eclipse (21 December)

And these are my favourite astronomy related shots of 2010:

3rd – A bolt over the Statue of Liberty (credits: Jay Fine)

2nd – Saturn’s Moons Dione and Titan from Cassini (credits: NASA/JPL/SSI - Color composite: Emily Lakdawalla)

1st – Space Shuttle approaching ISS (credits:  Expedition 22 Crew, NASA)

Dec 14 2010

Hubble spots a celestial bubble

This delicate shell, spotted by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, appears to float serenely in the depths of space, but this apparent calm hides an inner turmoil. The gaseous envelope formed as the expanding blast wave and ejected material from a supernova tore through the nearby interstellar medium. Called SNR B0509-67.5 , the bubble is the visible remnant of a powerful stellar explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).

Ripples in the shell’s surface may be caused either by subtle variations in the density of the ambient interstellar gas, or possibly be driven from the interior by fragments from the initial explosion. The bubble-shaped shroud of gas is 23 light-years across and is expanding at more than 18 million km/h. The animation below based on data from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3.

Credits :NASA, ESA