{ Space, Technology }

The Sun Is Getting Ready To Take Out GPS Signals

Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t trust your GPS device? Well, you might have a reason in the next couple of years. Researchers are predicting a huge uptick in the number of solar flares our Sun gives off. These flares can wreak such havoc on satellites signals that it could eventually give us incorrect information or make data completely unavailable.

According to BBC News:

“Solar flares – vast exhalations of magnetic energy from the Sun’s surface – spray out radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from low-energy radio waves through to high-energy gamma-rays, along with bursts of high-energy particles toward the Earth.

The radiation or waves that come from the Sun can make sat-nav receivers unable to pick out the weak signal from satellites from the solar flare’s aftermath.

There is little that current technology can do to mitigate this problem, with the exception of complex directional antennas used in military applications.

Sat-nav receivers will be blinded for tens of minutes, probably a few times a year at the solar maximum. “

[BBC News via Engadget, Image Credit: IntoMobile]

{ Space }

First Picture Of Lake Outside Of Earth

This picture has a bit of an eerie feeling to it, but it’s also quite amazing. This is Titan, one of the many moons of Saturn. While not made of water like those of our own, the lakes of Titan are made of liquid methane.

A haze of methane enshrouds Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, and prevents scientists from seeing most sunlight reflections off the surface. But NASA’s Cassini orbiter managed to snap a stunning image of sunlight glinting off a huge, liquid methane lake — a smoking gun that confirms liquid in the northern hemisphere.

Titan remains the only other planetary body besides Earth known to have liquid on its surface, and appears eerily similar to our world as far as rain and other weather patterns. But instead of liquid water, methane and ethane drizzle down from Titan’s atmosphere and fill the many lakes dotting the moon.

[PopSci via Neatorama, Image Credit: NASA]

{ Space }

South Africa’s Spectacular Meteor Lights Up The Night Sky

Remember that meteor that lit up Utah as if it was daylight? Well, another one just happened (Nov 21st) over the African skies. It went down in Gauteng, South Africa where I’m sure highway drivers were a bit startled. As you can see in the video, the meteor was burning up in the atmosphere then exploded mid-flight. That’s what the bright flash is towards the end. Spectacular, indeed.

[Neatorama]

{ Space }

Video: Meteor Lights Up The Skies Over Utah

A couple of days ago, Utah residents where blessed with a once-in-a-lifetime view of a large meteor burning up in our atmosphere. The meteor was the size of a washing-machine according to the professor in the video. He also notes that this happens only about every five years. Many of the residents where scared, with good reason, because it light up their entire neighborhoods as if the sun had come up. While it only took seconds for the meteor to burn up in our atmosphere, they still believe parts of it could have landed on earth. Read more

{ Science, Space }

Watch: Video Of NASA Bombing The Moon

Ok, let me forewarn you: this video is sorta‘ lame. At around 7:15am this morning NASA‘s crack team of scientist thought it would be a great idea to bomb the moon. Why exactly they needed to do this is beyond my comprehension. I read that it was a way for them to find out if water still exists under its powdery, rocky surface.  Regardless of the experiment, NASA did bomb the moon and this is the video. As I stated earlier, it’s not much of a thrill ride; but, perhaps a more enhanced image from an orbiting satellite will soon be sending pictures (or video) back to Earth. By the way, I recommend fast-forwarding to around minute five.

{ Space }

Image: What Happens To A Flame In Space?

So, what exactly does happen to a flame in space? Well, according to reports from New Scientist the flames become more round and cooler. Picture above is such an experiment which was conducted in micro-gravity — zero-gravity’s sister. For the more about the effect, New Science states:

Microgravity tends to produce rounder, cooler flames, as this comparison of combustion in normal gravity (left) and microgravity (right) illustrates. Unlike on Earth, hot, less-dense air does not rise in microgravity. As a result, other processes, like the diffusion of particles from a high temperature to a low temperature area, dominate.

Fun stuff.

[Boing Boing via New Science, Image Credit: NASA-JSC]

{ Space }

Video: What Happens When Two Planets Collide?

I hope I don’t ever see two planets collide, especially if I’m on either one. I couldn’t imagine it being all flowers and rainbows. Well, NASA wants you to know (and see) what would happen if two planets collide. NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope was the device that picked up the actual collision, however it was an artists rendition of the event that shows us exactly what happens. Grab some popcorn and a comet, it’s about to go down.

[YouTube via SpaceRef via Gizmodo]

{ Space }

Dark Scar On Jupiter Reveals New Impact, Possible Comet

It’s been exactly 15-years since Jupiter was bombarded by multiple comets, known as Shoemaker-Levy 9, all which was captured on video. But on July 20th, another comet object made a B-line for the outer giant. Scientists from the NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA were using the Infrared Telescope Facility at the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii this morning when they witnessed a sudden black scar.

Glenn Orton, a scientist with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said, “We were extremely lucky to be seeing Jupiter at exactly the right time, the right hour, the right side of Jupiter to witness the event. We couldn’t have planned it better.” He did point out the fact that “it could be the impact of a comet,” but they don’t know for sure just yet. The team that initially found the scar are working around the clock and gathering as much data as possible.

[story and image via NASA]

{ Space }

Spaceport America, America’s First — Uh — Spaceport

Hey, there! New Mexico actually has something worth visiting! Yes, Spaceport America is the first spaceport to be built in the entire world (and hopefully not the last). The new hub, which quite honestly looks like a vagina from air, is being built for commercial flights into space. Companies like Virgin Galactic will bring their fancy-shmancy new White Knight II and make astronauts out of them there civilians. I’m positive other companies will take up shop, too.

The Spaceport America groundbreaking ceremony is being held this Friday at 11:30am on-site along with a simultaneous webcast of the event over at the Spaceport America official website. New Mexico’s governor, Bill Richardson, will be there to speak along with other higher powers like Will Whitehorn, President of Virgin Galactic. Oh, and the White Knight II will be doing a flyover as long as the weather looks good.

{ Space }

Bad Florida Weather Delays Space Shuttle Landing

With hurricane season upon Florida, scattered thunderstorms and moist landing pads have delayed Space Shuttle Atlantis from landing today. This news comes from NASA who previously had a perfect opportunity to land the shuttle, but decided against it and are now having to delay the landing.

Space Shuttle Atlantis is returning from their 12-day maintenance mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. The seven-passenger crew is currently waiting for an “OK” from NASA to return to earth, however, it’s unsure if they’ll even be able to land this weekend. If I were a part of the Atlantis crew, I’d be “woohoo-ing” and high-fiving everyone on the ship. It’s an extra couple days of zero-gravity!

Reuters is reporting that NASA is considering having the ship land at the Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, but that would cost NASA an extra $1 million.

UPDATE: It looks as though the Space Shuttle did land in California, even with costs being as high as they are. Now, according to Central Florida News, the trip back to Florida will cost NASA an extra $2 million. Yikes.

[via Reuters]
[image credit: Gizmodo]

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