How Far Away is Mars From The Sun?

April 15, 2009 by James Hewson  
Filed under Planet Mars

Akin to the remainder of the major planets in our Solar System, Mars journeys across an elliptic orbit encircling the Sun therefore precisely determining how far away is mars from the sun is not an exact science. However, it has a nearest point to the Sun in its orbit in addition to a distant location. When an entity arrives at the nearest point in its orbit, astronomers title this as ‘perihelion’. Mars acquires an elliptical orbit encircling the sun so the distance from mars to the sun in fact alters substantially, the distance spans from roughly 128,000,000 to 154,000,000 miles. In addition the period of Mar’s rotation is around 686 days, practically double the rotation of the planet Earth.

Meanwhile, the group operating NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is inspecting data obtained from Spirit in recent days to study why the rover evidently rebooted its computer at least twice over the Apr 11-12 weekend. “While we don’t have an interpretation yet, we do understand that Spirit’s cells are charged, the solar arrays are manufacturing energy and temperatures are well within permissible scopes. 408389 How Far Away is Mars From The Sun?

 How Far Away is Mars From The Sun?

We have time to respond cautiously and explore this comprehensively,” said John Callas of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. “The rover is in a stable operations state called auto mode and taking care of itself. It may well stay in this well-balanced mode for some time if required while we determine the problem.”

Spirit reported with controllers Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but some of the transmission periods were inconsistent. One of the computer resets seemingly corresponded in regulating with operation of the rover’s high-gain dish transmitting aerial. The rover crew has the benefit of numerous transmission alternatives. Spirit can talk instantly with Earth by way of either the point able high-gain antenna or, at a reduced data rate, by way of a low-gain antenna which does not move. Moreover, connections can be transmitted by Mars orbiters, using the UHF transceiver, a unconnected radio system on the rover.

Which Planets Are Visible From The Night Sky?

April 3, 2009 by James Hewson  
Filed under Stargazing

Five of the major planets in our solar system are adequately bright enough to be visible from the night sky. These planets comprise of Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars the Red Planet, along with Saturn. In spite of the fact that their luminosity alters as their locations comparative to the Earth fluctuate, however, they all, with the exclusion of Saturn, come to be clearer in our sky than the clearest star.

At the furthest point, the gradient amongst the Sun and Venus is approximately 45 degrees when Venus can rise or set longer than 3 hours ahead of, or following, the Sun. However, Mercury, which is positioned considerably nearer to the Sun than Venus, continues to be at all periods very close to the Sun in the sky and generally can be viewed with the naked eye, under good environmental conditions for only a handful of days close to each elongation.

Considering that Mercury’s trajectory is more noticeably elliptic than that of any of the additional planets which can be viewed with the naked eye, its largest extension can radiate beginning with as brief as 15 degrees to the largest of around 27 degrees. Jupiter, Saturn and mars the red planet are located further from the Sun than Planet Earth given these planets motions are slower along their trajectories than Earth. Consequently, the planets intermittently apprehends and passes, each of them. When this occurs, the planet that is being passed by the Earth, is positioned on the opposed side of Planet Earth from the Sun. This position which the planets find themselves is referred to as ‘opposition’.

When ‘opposition’ occurs, a planet is observable for the majority of the night-time, ascending close to the period of sunset and setting around the period of sunrise when it is, at its nearest to the Earth.

From then on, as planet Earth manoeuvres in advance of the planet, the planet looks to drift closer to the Sun in the sky, setting in the west increasingly earlier up to the time it is lost in the brightness of the setting Sun. Observed from the Earth, the planet next crosses behind the Sun before starting to develop on its westerly side and becoming noticeable in the easterly sky ahead of the sunrise.

Evidence of Life Existence on Mars ALH84001 Meteorite

March 31, 2009 by James Hewson  
Filed under Planet Mars, Space

ALH84001 is a small but very significant meteorite which fell to Earth from space. The meteor landed in a region of Antarctica known as the Allen Hills ice field and was later discovered in December 1984 by an United States meteorite hunting expedition. These fields where the rock was located are regularly explored by researchers watching for asteroids given the ice and snow make a great contrasting backdrop to identifying anomalous substances upon the vast expanses of snow and ice. When it was discovered the space rock weighed around 4.3 pounds and was shaped like a house brick and measured around 6″ long by 4″ x 3″, and was encased within a black glass substance. The glass, named fusion crust, deposits itself on all meteorites when they blaze throughout the Planets atmosphere upon re-entry.

Meteor ALH84001 Life on Mars?

Meteor ALH84001 Life on Mars?

The record of the meteorite can be re-established from the geology and chemical composition of the rock itself. The rock undeniably began life on Mars and gas inclusions comprise gases indistinguishable to those on modern Mars in compound and isotopic structure, which are constructed in no other known planet other than Mars. The meteor is volcanic, and hardened throughout its 4.5 Billion year lifespan. The rock proceeded throughout at least 2 collisions on Mars, most likely neighbouring crashes, about 4 Million tears ago. The carbonates that were interpreted to be fossils developed subsequently, around 3.6 billion years, in grooves in the rock. The specimen was dislodged from the Martian surface around 16 million years ago probably by some form of massive Asteroid collision and continued to drift in space for the majority of interviening the period before descending to Earth approximately 12,500 years ago.

The verification for alien life within the meteor, as claimed by scientists in the late mid 1990′s is principally presented on two levels of evidence; PAH’s, and magnetite beads.

PAH’s

Scientists evidently conceived this was their optimal indication for alien life in the form of fossilised bacteria, however this has been totally dispelled given Science has in the intervening period determined that the presence of PAH which is effectively ‘Soot’, is not relevant within the argument supporting this theory. It has since been revealed that the denseness and compound dissimilarity of the PAHs is wholly coherent with a non biological beginning.

Magnetite

Probably, the best indication that these genuinely are fossils is the attendance of magnetite beads. These appear precisely like the magnetite beads in magnetotactic Micro-organisms in measurement and structure, moreover if created on Earth would be thought over to be noncontroversial “magnetofossils”. Magnetite can be manufactured synthetically, but to our current knowledge is presented naturally, only in a biological form. The bigger particles are known as single domain magnets, the likes of the inner magnetosome particles, and the slighter specimens are known as super magnetic, similar to the periplasmic crystallizations caused by a variety of the magnetotactic family.

Carbonate deposits

The noticeable suggestion for existence in this asteroid is what look to be fossil micro-organisms within the carbonates that were created there 3.6 billion years ago. They appear as rod formed Micro-organisms, and this is almost certainly what gave rise to the great curiosity in this claim. At present there are two serious apprehensions about these alleged Martian fossils; their dimensions, and the source of the carbonates. The fossils are tiny much shorter than conventional Micro-organisms at 20-100nm. The proportion allocation of the fossils is also troublesome given Earth bound microbic communities characteristically are moderately narrow in proportion, however the Martian fossil differ additionally by 100 times in capacity.

Fossilised Micro Organisms?

Fossilised Micro Organisms?

In spite of the fact that the PAH and carbonate proof has turn out to be less than persuasive, the magnetite information have stood up to scrutiny much better. More recently, successions of magnetite beads that appear exactly like those discovered in the cytol of magneto tactic specimens have been located within other samples from ALH84001 and in additional associated Martian rocks.

Nevertheless, all of the assertions about the magnetite beads in ALH84001 are challenged, and corresponding beads have been integrated by reproducing alternative plausible records of the meteorite in the research laboratory.
One characteristic of the ALH84001 space rock which is evident is the reality that it journeyed from Mars to Earth. Additional asteroids have completed the journey in far less time than ALH84001, and so it looks distinctly possible that if there is life on Mars, it may possibly have been carried here, conceivably living.

Constellations Libra Names of Stars

March 30, 2009 by James Hewson  
Filed under Star Constellations

The two constellations Libra names of Stars in Libra, Alpha along with Beta Librae are both astronomical highlights meriting seeing with the naked eye, field glasses and scopes. Furthermore, these two Libran stars are a portion of the romance and secrets of Libra.

Alpha Librae is a colourful twin typically depicted as radiant by viewers. The stars are conventionally characterized as bright white and radiant yellow and Beta Librae has for many periods been specified as the unique single star perceptible in the celestial sphere. Beta Librae for many eras has been referred to as the exclusive green star observable to the naked eye.

The majority of observers and many astronomers conceive there are no perceivable green stars. The agreed wisdom is that the human optical structure will translate ranges climaxing at concise wavelengths as white with a blue shade and ranges culminating at long wavelengths as white with a reddish-orange hue. However, characteristically green stars are practically never referred to. But seasoned astronomers understand that Beta Librae has subsisted as a green star over several eras. This brings us to the occasional green quality of Bea Librae takes leads to the past to a pair of the old enigmas connected with Libra.

In spite of the fact that astronomers understand the two clearest stars of Libra as Alpha and Beta, the stars have been studied for so long that they have favoured titles. Furthermore, their favourite names are two of the most interesting in the heavens.

Alpha Librae is called, “Zubenelgenubi,” and Beta Librae is known as, “Zubeneschamali.” These are both derive from the Arabic language and from a very peculiar age when the Roman empire controlled the known world. Those two designations touch on one of the biggest puzzles of the zodiac. The designation Zubenelgenubi stands for ‘The Southern Claw’ and Zubeneschamali designates ‘The Northern Claw.’ At some spot throughout the supremacy of Rome, the academics of the period agreed to modify the zodiac and for rationales as yet unknown decided to remove the group of stars Libra by uniting the stars of Libra with the stars of Scorpius.

Libra continues to be unequalled amid the zodiac signs and it is the only zodiac symbol that is lifeless, if you analyse all the other characters you will see they are persons, creatures, bugs and so forth – only Libra is not a living object.

clearest stars in Libra, Alpha along with Beta Librae is both astronomical highlights meriting seeing with the naked eye, field glasses and scopes. Furthermore, these two Libran stars are a portion of the romance and secrets of Libra.

Alpha Librae is a colourful twin typically depicted as radiant by viewers. The stars are conventionally characterized as bright white and radiant yellow and Beta Librae has for many periods been specified as the unique single star perceptible in the celestial sphere. Beta Librae for many eras has been referred to as the exclusive green star observable to the naked eye.

The majority of observers and many astronomers conceive there are no perceivable green stars. The agreed wisdom is that the human optical structure will translate ranges climaxing at concise wavelengths as white with a blue shade and ranges culminating at long wavelengths as white with a reddish-orange hue. However, characteristically green stars are practically never referred to. But seasoned astronomers understand that Beta Librae has subsisted as a green star over several eras. This brings us to the occasional green quality of Bea Librae takes leads to the past to a pair of the old enigmas connected with Libra.

In spite of the fact that astronomers understand the two clearest stars of Libra as Alpha and Beta, the stars have been studied for so long that they have favoured titles. Furthermore, their favourite names are two of the most interesting in the heavens.

Alpha Librae is called, “Zubenelgenubi,” and Beta Librae is known as, “Zubeneschamali.” These are both derive from the Arabic language and from a very peculiar age when the Roman empire controlled the known world. Those two designations touch on one of the biggest puzzles of the zodiac. The designation Zubenelgenubi stands for ‘The Southern Claw’ and Zubeneschamali designates ‘The Northern Claw.’ At some spot throughout the supremacy of Rome, the academics of the period agreed to modify the zodiac and for rationales as yet unknown decided to remove the group of stars Libra by uniting the stars of Libra with the stars of Scorpius.

Constellations Libra Names of Stars and Libra in particular continues to be unequalled amid the zodiac signs and it is the only zodiac symbol that is lifeless, if you analyse all the other characters you will see they are persons, creatures, bugs and so forth – only Libra is not a living object.

Big Bang Theory Doppler Redshift Effect

March 23, 2009 by James Hewson  
Filed under Science

The big bang speculation is the most modern variant of speculation about the origins of our universe which dates back over 25 centuries, ever since the Greek philosophers Thales and Anaximander questioned what the universe was constructed of and where it derived. The Big Bang Theory is realistic sciences favoured interpretation for the origins of the universe and is a generally agreed theory for the origin and development of our cosmos. Establishment of galaxies and great scale structure, the Big Bang template provides a outline in which to grasp the collapse of matter to shape galaxies and other wide-ranging structures studied in the universe to this day.

The expression “Big Bang” is used both in a restricted understanding to relate to a point in time when the studied enlargement of the universe (also known as Hubble’s law) started, and in a more universal maanner to refer to the predominant cosmological archetype illustrating the origin and development of the universe. The theory depicts that the cosmos was once a compact, hot body of material that blew up and has been increasing in size since the outset, some 10 to 20 billion years previously. One cosmologist has proposed that the substance shaping our universe blasted out from the “Big Bang” at a velocity quicker than the speed of light.
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity revealed that the cosmos must be contracting given that Einstein proved gravity transforms the direction of light but failed to speculate that gravity can therefore, increase or decrease the speed of light. Einstein realized that his calculations revealed that the universe must be either expanding or contracting, but that it would not be standing still, considering that if it were then gravity would draw all the galaxies towards one another. Einstein ultimately came to embrace a restricted universe and would later express this was his biggest error in his conviction that velocities above the speed of light were unobtainable.

The original revelation that galaxies shaped clusters was a great surprise to astrophysicists seeing that the Big Bang theory would foretell otherwise. The Big Bang theory disobeys many laws of science that are verified daily by theory, observation and experimentation.

The hypothesis was first founded by Edwin Hubble and Milton Humason in 1929 and came to be recognized as the Hubble Redshift Hypothesis. Hubble discovered that extremely vague galaxy clusters were emanating light with a redshift. The redshift of remote galaxies means that the Universe is almost certainly increasing. The Redshift Theory ultimately has the planet Earth at the core of the universe considering that almost all galaxies are moving apart from the Earth and white light discharged by a static object will develop as redshift light if the speed is decelerated for any reason. This is precisely what experts believe the redshift calculations display. To put it in simpler terms, if the light from a considerably distant solar system is white, the galaxy is in fact travelling toward us given that a light from a stationary galaxy at that distance would have a regular redshift.

The opposing science to the Redshift Theory is vast and the Big Bang Theory is therefore suffering grave vulnerability amongst experts. The redshift is expressed to be the additional “evidence” that a Big Bang took place. There are three potential interpretations to the redshift viewed in the spectra of further remote stars, Evolutionists assert that the velocity redshift theory is the only motive of the spectral redshift. However, there are two other sources of redshifts, which have been substantiated by science, and these better illustrate the various anomalies accompanying redshifts. The first being the tired light redshift in which light progressively decelerates as it journeys over long expanses and secondly the gravitational redshift in which light loses drive as it crosses the gravitational ranges of stars.

The fact that we can gauge redshift in the light from remote constellations informs us that the galaxies are growing less visible to us, and from each other. As the universe increased and chilled, so the method of matter building commenced which induced the construction of stars, planets, constellations etc.

In spite of the fact that the big bang theory is well known, many believe the concept to be greatly misconstrued. This renders one of the biggest and significantly most important aspects of our existence being constantly researched, updated and cultivated. Because of these apprehensions and difficulties, along with others, some scientists now sense that the Big Bang Theory is deeply unacceptable as an interpretation of the universes beginnings.

What Are The Names of The Stars That Make Up Aries?

March 19, 2009 by James Hewson  
Filed under Space

Aries constellation is formed in the zodiac among Pisces to its west and Taurus to its east but what are the names of the stars that make up Aries?

The title is Latin for ram, through its symbol the Aries constellation represents the horns of a ram. The group of stars does not have a singular bright star to assist observers in identifying it within the night sky and therefore making it considerably difficult to view with the naked eye although two of them are considerably brighter than the remainder within the constellation. Nevertheless if you possess patience and are persistently self-controlled, you sure can discover them in the sky without any visual assistance needed.

In the second century BC, the Greek stargazer Hipparchus determined the method for assessing locations of stars and additional fixed objects in the celestial sphere. He demonstrated as his originating spot the position of one of two positions where the Sun traversed the “heavenly equator,” an extension of Earth’s equator in the sky. Accordingly, the youthful equinox, where the Sun remained at the commencement of spring, came to be the reckoning point for the skies. Throughout Hipparchus’ period this was found in the group of stars Aries, the Ram. This reality of history gave eternal prominence to one of the tiniest and dimmest constellations of the zodiac. As of that time, even though the vernal equinoctial point steadily drifts alongside the ecliptic, it has been related to as the “Original Point of Aries.” This may well be difficult to understand if we overlook its historical source, for the “Original Point of Aries the youthful equinox is at this time in the constellation Pisces, the Fishes, almost west of Aries.

What Are The Names of The Stars That Make Up Aries?

What Are The Names of The Stars That Make Up Aries?

The names of the stars which make up Aries are in fact Botein (Delta), Hamal (Alpha), Sheratan (Beta) and Mesasthim (Gamma) and given that Aries has none of the brightest stars, a little endurance and persistence are needed to learn to pinpoint it. Look to the east after nightfall and locate the dull assembled stars of the Pleiades and, below them, the comrade group in a “V” form, the Hyades. The bright red star at the very end of the “V” is named Aldebaron, which is the clearest star in Taurus constellation, also known as the Bull. Let this position be the commencement of an curve and draw it out through the Pleiades. Carry on going about 25 degrees where the two clearest stars of Aries, close with each other, will shape the West End of the curve.

You will hopefully now notice the less bright star positioned just past the second star of the set of two in Aries let this dim star be the very point of the curve we have just illustrated. Now, backwards along the curve, about midway among the Pleiades and the clearest star of Aries, there is however another very dim star association to Aries. The 4 stars you have discovered, 2 of them substantially clearer than the others, are all there is to view of Aries without a telescope.

From mid April until mid May the Sun is wandering under the stars of Aries that we have just illustrated. Consequently, they are not perceivable throughout spring. We start to pick them up in the early morning in summer, and they rise in the twilight through autumn. In summary therefore the names of the stars which make up Aries are Botein, Hamal, Sheratan and Mesasthim. The image in this post illustrates the positioning of this constellation which may assist you in identifying this exceptional array in the night sky.

10 Facts About Jupiter Including How Did Jupiter Get Its Name

March 10, 2009 by James Hewson  
Filed under Space

If you wanted to know 10 facts about Jupiter then read on, our research has uncovered some amazing information around this fascinating planet.

Planet Jupiter is the second most significant body in our solar system. With enormous gravity, Planet Jupiter is probably the most captivating planet in our neighbourhood and is composed principally of hydrogen, a assumption exists that within the core of the planet the force is so great that metallic hydrogen is created from solid molecular hydrogen. This effectively means that humans could never live on Jupiter given the lack of a tangible surface, the immense winds and other human defying conditions.

How did Jupiter gets its name? The original name derives from the Greek word ‘Jove’ which is also the Greek name for ‘Zeus’, the mythical Greek god.

When did Galileo discover Jupiter? In 1610 Galileo published an explanation of his telescopic examinations of the moons of Jupiter giving rise to the date of 1609 which is around the time Galileo is thought to have first identified the planet.

Jupiter was explored in flybys in the 1970s by NASA’s Pioneer 10, 11 and Voyager 1 & 2, and is currently being studied by the Galileo spacecraft. This huge planet is comprised of 90% hydrogen and 10% helium and contains small amounts of methane, water and ammonia. It’s winds are the strongest at middle northern latitudes, reaching about 370 miles per hour. Jupiter has a small set of three rings that were created by the dust and rock remnants of its innermost moons and meteor collisions. The rings are made up of three ring patterns, the halo, which is the innermost ring, the main ring in the middle and finally the gossamer ring, which is the outermost one. Jupiter, in fact, is often cited as a micro Solar System, due to the many small objects it controls via its gravity.

It in addition has around 63 recognized satellites comprising the four Galilean moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto many of the additional satellites are not named, and it is likely that there are some still to even be detected. These satellites are collectively named the Galilean Moons following the man who detected them through the first astronomical scope over four hundred years ago.
The planet Jupiter measures in a 142,984 kilometres in diameter and is considered one of the great gas planets of our solar system.

The planet has long been familiar for the Great Red Spot, a complicated storm active in a counter-clockwise bearing, right across the planet. This monstrous storm is a huge oval shaped physical characteristic on Jupiters surface that measures around 12,000 by 25,000 kilometres, sizeable enough to house 2 to 3 Earth sized planets. Individuals on Earth have studied the colourful and famous Great Red Spot on the surface of Jupiter for over 400 years and it has recently been revealed that Jupiter is now growing a new red spot.

This recent storm is about half the dimension of the present Great Red Spot and virtually the same colour. The official title of this storm is ‘Oval BA’, additionally referred to as ‘Red Jr’ for obvious reasons. Oval BA first presented itself in 2000 when three smaller spots clashed and merged, and it is thought that similar merger centuries ago may have produced the first Great Red Spot, some 300 years ago.

The structure of Jupiter’s surfaces is comparable to stars, made virtually of liquid and gas. Astrologers deduce that when a planet causes a significant quantity of heat internally, such as is the case for Jupiter, convection in the atmosphere can convey thermal energy from the higher temperature interior to the surface. Since Jupiter is a gas planet lacking a solid surface, what we view when we study the surface of Jupiter is the atmosphere that continues deep into the planet.

How Many Days Does it Take Mercury To Orbit The Sun?

March 4, 2009 by James Hewson  
Filed under Space

Many of our readers have asked the question “how many days does it take mercury to orbit the sun?” which led us to do some research on this largely unfamiliar planet.

The Planet Mercury is the second smallest planet in our solar system and is frequently mentioned as the most difficult of the five bright planets to view. It is the nearest planet to the Sun within the solar system similar to Venus, and appears to go through phases similar to the Moon.

In past times the name Mercury was used for the planet when in the night sky, but was also known as Apollo when it appeared in the morning. However, it was originally named Mercury by the Romans in tribute to thier infamous god, Mercury.

The atmosphere is extremely thin and is founded of helium and sodium and is not readily observed from Earth due to its small angular separation from the sun and additionally manoeuvres around the sun quicker than any other planet. Interestingly, Mercury travels about 48 km (30 miles) per second, and it takes 88 days to orbit the sun. It has in the past been proposed as one potential target for space colonisation of the inner solar system, along with Mars, Venus, the Moon and asteroid belt, although with surface temperatures varying more than those of any other major body in the solar system, with a maximum range of about 650°C (hot enough to melt tin) between the hottest and coldest extremes, colonization seems unlikely to be suitable for humans.

The gravity on the surface is 2/5 th of the Earth’s, and it is roughly 40% the size of the planet Earth. Another interesting point is how long it takes Mercury to rotate on its axis which is 59 days (unlike Earths rotation of around 24 hours), meaning that it’s entire surface experiences significant periods of extreme hot and cold.

Astrologers have always experienced difficulties studying Mercury due to the fact it is always so close to the sun meaning only half of the Planets surface has been mapped to date.

In summary therefore the answer to the question “how many days does it take mercury to orbit the sun?” is 88 days!