Antarctic Webcam

The European Space Agency's (ESA's) satellite Envisat is observing the Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica on a daily basis since it is at risk of breaking off. To watch the resulting video, go here, and enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

Hope all of you are having a very happy and healthy holiday season!

NASA News Feature on James Webb Space Telescope

Available here is a NASA news feature on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope (which hopefully will survive for many years to come). For more information on JWST, listen to this interview with Dr. Clampin on NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Enjoy!

2009 International Space Station Calendar

Download here to print out at home, and enjoy!

Evidence for Carbon Dioxide in atmosphere of an extra-solar planet

Observations of an extrasolar planet with the Hubble Space Telescope recently found evidence for Carbon Dioxide in this planet. This extrasolar planet is a transiting planet, meaning that its orbit around its star passes directly between the Earth and its star. As a result, from the Earth we can observe this planet's atmosphere absorbing light from this star, and by looking at what wavelengths are absorbed, figure out what chemicals are in its atmosphere. For more information, go here.

Gorgeous Infrared Image of a Star-Forming Region

Wow!, or at least I think so. The diffuse light is being produced by gas heated by the light emitted from young, hot stars in the region. This light is so hot that it actually can destroy these dust particles, leading to the holes and channels you see.

Enjoy!

Away December 10-24

Had to disappear on you, but I'm going to be away for a conference and visiting family for the next three weeks. I was hoping to pre-record some radio shows before I left, but unfortunately work got in the way (as it often does) and it doesn't look like that is going to happen. I'm really sorry about that. I hope to post the radio shows I need to before I go.

And, remember, I'd really like to do a question and answer show on December 31st, so send in your questions!

Astronomy Educator Conference at JPL

JPPL in Pasadence, CA is hosting a conference titled "Life in Extreme Environments" for all educators (including museum staff) and students in high school or above interested in Earth and space science, and exploration. The conference will feature astrobiologists, planetary scientists and astronomers discussion the latest information on our expanding understanding of the abodes of life on our planet and the prospects for the development of life elsewhere in our solar system and much farther beyond. The registration deadline is January 16th, and more information is available here. Enjoy!

NASA's Student Launch Initiative

Like to build rockets? Well, every year NASA sponsors teams of students to do just that, and try them out at their annual Student Launch Initiative rocketry challenge. The team's for 2009's challenge have already been chosen, but if you are interested in learning more, check out this website. Good luck!

Description of November 12th Radio Show: Supernovae

Already available here, below is the description of the November 12th edition of this radio show, whose topic was supernovae. This program covered:

• Calendar of upcoming Astronomy/science events in the greater New York / Poughkeepsie area.
• Interview with Dr. Maryam Modjaz of UC-Berkeley on supernovae (available here).
• News: Flurry of sunspots detected in October signals beginning of new solar cycle; stalagmites in a Chinese cave suggest strength of monsoons connected to solar cycle (article); Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 enters lunar transfer orbit (link), lunar orbit (link); Mars Phoenix Lander succumbs to Martian winter and ceases operation (link); NASA tests motor for launch abort system on future Orion Crew Capsule; possibility that future spacecraft to Mars could generate a magnetic field strong enough to protect it from cosmic rays (link); ESA closer to picking crews for simulated Mars mission; Universal Declaration of Human Rights sent to International Space Station (link); NASA astronomers at Marshall Space Flight Center install all sky monitoring cameras to look for meteor showers; ESO releases deepest ultraviolet image of the sky - detects faint galaxies filled with young, hot stars; ESA announces Second CubeSat workshop; congratulations to students selected to NASA Astronomy Student Ambassadors (for more information, go here)
• Wednesday Morning Astronomer (a response to the Astronomy content of this ESPN article): It is good to have terms for things, even if the name itself doesn't matter (e.g. Plutoid vs. Pluton) and I think an asteroid defense system will cost even more than that. Plus, NASA is working on learning about the chemical composition and structure of asteroids and comets in order to better determine how to destroy them if need be.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me or leave them below. Hope you enjoy, and thank you very much for listening!