space

Northern lights are created with the help of solar wind.

Watching the skies is just part of the day, and night for some people. I am one of them. The first thing I do every morning is go outside and look up at the sky. The last thing I do before going to bed, each night, is to watch the sky for awhile. Sometimes, I even lay in bed and just look up through the window until it is morning. When I am not outside looking at the sky, often with a camera in my hand, I check in with my favorite websites to catch up on space weather and the new photos of sky watchers around the world.

The sky is always changing, revealing itself in glimpses. I think that is why I find it so fascinating. Space is a mystery we will never stop discovering and its interaction with our earth's atmosphere create some of the most spectacular sights we will ever witness. Read more

Space is an exciting place these days. We've got an International Space Station that is bigger and better than ever before, the Hubble Telescope has been re-vamped and we now have crystal clear photos of galaxies 5 billion light years away, dark matter is on the move, repelling galaxies and solar systems apart at an ever increasing pace to our mystification and concern. Our understanding and exploration of space has been taken to the next level and the discoveries we are on the brink of making are highly thrilling. Read more

total eclipse, July 22, 2009The total solar eclipse July 22, 2009 set a record for the longest and darkest of the 21st century. In eastern China and India today, the eclipse was watched in numbers under its trajectory across Southeast Asia. Reports of the day quickly becoming pitch black also accompanied by a drop in temperature, spooking zoo animals and inspiring reflection in onlookers. The eclipse lasted 6 minutes and 39 seconds and will not be surpassed in length until January 2132.

The stunning spectacle in the sky was 2 of 3 total eclipses happening in a 1-month period. The third will occur August 6th.

More information can be found at NASA's eclipse bulletin board.

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEpubs/20090722/rp.html

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Charles BoltonCharles Bolden, a rather dapper looking former NASA Astronaut, has recently been named as Obama's Space Agency Chief.  If confirmed, Charles Bolton will be only the second astronaut to hold the position. There is, however, a possibility that Bolton will not be nominated, as he has lobbied for rocket companies. According to the BBC, his biggest challenges as chief if he is confirmed will be the budgetary restraints imposed by the current financial crisis.

Apparently, the United States is now dependent on Russia to fly us into orbit, a situation that I'm sure many never saw coming. To shed some light on the current  situation, Science Magazine relays that, "An expensive new launcher is now in the works to replace the space shuttle, due to retire next year, but its projected costs are rapidly rising." Read more