Innehållsförteckning för No. 74 från All About Space

Top tech to reveal Earth-sized planets around Alpha Centauri Astronomers are hopeful that advances in technology will capture images of worlds in the nearby star system © ESA/NASA The number of images detected from Earth-sized planets in the Alpha Centauri system could explode in the next decade, thanks to the development of a new observation technology. Ruslan Belikov, an astrophysicist at NASA's Ames Research Centre in California, is working on a method which bounces light from stars and planets on to deformable mirrors within telescopes. This, he says, would alter the shape of their surfaces and correct imperfections, getting around the problem of light leakage, which can make exoplanets hard to spot. Currently, astronomers use coronagraphs to block the light from stars in order to better see the exoplanets, but…

Gravitational waves Two types of never-ending universe An unusual idea, it might allow us to talk about a time before the Big Bang Classic cyclic universe The first galaxies form As the expansion continues, visible matter is drawn towards invisible dark matter to create the first structures in the universe. Gravity takes over The universe starts to shrink as gravity draws the galaxies back together, in a reversal of the period after the Big Bang. Galaxy collisions and black holes Galaxies begin to collide with each other and the universe gets smaller, black holes form as matter is crunched together. The Big Bang Nearly 14-billion-years ago our universe explodes into existence from an infinitely small, infinitely dense point called a singularity. This event is called the Big Bang. Expansion doesn't…

Your brain in space How would you be affected by space? The body and mind can be affected in many ways © NASA; Kevin McGivern; Female astronaut VIIP syndrome Although female astronauts have not shown significant visual impairment, that may be because so few women have been in space. Orthostatic intolerance Dizziness comes from blood returning to the lower body and blood pressure in the head suddenly reducing on re-entry. Women are more susceptible. Muscle and bone loss ISS crew members engage in physical exercise for two-and-a-half hours a day, six times a week while in orbit to avoid these issues, though results depend on the individual. Hearing loss While hearing sensitivity declines far slower in female astronauts with increasing age, there is no evidence to link this to microgravity…

Zombie star THE STAR THAT WON’T DIE Astronomers have encountered a star that continues to resurrect itself. But how is it coming back to life? All About Space meets the team with some head-turning answers Written by Lee Cavendish © Sonia Fernandez; Stocktrek Images, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo ; Tobias Roetsch “ This discovery has made astronomers question the very nature of supernovae and consider new explanations” Much like us humans, stars have a birth, a life and eventually, a dramatic end. Stars have a much more prolonged lifetime though, ranging from a few million years to trillions of years. The death of a star is dependant on its mass: it can either gently void its outer layers to form a planetary nebula or blow itself apart in a…

Columbia disaster 15 YEARS ON WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE COLUMBIA DISASTER How NASA was able to learn from a tragedy that took seven lives and come back with a space programme more focused, and much safer, than ever before Written by Ian Evenden © NASA; This day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country,” said President George W Bush in an address made on 1 February 2003.“ The Columbia is lost, there are no survivors.” Seven astronauts lost their lives as the Space Shuttle, the first of NASA’s fleet to fly and a veteran of 4,808 orbits of the Earth, broke up in the skies above Texas. The cause of the disaster was damage to the shuttle’s left wing, caused when a large piece of insulating…

STARGAZER What’s in the sky? What’s in the sky? Jargon buster Conjunction A conjunction is an alignment of objects at the same celestial longitude. The conjunction of the Moon and the planets is determined with reference to the Sun. A planet is in conjunction with the Sun when it and Earth are aligned on opposite sides of the Sun. Right Ascension (RA) Right Ascension is to the sky what longitude is to the surface of the Earth, corresponding to east and west directions. It is measured in hours, minutes and seconds since, as the Earth rotates on its axis, we see different parts of the sky throughout the night. Declination (Dec) This tells you how high an object will rise in the sky. Like Earth’s latitude, Dec measures north and…

Deep sky challenge Tour the twins and a crab The night skies of February contain some beautiful star clusters and nebulae suitable for all sizes and types of telescope © Will Tirion; NASA; Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona; Miguel Garcia; The constellations of Gemini and Cancer ride reasonably high in the sky at this time of year from mid-northern latitudes, and contain some spectacular star clusters and a very interesting nebula, which is, in fact, a supernova remnant. Gemini borders the Milky Way, so is well positioned to collect some of these lovely objects. It also contains a well-known and lovely double star, alpha Geminorum or 'Castor', easily split in any size of telescope. Cancer, although fairly sparse on the deep-sky objects, does contain two impressive and interesting star…

STARGAZER The Northern Hemisphere If you haven’t had the chance to observe some of the colder season’s delights, now is the time to catch them © Wil Tirion;; ESA; NASA; Christos Doudoulakis; Peterkennett; Jschulman555 If you enjoy observing some of the large stellar members of our galaxy, then Monoceros (the Unicorn) is the constellation to go to. Orange giants Alpha Monocerotis and Gamma Monocerotis show off their warm hues to owners of binoculars and telescopes and are just an astronomical stone’s throw away from open star cluster Messier 50. Constellations Gemini (the Twins) and Canis Major (the Great Dog) are worthy of observation, too. In Canis Major you'll get to enjoy stunning deep-sky targets Thor’s Helmet (NGC 2359), interacting spiral galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163 as well as open…

STARGAZER In the shops The latest books, apps, software, tech and accessories for space and astronomy fans alike “ What better to explain the building blocks of everything than the LEGO® building blocks” Book Particle Physics Brick by Brick Cost: £14.99 (approx. $20.33) From: Octopus Publishing Group Particle physics is a tough subject. It’s packed of ideas that we can’t see, but have been proven. To our current understanding, the Standard Model of particle physics is the best theory we can come up with to explain the smallest scales of matter, and was first stipulated in the 1960s and 1970s. It explains that atoms are made up of the fundamental particles, such as fermions, bosons, leptons and quarks. These are the building blocks for everything - including this magazine -…

Ringed object may reveal gas planet secrets The structure of Chariklo's rings has been more closely examined to shed fresh light on the world © ESO/L. Calçada/Nick Risinger Astronomers appear closer to discovering how the rings around the largest confirmed minor planet of the outer Solar System came to be formed. Fresh observations of Chariklo, the centaur which orbits the Sun between Saturn and Uranus, have confirmed there are two thin, circular rings about nine-miles apart. But, just as exciting, they show a stark similarity with the alpha, beta or epsilon rings of Uranus. In other words, they have the same degree of eccentricity, and sharp edges that are denser than the centre. Having observed 12 successful occulations by Chariklo between 2014 and 2016, scientists have ruled out that the…

Gravitational waves DO THEY SUGGEST A BANG AT THE END OF THE UNIVERSE? GRAVITATIONAL WAVES Our universe could have had quite different origin, according to recent observations of the ripples in space-time Written by Colin Stuart © Tobias Roetsch “How can something come from nothing?” It is one of the most common and thorniest questions related to the Big Bang. The most accepted theory of our universe's beginnings has it starting as an infinitely small, infinitely dense point that expanded outwards and cooled to become the modern cosmos. But what was the cause of this event nearly 14-billion-years ago? Even this is a question loaded with problems. If the Big Bang created time – as conventional thinking says – then you can't talk about ‘before’ or a prior cause, as…

Origami spacecraft Origami spacecraft A British space technology company is using ancient Japanese paper folding to pack up missions © Adrian Mann “ Origami is very amenable to mathematical modelling, providing a useful design tool for spacecraft development” Collapsible systems As well as OSS, Magna Parva are looking to print carbon fibre booms in space and Bigelow Aerospace are working on inflatable habitats. Panel ridge origami While traditional origami works by creasing material, OSS do not want creases in the antenna surfaces. The membrane is thickened along the fold lines, so it bends but doesn't crease. Space telescopes The larger the reflector of a telescope, the better its light gathering capability. Hubble's 2.4-metre mirror meant it was able to fit in the Space Shuttle, with folded solar panels. Antennae The…

Your brain in space SPACE CHANGES HOW YOU THINK Mind and body, humans are built for Earth. So what happens when we venture beyond our planet? Written by Benjamin Skuse © NASA; ESO / T. Preibisch Although fundamental to the existence of life on our world, the full force of gravity on the human body slowly wreaks havoc over a lifetime. As our bodies lose their youthful vigour, gravity compresses the spine, prolapses organs and prevents blood from freely flowing upwards, to cause varicose veins and swollen limbs. But, without it, the story could be far worse. Living in a microgravity world on the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts’ bodies begin to deteriorate in a way akin to rapid ageing. Not having to support the astronaut’s weight in space, the…

The universe's exploding stars There are two common types of supernovae: Type Ia and II. However, iPTF14hls seems to defy our understanding of supernovae, so astronomers have had to come up with a new explanation Type Ia supernova Fuelling the supernova Here, the red supergiant swells due to increased radiation pressure, the white dwarf begins to consume its companion’s outer layers. Increasing instability The white dwarf will continue to strip the material off the red supergiant, becoming more and more unstable as it does. The grand finale When the white dwarf reaches 1.4-times the mass of the Sun, it reaches the point of no return and explodes as a Type Ia supernova. Type II supernova Creating the medley of metals The massive star will create layers of heavier elements in…

Columbia disaster Minute by minute: Columbia's final moments As the Space Shuttle flew across the Californian coast, its fate had already been sealed © NASA; Adrian Mann; Tobias Roetsch; Crew seats Ejection seats aren’t practical at the high speeds of the shuttle, so the escape system consisted of a pole slid out to clear the orbiter's left wing, from where the astronauts could parachute into the sea. It required a stable glide, which the damaged Columbia was unable to provide. Bipod ramp Designed to help with both aerodynamics and thermal protection, the insulating foam was prone to detaching and falling under the stresses of launch. Wing leading edge Made of a brittle, but extremely heat-resistant material, the impact of foam hitting the wing was enough to make a hole that…

Star parties THE ASTRONOMER'S GUIDE TO STAR PARTIES Astronomy doesn’t have to be a lonely hobby. Wherever you live, there will be a star party near you Written by Stuart Atkinson © VW Pics / Getty Images Astronomy can be a very lonely and anti-social hobby. Even if you’re a stargazer from a town or a city with an astronomical society, and regularly attend their meetings and observing nights, you’ll still spend a lot of time on your own, standing in the dark in a farm gateway, a lay-by or a park, looking at the night sky with just a radio or the cows in the next field for company. Now, some people like it that way. In fact, they prefer being a solo astronomer to being in a group.…

Planet of the month This month’s planets The Red Planet takes pride of place in the morning skies alongside ‘rival of Mars’ Antares in the constellation of Scorpius After spending several miserable months being little more than an extra making up the numbers in the night sky’s crowd scenes, Mars is finally starting to take its rightful place as one of the most beautiful and striking objects up there. In summer, when it is at its closest to Earth, it will be a wonderful sight after dark, and we’ll be giving you a lot more information about it, and how to see it in all its glory. As February begins, Mars will be an obvious orange-red star in the morning sky. Rising at around 3am and shining at a very…

How to… Watch the Moon block out Aldebaran Sometimes the lunar limb appears to pass in front of stars and other objects, including planets, in what is known as an occultation. Here's how to watch it happen… © Nerush Vladimir You’ll need: ✓ Binoculars ✓ Telescope ✓ Wristwatch ✓ Digital camera (optional) On 23 February, the Moon will occult the bright star Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus the Bull. Such occultations are fascinating events, but it can depend upon where you are on planet Earth whether you get to see it or not. Even if you don't see it, it is still an interesting thing to observe, as the star will come very close to the Moon. Although still in daylight for observers in Europe at mid-northern latitudes, the…

How to… Report a discovery What do you do if you find something that you think no one has ever seen before in the night sky? You’ll need: ✓ Binoculars ✓ Telescope ✓ Camera ✓ Star chart ✓ Email access You have been looking at or imaging a particular part of the night sky and you’ve noticed something that you haven’t spotted before. No doubt you scratch your head and take another look, just to be sure… More often than not, discoveries are made by using astroimaging, but it is still possible to make a discovery with just the eye and a telescope, or even binoculars. Either way, the process you need to go through to report your finding and have it verified is more or less the same. You…

STARGAZER Astroshot of the month Send your astrophotography images to space@spaceanswers.com for a chance to see them featured in All About Space Patrick Gilliland Worcestershire, UK & Calar Alto, Spain Telescope: Officina Stellare RH 200 Astrograph, Borg 125 SC refractor, Takahashi 106, Astro-Physics AP305 “I have always had an affinity with dark nights since I was a child, sitting looking in amazement at all of the stars of the Milky Way. In recent years, I decided to get involved more in astronomy and later embarked on a hobby in astrophotography. I have begun a degree in astronomy and planetary science to better understand what I image. Here is a six-panel mosaic of an area of sky that features Calderbald 30, the California Nebula (NGC 1499), IC 348, the Pleiades (M45)…

Mae Jemison The world-wise astronaut became the very first African-American woman in space © NASA  Being sent into space is all about breaking the bounds of Earth and continuing to strive forward for humanity. Jemison personifies this attitude with her hard work, dedication and intelligence, which led her to being the first African-American woman in space. “ All things science had captivated Jemison from an early age” Born 17 October 1956, Jemison was born in Decatur, Alabama, but moved to Chicago, Illinois when she was three years old. All things science had captivated Jemison from an early age, including astronomy, biology and chemistry among other topics. This was inspired by her mother and father, who worked as a schoolteacher and carpenter respectively, and eventually led to her gaining a National…

LAUNCH PAD YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE © ESO Spiral galaxy lights up Fornax The European Southern Observatory (ESO)’s Very Large Telescope has captured the remarkable galaxy NGC 1398, unveiling the intricate ribbons of gas and dust wrapped around a shining central pearl. Located in the constellation of Fornax (The Furnace), approximately 65-million-light-years away, this galaxy’s arms do not originate from the very middle and spiral outward. Instead, they stem from a bar of stars that cuts through the core. Around two-thirds of spiral galaxies exhibit this central bar, but - at present - it’s unclear how this feature occurs. © ESA-Manuel Pedoussaut Launching more Galileo satellites ESA's Galileo constellation of satellites continues to progress with another launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Four more craft were…

Jupiter’s weird switching jet stream could be caused by gravity waves An explanation for the regular reversal of the gas giant’s atmosphere could have implications for our understanding of Earth's weather Jupiter's powerful jet streams could be regularly changing direction due to gravity waves, according to a new study. Research suggests that gravity waves climb the gas planet's stratosphere and force the equatorial jet stream to reverse every four years. If confirmed, scientists will be understandably excited, as this would not only help solve a decades-long mystery, but it could also help explain extreme weather patterns on Earth. The new study centred on the jet stream flowing east to west on Jupiter, referred to as the quasi-quadrennial oscillation (QQO). Scientists were able to examine it over five years using the…

Discovered meteorite "came from unknown asteroid” Research reveals that a meteorite spotted by a network of cameras in Australia did not come from the Vesta family © NASA Fresh studies of a meteorite which fell to Earth over Australia more than ten years ago show that it came from a previously unknown parent asteroid. It had been thought that Bunburra Rockhole, which arrived on our planet on 21 July 2007, had come from a large group of meteorites that had broken off Vesta, the second-largest body in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. Closer examination showed the meteorite's oxygen signature was different to those of Vesta, even though the bulk composition was similar. It has led scientists to consider three possibilities: that the rock was contaminated, that it came…

Gravitational waves How LIGO detected gravitational waves Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1915. Now, finally, we can detect them 1. Two black holes collide Around 1.3 billion years ago, two black holes, each one around 29- and 36-times heavier than the Sun, merged in a calamitous collision. 2. Gravitational waves are generated The collision sends ripples out through the fabric of space-time, like a wave spreading out when a stone is dropped into a pond. 3. The LIGO detector Physicists built the LIGO detectors 3,002 kilometres (1,865 miles) apart in Washington and Louisiana in the hope of detecting gravitational waves. 4. A huge interferometer Each detector consists of two four-kilometre-long arms with a mirror at each end. The laser beam is split, each travels up and down…

ESA with Tim Peake Behind the scenes ESA with Tim Peake Following his successful six-month Principia mission, Tim Peake is carrying out new duties for the European Space Agency (ESA) ahead of his next flight into space. We caught up with the UK astronaut at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne to find out more Written by Nick Spall More than two years on from his launch to orbit aboard the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, 45-year-old Tim Peake looks incredibly fit and well. He spent six months in microgravity, completing 2,720 or so orbits at around 27,000 kilometres (16,777 miles) per hour, 400 kilometres (248 miles) above the Earth on the International Space Station (ISS), yet he is now almost fully back to his pre-flight…

Neptune Explorer’s Guide Neptune The most distant planet in our Solar System tells a cold, turbulent and quizzical story © NASA/JPL; Science Photo Library - Mark Garlick On 23 September 1846, the first planet in history was discovered using mathematics. French mathematician, Urbain Le Verrier, proposed there was a unknown object beyond Uranus that was affecting its orbit. So, Le Verrier calculated the unknown object’s position, but unable to convince French astronomers, he sent his calculations to Johann Galle at the Berlin Observatory. Lo and behold, there was the eighth planet of the Solar System, Neptune. Neptune is the most distant planet from the Sun, and it is over 30-times the distance of Earth from the Sun. This discovery completed the then quartet of gas giants, along with Jupiter, Saturn…

SpaceX launch SPACEX LIGHTS UP CALIFORNIA What many citizens believed was a UFO sighting was actually Elon Musk’s private space company launching their last rocket of 2017 © SpaceX; George Rose / Getty Images On 22 December 2017, SpaceX gave their own marvellous light show in the skies over south California, with many taking to the streets to witness the launch of the private space company's Falcon 9. Although it was nothing more than the powerful rocket giving off unusual exhaust plumes, on its mission to carry ten satellites for Iridium Communications into space, some unknowing residents thought the illuminating stream was something more extraterrestrial. SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base and, what people immediately began to notice, was a white streak of light…

What do lightcurves say about the supernova? By plotting how the brightness of a star changes with relation to time, you can determine the subtle clues left over from the blast of an exploding star BRIGHTNESS (in billions of suns) The lightcurve of iPTF14hls It was after months of observations that astronomers noticed this supernova returning back to peak luminosity. Over a period of 600 days, it peaked a further five more times. This number could be a lot higher as well, especially after the discovery of a explosion in the same location over 60 years ago. The future of iPTF14hls Future observations of the star are key to understanding its curious behaviour. As the shock wave expands, it may be easier to decipher what is truly going on. With…

Columbia disaster Lessons NASA learned Much can be drawn from the CAIB report and the wreckage of the shuttle, and NASA wasn’t slow in putting them into practice © NASA/ Kim Shiflett ; Adrian Mann; Zeynep F. Altun International cooperation Following the retirement of the shuttle fleet, NASA has had to rely on the Russian space agency to access the International Space Station. Orion itself is an international project, with the European Space Agency providing its service module. Roundworms are really tough A live group of roundworms, around 1mm long and part of an experiment carried out in orbit, survived the Columbia crash. Some of their descendants returned to space in 2011 aboard the shuttle Endeavour. Modified reentry suit The ACES suit was to be replaced by the Constellation space…

Moon tour Kepler crater Get to know one of the brightest features on the lunar surface © NASA The Moon is a spectacular sight through any telescope – even a small one with low magnification – but not when it’s full. Hearing that often surprises people; they think that 'bright equals best' when looking at something through a telescope, but the opposite is true. When the side of the Moon pointing towards the Earth is fully illuminated by sunlight, our planet’s natural satellite is so bright it’s almost impossible to look at through a telescope eyepiece. If you can manage being dazzled by it for more than a few seconds, all you can see is a flat plate with grey and white patches splattered on it. If you look at…

Report a discovery Have you discovered a new astronomical object? Reporting a find can seem daunting, but it’s important to help further our knowledge Many discoveries are made by amateur astronomers. These are reported to the professionals to locate and study them in depth, but also to filter out known or misidentified objects. This is why it is important to check as best you can for yourself before you report your find, as it avoids wasting time, and you stand a better chance of being credited with the discovery. 1 Study the sky carefully Take note of the area of sky you have chosen, or the image you’ve taken, to see if you have spotted something new. Use a star chart for reference. 2 Examine your target carefully Found something…

STARGAZER Altair GPCAM2 Colour Camera 290C An upgrade on a previous edition of this CMOS, this colour camera is capable of taking on the myriad challenges the night sky has to offer “ The interface is clear, concise and doesn't make for too much hassle” Simple, easy and enjoyable; these are just some of the words we could use to describe the Altair GPCAM2 colour camera 290C. It's elegant, lightweight design doesn’t give off the impression of a high-tech piece of astrophotography equipment, but what is packed inside this hand-sized camera, that weighs less than some eyepieces, is more than capable of taking on the challenges that the night sky has to offer. Included in the full package is the Altair GPCAM2 colour camera 290C, a CS-Mount adapter with a…