Visit to JPL (part 2)

After the thrill of gazing down at the Mars Science Laboratory under test in the High Bay, we were led into what I will always think of as “The MER Centre”, but is obviously called something else entirely which I can’t remember for the life of me. After entering an elevator and getting out in [...]

Venus Occultation tomorrow night for UK observers…

Skywatchers here in Kendal and across the South Lakes – and across the whole of the UK – are crossing fingers for clear skies tomorrow evening, because IF the sky’s clear there’ll be a very attractive scene in the western sky after sunset. A lovely thin crescent Moon will be joining Jupiter and Venus low in the [...]

See the space station AND space shuttle tonight..!

 
There’s a great opportunity for people in CUmbria and across the UK to see both the ISS and shuttle Endeavour flying in formation in the evening sky tonight… the time to start looking west is around 17.55… the shuttle will be leading the ISS by about a minute or so, I think… and ISS will [...]

Visit to JPL (part 1)

It’s hard to believe that a week – more, actually! – has passed since I visited JPL. Already it seems like a lifetime ago. I look at the photos on my computer, pick up the “Phoenix” lanyard I was given to fit to my Visitors Badge, and look through the signed book I was given [...]

ISS visible from Cumbria again…

… and it will look even brighter with the space shuttle docked to it…

Click on the image above for a full size version…

New trailer for the new Star Trek film…!!

… is just awesome. Go take a look. Now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmJO3ppLBsk
Heroes‘ Sylar as Spock = GENIUS!!

Home again…

Phew! That was quite a trip! Oh, sorry, didn’t I say? We were in the US last week, and part of a day was spent at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory drooling over seeing lots of space technology. I’m going to write up a very full account of all this soon… as soon as the jet [...]

Spirit is alive..!

… and has phoned home!
It was feared that yet another dust storm had killed the Mars rover by blocking out the Sun and depriving it of the solar power that keeps it going, but the MER team has received communications from the rover and, although she’s still at such low power [...]

My god, it’s full of…

stars planets…
Although you almost certainly didn’t feel it, the universe – or at least our understanding of it, and our place in it – shifted earlier today, just a few hours ago actually, when two different teams of astronomers released to the world images they had taken of two stars. Here they are… don’t worry [...]

Unveiled: the New ‘original Enterprise’…

If you have an interest in space exploration then the chances are that even if you’re not a science fiction fan you’ll know that there’s a new Star Trek movie coming out quite soon. This new film goes back to the very start of the story of Kirk, Spock and McCoy, and it is hoped [...]