In Today’s Deep Space Extra… The golden primary mirror, at the heart of the James Webb Space Telescope, is mesmerizing.
Space Science
Transit of Mercury coming Monday: What scientists hope to learn
Los Angeles Times (5/8): Astronomers plan to give tiny Mercury a close look through carefully filtered optics as the small planet crosses the face of the sun in full view of the Earth on Monday. The near eight hour passage may reveal new information about Mercury’s exosphere. They warn observers of the hazards of looking directly at the sun. Slooh.com is offering Internet coverage, starting at 7 a.m. EDT. NASA-TV will offer a round table discussion with experts at 10:30 a.m., EDT.
Unveiled Webb Telescope mirrors mesmerize in ‘golden glory’
Universe Today (5/6): Engineers have completed the assembly of the gold plated, 18 segment, 6.5 meter in diameter primary mirror for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. As the designated successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb will permit scientists to peer deeper into the universe than ever before and ramp up the search for Earth like planets around other stars. “The entire mirror system is checked out, integrated and the alignment has been checked,” said John Durning, Webb Telescope Deputy Project Manager.
Here are some wild guesses about NASA’s looming exoplanet discovery announcement
Inverse (5/6): Scientists plan to announce a new discovery made with NASA’s Kepler space telescope on Tuesday. Kepler, launched in 2009, has found more than 1,000 planets orbiting other stars, some with Earth-like characteristics.
New Horizons sets sights on its next target, a mysterious object at solar system’s edge
Baltimore Sun (5/6): After last July’s historic flyby of Pluto, NASA’s New Horizons mission continues its mission to a new destination. 2014 MU69 is believed to be unchanged since the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. A flyby is planned for New Year’s Day 2019, if NASA agrees to an extended mission.
Pluto behaves more like a planet than thought
Discovery.com (5/6): Interactions with the solar wind suggest Pluto is more planet-like than previously believed.
Enceladus’ jets selectively power-up farther from Saturn
Universe Today (5/7): The NASA led Cassini mission at Saturn finds something curious: The geyser spray from the south pole of the moon Enceladus grows more intense from some sites the further the moon is from Saturn. A likely explanation is a change in the tidal flexing caused by the pull of gravity between Saturn and Enceladus.
Ex-NASA astronaut Tom Jones ‘used to be a big UFO fan.’ Not now
Huffington Post (5/7): Jones, a four time space shuttle astronaut, tackles the popular topic of UFOs. Suspicious sights are shuttle missions were often ice fragments, he explains.
Low Earth Orbit
Lawmakers propose coin to honor Christa McAuliffe, fallen Teacher in Space
Collectspace.com (5/9): New Hampshire lawmakers have introduced legislation calling for a U.S. one dollar coin commemorating Christa McAuliffe, NASA’s Teacher in Space. McAuliffe perished along with six others aboard the space shuttle Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986. Proceeds from the uncirculated coin would support efforts to interest youngsters in the sciences, math and engineering.
Major Space Related Activities for the Week
Major space related activities for the week of May 9-13, 2016
Spacepolicyonline.com (5/8): Congress is back in session this week, with space related matters on the agenda. A number of policy discussions are planned in Washington this week as well, including a National Air and Space Museum lecture on a future mission to Jupiter’s ice and ocean covered moon Europa.