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Centauri Dreams
24 Jul 2014, 16:43 UTC
We tend to assume that our mistakes as a species flag us as immature, a young civilization blundering about with tools it is misusing on a course that may lead to extinction. But assume for a moment that an intelligent extraterrestrial civilization goes through phases more or less like our own. If we’re sifting through radio signals and looking for optical flashes to find them, shouldn’t we consider other ways such a civilization announces itself? What if we’re not the only polluters in the universe, for example, and other cultures are making the same mistakes? In a 2010 paper, Jean Schneider (Observatoire de Paris-Meudon) and colleagues noted the possibility of using pollutants as a way of moving beyond biosignatures to find ETI. Let me quote from the paper: …another type of far from equilibrium signals can be seen as techno-signatures, i.e., spectral features not explained by complex organic chemistry, like laser emissions. In the present state of our knowledge one cannot eliminate them a priori, although we have no guiding lines to search for them. For instance, in the present Earth atmosphere, CFC (Carbon Fluoro Compounds) gases are the result of technological chemical synthesis. Observed over interstellar distances, they would ...
SETI: The Pollution Factor
24 Jul 2014, 16:43 UTC
We tend to assume that our mistakes as a species flag us as immature, a young civilization blundering about with tools it is misusing on a course that may lead to extinction. But assume for a moment that an intelligent extraterrestrial civilization goes through phases more or less like our own. If we’re sifting through radio signals and looking for optical flashes to find them, shouldn’t we consider other ways such a civilization announces itself? What if we’re not the only polluters in the universe, for example, and other cultures are making the same mistakes? In a 2010 paper, Jean Schneider (Observatoire de Paris-Meudon) and colleagues noted the possibility of using pollutants as a way of moving beyond biosignatures to find ETI. Let me quote from the paper: …another type of far from equilibrium signals can be seen as techno-signatures, i.e., spectral features not explained by complex organic chemistry, like laser emissions. In the present state of our knowledge one cannot eliminate them a priori, although we have no guiding lines to search for them. For instance, in the present Earth atmosphere, CFC (Carbon Fluoro Compounds) gases are the result of technological chemical synthesis. Observed over interstellar distances, they would ...
Astro Watch
24 Jul 2014, 15:41 UTC
China's lunar probe, Chang'e-5, will be launched around 2017 and its mission to collect samples from the moon and return to earth is the most challenging yet, according to Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program. The last phase of the three-phase lunar exploration program - after orbiting and soft-landing - requires a larger and more complex system, Wu said at an exhibition on China's lunar exploration program in Hong Kong. Phase three will use a new launch site, rocket, and lunar probe. The team faces four major technical challenges: moon surface sampling; taking off from moon; lunar orbit rendezvous; and high-speed re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.In sampling, the drill could hit rocks, and technicians must make ensure the soil layer structure was unharmed.Taking-off from the moon would require repeated adjustment of latitude and stability.Lunar orbit rendezvous had to be very precise as the rendezvous would take place nearly 400,000 km from earth.High-speed re-entry of Chang'e-5 over the designated landing spot was also difficult as other countries had lost communication with their explorers in this stage."Technicians have overcome many technical challenges and reached the latter stage of development involving experimentation and manufacture of the equipment," said Wu.The Chang'e-3 ...
China's Biggest Moon Challenge: Returning to Earth
24 Jul 2014, 15:41 UTC
China's lunar probe, Chang'e-5, will be launched around 2017 and its mission to collect samples from the moon and return to earth is the most challenging yet, according to Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program. The last phase of the three-phase lunar exploration program - after orbiting and soft-landing - requires a larger and more complex system, Wu said at an exhibition on China's lunar exploration program in Hong Kong. Phase three will use a new launch site, rocket, and lunar probe. The team faces four major technical challenges: moon surface sampling; taking off from moon; lunar orbit rendezvous; and high-speed re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.In sampling, the drill could hit rocks, and technicians must make ensure the soil layer structure was unharmed.Taking-off from the moon would require repeated adjustment of latitude and stability.Lunar orbit rendezvous had to be very precise as the rendezvous would take place nearly 400,000 km from earth.High-speed re-entry of Chang'e-5 over the designated landing spot was also difficult as other countries had lost communication with their explorers in this stage."Technicians have overcome many technical challenges and reached the latter stage of development involving experimentation and manufacture of the equipment," said Wu.The Chang'e-3 ...
Science World Report
24 Jul 2014, 15:15 UTC
Astronomers may have come up dry when it comes to searching for water on other planets.
Astronomers Come up Dry in the Hunt for Water on Jupiter-like Exoplanets
24 Jul 2014, 15:15 UTC
Astronomers may have come up dry when it comes to searching for water on other planets.
The Original Rocket Dungeon
24 Jul 2014, 14:46 UTC
Via io9, I see NASA has released 3-D printable models of several satellites, a couple of asteroids, and section of the Moon's surface: 3D Models - 3D printable. They have a disclaimer about some of these requiring tweaking by the user and the longest dimension is about 4". I immediately hoped for models of rockets and rocket-related parts. On their main 3-D Models page, they have various rockets including Shuttles and Shuttle parts. While they eventually make them printable, at 4 inches these would only be suitable for desktop display. I wonder if CAD-enabled rocketeers could take these, scale them, cut them into parts that fit on their printer bases, and add the required motor and parachute holes? In any event, the Mercury capsules might be nice at 4: high:
NASA provides 3-D printable models
24 Jul 2014, 14:46 UTC
Via io9, I see NASA has released 3-D printable models of several satellites, a couple of asteroids, and section of the Moon's surface: 3D Models - 3D printable. They have a disclaimer about some of these requiring tweaking by the user and the longest dimension is about 4". I immediately hoped for models of rockets and rocket-related parts. On their main 3-D Models page, they have various rockets including Shuttles and Shuttle parts. While they eventually make them printable, at 4 inches these would only be suitable for desktop display. I wonder if CAD-enabled rocketeers could take these, scale them, cut them into parts that fit on their printer bases, and add the required motor and parachute holes? In any event, the Mercury capsules might be nice at 4: high:
The Daily Galaxy
24 Jul 2014, 14:10 UTC
A team of astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have gone looking for water vapour in the atmospheres of three planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun – and have come up nearly dry. The three planets, HD 189733b, HD 209458b, and WASP-12b, are between 60 and 900 light-years away, and are all gas giants known as 'hot Jupiters.' These worlds are so hot, with temperatures between 900 to 2200 degrees Celsius, that they are ideal candidates for detecting water vapor in their atmospheres. The new discovery highlights some major challenges in the search for the exoplanet 'holy grail' – an exoplanet with a climate similar to Earth, a key characteristic of which is the presence of liquid water. However, the three planets have only one-tenth to one-thousandth the amount of water predicted by standard planet formation theories. The best water measurement, for the planet HD 209458b, was between 4 and 24 parts per million. The results raise new questions about how exoplanets form and highlight the challenges in searching for water on Earth-like exoplanets in the future. "Our water measurement in one of the planets, HD 209458b, is the highest-precision measurement of any chemical compound in a planet outside ...
NASA's Quest for Water on Alien Worlds --"The Holy Grail?"
24 Jul 2014, 14:10 UTC
A team of astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have gone looking for water vapour in the atmospheres of three planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun – and have come up nearly dry. The three planets, HD 189733b, HD 209458b, and WASP-12b, are between 60 and 900 light-years away, and are all gas giants known as 'hot Jupiters.' These worlds are so hot, with temperatures between 900 to 2200 degrees Celsius, that they are ideal candidates for detecting water vapor in their atmospheres. The new discovery highlights some major challenges in the search for the exoplanet 'holy grail' – an exoplanet with a climate similar to Earth, a key characteristic of which is the presence of liquid water. However, the three planets have only one-tenth to one-thousandth the amount of water predicted by standard planet formation theories. The best water measurement, for the planet HD 209458b, was between 4 and 24 parts per million. The results raise new questions about how exoplanets form and highlight the challenges in searching for water on Earth-like exoplanets in the future. "Our water measurement in one of the planets, HD 209458b, is the highest-precision measurement of any chemical compound in a planet outside ...
Universe Today
24 Jul 2014, 13:29 UTC
Rosetta’s “rubber duckie” comet appears to be wearing a collar! New images of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from the spacecraft, which is speeding towards an orbit of the comet next month, show that the “neck” region of the nucleus appears to be brighter than the rest. Last week, images from the spacecraft revealed that the comet likely […] Rosetta imaged its target comet, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, from about 3,417 miles (5,500 kilometers) away. The “neck” of the comet appears to be brighter than the rest of the nucleus. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA Rosetta’s “rubber duckie” comet appears to be wearing a collar! New images of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from the spacecraft, which is speeding towards an orbit of the comet next month, show that the “neck” region of the nucleus appears to be brighter than the rest. Last week, images from the spacecraft revealed that the comet likely has a “contact binary” nucleus, meaning that there are two parts of the nucleus that are just barely joined together under low gravity. There are many theories for why this happened, but it will take a closer examination to begin to come up with answers. The shape of the nucleus reminds many of a ...
Neck Of Rosetta’s ‘Rubby Duckie’ Comet Shows A Bright Ring
24 Jul 2014, 13:29 UTC
Rosetta’s “rubber duckie” comet appears to be wearing a collar! New images of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from the spacecraft, which is speeding towards an orbit of the comet next month, show that the “neck” region of the nucleus appears to be brighter than the rest. Last week, images from the spacecraft revealed that the comet likely […] Rosetta imaged its target comet, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, from about 3,417 miles (5,500 kilometers) away. The “neck” of the comet appears to be brighter than the rest of the nucleus. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA Rosetta’s “rubber duckie” comet appears to be wearing a collar! New images of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from the spacecraft, which is speeding towards an orbit of the comet next month, show that the “neck” region of the nucleus appears to be brighter than the rest. Last week, images from the spacecraft revealed that the comet likely has a “contact binary” nucleus, meaning that there are two parts of the nucleus that are just barely joined together under low gravity. There are many theories for why this happened, but it will take a closer examination to begin to come up with answers. The shape of the nucleus reminds many of a ...
NASA Astrobiology
24 Jul 2014, 11:20 UTC
Due to its high iron content, the acidic Río Tinto river flows like red wine through a multicolored and rocky landscape. The Río Tinto has an average pH of 2.3, which is acidic enough to eat metal. Image credit: Leslie MullenSource: [astrobio.net] Astrobiologists have outlined how geochemistry and metabolism are connected in subsurface microbial ecosystems beneath Spain’s Rio Tinto region. The Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) in the Río Tinto area is the largest known deposit of sulfide on Earth, and for decades it has been a field-site for scientists studying chemolithotrophic microbes. In the early 2000’s, NASA joined with the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) in Spain to explore habitats for life beneath the Earth at the Rio Tinto. Since then, the Mars Analog Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) has been using this analog site to develop instruments for future Mars missions, including remote drilling techniques. Previous studies focused on testing equipment, but now a team of scientists has performed a thorough investigation of the microorganisms collected in drill cores. Drilling depths ranged from 5 meters to over 166 meters. Samples were collected at one meter intervals and multiple tests were performed, including: DNA extraction, cultivation, ATP activity, Microscopic analysis, and ...
Biomarkers of the Deep
24 Jul 2014, 11:20 UTC
Due to its high iron content, the acidic Río Tinto river flows like red wine through a multicolored and rocky landscape. The Río Tinto has an average pH of 2.3, which is acidic enough to eat metal. Image credit: Leslie MullenSource: [astrobio.net] Astrobiologists have outlined how geochemistry and metabolism are connected in subsurface microbial ecosystems beneath Spain’s Rio Tinto region. The Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) in the Río Tinto area is the largest known deposit of sulfide on Earth, and for decades it has been a field-site for scientists studying chemolithotrophic microbes. In the early 2000’s, NASA joined with the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) in Spain to explore habitats for life beneath the Earth at the Rio Tinto. Since then, the Mars Analog Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) has been using this analog site to develop instruments for future Mars missions, including remote drilling techniques. Previous studies focused on testing equipment, but now a team of scientists has performed a thorough investigation of the microorganisms collected in drill cores. Drilling depths ranged from 5 meters to over 166 meters. Samples were collected at one meter intervals and multiple tests were performed, including: DNA extraction, cultivation, ATP activity, Microscopic analysis, and ...
Sky and Telescope
24 Jul 2014, 02:41 UTC
Fascinating faculae provide a way for anyone with a small telescope to track the ups and downs of the solar cycle — even when there are no sunspots.Even though the Sun was virtually spotless for several days last week, patchy faculae were always present. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded this image on July 18, 2014.NASASunspots get all the press. Last week the Web hummed with articles about a spotless Sun, the first time since August 2011 our star wore a blank stare. Could a sudden decline in solar activity during an already weak sunspot cycle hint at an earlier than usual minimum?Possibly. But the Sun's magnetic manifestations have many dimensions. Even when showy sunspots fail to appear, the solar observer can always count on another phenomenon, the often overlooked faculae (pronounced FAK-yuh-lee).Latin for "little torch." faculae are white spots concentrated around and within sunspot groups. Groups may come and go, but faculae often linger longer or presage the appearance of new spot groups. They can also appear on their own without help from their spotted siblings.On July 17th, not a single sunspot marred the solar photosphere, but dabs of faculae were clearly visible at various locations along the solar limb ...
