The James Webb Telescope.

Webb will have a large mirror, 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in diameter and a sunshield the size of a tennis court. Both the mirror and sunshade won't fit onto the rocket fully open, so both will fold up and open once Webb is in outer space. Webb will reside in an orbit about 1.5 million km (1 million miles) from the Earth.

The James Webb Space Telescope was named after the NASA Administrator who crafted the Apollo program, and who was a staunch supporter of space science.

The Hindu : NATIONAL / KARNATAKA : Don't make light of it, say amateur astronomers

The Hindu : NATIONAL / KARNATAKA : Don't make light of it, say amateur astronomers

Milky Way Rising from Australia

E=mc²: Einstein explains his famous formula

Watch Out for Solar Sail Flares

NASA's first Earth-orbiting solar sail, NanoSail-D, is circling our planet and attracting the attention of sky watchers. Occasionally, sunlight glinting from the sail's reflective fabric produces a flash of light in the night sky. These "solar sail flares" are expected to grow brighter as NanoSail-D descends in the weeks ahead.

Read full article : http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/01feb_solarsailflares/


Credits : Science@NASA

8 years since space shuttle Columbia disaster | Portal to the Universe

Even though this is the 25th anniversary of Challenger, Feb. 1 will always be the day NASA lost another seven and the first orbiter of the space shuttle program.
On Feb. 1, 2003, space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry killing all seven aboard at the end of STS-107, bringing on the second halt to the space [...]

The Orlando Sentinel Extra Edition after the Columbia disaster
Even though this is the 25th anniversary of Challenger, Feb. 1 will always be the day NASA lost another seven and the first orbiter of the space shuttle program.
On Feb. 1, 2003, space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry killing all seven aboard at the end of STS-107, bringing on the second halt to the space shuttle program.
Take a look at some of the front pages from around the nation after the tragedy.
Here’s coverage from the Orlando Sentinel from the day of the accident and the memorials and investigation that followed.
This is the main story by then space editor Michael Cabbage and Sentinel Staff Writer Robyn Suriano.
And be sure to check out the multimedia photo presentation featuring images from Orlando Sentinel photographer Red Huber.

Read full article : http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_space_thewritestuff/2011/02/8-years-since-space-shuttle-columbia-disaster.html

Credits:Portal to the universe

Rakesh Sharma message from Space

Triple suns over China

New planets are a gas!

The final frontier: Gas worker Peter Jalowiczor is credited with discovering four planets

Published Date: 27 December 2010

By Colin Drury

PETER Jalowiczor is not sure if he believes in extra-terrestrial life.

Which is strange because Peter Jalowiczor has just helped discover a planet around which it may exist.

Quite a claim for a Rotherham gas worker who has never owned a telescope in his life - but a claim which has been confirmed by a team of astronomical experts from the University of California.

For Peter, of Masbrough, has been named by the centre's Lick-Carnegie Planet Search Team as a co-discoverer of four planets known as HD 31253b, HD 218566b, HD177830c and HD 99492c.

It was the hours he spent analysing thousands of figures of space data - all in his spare time, all on his two home PCs - which provided the clues for scientists to establish the existence of the huge gaseous orbs.

"It overwhelms me when I think about it," he says. "I've always been interested in astronomy and I have two science degrees but to be one of the officially recognised finders of these planets is just...I get lost for words."

Here's the science bit: in 2005, astronomers at the university released millions of space measurements collected over several decades and asked enthusiasts to make of them what they would.

Quirks in the data could signify the existence of exoplanets - that is, planets in other solar systems which cannot be seen with even the most powerful telescope because they are so far away.

From March 2007 Peter, 45, spent entire nights reading the data, working the figures, creating graphs.

THE PLANETS IN NUMBERS

HD 31253b - 466 days in its year - 172 light years away

HD 218566b - 225.7 days in its year - 98 light years away

HD177830c - 110.6 days in its year - 190 light years away

HD 99492c - 4,697 days in its year - 58 light years away

"Essentially you're looking for measurements which show a star, which is millions of miles across and light years away, to be oscillating by about 50 metres or less," the father of one explains.

"The measurements are so tiny, it puts many people off looking - even professional astronomers - but I find it fascinating."

He then sent discrepancies he discovered back to the scientists in California where they were further analysed to see if the quirks were caused by the existence of an exoplanet.

A Surprisingly Close Look at the Early Cosmos

A Surprisingly Close Look at the Early Cosmos | Portal to the Universe