Geoconnexion’s Post

This week, Tariq Malik and I spoke with Dr. Jason Steffen, a professor of physics at UNLV and a member of the science team for the Kepler Space Telescope mission. The mission finally ended in 2018, but the discoveries keep coming. As many know, Kepler made massive strides in identifying a couple thousand verified exoplanets in its 4-year prime mission, but less known is its amazing transition to the K2 follow-on mission. When two of its reaction wheels (maneuvering devices) failed by 2013, NASA turned to the science team for advisement, and the K2 (Kepler 2) mission was born, seeking to continue the work by aiming the telescope in a given direction and using the pressure of solar wind on its solar panels to keep it oriented. Also of interest to us is the fact that this 37-inch space telescope, which follows Earth in its orbit around the sun, is essentially a giant photometer, much like a focused light meter you might have used with your camera in the old days--except bigger and a wee bit more expensive. It's a fun episode, so join us for "Strange New Worlds" on This Week in Space. Princeton University Press TWiT.tv National Space Society Burt Dicht Fred Becker Lisa Laporte NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration #NASA #Keplerspacetelescope #exoplanet Jason Steffen https://lnkd.in/g5TUbdD5

📃Scientific paper: The Age Distribution of Stellar Orbit Space Clumps Abstract: The orbit distribution of young stars in the Galactic disk is highly structured, from well-defined clusters to streams of stars that may be widely dispersed across the sky, but are compact in orbital action-angle space. The age distribution of such groups can constrain the timescales over which co-natal groups of stars disperse into the `field'. Gaia data have proven powerful to identify such groups in action-angle space, but the resulting member samples are often too small and have too narrow a CMD coverage to allow robust age determinations. Here, we develop and illustrate a new approach that can estimate robust stellar population ages for such groups of stars. This first entails projecting the predetermined action-angle distribution into the 5D space of positions, parallaxes and proper motions, where much larger samples of likely members can be identified over a much wider range of the CMD. It then entails isochrone fitting that accounts for a\) widely varying distances and reddenings; b\) outliers and binaries; c\) sparsely populated main sequence turn-offs, by incorporating the age information of the low-mass main sequence; and d\) the possible presence of an intrinsic age spread in the stellar population. When we apply this approach to 92 nearby stellar groups identified in 6D orbit space, we find that they are predominately young \($\lesssim 1$ Gyr\), mono-age populations. Many groups are established \(known\) localized clusters with possible tidal tails, others tend ... Continued on ES/IODE ➡️ https://etcse.fr/2SwR ------- If you find this interesting, feel free to follow, comment and share. We need your help to enhance our visibility, so that our platform continues to serve you.

WASP-39b is an exoplanet discovered in 2011 orbiting the star WASP-39, located approximately 700 light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It belongs to the class of hot Jupiter exoplanets due to its similar mass and size to Jupiter but much closer orbit to its parent star, completing one orbit in just 4 days. WASP-39b has drawn interest from astronomers due to its relatively low density, about half that of Jupiter, suggesting it may possess a significant atmosphere. Studying exoplanets like WASP-39b helps scientists better understand the diversity and formation of planetary systems beyond our own. PACS e-Lab citizen astronomers scheduled an observation of the system from the Micro Observatory. Our team also performed the photometry and produced this light curve. They used 6 comparison stars. To learn about and get involved in our exoplanet research project check: https://lnkd.in/dBPM_v8f #education #space #astronomy #webtelescope #spaceexploration #citizenscience #research #africa #exoplanetexploration

Our Photometry on the WASP 39b exoplanet

How far is this galaxy? The name ESO 422-41 comes from its identification in the European Southern Observatory (B) Atlas of the Southern Sky. In the times before automated sky surveys with space observatories such as our Gaia, many stars, galaxies and nebulae were discovered by means of large photographic surveys. Astronomers used the most advanced large telescopes of the time to produce hundreds of photographs, covering an area of the sky. They later studied the resulting photographs, attempting to catalogue all the new astronomical objects revealed. In the 1970s a new telescope at @esoastronomy’s La Silla facility in Chile performed such a survey of the southern sky, which still had not been examined in as much depth as the sky in the north. At the time, the premier technology for recording images was glass plates treated with chemicals. The resulting collection of photographic plates became the ESO (B) Atlas of the Southern Sky. Astronomical sky surveying has since transitioned through digital, computer-aided surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Legacy Surveys, to surveys made by space telescopes including Gaia and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer. Even so, photographic sky surveys contributed immensely to astronomical knowledge for decades, and the archives of glass plates serve as an important historical reference for large swathes of the sky. Some are still actively used today, for instance to study variable stars through time. And the objects that these surveys revealed, including ESO 422-41, can now be studied in depth by telescopes such as Hubble. The spiral galaxy ESO 422-41 lies about 34 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Columba. The patchy, star-filled structure of the galaxy’s spiral arms and the glow from its dense core are laid out in intricate detail here. 📸 @europeanspaceagency / @hubbleesa & @NASA, C. Kilpatrick; @creativecommons CC BY 4.0 📹 ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick #nasa #spaceinfo #edu #linkinbio

Today marks the launch of Pakistan's inaugural satellite mission to the moon. The lunar endeavor, ICUBE-Qamar, is set to commence aboard China's Chang'E6 spacecraft from Hainan, China, as confirmed by the Institute of Space Technology. ICUBE-Q, developed through a collaboration between the Institute of Space Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) of China, and Pakistan's national space agency SUPARCO, will be carried by the Chang'E6 mission. The live broadcast of the launch event can be viewed on the IST website at 12:50 PM. Equipped with two optical cameras for lunar surface imaging, ICUBE-Q has undergone rigorous testing and integration with the Chang'E6 mission. Chang'E6 represents China's sixth lunar exploration mission, aiming to land on the moon's far side to collect surface samples for research upon return to Earth. Pakistan's involvement in this mission is underscored by the inclusion of iCube-Q, a CubeSat satellite developed by IST. CubeSats, characterized by their small, standardized design, serve a myriad of purposes in space exploration, including scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives. They are utilized across various fields such as Earth observations, communications, and astronomy, owing to their compact size and modular structure. hashtag #Pakistan hashtag #Launch hashtag #Moonmission hashtag #today #Friday

Follow https://lnkd.in/g3F6bF_U for more such stories and facts 🚀 The Future of Space Exploration: A Step Closer to Finding New Homes Beyond Earth 🌍 🔭 A Discovery That Could Change Everything: Scientists have just uncovered exoplanets that might be more habitable than we ever imagined. These planets, which orbit distant stars, exhibit signs of water, moderate temperatures, and possibly even the right conditions for life! 🌱✨ 🌌 What Does This Mean for Humanity? --> New Frontiers for Space Travel: The discovery of these exoplanets opens up the possibility of interstellar travel in the future. Could this be the key to exploring distant parts of the universe? 🛸 --> Sustainable Life on Other Planets: With the right conditions, humanity could one day build habitable colonies on these distant worlds. Imagine living on a new planet—would we be able to create a society from scratch? 🌍🔄 --> Technological Advancements: This breakthrough could drive new innovations in space technology, from better spacecraft to sustainable life-support systems. 🔧💡 🌠 The Bigger Picture: As our understanding of the universe grows, so do our technological capabilities. NASA, SpaceX, and other space agencies are already working toward exploring and possibly colonizing these exoplanets. This discovery is just one of many steps that could eventually lead to humans becoming a multi-planetary species. 🛰️ What’s Next? As we continue to explore the cosmos, every discovery brings us closer to unlocking the mysteries of the universe and the potential to settle on new worlds. The journey from Earth to these distant planets could be closer than we think. 🌍➡️🌠 🔗 Let’s stay tuned and continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. The future of space exploration is filled with endless possibilities! Contact us at https://lnkd.in/dk56pEFi if you have any Web Development or App Development requirements #SpaceExploration #NASA #Exoplanets #Astronomy #FutureOfScience #Innovation #SpaceTech #InterstellarTravel #Mars #PlanetaryScience #SustainableLiving #SpaceTechnology #fusionriseventures

Exploring the Cosmos: A Journey Through Space and Time I am delighted to announce that I have just completed a mammoth series of 30 courses covering the wonders of space exploration. My journey was breathtaking—from ancient astronomical observations to contemporary interplanetary exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life. Here are some of the key takeaways: Early Astronomical Observations and Theories: A history enriched by ancient civilisations with their several interpretations of the night sky—like proof of a paradigm shift from myth to science, such as geocentric and heliocentric models. The Revolution of Telescopes: Tracing the history of the first telescopes used by Galileo Galilei to give a true start to modern astronomy up to the changes that have since come about in our perception of the universe. A look at the era of space exploration, Cold War influences on space exploration, Sputnik, and the bravado journeys of Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard. Satellites and Space Missions: The age of satellites-natural and artificial, India's Aryabhata, and the very important role of this technology in modern life. Evolution of the Universe: Lectures about the Big Bang Theory, the life of stars, and the origin of the planets were really eye-opening with respect to the universe. Space and Technology: Covered groundbreaking public and private players in the sector, disruptive technologies, sustainable development, future ideas of space tourism and defense. ☀️ The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: From conditions necessary to support life to methods of exoplanet detection, this series captured both the excitement and challenges in finding life beyond Earth. This journey has not only enriched my knowledge but also enhanced my appreciation for incredible achievements and efforts being put forward in space exploration. I look forward to applying knowledge learned and further final frontier exploration. ☀️ #SpaceExploration #Astronomy #SpaceScience #Innovation #Technology #Learning #SpaceSector #FutureOfSpace #SustainableDevelopment

📃Scientific paper: The Age Distribution of Stellar Orbit Space Clumps Abstract: The orbit distribution of young stars in the Galactic disk is highly structured, from well-defined clusters to streams of stars that may be widely dispersed across the sky, but are compact in orbital action-angle space. The age distribution of such groups can constrain the timescales over which co-natal groups of stars disperse into the `field'. Gaia data have proven powerful to identify such groups in action-angle space, but the resulting member samples are often too small and have too narrow a CMD coverage to allow robust age determinations. Here, we develop and illustrate a new approach that can estimate robust stellar population ages for such groups of stars. This first entails projecting the predetermined action-angle distribution into the 5D space of positions, parallaxes and proper motions, where much larger samples of likely members can be identified over a much wider range of the CMD. It then entails isochrone fitting that accounts for a\) widely varying distances and reddenings; b\) outliers and binaries; c\) sparsely populated main sequence turn-offs, by incorporating the age information of the low-mass main sequence; and d\) the possible presence of an intrinsic age spread in the stellar population. When we apply this approach to 92 nearby stellar groups identified in 6D orbit space, we find that they are predominately young \($\lesssim 1$ Gyr\), mono-age populations. Many groups are established \(known\) localized clusters with possible tidal tails, others tend ... Continued on ES/IODE ➡️ https://etcse.fr/2SwR ------- If you find this interesting, feel free to follow, comment and share. We need your help to enhance our visibility, so that our platform continues to serve you.

🌌 Journey Through Space and Time Completed! 🌌 I’m thrilled to share that I’ve recently completed an immersive exploration of space that took me on an incredible voyage, covering everything from ancient celestial observations to modern interplanetary missions. Here’s a snapshot of what I’ve learned: Historical Perspectives:I delved into ancient civilizations’ views of the night sky, tracing the shift from mythological to scientific interpretations, including the geocentric and heliocentric models. Telescopic Advances: I explored the evolution of telescopes from Galileo’s pioneering instruments to the advanced technology that has transformed our understanding of the cosmos. Space Exploration Era:The study covered the impact of the Cold War on space exploration, key milestones like Sputnik, and the remarkable journeys of early astronauts such as Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard. Satellites and Missions:I learned about both natural and artificial satellites, including India’s Aryabhata, and their crucial roles in modern technology and communications. Cosmic Evolution:Insightful discussions on the Big Bang Theory, stellar evolution, and planetary origins provided a deeper understanding of the universe’s development. Technology and Future Trends:The exploration highlighted key players in space technology, groundbreaking innovations, sustainable practices, and exciting future concepts like space tourism. Search for Extraterrestrial Life:I explored the criteria for life-supporting conditions and methods for detecting exoplanets, capturing both the challenges and enthusiasm in the quest for extraterrestrial life. This journey has significantly broadened my perspective and deepened my appreciation for the monumental efforts in space exploration. I am eager to apply these insights and continue exploring the final frontier. #SpaceExploration #Astronomy #CosmicJourney #SpaceTechnology #Innovation #FutureOfSpace #Learning #SpaceScience