A small visited by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft on 1st January is now known as Arrokoth.
NASA’s New Horizons sent the first detailed images showing two spheres stuck together in the shape of a snowman.
Introduction
This object was previously known as Ultima Thule or 2014 MU69. That name was chosen to mean something like “farthest place”. But it attracted a discussion or debate because “Thule” is a word that has been associated with Nazis in the past.
NASA said that the old name, Ultima Thule (2014 MU69), was just a temporary name, but the new name is used officially and permanently.
New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, said in a statement that, “The name 'Arrokoth' reflects the inspiration of looking to the skies and wondering about the stars and worlds beyond our own”
Today (November 13), the mission team announced that the 34 kilometres (21 miles) wide body visited by NASA’s New Horizon space is now known as Arrokoth. Arrokoth or Ultima Thule is the farthest body visited by a spacecraft. Arrokoth means ‘sky’ in the Native American Powhatan and Algonquian languages.
This icy body orbits in the dark and frigid Kuiper Belt, approximately a billion kilometres beyond Pluto. Also, it is 6.6 billion kilometres away from Earth.
Let’s go into history, Arrokoth was discovered on 26 June 2014 by Marc William Buie (American astronomer) using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Did you know that Arrokoth orbital period is 297 Earth years? It is 132 years longer than Neptune’s orbital period, 165 years.
Photos
The first colour photo of the Kuiper Belt object, Ultima Thule reveals that the object is red, not grey, as seen from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft from a distance of 137,000 kilometres during the January 1st flyby.
The first image which was sent by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft was quite undetailed. The surface features of the rock, or object were coming into focus in these images taken. These images were taken on 1st January, but released on the 2nd of January, from a distance of 28,000 kilometres.
Welcome to another post on my blog. In today's post, we are looking at a sea in the moon? A Sea in the Moon? To know more information, scroll down. 15 September 2019
Sea of Tranquillity or Mare Tranquilitatis, the landing of Apollo 11 which gave its first walk on the moon. Are you serious, walk? In the Sea of Tranquillity? Well, the Sea of Tranquillity is not a sea, so Neil Armstrong didn’t walk in water, actually, there isn’t a single sea on the Moon. Early astronomers mistook them as actual seas.
The Sea of Tranquillity was once thought to be an ocean. It appears dark when viewed from Earth, smooth and relatively flat.
The actual landing site of Apollo 11 is named as Satatio Tranquillitatis or Tranquility Base.
Welcome to another post on my blog. In today's post, we are going to look about an Insurance Declined. What? For more information scroll down.
14 September 2019
Have you had insurance declined? But have you heard about Life Insurance in space? If you want to go to space, would you get an insurance, of course, you would. But if your insurance gets declined, how would you feel? Sad, frustrated, angry or mad, right?
This story had happened to astronauts from Apollo 11. Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, got their insurance declined, but they still went to the moon. NASA didn’t have any special life insurance for its astronauts.
Neil Armstrong was famous, with the Apollo 11 crew. At that time, everyone wanted their autographs. Apollo 11 crew astronauts had been signing autographs since the day that they were announced as astronauts. They had been signing what they called “insurance covers”, which were small white postcards. They would wait until the launch date before signing and mailing the cards to their family, friends and their loved ones.
Fortunately, their creative insurance was never needed. Their mission was a success.
It has been a long time since I have posted about InSight. This article has been posted on 11 December, but I didn't have time because of posting about countries and the Summer Learning Journey. So now I will tell you what happened.
NASA's InSight lander takes its first selfie. This selfie was taken on 6 December. The image shows the solar panels and deck. On top of the deck is its science instruments, weather sensor booms and UHF antenna. The spacecraft used a camera on its robotic arm to take its first selfie, by a mosaic made up with 11 images. There are many overlapping pictures taken and later stuck together.
Here is a mosaic made from 52 images from InSight, which shows where the spacecraft will eventually set its science instruments. The lavender annotation shows where Insight's seismometer and heat flow probe can be placed.
I hope you like my post about the first selfie of InSight. Stay tuned to watch my other posts of InSight. Be also to view my Summer Learning Journey posts every day! Have a cool day!! Bye!!
Yesterday, I had posted about the update of NASA's InSight lander. I had read an article today afternoon and decided to create a post about it. If you haven't seen the post, click on the link and please comment it, I will know your opinions.
Well, today, NASA had posted about when InSight senses Mars' wind. Listen to Mars' wind blow across NASA's InSight lander. InSight's seismometer (information in my last post) and air pressure sensor picked up vibrations from 16-24 kph winds as it blew across Mars' Elysium Planitia on 1 December 2018.
Below is a video from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) about the sounds of wind on Mars, which includes a short preview of the sound. If you want to hear the sound of Mars' wind, click on this link, the clip is only 20 seconds long. If you want to download the clip, use the shortcut key, 'Ctrl + S' and your clip is downloaded.
I hope you like my post about the Wind Sound of Mars. Have a cool day!! Bye!!
Just a few posts ago, I had posted about InSight's landing, it was called 'Touchdown!'. I have made a post of what has happened since the landing. It has facts, mission goals, images after landing and videos about InSight.
On the day that InSight landed, there were three images taken (two from Instrument Context Camera (ICC) and one from Instrument Context Camera (ICC)). Now, there are 46 images taken! The latest image is below from the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC). There are 17 images taken on Sol 10 - 7 December 2018. The image was taken on Sol 10 (day 10 on Mars = 20 Earth days), on 7 December 2018, 12:52:42 PM.
Let's know about InSight's instruments. InSight has three instruments, the first one is a Seismometer.
InSight's Seismometer, SEIS (Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure) is a round, dome-shaped instrument that sits on the surface of Mars, which takes the pulse or seismic vibrations of Mars. The measurements provide information about Mars' internal activity. The Seismometer waits to sense the marsquakes (mars instead of earth - earthquakes) and seismic waves. SEIS measurements inform scientists about the nature of the material that formed the rocky planets of our Solar System. This reveals what is beneath Mars, also, the Seismometer might even inform if there are active volcanoes, liquid water or plumes which are underneath the surface of Mars. The main job of the Seismometer is to measure the pulse of Mars, by studying waves created by Marsquakes.
Below is a video from National Geographic. Knowing about InSight taking Mars' pulse.
Did you know that the SEIS seismometer is so sensitive, it can detect surface movements smaller than a hydrogen atom!?
Here are five facts that you need to know:
The seismometer can sense weather phenomena like, dust storms that produce seismic waves.
Scientists expect from the seismometer to detect five to ten meteor impacts over the InSight mission.
The InSight lander delivers the first seismometer to Mars in the first 40 years. The last time seismometers travelled to Mars was with the Viking landers.
InSight's SEIS seismometer is like a doctor's stethoscope, like a doctor listening to the patient's heartbeat, SEIS listens for marsquakes.
The SEIS is ultra-sensitive that can tune in to tremors smaller than a hydrogen atom!
So these are some five amazing facts about the SEIS. We all know what are Earthquakes, right? But, do you know what are Marsquakes? Here is a video from JPL from the series, Mars in a Minute, about Marsquakes. It's just only a minute long.
The next instrument is called the Heat Probe. The Heat Flow and Physical Properties Probe, (HP3). Which makes a hole down to almost five meters. The HP3 takes Mars' temperature, which reveals how much heat is flowing out of the inside of the planet. The mass of HP3 is just over 3 kilograms. The maximum power of the HP3 is about 2 watts while digging underneath the surface.
Here are five facts that you need to know about the HP3.
HP3 tells scientists how heat flows inside Mars.
HP3 takes the temperature of the interior of Mars.
Information from the heat flow reveals if Earth and Mars are formed from the same stuff, also, how active Mars is.
HP3 package has a probe that digs down up to 5 meters below the surface. That's deeper than previous instruments to any other moon, planet or asteroid, which have only dug up the upper inch of rock or soil.
HP3 pulls the ribbon-shaped cable behind it, that's jam-packed full of temperature sensors.
Our third and final instrument is called the Radio Science Experiment. The Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE), 'tracks the location of the lander to decide just how much Mars' North Pole wobbles as it orbits the sun.' This observation will include detailed information about the size of Mars' rich core. The main job of RISE is an apostrophe. The location of RISE is two Medium-Gain 'horn' Antennas (MGAs) on InSight's deck. The mass is about 7.3 kilograms. The antennas are about 1.4 kilograms.
Here are five things that you need to know:
RISE tracks the location of InSight lander every day, which also knows its location to within a few centimetres.
RISE simply sends back the signal sent to the lander from Earth, via the Deep Space Network, revealing InSight's location.
As the seasons change on Mars, carbon dioxide controls and shortens at the poles, causing tiny changes in the rotation rate of Mars, affecting the length of Mars' day. RISE will be able to measure these changes.
RISE will help control if Mars has a solid metal core, like a hard-boiled egg, or a molten, liquid metal core, like a soft-centred, raw egg.
RISE uses the same principle that causes the sound from a fast-moving siren to change as it moves away, to study Mars' core.
That's a lot of information about instruments that InSight has and I hope you learnt heaps of information about InSight's instruments. If you want to see how the instruments work. There is a 3D view of InSight by NASA named 'Experience InSight'. You can move the camera and more other fun things.
NASA has a press-kit which shows information that I don't have. The press-kit includes the following:
Introduction
Media Services
Quick Facts: Landing Facts
Quick Facts: Mars at a Glance
Mission: Overview
Mission: Spacecraft
Mission: Science
Mission: Landing Site
Program & Project Managment
Appendix: Mars Cube One Tech Demo
Appendix: Gallery
Appendix: Science Objectives, Quantified
Appendix: Historical Mars Missions
Appendix: NASA's Discovery Program
The press-kit has heaps and heaps of information, that you might even don't know about.
If you haven't seen the landing of InSight. It had streamed one week ago. Below is a 1 hour, 30-minute live stream video about the landing. It's a long video, right? Below the live stream, there is a video, which is just only 1 minute 38 seconds long.
So before I wrap it up, I will tell what I've learnt and it is a lot of information that I've learnt.
What I've Learnt
Now there are 46 images taken since the landing.
The latest image is below from the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC).
There are 17 images taken on Sol 10 - 7 December 2018, 12:52:42 PM.
InSight has three instruments: Seismometer, Heat Probe and Radio Science Experiment.
InSight's Seismometer, SEIS (Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure) is a round, dome-shaped instrument that sits on the surface of Mars, which takes the pulse or seismic vibrations of Mars. The measurements provide information about Mars' internal activity.
The Seismometer waits to sense the marsquakes (mars instead of earth - earthquakes) and seismic waves.
SEIS measurements inform scientists about the nature of the material that formed the rocky planets of our Solar System.
This reveals what is beneath Mars, also, the Seismometer might even inform if there are active volcanoes, liquid water or plumes which are underneath the surface of Mars.
The main job of the Seismometer is to measure the pulse of Mars, by studying waves created by Marsquakes.
The SEIS seismometer is so sensitive, it can detect surface movements smaller than a hydrogen atom!?
The seismometer can sense weather phenomena like, dust storms that produce seismic waves.
Scientists expect from the seismometer to detect five to ten meteor impacts over the InSight mission.
The InSight lander delivers the first seismometer to Mars in the first 40 years. The last time seismometers travelled to Mars was with the Viking landers.
InSight's SEIS seismometer is like a doctor's stethoscope, like a doctor listening to the patient's heartbeat, SEIS listens for marsquakes.
The SEIS is ultra-sensitive that can tune in to tremors smaller than a hydrogen atom!
The Heat Flow and Physical Properties Probe, (HP3).
Which makes a hole down to almost five meters.
The HP3 takes Mars' temperature, which reveals how much heat is flowing out of the inside of the planet.
The mass of HP3 is just over 3 kilograms.
The maximum power of the HP3 is about 2 watts while digging underneath the surface.
HP3 tells scientists how heat flows inside Mars.
HP3 takes the temperature of the interior of Mars.
Information from the heat flow reveals if Earth and Mars are formed from the same stuff, also, how active Mars is.
HP3 package has a probe that digs down up to 5 meters below the surface. That's deeper than previous instruments to any other moon, planet or asteroid, which have only dug up the upper inch of rock or soil.
HP3 pulls the ribbon-shaped cable behind it, that's jam-packed full of temperature sensors.
The Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE), 'tracks the location of the lander to decide just how much Mars' North Pole wobbles as it orbits the sun.'
This observation will include detailed information about the size of Mars' rich core.
The main job of RISE is an apostrophe.
The location of RISE is two Medium-Gain 'horn' Antennas (MGAs) on InSight's deck.
The mass is about 7.3 kilograms.
The antennas are about 1.4 kilograms.
RISE tracks the location of InSight lander every day, which also knows its location to within a few centimetres.
RISE simply sends back the signal sent to the lander from Earth, via the Deep Space Network, revealing InSight's location.
As the seasons change on Mars, carbon dioxide controls and shortens at the poles, causing tiny changes in the rotation rate of Mars, affecting the length of Mars' day. RISE will be able to measure these changes.
RISE will help control if Mars has a solid metal core, like a hard-boiled egg, or a molten, liquid metal core, like a soft-centred, raw egg.
RISE uses the same principle that causes the sound from a fast-moving siren to change as it moves away, to study Mars' core.
I hope you like my post about the update on InSight Robotic Lander. Comment down below if you've learnt something on my post. Stay tuned to see my posts in the holidays (starts from 17 November) about the Summer Learning Journey 2018-19. Have a cool day!! Bye!!
NASA's Insight Lander as landed on the surface of Mars. It landed at 9:00 AM, New Zealand Daylight Time (3:00 PM, Eastern Time). Let's know some facts and information about the spacecraft.
Launch Date: 5 May 2018, 11:05 PM NZST (New Zealand Standard Time)
Launch Location: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Here is an image which shows facts about NASA's InSight.
There are two goals in the mission
To understand how rocky planets have formed and involved and know about the structure:
The size of the core, what it is made of, if it is liquid or not.
Thickness and structure of the crust.
Structure of the mantle and what it is made of.
How warm the structure is and how much heat is still flowing through.
How tectonically active Mars is today, how often meteorites impact it. It would measure:
How often meteorites hit the surface of Mars.
How powerful and frequent internal seismic activity is on Mars. Where it is located within the structure of Mars.
Some people might be thinking, why Mars? Why is the spacecraft viewing Mars?
Well, spacecraft which have been to Mars have investigated the history of Mars' surface by features like volcanoes, canyons, soil and rock. Comparing other terrestrial (rocky) planets, Mars has been never too big or too small. This could mean that it could have a record of the formation and how terrestrial planets formed. Landers like NASA's InSight can reveal how active Mars is.
NASA's Insight had landed 7 minutes and one second before prediction, 9:52:59 AM (New Zealand Daylight Time), 11:52:59 AM (Pacific Time), 2:52:59 AM (Eastern Time). The mission is going to last for 1 Mars year; 709 sols (the name for 'day' in Mars), that means ~ 2 Earth years; 728 Earth days.
Images There are three images taken, from the landing.
First image token after landing - Instrument Context Camera (ICC)
Instrument Context Camera (ICC)
Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC)
Below is a video from SciNews about the Landing. Watch the whole video. Landing Video | SciNews
The spacecraft was launched at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The spacecraft's landing location: Elysium Planitia, Mars
The cost is 828.8 million USD.
The manufacturer was Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
The contractor was the United Launch Alliance.
There are two goals in the mission
To understand how rocky planets have formed and involved and know about the structure:
The size of the core, what it is made of, if it is liquid or not.
Thickness and structure of the crust.
Structure of the mantle and what it is made of.
How warm the structure is and how much heat is still flowing through.
How tectonically active Mars is today, how often meteorites impact it. It would measure:
How often meteorites hit the surface of Mars.
How powerful and frequent internal seismic activity is on Mars. Where it is located within the structure of Mars.
The spacecraft which have been to Mars have investigated the history of Mars' surface by features like volcanoes, canyons, soil and rock.
Comparing other terrestrial (rocky) planets, Mars has been never too big or too small.
This could mean that it could have a record of the formation and how terrestrial planets formed.
Landers like NASA's InSight can reveal how active Mars is.
NASA's Insight had landed 7 minutes and one second before prediction, 9:52:59 AM (New Zealand Daylight Time), 11:52:59 AM (Pacific Time), 2:52:59 AM (Eastern Time).
The mission is going to last for 1 Mars year; 709 sols (the name for 'day' in Mars), that means ~ 2 Earth years; 728 Earth days.
I hope you like the post. Comment down if you have learnt anything new. Have a cool day!! Bye!!
Today's post we are looking at a solar probe launched a few days ago, named Parker Solar Probe. Parker Solar Probe was launched on 12 August 2018. If you haven't seen my last post, It's Here!, check it out. My last and first probe was for the Voyagers, for my Astronomy badge, check it out if you haven't! First I'll talk about the launch of the solar probe. Let's go!
Launch
The liftoff of the spacecraft, Parker Solar Probe on the mission to the sun. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
NASA's Parker Solar Probe was launched on Sunday 12 August 2018 from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force, Florida. Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
As you know the launch was on 12 August 2018 at 6:31 AM ETC (7:31 AM UTC). The rocket was launched into the sky from John F. Kennedy Space Centre, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket was launched on Delta IV-Heavy with Upper Stage.
It has been 5 days, 14 Hours, 0 Minutes, 0 Seconds (On 17/8/18, At 5:31 PM)
There hasn't been enough information because the spacecraft had been launched a few days ago. So here is some information. First are some videos of the launch and information of the spacecraft.
This is a video of the launch of the Parker Solar Probe (video from NASA)
This is a timeline video of the Parker Solar Probe (video from SciNews)
This is NASA's video of the Parker Solar Probe in detail - NASA TV (video from SciNews)
After the three final orbits, Parker Solar Probe will fly around 6.2 million kilometres of the Sun's surface. The space probe will be more than seven times closer than the current record holder, Helios 2 spacecraft, which came 43 million kilometres in 1976. Credit: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/
Today I am going to tell you about the Solar Eclipse that happened today (started at 8:00 am - New Zealand Standard Time). A Solar Eclipse is when the moon goes through the Sun and Earth. Then after the moon blocks the sun. Today morning I watched live on NASA TV Public Channel - NASA. Do you know that the next Solar Eclipse is at July 2, 2019. The eclipse will come near New Zealand, it is a chance to come in North Island, but not in South Island. Also I have took some screenshots of the eclipse from different places like, Madras - Oregon, Salem - Oregon and Carbondale - Illinois. This was the first time I ever seen a Solar Eclipse. I got most of my information by NASA. I hope you like my post about Solar Eclipse. One more I think in my future holidays I might post about some facts about Solar Eclipse. Have a cool 😎 day!! Bye!!
This is a artist's impression of the triple star view of HD 131399Ab. Credits: image courtesy European Southern Observatory/L. Calçada
Did you know that there is a planet that orbits 3 🌞🌞🌞 suns!! Yes a planet with 3 suns!! Can't you believe, I will tell you the facts about this planet with 3 suns!! This planet had been discovered by a team of astronauts from the University of Arizona by using direct imaging.
This planet's name is HD 131399Ab. HD 131399Ab isn't any other world. But by far it is the widest known orbit in the multi-star system. HD 131399Ab is located 340 light years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus. HD 131399Ab is believed to be about 16 million years old. With the temperature of 850 kelvins (1,070 F or 580 C). HD 131399Ab is weight about an estimated of four Jupiter masses.
This artist shows the orbit of the planet in the has triple-star system. Two the stars are closer together and the bigger, brighter is orbited by a gas giant planet named HD 131399Ab.
Hope you like my post of the newly discovered planet that has 3 suns named HD 131399Ab. I hope you have learned about HD 131399Ab. Have a cool 😎 holiday!! Bye!!
(Left) Earth comparing (Right) Kepler-452b, which is about 60%
bigger than Earth. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle
Did you know that there is a cousin of Earth 🌍?! Yes a cousin of Earth and it's called Earth 2.0 or Kepler-452b!! Now I am going to tell you the facts of Kepler-452b and Kepler (Spacecraft) .
Kepler-452b is 60% bigger than Earth 🌍, like a super sized Earth (As shown in the picture).
As you have seen the picture below Kepler-452b is in a solar system. It will take 28 million years to reach Kepler-452b!! Because it is in a different Solar System.
Showing where Kepler-452b is. Kepler-452b Credits: NASA/JPL-CalTech/R. Hurt
Kepler-452b is discovered at 23 July 2015 by the Kepler Science Team.
Kepler Spacecraft in Space
Kepler-452b is also named by a spacecraft called Kepler. Kepler is named after Johannes Kepler. Kepler was launched at March 7 2009 at 3:49:57. The Kepler Science Team planned that it is going to take 3.5 years to reach Kepler-452b. But it took 7 years, 9 months and 8 days to reach Kepler-452b.
Hope you like my first Holiday post of Kepler. I hope you leaned about Kepler-452b. Stay Tuned about my posts in the holidays!! Have a cool 😎 holiday!! Bye!!
Read the article and write down the key words or phrases that answer the following questions.
Who?
NASA
What?
NASA Test World’s Biggest Rocket
Where?
American Desert
When?
12 August, 2016
Why?
Because they had never tested one that big before.
How?
They tested the Rocket
Write three sentences explaining what the article was about
NASA has tested it is the world’s biggest rocket. The tested in American Desert (America). The capture of the video was to bright because the flames of the fuel of the rocket.
