02/11/2013Picture of the DayPlanetary Nebula NGC 6326NGC 6326 is a planetary nebula located about 11,000 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Ara (the Altar), while it is slowly moving away from us at 10.7 kilometers per second.
Despite their name, planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets. The name of planetary nebulae arose because of the visual similarity between some round planetary nebulae and the planets Uranus and Neptune when viewed through early telescopes.
When a star ages and the red giant phase of its life comes to an end, it starts to eject layers of gas from its surface. This process continues until all that is left is the hot, dense, core of the dying star, a white dwarf. Intense radiation from this white dwarf excites the gas in the nebula causing it to shine.
NGC 6326 is made up of the ejected material, lit up by its central star. According to recent scientific study, this central star is actually a close binary system with an orbital period of .372 days (9h 56m). Many planetary nebulae that display symmetrical shapes, but although NGC 6326 has an overall shape that is mostly elliptical, it has a complex, irregular, structure.
Planetary nebulae are one of the main ways in which elements heavier than hydrogen and helium are dispersed into space after their creation in the hearts of stars. Eventually some of this outflung material may form new stars and planets. The vivid red and blue hues in this image come from the material glowing under the action of the fierce ultraviolet radiation from the still hot central star.
LINK: [
link to annesastronomynews.com]
Comet Pan-STARRS Possibly Visible to the Naked Eye in MarchComet C/2011 L4 PanSTARRS (or PanSTARRS for short) was discovered by the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) atop the Haleakala volcano in Hawaii. Astronomers use the massive 1.8 meter telescope to scan the heavens for Earth-approaching objects, both asteroids and comets, that might pose a danger to our planet. In June 2011 a comet appeared, and it was named “Pan-STARRS” after the acronym for the telescope.
In early March, the comet will pass about 100 million miles from Earth as it briefly dips inside the orbit of Mercury. Most experts expect it to become a naked-eye object about as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper.
“But” says Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab, “prepare to be surprised. A new comet from the Oort Cloud is always an unknown quantity equally capable of spectacular displays or dismal failures.”
LINK: [
link to annesastronomynews.com]
NASA Curiosity Rover Collects First Martian Bedrock SampleNASA's Curiosity rover has, for the first time, used a drill carried at the end of its robotic arm to bore into a flat, veiny rock on Mars and collect a sample from its interior. This is the first time any robot has drilled into a rock to collect a sample on Mars.
The fresh hole, about 0.63 inch (1.6 centimeters) wide and 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) deep in a patch of fine-grained sedimentary bedrock, can be seen in images and other data Curiosity beamed to Earth Saturday. The rock is believed to hold evidence about long-gone wet environments. In pursuit of that evidence, the rover will use its laboratory instruments to analyze rock powder collected by the drill.
"The most advanced planetary robot ever designed is now a fully operating analytical laboratory on Mars," said John Grunsfeld, NASA associate administrator for the agency's Science Mission Directorate. "This is the biggest milestone accomplishment for the Curiosity team since the sky-crane landing last August, another proud day for America."
For the next several days, ground controllers will command the rover's arm to carry out a series of steps to process the sample, ultimately delivering portions to the instruments inside.
"We commanded the first full-depth drilling, and we believe we have collected sufficient material from the rock to meet our objectives of hardware cleaning and sample drop-off," said Avi Okon, drill cognizant engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Rock powder generated during drilling travels up flutes on the bit. The bit assembly has chambers to hold the powder until it can be transferred to the sample-handling mechanisms of the rover's Collection and Handling for In-Situ Martian Rock Analysis (CHIMRA) device.
Before the rock powder is analyzed, some will be used to scour traces of material that may have been deposited onto the hardware while the rover was still on Earth, despite thorough cleaning before launch.
LINK: [
link to www.marsdaily.com]
Sun News 02/11/2013Product: Forecast Discussion
Issued: 2013 Feb 11 1230 UTC
Prepared by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
Solar Activity.24 hr Summary...
Solar activity was at very low levels with only B-class activity
observed. Two new regions were numbered during the period. New Region
1671 (N14E64) was numbered as a unipolar H-type group while new Region
1672 (S18E45) was numbered as a bipolar C-type group. No significant
changes were observed in the other two spotted regions. No
Earth-directed CMEs were observed during the period.
.Forecast...Solar activity is likely to be low for the next three days (11 - 13
February).
Energetic Particle.24 hr Summary...
The greater than 10 MeV proton flux at geosynchronous orbit was at
background levels. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux was at normal
levels.
.Forecast...The greater than 10 MeV proton flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected
to remain at background levels through the period (11 - 13 February).
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected
to be at normal levels on days one and two (11 - 12 February). Levels
are expected to rise to moderate to high levels by day three (13
February) due to elevated solar wind speeds.
Solar Wind.24 hr Summary...
Solar wind speeds, as measured by the ACE spacecraft, ranged between a
low of 321 km/s at 11/0355 UTC to a peak of 392 km/s at 10/1744 UTC.
Total IMF varied between 1 - 5 nT with a maximum southward Bz component
of -4 nT observed at 11/0007 UTC. The Phi angle was in a predominately
positive (away) orientation through the period.
.Forecast...Solar wind speed is expected to continue at nominal levels on day one
(11 February) as effects from a coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS)
continue to wane. Early on day two (12 February), solar winds should
increase after the passage of the 09 February CME and remain elevated
through day three (13 February) due to CH HSS effects.
Geospace.24 hr Summary...
The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels.
.Forecast...Field activity is expected to remain at quiet levels on day one (11
February), then increase to quiet to unsettled levels on day two (12
February) due to the passage of the 09 February CME. Quiet to unsettled
levels will continue through day three (13 February) due to CH HSS
effects.
LINK: [
link to www.solarham.net]
Streamer: [
link to iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov]
[
link to iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov]
[
link to www.gdgps.net]
Active Region Map: [
link to sidc.oma.be]
STAR Active region map: [
link to solen.info]
EVE 3-Day: [
link to lasp.colorado.edu]
Magnetometer: [
link to www.swpc.noaa.gov]
Ionospheric Electrons: [
link to www.ips.gov.au]
Ionospheric foF2: [
link to www.ips.gov.au]
Surface Heat Index (USA): [
link to weather.unisys.com]
Sea Surface Temps (02/10/13): [
link to www.ssec.wisc.edu]
Estimated Planetary K-Index : [
link to www.solarham.net]
3MIN News February 11, 2013: The Sun is Liquid?TODAY's LINKS:
Sun not a Gas? [
link to www.ptep-online.com]
Drought Update: [
link to www.ncdc.noaa.gov]