Dan Brandon
Author's posts
Dec 14
Big Science in Small Packages : Space Place
Astronaut Tim Peake on board the International Space Station captured this image of a CubeSat deployment on May 16, 2016. The bottom-most CubeSat is the NASA-funded MinXSS CubeSat, which observes soft X-rays from the sun—such X-rays can disturb the ionosphere and thereby hamper radio and GPS signals. (The second CubeSat is CADRE — short for …
Nov 12
Dimming stars, erupting plasma, and beautiful nebulae : By Marcus Woo
This four-panel graphic illustrates how the binary-star system V Hydrae is launching balls of plasma into space. Image credit: NASA/ESA/STScI Boasting intricate patterns and translucent colors, planetary nebulae are among the most beautiful sights in the universe. How they got their shapes is complicated, but astronomers think they’ve solved part of the mystery—with giant blobs …
Oct 20
Mars lander lost signal one minute before landing, ESA confirms : Via The Guardian
Artist impression of the Schiaparelli module after the parachute has been deployed. image credit: ESA/ATG medialab It travelled half a billion kilometers across the solar system, deployed its parachute flawlessly and survived a scorching descent through the Martian atmosphere, but the European Space Agency …
