A blog about cool things in space!Tumblr (3.0; @coolthingsinspace)http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kw64awc1MQ1qzgl5oo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/331765639http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/331765639Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:25:44 -0500<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/cGfEdC2cPpqmez64Y6SWqem1o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/139093723http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/139093723Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:42:08 -0400<object width="400" height="336"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g2Z35JqnV7I&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g2Z35JqnV7I&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="336" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br/><br/><p>NASA successfully demonstrated an alternate system for future astronauts. The launch of the Max Launch Abort System, or MLAS, took place on July 8, 2009, at 6:26 a.m. at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va.</p> <p>The unpiloted launch tested an alternate concept for safely propelling a future spacecraft and its crew away from a problem on the launch pad or during ascent. The MLAS consists of four solid rocket abort motors inside a bullet-shaped composite fairing attached to a full-scale mockup of the crew module.</p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/139092909http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/139092909Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:40:18 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/cGfEdC2cPpi0zsmav5TCJCL4o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Today is a great day to continue our tour of the solar system. At the center of our solar system, of course, is the sun.</p> <p>“This year Aphelion, the point in Earth’s elliptical orbit when it is farthest from the Sun, occurs today, July 4th. Of course, that doesn’t affect the seasons on our fair planet. Those are determined by the tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation and not Earth’s distance from the Sun, so July is still winter in the south and summer in northern hemisphere. But it does mean that on July 4th the Sun will be at its smallest apparent size. This composite neatly compares two pictures of the Sun taken with the same telescope and camera on the dates of Perihelion (closest approach) and Aphelion in 2008. The image labels include Earth’s distance in kilometers from the Sun on the two dates. Otherwise difficult to notice, the change in the Sun’s apparent diameter between Perihelion and Aphelion is clear. The difference amounts to a little over 3 percent.” (via <a href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap090703.html">apod</a>)</p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/135366108http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/135366108Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:20:19 -0400<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/cGfEdC2cPpf5iwrrlZalXYPYo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>“When our broadcasts leave Earth, they slowly travel into space. There is, however, a sizable delay between what we watch and what distant aliens watch. This convenient chart shows us what TV various stars are receiving today.” via <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5306214/the-aliens-of-the-star-iota-horologii-are-just-watching-captain-kangaroo-now">gizmodo</a></p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/134184749http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/134184749Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:03:51 -0400<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/cGfEdC2cPpdx9bvf3IwUR93No1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Our solar system is located between the larger Perseus and Sagittarius arms of the Milky Way galaxy in what is known as the Orion Spur at a distance of about 24,000–26,000 light years from the center of the galaxy.</p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/133662202http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/133662202Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:24:36 -0400<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/cGfEdC2cPpdwrp4jdZQVpPgho1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Today we’re going to embark on a tour of our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System">solar system</a>.</p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/133655438http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/133655438Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:10:58 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/cGfEdC2cPpcid4pytP3K27xwo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>The last seven images from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SELENE">SELENE</a> probe before it’s controlled impact with the moon.</p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/133064968http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/133064968Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:59:47 -0400<object width="400" height="336"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSYvqyzqGNI&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSYvqyzqGNI&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="336" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br/><br/><p>“Earth-Set” Taken by the Japanese lunar orbiter, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SELENE">SELENE</a>, in HD.</p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/133057333http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/133057333Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:42:32 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/cGfEdC2cPp8ba5o44JgP94yAo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>RIP <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(spacecraft)">Ulysses</a></p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/132924139http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/132924139Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0400<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/cGfEdC2cPp7bi4hon9GT29wWo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>I guess this is not really space related, but the sunset in NYC was very pretty tonight. Apparently these are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammatus_cloud">Mammatus Clouds</a>.</p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/130980124http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/130980124Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:29:02 -0400<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="300" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4505537&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"><param name="quality" value="best" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="scale" value="showAll" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4505537&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" /><embed src="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4505537&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br/><br/>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/130766029http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/130766029Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:01:10 -0400<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/cGfEdC2cPp6rkslszVdPU8rKo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Good night moon. (via <a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/"><a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/">http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/</a></a>)</p>http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/130743368http://www.coolthingsinspace.com/post/130743368Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:11:00 -0400