Published by Kate at September 3, 2009 4:08 pm under Story
By Jon Lomberg
In 1991 I painted a portrait of the Milky Way for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.
Two depictions of the Milky Way Galaxy. The top half is the painting at the Smithsonian Institution. The bottom half is a view of the Galaxy Garden in Hawaii.
During the project I worked with expert astronomers and the painting was based on the best knowledge available of our galaxy. But effective though it was, it hung on the wall. I knew the most vivid way to teach people about their home galaxy was to make a model they could explore from inside.
Published by Kate at September 1, 2009 11:50 pm under Story
By Ian Woolf
At the Powerhouse Museum’s ‘Einstein Lecture’, U.S Theoretical Physicist Lawrence Krauss spoke about the invisible dark energy required by the most popular theory of cosmology. He wrapped up by explaining the dark future for the Universe when all the stars go away.
Hey, isn't that philosophy?
That’s the short story. Now here it is in a slightly longer version…
Published by Kate at August 23, 2009 6:23 pm under Story
By Jon Lomberg
Jon Lomberg imagines a future where humans have colonised Mars.
A few centuries from now, Mars might be a bustling frontier. If our species can survive there, it will spread slowly, pushed by the spirit of scientific inquiry, or the urge to explore. Landing sites will turn into bases and eventually into communities.
Mars
Mars has as much dry surface area as the Earth. Even aided by satellites, it will take a very long time to explore the planet. Meanwhile, all the unmanned landers and rovers from earlier missions will still be where they were centuries before, buried in sand perhaps.
Published by Kate at August 21, 2009 2:01 pm under Story
By Kate Hennessy
After a fortuitous encounter at the Eureka Awards dinner on Tuesday, Professor Bryan M. Gaensler leapt on a brilliant opportunity. But first: watch this.
Physics professor Gaensler had a tutorial scheduled the next day about the challenges of portraying science and astronomy in film. He planned to use 1996 movie ‘Contact‘ (starring Jodie Foster) as his primary example.
Over dinner, however, Gaensler discovered that the gentleman to his left was none other than ’space artist’ Jon Lomberg.
From 1995-1997 Lomberg worked on the Warner Brothers film as Astronomical Visual Consultant. He designed and story-boarded many of the film’s astronomical animation sequences, including the famed three-minute zoom out from Earth that opens the movie (here again on QuietTube) – the very sequence Gaensler planned to show students the next day.
Sensibly, Gaensler’s first question to Lomberg was “What are you doing at noon tomorrow?”
Published by Kate at August 12, 2009 4:59 pm under Story
By Heath Raftery
It’s that time of year again! Every August our Earth hurtles through the debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle.
Fortunately for us, the Earth has a thick atmosphere (about 100kms of it) that not only shields us from space debris, but can do so in a spectacular fashion called a “meteor shower” by vaporising the space rocks in brilliant streaks of light.
This year the show is predicted to peak on the night of Wednesday, 12th August.
It’s in what’s called “the habitable zone” and astronomers believe it’s a candidate for life.
A planet called Gliese 581 d. Eight times the size of Earth, 20 light years away and innocently orbiting its host star whilst messages from Earth (and from YOU!) zoom towards it.
Yes, that’s right. If you’re one of those folk who’ve always yearned to communicate with ETs – here’s your chance. Hello from Earth launches this morning, giving you 160 characters to sculpt your own personal communique to a planet where alien life is possible.
Messages will be collected via the Hello from Earth website until 5pm on August 24 as part of National Science Week, then beamed from the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla.
Since Gliese 581 d is 20 light years away, messages will arrive by around 2029. The first message to be transmitted will be from Senator Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.
Senator Carr, who admits he was fascinated with the stars as a child, will say in his message …
Published by Kate at August 11, 2009 10:33 pm under Story
By Jon Lomberg
10 days of science is thoroughly excited to introduce renowned ‘astronomy-inspired’ artist Jon Lomberg as its special new guest blogger.
Thirty-two years ago something extraordinary happened to me.
It was August 20, 1977 and I was sitting in the viewing stands at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. I was watching the launch of NASA’s Voyager 2 mission to the outer solar system and beyond. Atop the Titan Centaur rocket, the shiny and new Voyager spacecraft was inside the nose of the launch vehicle, packaged as carefully as a Ming vase (though worth a thousand times more!)
Jon Lomberg in 1979 standing next to a replica of the Voyager spacecraft at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Wrapped in its protective cocoon, the spacecraft awaited its fate.
Published by Kate at July 28, 2009 1:28 pm under Story
By David Finnigan
Our solar system is fairly straightforward. Some planets spin around an enormous nuclear furnace, humans all live on Earth, Mars is our wacky neighbour, nobody really likes Mercury (what is there to like?) and, if the Sun ever went on holidays, Jupiter would be left in charge.
Jupiter’s huge. It has 64 moons and most of them are bigger and smarter than the Earth and Moon combined. Jupiter could beat any other planet in a fight without breaking a sweat; and yet, on Friday July 19, something left a bruise the size of Earth on Jupiter’s handsome gaseous cheek.
Published by david at July 17, 2009 7:08 pm under Story
By David Finnigan
Speaking boldly on behalf of amateur astronomers everywhere, David Chandler from the Astronomical Society of Albury Wodonga, claims 1960s psychedelic space rock pioneers Pink Floyd is the most popular band to stargaze to. He may be right.
Load this one up (’Astronomy Domine’, no less) close your eyes and imagine soaring off into the night skies and see if you can come up with a better soundtrack!*
Or, if you’re anywhere near Albury Wodonga, forget about YouTube and start gathering your camping gear to join the Astronomical Society of Albury Wodonga (ASAW) for Border Stargaze 2009.
