Earth like Alien planets

Got this link from Matt. Enjoy!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20101116/sc_space/lookingforearthlikealienplanetsfocusontheblueones

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Trips to Mars

received this info via email from our friend Matt:

Scientists propose one-way trips to Mars
By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, Associated Press

Invoking the spirit of "Star Trek" in a scholarly article entitled "To Boldly Go," two scientists contend human travel to Mars could happen much more quickly and cheaply if the missions are made one-way. They argue that it would be little different from early settlers to North America, who left Europe with little expectation of return.

"The main point is to get Mars exploration moving," said Dirk Schulze-Makuch of Washington State University, who wrote the article in the latest "Journal of Cosmology" with Paul Davies of Arizona State University. The colleagues state — in one of 55 articles in the issue devoted to exploring Mars — that humans must begin colonizing another planet as a hedge against a catastrophe on Earth.

Mars is a six-month flight away, possesses surface gravity, an atmosphere, abundant water, carbon dioxide and essential minerals. They propose the missions start by sending two two-person teams, in separate ships, to Mars. More colonists and regular supply ships would follow.

The technology already exists, or is within easy reach, they wrote.

An official for NASA said the space agency envisions manned missions to Mars in the next few decades, but that the planning decidedly involves round trips.

President Obama informed NASA last April that he "'believed by the mid-2030s that we could send humans to orbit Mars and safely return them to Earth. And that a landing would soon follow,'" said agency spokesman Michael Braukus.


No where did Obama suggest the astronauts be left behind.


"We want our people back," Braukus said.


Retired Apollo 14 astronaut Ed Mitchell, who walked on the Moon, was also critical of the one-way idea.


"This is premature," Mitchell wrote in an e-mail. "We aren't ready for this yet."


Davies and Schulze-Makuch say it's important to realize they're not proposing a "suicide mission."


"The astronauts would go to Mars with the intention of staying for the rest of their lives, as trailblazers of a permanent human Mars colony," they wrote, while acknowledging the proposal is a tough sell for NASA, with its intense focus on safety.


They think the private sector might be a better place to try their plan.

"What we would need is an eccentric billionaire," Schulze-Makuch said. "There are people who have the money to put this into reality."


Indeed, British tycoon Richard Branson, PayPal founder Elon Musk and Amazon.com Inc. CEO Jeff Bezos are among the rich who are involved in private space ventures.


Isolated humans in space have long been a staple of science fiction movies, from "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" to "2001: A Space Odyssey" to a flurry of recent movies such as "Solaris" and "Moon." In many of the plots, the lonely astronauts fall victim to computers, madness or aliens.


Psychological profiling and training of the astronauts, plus constant communication with Earth, will reduce debilitating mental strains, the two scientists said.


"They would in fact feel more connected to home than the early Antarctic explorers," according to the article.


But the mental health of humans who spent time in space has been extensively studied. Depression can set in, people become irritated with each other, and sleep can be disrupted, the studies have found. The knowledge that there is no quick return to Earth would likely make that worse.


Davies is a physicist whose research focuses on cosmology, quantum field theory, and astrobiology. He was an early proponent of the theory that life on Earth may have come from Mars in rocks ejected by asteroid and comet impacts.


Schulze-Makuch works in the Earth Sciences department at WSU and is the author of two books about life on other planets. His focus is eco-hydrogeology, which includes the study of water on planets and moons of our solar system and how those could serve as a potential habitat for microbial life.


The peer-reviewed Journal of Cosmology covers astronomy, astrobiology, Earth sciences and life.


Schulze-Makuch and Davies contend that Mars has abundant resources to help the colonists become self-sufficient over time. The colony should be next to a large ice cave, to provide shelter from radiation, plus water and oxygen, they wrote.


They believe the one-way trips could start in two decades.


"You would send a little bit older folks, around 60 or something like that," Schulze-Makuch said, bringing to mind the aging heroes who save the day in "Space Cowboys."


That's because the mission would undoubtedly reduce a person's lifespan, from a lack of medical care and exposure to radiation. That radiation would also damage human reproductive organs, so sending people of childbearing age is not a good idea, he said.


There have been seniors in space, including John Glenn, who was 77 when he flew on the space shuttle in 1998.


Still, Schulze-Makuch believes many people would be willing to make the sacrifice.


The Mars base would offer humanity a "lifeboat" in the event Earth becomes uninhabitable, they said.


"We are on a vulnerable planet," Schulze-Makuch said. "Asteroid impact can threaten us, or a supernova explosion. If we want to survive as a species, we have to expand into the solar system and likely beyond."
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Online:

http://journalofcosmology.com/Mars108.html

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Jupiter's Stripe

Space Weather News for Nov. 11, 2010
http://spaceweather.com

JUPITER'S MISSING STRIPE, RETURNING? Earlier this year when Jupiter's great South Equatorial Belt (SEB) vanished, researchers urged amateur astronomers to be alert for its eventual return. The SEB had come and gone before, they noted, and the revival was something to behold. Alert: It might be happening now. An energetic white plume is rising above Jupiter's cloudtops, possibly heralding the return of the giant planet's missing stripe. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

SPACE STATION FLYBY ALERT: The International Space Station is about to begin a series of bright evening flybys over North America. It's easy to see. Let your cell phone tell you when to look using our Simple Flybys app for Android and iPhone: http://simpleflybys.com/

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

PAS is at the Desert Botanical Gardens 11/5 and 11/6

Good afternoon and happy Friday to you.

The Phoenix Astronomical Society will be at the Desert Botanical Gardens on

Friday Nov 5 from 7pm to 9pm for an Adult Event
and
Sat Nov 6 from 6pm to 8pm for a Kids Event.

The Desert Botanical Gardent address is:
1201 N. Galvin Parkway Phoenix, AZ 85008 ...

Fo

And here is what's visible for both nights.
Sun set is 5:20
Mercury is visible at 5:30 and sets 5:50.
Mars is visible 5:30 and sets 6:30.
Jupiter is visible 5:30 and then throughout the night.
Dark is 6:50.

We hope to see you there!
For more fun Astronomy related events, be sure to visit the PAS Website Calendar
where you will find the event listed, on the date it is happening, and a forum link
to give you more details about the events. Some events require RSVP prior to attending,
while others, like the DBG events mentioned above are Public events hosted by the
location we are doing the event at, and so no RSVP is required for attendance.

The link directly to the PAS website calendar is:
http://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php

HAVE A SUPER FRIDAY!!!

Terri, Event Coordinator

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Phoenix Art Museum "Space Odyssey" Nov 5, 2010 6pm to 10pm

TONIGHT - Join us!!!

The Phoenix Art Museum is putting on SPACE ODYSSEY.
From 6pm to 10pm, tonight Nov 5, 2010, you can enjoy many of these activities & more:

* Making Foil Helmets and get your photo taken while wearing yours.
* Kids will launch air rockets and play with glow sticks
* Airbrush space tattoo-ist available

Plus the PHOENIX ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
will be there, out front to show you the night sky.

Please note, we are near the Museum building to our East, so
objects rising in the East, such as Jupiter may do earlier in the evening,
may not be visible until later in the evening. But this is what we hope to
show tonight through 3 telescopes. Come visit us there!!!

Sun set is 5:20
Mercury is visible to the West at 5:30 and sets 5:50. We hope to have some scopes
set up prior to Mercury setting for the night.
Mars is visible to the West at 5:30 and sets 6:30.
Jupiter is visible 5:30 and then throughout the night, the building might
be in the way earlier in the evening. It will be at the Zenith at 9:14pm. I predict we will
be able to see Jupiter come over the Museum building by about 7:30.
Dark is 6:50.

Address of the Phoenix Art Museum is:
1625 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004

More details can be found in the PAS public forums at this link:
http://www.pasaz.org/forums/showthread.php?t=479

We would love to see you there, tonight!!!

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

UPCOMING NOVEMBER PAS EVENTS

For the links to these events, download the Upcoming Events file from this link & use the links within the document to quickly get to these events within the online PAS Calendar: http://www.pasaz.org/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=49

Nov 2: Cancer Treatment Center (CTCA) Star Party. RSVP is with Joe. This is a paid star party & Only PAS Members are to attend. Dinner may be provided. Contact Joe for details. Official time of event is 8pm to 10pm.

Nov 4: PAS Meeting – PVCC Library. Mike Marron is guest speaker with a topic that will knock your socks off! Meeting is from 7pm to 9:30pm. Everyone Welcome. Bring the whole family!

Nov 5: Desert Botanical Gardens (DBG) Star Party. Private event, PAS Members only. Sign up with Sam to help out. This is a paid star party. Event is from 7pm to 9pm.

Nov 6: Cuttin' Edge Observatory (CEO) Star Party. PAS Members only. RSVP is with Chris webmaster@pasaz.org. This event is held in Mayer, Az. All PAS Members welcome. Serious observers only.

Nov 12: Back up date for Nov 5: DBG star party.

Nov 14: PAS FREE Telescope Workshop at Bookmans - 19th Ave & Northern – 3:30pm to 5:30pm. RSVP is with Terri Events@pasaz.org for this event. Bring your scope & accessories & learn how to use your telescope.

Nov 16: Back up date for Nov 2 CTCA star party.

Nov 17: Park Ridge Elementary School Star Party – Event is from 6pm to 8:30pm. RSVP is with Terri Events@pasaz.org for this event. We need telescopes at this event.

Nov 17: Aerospace Star Party – Paid event at the Biltmore. Event is from 10pm to midnight. Paid workers have already signed up.

Nov 18: PAS Meeting of the Minds (MOMs). This is the PAS Business meeting where we Party & discuss topics. The MOMs Agenda can be found at this link: http://www.pasaz.org/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=60 If there aren't enough topics to hold a minimum of a 1 hour meeting, the meeting is canceled, & the topics move to the next month's meeting. Everyone is welcome at this meeting. Check with Terri Events@pasaz.org as to if the meeting is on or off. No RSVP is required.

Nov 27: Virtual Star Party (VSP) at Chris's in Goodyear. Bring your laptop & come image the night sky. RSVP is with Chris Webmaster@pasaz.org. PAS Members only. This event begins at 6:30. Try to arrive ½ hour prior to allow time for set up.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Meeting of the Minds for Oct 28 has been CANCELED

Please enjoy your evening.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Sun Twister & Asteroid Flyby

Space Weather News for Oct. 28, 2010
http://spaceweather.com

SUN TWISTER: Earlier today, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) recorded a spectacular eruption on the sun's northeastern limb. An unstable magnetic filament hundreds of thousands of kilometers long pirouetted and launched a fragment of itself into space. Earth was not in the line of fire, but the SDO movie is worth seeing anyway. Visit http://spaceweather.com for cinema.

ASTEROID FLYBY: Asteroid 2003 UV11 will fly past Earth on Oct. 29th and 30th at a distance of only 1.2 million miles. Experienced amateur astronomers should have little trouble photographing the 600-meter wide space rock as it glides through the constellation Pegasus on Friday night, glowing about as brightly as a 12th magnitude star. Observers in North America and Europe are favored. Check http://spaceweather.com for ephemerides and more information.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms erupt at your latitude? Sign up for Space Weather Phone: http://spaceweatherphone.com

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Orionids Meteor Shower

Sent to me by Joe, who got it from AOL's site

Here is a short article from AOL news on the Orionids to share....
A spectacular stream of meteors believed to be leftovers from Halley's Comet is expected to streak across the skies this week, but a full harvest moon will compete for attention and may obstruct some of the show.

The meteors, a junior version of the famous Perseid meteor shower, are called the Orionids because they appear to shoot from the second-brightest star in the Orion constellation, or from the hunter's elbow. Up to 30 meteors -- fast, bright streaks like shooting stars -- could be visible each hour in the night sky, starting tonight, Space.com reports.

"The Orionids are fast meteors and also have fireballs. The radiant of the shower will be observed north of Betelgeuse, the brightest star in the constellation Orion, the Mighty Hunter," Graciano Yumul, an officer at the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, told GMA News.

The shower's radiant point is near the celestial equator, meaning that it'll be visible in both the northern and southern hemispheres, according to iSurf News.

Sponsored Links The annual show usually happens from Oct. 17 to Oct. 25, and this year it'll peak before dawn on Thursday. But that's also when a full moon will appear over North America, in most places on Saturday, perhaps dimming the light of the meteors. So the best viewing times are believed to be earlier in the week, when the moon isn't as bright. The best places from which to view the meteor shower are in rural spots that don't have other light pollution.

The Orionids are thought be caused by Halley's Comet, which was named for astronomer Edmond Halley and passes through the inner solar system once every 76 years. The last time was in 1986.

But every time Halley's Comet zooms past the sun, bits of ice and rock are evaporated off the comet and go flying into space. The debris hangs there in space and create the annual Orionid display.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

SUNDIVING COMET & ORIONID METEOR SHOWE

Space Weather News for Oct. 20, 2010
http://spaceweather.com

SUNDIVING COMET: A newly-discovered comet is plunging toward the sun for a close encounter it probably will not survive. The comet is too deep in the sun's glare for human eyes to pick out, but it is showing up nicely in coronagraph images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. Visit http://spaceweather.com for latest movies.

ORIONID METEOR SHOWER: Earth is passing through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, and this is causing the annual Orionid meteor shower. Bright moonlight is reducing the number of visible meteors; nevertheless, sky watchers are reporting some bright Orionids. The best time to look is during the hours before local dawn on Thursday, Oct. 21st, and again on Friday, Oct. 22nd. Check http://spaceweather.com for a sky map and more information.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: With the arrival of northern autumn, aurora season is underway. Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms erupt at your latitude? Sign up for Space Weather Phone: http://spaceweatherphone.com

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society