Current Happenings In Astronomy

Astronomy has been with the human race as long as we can remember. In the beginning it was very connected to astrology, but as time went by astronomy became more and more scientific, relying on observation, measurement and the scientific theory to develop a knowledge of the universe outside our own planet and solar system. Astronomy is something too many people ignore, but those who keep their eyes on current happenings in astronomy find a wealth of interesting information.

In early November of 2008 NASA nearly bombed Australia with a 1400LB Ammonia tank jettisoned from the International Space Station. It was tossed into space when it was deemed too dangerous to carry down to Earth on a shuttle. Since most of the Earth is water, the chances were much greater the chunks would land in the ocean than on land. On the plus side the Ammonia vapor that might result would clean people’s windows. Paul Hogan, the famous actor who played Crocodile Dundee, was unharmed. Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, remains dead and was thus not available to comment.

In September of 2008 China sent up its third successful manned space mission that included the first space walk by Chinese astronauts in history. Unfortunately for China it was revealed that “live video” of the successful launch and flight into orbit had actually been released before the craft left the ground. The flight did take place. It was just a case of overzealous PR people.

Still in China, a gigantic telescope is being erected near the site of the 2008 Olympic games. This new telescope is unique because instead of the whole telescope moving to find and follow objects in the sky, only two mirrors move. This gives the telescope a unique look. It’s not a dome but rather something like a an uneven arch or pi symbol. Leave it to the Chinese to come up with something out of the ordinary.

In Kazakhstan of all places a new satellite was launched in early November of 2008. Satellite Astra-1M will be used for telecommunications. Proton-M launched it into space. European engineers created the satellite.

Worldwide Telescope is a fantastic astronomy software. The software comes from Microsoft. It’s a windows application that interfaces servers all over the world to deliver stunning images of the universe. It’s like an observatory on a desktop. Don’t expect any new discoveries, because this is all pre-existing data.

Now you know some of the current happenings in astronomy.