We take a look at the life of Neil Armstrong, dinosaurs at NASA, musical training, an update on a Hubble contest, Curiosity update and as always take a peek back into history and up in the sky this week.

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The post Neil Armstrong & Dinosaur Footprints | SciByte 60 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

We take a look at digital vision, allergy treatment, storms, braziers, fire extinguishers, alzheimer’s research, spacecraft updates, remember Sally Ride and as always take a peek back into history and up in the sky this week.

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Show Notes

Vision aids

_{YouTube channel : virtualpoint | Instant Eye : Kevin Hand}

• The low down
• Photoreceptors in a healthy retina convert light into a series of electrical signals which are transmitted to the brain via complex neural pathways
• When the photoreceptors do not function, brain is unable to receive these signals from the eyes
• Significance
• Nano Retina is a tiny implant [0.11×0.16in and 0.04in thick / 3 x 4 mm and 1 mm thick] that is inserted into the eye and attached to the retina in a minimally invasive procedure
• The device consists of photodetectors, microelectrodes and electronic circuitry that act together to replace the eye’s natural photoreceptors that have been damaged and feed visual information to the brain
• Six hundred needle electrodes (wrapped in biocompatible silicon and sapphire to prevent the formation of scar tissue) penetrate the retina
• Light incident on the implant is collected by an array of CMOS pixels are placed on an area of the retina responsible for high-resolution central vision
• The first-generation bio-retina will use an array of 600 pixels, although the aim is to increase this to 5000 pixels in future generations
• A proprietary algorithm discriminates 100 gray-scale levels and responds to varying light levels.
• The goal is that every pixel will connect to a neuron, so that every pixel in the array would use a micro-electrode
• Because the neurons must be stimulated electrically the bio-retina implant also requires a source of electrical power
• So patients who undergo surgery to implant a bio-retina will need to wear a special set of glasses, with a built-in battery and an infrared diode laser.
• The goal is for the imager and the electronics to consume no more than 1mW
• The near-infrared laser beam, gentle enough to shine harmlessly through the eye onto the implant, providing up to three milliwatts of power to a photovoltaic cell on the eye implant
• The anticipated recovery time is up to one week when patients hopefully be able to distinguish faces and to be able to look from side to side with their eyes rather than needing to turn their heads
• Current users of the Argus II bionic eye say that they can see rough shapes and track the movement of objects; they can also slowly read large writing.
• Of Note
• Another company, Second Sight’s Argus II, has a retinal prosthesis already on the market in Europe
• Bio-Retina from NanoRetina, which is to start clinical trials next year
• The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System includes an antenna, an electronics case, and electrode array designed to bypass damaged photoreceptors altogether with a video camera in the glasses captures a scene
• The video is sent to a small patient-worn computer VPU where it is processed and transformed into instructions sent back to the glasses via a cable then transmitted wirelessly to the antenna in the implant
• Multimedia
• YouTube Nano Retina – Sight restoration, produced by Virtual Point | virtualpoint
• Schematic of a procedure to implant the bionic retina in a patient’s eye Credit: Nano Retina
• Further Reading / In the News
• Nano-retina.info
• Bionic retina runs on laser power | Optics.org
• Bio-Retina Implant Could Give Laser-Powered Sight to the Blind | PopSci.com

— NEWS BYTE —

Possible Allergy Treatment

• The low down
• Exposure to increasing amounts of egg every day over two years can seemingly rid some children of an egg allergy
• More than curing the allergy there is more interest in providing protection from an accidental reaction
• Significance
• Skin-prick tests, medical history and the presence of antibodies to egg protein showed 55 children ages 5 to 11 to have an egg allergy
• All the children for unmarked power added daily to food, forty kids were randomly assigned to receive the egg treatment and 15 got cornstarch as a control
• Treatment amounted to a few grains of powdered egg white on the first day and gradually grew to the equivalent of one-third of an egg over two years
• After 22 months, 30 of the 40 children getting the treatment were able to consume 10 grams of powdered egg white without having a visible reaction
• At that time all 15 children that had cornstarch and 5 had a allergic reaction at 22 months
• Early in the study 5 children dropped out of the study due to allergic reactions
• The gradual introduction of eggs into the diet appears to re-train the immune system
• Many other children in the study developed an ability to cope with small amounts of egg without a serious reaction, but only while being treated
• Four to six weeks after stopping treatment, the children who didn’t react to the egg test got tested again, with 10 grams of egg white powder plus a cooked egg
• Eleven passed that test. A year later, 10 of them were eating eggs at will
• Of Note
• Blood tests of the kids whose treatment succeeded showed an accumulation of positive immune changes during treatment, whether those changes are permanent is unknown
• The remaining challenges will be to identify beforehand which children are the most likely to benefit from the treatment
• About 10 percent of children given this type of oral treatment for egg, peanut or milk allergies, have reactions early and drop out
• Don’t try this at home. The Food and Drug Administration would need to approve an oral treatment for clinical use.
• Further Reading / In the News
• Egg in tiny doses curbs allergy | ScienceNews.org

— TWO-BYTE NEWS —

The smells of a storm

• The low down
• If you have ever thought that you have smelled an incoming storm, you might have been correct
• Certain weather patterns produce distinctive odors that sensitive noses sniff out
• Before the rain begins, one of the first odors you may notice is a sweet, pungent zing in your nostrils which is the fresh aroma of ozone
• Petrichor occurs when airborne molecules from decomposing plant or animal matter become attached to mineral or clay surfaces
• Geosmin occurs when falling water disturbs and displaces odoriferous molecules on surfaces, particularly on dry ones, and carry them into the atmosphere
• If the storm happens to be near vegetation, these molecules may come from plants and trees
• One microbiologist has proposed that geosmin fragrance may be a beacon, helping camels find their way to desert oases
• Further Reading / In the News
• Storm Scents: It’s True, You Can Smell Oncoming Summer Rain | Scientific Amercian

Dating Braziers

• The low down
• The bra is commonly thought to be little more than 100 years old as corseted women abandoned rigid fashions and opted for the more natural look
• Archeologists have now found four linen bras dating from the Middle Ages in an Austrian castle
• They were unearthed in 2008, they did not make news until now, but were not announced until now as they waited for the carbon dating them to make sure they were genuine took some time
• One of them were intricately decorated with lace and other ornamentation
• Found intermixed with dirt, wood, straw and pieces of leather were more than 2,700 textile fragments were four bras
• One specimen in particular "looks exactly like a (modern) brassiere
• What researchers found as surprising was that the bra had commonly been thought to be only little more than 100 years old as women abandoned the tight corset.
• Further Reading / In the News
• 600-year-old linen bras found in Austrian castle | Phys.org

Sound Based Fire Extinguisher

_{YouTube channel DARPAtv]}

• The low down
• The demonstration, at the proof-of-concept stage, shows two speakers blasting out sounds at a specific frequency
• The disrupting the flame by spreading its heat over a larger area by creating an acoustic field that increases air velocity and fuel vaporization
• It is unknown whether the system could be scaled up to work inside a military vehicle
• Multimedia
• YouTube DARPA Demos Acoustic Suppression of Flame | DARPAtv
• Further Reading / In the News
• DARPA puts out fires with sound and science | geek.com

— Updates —

Alzheimers

• Last time on SciByte
• Sub Glacial Lakes & Updates | SciByte 33 – Another exciting step against Alzheimer’s [February 14, 2012]
• Habitable Planets & Chimps | SciByte 24 – Alzheimer’s Research [December 7, 2011]
• Spinal Cord Injuries & Venus Transit | SciByte 49 – [June 5, 2012]
• The low down
• The pharmaceutical company Baxter International has reported a drug that, that if it works in larger clinical trials now under way, might actually stabilize patients and stop disease progression
• Significance
• Gammagard is a soup of antibodies extracted from blood donors and is already approved for some immune disorders, was given as intravenous immunoglobulin,
• The drug has halted the decline in cognition and aided in the ability to perform everyday tasks for four patients who received the highest dose for three years
• Although these results are very promising, continued trials will show whether these four were patients who just happened to have plateaued for a while during their inevitable decline
• The results from a larger double-blind Phase 3 will show the benefit of intravenous immunoglobulins role in the treatment of AD is unproven
• The study will also help to prove that the amyloid-beta peptide is a major cause of neurodegeneration
• Of Note
• Gammagard is already used to treat immune conditions, and current supplies count not keep up with treatments for Alzheimer’s
• Any promising outcome for the drug trial may serve more as a proof of principle
• Further Reading / In the News
• Alzheimer’s: A Ray of Hope? Just Perhaps Maybe | Scientific American

In memory of Sally Ride

_{YouTube Channel : VideoFromSpace | CREDIT: collectSPACE.com/Ben Cooper}

• First Women in space
• Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was actually the first woman in space in 1963, she was also the first civilian in space. She was honorary inducted into the Soviet Air Force as a condition on joining the Cosmonaut Corps. She piloted the Vostok 6 during its 3-day mission
• Russian Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya was the second female in space in 1982
• At NASA
• Joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 she became the first american woman to fly in space
• She is also the youngest American Astronaut to enter space at age 32 and 23 days
• She saw an ad in the Stanford student newspaper saying that NASA was looking for astronauts saying they were looking for scientists and engineers
• Of the 8,000 applicants 35 new astronauts, including six women, were chosen to join the astronaut corps
• Astronaut group 8 was the first astronaut group after Apollo. Of that class a number of American spaceflight firsts were achieved, including the selection of six women
• Shuttle Missions
• The Challenger shuttle STS–7 in June of 1983
• The Challenger shuttle STS 41-G in October of 1984
• Post-NASA Career
• Ride was the only person to serve on both of the panels investigating both the Challenger and Columbia shuttle accidents
• She left NASA in August 1987 to join the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, as a professor of physics and director of the University of California’s California Space Institute
• She founded Sally Ride Science in 2001
• EarthKAM was initially called KidSat and was started by Dr. Sally Ride in 1995
• MoonKAM
• Books by Sally Ride
• To Space and Back
• Mission: Planet Earth: Our World and Its Climate–and How Humans Are Changing Them
• The Mystery of Mars
• Exploring Our Solar System
• Voyager: An Adventure to the Edge of the Solar System
• The Third Planet: Exploring the Earth from Space
• Multimedia
• YouTube Sally Ride Recalls ‘Spectacular View’ of Earth From Orbit | NASASolarSystem
• YouTube Sally Ride: AMERICA’S FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE – JUNE 18, 1983 | shuttlemania
• Photo Gallery: First American Woman in Space | NASA.gov
• Social Media
• Sally Ride Science @SallyRideSci
• GRAIL MoonKAM @GRAIL_MoonKAM
• EarthKAM @EarthKAM_Live
• Further Reading / In the News
• NASA Offers Condolences on the Passing of Pioneering Astronaut Sally Ride | NASA.gov
• Statement by the President on the Passing of Sally Ride | WhiteHouse.gov
• Jacket, In-Flight Suit, Sally Ride, STS–7 | Smithsonian National Air and Space Musuem
• Women’s Place in History | National Air and Space Museum 2010
• Amazon & Martian Weather | SciByte 39 – First MoonKAM Image comes in from the Lunar Orbiters Ebb & Flow [March 27, 2012]

– SPACECRAFT UPDATE –

Shuttle Enterprise open house

_{YouTube Channel : VideoFromSpace | CREDIT: collectSPACE.com/Ben Cooper}

• Last time on SciByte
• SciByte 52 | Extreme Exoplanets & Language : The Shuttle Enterprise’s Tentlanding [June 26, 2012]
• SciByte 50 | Dinosaurs & Neutrinos : Shuttle Enterprise’s last landing [June 13, 2012]
• The low down
• NASA’s space shuttle Enterprise opened on display at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City on July 19, 2012 Image | credit collectSPACE.com/Ben Cooper
• Significance
• NASA Administrator Charles Bolden joined a dozen of his fellow shuttle-era astronauts — including three of the four pilots who flew Enterprise during its atmospheric approach and landing test program in 1977
• The Enterprise, is presented in a darkened display with dramatic blue lighting, evoking the atmosphere of flight on a raised platform
• Visitors can come nose-to-nose with the Enterprise, as well as look into its crew cabin windows
• Of Note
• The museum team is working hard to raise the funds and develop a plan for the permanent home for Enterprise, on the grounds of this museum but not on the flight deck
• Multimedia
• YouTube Space Shuttle Enterprise NYC Exhibit – Sneak Peek | VideoFromSpace
• Social Media
• Intrepid Museum @IntrepidMuseum
• Further Reading / In the News
• Boldly Go: Space Shuttle Enterprise Opens to Public at NYC Museum

Curiosity Rover lands in 12 days on August 5th!!!

• *On a future SciByte …
• SciByte 57 will be 2 days after the landing, expect me to say a few things
• Social Media
• Curiosity Rover @MarsCuriosity
• Further Reading / In the News
• Mars Science Laboratoty, Curiosity rover

SCIENCE CALENDAR

Looking back

• July, 29 1927 : 85 years ago : Iron Lung : First iron lung (electric respirator) was installed at Bellevue hospital in New York for the post war polio epidemic. The first iron lung was developed at Harvard University by Phillip Drinker and Louis Agassiz Shaw built with two vacuum cleaners. The iron lung is a negative pressure machine which surrounds the patient’s body except for the head, and alternates a negative atmospheric pressure with the ambient one, resulting in rhythmic expansion of the chest cage (and thus inhalation) in response to the negative extra thoracic pressure. During periods of ambient extrathoracic pressure, the lungs deflate. This type of machine is rarely used today.

Looking up this week

• Keep an eye out for …

• Wed, July 25 | Evening | The Moon is of Spica and Saturn, with Saturn the higher of the two

• Fri, July 27 | Evening | Left of the Moon by about a fist-width at arm’s length for orange Antares

• Sat, July 28 | Evening | To the lower right of the Moon is the the bright orange Antares

• Further Reading and Resources

• More on whats in the sky this week

• Sky&Telescope

• SpaceWeather.com

• StarDate.org

• For the Southern hemisphere: SpaceInfo.com.au

• Constellations of the Southern Hemisphere : astronomyonline.org

• Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand : rasnz.org.nz

• AstronomyNow

• HeavensAbove

The post Vision Technology & Sally Ride | SciByte 55 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

We take a look at extreme exoplanets, saving languages, the 50 gigapixel camera, a positive work environment, medical diagnostic tools, Spacecraft updates, and as always take a peek back into history and up in the sky this week.

Direct Download:

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No SciByte next week, July 3rd

Extreme exoplanet discoveries

_{You Tube Channel pacargile | Credit: NASA; Frank Melchior}

• Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) North
• – Telescope
• Roughly as powerful as a high-end digital camera, making it slightly more diminutive than Kepler
• KELT North scans the northern sky from Arizona
• KELT South covers the southern sky from Cape Town, South Africa.
• Rather than staring at a small group of stars at high resolution, the twin KELT North and KELT South telescopes observe millions of very bright stars at low resolution
• The small ground-based KELT telescopes provide a low-cost alternative for exoplanet hunters by primarily using off-the-shelf technology. The hardware for a KELT telescope costs less than $75,000
• – KELT–1b
• Located approximately 825 light-years away in the constellation of Andromeda
• Mostly metallic hydrogen, is slightly larger than Jupiter, but contains a whopping 27 times the mass
• It tentatively been classed as a brown dwarf due to its mass
• Completes one orbit in a mere 29 hours
• Surface temperature is likely above 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (~ 2,200 degrees Celsius)
• Receiving 6,000 times the amount of radiation that Earth receives from the sun
• – Kelt–2Ab
• Located about 360 light-years away in the constellation of Auriga
• 30 percent larger than Jupiter with 50 percent more mass.
• KELT–2Ab’s parent star is so bright it can be seen from Earth through binoculars and is slightly bigger than the sun, within a binary system
• One star is slightly bigger than our sun, and the other star is slightly smaller. KELT–2Ab orbits the bigger star, which is bright enough to be seen from Earth with binoculars
• The star is so luminous that researchers will be able to make direct observations of the planet’s atmosphere by examining light that shines through it when the star passes within KELT North’s field of view again in November.
• Follow-up observations are also being planned from both ground based and orbiting observatories including the Hubble Space Telescope and the infrared Spitzer Space Telescope.
• Closely Orbiting Planets
• Astronomers have discovered two alien planets around the same star, 200 light-years from Earth, whose orbits come so close together that each rises in the night sky of its sister world
• This means they are closer than any other pair of planets known, and are about 20 times closer together than any two planets in our solar system
• At their closest approach, the two planets are roughly three times closer to their host star than Mercury
• The two planets meet up every 97 days in a conjunction that would make each dramatically visible in the other’s sky.
• While they are as different in density as Earth and Saturn they are separated by five times the distance between the Earth and the moon [1.2 million miles/1.9 million kilometers]
• The larger planet is pushing the smaller planet around more, so the smaller planet was harder to find
• The timing of their orbits means they’ll never collide
• – Kepler 36a
• A star likely a bit hotter than our star
• Several billion years older than our Sun, and at this time is known to have just two planets
• – Kepler–36b
• Has an orbit of about 14 days and sits about 11 million miles (18 million km) from the star.
• Kepler–36b, appears to be a rocky “super-Earth” 4.5 times as massive as our planet
• Probably has lava flows on its surface
• A super-Earth just 1.5 times wider than our planet. Iron likely constitutes about 30 percent of its mass, water around 15 percent and atmospheric hydrogen and helium less than 1 percent
• Probably formed relatively close to the star
• – Kepler–36c
• Has an orbit of about 16 days, at an average distance of 12 million miles (19 million km)
• A gaseous, Neptune-size world about eight times as massive as Earth
• About 3.7 times wider than Earth, likely has a rocky core surrounded by a substantial atmosphere filled with lots of hydrogen and helium
• Likely took shape farther out
• Multimedia
• YouTube : KELT–2Ab Discovery Light Curve | pacargile
• YouTube : KELT–1 LC| pacargile
• Twitter Image : The orbit of the exoplanets Kepler–36 b and c | @ExoplanetApp
• Twitter Image : Kepler–36a/b are 20 times more closely spaced than any adjacent planets in the Solar System! | @ExoplanetApp
• Social Media
• Exoplanet App ‏ @ExoplanetApp
• NASA Kepler ‏ @NASAKepler
• Spitzer Telescope ‏ @SpitzerScope
• Further Reading / In the News
• Planetrise: Astronomers spy two planets in tight quarters as they orbit a distant star | [phys.org]
• What a View! Exoplanet Odd Couple Orbit in Close Proximity | UniverseToday.com
• Odd Alien Planets So Close Together They See ‘Planetrise’ | Space.com
• ‘Weird’ Alien Planets Found by Small Telescope | Space.com

— NEWS BYTE —

50 Gigapixel Mega Camera

• The low down
• Traditionally, one way of making better optics has been to add more glass elements, which increases complexity
• Researchers have developed a prototype “supercamera” that stitches together images from 98 individual cameras to create a 960-million-pixel image
• Significance
• This camera captures up to 50 gigapixels of data, which is 50,000 megapixels, while most consumer cameras range from 8 to 40 megapixels
• The resolution of this camera, five times better than 20/20 human vision, have enough resolution to spot a 3.8-centimeter-wide object 1 kilometer away
• The prototype camera itself is two-and-half feet square and 20 inches deep, with only about 3% of the camera is made of the optical elements
• The camera is so large now because of the electronic control boards and the need to add components to keep it from overheating
• Other camera systems can generate gigapixel-and-larger images, those composite views are stitched together from individual images taken sequentially with one camera as it is panned across the scene
• This new system takes all 98 images simultaneously, providing a “stop action” view of a scene, with some overlap
• Of Note
• Researchers believe that within five years, gigapixel cameras should be available to the general public
• The camera is being developed by Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering, University of Arizona, University of California, and Distant Focus Corp
• Multimedia
• Credit: Duke University Imaging and Spectroscopy Program
• Further Reading / In the News
• ScienceShot: Get Ready for Gigapixels | new.ScienceMag.org
• Engineers build 50 gigapixel camera | phys.org

— TWO-BYTE NEWS —

Words heard round the world

_{YouTube Channel : endangeredlanguages}

• The low down
• Only half of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken today are expected to survive past the end of this century
• Wed, June 21 Google introduced an Endangered Languages Project website where people can find, share, and store information about dialects in danger of disappearing.
• Significance
• Endangeredlanguages.com is designed to let users upload video, audio, or text files and encourages them to memorialize recordings of rare dialects.
• A range of collaborators have already begun to contribute content ranging from 18th-century manuscripts to modern teaching tools like video and audio language samples and knowledge-sharing articles
• Technology can strengthen these efforts, by helping people create high-quality recordings of their elders (often the last speakers of a language)
• Of Note
• Google’s philanthropic arm seeded the project, leadership of which will be ceded in coming months to the First People’s Cultural Council and the Institute for Language Information and Technology at Eastern Michigan University.
• Endangered Languages Catalog (ELCat), is sponsored by the University of Hawaii, will also be contributing to the project.
• Multimedia
• YouTube : Introducing the Endangered Languages Project | endangeredlanguages
• Further Reading / In the News
• Endangeredlanguages.com
• Google sets out to save dying languages | phys.org

A win for a positive work environment

• The low down
• A new study challenges previous research that says the threat of penalty is more effective for getting increased effort
• Significance
• A scientific experiment in which participants played the role of supervisor and employee
• Some employees were subjected to a bonus program implemented by the supervisor, others worked under a penalty system.
• Employees subjected to the bonus exhibited more effort and this was driven by greater trust in the supervisor
• Those subjected to penalties tend to distrust the supervisor and, because of that, work less hard
• Of Note
• This study is the first to identify this trust factor.
• This suggests that employees who receive bonuses for their efforts will work even harder, increasing productivity and potentially bolstering profits
• Examples of penalties in the business world include pay reduction, demotion and sanction or other disciplinary action, such as a salesperson with lower performance getting less territory to work.
• Multimedia
• Credit: Michigan State University
• Further Reading / In the News
• Carrots, not sticks, motivate workers | phys.org

A possible new diagnostic tool for Parkinson’s Disease

• The low down
• Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease that slowly rob those afflicted of their faculties
• Currently there is no blood test for the disease
• Some notable people that have it are Michael J. Fox, Muhammad Ali, Andy Grove (one of the founders of chip maker Intel)
• Mathematician Max Little has found a computer program he’s devised, is remarkably good at diagnosing the disease by analyzing voice alone.
• Working on his PhD at Oxford applying math algorithms to voice disorders
• During his work he found a repository of vocal recordings by Parkinson’s patients
• The recordings were meant to be used as anecdotal testimony to help researchers learn more about the progression of the disease
• Comparing 50 patient voices to non-afflicted people he found he was able to detect which voices belonged to those with the disease in 86% of cases
• To increase the number of voices in the system Little has set up a website with phone numbers for people, both affected and not, to call in and leave a voice message to add to the database
• Further Reading / In the News
• Parkinson’s Voice Initiative
• Mathematician develops vocal method of testing for Parkinson’s disease | MedicalXPress

– SPACECRAFT UPDATE –

The Shuttle Enterprise’s Tent

• Last time on SciByte
• SciByte 50 | Dinosaurs & Neutrinos : Shuttle Enterprise’s last landing
• Significance
• Two weeks after arriving on top of the aircraft carrier-turned-Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, Enterprise is now underneath the inflatable canopy that will house its public display.
• On Tuesday (June 19) Enterprise was covered by an opaque-white fabric shelter to protect it from exposure to the elements and to meet NASA’s display requirements for a climate-controlled facility
• Some final work configuring the canopy is still underway however, including the removal of scaffolding that supported the fabric being raised, which led to it being deflated again.
• The now pressurized enclosure extends over Enterprise’s tail, which tops out at 57 feet (17 meters) high, and beyond the shuttle’s 78-foot (24-meter) wingspan.
• It occupies the rear of the Intrepid’s flight deck with the shuttle’s nose pointed out toward the Hudson River
• The display is set to open to the public on July 19 when visitors will get the chance to closely view and circle around the prototype winged orbiter
• Of Note
• The location for the permanent Enterprise exhibit is still to be decided.
• Intrepid officials have said that they are considering locations across the street from where the aircraft carrier is docked and also alongside the museum on the pier.
• Multimedia
• Credit: Intrepid/Earthcam
• Social Media
• Intrepid Museum @IntrepidMuseum
• Further Reading / In the News
• Shuttle Enterprise Lands on the Deck of Intrepid in Manhattan
• Space shuttle ‘grazes’ wing in final river voyage

New SpaceX Competition

• Last time on SciByte
• Dinosaurs & Neutrinos | SciByte 50 : Dragon back on the ground (June 13, 2012)
• Venus Transit & Dragon Spacecraft | SciByte 48 (May 29, 2012)
• SpaceX & Easter Island | SciByte 47 – VenSpaceX – Dragon shipment to ISS [May 22, 2012]
• The low down
• The new ’space race’ is going on, as Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico all compete for the change to be the location of a new launchpad for Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, and its ambitious line of Falcon rockets.
• Hundreds of good-paying jobs at SpaceX and supporting companies that would pop up around its operation, as well as the prestige – at a time when NASA is no longer flying its own rockets – of serving as home to the commercial space industry’s most successful startup.
• Further Reading / In the News
• Race is on to lure new SpaceX launchpad | phys.org

Want to know more about the space station? There’s an app for that

• The low down
• NASA has created a free app for smartphones and tablet computers
• Users can navigate through a realistic 3-D recreation of the station’s flight control room in Houston
• Space Station data, including temperatures and work timelines for each of the six crew members living on board
• It also shows where the space station is in orbit, as relative to the real positions of the Earth, moon and Sun.
• Further Reading / In the News
• Space Station Live!
• collectSpace
• Space Station Live! NASA App Puts Orbiting Lab at Your Fingertips | Space.com

SCIENCE CALENDAR

Looking back

• June 30, 1908 : 104 years ago : Tunguska Meteorite
• At around 7:15 am, northwest of Lake Baikal, Russia, a huge fireball nearly as bright as the Sun was seen crossing the sky. Minutes later, there was a huge flash and a shock wave felt up to 650 km (400 mi) away. Over Tunguska, a meteorite over 50-m diameter, travelling at over 25 km per second (60,000 mph) penetrate Earth’s atmosphere, heated to about 10,000 ºC and detonated 6 to10 km above the ground. The blast released the energy of 10–50 Megatons of TNT, destroying 2,200 sq km of forest leaving no trace of life. Taurid Meteor storm that crosses Earth’s orbit twice a year. The first scientific expedition for which records survive was made by Russian mineralogist Leonid Kulik in 1927
• In 1938, Kulik arranged for an aerial photographic survey of the area covering the central part of the leveled forest (some 250 square kilometres [97 sq mi]). The negatives of these aerial photographs (1,500 negatives, each 18 × 18 cm or 7.1 x 7.1 in) were burned in 1975 by order of Yevgeny Krinov, then Chairman of the Committee on Meteorites of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Tunguska event | Wikipedia

Looking up this week

• Keep an eye out for …

• Wed, June 27 | Evening | The moon forms a triangle with Spica (blue-white) and Saturn (golden), with Saturn at the highest point

• Thurs, June 28 | Evening | Saturn and Spica are now the right of the moon and remain about 5*, 3 fingers, above Saturn

• Thurs, June 28 | Low at Dawn | Jupiter and Venus are inching higher each day, Jupiter about 5*, or 3 fingers, above Venus

• Fri, June, 29 | ~45 min before Dawn | Jupiter and Venus are pointing to the Pleiades star cluster just a little higher than Jupiter than Jupiter is from Venus.

• Fri, June, 29 | ~45 min before Dawn | The red star below Venus is not Mars but is Aldebaran, a red giant star

• Further Reading and Resources

• More on what’s in the sky this week

• Sky&Telescope

• SpaceWeather.com

• StarDate.org

• For the Southern hemisphere: SpaceInfo.com.au

• Constellations of the Southern Hemisphere : astronomyonline.org

• Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand : rasnz.org.nz

• AstronomyNow

• HeavensAbove

The post Extreme Exoplanets & Language | SciByte 52 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

We take a look at estimating dinosaur weight, pollution data, exoplanets, mosquitos, Johnson Space Center, Io, updates on Venus transit and Neutrinos, spacecraft updates and as always take a peek back into history and up in the sky this week.

Direct Download:

MP3 Download | Ogg Download | HD Video | Mobile Video | YouTube

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MP3 Feed | Ogg Feed | iTunes Feed | HD Feed | Mobile Feed

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Dino’s on diets?

Image Credit | William Sellers

• The low down
• One of the most important things palaeobiologists need to know about fossilised animals is how much they weighed
• In the past scientists have used several means of estimating dinosaur weight
• One of those means of estimation include measuring the volume of an artist’s sculpture
• Scientists have now developed a new technique to accurately measure the weight and size of dinosaurs and discovered they are not as heavy as previously thought.
• Significance
• Using lasers scientists have measured the minimum amount of skin required to wrap around the skeletons of modern-day mammals, including reindeer, polar bears, giraffes and elephants
• This technique showed that the animals had almost exactly 21% more body mass than the minimum skeletal ‘skin and bone’ wrap volume
• Previous estimates of the giant Brachiosaur weight have varied, with estimates as high as 80 tonnes
• Applying this approach reduced that figure to just 23 tonnes
• This calculation method has the advantage of requiring minimal user intervention and is therefore more objective and far quicker
• This new technique will apply to all dinosaur weight measurements
• Its primary limitation, for now, is that the specimen should consist of a complete skeleton as possible
• Of Note
• In general estimated weights for many species of dinosaur have been dropping since about the early 1960’s
• The information from these calculations can also be applied to sophisticated locomotor reconstructions, such as the running simulations produced in the past
• One problem with the technique is that none of the animals used in the laser calibration had the long fleshy tails that dinosaurs have, so this model may be to be altered in the future
• Further Reading / In the News
• Dinosaurs were lighter than previously thought, new study shows | Phys.org
• Dinosaurs Skinnier Than Previously Thought | news.Discovery.com

— NEWS BYTE —

Chinese Pollution Data

• The low down
• China has said foreign embassies are acting illegally in issuing their own air quality readings and that only the government could release data on the nation’s heavy pollution.
• China says publishing China’s air quality are related to the public interests and as such are powers reserved for the government
• According to the latest Environmental Performance Index compiled by Yale University, China ranked 128th out of 132 countries for air quality.
• Until recently, official air quality measurements from China regularly rated their air quality as good while data from the US embassy in Beijing showed off-the-chart pollution
• Most Chinese cities base their air-quality information on particles of 10 micrometres or larger
• Beijing announced earlier this year it would change the way it measured air quality to include the smaller particles experts say make up much of the pollution in Chinese cities, after a vocal campaign
• Further Reading / In the News
• China tells US to stop reporting Beijing’s bad air | phys.org
• China tells embassies to stop issuing pollution data | phys.org

Giant exoplanet imposters?

• The low down
• The Kepler spacecraft produces potential exoplanet data by watching for the darkening of a star, but not everything that darkens a star is a planet
• A new study suggests that there is a one in three chance that it’s not really a planet at all when it’s a giant planet closely orbiting a star
• Significance
• Out of Kepler’s more than 2,300 possible planets, only 46 were categorized as very large exoplanets with estimated orbit very close to their star
• 11 of those systems were already known and the team confirmed 9 more
• Of the remaining 26 candidates were : 13 unknowns, two failed brown dwarf stars, and 11 members of binary star systems
• From this the team arrived at the 35 percent false-positive rate
• While this may seem very significant, scientists don’t consider it a serious flaw for Kepler
• Even with a 35% false positive rate for very large, closely orbiting exoplanets the percentage is still very low compared to all other transit programs
• Of Note
• Short period transiting planets are exotic objects, not expected to be everywhere
• In addition the false positive rate does not affect any smaller or long orbiting planets
• Further Reading / In the News
• Some newfound planets are something else | ScienceNews.org

Mosquito

_{Channel : andrew52987 | Channel : coegatech}

• The low down
• The collision between a raindrop and a mosquito is analogous to a collision between a human and a bus, except for the part where the mosquito survives
• Significance
• What makes the difference is the (relatively) huge, fast drop doesn’t transfer much of its momentum to a little wisp of an insect
• Instead the falling droplet sweeps the insect along on the downward plunge
• The drawback is that mosquitoes hitchhiking on water experience acceleration 100 to 300 times the force of Earth’s gravity, so survival is dependent on breaking away before hitting the ground
• Of Note
• This effect may inspire engineers designing swarms of tiny flying robots, or interest physicists and mathematicians studying complex fluid dynamics at this scale
• Multimedia
• YouTube : Mosquito raindrop BW | andrew52987
• YouTube : Low Mass Saves Mosquitoes from Death by Raindrop | coegatech
• Further Reading / In the News
• How a mosquito survives a raindrop hit | ScienceNews.org

— TWO-BYTE NEWS —

Touring NASA’s Johnson Space Center

Image Credit : science.ksc.nasa.gov

• Of Note
• NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida has announced that beginning on Friday, June 15 a limited number of daily tours will take guests into the spaceport’s historic Launch Control Center (LCC)
• This will be the first time in 30 years that the home of 152 countdowns to launch including both Apollo and shuttle programs has been opened to the public
• The KSC Up-Close: Launch Control Center (LCC) Tour will run through the end of the year. It costs $25 for adults and $19 for children in addition to the regular admission to the visitor complex.
• Further Reading / In the News
• Inside Historic Launch Control Center | Space.com

Jupiter’s moon Io

Image Credit : NASA/JPL-Caltech/Bear Fight Institute

• Of Note
• A new map of Jupiter’s moon Io has revealed the most comprehensive ever compiled of Io’s hundreds of active volcanoes
• When studying the layout of the volcanos the distribution of the heat flow is that it is not in keeping with the current preferred model of tidal heating of Io at relatively shallow depths
• The main thermal emission occurs about 40 degrees eastward of where we would expect with tidal heating
• In addition that heat comes from Io’s depths along with its shallower reaches
• The study also found that known active volcanoes account for only about 60 percent of Io’s emitted heat
• Further Reading / In the News
• Jupiter Moon Io’s Volcanoes Revealed in New Map | Space.com

— Updates —

Additional Venus Transit stories and photo’s

• Last time on SciByte
• Spinal Cord Injuries & Venus Transit | SciByte 49 [June 5, 2012]
• Interesting photo’s and galeries
• Wow! Venus and Hubble Telescope Cross Sun Together in Spectacular Picture | Space.com
• flickr:SDO’s Ultra-high Definition View of 2012 Venus Transit – 171 Angstrom | flickr.com
• Further Reading / In the News
• Transit of Venus Redux: More Great Images | UniverseToday.com
• Venus transit has historical significance for Australia | phys.org
• Venus Transit As Seen from the International Space Station | universetoday.com
• Eyes turn skyward as Venus travels across the sun | phys.org
• Amazing Transit of Venus Images From Around the World | Universetoday.com
• Venus Transit 2012: Amazing Photos by Skywatchers | Space.com

Neutrinos

• Last time on SciByte
• Neutrinos & Tatooine | SciByte 17 (Oct 18, 2011) – Faster than light Neutrinos
• Spacecraft Updates | SciByte 23 [November 30, 2011] – Faster than light Neutrinos : Update
• The low down
• In October of 2011, OPERA researchers at CERN published and announced a paper claiming that neutrinos made the trip roughly 60 nanoseconds faster than expected if they were traveling at light speed. (~ 0.0025% faster)
• Significance
• Five different teams of physicists have now independently verified that neutrinos do not travel faster than light
• A month after the loose fiber optic cable was found researcher measured the speed of neutrinos fired from CERN and found that they travel at light speed, as predicted
• All four particle detectors at Gran Sasso have now found that the neutrinos speed is consistent with the speed of light
• Some OPERA team members thought the whole episode had besmirched the collaboration’s reputation, and in March, two of the team’s elected leaders lost a vote of no confidence and resigned Gran Sasso houses four particle detectors
• Social Media
• Twitter account for CERN @CERN
• Further Reading / In the News
• Once Again, Physicists Debunk Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos | news.ScienceMag.org
• Einstein was right, neutrino researchers admit | phys.org
• Leaders of Faster-Than-Light Experiment Step Down | news.ScienceMag.org
• Italian physicist behind ‘faster-than-light’ test resigns

SPACECRAFT UPDATE

Shuttle Enterprise’s last landing

• Of Note
• A sudden microburst of wind, measured at 35 knots, caused the rub panel foam protective layer of the wingtip of the Enterprise to graze the protective wood piling bumpers in the water designed to bumper vessels
• Further Reading / In the News
• Shuttle Enterprise Lands on the Deck of Intrepid in Manhattan
• Space shuttle ‘grazes’ wing in final river voyage

Dragon back on the ground

• Of Note
• SpaceX capsule arrived by barge at the Port of Los Angeles on June 5.
• Dragon is now headed to the company’s rocket factory in McGregor, Texas, for unloading
• Station astronauts filled the capsule with 1,400 pounds (635 kilograms) of old equipment
• Further Reading / In the News
• Shuttle Enterprise Lands on the Deck of Intrepid in Manhattan
• Space shuttle ‘grazes’ wing in final river voyage

NASA’s Aquarius measuring ocean salinity

• Of Note
• NASA’s Aquarius instrument Aquarius measure ocean salinity pathfinder celebrates one year in orbit changes in salinity, or salt concentration, in the surface of the oceans has now celebrated one year in space
• Further Reading / In the News
• Aquarius: Ocean salinity pathfinder celebrates one year in orbit | Phys.org

Mars Curiosity Rover

Image Credit : NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/MSSS

• Of Note
• With a scheduled landing of Aug 5 and increased confidence in precision landing technology NASA has narrowed the target for its most advanced Mars rover, Curiosity
• NASA has narrowed the target for its most advanced Mars rover, Curiosity
• Further Reading / In the News
• NASA Mars Rover Team Aims for Landing Closer to Prime Science Site | jpl.nasa.gov](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2012–168)

SCIENCE CALENDAR

Looking back

• June 13, 1611 : 401 years ago : Sunspots : A publication on the newly discovered phenomenon of sunspots was dedicated. Narratio de maculis in sole observatis et apparente earum cum sole conversione. (“Narration on Spots Observed on the Sun and their Apparent Rotation with the Sun”). This first publication on such observations, was the work of Johannes Fabricius, a Dutch astronomer who was perhaps the first ever to observe sunspots. On 9 Mar 1611, at dawn, Johannes had used his telescope to view the rising sun and had seen several dark spots on it. He called his father to investigate this new phenomenon with him. The brightness of the Sun’s center was very painful, and the two quickly switched to a projection method by means of a camera obscura.
• June 15 1752 : 260 years ago : Lighting and Kites : In 1752, Franklin published a third-person account of his pioneering kite experiment in the The Pennsylvania Gazette, without mentioning that he himself had performed it It was at a later date that he admited to performing the experiment himself. Evidence shows that he was insulated from the kite, while others trying to repeat the experiment were electrocuted in the following months. The entire process, led to the invention of the lightning rod in September of the same year.

Looking up this week

• Keep an eye out for …

• Wed, June 13 : Mercury is becoming more easily visible after sunset. Look for it low in the west-northwest in the fading twilight.

• Sun, June 15–17 : Venus and Jupiter are emerging in the E-NE skies about 45 before sunrise, with Jupiter higher and to the right of Venus. The moon will be progressively getting closer to the two and on Sun, Jun 17 it will lie just below and to the left of Jupiter at sunrise.

• Further Reading and Resources

• More on what’s in the sky this week

• Sky&Telescope

• SpaceWeather.com

• StarDate.org

• For the Southern hemisphere: SpaceInfo.com.au

• Constellations of the Southern Hemisphere : astronomyonline.org

• Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand : rasnz.org.nz

• AstronomyNow

• HeavensAbove

The post Dinosaurs & Neutrinos | SciByte 50 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

We take a look at mining asteroids, recovery from strokes, lefties, talking to yourself, solar cells, a review of some recent major media stories, viewer feedback, spacecraft updates, and as always take a peek back into history and up in the sky this week.

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The post Mining Asteroids & Shuttle Discovery | SciByte 44 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

We take a look at aurora on Uranus, Martian dust devils, counting penguins, Apollo 8 images, the high altitude jet stream, the latest on the shuttles, and as always take a peek back into history and up in the sky this week.

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Uranus Aurora

_{Credit: Laurent Lamy}

• The low down
  • Unlike the other planets Uranus has a bizarre 98-degree tilt relative to the solar system’s orbital plane and its magnetic axis is 60 degrees off from that
  • This unusual configuration makes the planet appear to roll around on its side as it orbits the sun every 84 years
  • When magnetic field lines converge, at a planet’s poles, they funnel incoming charged solar particles into the planet’s atmosphere
  • When those particles collide with air molecules, making the molecules glow producing Aurora
  • Now an international team of astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to capture the first aurora seen on Uranus from Earth
• Significance
  • Scientists first observed the planet’s auroras only once, during a Voyager flyby in 1986 on the night side of the planet
  • There the probe’s instruments had a much better view of the glows, which lasted longer, covered a larger area, and covered the unlit side of Uranus
  • Scientists unsuccessfully tried to again detect this phenomenon in 1998 and 2005 from the Earth
  • The new observations of the Aurora seemed to indicate they lasted for only a couple of minutes
  • Different planetary arrangements could explain the significant differences in the two observations
  • In 1986 planet’s rotational axis was pointed almost directly at the sun, whereas in in 2011 the axis lay almost perpendicular to the flow of solar wind
  • When the team learned of an impending solar storm directed toward Uranus, timed their Hubble observations specifically to coincide with the solar storm
  • The storm would hit 3 months after the strong gust in the solar wind raced past Earth on its way to Uranus
  • In November 2011 researchers caught their first glimpse of the brief auroras from our planet’s neighborhood six weeks later
  • This new observational data should help scientists better understand Uranus odd magnetic field
• Of Note
  • Further investigations into Uranus’ auroras and magnetic field could provide insight into Earth’s own magnetosphere and how it interacts with the solar wind
  • This information will become invaluable with our ever increasing technological society
• Multimedia
  • Uranus IMAGE GALLERY: @ space.com
• Further Reading / In the News
  • Uranus auroras glimpsed from Earth | agu.org
  • Rare Photo: Auroras on Uranus Spotted by Hubble Telescope | livescience.com
  • Hubble Reveals Curious Auroras on Uranus | universetoday.com
  • Auroras Seen on Uranus For First Time | nationalgeographic.com
  • ScienceShot: Hubble Spots Auroras on Uranus | news.sciencemag.org

*— NEWS BYTE — *

Martian Dust Devils

_{Credit: MSSS / JPL / NASA}

• Last time on SciByte
  • Amazon & Martian Weather | SciByte 39 (March 27, 2012) : Martian Storm Chasing
  • Solar Storms & Higgs Boson | SciByte 37 (Mar 13, 2012) : Martian Dust Devil
• Thanks Angela for pointing this out
• The low down
  • Unlike a tornado, a dust devil typically forms on a clear day
  • The ground is heated by the sun, warming the air just above the ground, heated air near the surface rises quickly through a small pocket of cooler air above it and the air may begin to rotate, if conditions are just right.
  • The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been examining Mars with six science instruments since 2006
  • Mars orbiters, rovers and landers have all captured devils in action before
• Significance
  • Typical tornadoes on Earth are less than 10 miles tall, while dust devils on our planet seldom reach more than 300–900 feet [100–300 yards]
  • The Feb 16 dust devil lofted a twisting column of dust more than half a mile [800 meters] high, and had approximately a 90 ft [30 yards] radius
  • The March 14 dust devil stretched 12 miles [20 kilometers] up from the planet’s surface and had a 230 ft [70 m]
  • The mass of an dust devil column on Mars is less than 1 percent than that of one on Earth, allowing their incredible heights on Mars
  • In addition more thermal convection from the surface make makes if possible for the dust devils to go higher into the atmosphere of Mars then they do here on Earth
• Of Note
  • Although you would be blasted by sand and dust these dust devils are unlikely to knock you over because of the low density of the Martian atmosphere
  • This mission has returned more data about Mars than all other orbital and surface missions combined and can reveal features as small as a desk
  • More than 21,700 images taken by HiRISE are available for viewing on the instrument team’s website
• Multimedia
  • YouTube VIDEO : Mars’ Whirling Dust Devil | JPLnews channel
  • YouTube VIDEO : Storm Chaser on Mars| JPLnews channel
• Social Media
  • HiRISE @HiRISE
• Further Reading / In the News
  • A Monster Dust Devil Stalks the Martian Landscape | uahirise.org
  • New Gigantic Tornado Spotted on Mars | universetoday.com
  • The Serpent Dust Devil of Mars | uahirise.org
  • Huge Dust Devil on Mars Captured in Action @ UniverseToday.com
  • Mars orbiter catches twister in action @ PhysOrg.com
  • Photo from NASA Mars orbiter shows wind’s handiwork (Jan 2012) @ PhysOrg.com

Studying the high-altitude jet stream

_{Credit: NASA Wallops}

• The low down
  • After several days of delays due to the weather NASA launched the 5 ATREX rockets within 5 min of each other on March 27
  • Each of the rockets released a chemical tracer that was used to get more data of the high-altitude jet stream located 60–65 mi [95–105 km]
  • Two of the rockets also contained instruments to measure temperature and pressure
  • Hopefully this data will help us to better understand the processes behind this jet stream
• Significance
  • The high-altitude jet stream that this project was looking at is much higher than the one in the nightly weather report
  • The upper jet-stream typically has winds of about 200–300 mph [320–480 km/hr] and is a region of electrical turbulence that can affect satellites and radio
• Of Note
  • NASA will release more information about the outcome of the mission after scientists have had time to review the data
• Multimedia
  • YouTube: Lighting the Sky: NASA’s ATREX Mission Launches | NASAExplorer
  • IMAGE GALLERY | space.com
• Further Reading / In the News
  • Psychedelics in the Sky: NASA Launches 5 Rockets in 5 Minutes | universetoday.com

*— TWO-BYTE NEWS — *

Counting Penguins from space

_{Credit: (left) DigitalGlobe; (right) British Antarctic Survey}

• The low down
  • A simple snap of a photograph of a penguin colony, and some marking can help scientist accurately count the number of penguins in a colony
  • Those numbers are hard to get however in remote places, especially in the Antarctic
  • A new technique uses satellite imaging to report results
• Of Note
  • Scientists have now found twice as many Emperor penguins than thought to exist
  • This brings the total colonies to 44 (7 new ones) and ~595,000 (+/- 81,000)
• Further Reading / In the News
  • ScienceShot: Counting Penguins From Space | news.sciencemag.org

The view from Apollo 8

• The low down
  • December 24, 1968, Apollo 8 : Commander Frank Borman and crew members William A. Anders and James A. Lovell, Jr. became the first humans to photograph the Earth rising over the moon.
  • This video recreates what they saw, and interweaves the photographs they took and hear the original audio recording
• Multimedia
  • YouTube :NASA | LRO Brings “Earthrise” to Everyone

Asteroid Lutetia Flyby

• The low down
  • Images from ESA’s robotic Rosetta spacecraft were compiled to make a video of the bly-by it made
• The mission was focused on determining the origins of the asteroid and it’s unusual colors by taking data and images
• Multimedia
  • YouTube :Rosetta flyby of asteroid Lutetia – EXTENDED

SPACECRAFT UPDATE

The Shuttle Shuffle

_{Credit: Ken Kremer}

• Multimedia / Further Reading
  • YouTube : Discovery’s Journey Playlist | NASA
  • Welcome, Discovery! | Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
  • Space Shuttle Discovery Buzzes D.C. Monuments (Pictures) | news.nationalgeographic.com
  • Discovery & Enterprise – Historic Nose to Nose Shuttle Image | universetoday.com
  • Photos: Space Shuttle Discovery’s Final Voyage (to Museum) | space.com
  • Shuttle Discovery Flies Over Washington D.C. to New Home | universetoday.com
  • Discovery Does Dulles & DC | universetoday.com
  • Gallery: Discovery Leaves Kennedy Space Center for the Final Time | universetoday.com/
  • flickr |Space Shuttle Discovery | flickr.com
  • Discovery Poised for Final Takeoff on April 17 | universetoday.com
  • Discovery Enters Eternal Smithsonian Home as Historic Relic | universetoday.com
  • Space Shuttle Discovery Enters Smithsonian for Museum Display | space.com
  • Managers Defer Ferry Flight Decision until Monday | NASA.gov

Private deliveries to the Space Station

• The historic flight of the first commercial transport to the International Space Station, The Dragon, now has a launch date of around May 7.

SCIENCE CALENDER

Looking back

• April 25, 1990 : 22 years ago : Hubble Space Telescope Deployed : In 1990, the $2.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope was deployed in space from the Space Shuttle Discovery into an orbit 381 miles above Earth. It was the first major orbiting observatory, named in honour of American astronomer, Edwin Powell Hubble. It was seven years behind schedule and nearly $2 billion over budget. In orbit, the 94.5-in primary mirror was found to be flawed, giving blurred images and reduced ability to see distant stars. However, correcting optics were successfully installed in 25 Dec 1993. The telescope 43-ft x 14-ft telescope now provides images with a clarity otherwise impossible due to the effect of the earth’s atmosphere. Instrument packages capture across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Looking up this week

• Keep an eye out for …

• Wed, April 25 : Orion is to the lower left of the Moon

• Sat, April 28 : Mars and Regulus are in the South and Saturn and Spica are in the SE with about 5* between the pairs (three fingers at arms length)

• April 28 – Mar 01 : Venus is high in the W just after sunset, setting around 11

• Mars is high in the S at dusk

• Jupiter is low in the W in the sunset, far below Venus

• Saturn is low in the SE peaking in height around midnight

• The southern hemisphere should, Keep an eye out for …

• Wed, April 25 : Orion is the ot upper left of the moon and Venus

• Further Reading and Resources

• More on what’s in the sky this week

• Sky&Telescope

• SpaceWeather.com

• StarDate.org

• For the Southern hemisphere: SpaceInfo.com.au

• Constellations of the Southern Hemisphere : astronomyonline.org

• Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand : rasnz.org.nz

• AstronomyNow

• HeavensAbove

The post Martian Dust Devils & The Shuttles | SciByte 43 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

]]> https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/18913/gozer-king-of-pvp-stoked-120/ Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:10:42 +0000 https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/?p=18913 Gozer joins us and shares details on STF loot tables and updates, huge changes to PvP, and some Season 6 tidbits!

The post Gozer: King of PvP | STOked 120 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

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Gozer joins us and shares details on STF loot tables and updates, huge changes to PvP, and some Season 6 tidbits!

Plus our thoughts on the new Shuttle Event.

And much more!

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Show Notes:

Intro

• New shuttle mission added to the game with new rewards
• Season 6 leaks
• We interview Gozer and try to shake loose a few golden nuggets!

News

• STO Content Designer Charles Gray working on “Tholian” events like the Defera Invasion
• Cryptic STO devs confirmed for the Star Trek Las Vegas Convention in August (STNG 25th)
• Geko interviewed by Priority One:
  • 12 months of ships in the queue before we see any Romulan ships
  • Adding new races does not require approval from CBS
  • Starbases will not be simply “social” zones, there will be “stuff” to do there
• Season 6 “leaks” from BranFlakes:
  • Current ETA is mid-June
  • Fleet Starbases
  • New ground invasion – Tholians?
  • New 5 person events
  • New 20 person events (kicked off from your starbase)
  • Starbase construction missions
  • Initial PvP overhaul work
  • Updated Foundry toolset
• New Vault Shuttle Event
  • repeatable mission to get the new Reman ship set
  • accessed via the in-game calendar making it a “gated” piece of content like Defera Ground
  • New Reman set (expansion on the shield we get from Coliseum)
  • New tokens earned for running the mission
    • MK XI (Blue) Deflector / Engine = 3 data logs each (1 data log for each mission completion)
    • MK XI Shield = gained from running Coliseum
    • Total runs for this set are 6 Vaults and 1 Coliseum
    • MK XII (Blue) Deflector / Engine = 10 data logs each + the appropriate MK XI piece
    • Total runs for this set are 36 Vaults and 1 Coliseum
    • MK XII (Purple) = unspecified number of data logs per piece
    • Total runs for this set are based on the two previous levels (42 Vaults, 2 Coliseums) and an unknown number of runs to get data logs for use in the final set
    • Assuming 15 data logs required per piece – 45 Vaults,1 Coliseum + 42 Vaults, 2 Coliseums = 87 Vaults, 3 Coliseums
    • Assuming 20 data logs required per piece – 60 Vaults,1 Coliseum + 42 Vaults, 2 Coliseums = 102 Vaults, 3 Coliseums
    • Assuming 30 data logs required per piece – 90 Vaults,1 Coliseum + 42 Vaults, 2 Coliseums = 132 Vaults, 3 Coliseums

Interview with Dan “Gozer” Griffis

• STF loots tables explained
• New updates to the Borg STFs
• The future of PvP in Star Trek Online

Tactical View – Vault Shuttle Event

• Unable to capture anything for live play due to the scheduling aspect of this release
• If you get a chance to play this new content then feel free to email STOked@jupiterbroadcasting.com with your feedback.

The post Gozer: King of PvP | STOked 120 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

]]> https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/17446/favor-the-bold-stoked-112/ Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:55:43 +0000 https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/?p=17446 Chris reviews the new featured episode “Operation Gamma”, and Jeremy returns to chat about the new Jem'hadar space set, crafting updates and more!

The post Favor the Bold | STOked 112 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

]]>

Chris reviews the new featured episode “Operation Gamma”, and Jeremy returns to the show to chat topics ranging from the new Jem’hadar space set, crafting updates, and even the devs progress on tracking down a new exploit.

Plus we’re starting a hunt and need your help, in a new Community Feedback question!

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Show Notes:

Links:

• Tweet Leak: New Event Pic?
• Season 5 Dev Blog #25

The post Favor the Bold | STOked 112 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

]]> https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/6611/meet-al-rivera-stoked-76/ Tue, 29 Mar 2011 03:00:32 +0000 https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/?p=6611 Al “captaingeko” Rivera joins STOked this week for a “getting to know you” interview, and Al also co-hosts another fantastic Math segment!

The post Meet Al Rivera | STOked 76 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

]]>

Star Trek Online’s Design Lead, Al “captaingeko” Rivera joins STOked this week for a “getting to know you” interview, and Al also co-hosts another fantastic Math segment with Jeremy that you won’t want to miss.

Plus: Our complete review of the new TOS Bundle that just hit the C-Store. Is this a must buy, or fluff features gone retro? Tune in to find out!

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Grab the STOked iPhone/iPod App and download STOked plus bonus content on the go!

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Show Notes:

TOS BUNDLE AWESOMENESS
– $17.50 equivalent
– No functionality, but PRETTY
– Sound FX are AWESOME
– Entire crew is in TOS uniforms on ship (various)
– Open/Close windows in the Lounge
– Jefferies Tubes are traversible (with mini-zone)
The bundle also inclues TOS uniform variants and a TOS-era shuttle
LIMITED TIME OFFER

MOAR NEWS:
– Terradome should be more reliably complete-able
– Interior cutscenes coming soon to Space Maps
– Craftable Delta Flyer now available – mission from Naomi Wildman

SpiderMitch’s Ship Charts
Federation
KDF

MATH

Accuracy vs. Defense – How To Hit The Enemy
-Download the speadsheet

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COMM FEED

Skipping April 2nd! There will be NO STOKED next week. Join us again LIVE the following Saturday @ 11am PDT.

When we return LIVE on April 9th, we’ll dedicate an entire episode to the newly-launched FOUNDRY on Holodeck.

How you can help: Send us Foundry mission suggestions, and we will review a couple on that show.

We’ll also try and have Foundry building tutorials or tips… something! Join us then, to find out!

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The post Meet Al Rivera | STOked 76 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

]]> https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/5107/stormshade-interview-stoked-69/ Tue, 08 Feb 2011 07:20:21 +0000 https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/?p=5107 This week in the world of STO, the developers have gotten around to righting a few wrongs that have persisted since launch. Tune in to hear the tweaks that will make everyone a little happier!

The post StormShade Interview | STOked 69 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

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This week in the world of STO, the developers have gotten around to righting a few wrongs that have persisted since launch. Tune in to hear the tweaks that will make everyone a little happier!

And then, in the interest of making you even happier, we’ll have a heart-to-heart interview with Cryptic’s Online Community Rep, Shaun “Stormshade” Brodie.

And last but certainly not least, Cryptic launched the highly-anticipated first mission in a new series of Featured Episodes, and the boys from STOked were there to give you their hands-on impressions of “The Vault” from top to bottom.

Direct Download Links HD Video | Large Video | iPod Video | MP3 Audio | OGG Audio | YouTube

Our STOked App:

Grab the STOked iPhone/iPod App and download STOked plus bonus content on the go!

Show Notes:

NEWS:

C-Store ships now available for (many, many, many) in-game currency.

• Level 41/RA/BG Rank Excelsior is now available, for 200 marks.
• Garumba is now available
• Exclusive shuttle skin comes with purchase of a D’kyr science vessel (Support Craft)

Cryo Bombs getting revamped!
They will do “something different and a lot less griefy.” — Chaddington

Hints at a possible scale revision for The Defiant?
Old vs. New @ DS9 — (Pic 1, Pic 2)
Old vs. New with Shuttles – (Pic 1, Pic 2)

• These pictures were taken using The Foundry
• There is a certain Defiant skin that is better scaled than the current version, when compared to shuttles and DS9.

Anonymous Tipster reveals unused icons in STO files

• Bamboo Cannon
• Undine World-destroyer … or Tholian Web??
• Nausicaan Lance Ground Weapon
• Borg arm weapons … possible additions for Borg Boffs/Captains?

1-Year Anniversary Tribute Video by RachelGarrett

One-Year Anniversary Celebration Recap

• Overhaul of ESD
• Q’s Trivia
• Q’s Beastiamorphs
• Fountain Loots (including C-Store exclusives!)
• Devs = Caitians in Speedos
• Their VIDEO thanks the community specifically for their contributions

Featured Episode Review: “The Vault”
First of all, the TRAILER
This story includes descriptions of upcoming episodes not available on STO.com yet!

Stormshade Interview – Transcript

Download:

The post StormShade Interview | STOked 69 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

]]> https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/4983/shuttle-info-round-up-stoked-68/ Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:19:33 +0000 https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/?p=4983 We finally have stats, prices and a whole bunch of pictures of the upcoming shuttles. These have quite a few players excited, so sit back and enjoy the new features!

The post Shuttle Info Round-Up | STOked 68 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

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We finally have stats, prices and a whole bunch of pictures of the upcoming shuttles. These have quite a few players excited, so sit back and enjoy the new features!

After covering the latest news and events in the wide world of STO, the boys are going to host a preview session of each of the Foundry missions being moved to Holodeck in the next few days!

These were played LIVE with our audience, while we took the time to critique and evaluate each one as we went, and offer our impressions and feedback.

Direct Download Links HD Video | Large Video | iPod Video | MP3 Audio | OGG Audio | YouTube

Our STOked App:

Grab the STOked iPhone/iPod App and download STOked plus bonus content on the go!

Show Notes:

NEWS:

CO in the STO Launcher?  SAY WHUT?
(Show folks how to do it, so they can try it out FREE. Plug LOTSO.)

Delta Flyer Stats (and more Stats) and Price (400/$5) have been released
(Pictures in this thread) (close ups)

• More questions answered HERE
• Stats above are also the same for the Craftable shuttle
• “Free” Shuttle will not be as strong as Runabout
• KDF Info. Klingons will have Type 8 equivalent, Runabout equivalent, and Yacht
• PLUS “something else for both factions that we haven’t really announced yet.”

As part of a recent Tribble update, KDF were ONCE AGAIN transwarping to ESD

The results were hilarious, as always.

Another shot from DS9

Vulcan D’kyr now on Tribble for testing!
(pictures)

TACTICAL VIEW:

Foundry Mission Previews!
Live playthru and initial impressions of:

“Tipping Point”

“Unholy Alliances (Part 1)”
“The Syndicate Extraction”

BONUS ROUND:

The Dancing Breen
Preview of 1-Year Anniversary celebrations?
SPOILER ALERT: He’ll show up and ask you 5 questions. If you get any wrong, he turns you into a random creature. If you get them all right, you get a special reward.
A bunch more pictures and a video

Download:

The post Shuttle Info Round-Up | STOked 68 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

]]> https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/4752/aegis-vs-borg-stoked-67/ Tue, 25 Jan 2011 06:37:13 +0000 https://original.jupiterbroadcasting.net/?p=4752 Learn the advantages to the Aegis and Borg sets, and if combining parts from the set can give you that extra boost of fire power!

The post Aegis vs Borg | STOked 67 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

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We load you up on the latest and greatest happening in STO, learn the advantages to the Aegis and Borg sets.. And if combining parts from the set can give you that extra boost of fire power!

PLUS – We look at the new remastered Stranded is Space mission, discuss the new Earth Space Dock upgrades.

Then – We wrap up our latest community feedback question, and share your suggestions for great STO online portals!

Direct Download Links HD Video | Large Video | iPod Video | MP3 Audio | OGG Audio | YouTube

Our STOked App:

Grab the STOked iPhone/iPod App and download STOked plus bonus content on the go!

Show Notes:

NEWS

SS Azura – Remastered
REVIEW

Tribble Updates https://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=198038
ESD Revamp
Balance changes that we mentioned last week
Aegis change to 2-piece Defense Bonus

Several Foundry Missions being manually moved to Holodeck
“The Longing”
“Tipping Point”
“Unholy Alliances (Part 1)”
“The Syndicate Extraction”

Sad news for shuttle “hot swap” idea: https://forums.startrekonline.com/showpost.php?p=3296221&postcount=31

Holodeck patch coming Jan 27th:
Space rebalancing
ESD Interior
New font
Stranded in Space – Remastered
XP Boost Devices added to rare drop tables
Psi Velorum opened for KDF

MORE upcoming changes:
1-Year Anniversary Celebration begins on Feb 2nd
Tentative date for Foundry on Holodeck – Feb 24th
A C-Store Prometheus? Does this spell MVAM?
TOS Bundle Pack (Costume, Bridge Pack, SHIP INTERIOR pack) — March

Lifetime Sale in celebration of Champs F2P and 1-Year Anniversary

COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

www.foundrymissions.com

MATH

Borg Set Reference
Aegis Set Reference

Console:

There’s only one choice, and it’s worth it. The Borg Universal console can be obtained by running “Assimilated” in the Undine Front. This mission can be solo’d, but it requires some finesse to get the ground portion done.

The first ground map, known as “The Maze” consists of many different corridors lined with borg sitting passive in their alcoves. If any of these borg are attacked, they will retaliate. This is a VERY bad thing, as you’ll also be taking on patrols and a few stationary groups. Adding these passive borg to any combat situation is likely to get you killed.

So you have two choices: Avoid aggroing them, or kill EVERYTHING along the way. There are approximately 200 borg on this map though, so I recommend the first choice.

To avoid aggro’ing them, make sure you and all of your boffs are only using single-target weapons and abilities. Compression Pistols and Sniper Rifles. AOE abilities like grenades and geothermal vent don’t always aggro them, but it might be smart to avoid them anyway. Also do not bring turrets as they target enemies indiscriminately, but Support Drones are fine.

If you follow the corridors and click on the right teleporter you’ll be sent to a central room with a boss in the middle. I recommend clearing out the perimeter of the room before engaging him.

Deflector Dish:

There are 3 factors to consider:

• Skill Bonuses (Sensors vs. Deflectors)
• Power Bonuses (Shields vs. Aux)
• Set Bonus activation

This last point is actually the most important of the three. The set bonuses of either set are more powerful than skill considerations or power levels. Read further for calculations on the effectiveness of these set bonuses.

The Borg dish can be obtained by running the STF “The Cure”

For hints on defeating “The Cure” check out the following links:

• Steelthorn’s Tips
• f1restarter’s Noob Tips
• MoistGaming Video Walkthrus: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Engines:

Aegis a clear winner here, as it is faster and offers a substantial boost to the “Combat Maneuvers” skill which few captains max out on their own.

The only situation where the Borg engine exceeds the Aegis, is when traveling in Sector Space since it enables a higher top Warp Speed.

So… get BOTH engines, and use the Borg while traveling. Be sure to switch back to the Aegis engine when faced with space combat.

The Borg Engine can be obtained by running the STF “Infected”

For tips on defeating “Infected” check out the following links:

• STO-Wiki’s Walkthru
• Guide by Threather
• Tips by Kor_Dahar_Master
• Video of End Boss Room

Shields:

This is the biggest difference between the two sets, and comes down to Regenerative (with very nice regen/healing bonuses) and Covariant (with decent defensive boosts).

Now, if you recall from our “Master Your Shields” math segment, you’ll know that I’m very much in favor of Covariants. However, the bonuses of BOTH of these shields warrant examining the choice in further detail.

The most important factor here is Set Bonuses, as the Borg shield is only reliable if both it’s 2- and 3-piece set bonuses are intact. The 2-piece bonus supplies a nice hull heal, and the 3-piece bonus further amplifies the regenerative capacity of this shield. Without both of these bonuses, this shield does not perform well in a sustained firefight.

However, both of these set bonuses have been seen to activate multiple times in even short battles, causing most players to consider them RELIABLE as a further form of survivability.

But, because this is still a Regenerative Shield, it requires that you run your shield energy very high to benefit fully from its regeneration rate, AND maintain enough maneuverability to be able to spread out incoming damage to all four shield quadrants.

The Borg shield can be obtained by running the STF “Khitomer Accord”

For tips on completing “Khitomer Accord” check out the following links:

• JDiesel17’s Walthru and Strategy
• MoistGaming’s Video Walkthrus: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Set Bonuses:

The Borg Hull and Shield Heals are substantially more powerful than the Aegis set’s defensive boosts.

Firstly, the Aegis 2-piece bonus offers a reliable boost to your ship’s Defense skill. This skill is percentage-based, and is more effective at higher speeds (Escorts/Birds of Prey tend to fly faster). A high defense skill will cause enemies to MISS your ship, dealing zero damage.

All of the other set bonuses require that you sustain damage in order for them to have a chance to activate, meaning that this bonus actually INHIBITS others from activating. However, this is offset by the slight reduction in damage from all those missed shots. The actual effectiveness of this boost varies by ship, engine, and tactics, but due to some recent re-balancing, will generally effect all captains approximately the same amount.

As for the Aegis 3-piece bonus, you’re looking at a real letdown. The resistance boost seems substantial at 10%, especially since it can stack up to 10 times. However, each stack past the first suffers from standard diminishing returns on resistances resulting in much smaller of a benefit than is portrayed on the tooltip. Furthermore, this resistance bonus actually applies to HULL damage, not shield damage. And since the boost requires your shields to be UP in order for it to activate, chances are that you will be receiving very little benefit from this reduction in incoming hull damage.

Meanwhile, the Borg 2-piece bonus offers a 52% hull heal (approx. 20,000 hull points on a T5 Cruiser) and will tend to fire off at least once per battle. With such a substantial heal, the amount of bleedthrough damage trickling through your shields is likely to be a non-issue. And if your shields are down for any reason, you can potentially benefit even MORE from this sudden heal as it also includes a decent hull resistance boost.

The Borg 3-piece set has also been rated as reliable by many players, tending to go off 2-3 times per group of enemies. Each time regenerating a bit less than half of your overall shield strength (if using the Borg shield), and making you more resistant to incoming shield damage.

Mixed Sets:

The only reason to use the full 4-piece Borg set, is for the Tractor Beam ability. From all accounts I’ve read, it’s a fun toy but not nearly powerful enough to turn the tide of any battle. Meanwhile, the mixed bonuses you can receive from going with only 2- or 3- pieces of one set can be substantial.

If you choose to use the Borg Shield, I recommend the following mixed set:
Borg Shield, Borg Deflector, Borg Console, Aegis Engine

This keeps the Shield and Hull regen boosts intact, and gives you the better engine from either set.

If you choose to use the Aegis Shield, I recommend the following mixed set:
Aegis Shield, Aegis Engine, Borg Deflector, Borg Console

This set up gets you the better engine and tougher shield, while keeping two separate 2-piece bonuses intact (Borg Hull Regen, Aegis Defense Boost)

As a matter of personal taste, the Deflector and Engine could be swapped, leaving:
Aegis Shield, Borg Engine, Aegis Deflector, Borg Console

Which would net you +5 Engine and Shield power and change up some Science skill boosts, at the cost of a some speed and a boost to Combat Maneuvers, without sacrificing the two separate 2-piece set bonuses.

And finally, it’s also possible to use the following mixed set:
Aegis Shield, Borg Engine, Borg Deflector, Borg Console

This strange mix gives you all of the regenerative/healing abilities of the borg set, and the very tough outer shell of the Aegis shield. The sole downside to this is the lack of that nice boost to Combat Maneuvers. There’s an argument to be made that keeping the 3-piece Borg set bonus intact is worth that loss…. and I would agree.

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The post Aegis vs Borg | STOked 67 first appeared on Jupiter Broadcasting.

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