[Spacetalk] https://www.nasa.gov/index.html; https://spaceflightnow.com

Sun Dec 13 22:05:40 CST 2020

Hi all,
  Good evening from Florida…I hope all is well…we went through another week of increased virus cases in the US as many people refuse to take it seriously…not sure where this is going with the big Holidays approaching so many group gatherings…

It has been an amazing week here with three launches…two Space X and a ULA Delta IV…the night launches are always special although the day ones are fascinating….I’m at all of them…I know so many of you would love this opportunity...one of the most fun things I did with the shuttle program was get teachers/friends VIP passes on busses or with me in a Van to see launches on Kennedy Space Center…I wonder how many of you reading this attended a launch :-) :-) ..the weather has been great, a few “cold” mornings but always sunny and warm in the afternoon. 

I would be in Norway or Denmark now….in the cold but not really caring because it was so much fun…when I see the memories on FB, it it is mind boggling…the travel schedule and number of kids…going from sometimes only speaking with one or two kids then finding myself in front of huge theaters, auditoriums, kids in the balcony, kids hanging from trees…I always remind myself…it is the shirt…they hear NASA and they want to see/learn/touch/dream…they are so excited…I do everything I can to bring reality to their dreams…because I think like them…for everyone in Norway where I have been the last 6 years {especially Nannestad HS where I have been more than any other school, I believe this would have been my 9th visit} and Denmark 3 of those…I swam 3,500 meters in an outdoor pool today,  the water temperature 26C; 82F…the beautiful Christmas lights/decorations in all the cities and small towns…I saw an amazing light show and fireworks display last year in Denmark thanks to my buddy, Pete and with his two daughters…the whole evening was so special…

I wonder about schools and when they will allow visitors, if it will ever return to “normal”…I’ve been doing some international presentations and did 2 with 6th grade classes in the US…I am not a big fan of them but I am getting better…it is so different without being with the kids…I know it must be the same for teachers although you are so talented, you can do anything…if any of you would be interested in virtual visits, let me know…it will certainly be a different Christmas/Holiday this year…I think many of us thought by this time we would be past this but it looks as if the New Year will be the same…Happy please stay safe and be careful…

I think the space program is growing so fast…many countries and commercial companies are advancing quickly…it will be very interesting and I think a great career for anyone who is interested…We have to remember to do our best, enjoy everything we do, believe in ourselves, and let those we care about most know (I always say this, we all need to take it to heart) …hugs & smiles... :-) :-) STAY SAFE, TAKE CARE, Love ya, Gabe

CHRISTMAS STAR

https://www.yahoo.com/.../jupiter-saturn-align-create... <https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/jupiter-saturn-align-create-first-200357737.html>
"On 12.21.2020 (the December solstice), Jupiter and Saturn will align so closely in the night sky that they'll create a radiant point of light some call the "Solstice Star," "Star of Bethlehem" or the "Christmas Star.""Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to be to one another," said Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer at Rice University. "You'd have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky."The event, sometimes referred to as The Great Conjunction, occurs roughly every 19 to 20 years, but this is the closest the planets will line up in the night sky since the Middle Ages."full story: Jupiter and Saturn Will Align to Create the First "Christmas Star" in Nearly 800 Years 

Fragments of energy may be the fundamental building blocks of the universe

(Image: © zf L via Getty Images)
Matter is what makes up the universe, but what makes up matter? This question has long been tricky for those who think about it – especially for the physicists. Reflecting recent trends in physics, my colleague Jeffrey Eischen <https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=aBZ6HqMAAAAJ> and I <https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=FrIFYKoAAAAJ> have described an updated way to think about matter. We propose that matter is not made of particles <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle> or waves <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation>, as was long thought, but – more fundamentally – that matter is made of fragments of energy <https://physicsessays.org/browse-journal-2/product/1829-14-larry-m-silverberg-and-jeffrey-w-eischen-on-a-new-field-theory-formulation-and-a-space-time-adjustment-that-predict-the-same-precession-of-mercury-and-the-same-bending-of-light-as-general-relativity.html>.

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft 
 <http://support.planetary.org/site/R?i=bntwnCK6wi9PoXQgRMieXA>

Observers may have thought they’d seen a meteor streaking through the sky on 5 December, but this particular flash was something more special: a container with samples from asteroid Ryugu, plummeting to the ground after being dropped off by Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft. Image credit: JAXA/Edited by The Planetary Society. 

This is what a supernova sounds like, according to NASA
By Brandon Specktor - Senior Writer <https://www.livescience.com/author/brandon-specktor> 4 days ago

The Crab Nebula sounds oddly beautiful.
(Image: © NASA)
In space, nobody can hear you scream — or explode, or collapse, or slowly collide with a neighboring galaxy. But now, thanks to a new "data sonification <https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/news/data-sonification-a-new-cosmic-triad-of-sound.html>" program at NASA, you can at least get a sense of what some of the most extreme phenomena in the universe might sound like when converted to sound played by Earthly instruments.

To hear what that sounds like, we turn to NASA's Chandra X-ray <https://www.livescience.com/32344-what-are-x-rays.html> center — which has been imaging distant galaxies with its Chandra X-ray observatory for 20 years now. (Apparently, just seeing the wonders of the cosmos was not enough for them.) In their new initiative, Chandra researchers have taken three iconic images from their archives and translated different frequencies of light into different pitches of sound.

Take the following video of the crab nebula <https://www.livescience.com/65279-hubble-returns-to-southern-crab-nebula.html> (a supernova remnant powered by a windy neutron star <https://www.livescience.com/neutron-star.html>). In NASA's data sonification of the nebula, X-ray light (blue and white) is represented by brass instruments; optical light (purple) is played by string instruments; and infrared light (pink) is represented by woodwinds. The pitch of each instrument family increases from the bottom of the image to the top, so many tones are audible at the same time. The sounds converge near the center of the nebula, where a rapidly swirling pulsar is blasting gas and radiation in all directions. Listen below:

https://youtu.be/DtymxN67eEE <https://youtu.be/DtymxN67eEE> 

NASA Selects Heliophysics Missions of Opportunity for Space Science Research and Technology Demonstration
 <https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/cme.00589_1920x1080.jpg>
cme.00589_1920x1080.jpg
NASA has chosen two new science proposals for nine-month concept studies to advance our understanding of how the particles and energy in space – shown here flowing from the Sun in an illustration of the solar wind – affect the fundamental nature of space. One proposal will ultimately be chosen to launch along with NASA’s upcoming Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe in October 2024.
Credits: NASA
 <applewebdata://2E8DC344-9EFA-48CD-8E37-1BEC5EF74779#>
NASA has selected two SmallSat missions – a study of Earth’s outer most atmosphere and a solar sail spaceflight test mission – to share a ride to space in 2025 with the agency’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP). For more information about NASA’s Heliophysics Division, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/sunearth <https://www.nasa.gov/sunearth>

SpaceX's Starship SN8 prototype soars on epic test launch, with explosive landing
By Mike Wall - Space.com Senior Writer <https://www.livescience.com/author/mike-wall> 4 days ago
Elon Musk is thrilled: "Mars, here we come!"

https:
 <https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.livescience.com/spacex-starship-sn8-test-launch-landing-explosion.html>

SpaceX's Starship SN8 prototype launches on its first high-altitude test flight from Boca Chica, Texas on Dec. 9, 2020.
(Image: © SpaceX)
SpaceX's Starship <https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html> spaceflight system just took a big step on its path to Mars. The latest Starship prototype, a shiny silver vehicle known as SN8 <https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-sn8-prototype-static-fire>, launched on an epic high-altitude test flight today (Dec. 9), taking off at 5:45 p.m. EST (2245 GMT) from SpaceX's facility near the South Texas village of Boca Chica. The goal was to soar about 7.8 miles (12.5 kilometers) into the sky, perform some complex aerial maneuvers — including a "belly flop" like the one the final Starship will perform when coming back to Earth on operational flights — and then land safely near the launch stand.  The 165-foot-tall (50 meters) SN8 appeared to notch all of these big milestones, except for the final one: The vehicle hit its landing mark but came in too fast, exploding in a dramatic fireball 6 minutes and 42 seconds after liftoff. SN8's rapid unplanned disassembly did nothing to dampen the spirits of SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk <https://www.space.com/18849-elon-musk.html>, who was thrilled by the results of today's flight. "Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!!" Musk tweeted this evening <https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336809767574982658>.

Dead Spacecraft on Mars Spotted in New Photos

Near the lower left corner of this view is the three-petal lander platform that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit drove off in January 2004. The lander is still bright, but with a reddish color, probably due to accumulation of Martian dust. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recorded this view on Jan. 29, 2012, providing the first image from orbit to show Spirit's lander platform in color.
(Image: © NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)
A NASA probe orbiting Mars has captured new photos of two dead spacecraft frozen in place at their Red Planet graves.

The photos were taken by NASA's powerful Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter <https://www.space.com/13962-photos-nasa-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter.html> (MRO), which has been circling the planet since 2006.

The spacecraft first spied NASA's dead Phoenix Mars Lander in the Martian arctic on Jan. 26 in a color photo that reveals the lander and its frigid surroundings as they appeared following Phoenix's second winter on the planet. The Phoenix spacecraft landed successfully on Mars in 2008.

In a separate photo, MRO also spotted the three-petal landing platform that delivered NASA's Mars rover Spirit <https://www.space.com/27-latest-mars-shots-spirit-opportunity.html> to the surface of the Red Planet in January 2004. The platform used parachutes and airbags to bounce to a stop on Gusev crater so the Spirit rover could begin its mission.

SPACE MATH @NASA

https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/?fbclid=IwAR3pLv4nDdCdC2G9M8J0KnDOlPka3bQIzyMTUwf8kYCmKkRNIzH_KoR1_Ls# <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/?fbclid=IwAR3pLv4nDdCdC2G9M8J0KnDOlPka3bQIzyMTUwf8kYCmKkRNIzH_KoR1_Ls#>

National Aeronautics and Space Administration <http://www.nasa.gov/>
Goddard Space Flight Center <http://www.nasa.gov/goddard/>
Flight Projects <http://fpd.gsfc.nasa.gov/> | Sciences and Exploration <http://sciences.gsfc.nasa.gov/sed/index.cfm?fuseAction=home.main&&navOrgCode=600&navTab=nav_about_us>
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Home <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/SpaceMath.html>STEAM Lab <http://www.steminnovationlab.org/>Citizen Science  <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/Citizenscience.html>Math Books  <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/books.html>Spreadsheets  <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/ILabs.html>STEM Modules  <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/media.html>
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 <>

Have you ever wondered how math is used by scientists to make their discoveries?

This resource offers over 1000 math problems that reveal the many ways math and science work together to help us understand the universe. 

Some problems involve the simple counting of integers to reveal the structure of molecules. 

Other problems explore more complicated methods of statistical analysis, algebra, geometry and, yes, even calculus! All problems are matrixed into the national math and science standards <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/Standards.html> for a quick review. 

For more on this program, see the NASA press release at: [Press Release] <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/features/2012/spacemath.html>

Math problems sorted by space science topic
Here you will find hundreds of math problems related to all of the major astronomical objects from asteroids and planets to galaxies and black holes! Click on the topic below to see which problems are available. 

Earth <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/earth.html> | Moon <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/moon.html> | Sun <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/sun.html> | Planets <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/planets.html> | Stars <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/stars.html> | Universe <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe.html> | Space Travel <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacetravel.html> | Astrobiology <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrobiology.html> | Black Holes <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/blackholes.html>
Math problems sorted by grade level
If you are a teacher or just someone who enjoys mathematics challenges, these problems cover space science topics but are sorted more-or-less by the kinds of mathematics you will encounter from simple counting and fractions problems through calculus. Click on the grade bands below to see the collections of problems.

Grades 3-5 <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/grade35.html> | Grades 6-7 <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/grade67.html> | Algebra 1 <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/algebra1.html> | Algebra 2 <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/algebra2.html> | Geometry <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/geometry.html> | Calculus <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/calculus.html>
Math problems sorted by NASA Mission
If you are looking for math problems specific to a particular mission's investigations, here you will find problems organized by NASA mission name. Click on the mission or program name in the grid below to go to the associated problem listing.

ACE <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#ACE> |  Cassini <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Cassini> | Chandra <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Chandra> | Dawn <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Dawn> | Deep Impact <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Deep> | Fermi <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Fermi> | GALEX <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#GALEX> | Grail <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Grail> | Hinode <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Hinode> | Gravity Probe-B <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#GPB> | Hubble <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Hubble> | IBEX <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#IBEX> | IMAGE <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#IMAGE> | InSight <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Insight> | Juno <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Juno> | Kepler <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Kepler> | LADEE <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#LADEE> |  Landsat <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Landsat>| Lunar Orbiter <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Orbiter> | LRO <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#LRO> | Manned Space Program <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Manned> | MMS <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#MMS> | Curiosity <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Curiosity> | Mars Rovers" <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Rovers> | MESSENGER <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Messenger> | NEAR <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#NEAR> |  New Horizons <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#NewHorizons> | RHESSI <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#RHESSI> | SAGE-III <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#SAGE> | SCOOL <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#SCOOL> |SOHO <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#SOHO> | SDO <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#SDO>| Solar Probe Plus <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Solar> | Spitzer <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Spitzer> | STEREO <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#STEREO> | Terra <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Terra> | THEMIS <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#THEMIS> | TRACE <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#TRACE> | Van Allen Belts Probe <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#VABP> | Webb Space Telescope <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#Webb> | WISE <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#WISE> | WMAP <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#WMAP> | XMM <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/mission.html#XMM> |

Math problems sorted by Engineering Topics
If you are looking for math problems related to engineering topics, here you will find problems organized by topic areas. Click on the topic in the grid below to go to the associated problem listing.

Design Issues <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/engineering.html#Design> |  Rocketry, Launches, and Launch Vehicles <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/engineering.html#Rocketry> | Telescopes and Remote Sensing <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/engineering.html#Telescopes> | Properties of Orbits <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/engineering.html#Orbits> | Data and Telemetry <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/engineering.html#Data> | Mission Planning <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/engineering.html#Mission> | Spacecraft Design <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/engineering.html#Spacecraft>
Math problems related to NASA press releases
If you enjoy hearing about the many space science discoveries made by NASA missions, here are problems derived from a variety of press releases covering most NASA missions. [Enter here] <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/news.html>

New Publications 
A Retrospective Analysis of the Impact of SpaceMath at NASA on Student Performance in Math and Science Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching[Click here] <https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/215677/>
The STEAM Innovation Lab: Beyond the Makerspace Paradigm Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching [Click here] <https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/215687/>

Recent Books 

This lavishly-illustrated book features detailed instructions for how to use your smartphone to take photographs of the night sky and numerous astronomical objects. Format: 189 pages, 185 illustrations, 18 Mby, PDF | [Click here] <https://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/SMBooks/AstrophotographyV1.pdf>
 <http://www.nasa.gov/> <http://www.nasa.gov/goddard/>
Author: Dr. Sten Odenwald <mailto:Sten.F.Odenwald at nasa.gov>
NASA Official : Dr. C.A. Young <mailto:c.a.young at nasa.gov>
Privacy Policy & Important Notices <http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html>
Contact Us <applewebdata://2E8DC344-9EFA-48CD-8E37-1BEC5EF74779>
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