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83 Articles

WELCOME If you’ve always wanted to know everything there is to know about Mars, then you’ll love our cover feature – it’s a complete guide to the Red Planet, revealing missions that have visited its surface or will do in the future, its moons, what’s on its surface and all other facts and pieces of information in between. Turn to page 14; I can guarantee you’ll discover something you didn’t know about the fourth world from the Sun. Also this issue, we uncover that the ice giants – Neptune and Uranus – are even weirder than astronomers thought. They’ve been discovered to be leaking gas into space, leaving them with less ammonia in their atmospheres than expected. Grappling with the latest data, though, researchers at the Université Côte d’Azur in…

If you’ve always wanted to know everything there is to know about Mars, then you’ll love our cover feature – it’s a complete guide to the Red Planet, revealing missions that have visited its surface or will do in the future, its moons, what’s on its surface and all other facts and pieces of information in between. Turn to page 14; I can guarantee you’ll discover something you didn’t know about the fourth world from the Sun. Also this issue, we uncover that the ice giants – Neptune and Uranus – are even weirder than astronomers thought. They’ve been discovered to be leaking gas into space, leaving them with less ammonia in their atmospheres than expected. Grappling with the latest data, though, researchers at the Université Côte d’Azur in Nice, France,…

YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE

1 NOVEMBER 2021 A second look Around 180 million light years away in the constellation of Indus lies NGC 6984, a spiral galaxy with dark lanes of gas and dust. Its star-studded arms are brimming with bright star-forming regions. This stunning image was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3, but it’s not the first time Hubble has taken its picture; the galaxy was also imaged in 2013. By combining the 2013 observations with the new data, a more detailed image with a greater range of colours has been created. 19 OCTOBER 2021 Mars’ icy past revealed The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured an image revealing Mars’ icy past. These U-shaped ridges along a crater wall are indicative of glacial movement. The scalloped ridges contain rocks that were collected by a glacier…

YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE

YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE

LAUNCH PAD YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE © ESA/Hubble & NASA 1 NOVEMBER 2021 A second look Around 180 million light years away in the constellation of Indus lies NGC 6984, a spiral galaxy with dark lanes of gas and dust. Its star-studded arms are brimming with bright star-forming regions. This stunning image was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3, but it’s not the first time Hubble has taken its picture; the galaxy was also imaged in 2013. By combining the 2013 observations with the new data, a more detailed image with a greater range of colours has been created. © NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona 19 OCTOBER 2021 Mars’ icy past revealed The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured an image revealing Mars’ icy past. These U-shaped…

YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE

HABITABLE EXOPLANETS, BLACK HOLES AND INCLUSIVITY ARE TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT DECADE

LAUNCH PAD YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE HABITABLE EXOPLANETS, BLACK HOLES AND INCLUSIVITY ARE TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT DECADE Words by Mike Wall © NASA/JPL-Caltech On 4 November, the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released a decadal survey laying out scientific priorities and funding recommendations for the next ten years. The document, called Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s, identifies three top-line items the disciplines should concentrate on: the discovery and study of habitable exoplanets, the exploration of black holes and neutron stars as windows to the early universe and a better understanding of the origin and evolution of galaxies. It also stresses the importance of making astronomy a more inclusive and diverse field. A lot of work goes into these…

HABITABLE EXOPLANETS, BLACK HOLES AND INCLUSIVITY ARE TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT DECADE

HABITABLE EXOPLANETS, BLACK HOLES AND INCLUSIVITY ARE TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT DECADE

On 4 November, the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released a decadal survey laying out scientific priorities and funding recommendations for the next ten years. The document, called Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s, identifies three top-line items the disciplines should concentrate on: the discovery and study of habitable exoplanets, the exploration of black holes and neutron stars as windows to the early universe and a better understanding of the origin and evolution of galaxies. It also stresses the importance of making astronomy a more inclusive and diverse field. A lot of work goes into these documents, which are drawn up by prominent researchers in the fields that they cover. The survey identifies three ‘priority areas’ that should receive special attention and investment…

HABITABLE EXOPLANETS, BLACK HOLES AND INCLUSIVITY ARE TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT DECADE

NEW MISSION WILL MEASURE HOW MUCH HEAT EARTH IS TRAPPING FROM CLIMATE CHANGE

A new space mission will measure how much heat gets trapped in Earth’s atmosphere to help gauge whether humanity is making any progress in tackling the worst effects of climate change. The mission, called TRUTHS – for Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial-and Helio-Studies – is currently being prepared by the European Space Agency (ESA) and its partners. It will study the so-called Earth energy balance – the difference between how much energy arrives at the planet from the Sun and how much gets reflected back into space. The more heat Earth keeps, the warmer it gets, and it’s dangerous greenhouse gases that create conditions for the planet to trap more of the incoming heat. TRUTHS, introduced at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, on 3 November, will “set a…

NEW MISSION WILL MEASURE HOW MUCH HEAT EARTH IS TRAPPING FROM CLIMATE CHANGE

NEW MISSION WILL MEASURE HOW MUCH HEAT EARTH IS TRAPPING FROM CLIMATE CHANGE

NEW MISSION WILL MEASURE HOW MUCH HEAT EARTH IS TRAPPING FROM CLIMATE CHANGE Words by Tereza Pultarova © ESA A new space mission will measure how much heat gets trapped in Earth’s atmosphere to help gauge whether humanity is making any progress in tackling the worst effects of climate change. The mission, called TRUTHS – for Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial-and Helio-Studies – is currently being prepared by the European Space Agency (ESA) and its partners. It will study the so-called Earth energy balance – the difference between how much energy arrives at the planet from the Sun and how much gets reflected back into space. The more heat Earth keeps, the warmer it gets, and it’s dangerous greenhouse gases that create conditions for the planet to trap more of the…

NEW MISSION WILL MEASURE HOW MUCH HEAT EARTH IS TRAPPING FROM CLIMATE CHANGE

ASTRONOMERS DETECT WATER IN ONE OF THE OLDEST KNOWN GALAXIES

ASTRONOMERS DETECT WATER IN ONE OF THE OLDEST KNOWN GALAXIES Words by Tereza Pultarova Astronomers have detected traces of water in one of the oldest known galaxies, proving for the first time that the life-giving substance played a role in the formation of the earliest stars. The galaxy, called SPT0311-58, is located some 12.88 billion light years from Earth, meaning that our telescopes see it as it looked only 1 billion years after the Big Bang. Astronomers estimate that the galaxy is only 780 million years old, an age at which stars formed at a much higher rate than they do in more mature galaxies. The observation, the most distant detection of water in the universe, was made by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a powerful radio telescope in…

ASTRONOMERS DETECT WATER IN ONE OF THE OLDEST KNOWN GALAXIES

ASTRONOMERS DETECT WATER IN ONE OF THE OLDEST KNOWN GALAXIES

Astronomers have detected traces of water in one of the oldest known galaxies, proving for the first time that the life-giving substance played a role in the formation of the earliest stars. The galaxy, called SPT0311-58, is located some 12.88 billion light years from Earth, meaning that our telescopes see it as it looked only 1 billion years after the Big Bang. Astronomers estimate that the galaxy is only 780 million years old, an age at which stars formed at a much higher rate than they do in more mature galaxies. The observation, the most distant detection of water in the universe, was made by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a powerful radio telescope in northern Chile in the Atacama Desert. In addition to water, ALMA also detected carbon monoxide.…

ASTRONOMERS DETECT WATER IN ONE OF THE OLDEST KNOWN GALAXIES

A MASSIVE COMET EXPLODING OVER CHILE 12,000 YEARS AGO MAY HAVE CREATED STRANGE GLASSY ROCKS

LAUNCH PAD YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE UNIVERSE A MASSIVE COMET EXPLODING OVER CHILE 12,000 YEARS AGO MAY HAVE CREATED STRANGE GLASSY ROCKS Words by Meghan Bartels © P.H. Schultz/Brown University A 75-kilometre (47-mile) swath of desert is strewn with strange, dark, glassy rocks that have long puzzled scientists. New research finds that those rocks are quite similar to comet particles collected by a NASA mission called Stardust. The scientists behind the work think that all those years ago, one or more huge comets exploded together in the skies over the region, causing tornado-force winds, scorching the grassy landscape and scattering the area with warped and twisted glass that still contains minerals generally found only in meteorites. “This is the first time we have clear evidence of glasses on Earth…

A MASSIVE COMET EXPLODING OVER CHILE 12,000 YEARS AGO MAY HAVE CREATED STRANGE GLASSY ROCKS

A MASSIVE COMET EXPLODING OVER CHILE 12,000 YEARS AGO MAY HAVE CREATED STRANGE GLASSY ROCKS

A 75-kilometre (47-mile) swath of desert is strewn with strange, dark, glassy rocks that have long puzzled scientists. New research finds that those rocks are quite similar to comet particles collected by a NASA mission called Stardust. The scientists behind the work think that all those years ago, one or more huge comets exploded together in the skies over the region, causing tornado-force winds, scorching the grassy landscape and scattering the area with warped and twisted glass that still contains minerals generally found only in meteorites. “This is the first time we have clear evidence of glasses on Earth that were created by the thermal radiation and winds from a fireball exploding just above the surface,” said Pete Schultz, a geologist at Brown University. Schultz and his colleagues collected 300 pieces…

A MASSIVE COMET EXPLODING OVER CHILE 12,000 YEARS AGO MAY HAVE CREATED STRANGE GLASSY ROCKS

WEIRD COSMIC OBJECT KEEPS EXPLODING OVER AND OVER, AND SCIENTISTS DON’T KNOW WHY

A mysterious object has shot out 1,652 blasts of energy over a short period. Though researchers are still stumped as to what caused the repeated eruptions, they hope their observations will help them get closer to an answer. The entity is a fast radio burst (FRB), an enigmatic phenomenon first observed in 2007. FRBs produce pulses in the radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum; these pulses last only a few thousandths of a second, but produce as much energy as the Sun does in a year. Some FRBs emit energy just once, but several – including an object called FRB 121102, located in a dwarf galaxy 3 billion light years away – are known to repeat their bursts. Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in China, scientists decided to conduct…

WEIRD COSMIC OBJECT KEEPS EXPLODING OVER AND OVER, AND SCIENTISTS DON’T KNOW WHY

WEIRD COSMIC OBJECT KEEPS EXPLODING OVER AND OVER, AND SCIENTISTS DON’T KNOW WHY

WEIRD COSMIC OBJECT KEEPS EXPLODING OVER AND OVER, AND SCIENTISTS DON’T KNOW WHY Words by Adam Mann A mysterious object has shot out 1,652 blasts of energy over a short period. Though researchers are still stumped as to what caused the repeated eruptions, they hope their observations will help them get closer to an answer. The entity is a fast radio burst (FRB), an enigmatic phenomenon first observed in 2007. FRBs produce pulses in the radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum; these pulses last only a few thousandths of a second, but produce as much energy as the Sun does in a year. © Getty Some FRBs emit energy just once, but several – including an object called FRB 121102, located in a dwarf galaxy 3 billion light years away…

WEIRD COSMIC OBJECT KEEPS EXPLODING OVER AND OVER, AND SCIENTISTS DON’T KNOW WHY

NASA PICKS LANDING SITE AT THE MOON’S SOUTH POLE FOR ICE-DRILLING ROBOT

NASA has set its sights on the Moon’s south pole in its quest for ice. The space agency and company Intuitive Machines have announced a Shackleton crater landing site at the lunar south pole for a small lander set to launch next year. The location is called the ‘Shackleton connecting ridge’. The mission includes NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1), requiring solar power and a view of Earth for communications. NASA frames PRIME-1 as a key step in learning how to mine resources from the lunar surface. The agency plans to land a series of longer human missions on the Moon, known as Artemis, later in the 2020s. But to make such an effort sustainable, scientists and engineers need to practice in-situ resource utilisation, which is the practice of using…

NASA PICKS LANDING SITE AT THE MOON’S SOUTH POLE FOR ICE-DRILLING ROBOT

NASA PICKS LANDING SITE AT THE MOON’S SOUTH POLE FOR ICE-DRILLING ROBOT

IN COOPERATION WITH SPACE.com NASA PICKS LANDING SITE AT THE MOON’S SOUTH POLE FOR ICE-DRILLING ROBOT Words by Elizabeth Howell NASA has set its sights on the Moon’s south pole in its quest for ice. The space agency and company Intuitive Machines have announced a Shackleton crater landing site at the lunar south pole for a small lander set to launch next year. The location is called the ‘Shackleton connecting ridge’. The mission includes NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1), requiring solar power and a view of Earth for communications. NASA frames PRIME-1 as a key step in learning how to mine resources from the lunar surface. The agency plans to land a series of longer human missions on the Moon, known as Artemis, later in the 2020s. But…

NASA PICKS LANDING SITE AT THE MOON’S SOUTH POLE FOR ICE-DRILLING ROBOT

THE COMPLETE GUIDE MARS

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. Befitting the Red Planet’s bloody colour, the Romans named it after their god of war. The bright rust colour Mars is known for is due to iron-rich minerals in its regolith – the loose dust and rock covering its surface. The soil of Earth is a kind of regolith, too, albeit one loaded with organic content. The iron minerals on Mars oxidise, or rust, causing its soil to look red. The planet’s thin atmosphere means liquid water likely cannot exist on the Martian surface for any appreciable length of time. Features called recurring slope lineae may have spurts of briny water flowing onto the surface, but this evidence is disputed; some scientists argue the hydrogen spotted from orbit in this region may instead…

THE COMPLETE GUIDE MARS

THE COMPLETE GUIDE MARS

Mars THE COMPLETE GUIDE MARS WE’RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE FOURTH ROCK FROM THE SUN EVERY DAY Reported by Charles Q. Choi & Robert Lea Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. Befitting the Red Planet’s bloody colour, the Romans named it after their god of war. The bright rust colour Mars is known for is due to iron-rich minerals in its regolith – the loose dust and rock covering its surface. The soil of Earth is a kind of regolith, too, albeit one loaded with organic content. The iron minerals on Mars oxidise, or rust, causing its soil to look red. The planet’s thin atmosphere means liquid water likely cannot exist on the Martian surface for any appreciable length of time. Features called recurring slope lineae may have spurts…

THE COMPLETE GUIDE MARS

KEY MARS MISSIONS

KEY MARS MISSIONS Robots have been unlocking Mars’ secrets for decades All Images © NASA/JPL-Caltech unless stated otherwise x2 Images © NASA/JPL-Caltech…

KEY MARS MISSIONS

MARTIAN AIRSHIPS

“VACUUM IS AN INFINITE RESOURCE, SO ALL THE AIRSHIP NEEDS IS A SOURCE OF POWER FOR A PUMP TO EMPTY THE ENVELOPE” 1 SOLAR POWER The large surface area of the airship body can be covered with solar cells to provide electricity for the pump, propulsion and the science payload. 2 MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE The Martian atmosphere offers a unique opportunity in the Solar System to exploit vacuum as a lifting agent because it is mostly cold, heavy carbon dioxide, but at a low overall pressure. 3 AERIAL AUTONOMY Martian rovers move so slowly because the 20-minute round trip delay makes it impossible to control them directly. Not only can an airship travel more quickly, it can do so with less risk of accident. 4 OUTER SHELL The external shell of the vacuum airship will support the load of…

MARTIAN AIRSHIPS

“WE CAN BE AMAZING IF WE WANT TO BE”

BIO Ben Turner Turner is a director, producer and founding partner of Fulwell 73 Productions. He has worked across a wide range of genres in documentary, drama, comedy and music. His latest project, Disney+’s Among the Stars, chronicles NASA’s quest to replace failing cooling pumps on a cosmic-ray detection experiment, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), on the International Space Station. The six-part show is centred around astronaut Chris Cassidy, astrophysicist Dr Samuel Ting, AMS project manager Ken Bollweg and a global cast of talented space professionals. The full series of Among the Stars is available to watch on Disney+. You’ve made quite a lot of documentaries, including sports documentaries. How did you find yourself pivoting over to a space documentary? The more I’ve done, the more I’ve had license to indulge in my passions.…

“WE CAN BE AMAZING IF WE WANT TO BE”

MARTIAN AIRSHIPS

Future tech MARTIAN AIRSHIPS A new NASA study has the aim of exploring the Red Planet with the help of empty balloons ©Adrian Mann “VACUUM IS AN INFINITE RESOURCE, SO ALL THE AIRSHIP NEEDS IS A SOURCE OF POWER FOR A PUMP TO EMPTY THE ENVELOPE” 1 SOLAR POWER The large surface area of the airship body can be covered with solar cells to provide electricity for the pump, propulsion and the science payload. 2 MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE The Martian atmosphere offers a unique opportunity in the Solar System to exploit vacuum as a lifting agent because it is mostly cold, heavy carbon dioxide, but at a low overall pressure. 3 AERIAL AUTONOMY Martian rovers move so slowly because the 20-minute round trip delay makes it impossible to control them directly.…

MARTIAN AIRSHIPS

PLUTO’S ATMOSPHERE IS STARTING TO DISAPPEAR

“NITROGEN ICE RESERVOIRS ON PLUTO’S SURFACE WERE KEPT WARM BY STORED HEAT”LESLIE YOUNG The icy dwarf planet, which lies over 4.8 billion kilometres (3 billion miles) away from Earth in the Kuiper Belt, caught astronomers’ attention as it passed in front of a star back in 2018. With the star backlighting Pluto, a team of researchers was able to make observations of the dwarf planet and its atmosphere. With this unique view, they came to a surprising conclusion: they found evidence that Pluto’s atmosphere is starting to disappear. Using telescopes at multiple sites in both the US and Mexico, the team observed Pluto and its thin atmosphere, which is primarily made of nitrogen. Pluto’s atmosphere is supported by the vapour pressure of ices on the dwarf planet’s surface; if ice warms up on…

PLUTO’S ATMOSPHERE IS STARTING TO DISAPPEAR

THE MOST REALISTIC SPACE MOVIES

Put away your warp drives and get out of here with your midi-chlorians, because we’re running down our list of the top five most realistic space movies. Hollywood doesn’t have a great reputation when it comes to scientific accuracy, but that’s okay. A movie’s primary function should be to entertain by telling a gripping story, not to be a big-screen textbook. Of course, when science is ignored to such a degree that a film becomes laughably unbelievable, then it becomes a problem. To list those movies would likely fill the entire magazine, as pulp-fiction spaceships zip from one galaxy to another in the space of a day and lasers shoot glowing bullet-like projectiles at suspiciously humanoid aliens. Let’s celebrate the films that get it right and the movies that manage…

THE MOST REALISTIC SPACE MOVIES

“WE CAN BE AMAZING IF WE WANT TO BE”

INTERVIEW BEN TURNER “WE CAN BE AMAZING IF WE WANT TO BE” Turner takes us behind the scenes of his docuseries Among the Stars, available now on Disney+ Interviewed by Daisy Dobrijevic BIO Ben Turner Turner is a director, producer and founding partner of Fulwell 73 Productions. He has worked across a wide range of genres in documentary, drama, comedy and music. His latest project, Disney+’s Among the Stars, chronicles NASA’s quest to replace failing cooling pumps on a cosmic-ray detection experiment, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), on the International Space Station. The six-part show is centred around astronaut Chris Cassidy, astrophysicist Dr Samuel Ting, AMS project manager Ken Bollweg and a global cast of talented space professionals. The full series of Among the Stars is available to watch on…

“WE CAN BE AMAZING IF WE WANT TO BE”

PLUTO’S ATMOSPHERE IS STARTING TO DISAPPEAR

Focus on Pluto’s atmosphere PLUTO’S ATMOSPHERE IS STARTING TO DISAPPEAR The dwarf’s nitrogen-rich atmosphere is going through a strange transformation Reported by Chelsea Gohd © Getty “NITROGEN ICE RESERVOIRS ON PLUTO’S SURFACE WERE KEPT WARM BY STORED HEAT”LESLIE YOUNG © NASA The icy dwarf planet, which lies over 4.8 billion kilometres (3 billion miles) away from Earth in the Kuiper Belt, caught astronomers’ attention as it passed in front of a star back in 2018. With the star backlighting Pluto, a team of researchers was able to make observations of the dwarf planet and its atmosphere. With this unique view, they came to a surprising conclusion: they found evidence that Pluto’s atmosphere is starting to disappear. Using telescopes at multiple sites in both the US and Mexico, the team observed…

PLUTO’S ATMOSPHERE IS STARTING TO DISAPPEAR

NEW SATELLITE CONSTELLATION TO TRACK GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

A new mission will track human-made emissions of greenhouse gases from space to help keep the world on track to meet climate change mitigation targets. The new mission, announced by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union’s Earth-monitoring program Copernicus during the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow on 2 November, will rely on a dedicated constellation of satellites. The constellation, called anthropogenic CO2 emissions Monitoring and Verification Support Capacity (CO2MVS), is currently being developed by the ESA and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). Once in orbit, the satellites will measure concentrations of the two most common greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane, in unprecedented detail and in near real time. Carbon dioxide, which is released during fossil fuel combustion and in agriculture, is…

NEW SATELLITE CONSTELLATION TO TRACK GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

THE SPECS Planned launch: 24 November 2021 Launch rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9 Target: Didymos and Dimorphos Operators: NASA Orbital inclination: Halo orbit Estimated cost: $313.9 million (£227.9 million) DART impact: 26 September to 2 October 2022 Distance from Earth: 11 million kilometres (6.8 million miles) NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is an ambitious project designed to test a method of deflecting an asteroid for the purpose of planetary defence using the kinetic impactor technique. DART is to launch between 24 November 2021 and 12 February 2022, though the delayed launch window won’t impact the spacecraft’s scheduled arrival time at its target in late September 2022. DART’s target is a binary near-Earth asteroid: Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos. DART is the first planetary defence mission to test asteroid deflection methods. DART will deliberately impact the moonlet Dimorphos at speeds of…

THE MOST REALISTIC SPACE MOVIES

Realistic space movies THE MOST REALISTIC SPACE MOVIES THESE ARE THE MOST SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE SPACE MOVIES WE’VE SEEN… YOU WON’T FIND ARMAGEDDON ANYWHERE NEAR THIS LIST Written by Dan Whitehead © Getty Put away your warp drives and get out of here with your midi-chlorians, because we’re running down our list of the top five most realistic space movies. Hollywood doesn’t have a great reputation when it comes to scientific accuracy, but that’s okay. A movie’s primary function should be to entertain by telling a gripping story, not to be a big-screen textbook. Of course, when science is ignored to such a degree that a film becomes laughably unbelievable, then it becomes a problem. To list those movies would likely fill the entire magazine, as pulp-fiction spaceships zip from one…

THE MOST REALISTIC SPACE MOVIES

NEW SATELLITE CONSTELLATION TO TRACK GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Focus on CO2MVS NEW SATELLITE CONSTELLATION TO TRACK GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS The new mission will monitor human-made emissions from orbit Reported by Tereza Pultarova ©ESA A new mission will track human-made emissions of greenhouse gases from space to help keep the world on track to meet climate change mitigation targets. The new mission, announced by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union’s Earth-monitoring program Copernicus during the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow on 2 November, will rely on a dedicated constellation of satellites. The constellation, called anthropogenic CO2 emissions Monitoring and Verification Support Capacity (CO2MVS), is currently being developed by the ESA and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). Once in orbit, the satellites will measure concentrations of the two most common…

NEW SATELLITE CONSTELLATION TO TRACK GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Anatomy of DART

1 Roll Out Solar Arrays (ROSA) Each of the two arrays measures 8.6 by 2.3 metres (28.22 by 7.55 feet) when extended. They will provide the solar power needed for DART’s electric propulsion system. 2 Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical Navigation The DRACO camera is based on the highresolution imager from New Horizons and will aid spacecraft navigation and visual measurements of Dimorphos. 3 NEXT-C engine The NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster – Commercial solar-electric propulsion system utilises electric propulsion to power the spacecraft using energy from the Sun. 4 Radial Line Slot Array (RLSA) The high-gain antenna enables highly efficient communication with the spacecraft. DART TO SCALE DART SPACECRAFT 18 metres ARC DE TRIOMPHE 50 metres STATUE OF LIBERTY 93 metres DIMORPHOS 163 metres GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA 138 metres EIFFEL TOWER 324 metres ONE WORLD TRADE CENTRE 546 metres DIDYMOS 780 metres BURJ KHALIFA 830 metres…

Anatomy of DART

User manual DART DART MISSION © NASA THE SPECS Planned launch: 24 November 2021 Launch rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9 Target: Didymos and Dimorphos Operators: NASA Orbital inclination: Halo orbit Estimated cost: $313.9 million (£227.9 million) DART impact: 26 September to 2 October 2022 Distance from Earth: 11 million kilometres (6.8 million miles) NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is an ambitious project designed to test a method of deflecting an asteroid for the purpose of planetary defence using the kinetic impactor technique. DART is to launch between 24 November 2021 and 12 February 2022, though the delayed launch window won’t impact the spacecraft’s scheduled arrival time at its target in late September 2022. DART’s target is a binary near-Earth asteroid: Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos. DART is the first planetary…

DART VS HERA The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera will conduct post-impact investigations of DART’s collision. The spacecraft is planned to launch in 2024 and reach the Didymos system in 2026. The ESA’s Hera spacecraft will be joined by two cubesats. Together they will carry out surveys of both Didymos and Dimorphos, paying particular attention to the crater left by DART’s impact. The Hera mission also aims to determine a precise mass of Dimorphos. Though the two missions are designed and operated independently, together they will advance our understanding of planetary defence technologies. Members from both missions are part of an international collaboration known as Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA), a large international collaboration between the ESA, German Aerospace Center, the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, NASA and APL.…

Anatomy of DART

DART Anatomy of DART The simple box-shaped spacecraft contains just one instrument, but plenty of advanced tech © NASA 1 Roll Out Solar Arrays (ROSA) Each of the two arrays measures 8.6 by 2.3 metres (28.22 by 7.55 feet) when extended. They will provide the solar power needed for DART’s electric propulsion system. 2 Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical Navigation The DRACO camera is based on the highresolution imager from New Horizons and will aid spacecraft navigation and visual measurements of Dimorphos. 3 NEXT-C engine The NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster – Commercial solar-electric propulsion system utilises electric propulsion to power the spacecraft using energy from the Sun. 4 Radial Line Slot Array (RLSA) The high-gain antenna enables highly efficient communication with the spacecraft. DART TO SCALE DART SPACECRAFT…

Anatomy of DART

HOW TO DEFEND EARTH AGAINST AN ASTEROID

1 Find the asteroid Ground and spacebased telescopes are used to identify near Earth-objects (NEOs) that could pose a threat when entering Earth’s neighbourhood. 2 Track the asteroid When an NEO is detected, scientists map its orbit and make repeated observations to assess whether it’s on a collision course with Earth. 3 Characterise the asteroid Scientists then characterise the asteroid to determine orbit trajectory, size, shape, mass and composition to better understand how to deflect it. 4 Deflect the asteroid There are three main techniques to deflect an asteroid: use gravity to pull the asteroid off course, smash a spacecraft into the asteroid or use lasers to vaporise the asteroid. 5 Global coordination An impact would affect the world, and needs a cohesive worldwide response effort. Planetary defence requires advanced coordination and education of NEO threats.…

HOW TO DEFEND EARTH AGAINST AN ASTEROID

HEAD TO HEAD DART VS HERA The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera will conduct post-impact investigations of DART’s collision. The spacecraft is planned to launch in 2024 and reach the Didymos system in 2026. The ESA’s Hera spacecraft will be joined by two cubesats. Together they will carry out surveys of both Didymos and Dimorphos, paying particular attention to the crater left by DART’s impact. The Hera mission also aims to determine a precise mass of Dimorphos. Though the two missions are designed and operated independently, together they will advance our understanding of planetary defence technologies. Members from both missions are part of an international collaboration known as Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA), a large international collaboration between the ESA, German Aerospace Center, the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur,…

LARGEST COMET EVER DISCOVERED IS HEADED OUR WAY

An enormous comet – possibly the largest one ever detected – is barrelling towards the inner Solar System with an estimated arrival time of ten years from now. The comet, known as Bernardinelli-Bernstein, or officially C/2014 UN271, is at least 100 kilometres (62 miles) across – about 1,000 times more massive than a typical comet. It’s so large that astronomers previously mistook it for a dwarf planet. A closer analysis of the object revealed that it was moving rapidly through the Oort Cloud – a vast scrap yard of icy rocks billions of miles from Earth. The object appeared to be headed our way, and it even had a glowing tail, or ‘coma’, behind it – a clear indication of an icy comet approaching the relatively warm inner Solar System. Now researchers…

LARGEST COMET EVER DISCOVERED IS HEADED OUR WAY

14 INCREDIBLE GALAXIES

1 PRETTY PINWHEEL MESSIER 83 Messier 83 is a large, photogenic spiral galaxy with a bar-shaped centre. It sits 15 million light years away in the constellation of Hydra. Messier 83 is weird in a couple of ways. First, it appears to have a double nucleus at its centre – perhaps the mark of two supermassive black holes holding the galaxy together, or perhaps the effect of a lopsided disc of stars orbiting a single central black hole. Secondly, Messier 83 is a supernova supersite. Astronomers have directly observed six of these stellar explosions in the galaxy, along with remnants of 300 more. This puts Messier 83 in second place for supernovae – only the galaxy NGC 6946 has produced more observable stellar explosions, with nine. 2 TWO HEARTS NGC 7674 Most galaxies…

14 INCREDIBLE GALAXIES

HOW TO DEFEND EARTH AGAINST AN ASTEROID

HOW TO DEFEND EARTH AGAINST AN ASTEROID © Nicholas Forder 1 Find the asteroid Ground and spacebased telescopes are used to identify near Earth-objects (NEOs) that could pose a threat when entering Earth’s neighbourhood. 2 Track the asteroid When an NEO is detected, scientists map its orbit and make repeated observations to assess whether it’s on a collision course with Earth. 3 Characterise the asteroid Scientists then characterise the asteroid to determine orbit trajectory, size, shape, mass and composition to better understand how to deflect it. 4 Deflect the asteroid There are three main techniques to deflect an asteroid: use gravity to pull the asteroid off course, smash a spacecraft into the asteroid or use lasers to vaporise the asteroid. 5 Global coordination An impact would affect the world, and…

HOW TO DEFEND EARTH AGAINST AN ASTEROID

FRESH MOON ROCKS ARE YOUNGER THAN THE APOLLO SAMPLES

New analyses of Moon rocks delivered to Earth by China’s Chang’e 5 mission confirm that volcanism occurred later than previously known, but also deepen the mysteries surrounding that activity. Chang’e 5 collected 1.73 kilograms of rock from a region called Oceanus Procellarum on the near side of the Moon in December 2020. The mission team targeted this landing area because of its apparent lower density of craters, suggesting it was significantly younger than areas sampled by the Apollo and Soviet Luna missions. The samples were first processed and catalogued, and the first batch of samples was approved for release in June. Since then, various teams of scientists have been working to learn what the rocks can tell us about the Moon and the history of our Solar System. A paper published…

FRESH MOON ROCKS ARE YOUNGER THAN THE APOLLO SAMPLES

WHY IS GAS MISSING ON URANUS AND NEPTUNE?

Let’s get one thing out of the way… ammonia stinks. It’s a colourless, irritating gas that occurs naturally, and one whiff of the strong odour can feel sharply suffocating. Even so, it’s essential. You’ll find it in the air, water and soil here on Earth, and while too much of it can be harmful, it’s necessary for the growth of plants and crops. Ammonia is also produced in our bodies by bacteria in our intestines and by our bodies’ cells when we process protein. Passed through the liver as waste, it ends up being directed through the kidneys and removed in our urine. So yes, ammonia smells, but it’s also fascinating. Found across the universe, it’s been the subject of many scientific studies over the years. In 2016, for instance, there…

WHY IS GAS MISSING ON URANUS AND NEPTUNE?

LARGEST COMET EVER DISCOVERED IS HEADED OUR WAY

Focus on Bernardinelli-Bernstein LARGEST COMET EVER DISCOVERED IS HEADED OUR WAY Bernardinelli-Bernstein is making its trip towards the Sun Reported by Brandon Specktor ©NOIRLab An enormous comet – possibly the largest one ever detected – is barrelling towards the inner Solar System with an estimated arrival time of ten years from now. The comet, known as Bernardinelli-Bernstein, or officially C/2014 UN271, is at least 100 kilometres (62 miles) across – about 1,000 times more massive than a typical comet. It’s so large that astronomers previously mistook it for a dwarf planet. A closer analysis of the object revealed that it was moving rapidly through the Oort Cloud – a vast scrap yard of icy rocks billions of miles from Earth. The object appeared to be headed our way, and it…

LARGEST COMET EVER DISCOVERED IS HEADED OUR WAY

MUSHBALLS BY NUMBERS

ONE Weight in kilograms TWO-THIRDS The amount of water contained in a mushball ONE-THIRD The amount of ammonia contained in a mushball 10CM Diameter of a mushball – roughly the size of a baseball 1989 When Voyager 2 flew by Neptune and Uranus -90°C Temperature at which mushballs start to form 50KM The extent the troposphere extends above the surface of Jupiter FOUR All of the Solar System’s gas giants are thought to experience mushballs 2016 Year Juno began orbiting Jupiter ZERO Missions planned for Neptune and Uranus…

14 INCREDIBLE GALAXIES

Incredible galaxies 14 INCREDIBLE GALAXIES Out beyond our Milky Way there are galaxies shaped like jellyfish, galaxies that consume others and galaxies that seem to lack the dark matter that pervades the rest of the universe Written by Stephanie Pappas © NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage 1 PRETTY PINWHEEL MESSIER 83 Messier 83 is a large, photogenic spiral galaxy with a bar-shaped centre. It sits 15 million light years away in the constellation of Hydra. Messier 83 is weird in a couple of ways. First, it appears to have a double nucleus at its centre – perhaps the mark of two supermassive black holes holding the galaxy together, or perhaps the effect of a lopsided disc of stars orbiting a single central black hole. Secondly, Messier 83 is a supernova…

14 INCREDIBLE GALAXIES

FRESH MOON ROCKS ARE YOUNGER THAN THE APOLLO SAMPLES

Focus on Moon rocks FRESH MOON ROCKS ARE YOUNGER THAN THE APOLLO SAMPLES Chang’e 5’s delivery has brought new insights about our celestial companion Reported by Andrew Jones New analyses of Moon rocks delivered to Earth by China’s Chang’e 5 mission confirm that volcanism occurred later than previously known, but also deepen the mysteries surrounding that activity. Chang’e 5 collected 1.73 kilograms of rock from a region called Oceanus Procellarum on the near side of the Moon in December 2020. The mission team targeted this landing area because of its apparent lower density of craters, suggesting it was significantly younger than areas sampled by the Apollo and Soviet Luna missions. The samples were first processed and catalogued, and the first batch of samples was approved for release in June. Since…

FRESH MOON ROCKS ARE YOUNGER THAN THE APOLLO SAMPLES

HOW MUSHBALLS FORM

1 STRONG UPDRAFT Here on Jupiter, a powerful thunderstorm is raging some 65 kilometres (40 miles) beneath a bank of clouds, visible during observations. Liquid water and water-ice particles are sent high into the gas giant’s atmosphere by an upward current of air generated by the cloud. 2 TURNING TO ICE The water particles are now sufficiently high enough – 19 kilometres (12 miles) up – that they all freeze and turn to ice due to the very low temperatures. 3 TRANSFORMATION The ice particles reach an area rich in ammonia vapour, with temperatures between -85 and -150 degrees Celsius (-121 and 238 degrees Fahrenheit). The ammonia vapour is like antifreeze, liquefying the ice. 4 AMMONIA-WATER DROPLETS The ammonia-water droplets start to grow, becoming as heavy as one kilogram. A solid icy shell forms around a slushy…

HOW MUSHBALLS FORM

WHY IS GAS MISSING ON URANUS AND NEPTUNE?

Missing gas MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE WHY IS GAS MISSING ON URANUS AND NEPTUNE? We might have an explanation for why the two ice giants don’t have the expected levels of ammonia Reported by David Crookes © Tobias Roetsch Let’s get one thing out of the way… ammonia stinks. It’s a colourless, irritating gas that occurs naturally, and one whiff of the strong odour can feel sharply suffocating. Even so, it’s essential. You’ll find it in the air, water and soil here on Earth, and while too much of it can be harmful, it’s necessary for the growth of plants and crops. Ammonia is also produced in our bodies by bacteria in our intestines and by our bodies’ cells when we process protein. Passed through the liver as waste, it…

WHY IS GAS MISSING ON URANUS AND NEPTUNE?

THE PLANETS SIMPLY FORMED THAT WAY Neptune and Uranus may simply have formed under special conditions from material that was also poor in ammonia. That would account for an absence of ammonia in the upper atmosphere, but it would also mean that the two ice giants formed in a very different way to Jupiter and Saturn. THE PLANETS MIGRATED FROM ELSEWHERE Jupiter and Saturn may have formed in the coldest reaches of the protosolar disc where ammonia and nitrogen were solid; Uranus and Neptune could have formed inside the region and accumulated little nitrogen. But since Jupiter and Saturn are closer to the Sun now, the planets would have switched position. THERE’S AN ONGOING PROCESS INVOLVED The alternative explanation is that something must be happening to strip the ice giants’ upper atmospheres of ammonia. A…

MUSHBALLS BY NUMBERS

MUSHBALLS BY NUMBERS ONE Weight in kilograms TWO-THIRDS The amount of water contained in a mushball ONE-THIRD The amount of ammonia contained in a mushball 10CM Diameter of a mushball – roughly the size of a baseball 1989 When Voyager 2 flew by Neptune and Uranus -90°C Temperature at which mushballs start to form 50KM The extent the troposphere extends above the surface of Jupiter FOUR All of the Solar System’s gas giants are thought to experience mushballs 2016 Year Juno began orbiting Jupiter ZERO Missions planned for Neptune and Uranus…

BABY PLANETS MARINATE IN A LIFE-GIVING CYANIDE ‘SOUP’

The universe may be teeming with the molecules needed for life. The results come from the most comprehensive maps ever made of the types and locations of chemicals in the gas and dust surrounding newborn stars. Stars spring from enormous clouds of gas and dust, which collapse under their own weight into disc-like structures. The centres of these discs heat up through friction and increased pressure until they ignite into fusion-powered stars, while the surrounding matter slowly clumps together into ever-larger chunks. “We have known for some time that planets form in discs around young stars and that these discs contain molecules of interest for predicting the future compositions of planets,” said Karin Öberg, an astrochemist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A few years ago, Öberg and her colleagues decided to…

BABY PLANETS MARINATE IN A LIFE-GIVING CYANIDE ‘SOUP’

HOW MUSHBALLS FORM

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE HOW MUSHBALLS FORM The theory is based on a discovery that mushballs form high in Jupiter’s atmosphere © Getty © Nicholas Forder 1 STRONG UPDRAFT Here on Jupiter, a powerful thunderstorm is raging some 65 kilometres (40 miles) beneath a bank of clouds, visible during observations. Liquid water and water-ice particles are sent high into the gas giant’s atmosphere by an upward current of air generated by the cloud. 2 TURNING TO ICE The water particles are now sufficiently high enough – 19 kilometres (12 miles) up – that they all freeze and turn to ice due to the very low temperatures. 3 TRANSFORMATION The ice particles reach an area rich in ammonia vapour, with temperatures between -85 and -150 degrees Celsius (-121 and 238 degrees…

HOW MUSHBALLS FORM

SOLAR SYSTEM Why is the Sun’s atmosphere hotter than its surface? The Sun’s atmosphere is hotter than its surface because of energy transported and deposited by the Sun’s magnetic field. The magnetic field is created in the solar interior and carried outwards to fill the atmosphere by the motion of hot bubbles of plasma in the Sun. In the atmosphere, the field lines are constantly moved by the motions of the magnetic footpoints at the Sun’s surface. These motions cause waves and reconfiguration of the atmospheric field. These in turn act to heat the atmospheric plasma. Since the atmosphere is a plasma – a gas of electrons and protons not combined into atoms – the magnetic field and the gas are interconnected; if you move the field, you move the gas, and vice…

THE THEORIES Why is there a lack of ammonia in Neptune and Uranus’ atmospheres? THE PLANETS SIMPLY FORMED THAT WAY Neptune and Uranus may simply have formed under special conditions from material that was also poor in ammonia. That would account for an absence of ammonia in the upper atmosphere, but it would also mean that the two ice giants formed in a very different way to Jupiter and Saturn. THE PLANETS MIGRATED FROM ELSEWHERE Jupiter and Saturn may have formed in the coldest reaches of the protosolar disc where ammonia and nitrogen were solid; Uranus and Neptune could have formed inside the region and accumulated little nitrogen. But since Jupiter and Saturn are closer to the Sun now, the planets would have switched position. © NASA THERE’S AN ONGOING…

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS

TURN TO PAGE 76 CANON EOS RA CAMERA REVIEW It’s tough to know where to start with night-sky photography. Our astrophotography for beginners guide is here to make things a little easier for you and to demystify the process of shooting the stars. While astrophotography as a hobby can require both financial investment and plenty of patience, the results are often spectacular. You can achieve great star photos with any camera – and even some smartphones – though one of the best cameras for astrophotography will help. Once you know the basic techniques, there are so many ways to get creative with your astroimages. While it can be time-consuming, the best advice we can give astrophotography beginners is to just do some research, have a go and learn from your mistakes each…

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS

OPTIMAL SETTINGS

CAMERA SHOOTING MODE Shoot in manual. You will need to set the shutter speed and ISO manually. And don’t forget that you want your aperture as wide as possible in almost all situations, so set it to an f-number of f/4 or lower. We recommend f/2.8 or lower. IMAGE FILE TYPE Astrophotography can be broadly split into two separate areas: photography and post-processing. In order to process your newly acquired astroimages back at home, you’ll need to shoot in RAW so that you capture and retain as much data as possible. SHUTTER SPEED The aim is to capture as much light as possible while at the same time avoiding noticeable star movement in the image, known as star trailing. The longer the focal length of your lens, the shorter the shutter speed will need to…

OPTIMAL SETTINGS

BABY PLANETS MARINATE IN A LIFE-GIVING CYANIDE ‘SOUP’

Focus on Baby planets BABY PLANETS MARINATE IN A LIFE-GIVING CYANIDE ‘SOUP’ New data may have filled gaps in our understanding of planet formation Reported by Adam Mann ©NASA/JPL-Caltech The universe may be teeming with the molecules needed for life. The results come from the most comprehensive maps ever made of the types and locations of chemicals in the gas and dust surrounding newborn stars. Stars spring from enormous clouds of gas and dust, which collapse under their own weight into disc-like structures. The centres of these discs heat up through friction and increased pressure until they ignite into fusion-powered stars, while the surrounding matter slowly clumps together into ever-larger chunks. “We have known for some time that planets form in discs around young stars and that these discs contain…

BABY PLANETS MARINATE IN A LIFE-GIVING CYANIDE ‘SOUP’

TOP TIPS AND ADVICE

FOREGROUND If you’re trying to balance light between the foreground and the night sky, we suggest you take multiple exposures and merge the images when you edit, as you will require different settings to get the best of each. You may even find that getting your foreground shots an hour or so earlier, during the blue hour, will help, as there is more light to work with for your foreground objects. This isn’t always possible, though. REFLECTIONS If you’re shooting the night sky near a lake and the weather is still, there’s a great opportunity to reflect the stars in the water. There are several ways to do this, depending on the conditions. We prefer to do the hard work in the shoot, so would suggest changing your focal point to the water…

TOP TIPS AND ADVICE

ASK Space Our experts answer your questions SOLAR SYSTEM Why is the Sun’s atmosphere hotter than its surface? The Sun’s atmosphere is hotter than its surface because of energy transported and deposited by the Sun’s magnetic field. The magnetic field is created in the solar interior and carried outwards to fill the atmosphere by the motion of hot bubbles of plasma in the Sun. In the atmosphere, the field lines are constantly moved by the motions of the magnetic footpoints at the Sun’s surface. These motions cause waves and reconfiguration of the atmospheric field. These in turn act to heat the atmospheric plasma. Since the atmosphere is a plasma – a gas of electrons and protons not combined into atoms – the magnetic field and the gas are interconnected; if…

TOP TARGETS FOR BEGINNERS

ANDROMEDA (MESSIER 31) Constellation: Andromeda Located 2.5 million light years away is the nearest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. Andromeda can be spotted by first finding the constellation of Cassiopeia. Locate its star Schedar, which will appear to point to the Andromeda Galaxy. THE PLEIADES (MESSIER 45) Constellation: Taurus Also known as the ‘Seven Sisters’, this open star cluster consists of more than 800 stars. To find the Pleiades, follow the three stars in Orion’s Belt and then go up past his bow. The first bright star is Aldebaran, and the cluster is located a little further along. THE ORION NEBULA (MESSIER 42) Constellation: Orion This emission-reflection nebula is one of the brightest nebulae in the sky and can even be visible to the naked eye. You can find the nebula halfway down Orion’s Sword, appearing…

TOP TARGETS FOR BEGINNERS

WHAT’S IN THE SKY?

“A PLANET IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SUN WHEN IT AND EARTH ARE ALIGNED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SUN” RED-LIGHT FRIENDLY In order to preserve your night vision, you should read our observing guide under red light JARGON BUSTER Conjunction A conjunction is an alignment of objects at the same celestial longitude. The conjunction of the Moon and the planets is determined with reference to the Sun. A planet is in conjunction with the Sun when it and Earth are aligned on opposite sides of the Sun. Right Ascension (RA) Right Ascension is to the sky what longitude is to the surface of the Earth, corresponding to east and west directions. It is measured in hours, minutes and seconds since, as the Earth rotates on its axis, we see different parts of the sky throughout the…

WHAT’S IN THE SKY?

THIS MONTH’S PLANETS

PLANET OF THE MONTH Whether you’re a panicking last-minute Christmas shopper or a cheering New Year reveller, you will be able to see a beautiful ‘Christmas star’ in the sky this month. Throughout December, Venus will be visible as a bright evening star, glinting in the south-southwest after sunset. It will become visible as a spark of silvery-white as soon as twilight begins to darken the western sky, and it will have company during the festive period – several other planets will be in the same part of the sky, and the Moon will drift past it as well. Shining at magnitude -4.7, Venus will be brighter than every other planet and star in the sky, so bright that not even the light pollution which now blights so many of our towns…

THIS MONTH’S PLANETS

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS IN THIS GUIDE, WE COVER EVERYTHING FROM CAMERA SETTINGS TO EQUIPMENT TO EDITING TIPS Written by Stuart Cornell ©Alamy TURN TO PAGE 76 CANON EOS RA CAMERA REVIEW It’s tough to know where to start with night-sky photography. Our astrophotography for beginners guide is here to make things a little easier for you and to demystify the process of shooting the stars. While astrophotography as a hobby can require both financial investment and plenty of patience, the results are often spectacular. You can achieve great star photos with any camera – and even some smartphones – though one of the best cameras for astrophotography will help. Once you know the basic techniques, there are so many ways to get creative with your astroimages. While it can be…

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS

OPTIMAL SETTINGS

OPTIMAL SETTINGS There are a handful of basic rules you can follow to maximise your chances of nailing that astroshot CAMERA SHOOTING MODE Shoot in manual. You will need to set the shutter speed and ISO manually. And don’t forget that you want your aperture as wide as possible in almost all situations, so set it to an f-number of f/4 or lower. We recommend f/2.8 or lower. IMAGE FILE TYPE Astrophotography can be broadly split into two separate areas: photography and post-processing. In order to process your newly acquired astroimages back at home, you’ll need to shoot in RAW so that you capture and retain as much data as possible. SHUTTER SPEED The aim is to capture as much light as possible while at the same time avoiding noticeable…

OPTIMAL SETTINGS

EDDINGTON CRATER

Usually the lunar features we profile here are very easy to find, if not with the naked eye then at least through a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. They are large, bright craters; wide, dark seas or towering sunlit mountain ranges. This month’s target is going to provide you with much more of a challenge: it’s small, tucked away almost on the Moon’s limb and so tricky to spot you probably won’t find it the first time you look… Eddington crater is named in honour of British astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington, one of the first astronomers to figure out the nuclear processes that take place in the hearts of stars. Born in the picturesque Lake District town of Kendal, Eddington was a contemporary of Albert Einstein, with the great…

EDDINGTON CRATER

NAKED EYE & BINOCULAR TARGETS

1 Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star 650 times wider than our Sun. Shining at magnitude +0.56, it’s the ninth-brightest star in the sky and lies 500 light years away. Astronomers have predicted that it will explode as a supernova one day, and will then shine brighter than the Moon. 2 The Pleiades (Messier 45) One of the most famous and loved star clusters in the sky, the Pleiades is also known as the ‘Seven Sisters‘ because its seven brightest stars can be seen with the naked eye, forming a ‘mini Dipper’ shape. Binoculars reveal it contains hundreds of glittering blue-white stars. 3 The Hyades (Melotte 25) This distinctive V-shaped star cluster – representing the horns of Taurus, the Bull – is obvious to the naked eye. It has five naked-eye stars,…

NAKED EYE & BINOCULAR TARGETS

TOP TIPS AND ADVICE

Astrophotography for beginners TOP TIPS AND ADVICE Tricks to make your astrophotography images really stand out FOREGROUND If you’re trying to balance light between the foreground and the night sky, we suggest you take multiple exposures and merge the images when you edit, as you will require different settings to get the best of each. You may even find that getting your foreground shots an hour or so earlier, during the blue hour, will help, as there is more light to work with for your foreground objects. This isn’t always possible, though. REFLECTIONS If you’re shooting the night sky near a lake and the weather is still, there’s a great opportunity to reflect the stars in the water. There are several ways to do this, depending on the conditions. We…

TOP TIPS AND ADVICE

TOP TARGETS FOR BEGINNERS

TOP TARGETS FOR BEGINNERS ©Getty ANDROMEDA (MESSIER 31) Constellation: Andromeda Located 2.5 million light years away is the nearest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. Andromeda can be spotted by first finding the constellation of Cassiopeia. Locate its star Schedar, which will appear to point to the Andromeda Galaxy. THE PLEIADES (MESSIER 45) Constellation: Taurus Also known as the ‘Seven Sisters’, this open star cluster consists of more than 800 stars. To find the Pleiades, follow the three stars in Orion’s Belt and then go up past his bow. The first bright star is Aldebaran, and the cluster is located a little further along. x3Iamges©Getty THE ORION NEBULA (MESSIER 42) Constellation: Orion This emission-reflection nebula is one of the brightest nebulae in the sky and can even be visible…

TOP TARGETS FOR BEGINNERS

ORION’S DEEP-SPACE TREASURES

As the year draws to a close, nights are often sparkling clear and still, and everyone enjoys setting up their telescope on the frosty grass and gazing in awe and wonder at the green-and-grey billows and swirls of the Orion Nebula. But Orion has much more to offer than just that 1,400-light-year-distant stellar nursery. In and around the Hunter there are more subtle, more challenging wonders to hunt down. This month we will help you point your telescope towards objects famous and obscure. Most observers have heard of the Horsehead Nebula, but few have actually seen it – we’ll help you track it down. We also have a beautiful double star and a nebula that is as puzzling as it is pretty. When you head out to observe the sky this month,…

ORION’S DEEP-SPACE TREASURES

THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

If you’re a fan of splitting double stars with your telescope then head over to Aries (the Ram), which makes its appearance this month, bordered by the star patterns of Taurus (the Bull), Pisces (the Fishes) and Cetus (the Whale). In particular, binary star systems Lambda Arietis, Epsilon Arietis and Mesarthim are splendid targets to resolve for astronomers with medium to large-sized telescopes. Meanwhile, orange giants Hamal (the Head of the Ram) and Botein (Little Belly) can be picked out using nothing more than the naked eye. Orion (the Hunter) is also prominent in the December skies, featuring red supergiant Betelgeuse, De Mairan’s Nebula (Messier 43) and the stunning Orion Nebula (Messier 42). USING THE SKY CHART This chart is for use at 22:00 midmonth and is set for 52° latitude. 1 Hold…

THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

WHAT’S IN THE SKY?

STARGAZER WHAT’S IN THE SKY? “A PLANET IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SUN WHEN IT AND EARTH ARE ALIGNED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SUN” Source: Wild Commons© David St, Louis Source: Wild commons © Stephen Rahn Source: Wild commons © Astronomical Institute of the Charles University RED-LIGHT FRIENDLY In order to preserve your night vision, you should read our observing guide under red light JARGON BUSTER Conjunction A conjunction is an alignment of objects at the same celestial longitude. The conjunction of the Moon and the planets is determined with reference to the Sun. A planet is in conjunction with the Sun when it and Earth are aligned on opposite sides of the Sun. Right Ascension (RA) Right Ascension is to the sky what longitude is to the surface…

WHAT’S IN THE SKY?

THIS MONTH’S PLANETS

STARGAZER Planets THIS MONTH’S PLANETS Look out for a bright ‘Christmas star’ gracing the evening sky this holiday season PLANET OF THE MONTH Whether you’re a panicking last-minute Christmas shopper or a cheering New Year reveller, you will be able to see a beautiful ‘Christmas star’ in the sky this month. Throughout December, Venus will be visible as a bright evening star, glinting in the south-southwest after sunset. It will become visible as a spark of silvery-white as soon as twilight begins to darken the western sky, and it will have company during the festive period – several other planets will be in the same part of the sky, and the Moon will drift past it as well. Shining at magnitude -4.7, Venus will be brighter than every other planet…

THIS MONTH’S PLANETS

ASTROSHOTS OF THE MONTH

Terry Hancock Location: Michigan Telescope: 12” Ritchey-Chrétien reflector and Takahashi E180 astrograph “My interest in astronomy and photography began some 40 years ago in Australia. Inspired by Sir Patrick Moore, my first telescope was a 4.5- inch Newtonian, and I enjoyed many nights in the pollution-free night skies of the hot Australian outback. It was often so dark that the Milky Way cast a shadow on the ground. The skies are mediocre in western Michigan where I observe from these evenings. I pride myself in taking really long exposures of deepsky objects and always try to maintain a natural look.” “IT WAS OFTEN SO DARK THAT THE MILKY WAY CAST A SHADOW ON THE GROUND” Warren Keller Location: West Virginia Telescope: 16” RCOS Ritchey-Chrétien owned by the University of North Carolina “I’m an advanced astrophotographer and teacher…

ASTROSHOTS OF THE MONTH

CAMERA ADVICE Cost: £2,599.99 / $2,499.99 From: Canon Type: Mirrorless Kit lens: N/A, sold with or without EF converter Sensor: 30.3 megapixels Lens mount: RF, but can use EF with a converter ISO range: 100 to 40,000 (50 to 102,400 expandable) Viewfinder size/resolution: 3.2” 3.69M-dot OLED Video capability: 4K Weight: 660 grams Size: 13.4 x 9.9 x 8.3 centimetres Memory card type: Single SD BEST FOR… LARGE BUDGETS SERIOUS ASTROPHOTOGRAPHERS WIDE-ANGLE PHOTOGRAPHY SOLAR SYSTEM DEEP SKY Astrophotographers and landscape photographers looking to try and emphasise the colours of the nebulae in their work now have a serious piece of kit available to help them achieve this in the Canon EOS Ra. Differentiating from dedicated astrophotography cameras normally used on telescopes, the Canon EOS Ra interlinks the rest of Canon’s RF mirrorless system, resulting in an array of interchangeable lenses. With a familiar feel for existing EOS R users, the…

EDDINGTON CRATER

STARGAZER MOON TOUR EDDINGTON CRATER Challenge yourself this month by locating one of the trickiest impacts on the lunar surface Usually the lunar features we profile here are very easy to find, if not with the naked eye then at least through a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. They are large, bright craters; wide, dark seas or towering sunlit mountain ranges. This month’s target is going to provide you with much more of a challenge: it’s small, tucked away almost on the Moon’s limb and so tricky to spot you probably won’t find it the first time you look… Eddington crater is named in honour of British astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington, one of the first astronomers to figure out the nuclear processes that take place in the hearts…

EDDINGTON CRATER

NAKED EYE & BINOCULAR TARGETS

NAKED EYE & BINOCULAR TARGETS There’s a wealth of winter wonders to enjoy gazing at this December 1 Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star 650 times wider than our Sun. Shining at magnitude +0.56, it’s the ninth-brightest star in the sky and lies 500 light years away. Astronomers have predicted that it will explode as a supernova one day, and will then shine brighter than the Moon. 2 The Pleiades (Messier 45) One of the most famous and loved star clusters in the sky, the Pleiades is also known as the ‘Seven Sisters‘ because its seven brightest stars can be seen with the naked eye, forming a ‘mini Dipper’ shape. Binoculars reveal it contains hundreds of glittering blue-white stars. 3 The Hyades (Melotte 25) This distinctive V-shaped…

NAKED EYE & BINOCULAR TARGETS

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

FOR YOUR HOME FLOATING 3D MOON NIGHT LIGHT LAMP Cost: £182 ($239.97) From: encalife.com 1 Guaranteed to make an impact in any room, this light harnesses magnetic-levitation technology to produce a Moon that looks like it’s floating in mid-air. The light is finished with a realistic lunar texture and measures 14.5 centimetres (5.7 inches) in diameter. With three Moon colours to choose from, whether it be a warm, yellow glow or a crisp Moon white, there’s a setting to suit every mood. The sleek design incorporates a simple touch switch on the base, requiring nothing more than a tap to bring the magic of the Moon into your home. FOR STOCKING FILLERS CONSTELLATION SOCKS Cost: £10 (approx. $13.45) From: shop.rmg.co.uk 2 What do you buy someone who has everything? Constellation socks! These stellar accessories will add a touch of…

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

JAMES ‘JIM’ LOVELL

A retired NASA astronaut who flew on Gemini and Apollo missions, Lovell is most famous for his role as commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13. At the time of the mission, Lovell had spent more time in space than anyone in the world, and in total logged over 700 hours in space. Lovell was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in March 1928. He developed an interest in rocket science as a high school student and went on to study engineering at the University of Wisconsin. Lovell then attended the United States Naval Academy, where he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1952. In 1958, Lovell graduated from the Navy’s test pilot school, spending the next several years testing fighter aircraft and other jets. The Navy’s test pilots were among the best…

JAMES ‘JIM’ LOVELL

ORION’S DEEP-SPACE TREASURES

Deep sky challenge STARGAZER ORION’S DEEP-SPACE TREASURES The mighty Hunter has a horde of little-known treasures for you to track down and enjoy Source: Wikipedia Commons © Ken Crawford As the year draws to a close, nights are often sparkling clear and still, and everyone enjoys setting up their telescope on the frosty grass and gazing in awe and wonder at the green-and-grey billows and swirls of the Orion Nebula. But Orion has much more to offer than just that 1,400-light-year-distant stellar nursery. In and around the Hunter there are more subtle, more challenging wonders to hunt down. This month we will help you point your telescope towards objects famous and obscure. Most observers have heard of the Horsehead Nebula, but few have actually seen it – we’ll help you…

ORION’S DEEP-SPACE TREASURES

THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

STARGAZER THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE There’s an impressive array of targets to enjoy, including galaxies, nebulae and vibrant double stars If you’re a fan of splitting double stars with your telescope then head over to Aries (the Ram), which makes its appearance this month, bordered by the star patterns of Taurus (the Bull), Pisces (the Fishes) and Cetus (the Whale). In particular, binary star systems Lambda Arietis, Epsilon Arietis and Mesarthim are splendid targets to resolve for astronomers with medium to large-sized telescopes. Meanwhile, orange giants Hamal (the Head of the Ram) and Botein (Little Belly) can be picked out using nothing more than the naked eye. Orion (the Hunter) is also prominent in the December skies, featuring red supergiant Betelgeuse, De Mairan’s Nebula (Messier 43) and the stunning Orion Nebula…

THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

ASTROSHOTS OF THE MONTH

Astroshots STARGAZER ASTROSHOTS OF THE MONTH Get featured in All About Space by sending your astrophotography images to space@spaceanswers.com Terry Hancock Location: Michigan Telescope: 12” Ritchey-Chrétien reflector and Takahashi E180 astrograph “My interest in astronomy and photography began some 40 years ago in Australia. Inspired by Sir Patrick Moore, my first telescope was a 4.5- inch Newtonian, and I enjoyed many nights in the pollution-free night skies of the hot Australian outback. It was often so dark that the Milky Way cast a shadow on the ground. The skies are mediocre in western Michigan where I observe from these evenings. I pride myself in taking really long exposures of deepsky objects and always try to maintain a natural look.” “IT WAS OFTEN SO DARK THAT THE MILKY WAY CAST A…

ASTROSHOTS OF THE MONTH

Canon EOS RA STARGAZER REVIEW CANON EOS RA This DSLR gives astrophotographers and landscape photographers everything they need to capture the colours in their work Reviewed by Ollie Taylor CAMERA ADVICE Cost: £2,599.99 / $2,499.99 From: Canon Type: Mirrorless Kit lens: N/A, sold with or without EF converter Sensor: 30.3 megapixels Lens mount: RF, but can use EF with a converter ISO range: 100 to 40,000 (50 to 102,400 expandable) Viewfinder size/resolution: 3.2” 3.69M-dot OLED Video capability: 4K Weight: 660 grams Size: 13.4 x 9.9 x 8.3 centimetres Memory card type: Single SD BEST FOR… LARGE BUDGETS SERIOUS ASTROPHOTOGRAPHERS WIDE-ANGLE PHOTOGRAPHY SOLAR SYSTEM DEEP SKY x3 Images ©Canon Astrophotographers and landscape photographers looking to try and emphasise the colours of the nebulae in their work now have a serious piece…

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Christmas gift guide STARGAZER CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE With the holiday season just around the corner, All About Space selects presents that are sure to delight any space fan FOR YOUR HOME FLOATING 3D MOON NIGHT LIGHT LAMP Cost: £182 ($239.97) From: encalife.com 1 Guaranteed to make an impact in any room, this light harnesses magnetic-levitation technology to produce a Moon that looks like it’s floating in mid-air. The light is finished with a realistic lunar texture and measures 14.5 centimetres (5.7 inches) in diameter. With three Moon colours to choose from, whether it be a warm, yellow glow or a crisp Moon white, there’s a setting to suit every mood. The sleek design incorporates a simple touch switch on the base, requiring nothing more than a tap to bring the…

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

JAMES ‘JIM’ LOVELL

HEROES OF SPACE JAMES ‘JIM’ LOVELL A space veteran who completed four impressive missions, including the ill-fated Apollo 13 A retired NASA astronaut who flew on Gemini and Apollo missions, Lovell is most famous for his role as commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13. At the time of the mission, Lovell had spent more time in space than anyone in the world, and in total logged over 700 hours in space. Lovell was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in March 1928. He developed an interest in rocket science as a high school student and went on to study engineering at the University of Wisconsin. Lovell then attended the United States Naval Academy, where he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1952. In 1958, Lovell graduated from the Navy’s test…

JAMES ‘JIM’ LOVELL

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