Where you want to go depends on where you are. And if you've got a GPS
system in your hands, and the most accurate clock ever sent into space
The GIOVE-B satellite lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 27th at 4:16 am local
time (22:13 UTC Saturday), and placed the Galileo In-Orbit Validation
Element B (GIOVE-B) satellite into a 23,200 km orbit. overhead, you'll always know exactly where you are. ESA's GIOVE-B
satellite blasted into space on Sunday, taking the next step for the
deployment of a European satellite navigation system.
Ground controllers confirmed that the satellite deployed its twin solar panels, and it was generating electricity within about 5 hours of launch.
On board GIOVE-B are two redundant rubidium atomic clocks, but these are just backups. The really accurate timepiece is the Passive Hydrogen Maser, which has a stability of better than 1 nanosecond a day. There's no risk of losing track of time with this - it's the most stable clock operating in Earth orbit.
GIOVE-B is still just a technology demonstration. It will be followed in 2010 by the launch of the first 4 operational satellites that make up the Galileo navigation system. The European plan to eventually have a constellation of 30 identical satellites operating in a constellation.
Original Source: ESA News Release
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10 Satellites Launched in Record Setting Mission for India (Video)
India’s space agency sent a record 10 satellites into Earth orbit with a single launch early Monday.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket ejected all the satellites within minutes of each other after liftoff from the Sriharikota space station in southern India. Initial signals indicated all the satellites were working normally.
India is seeking to compete with other space-faring nations for commercial launch services, and this mission's success demonstrates India's ability to launch multiple payloads into precise orbit.
The flight breaks the previous record of eight satellites launched at once by a Russian rocket, according to Indian news reports.
Read the rest of 10
Satellites Launched in Record Setting Mission for India (Video)
Globular Clusters Are Less Evolved than Astronomers Thought
Some of the oldest structures in the Milky Way are the
globular clusters. Ancient collections of millions of stars, that have held
together by mutual gravity over billions of years. But new data collected by
NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory casts doubt on their "ancient nature". They
might be surprisingly less mature than astronomers previously believed.
Read the rest of Globular Clusters Are Less Evolved than Astronomers Thought
Podcast: The End of the Universe Part 1: The End of the Solar System
This is a show we wanted to do since we started Astronomy
Cast but we always thought it was too early.
We wanted you to know that we're positive, happy people with enthusiasm for astronomy and the future.
It's time for some sadness. It's time for a grim look to see what the future holds for the Universe. This week we stay close to home and consider the end of humanity, the Earth, the Sun, and the entire Solar System. Next week we'll extend out to the very end of the Universe.
Click here to download the episode
The End of the Universe Part 1: The End of the Solar System - Show notes and transcript
Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.
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Book Review: The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter
Read the rest of Book Review: The Mystery of the Missing Antimatter The Earth's Cities at Night
not see the Milky Way to know that light pollution is a problem. And seen from space at night, the Earth's surface glows with the light of millions of homes, buildings, cars and streetlights. Seen at night, our impact on the Earth is immediate and obvious. A few years ago, NASA and NOAA compiled a complete world map of the nighttime Earth,using 9 months of data collected by satellites. This "Night Lights" image is pretty famous, and widely circulated around the Internet. There's a great article at NASA's Earth Observatory that describes how they capture these night images of the Earth's surface You can also see many of the best images taken so far from Newsletter universetoday.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SEE next post for many Cities at NIGHT, awesome..
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2 comments on The most accurate clock ever sent into space
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Sometimes I don't know what to leave in a comment because there is so much to comment on! This is one of those times, so all I can do is try. I loved reading about India's 10 satellites launched...it interested me to know that India is that advanced in their technology to keep up with, and even exceed, the accomplishments and goals of the more recognized "super powers". I also must say that I enjoyed listening to the The End of the Universe, Part One podcast. In the beginning, I didn't think I was going to stick with it for very long, certainly not to the end, but I did end up listening to the whole thing!
Thank you for sharing, glad we have similar interest, makes it more fun to share with folks.
I didn't at first understand what a clock in space would do, then I read on.