A good view of the final space launch.

If you haven't already heard, the Discovery space shuttle has made its final voyage to the International Space Station. The shuttle program is coming to a close to focus more on space exploration and scientific research as opposed to launching people or heavy cargo into space. Discovery docked at the ISS with a humanoid robot lab assistant and a storage module along with some random spare parts. They also did a 360 degree flip to view the heat shield panels on the underside of the ship. This is a precaution the shuttles have been taking since the heat shield on the Columbia failed during re-entry in 2003. It was an emotional moment for the entire team, which consisted of flight veterans who had spent a lot of time on the ISS.

This is a significant turning point in space travel. Shuttle launches will soon be stopping indefinitely until a more efficient method of fueling can be found. While this may be heart-breaking for many, scientific exploration further into the solar system will continue. Probably the most difficult part for the astronauts involved is parting ways with the beloved space station.

The video is from Youtube,
and the link is right here:
http://www.space.com/10976-shuttle-discovery-astronauts-space-station-final-mission.html

Our telescopes are peering further and further into the the Universe and very recently astronomers have hit a distance milestone.

The Very Large Baseline Array can produce images hundreds of times more detailed than the famous Hubble Telescope. Imagining sitting and Los Angeles and being able to read a newspaper in New York is akin to the power of the VLBA. The numbers are astounding; the VLBA can produce an image 450 million light years away.

This should help astronomers measure the distances of celestial bodies and in the long run aid i the pursuits of mapping the Milky Way. This is one of several useful perks of the VLBA, others include the search for extrasolar planets and piecing together the ominous puzzle that is dark matter.
Every day more and more is being learned about the outer reaches of space and it's something to get excited about. Here's the link:
http://www.universetoday.com/83420/continent-wide-telescope-array-now-seeing-450-million-light-years-into-space/

The sun from all angles

Thanks to the STEREO spacecraft we are now able to get a view of the sun from a 360 degree angle. I guess now we can know what's happening on the other side of the sun when we're not looking at it.

This is important though...space weathermen/women can flesh out their observations and planning missions for spacecraft could be made easier.



Here's the link
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110207102145.htm

The most distant galaxy thus far

In astronomy's common fashion of having the largest, brightest, fastest, hottest things...basically in existence, astronomers at the Carnegie Observatory have discovered the farthest thing ever.

This is an infrared section of the Hubble Deep Field. That blue splotch is 13.2 billion light years away, its light being emitted 480,000,000 years after the Big Bang.

480,000,000 years is 3% the age of the Universe, this is a celestial fossil.

Check the link.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110126131711.htm

Welcome

Welcome to Riding The Ecliptic Plane, a blog about movements forward in the study of astronomy and/or space travel.

I'll provide news and other intriguing astronomy tidbits floating around the internet.



Enjoy!