Had An Amazing Morning At Career Day.
Had an amazing morning at career Day.
Today, I had a full rotation of classes where I talked to the children about exciting careers in space, the importance of healthy eating, and gymnastics for keeping the bones healthy.
The children were so engaged and curious, I have a few who had fantastic questions. It was inspiring to see their interest in topics like black holes.
One of them tell me that after her PhD, she dreams of becoming a marine biologist on a moon base!
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What an great experience at the astronomy camp with over 200 young explorers!
We kicked off the day by setting up tents, firing up the BBQ, and indulging in delicious s’mores. As the sun began to set, the kids got their first glimpse through the telescope, watching the sun in all its glory.
Later that night, we dived into an Astronomy 101 session and embarked on a breathtaking constellation tour. Through my 8-inch telescope, they marveled at the Moon (they LOVED it!), Jupiter and its satellites, and the mysterious Mars.
With the Seestar, we explored deep-space wonders like M13, M42, M81, and M82 bringing distant galaxies and nebulae to life.
To wrap up this magical night, we lit floating lights, sending glowing lanterns into the sky—just like stars finding their way home.
This night was more than just stargazing, it was an adventure beyond Earth, sparking curiosity and awe in every child.
I captured the magic of the full moon through the telescope tonight!
Isn't it amazing how the universe reveals its wonders when we take a closer look? This lunar beauty never ceases to mesmerize me.
Today's adventure on Mt. Charleston was both breathtaking and brisk! We tackled the Upper Bristlecone Trail without success, so we try the Lower Bristlecone Trailhead. Despite our determination, we only made it a few miles before hitting some serious ice.
With temperatures at a chilly 28°F, it was a true standoff with Mother Nature, but she won this round. Even so, the views and the experience were worth every frozen step!
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s flight harness is transferred from the mock-up structure to the spacecraft flight structure.
Your Body is Wired Like a NASA Space Telescope. Sort Of.
If our Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope were alive, its nervous system would be the intricate wiring, or “harness,” that helps different parts of the observatory communicate with one another. Just like the human body sends information through nerves to function, Roman will send commands through this special harness to help achieve its mission: answering longstanding questions about dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets, among other mind-bending cosmic queries.
Roman’s harness weighs around 1,000 pounds and is made of about 32,000 wires and 900 connectors. If those parts were laid out end-to-end, they would be 45 miles long from start to finish. Coincidentally, the human body’s nerves would span the same distance if lined up. That’s far enough to reach nearly three-fourths of the way to space, twice as far as a marathon, or eight times taller than Mount Everest!
An aerial view of the harness technicians working to secure Roman’s harness to the spacecraft flight structure.
Over a span of two years, 11 technicians spent time at the workbench and perched on ladders, cutting wire to length, carefully cleaning each component, and repeatedly connecting everything together.
Space is usually freezing cold, but spacecraft that are in direct sunlight can get incredibly hot. Roman’s harness went through the Space Environment Simulator – a massive thermal vacuum chamber – to expose the components to the temperatures they’ll experience in space. Technicians “baked” vapors out of the harness to make sure they won’t cause problems later in orbit.
Technicians work to secure Roman’s harness to the interior of the spacecraft flight structure. They are standing in the portion of the spacecraft bus where the propellant tanks will be mounted.
The next step is for engineers to weave the harness through the flight structure in Goddard’s big clean room, a space almost perfectly free of dust and other particles. This process will be ongoing until most of the spacecraft components are assembled. The Roman Space Telescope is set to launch by May 2027.
Learn more about the exciting science this mission will investigate on X and Facebook.
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First Hike of the Year: Pinto Valley Loop at Lake Mead
Today, we embarked on our first hike of the year through the stunning Pinto Valley Loop at Lake Mead.
The weather was perfect, staying no hotter than 63°F, which made the experience even more enjoyable.
The landscape was breathtaking, with beautiful mountains and incredible colors surrounding us. The trail was adorned with pretty cactus and intriguing plants with white leaves and tiny red fruits. Although the path wasn't always easy to distinguish, often following a riverbed, the adventure was well worth it.
While the elevation wasn't excessive, it was definitely more noticeable than it seemed at first glance. It took me 7 hours and 35 minutes to complete the hike, but every moment was rewarding.
Feeling grateful for the beauty of nature and excited for more adventures this year!
First sunset of the spring
A second amazing day presenting at Career Day to a 5 to 8 K group of enthusiastic kids who are eager to explore the mysteries of living on the Moon or Mars!
Their curiosity and insightful questions about space exploration and interplanetary living.
It's incredible to see the next generation so excited about the possibilities beyond our world.
Keep reaching for the stars, young explorers!
#SpaceExploration #MarsColonization #MoonMission #FutureAstronauts #careerdayfun
Did you know that the Milky Way has over 150 globular clusters?
One of the most striking globular clusters in our Milky Way is Messier 3 (M3) I came across an amazing image of the globular cluster M3 taken with the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. For comparison, I share a photo that I have taken through the DWARF II.
Did you know that M3 is a collection of several thousand to millions of stars, all gravitationally bound?
It's approximately 34,000 light-years distant and contains around 500,000 stars!
You can spot it high above the disk of the Milky Way after sunset and before sunrise. Take a look with binoculars or a telescope and see if you can spot T Cor Bor (which is about to go nova, one of these days!)
Excited to support the Summer Challenge at Indian Springs Library! Today, I got to explore the wonders of our closest star, the Sun, using my trusty telescope.
I love observing the Sun's surface and its incredible features. From sunspots to solar flares, it's a reminder of the vast and dynamic universe we’re a part of.
Last night's Lunar eclipse was a reminder of nature's wonders.
Despite the stormy weather and rain, the skies eventually cleared in time, allowing us to witness the Moon's incredible transformation. It's a beautiful lesson in patience and acceptance sometimes the most breathtaking moments come after the storms.
It gets dark enough to see Star around the Moon.
