Archive for the ‘space’ category: Page 881
Feb 22, 2018
Upcoming telescopes should be able to detect mountains and other landscapes on exoplanets!
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in category: space
The study of exoplanets has advanced by leaps and bounds in the past few decades. Between ground-based observatories and spacecraft like the Kepler mission, a total of 3,726 exoplanets have been confirmed in 2,792 systems, with 622 systems having more than one planet (as of Jan. 1st, 2018). And in the coming years, scientists expect that many more discoveries will be possible thanks to the deployment of next-generation missions.
These include NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and several next-generation ground based observatories. With their advanced instruments, these and other observatories are not only expected to find many more exoplanets, but to reveal new and fascinating things about them. For instance, a recent study from Columbia University indicated that it will be possible, using the Transit Method, to study surface elevations on exoplanets.
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Feb 22, 2018
The Next Generation of Radio Astronomy
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: futurism, space
Last year, Irish astronomy took a leap forward with the construction of the LOFAR radio telescope in Birr, Co. Offaly. Sean Mooney, who was involved in the telescope’s construction, reports on its significance for the future of astronomy.
Last year, Birr was thrust to the forefront of astronomy. What may seem a quaint and unassuming town, Birr, Co. Offaly, is steeped in astronomical history and it has regained its scientific prominence with the construction of a new telescope.
In 1842, William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, began construction of a telescope on his estate, Birr Castle demesne, which would colloquially come to be known as The Leviathan. Not only was it the largest telescope in the world, it held this title for a staggering 72 years. This fact can be appreciated most in the current era of rapid technological improvements where the best of anything in the world holds the title for weeks rather than years before a better model comes along.
Feb 21, 2018
Dev Report: IBM & Unity Partner to Offer AI Tool That Could Make Augmented Reality Apps Smarter
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: augmented reality, robotics/AI, space
https://youtube.com/watch?v=6WRNqdOMXmc
This month, the power of artificial intelligence will be coming to more augmented reality developers as a leader in the game and 3D software development space and a major force behind the current school of cloud-based AI have officially announced a new partnership.
In a post on Unity’s website on Tuesday, the company revealed a partnership with computing giant IBM to launch the IBM Watson Unity SDK. This programming interface will open up new cloud-based AI services for developers to use in their applications. And, with AR and AI having become increasingly intertwined technologies, this is only good news for AR developers.
Ninety-five new exoplanets — planets that orbit around stars other than our sun — can now be added to the long list of planets that have been discovered since the 1990s.
The discovery was made by a Danish Ph.D. student with the help of the once damaged Kepler telescope, reports ScienceNordic.
Andrew Mayo from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Space) is behind the discovery, which is described in a new study.
Feb 19, 2018
Asteroid miners might need a few good applied astronomers to show them the way
Posted by Klaus Baldauf in categories: business, employment, space
AUSTIN, Texas — Mining asteroids for water and other resources could someday become a trillion-dollar business, but not without astronomers to point the way.
At least that’s the view of Martin Elvis, a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who’s been taking a close look at the science behind asteroid mining.
Continue reading “Asteroid miners might need a few good applied astronomers to show them the way” »
Feb 18, 2018
The global space race, 2.0 — By Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan | The WorldPost
Posted by Odette Bohr Dienel in categories: geopolitics, governance, government, innovation, space
“The recent launch of the SpaceX rocket Falcon Heavy is a good illustration of the entry of efficient and innovative private players into an arena long considered the preserve of national governments. But this does not mean that national competition in outer space is disappearing. If anything, it is actually accelerating in Asia. China’s growing space prowess is leading to a space race with India and Japan, which are beginning to pool their resources to better match Beijing.”
