NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Mar 15 2023

Jupiter and Venus Converge over Germany

This was a sky to show the kids. Early this month the two brightest planets in the night sky, Jupiter and Venus, appeared to converge. At their closest, the two planets were separated by only about the angular width of the full moon. The spectacle occurred just after sunset and was seen and photographed all across planet Earth. The displayed image was taken near to the time of closest approach from Wiltingen, Germany, and features the astrophotographer, spouse, and their two children. Of course, Venus remains much closer to both the Sun and the Earth than Jupiter – the apparent closeness between the planets in the sky of Earth was only angular. Jupiter and Venus have passed and now appear increasingly far apart. Similar planetary convergence opportunities will eventually arise. In a few months, for example, Mars and Venus will appear to congregate just as the Sun sets.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?

Vinyl records outsell CDs for the first time in decades

Mar 15 2023

Vinyl records could be making a big comeback.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) says for the first time in more than three decades vinyl records outsold CD's.

The report found that revenue for physical music formats has steadily risen over the years. Physical music revenues as a whole were up 4% last year, propelled by vinyl records which saw a 17% increase. Meanwhile, revenue from CDs fell 18%.

Physical copies of music continued to perform better than digital downloads, the report found, which saw yet another decline in revenue, dropping by 20% to $495 million.

Last year's vinyl record sales demonstrate that vinyl is "cementing its role as a fixture of the modern music marketplace," RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said in a post on Medium.

https://kvia.com/top-stories/2023/03/15/vinyl-records-outsell-cds-for-the-first-time-in-decades/

Axiom Space - The Next-Generation Spacesuit

Returning to the Lunar Surface

The new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit will provide astronauts advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA with commercially developed human systems needed to access, live and work on and around the Moon. The advanced spacesuits ensure astronauts are equipped with high-performing, robust equipment and are designed to accommodate a wide range of crew members.

Building off NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) spacesuit design, the Axiom Space spacesuits are created to provide increased flexibility, greater protection to withstand the harsh environment, and specialized tools to accomplish exploration needs and expand scientific opportunities. Using innovative technologies and a flexible design, these spacesuits will enable more exploration of the lunar surface than ever before.

The development of these next-generation spacesuits by Axiom Space is a significant milestone in furthering American leadership in space exploration, and enabling a deeper understanding of the Moon, the solar system, and beyond.

A SPACESUIT FOR EVERYONE

The Axiom Space AxEMU spacesuit is a revolutionary development in design, offering significant benefits for astronauts, space agencies, and commercial space companies. An increased sizing and adjustability accommodates a wider range of the general population, providing a superior fit for astronauts while increasing their comfort and ability to perform tasks.

DESIGNED FOR EVERY MISSION

A cost-effective multipurpose spacesuit, the AxEMU is built for any mission, designed to be safer and more agile while meeting the rigorous requirements for each environment with minimal changes. It utilizes features to withstand the dusty environment of the lunar surface and maintain critical interfaces that enable safe and effective extravehicular activities in microgravity.

BUILT TOGETHER

Behind each hardware component, fabric panel, and integrated system in the spacesuit is the experience and knowledge of diverse individuals from multiple industries. Developing the next spacesuit to walk on the moon takes the expertise of these sewers, technicians, engineers, medical personnel, and more working together to build history.

SAFETY

Leveraging lessons learned from legacy spacesuits, the AxEMU incorporates new technology that delivers enhanced safety and reliability. An architecture built around the astronaut mitigates single-point failures by integrating redundant components optimized to keep the user safe while they return to the spacecraft.

BETTER MOBILITY

Spacesuits perform at the edge of exploration, so mobility and agility are core to the AxEMU design. Utilizing innovative soft and hard joints for an increased range of motion will enable astronauts to walk on the Moon more effortlessly, perform more precise geological and scientific tasks, and translate on space stations easier, all while maximizing comfort.

BUILT TO LAST GENERATIONS

An agile architecture enables our AxEMU to meet the needs of individual, commercial, and government customers with a broad set of requirements, resources, and mission objectives. Tailored to those needs and developed to last, the suit can be maintained on orbit, reducing the time and cost required to operate missions that deliver results to benefit the future of robust innovation in low-Earth orbit and beyond.

https://www.space.com/axiom-space-artemis-moon-spacesuits-revealed

https://www.axiomspace.com/axiom-suit