>>22059765 LB
Oops.
Didn't mean to tag you for that.
Mornin' Ben.
TYB
The moon eclipses bright blue star Spica early on Nov. 27. Here's how to see it
November 26, 2024
Earlier this month, the planet Saturn was eclipsed by the moon as seen from Central America, northwest portions of South America, as well as central and southern Florida.
This event, known as an occultation (derived from the Latin word occultāre, which means "to conceal", can be a startling spectacle, especially if it involves a bright star.
But unlike a planet which can take up to a minute or two to be completely covered by the moon, a star, in contrast, appears to creep up to the moon's limb, hangs on the edge for a minute or two, and then, without warning, abruptly winks out.
Later it pops back into view just as suddenly on the moon's other side.
The suddenness with which occultations take place was one of the first proofs that the moon has no atmosphere.
If our natural satellite were cloaked with an atmosphere, a star approaching its limb would appear to fade away gradually, just as if you were watching a bright star setting beyond the western horizon from here on Earth.
And on the morning before Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. (Nov. 27), just such a spectacle will take place for those living in the central and eastern parts of the United States and Canada when a slender waning crescent moon, just 13-percent illuminated, will occult the bluish 1st-magnitude star Spica, one of the 21 brightest stars in the sky.
The action begins when Spica disappears behind the moon's bright limb. This part of the event will probably require a small telescope, because glare from the moon's sunlit edge will tend to hide the star.
In addition, over eastern Maine and Atlantic Canada morning twilight will already be in progress.
The star's reappearance will be spectacular wherever the moon is up in a dark sky.
For any place west of a line running roughly from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario south to Mobile, Alabama, the sky will be completely dark when Spica springs into view from behind the moon's dark edge.
Its sudden emergence should be able to be seen with the unaided eye if you have good vision, however the moon's glare might hinder the visibility of Spica.
So, block as much of the moon's sunlit portion as you can with a finger, a telephone pole or the edge of a building at least 20-feet away. Binoculars will pull the star in well, and a small telescope will afford a superb view.
cont.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/the-moon-eclipses-bright-blue-star-spica-this-week-heres-how-to-see-it
Pentagon underestimated supply chain fragility, now racing to fix gaps
November 25, 2024
Supply chain challenges that have disrupted military satellite programs, while initially seen as temporary, have emerged as systemic and exposed gaps in the U.S. defense industrial base, said Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, head of Space Systems Command.
“Coming out of COVID, we thought a lot of these supply chain issues were COVID issues,” he said last week during a meeting with reporters.
“What we’re realizing is this is more than COVID; there are true industrial base concerns.”
Garrant said the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) low Earth orbit constellation project has become a revealing case study of the difficulties vendors face when demand ramps up.
As DoD transitions from traditional bespoke satellite programs to proliferated commercial-like constellations like the one SDA is building, that means “we need a lot more of those parts,” Garrant said.
“That’s a rather simplistic view, but it’s very, very factual.”
SDA Director Derek Tournear said the agency has taken unprecedented steps to address the problem by directly engaging with lower-tier suppliers and offering contracts to incentivize production capabilities.
Similar problems have been identified across other sectors of the defense industry, from munitions to microelectronics.
A major hurdle lies in the Pentagon’s limited oversight of its vast and fragmented supply chain. Prime contractors may be aware of their major suppliers but often lose sight of lower-tier subcontractors, which are crucial to production.
This blind spot has left the military exposed to delays.
The Defense Department also has become increasingly concerned about foreign dependency in critical supply chains, particularly those tied to adversaries like China.
China has systematically built dominance in the production and processing of rare earth elements, lithium, and graphite — materials vital to defense systems and green technologies, said Frank Finelli, a senior advisor at the Carlyle Group.
Speaking at last week’s Baird Defense & Government Conference, he said China’s global agreements have locked up supplies of these materials, putting the U.S. at a strategic disadvantage.
“We have a lot of single-source Chinese suppliers in our supply chains, and in a lot of cases, we’re not aggressively doing anything about it,” Finelli said.
Pentagon’s response still in its infancy
Efforts to shore up the defense industrial base are gaining momentum but remain nascent.
“We’re in the infancy of this,” said David Rader, a senior advisor to the Defense Innovation Unit,
The recently launched Office of Strategic Capital, which offers loans to companies producing critical components, is one initiative aimed at filling gaps in the lower tiers of the supply base.
“There’s a growing recognition of the link between capital and national security,” Rader said, citing emerging public-private partnerships and interdepartmental coordination.
However, progress has been hindered by political disagreements over the government’s role in industrial policy, Rader noted.
While Republicans in Congress often criticize such measures as government overreach, Democrats have labeled them as corporate welfare.
The Pentagon is pushing for a more self-reliant domestic supply chain, as outlined in its newly released industrial base strategy.
But achieving that vision will require sustained funding, bipartisan support, and collaboration with allies and private industry, Rader warned.
“We see what China is doing, and we do not want to be on the wrong side of this.”
https://spacenews.com/pentagon-underestimated-supply-chain-fragility-now-racing-to-fix-gaps/
Revolutionizing space-based thermal systems: AFRL’s SPIRRAL launch on SPX-31
Nov. 25, 2024
The Air Force Research Laboratory launched the Space Power InfraRed Regulation and Analysis of Lifetime experiment on Nov. 4.
SPIRRAL, flown by AFRL through the DOD Space Test Program, will characterize the performance of Variable Emissivity Materials, an approach toward solving thermal challenges for space vehicles while on-orbit.
VEMs are surface finishes that act like color-changing paints, however, the changes in coloration are only in the infrared light spectrum and are not visible to the human eye.
VEMs can either reject or retain heat depending on the temperature being experienced. When the VEMs are hot, the material’s optical properties change to reject heat; when they are cold, they retain heat, effectively reducing temperature extremes.
“Similar to the many electronics we use in our daily lives such as cell phones and computers, maintaining optimal temperature ranges are crucial for a device’s efficiency and life expectancy,” said Bryce Hart, SPIRRAL program manager.
“Due to the irreversible damage extreme temperatures can cause, managing temperature is vital for electronics to thrive in the space environment.”
SPIRRAL will host a variety of VEMs onboard an Aegis Aerospace Materials International Space Station Experiment or MISSE carrier.
The carrier will be secured to an external face of the International Space Station, exposing the VEM samples to the space environment.
While the VEMs undergo the temperature extremes of space, performance data is then captured. The data collected will be compared to their expected performance based on models formulated by terrestrial characterization.
The SPIRRAL Principal Investigator, Isaac Foster, highlighted the importance of this technology. “Thermal management in space is incredibly challenging.
VEMs enable more efficient and reliable spacecraft in ways that current thermal management solutions do not.
Demonstrating these VEMs on-orbit is imperative to understanding how to implement this technology going forward to ultimately bolster spacecraft resiliency.”
This type of perpetual modernization is key to ensuring that U.S. forces are equipped with the necessary tools to enhance space asset resiliency, autonomy and flexibility.
SPIRRAL is a critical component of AFRL’s Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research Project, which is focused on developing and demonstrating technologies for a space-based solar power collection and transmission system capable of providing uninterrupted, assured and logistically agile power to expeditionary forces.
A system of this magnitude would consist of large arrays with minimal thermal mass; making the system’s electronics highly susceptible to damage due to extreme temperature changes in orbit – a challenge that can be overcome by VEMs as they offer a passive and low-mass solution, dethroning the current active thermal control systems used today.
James Winter, SSPIDR program manager, reiterated that “VEMs not only provide solutions toward making a space-based solar power system a reality, but they will also usher in a new paradigm for spacecraft thermal designers, revolutionizing the way space-based thermal systems are designed and implemented.”
Dr. Andrew Williams, deputy technology executive officer for Space at AFRL underscored this point by projecting that the impact of SPIRRAL will extend far beyond benefits to SSPIDR, completely changing spacecraft thermal control for all satellites.
“This technology is the holy grail for spacecraft thermal control and will revolutionize the cost and time for thermal design,” he said.
“We are committed to win the future in space,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei, AFRL commander and DAF Technology executive officer.
“The advancements we are making in space-based solar power systems are game changers for space vehicle resiliency.”
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3977695/revolutionizing-space-based-thermal-systems-afrls-spirral-launch-on-spx-31/
A Cosmic Connection: USSF astronaut calls STEM students from ISS
Nov. 25, 2024
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station conducted an educational downlink, a communication signal from the spacecraft back to Earth, for Denver School of Science and Technology students, hosted by the JEKL Institute on Nov. 13, at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
Col. Nick Hague, Space Force Guardian and NASA astronaut, the first Space Force Guardian to launch into space in September 2024, under the NASA Astronaut program, represented the dream of space flight for all the children in attendance.
Hague's infectious enthusiasm for inspiring the next generation of space explorers shone through in every aspect of the conversation. "I'm thrilled to be a part of this event and to have the opportunity to share my experiences with STEM's future leaders," he said.
Since its inception in 2014, JEKL Institue, the name of which is a combination of Toi Massey, JEKL Institute, chief executive officer, has been a beacon of resources and access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math programming and professionals.
"The ideal age to introduce new concepts is that of the young learner who has no fear," Massey said. "Failure to them does not equate with a fail; they'll just try it again and keep trying it until it works."
The ISS downlink, a rare and unique opportunity, allowed the next generation of STEM professionals to have NASA astronauts answer pre-recorded questions in real time, gaining insight into daily life in space and the latest developments in space exploration.
A Conversation with the ISS crew
During the 20-minute downlink, students witnessed their pre-recorded questions be answered live by astronauts on the ISS.
Jose Talamante, a DSST Montview student, asked, "How do you resolve surprising and unexpected experiences while working in space?"
Hague, the Expedition 72 flight engineer, responded, "I think the thing that ultimately prepares us to respond is the training we do leading up to it."
When a fellow student asked about the most breathtaking sight from the space station, Sunita Williams, American astronaut said, "The most magical thing I think is the aurora borealis, just because it makes you think about the universe and where we are.
But if we look out the window, most of the time, we see water, and you can see that that is really what dictates everything about human life and our planet."
How did Hague get there
Hague launched for the ISS on Sept. 28, aboard the Crew Dragon "Freedom" from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, as commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
Expedition 72 is Hague's second stint aboard the orbiting laboratory, where he'll conduct scientific experiments and technological demonstrations.
During this time, the crew will explore a variety of space phenomena that benefit humans on and off the planet, including pharmaceutical manufacturing, advanced life support systems, genetic sequencing in microgravity, and more.
Hague's journey to becoming an astronaut began with his commissioning into the U.S. Air Force in 1998 and transferring to the USSF in 2021.
His broad experience in spacecraft technologies, the Department of Astronautics, and time at the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization in Crystal City, Virginia, all led to his selection for astronaut training in 2013.
Support from Buckley Space Force Base
Senior leadership from Buckley SFB attended the event to hear from Hague, whose recent launch they directly supported.
“As I listened to the high school students of the DSST Cube Satellite program share their experiences, I was struck by the depth of their insight and the breadth of their achievement - it's astonishing to think that the next great breakthroughs in space exploration may come from the ingenious minds of future generations,” expressed Col. Heidi Dexter, Space Base Delta 2, commander.
Why STEM matters to the U.S. Space Force
The U.S. Space Force, established in 2019 as a branch of the Department of the Air Force, recognizes the importance of STEM education in developing the next generation of STEM professionals.
STEM jobs in defense offer diverse and unique opportunities to make a difference, work with the latest research and technology and provide a gateway for individuals to serve as innovators and problem-solvers of real-world challenges.
As the Space Force approaches its fifth birthday in December, the service is launching its STEM-to-Space initiative, which runs from Dec. 1 - 21. This initiative is designed to facilitate virtual connections between Guardians and K-12 classrooms.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3978026/a-cosmic-connection-ussf-astronaut-calls-stem-students-from-iss/
Mysterious fireball lights up sky over California, videos show. ‘Did you see that?’
NOVEMBER 24, 2024 7:25 AM
A mysterious fireball blazed across the night sky over Southern California and Nevada, videos show.
Forty-three people reported seeing the fireball at 10:44 p.m Saturday, Nov. 23, the American Meteor Society reported.
Sightings ranged from Santa Maria to San Diego in California and Sandy Valley in Nevada, near the California border, the society said.
Videos show a bright green fireball that appears to be heading down, followed by a flash of light.
“Did you see that?” a passenger asks the driver in a dash cam video.
“We saw it too ! It was crazy how big and green it was,” read a comment on the video.
“That is a bright one!” read a comment on another video. The American Meteor Society did not offer a possible explanation for the fireball.
“Meteoroids are space rocks that range in size from dust grains to small asteroids,” NASA said.
When the rocks hit the atmosphere of a planet, they become meteors and burn up. They’re also known as shooting stars or fireballs, NASA said.
NASA reports about 48.5 tons of “meteoritic material’ falls on Earth every day . That’s roughly one-third the weight of the Statue of Liberty.
The Leonid meteor shower peaked over California on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, McClatchy News reported.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article296073964.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMqfhaq8RfI
Army Dispatched To Recent UFO Scene, Say Idaho Factory Workers
November 25, 2024
A recent report released by a national agency that tracks unexplained aerial phenomena involves a craft that two south Idaho factory workers witnessed.
The pair of witnesses claim military helicopters quickly responded to the scene.
A recent incident report published and made public by Washington State-based National UFO Reporting Center details a November 14 sighting of unidentified aerial phenomena near the city of Caldwell, Idaho.
The report (184146) claims two factory employees in the area spotted the UAP flying in a southeast direction toward what is believed to be Lucky Peak Lake just before 9:30 P.M. on Thursday, November 14.
The incident report went on to further say that three black hawk helicopters responded to the scene shortly after the sighting and patrolled the area for an hour or so.
Caldwell is located 28 miles west of Boise. The UAP was described in the report as being a streaking light that appeared to disappear after traveling at a high rate of speed.
The duration of the event lasted just seconds, according to the NUFORC. It's estimated that the object was roughly five miles from the factory.
The incident report went on to further say that three black hawk helicopters responded to the scene shortly after the sighting and patrolled the area for an hour or so.
The NUFORC followed up with an investigation and published the report on November 17.
Did you happen to witness anything strange in the sky near Caldwell at approximately 9:23 P.M. on the evening of November 14?
https://newsradio1310.com/ixp/97/p/army-dispatched-to-recent-ufo-scene-say-idaho-factory-workers/
https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=184146
Cube-shaped UFO filmed as people say 'there's a gathering at the end of the Universe'
10:27, 26 NOV 2024
Footage of a cube-shaped UFO taken over a US neighbourhood had people desperate to take a closer look.
A video shot in Colorado Springs shows the flashing object stationary in the sky behind a property.
The 49-second clip focuses mainly on the unexplained aerial phenomenon, before panning briefly down the road, then back on the static subject.
And, once the brief snippet of "alien" action made its way onto a Reddit forum, space fans were keen to air their thoughts on what it could be.
Some viewers even admitted to being a little upset that stuff this exciting never happens to them.
The footage comes after a video showing a pulsating UFO with red, green and purple lights was taken by a driver in Kansas, earlier this month.
Viewers of the Colorado Springs video, which was shot on November 23, were quick to descend on the comments section for their take on what they were witnessing.
One wrote: "UFOs BE EVERYWHERE NOWADAYS." To which another viewer wrote: "And they are all gathering at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe."
While one envious person sulked: "Everywhere but where I can see them apparently I FEEL SO LEFT OUT." And another observed: "Definitely an increase in sightings lately."
Even a former local said: "I lived right outside the base in Colorado springs. The military has all sorts of s**t around that mountain.
I doubt it's aliens, I've seen helicopters look like they crash into the mountain but it's a landing platform that extends out. Pretty cool stuff.
"I've seen what looked like something moving crazy fast stop and move in the other direction hanging out by the pool area.
You ll definitely see very weird unexplainable stuff in the sky in that area."
However, sadly, some visitors to the thread arrived to shoot down any theories of extraterrestrial visitors.
One wrote: "That looks a lot like she saw some radio antennas in that direction for the first time perhaps.
Maybe the defraction of the light was capable because of the temperature today and she was able just to notice it?? But that looks a lot a lot like radio towers."
And another echoed: "Can confirm. Lived in the springs for over 25 years. They're literally the antennas on top of Cheyenne Mountain."
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/us-news/cube-shaped-ufo-filmed-people-34187775
https://www.reddit.com/r/aliens/comments/1gzz7x1/cube_ufo_seen_in_colorado_springs_november_23_2024/