13 December 2012
Posted in Crosby Observatory

The best meteor shower of the year happens tonight when Earth passes through the debris tail of asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

The Geminid Meteor Shower can produce up to 120 meteors per hour – that’s an average of two per minute. What’s great is that it can be seen no matter where you live on the planet.

The meteor shower will peak around 8 p.m. at the observer’s respective local time, but will be at its most intense and directly overhead between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 14.

What makes this year’s Geminid meteor shower extra special is the fact it coincides with a new moon, meaning the dark conditions will make it that much easier to witness.

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13 December 2012
Posted in Press and Media

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05 December 2012
Posted in Holiday Workshops

To get you ready for Santa’s Christmas Workshops, check out this holiday-themed activity you can make at home with your little one!

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05 December 2012
Posted in Otronicon

Check out the new 30 second spot for this year's Otronicon. It has lots of your old favorites and new things as well. The event seems to grow every year. This year includes many of our existing partners, as well as new ones. Most importantly, the event is focusing more each year on how interactive technology and digital media impact how we live, learn, work and play!

03 December 2012
Posted in Our Planet, Our Universe

With millions of galaxies and planets throughout the universe, do you believe in the possibility of life elsewhere?

NASA researchers recently discovered large amounts of water ice and possible organic compounds on Mercury, suggesting the raw materials necessary for life may be more common than scientists believed.

NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft announced on Nov. 29, 2012 that Mercury contains more than 100 billion tons of water ice near its poles. In the dark, shadowy areas of the planet, temperatures plummet to minus 370 degrees Fahrenheit (188 degrees Celsius), where much of its ice is found. But Messenger suggests even more water ice can be found in slightly warmer areas.

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30 November 2012
Posted in Space Junk

Orbital debris, better known as space junk, is the collection of human-made objects in orbit around Earth that no longer serve a purpose. These objects consist of everything from spent rocket stages and defunct satellites to erosion, explosion and collision fragments.

With tons of space debris orbiting low Earth, it is becoming an expensive task for the military to track and eliminate the debris.

Recently, a new study revealed increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the upper atmosphere is allowing satellites and other debris to stay in orbit longer, making it even more difficult to clean up space.

In order to combat these problems of tracking and eliminating space clutter, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) -funded SpaceView project is asking for help from amateur astronomers worldwide.

DARPA hopes to organize the astronomy community into an extension of the U.S. Air Force’s own sky-watchers and track more pieces.

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