BAN #341: Hubble fixed, Find exoplanets for NASA

[The planetary nebula M 2-9, winds from a dying star. Credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble Legacy Archive / Judy Schmidt]

Subscribers keep my own payload computer operating smoothly

Astro Tidbit

A brief synopsis of some interesting astronomy/science news

As I reported recently over on my blog, on June 13, 2021 the Hubble Space Telescope went into “safe mode”, shutting down systems, closing its hatch, and putting itself into what’s essentially standby mode. This is an automatic feature when it detects a fault in its hardware or software that could cause trouble.

It took a long time to diagnose, but the problem is a faulty payload computer, which organizes and controls the observatory’s scientific instruments. On July 15 engineers switched to a backup payload computer — pretty much all hardware onboard has redundant backups — and successfully got Hubble to turn back on!

The first observations since the shutdown were done on Saturday, and apparently everything is working fine. Phew!

[The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, seen here above the Earth during the last servicing mission in 2009. Credit: NASA]

Hubble was launched into space in April 1990, and for the past 31 years has been taking incredible observations of the cosmos. It’s not clear how much longer it will last — everything on it is at least 20 years old — but for as long as we get to have it, I’m good.

I have a long history with Hubble, and I want it to go on as long as possible. The good news is, clever people here on Earth are looking after it.

Blog Jam

What I’ve recently written on the blog, ICYMI

[The supernova SN 2019NP (centered) blew up in the galaxy NGC 3254, and Hubble was used to observe both it and the stars around it to more accurately gauge its distance. From Monday’s article. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Riess et al.; CC BY 4.0]

Monday 12 July, 2021: Measuring the expansion of the Universe: Dying stars may be telling us we're doing it wrong.

Tuesday 13 July, 2021: Mars 'copter Ingenuity still flying high, spots hazards for the Perseverance rover

Wednesday 14 July, 2021: The ultimate fate of a nearby four-planet system: cosmic pinball, then game over

Thursday 15 July, 2021: Mysterious bursts of radio pulses prefer a galaxy's loving arms

Friday 16 July, 2021: How are stars born? Absolutely gorgeously. See for yourself.

Astro Tidbit

A brief synopsis of some interesting astronomy/science news

[Artwork depicting exoplanets orbiting another star. Credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle]

This is somewhat niche, but if you’re an amateur astronomer with a decent ‘scope and a CCD, you can help NASA discover and characterize exoplanets!

Most exoplanets are discovered using the transit method, when we see their orbits edge-on and they pass in front of their star once per orbit. The amount of light from the star drops a bit, and this can be measured. In the case of a Jupiter-sized planet and a Sun-sized star, that drop is about 1%, well within reach of digital cameras on, say, a 20-cm telescope for many stars.

NASA has partnered with the venerable AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers) on a project called Exoplanet Watch, where you can observe stars and look for exoplanet signals. You can actually discover exoplanets, help astronomers better understand previously found ones, and do a host of other observations that support the search for other worlds. In some cases you don’t even need your own telescope; they have robotic ones taking data you can examine as well.

Way back when I did some work with the AAVSO, and this is a dedicated group of people who love watching the skies. I’m glad they’re involved.

I remember when the first exoplanet transits were being seen, and it was becoming clear a lot of stars would have them. I stood in front of a blackboard in a friend’s office and did a bunch of back-of-the-envelope calculations, proving to myself that the 35-cm robotic telescope we were putting together for the university would easily be able to make observations like this for a lot of brighter stars. That was a long time ago, and we’ve come a long way since then.

So if you have a hankering to look for strange new worlds and want to make a real and lasting contribution to science. Take a look at Exoplanet Watch.

Et alia

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