Carnival of Space #516 here @ Links Through Space

Welcome to Links Through Space. 

This is the blog of our Astronomy Club here in Kustavi, Finland.

We write news about space related topics and we showcase our Astrophotos and Timelapses.

Our blog is a way for you to follow the Astro club's journey through Astronomy and have a fun and learning experience at the same time.

This week Links Through Space is hosting the Carnival of Space #516.

So here we have it, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Links Through Space is honored to declare the 516th Carnival of Space OPEN!

Illustration of Cassini diving through the gap between Saturn and its rings. Ten out of the 22 ring crossings have now been completed. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

 

Happy Canada Day!

Our Canadian friend Paul Scott Anderson at PLANETARIA.ca is our first stop in the Carnival.

New Horizons team successfully observes transit of next KBO target, and clouds on Pluto!

-Paul Scott Anderson/ Planetaria.ca

Grand Finale part 5: Cassini completes tenth epic ring crossing at Saturn

-Paul Scott Anderson/ Planetaria.ca

ARP 299: Galactic Goulash
Credit: Chandra.si.edu

Next tent, Our most impressive friends at Chandra blog, the telescope that gives on giving!

  

ARP 299: Galactic Goulash

- Chandra (No name)/ Chandra.si.edu

New titanium fins. Credit: SpaceX

 

The main attraction this week in the Carnival of Space #516 is none other than our friend Brian Wang at Next Big Future. Have a look at his articles, is is worth a read. 

SpaceX had two successful launches in one weekend and has new titanium fins able to handle indefinite number of flights with no service

Brian Wang/ Nextbigfuture.com

If EMdrive is real and scales with Q factor then we get almost Star Trek level Technology

Brian Wang/ Nextbigfuture.com

Solar powered EMdrive version of Space Batleship Yamato
Brian Wang/ Nextbigfuture.com

Oneweb building High-Volume Satellite Manufacturing Facility
Brian Wang/ Nextbigfuture.com

Astronomical Gardens. Glimps of Summer Exhibition 2017 held at Astronomy Club Toutatis's headquarters in Kustavi, Finland

For our part here at Links Through Space we are in summer vacation because at our latitude (60 degree N) it is to bright to see the stars at night. We have solar observation sessions at our headquarters, but most importantly we have put together with some members of the Astro-club a Summer Exhibition titled: Astronomical Gardens. So stay tuned for pictures and videos of our fund raising, fun raising Astro-club's Summer Exhibition.

So here you had it folks...
Another edition of the Carnival of Space.
Hope it satisfied your hunger for all space/astronomy related topics. If not, continue reading my blog, it is full of space articles to be devoured.

If you run a space/astronomy related blog and would like to get more awareness, participate in the Carnival of Space. Every week a different webmaster or blogger hosts the Carnival, showcasing articles written on the topic of space. It's a great way to get to know the community and to help your writing reach a wider audience. If you'd like to be a host for the Carnival or be part of the Carnival, please send an email to carnivalofspace@gmail.com.

Carnival of Space logo photo credits: Jason Major.

    

Read more about Astronomy Club Toutatis, Kustavi, Finland.

Following Venus: Phases of Venus as a Evening Star

Phases of Venus as a evening star. Date, Phase and Apparent diameter.
Credit: S. Lamoureux/ KTY Toutatis
Click on picture to enlarge.

Following Venus! On my way to a full circle, half way through. I followed Venus coming from behind the Sun to in front of the Sun (Evening Star). Now to wake up in the morning and follow Venus from in front of the Sun to behind of the Sun (Morning Star). Enjoy!

Tomorrow 25.03.2017 is the inferior conjunction of Venus with us Earth. It will pass the Sun for 8 days and will pop back the other side to climb the phases back to a "full" Venus behind the Sun.

We will be able to see Venus on the 07.04.2017 very near the Sun just before it rises (Elongation of the Sun of +20 degr.) It will complete a full circle (orbit) on new year day 01.01.2018 when it will be at superior conjunction from Earth.

Until then I will follow the planet Venus in the mornings and compile a picture similar to this one above, but on the right side of the Sun, i.e Venus the morning star.

Read more about Astronomy Club Toutatis, Kustavi, Finland.

Carnival of Space #500 here @ Links Through Space

This is a special edition of the Carnival of Space. As we hit the 500 mark, I want to thank everyone that has participated in the Carnival of Space through out the years. This initiative that has started almost 10 years ago is still going strong and is a pillar for Space news on the internet. 

So please join me here @ Links Through Space

for this epic edition of Carnival of Space #500.

"Black Hole with Accretion Disk and Jet" currently on display at the San Diego International Airport-Melissa Weiss Walter http://www.melissawalterart.com

We start the tour with Chandra X ray Observatory's blog, which has been a steady contributor of CoS.

  

From Art to Astrophysics – and Back Again. Have a look HERE.

- Posted by Chandra / Chandra X ray Observatory's blog

Scientists were able to gauge the rate of water loss on Mars by measuring the ratio of water and HDO from today and 4.3 billion years ago. Credit: Kevin Gill

 Next stop, Universe Today who started it all by accepting the Carnival of Space as it's own.

Mineral Points To A Water Rich Mars. Get the whole story HERE.

- Posted by Matt Williams / Universe Today 

Rise of the Super Telescopes: The James Webb Space Telescope. Read HERE.

- Posted by Evan Gough / Universe Today 

1st SLS 2nd Stage Arrives at Cape for NASA’s Orion Megarocket Moon Launch in 2018. Article HERE.

- Posted by Ken Kremer / Universe Today 

Exploring Titan with Balloons and Landers. Read the article HERE.

- Posted by Matt Williams / Universe Today 

Mars’ moon Phobos and MAVEN spacecraft orbits. Image source: nasa.gov.

Enjoy the next ride with The Evolving Planet, a new comer in the carnival.

NASA's Maven Satellite Avoids Colliding With Mars' Moon Phobos. Read more HERE.

- Posted by Tes Christiansen / The Evolving Planet

Pan Satellite of Saturn. GIF of images from Cassini. Credit: NASA / Cassini

 Another new comer with attitude, get ready to be mesmorized. The Solstice blog.

A Surprising Pan - Stunning views of Saturn's Moon Pan reveal yet another surprise in the solar system. Read HERE.

- Posted by Ryan Marciniak  / The Solstice Blog

SOURCES- Tech Times, AP, Wikipedia

 Now to a huge contributor of the Carnival of Space, the soul of the Carnival: Next Big Future.

China is developing an advanced new rocket. This spaceship is expected to be able to be operable both in the lower orbit of Earth, as well as capable of landing humans on the moon.It will also have rooms for several astronauts per Zhang Bainan, chief designer of manned spacecraft at China Aerospace Science and Technology Cooperation. The next-gen rocket from China will not only be reusable, but also offer a higher carrying capacity when compared to its foreign counterparts. This craft will apparently be able to carry up to six members in the lower orbit of Earth and nearly three or four astronauts during a moon landing operation per Zhang. Read more HERE. 

- Posted by  Brian wang / Next Big Future 

There is a $19.5 billion funding bill that has been approved by the US congress. This is a slight increase from last years $19.3 billion funding. he new plan says make a roadmap to send people to Mars by 2033 and the US will still fund the overpriced by 10 times or more space launch system.Journey to Mars — asks NASA for a roadmap to send people to Mars by 2033 and moves NASA away from the Asteroid Redirect Mission.Assuring Core Capabilities For Exploration : an uncrewed launch of SLS and Orion in 2018a crewed mission to the moon in 2021more trips to the moon and Mars after that date.NOTE -Spacex and Elon Musk have discussed unmanned Mars missions in 2020 and a manned Mars mission around 2024. Spacex and Elon Musk would have costs that are ten times less than NASA and 8 to 10 years earlier.It is more of the same NASA funding that has been mostly repeating since George Bush 2 and even George Bush 1 and Clinton and Obama. 

- Posted by  Brian wang / Next Big Future 

A Massive commercial space push and a variety of new robotic capabilities could self supporting and rapidly growing space economy. Several companies will collectively be launching about 20,000 satellites over the next few years. SpaceX, OneWeb, Telesat, O3b Networks and Theia Holdings — all told the FCC they have plans to field constellations of V-band satellites in non-geosynchronous orbits to provide communications services in the United States and elsewhere. So far the V-band spectrum of interest, which sits directly above Ka-band from about 37 GHz to the low 50 GHz range, has not been heavily employed for commercial communications services. In orbit satellite servicing is being developed. DARPA and commercial ventures are looking at in orbit satellite repair and servicing. Rob Hoyt indicates that the challenges of effectively spreading off-world and colonizing the cosmos are overcome by making it easier to manufacture and assemble large systems and structures in space. This visionary physicist, engineer, and CEO is leading a team of scientists to overcome those challenges.Rob co-founded Tethers Unlimited Inc. in 1994, and built it into a space and defense research and development firm. He is now building a spin-off, Firmamentum, to commercialize in-space manufacturing. Rob has won more grants from NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program than any other researcher.

- Posted by  Brian wang / Next Big Future 

Artist’s conception of the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system as seen from one of the seven Earth-sized planets. Image Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser

Planetaria.ca is nothing of a dull place to get your space news. An regular contributor of the Carnival of Space. It is the place to be.

Could the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system be home to alien life? Get the story HERE.

- Posted by Paul Scott Anderson / Planetaria.ca

Venus beckons: Why NASA should return and how new tech will help? Find out HERE.

- Posted by Paul Scott Anderson / Planetaria.ca

MAVEN spacecraft makes evasive maneuver to avoid impact with Mars’ moon Phobos. This article is like a ride you like to ride many times in this Carnival of Space #500. Continue reading HERE.

- Posted by Paul Scott Anderson / Planetaria.ca

The last ride on the Carnival of Space #500 is offered by me, Stefan Lamoureux and Links Through Space. 

In 2017, I am creating a series of videos on my astronomy travels around the World. Look at my astronomy travel list on my blog HERE. 

My new Youtube channel, you will find it at (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7m1ewASclCLbtGzNvtaa_w) where I will publish my videos.

Also I introduce my Patreon page for support of my projects. Have a look at my Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/stefan_Lamoureux_Astronomy_Club_Toutatis_Kustavi_Finland).

So, go and watch my video and please leave a comment at the bottom of the video and let me know what you think. Don't forget to Subscribe also to my Youtube channel.

 So here you have it!

All the thrills and excitements of the Astronomy/Space community this week.

The Carnival of Space #500

If you run a space/astronomy related blog and would like to get more awareness, participate in the Carnival of Space. Every week a different webmaster or blogger hosts the Carnival, showcasing articles written on the topic of space. It's a great way to get to know the community and to help your writing reach a wider audience. If you'd like to be a host for the Carnival or be part of the Carnival, please send an email to carnivalofspace@gmail.com.

Carnival of Space logo photo credits: Jason Major.

 

Read more about Astronomy Club Toutatis, Kustavi, Finland.

2017 brings a new Youtube channel: LINKS THROUGH SPACE. Join me!

Links Through Sapce Youtube channel c2017

Hello everyone,
My name is Stefan Lamoureux, I am the president of the Astronomy Club Toutatis. I am based in Kustavi Finland. What I do is travel the world to visit the astronomy scene and write about it in my blog.
What is the astronomy scene? Well, it's visits to world class observatories, visits to local astronomy clubs, Expeditions to archaeoastronomical sites and of course meet on site with amateurs and professionals astronomers. A way to learn astronomy, but all over the globe. Have a look at my travels so far, visit my youtube channel and support me in my travels on Patreon.

Contributions like yours will boost our public outreach in astronomy, upgrade equipment, help cover travel costs and provide us with better educational materials to showcase.   

This time around, I ask your help to contribute to cost of my plane ticket to my next archaeoastronomical site: Egypt: An expedition in Egyptian ancient astronomy along the Nile river.
Play this video and see what it is all about.

Video Introduction of Links Through Space.

Read more about Astronomy Club Toutatis, Kustavi, Finland.