Duncan Steel • Oct 10, 2019 •
New Zealand has prided itself for decades with regard to its lack of pollution, and all will be aware that the ‘100% Pure New Zealand‘ meme is under threat through land, water and air pollution of various causes. There is another type of contamination that the country also faces: light pollution. Astronomers are concerned that the dark skies of … Read More
Duncan Steel • Oct 01, 2019 •
Currently there are nine astronauts in orbit, passing a bit more than 400 km above our heads several times a day. If you would like to watch the Space Station in New Zealand’s skies, there are several opportunities this next week, so long as you don’t mind getting up reasonably early, before sunrise. Just at the moment it’s fairly crowded … Read More
Guest Author • Aug 28, 2019 •
Danielle Ireland-Piper NASA is reportedly investigating what could be the first ever alleged crime in space. Astronaut Anne McClain has been accused of accessing her estranged spouse’s bank account via the internet while on board the International Space Station (she denies the accusation). This gives rise to the question: what criminal law, if any, applies in outer space? The … Read More
Duncan Steel • Mar 04, 2019 •
As I write, the Dragon capsule – a spacecraft intended to loft US astronauts into orbit – has been docked with the Space Station for almost 18 hours on its initial test flight. It happens that you will be able to see the station plus capsule passing over New Zealand each evening for the next week or so, before the … Read More
Duncan Steel • Feb 22, 2019 •
The International Space Station (and many other satellites) can easily be viewed passing overhead using the naked eye, so long as you know when to look, and where. But why can we see it, and how does it return so often? In a blog post a few days ago I presented tables of times when the International Space Station (ISS … Read More
Duncan Steel • Feb 19, 2019 •
It’s easy to see the International Space Station passing overhead: you just need to know when and where to look. Oh, and a clear sky. The International Space Station (ISS) regularly passes across New Zealand, a little more than 400 km above our heads – rather less than the distance between Auckland and Wellington. Most of these transits … Read More
Guest Author • Mar 29, 2016 •
Ivy Shih, The Conversation Some species of bacteria have made themselves right at home in space, with one species, Bacillus safensis, found to thrive more in the microgravity of the International Space Station than here on Earth. The study was a product of Project MECCURI, a citizen science project where members of the public and microbiologists collected … Read More
Guest Author • Mar 03, 2016 •
Kathryn Harriss, University of Kent Would you like to spend a year gazing down from the International Space Station? Before you pack your bag, you should think about what actually might happen to you in microgravity, away from the protection of the atmosphere and magnetosphere. Thanks to two astronauts who’ve recently landed back on Earth, we’ll now be … Read More
Ken Perrott • Apr 16, 2013 •
Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) tweeted the above picture today from the International Space Station. As he wrote – “A somber Spring night in Boston.” Boston Marathon bombings I think it demonstrates the sort of high-tech world we now live in – … Continue reading → … Read More
Ken Perrott • Jul 22, 2011 •
This is a time exposure taken from the International Space Station (ISS). It shows the plasma trail of Atlantis as it travelled through the atmosphere on its final return from orbit. Thanks to NASA – Station Crew Views Shuttle Landing. Read More