Duncan Steel • Jan 09, 2019 •
With regard to tracking military satellites newly-launched from eastern Asia and potentially of concern to our allies, New Zealand’s geographical position is of huge (yet overlooked) significance. Surely no-one could imagine that space-wise there is not a lot going on at present, with another probe just landed on Mars, three other spacecraft missions having encounters with asteroids, and … Read More
Guest Author • Jun 29, 2018 •
Becky Turner Theoretical physicist and one-man-phenomenon Stephen Hawking contributed a wealth of knowledge to mankind during his lifetime. One of his recommendations was that humans would need to colonise other planets in the next hundred years to avoid annihilation. His fears took the form of deadly viruses, nuclear war, asteroid impacts, and global warming. In order to avoid … Read More
Guest Author • May 09, 2018 •
Tanya Hill, Museums Victoria Now is a great time to see Jupiter in the night sky, as the planet reaches opposition on Wednesday, May 9. Opposition means that Jupiter sits opposite the Sun in the sky. So tonight, as the Sun sets in the west, Jupiter can be found rising in the east. It’s lovely and bright, outshining … Read More
Guest Author • Apr 30, 2018 •
Katarina Miljkovic, Curtin University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. When we look up at Mars in the night sky we see a red planet – largely due to its rusty surface. But what’s on the inside? Launching in May, the next NASA space mission will study the interior … Read More
Guest Author • Apr 11, 2018 •
Rowena Christiansen, University of Melbourne This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Take it from me is a new series in Science and Technology, where we find an expert to provide a personal but informed perspective on a topical issue. Elon Musk’s SpaceX reportedly has two people signed up for a … Read More
Guest Author • Mar 22, 2018 •
Alice Gorman, Flinders University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Sixty years ago, a grapefruit-sized aluminium sphere with six antennas and some tiny solar cells was launched into Earth orbit. The Vanguard 1 satellite is still up there and is the oldest human-made object in space. It’s our first … Read More
Guest Author • Mar 14, 2018 •
David Blair, University of Western Australia This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Whenever there’s an announcement of a new discovery of gravitational waves there is usually an accompanying sound, such as this: We have only detected half a dozen signals so far. The first five are black holes whose … Read More
Guest Author • Mar 09, 2018 •
Andrew Coates, UCL This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. We all recognise Jupiter by its banded pattern of counter-rotating zones and belts – this can be seen even with small garden telescopes. These stunning structures are powered by fast jet streams that are visible in the planet’s clouds. But what … Read More
Guest Author • Dec 22, 2017 •
“When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute – and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity.” – Albert Einstein This guy kind of needs no introduction but, while most people know that he was a total genius, they don’t really … Read More
John Kerr • Oct 20, 2017 •
Earth is passing through a cloud of comet debris and there’s good chance to catch meteors lighting up the New Zealand sky – weather permitting! Kiwis will witness the peak of the annual Orionids meteor shower tonight – at least those who are committed to getting up early (or staying up late) and who have the luxury of a clear night. The shower is … Read More