Photoshopping Space Pictures

While I love astro-photography, I warn everyone who searches for space pictures, whether it's galaxies, comets, the moon, planets, or anything outside of our planet, that people use photoshop A LOT. Unlike the fashion industry, where photoshop is highly frowned upon, is the astro photography industry, photoshop isn't frowned upon but encouraged. 

In order to get the best colors out of pictures, photographers add layers, filters, colors, and alter their space pictures. Here are a few of those examples where the pictures are severely altered, although to someone who doesn't do this often, they might not be able to tell.

Comets

Comets are one of the coolest 'balls of light' as I like to call them. They happen so quickly, yet contain so much beauty.  I spoke about comet's previously, but the pictures speak for themselves.Again, enjoy some google pics!

Our Lovely Milky Way

I spoke about the Milky Way previously, but I only gave the background, and didn't give the visual. If you ever have the chance to travel to the Caribbean or a remote location with little light pollution, I dare you to look up at the night sky and look for the milky way.

I had the pleasure of seeing the Milky Way in Turks and Caicos on both my visits. I couldn't capture it on camera, I didn't have my professional camera with me at the time it was most visible, but the sight was amazing. The fact you could see it with the naked eye was astonishing.

I plan to take more pictures while i'm in Aruba this summer, so I can't post any pics yet, but until then, enjoy some google images of people who've taken incredible pictures.

Supernova's

One of my favorite topics when it comes to astronomy is SUPERNOVA's. A supernova is a star that suddenly increases in brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass. This results in ASTONISHING pictures (if you are lucky enough to catch a supernova as it's happening!)

I didn't take these pictures, but I sure wish I did. Some visual enjoyment for those wanting to explore space photography more :-)

Event's Going On

As per Kevin's request (thanks for the suggestion, Kevin!) Here's a list of events that will be happening at Rolnick Observatory in Westport, CT. This is the observatory I am a member of, so I can speak best on :-)

For many of the events, you have to be a member (it's only $25 for students a year!), and after a year, you get keys to the observatory. After two classes to teach you how to use the telescopes, you get the keys and can go to the observatory whenever you want! It's a great investment for anyone interested, but I'd recommend visiting a few times before going.

Public nights are every Wednesday (so unfortunately, we're in class), but once class is over, you can go from about 8PM - 10:00 PM. 

On Saturday, April 30 - it's the last quarter of the moon at 3:29 AM
On Friday, May 6 - it's a new moon at 7:30 PM (this makes for great pics!)
On Friday, May 13, it's the first quarter at 5:02 PM
On Saturday, May 21  - we're back to a full moon
On Sunday, May 29 - we're at the last quarter

Coolest Events happening soon!!

• On May 9 - The Transit of Mercury will be visible from the Rolnick Observatory from 7:14 AM - 2:20 PM!
• On August 21, 2017 The great American Solar Eclipse will be visible, but not completely!

The Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy is one of my favorite galaxies, and while I've never been able to get a good picture, I've been able to see the galaxy a few times via the telescope at the Rolnick observatory. 

The pictures speak for themselves of the beauty of this galaxy...

Space Pics I've Taken

Something I rarely EVER do is share my pictures/photography with anyone who is not close to me, but, because I've previously put these on Facebook, I figured someone's probably used them in some shape way or form. So please enjoy these space pics I've taken from Rolnick observatory.

All of these pictures were taken with an iPhone 6 (and because I'm typing this from my phone, I've had to screen shot the pics off my iphone  - sorry!), and not with my professional camera. My professional camera pictures are even better. I'll also be travelling to Aruba in August and visiting an observatory there (that's being constructed by one person !).

The first picture is obviously of the moon. No zoom on my end, however, if you consider a telescope a 'zoom' then I did 'zoom in'... It was taken with my personal telescope, which is nothing more than a $300 beginner telescope.

The second picture is Jupiter and it's moons! Jupiter has (4) moons... Europa, Ganymede, Io, and Callisto. Those little tiny specs you see.. yup, those are the moons! The glowing ball you see is Jupiter. This also was taken with a smaller telescope at zero zoom. If I was to have a bigger telescope like at the observatory, i'd be able to zoom in much more and get a closer picture.

This third picture is Saturn! This was one of the most difficult pictures taken, because Saturn moves SO quickly compared to the other planets, if you don't have a self-tracking telescope, you have to polar align it every 5-8 seconds. Also, trying to take this picture on an iphone is very difficult. It usually comes out as a ball of light. you have to adjust the focus manually on your iphone.

And this fourth picture is one of my favorites (although one of the least quality).. The top glowing orb-like planet is Venus. This picture was taken last summer when Jupiter and Venus were going to "cross" (you might have seen it on Facebook or news channels around last June - July!).  The bottom glowing planet is Jupiter, and you can kind of see the four moons.

Space Travels Gone Wrong

With every space launch there's complications, whether it be accidents or incidents resulting in fatality or near-fatality during flight or in training. As of 2013, there have been (18) astronaut and cosmonaut fatalities. Incidents include:

• Parachute failure
• Decompression
• Vehicle Disintegration during launch (the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster)
• Vehicle Disintegration during re-entry (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster)
• Control failure
• Fire in altitude chamber
• Training jet crash
• Fire during spacecraft test
• Drowning during water recovery training
• Spaceship crash during test flight
• Separation failure
• Landing capsule sank in water
• Equipment failure
• Engine shutdown at launch
• Spacesuit or airlock design fault
• Struck twice by lightning during launch
• Premature engine shutdown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZYa9ZKZeDkenablejsapi=1

Fun Facts about Space

Awesome Facts about Space!

1. There are thousands of planets in space, not just the (8) in our galaxy.
2. In space, the skin on your feet will peel off!
3. On Venus, one day is longer than one whole Earth year
4. Astronauts are usually placed in quarantine after returning from the moon
5. One million Earths (planets) can fit inside the Sun.
6. After extended time in space, you become taller, then shrink once back on Earth.
7. There's extreme weather in Space
8. Space isn't that far away (only about 100km above the Earth)
9. The hottest planet is not the closest planet to the Sun.
10. The moon looks bigger on the horizon
11. You can still cry in space, but your tears don't fall
12. Dirty underwear and toilet paper has helped grow plants on the ISS
13. There is a dwarf planet named after an Easter island legend
14. The Northern star will eventually change
15. The Apollo crew didn't have any life insurance
16. Metal sticks together in space
17. The furthest manmade object (the Voyager 1) has a message for aliens on-board it

Local Observatories

I love going to the local observatories here in Connecticut. I've had the pleasure of also visiting observatories in Boston, Canada, Florida, and in August I'll be visiting the observatory in Aruba!

• Rolnick Observatory (Westport, CT)
• John J. McCarthy Observatory (New Milford)
• Van Vleck Observatory (Middletown)
• Boothe Memorial Observatory (Stratford)
• Bowman Observatory (Greenwich)
• Leitner Family Observatory (New Haven)
• Stamford Observatory (Stamford)
• Westside Observatory (Danbury)

Skywatching

Skywatching is popular among many people, whether it be because space interests the person, a first date, a special occasion, or watching space launches. The link below can be used to find what is happening outside our planet on a daily basis!

http://www.space.com/skywatching

Space Rovers

A rover (or sometimes planetary rover) is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of a planet or other celestial body. Some rovers have been designed to transport members of a human space flight crew; others have been partially or fully autonomous robots. Rovers usually arrive at the planetary surface on a lander-style spacecraft.Rovers are created to land on another planet, besides Earth, to find out information and to take samples. They can collect dust, rocks, and even take pictures.

Credit Given To: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_(space_exploration)

Space Shuttles

The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS), taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights beginning in 1982. They were used on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST); conducted science experiments in orbit; and participated in construction and servicing of the International Space Station. The Shuttle fleet's total mission time was 1322 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds

Credit Given To: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle

Black Holes

A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light can not get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying.

Because no light can get out, people can't see black holes. They are invisible. Space telescopes with special tools can help find black holes. The special tools can see how stars that are very close to black holes act differently than other stars.

How Big Are Black Holes?
Black holes can be big or small. Scientists think the smallest black holes are as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a large mountain. Mass is the amount of matter, or "stuff," in an object.

Another kind of black hole is called "stellar." Its mass can be up to 20 times more than the mass of the sun. There may be many, many stellar mass black holes in Earth's galaxy. Earth's galaxy is called the Milky Way.

The largest black holes are called "supermassive." These black holes have masses that are more than 1 million suns together. Scientists have found proof that every large galaxy contains a supermassive black hole at its center. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy is called Sagittarius A. It has a mass equal to about 4 million suns and would fit inside a very large ball that could hold a few million Earths.

Credit Given To: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-a-black-hole-k4.html

Galaxies

Galaxies are huge collections of stars, dust and gas. They usually contain several million to over a trillion stars and can range in size from a few thousand to several hundred thousand light-years across. There are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the Universe. Galaxies come in many different sizes, shapes and brightness’s and, like stars, are found alone, in pairs, or in larger groups called clusters. Galaxies are divided into three basic types: spirals, elliptical and irregulars.

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is typical: it has hundreds of billions of stars, enough gas and dust to make billions more stars, and at least ten times as much dark matter as all the stars and gas put together. And it’s all held together bygravity.

Like more than two-thirds of the known galaxies, the Milky Way has a spiral shape. At the center of the spiral, a lot of energy and, occasionally, vivid flares. are being generated. Based on the immense gravity that would be required explain the movement of stars and the energy expelled, the astronomers conclude that the center of the Milky Way is a supermassive black hole.

Other galaxies have elliptical shapes, and a few have unusual shapes like toothpicks or rings. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) shows this diversity. Hubble observed a tiny patch of sky (one-tenth the diameter of the moon) for one million seconds (11.6 days) and found approximately 10,000 galaxies, of all sizes, shapes, and colors. From the ground, we see very little in this spot, which is in the constellation Fornax.

Credit Given To: http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-are-galaxies/

Astronauts

There have been many astronauts who have made tremendous contributions to our knowledge of space. But asking “who is the most famous?” is somewhat tricky. For one, its a bit subjective. And second, it can be hard to objectively measure just how important and individuals contributions really are. Surely, all astronauts are deserving of recognition and respect for their bravery and contributions to the pursuit of knowledge.

Nevertheless, in the course of human space exploration, some names do stand out more than others. And some have made such immense contributions that their names will live on long after we too have passed away. So without further ado, here are just a few of the most famous astronauts, along with a list of their accomplishments.

Yuri Gagarin:

As the first man to ever go into space, no list of famous astronauts would be complete without Yuri Gagarin. Born in the village of Klushino in the Smolensk Oblast on March 9th, 1934, Gagarin was drafted into the Soviet Air Force in 1955 and trained in the use of jet fighters. In 1960, he was selected alongside 19 other pilots to join the newly-formed Soviet Space Program.

Alan B. Shepard Jr.:

In addition to being an astronaut and one of the Mercury Seven – the first seven pilots selected by NASA to go into space – Shepard was also the first American man to go into space. He was born November 18th, 1923 in Pebble, California and graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree. While in the Navy, Shepard became a fighter pilot and served aboard several aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean.

Valentina Tereshkova:

Another famous Russian cosmonaut, Tereshkova is also internationally renowned for being the first woman to go into space. Born in the village of Maslennikovo in central Russia on March 6th, 1937, Tereshkova became interested in parachuting from a young age and began training at the local aeroclub.

After Gagarin’s historic flight in 1961, the Soviets hopes to also be the first country to put a woman into space. On 16 February 1962, Valentina Tereshkova was selected to join the female cosmonaut corps, and was selected amongst hundreds to be one of five women who would go into space.

In addition to her expertise in parachuting (which was essential since Vostok pilots were to parachute from the capsule after reentry), her background as a “proletariat”, and the fact that her father was a war hero from the Russo-Finnish War, led to her being selected.

CLICK BELOW PLEASE ----

Credit Given To: http://www.universetoday.com/45089/famous-astronauts/

Comets

Like asteroids, comets are suspected to be remnants of planet formation in the Solar System about 4.6 billion years ago. But while asteroids are generally comprised of rock and metal, comets are more akin to dirty snowballs. They are composed of frozen gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia, as well as water ice, in which dust particles and rocky material are embedded.

Where do comets come from?

Comets primarily originate from two regions of the solar system: the Kuiper Belt, which is a disk of icy bodies that lies just beyond the orbit of Neptune, and the Oort Cloud, a more distant, spherical collection of objects that marks the very edge of the solar system. Short-period comets, which orbit the sun in 200 years or less, are usually Kuiper Belt objects, while long-period comets that take hundreds or thousands of years to orbit the sun generally come from the Oort Cloud.

Credit Given To: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/what-is-a-comet/

Asteroids

4.6 billion years ago, our Solar System formed from a collection of gas and dust surrounding our nascent Sun. While much of the gas and dust in this protoplanetary disk coalesced to form the planets, some of the debris was left over.

Some of debris was shattered remnants of planetesimals – bodies within the young Sun’s solar nebula that never grew large enough to become planets, and scientists theorize that large collisions in the early, chaotic Solar System pulverized these planetesimals into smaller pieces. Other debris never came together due to the massive gravitational pull from Jupiter.

These rocky remnants are now the asteroids that travel about our Solar System. Since these “leftovers” contain clues about the early days of our Solar System, scientists are eager to study them.

Definition of an Asteroid

Asteroids are rocky, metallic bodies that orbit the Sun. They are made from different kinds of rock and metals, with the metals being mostly nickel and iron. They are sometimes called “minor planets” but they are much, much smaller than the planets or moons. They don’t have atmospheres, but about 150 asteroids are known to have small “moons” orbiting them, and some even have two moons. There are also binary (double) asteroids, where two rocky bodies of roughly equal size orbit each other, as well as triple asteroid systems.

Credit Given To: http://www.universetoday.com/32459/asteroids/

Planets

Our planet consists of (8) planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune. With the exception of Neptune and Uranus, the other (6) planets can be seen unaided and all eight are visible with a small telescope / binoculars. 

The order of the planets (from closest proximity to the Sun outwards) are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and finally, Neptune. The largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter, followed by Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars and the smallest, Mercury.

Name	Diameter	Distance from the Sun	Orbit Period
Mercury	4,879 km	57,909,227 km (0.39 AU)	88 days
Venus	12,104 km	108,209,475 km (0.73 AU)	225 days
Earth	12,742 km	149,598,262 km (1 AU)	365.26 days
Mars	6,779 km	227,943,824 km (1.38 AU)	1.9 years
Jupiter	139,822 km	778,340,821 km (5.20 AU)	11.9 years
Saturn	116,464 km	1,426,666,422 km (9.58 AU)	29.5 years
Uranus	50,724 km	2,870,658,186 km (19.22 AU)	84.0 years
Neptune	49,244 km	4,498,396,441 km (30.10 AU)	164.8 years

Credit Given to: http://space-facts.com/planets/

Stars

Stars are cosmic energy engines that produce heat, light and ultraviolet rays/x-rays and other forms of radiation. They are composed largely of gasoline and plasma; a super heated state of matter composed of subatomic particles. Some stars have always stood out from the rest. Their brightness is a factor of how much energy they put out, which is called luminosity, and also how far away from the Earth they are. Stars in the heavens may also appear to be different colors because of the ranging temperatures. Hot stars are white or blue, while cooler stars are orange or red. Stars may occur in many sizes, which are classified in a range from dwarfs to super giants. Super giants may have radii a thousand times larger than that of our own sun.

Credit given to: http://science/nationalgeographic.com/science/space/universe/stars-article/

What is "Space"?

From the perspective of an Earthling, outer space is any area above our atmosphere. There is no appreciable air to breath, no blankets to keep warm with, and no other life (that we know of!). Space can be considered a beautiful nightmare, because if you take off your helmet, you die within seconds, but space also produces beautiful pictures known as astrophotography.

Space is considered to be a vacuum, meaning that sound cannot be carried, as molecules are not close enough together to transmit sound between them. Space has a great amount of radiation, planets, stars, and galaxies.

The most mysterious part about space is that it has no end, or rather, we haven't found an end. Rather than measuring the length of space with traditional measuring techniques (centimeters, inches, miles, kilometers...etc), space is measured in "light-years". Light years represent the distance it takes for light to travel in a year, which equals to approximately 5.8 trillion miles / 9.3 trillion kilometers. Telescopes can only see so far, and research states that our universe started with the Big Bang, as far back as 13.7 billion light-years. This, however, doesn't prove if space is limited to that number. Astronomers aren't sure if our universe is even the only universe that exists!