NASA’s Kepler space telescope has been shut down into a precautionary “safe mode” after engineers noticed problems with its orientation mechanism. “Resting the [reaction] wheels provides an opportunity to redistribute internal lubricant, potentially returning the friction to normal levels,” Kepler scientists reported in a mission update on January 17. Kepler is supposed to remain idle for 10 days. The decision [...]
Post Tagged with: “transit”
NASA Considered Manned Venus Fly-by in 1967
On June 5, Venus will pass directly between the Sun and the Earth, becoming visible from Earth as a small black disk in front of the Sun. It is a fantastic and rare phenomenon that occurs every 243 years, with pairs of transits eight years apart separated by long gaps of 121.5 years and 105.5 years. Therefore we can say that [...]
Preparing for Final Venus Transit of the Century
Source: ESA Scientists and amateur astronomers around the world are preparing to observe the rare occurrence of Venus crossing the face of the Sun on 5-6 June, an event that will not be seen again for over a hundred years. The occasion also celebrates the first transit while there is a spacecraft orbiting the planet – ESA’s Venus Express. [...]
